War CryTHE

FIGHTING FOR HEARTS AND SOULSsalvationarmy.org.uk/warcry Est 1879 No 7119

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BRITAIN’SSCROLLIEST

PLACES APP OFFERS GUIDE TO SACRED SITES

BACK TO EARTH WITH A BUMPJaden Smith in sci-fi film

8 June 2013

20p/25c

EX-IRAQ WAR MEDIC CHANGES HER TUNE

Back page

holybritain.co.uk

Page 8

2 The War Cry 8 June 2013 News

There is no set formula to becoming a Christian, but many people have found saying this prayer to be a helpful first step to a relationship with God.

Lord Jesus Christ,I am truly sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that I know is wrong.Thank you that you died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free.Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Holy Spirit.Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me for ever.Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen

Becoming aecomi g

Christian

RETIREMENT IS ARTIST’S NEW CANVAS

COMMENT – p6 PUZZLES – p12 INNER LIFE – p13 FOOD FOR THOUGHT – p14 RECIPES – p15

Designer in photo finish

FORCED ABORTION POLICY CHALLENGED

Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International

PEOPLE following The Salvation Army’s New Testament Bible

Challenge are reading the whole New Testament, five chapters a week, over the course of a year. For each day’s reading plan and discussion notes visit salvationarmy.org.uk/biblechallenge

THIS issue of The War Cry is the last to be designed by chief designer Gill Cox. A gifted artist, Gill has worked in The Salvation Army’s editorial offices – including a spell as Editor of The War Cry’s sister paper Kids Alive! – since 1986. She joined The War Cry in the early 1990s and has crafted some 950 issues, comprising more than 9,400 pages.

‘Gill has consistently used her gifts in the tough regime of weekly newspaper deadlines,’ says War Cry Editor Major Nigel Bovey. ‘The current compact, which was introduced in 2009, is evidence of Gill’s artistry, creativity and commitment.’

YOUR prayers are requested for Paul, that he may find a meaningful job soon; for those who are unemployed, broken-hearted and

sick; and for Mrs M’s children, that they might find good Christian spouses.

The War Cry invites readers to send in requests for prayer, including the names of individuals and details of their circumstances.Send your requests to PRAYERLINK, The War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, Lon don SE1 6BN. Mark your envelope ‘Confidential’.P

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Activist receives Westminster

Award

For more information visit jubileecampaign.org

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CHINESE human rights lawyer and activist Chen Guangcheng has travelled to the UK to highlight his country’s enforced one-child policy. During his stay, he visited the Houses of Parliament, where he received the Westminster Award for Human Life, Human Rights and Human Dignity.

It is estimated that since the policy was introduced in 1971 the attempt to limit China’s population has resulted in 336 million forced abor-tions and 196 million forced sterilisa-tions. Human Rights Watch reports that in 2005, Chen filed a class action lawsuit against officials who subjected people to late-term forced abortions, beatings and compulsory sterilisations. The lawsuit was rejected.

‘Forced abortions are happening everywhere,’ said Chen, speaking through an interpreter. ‘They are very common. There’s no reasoning with the Chinese Communist Party but I felt I had to stand up and protest. Even the weakest light is like a dagger that can penetrate the darkness. If nothing else, the party is spending ¥10 million (£1 million) a year in trying to contain me.’

Asked by The War Cry what moti-vated him to challenge the authori-ties, Chen replied: ‘I feel as a fellow human being. What we know, hear and see needs to be matched with our con-science.’

Chen, who is blind, was imprisoned from 2006 to 2010 and describes his treatment at the hands of the authori-ties as ‘beyond imagination’. Upon release he was placed under house arrest. In 2012, he and his wife escaped and sought asylum in the American Embassy in Beijing. They now live in the US.

Lord Alton, who invited Chen to the UK, told The War Cry that ‘China’s policy has led to millions of forced abortions when women have more than one child. Chen Guangcheng’s campaign against this coercive pol-icy, which destroys life and violates human rights, led to his imprisonment and house arrest. He is amazingly courageous and brave. It has been a blind man who has seen an evil which we who have sight have chosen not to see.’

8 June 2013 The War Cry 3

Places can give us special insights

series. The presenter describes the app as ‘a spiritual satnav’.

Like the book, the app highlights 500 sacred sites – not only cathedrals and churches in which people have worshipped, but also caves where they went to pray, pools in which they were baptised and natural features which inspired them.

Ifor tells The War Cry that the app provides iPad and iPhone users with the information included in the book, but it also offers some extra tools. ‘For instance, you can look for places through the index, which is arranged by counties, or by map. The map will show you where you are and flag up all the locations nearest to you.’

Turn on the app in South London, for instance, and the map will offer a variety of divine destinations – including St Paul’s Cathedral (for its history and awe-inspiring architecture) and the British Library (which houses early Bible texts),

Barking Abbey in Essex (the ruins of a medieval monastery) and Lullingstone Roman Villa in Kent (where archaeologists uncovered some of the earliest evidence for Christian worship in Britain). By clicking on a destination the user can scroll through information about the place’s past as well as its opening times and web links.

Judging from reactions to the TV series, Ifor believes people want to seek out holy places. ‘Our society is not quite so secular as people sometimes think,’ he says. ‘More people have spiritual needs than they might admit.’

Ifor says that, though the app cannot meet spiritual needs, it could point people to a place where they may be able to contemplate matters of faith.

He also suggests that different sites offer different experiences. A service at a church is a shared experience, but a visit to remote abbey ruins could provide an opportunity for solitary

contemplation.Places can give us special

insights into the Divine. A church where

people have

worshipped for more than a thousand years may give us insights into the way faith has affected countless lives in countless ways. A landscape may fill us with awe at God’s creation.

The idea that God can be found only in one kind of place was left in ruins years ago. The Bible records that when early Christian Paul made a visit to Athens, he provided a reference point to the truth about God. Rather than being confined to ‘temples made by human hands’ – he explained – ‘God is actually not far from any one of us’ (Acts 17:25, 27 Good News Bible).

Paul could pinpoint the reason behind his belief: Jesus had demonstrated that God cares for all of us whatever we are going through, is willing to guide us when we are looking for the best way to live and offers us forgiveness when we go wrong.

Over the centuries, many people in many places have

discovered that God’s love is worth searching for.

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TV presenter Ifor (left) and author Nick (on front page at Whitby Abbey)

Glasgow Cathedral is among ‘Britain’s holiest places’

By PHILIP HALCROW

holybritain.co.uk

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NIGEL BOVEY

AN app is offering users a new way to find some ancient sacred sites. Based on a book that was turned into a TV series, the Britain’s Holiest Places app gives information on where to look for places with a spiritual history.

Ifor ap Glyn travelled round the country with Nick Mayhew Smith, the author of the book Britain’s Holiest Places, to make the BBC Four

IF the existence of God could be proved on, say, the same

watertight basis as the side lengths of a right-angled triangle, it is possible that more people would believe. How much faith they would each require, how- ever, is another matter.

Christians believe in God and commit their eternal destiny to Jesus Christ on the basis not of irrefutable proof but of evidence and experience.

Over the centuries, Christian thinkers have framed a number of arguments for God’s existence. Scientists talk in terms of ‘best explanations’. How do Christians infer that God exists?

Traditionally, they have gathered their evidence down two tracks – ‘natural revelation’ and ‘special revelation’. (These broadly accord with Francis Bacon’s idea that God speaks through two books: the book of his works – creation or ‘nature’ – and the book of his word – the Bible.)

Natural theology traditionally attempted to prove God’s existence solely from human reason and/or on observa-tion of the natural world.

In 1078, Anselm put forward what has since become known as the ontologi-cal argument for God. It runs like this: the concept of God includes notions of his perfection and greatness – that he is the greatest being we can think of. Part of being perfect is the ability to exist. If God is the perfect being, then he must exist, because if he doesn’t exist, he lacks the ‘perfection’ of existing.

Building on ideas from Aristotle, in about 1268 Thomas Aquinas wrote that ‘the existence of God can be proved in five ways’. Simply stated, they are that:

The world is in motion. Whatever is put in motion is done so by something else. Whatever moved first is God.The world has cause. Things don’t hap-pen without cause. The world needed a first cause. That first cause is God.The world exists. Things can exist or they cannot exist. Nature cannot cause itself to exist. The world exists because something (God) caused it. Things in the world are different, physically and morally. Humans show a range of morality, so humans can-not be perfect. The perfect being – the moral maximum – must exist. That moral maximum is God.The world is ordered. The world looks as though it is designed. If it is designed, there must be a designer. That designer is God.

In response to Richard Dawkins’s suggestion that the question of God’s existence should be treated as a scien-tific hypothesis, fellow Oxford professor philosopher Richard Swinburne tells The War Cry: ‘If a scientific hypothesis is to be well justified, it has to have observ-able consequences, either before or after the formulation of the hypothesis. I think there are some very obvious observable consequences of the hypothesis that God exists.

‘First, there is an extraordinarily orderly Universe. Every particle of matter behaves in the same way as every other particle.

‘Secondly, the regulari-ties of nature are exactly the right kind for us to be able to make any dif-ference to anything. It is because the Universe is regular that there are pos-

4 Debate

forGodProvingProving

In this series NIGEL BOVEY looks at questions of God’s existence

People do not come to faith by being persuaded by argument alone

Evidence

8 June 2013 The War Cry 5

Library picture posed by model

sibilities of benefiting or harming people.‘The probability of a hypothesis

depends on two things: it must be simple and it must lead us to expect observable consequences with significant probability.

‘This is how it is with the God hypothe-sis. By contrast, the person who says there is no God has to say that it is the laws of nature that are ultimate. An atheist has to explain things in terms of enormous coin-cidence in the behaviour of objects – and that is a very complicated hypothesis.

‘If there is a God, then the existence of an ordered world and a regularity suf-ficient to produce humankind – those observable phenomena – are to be expect-ed. Contrary to what Dawkins concludes, this makes it very probable that the hypothesis of God is true.’

Oxford mathematician and philoso-pher Professor John Lennox tells The War Cry that he ‘can’t prove God in the way that I can prove a mathematical theorem, but I can find evidence beyond reasonable doubt.

‘The beauty, magnificence and com-plexity of the Universe,’ he says, ‘points not to mindless, unguided processes, but to a Creator.

‘The existence of moral conscience points to an objective standard. We all believe there are moral absolutes – that, for example, torturing babies is wrong. Where does conscience come from if not from God?

‘Inside every one of the human body’s 10 trillion cells there is a digital database, encoded in some 3.5 billion letters of DNA. As a mathematician, I do not find it con-vincing to believe that the language-like structure of DNA has come about merely through random, unguided processes.

‘I believe there is evidence that Jesus is God incarnate – that God has encoded himself in human life in the person of Jesus. The key evidence for that is that Jesus rose from the dead as a matter of history.

‘The desire to know – expressed through science or faith – is also evidence that humankind is made in the image of God.’

People do not come to faith through los-ing an argument – nor by being persuaded by argument alone. Faith is an experience – a personal encounter with God; know-ing God for ourselves. Sometimes this is as a result of someone asking God to ‘prove’ himself to them, along the lines of ‘God, if you’re really there, show me.’

Next week: Is a finely tuned Earth evidence for God?

6 Interview

BRITAIN’S wildlife is under threat. In the past 50 years, about 60 per cent of British animal and plant species have declined. That cold fact, says the State of Nature report, is partly due to global warming. Other factors, says the report – which contains the findings of 25 wildlife organisations – include urban expansion, intensive farming and gardening habits.

For example, with an estimated population less than 1 per cent of what it was in the 1960s, the V-moth, which feeds on currant and gooseberry leaves, has virtually disappeared. The once-common small tortoiseshell butterfly has declined 77 per cent in the past decade. Hedgehogs are down 33 per cent since the year 2000.

In the report’s foreword, Sir David Attenborough writes: ‘Far more species are declining than increasing in the UK, including many of our most treasured species. Alarmingly, a large number of them are threatened with extinction.

‘The causes are varied, but most are ultimately due to the way we are using our land and seas and their natural resources, often with little regard for the wildlife with which we share them.’

The notion of ‘with little regard’ will cut every nature lover to the quick. Britain’s rich diversity of habitats and inhabitants deserves better than human thoughtlessness. Nuturing nature is in Britons’ interest. The report calculates that one fifth of all industries in Scotland significantly relies on the environment.

Financial dependence means that we should treat the earth with respect. We cannot afford to treat the earth like dirt.

North Sea cod is being overfished. Energy companies are looking to exploit shale-gas production, which could eventually affect two thirds of the British countryside.

The Bible says that God gave humankind ‘dominion’ over the earth, not domination. We have a responsibility to care for the world, its animals and their habitats. And we will reap what we sow.

Nurture nature

Comment God’s N

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I WAS one of the student leaders in Tiananmen Square. I was studying English at Liaocheng University in Shandong

province. We were demonstrating for freedom, democracy and human rights. It felt as though the whole nation was behind us. After so much repression and oppression, the Chinese people (and even some Communist Party officials) were ready for democracy.

I was in the square for about a week. Four days before the massacre, my girlfriend – who is now my wife – was very sick because the drinking water was contami-

On 4 June 1989, the Chinese Army killed hundreds of pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Twenty-four years on, protester Pastor XIQIU ‘BOB’ FU tells the story of his journey from the square to faith in Jesus

nated. I went back to university. Then, of course, we heard that the People’s Liberation Army had opened fire on hundreds of unarmed protesters.

During the time I was in the square, it was very tense but peaceful. There was no trouble with the authorities. Nobody attacked me.

After the massacre, the Communists took revenge. Someone betrayed me – and worse, accused me of things I didn’t do. Without being formally arrested, I was taken in for inter-rogation. They treated me like a criminal. Day and night for weeks they had me writing con-fession after confession. It was a very hard time. It was so bad I thought about suicide.

I knew very little about God. Before she married my dad, my mum was a beggar. She always told me that even a blind donkey a blind donkeyy

PASTOR: Bob Fu reflects on his life story

Find The War Cry on Facebook and Twitter at /TheWarCryUK

8 June 2013 The War Cry 7

PROTEST: a man blocks the progress of tanks during the Tianaman Square demonstration

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can find his way home. Some of the teachers at univer-

sity were American Christians. From time to time, they tried to share what I regarded as a super-stitious message. I used to debate with them about God, but I was not persuaded.

One of our teachers had a pocket Bible, but I had never had access to a Bible.

God spoke to me through a book – it was the biography of Xi Shengmo, a Chinese pastor. He had been an opium addict and come close to death. Then a missionary with the China Inland Mission told him about Jesus. He accepted Jesus as his Saviour, his life dramatically changed and God used him to change the lives of many others by setting up hundreds of drug-prevention centres.

As I read his story, God spoke to me. I got to the point where Pastor Xi kneels at his bedside and, with tears rolling down his face, confesses his sin to God. He says: ‘Lord, I’m desperate. I can’t save myself. I need help. I need your rescue.’

Suddenly, I realised that I was

as sinful and depraved as the peo-ple who had betrayed me to the Communists. I saw the light. I was totally convicted. I saw that I could become a new creation in Christ. I couldn’t help but kneel down and say: ‘God, you are the true, living God. I want to rely on you.’

At that moment, I know some-thing within me changed. Even though I was still facing interro-gation, the next morning I had

a completely different view of the world. Even my interrogators noticed a difference. They asked me what had happened. They thought I’d had a mental breakdown. Eventually, the authori-ties stopped questioning me.

As a new Christian, I wanted to find other believers. I joined an underground church.

I resumed study in Beijing and started telling students about Jesus. I then got a job in a Communist Party school. I felt like a double agent. By day, I was teaching English to high-ranking

Communist officials and in the evenings I was conducting Bible studies in secret.

In 1996, my wife and I were arrested for conducting illegal religious activities (as we were running an underground church). We spent two months in prison in Beijing. The first three days and nights, I faced round-the-clock interrogation.

Upon our release, we were put under house arrest and then heard we were due to be re-arrested. My wife was pregnant without a pregnancy permission card and was facing forced abortion. We had to escape.

We fled Beijing and hid in the countryside before we eventu-ally got into Hong Kong. On the last working day at Hong Kong airport before the colony was handed back to China, we flew as refugees with our baby son to America, at the invitation of President Clinton.

Today, I head up China Aid, an organisation that promotes religious freedom in China.

Xiqiu ‘Bob’ Fu was talking to Nigel Bovey. For more information visit chinaaid.org

I was teaching high-ranking Communist officials and conducting Bible studies in secret

8

I don’t think I understood what I was letting myself in for

Interview

Turn to page 10

‘ONE night, I heard mortar fire coming from the front line.

The bangs started to get louder and louder. When our vehicle began to shake, I knew that the fire was incoming. I thought I was going to die. I pulled my sleeping bag over my head and prayed: “Jesus, please forgive my sins.”’

Nikki Hopkins was in Iraq, serving as an army medic when she came under fire. But her life hadn’t always been

about serving others. Although she had a church upbringing for most of her early years, Nikki chose a different path when she was 12.

‘When my mum and stepfather broke up, I stopped going to church and became rebellious,’ she says. ‘In senior school I was a total sheep. I was des-perate to fit in. I got in with the wrong crowd and would’ve done anything to look cool. I was disruptive in classes, drank a lot and sought approval from guys.’

With school coming to an end and no career prospects or good grades to fall back on, Nikki decided she wanted to be part of the Armed Forces.

‘I took an army life course in Catterick,’ Nikki explains. ‘I absolutely loved it. I felt the concept of being a soldier was really exciting. I had to pass a fitness test, do my basic training and then go on to medic training.’

At 18, Nikki qualified as a combat medical technician. In 2003, she was posted to her first unit in Münster, Germany. Three weeks later, the Iraq war broke out. Nikki was given the choice to stay behind or be deployed. She accepted the challenge and went to Iraq the next day.

‘I don’t think I understood the weight of what I was letting myself in for. I was a little bit nervous, but I saw it as an adventure.’

Nikki was attached to the Black Watch and was stationed in Kuwait. She dealt with injuries such as shrapnel wounds and took soldiers with serious injuries to the hospital.

‘It was crazy to be just weeks out of

Singer-songwriter NIKKI HOPKINS talks with Renée Davis about her faith and life in the British Army

Resound

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Nikki finds freedom in God

8 June 2013 The War Cry 9

armed with love

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Iraq war medic is now

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Nikki wants to communicate a message about God’s love

Res

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Interview

training and given responsibilities in the back of an ambulance with no experi-ence,’ Nikki says. ‘Thankfully, I didn’t have to deal with anything on my own; there were always experienced people around.’

Nikki’s narrow escape in the line of fire was the most frightening time of her life. She will never forget it.

‘I don’t know how I got through it. When I went back to Germany, I went a little bit off the rails. I think a lot of soldiers do, because being in such a controlled environment can mess with your head. I started to drink and party a lot.’

Just as the party lifestyle started to get a little too much for Nikki, she began a relationship with a fellow sol-dier. It progressed quickly. After a year, Nikki became pregnant with her first child and returned to the UK. When her daughter was five months old, Nikki and her partner married. She became an army wife and had another daughter. In 2008, the relationship between Nikki

and her husband broke down. ‘I was so young and naive when I got

into that relationship,’ she says. ‘I had a low opinion of myself and responded to the first guy who showed me attention. Military relationships are often quite strained. It was a difficult decision to leave the marriage.’

Along with her two daughters, Nikki went back to her

home town of Darlington. She found a house and began to get on with life as a single mum. Nikki’s mum encouraged her to go back to church.

‘I put it off for a long time,’ she admits. ‘I was afraid, because when I was a little girl I’d had a real relation-ship with God. But I had walked away from him and the thought of going back was overwhelming.

‘I was afraid of what I was going to have to give up. I thought the Christian

life would be boring. Every week I had an excuse not to go to church. Then, eventually, one Sunday I went along.’

When Nikki walked into Xcel Church in Darlington, she knew she had made the right decision.

‘It was the most amazing feeling to be back in God’s presence,’ she says. ‘I was blown away. I kept going for a few weeks until I knew I had to make a commitment to God.

‘I was going through a hard time with everything that had happened, and my mum and her friends came round to my house to support and pray for me. In my living room, I prayed and rededicated my life to God.’

As a result, life completely changed for Nikki.

‘I had a new outlook and dealt with things differently. By putting my life into God’s hands, I found so much free-dom, knowing that he has a plan and is in control.’

Because Nikki loved singing, she was encouraged to join the choir. After six months, the worship pastor saw her potential and recognised that she

From page 8

flow. It becomes a whole different ball game. I’m always blown away by what happens when I step out of my comfort zone and God meets me halfway.’

In 2011, Nikki took a further step. She decided to audition for Christian talent search Gospel Rock. She was not pleased with her first attempt.

‘I got back in my car and cried on the phone to my mum because

I thought I had done a rubbish job. I felt like a laughing stock,’ Nikki says. ‘Then I received a call to say that I had got through to the next round. I was amazed.’

Nikki reached the final and emerged as the 2011 winner of Gospel Rock.

Her winning performance meant she was invited to support Texan

Christian rockers Leeland at Glasgow’s O2 Academy. Soon after, she wrote and recorded a song called ‘There is a Love’, which was released on iTunes.

‘The song is about peo-ple searching for love in all the wrong places. I wanted to get the message across that God’s love is unchangeable and unfailing.’

After the release of her single, Nikki began to explore options in taking her career fur-ther. She caught the interest of artist development agency Sound Consultancy and recorded her debut EP Held By Love. It is a heartfelt mix of country and gospel songs reflecting her experiences.

As well as promoting her EP and performing around the country, Nikki still has to balance part-time working and being a single mum. It isn’t easy but her faith in God makes all the difference.

‘I cherish my relationship with God,’ she says. ‘My experiences have taught me that God is trustworthy and always has a bigger plan. I want my voice to lead people into God’s presence.’

8 June 2013 The War Cry 11

It was the most amazing feeling to be back in God’s presence

needed to be pushed to fulfil it. Slowly, Nikki made her way out of the choir and into the worship team.

‘I had some massive fears. But I couldn’t deny the pull on my heart towards leading people in worship. I knew it was something I should be doing, and I couldn’t turn my back on it.’

Nikki put her fears aside and relied on God to help her lead worship during services.

‘I think if you just stand on stage like a statue, you will fall to pieces. But there are moments in worship when God takes over and things begin to

For more information visit resoundmedia.co.uk

I went a little bit off the rails. I started to drink and party a lot

12 The War Cry 8 June 2013 Puzzlebreak

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9

Solution on page 15SUDD

OK

UU

HONEYCCOMB

QUICK CCROSSWOORD

ANSWERS

ACROSS1. Bantered (5)5. Fraudster (5)8. Interior (5)9. Provide

food (5)10. Upper air (5)11. Ornamental

band for the head (5)

12. Cistern (4)15. Hunting

call (6)17. Lesser (5)18. Uproar (6)20. Pay (4)25. Whinny (5)26. Abrupt (5)27. Normal (5)28. Vapour (5)29. Flowers (5)30. Concise (5)

QUICK CROSSWORDACROSS: 1 Joked. 5 Cheat. 8 Inner. 9 Cater.

10 Ether. 11 Tiara. 12 Tank. 15 Yoicks. 17 Minor. 18 Bedlam. 20 Wage. 25 Neigh. 26 Terse. 27 Usual. 28 Steam. 29 Roses. 30 Pithy.

DOWN: 1 Jacket. 2 Kitten. 3 Dirty. 4 In-law. 5 Creator. 6 Ethnic. 7 Tarsus. 13 Ate. 14 Vim. 15 Yob. 16 Keg. 17 Madness. 18 Bitter. 19 Debris. 21 Abduct. 22 Employ. 23 Wider. 24 Chump.

QUICK QUIZ1 Jim Davis. 2 Titanic. 3 The first official postal

stamp. 4 Skin. 5 The Rhine. 6 Is another man’s gain.

HONEYCOMB1 Nausea. 2 Cerise. 3 Energy. 4 Retain.

5 Fulham. 6 Ballet.

DOWN1. Coat (6)2. Baby cat (6)3. Filthy (5)4. Relative by

marriage (2-3)5. Inventor (7)6. Racial (6)7. Ankle (6)13. Consumed (3)14. Energy (3)15. Hooligan (3)16. Small cask (3)17. Frenzy (7)18. Acrimonious (6)19. Rubbish (6)21. Kidnap (6)22. Use (6)23. Broader (5)24. Fool (5)

1. Feeling of sickness

2. Cherry red colour

3. Needed to provide light and heat

4. Keep possession of

5. Premier League football club

6. Artistic dance

Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number

WORDSEARCH

QUICK QUIZ

1. Who created the cartoon cat Garfield?

2. Which film features the song ‘My Heart Will Go On’ by Celine Dion?

3. What did Sir Rowland Hill invent in 1840?

4. What is the largest organ of the human body?

5. Which river flows through Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland?

6. Complete the saying: One man’s loss…

Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these jazz musicians

ARMSTRONG (LOUIS)BASIE (COUNT)BLAKEY (ART)COLE (NAT KING)COLTRANE (JOHN)

DAVIS (MILES)ELLING (KURT)ELLINGTON (DUKE)GILLESPIE (DIZZY)GOODMAN (BENNY)HANCOCK (HERBIE)HAWKINS (COLEMAN)HOLIDAY (BILLIE)

JARRETT (KEITH)MARSALIS (WYNTON)MINGUS (CHARLES)MONK (THELONIOUS)PARKER (CHARLIE)ROACH (MAX)TATUM (ART)WILLIAMS (MARY LOU)

H E D S L K O A L M T A A K B O O N O D L H M C L U I L A T B C N A G I O K L E E T S U C J L G N I L L E E C R I A E G S M A I L L I W G L E V R T R M M A K L R D U R O O U E T O K E U R E N A R T L O C L E A N V L K S Y Y T R S I D A R C D K R A P A I S K S I O M R H S A R R I P L I N T N S I A V P N V L E L L I N G T O N J N C H L I A M K N S R K C G S I K E I A S W O R O G O E U A C R R G E A M L N L C A G S S T A C L H D L G A K C R A G H N

In this series, ROSEMARY DAWSON looks at the Psalms

Inner life 138 June 2013 The War Cry

LOOKING FOR HELP?Just complete this coupon and send it to The War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN

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SongsOF THEheart

CONFESSION – so the saying goes – is good for the soul. We’ve all said or done things that we later regretted but did not own up to. It may have been something trivial, such as eating all the hard-centred chocolates in the box and leaving the soft-centred ones for the rest of the family, or more serious, such as telling a lie that has got someone else into trouble.

A sense of guilt can build up in our minds and memories until it becomes a burden of gigantic proportions. Some people cope by ignoring it. Some hope it will go away. Others completely deny the event ever happened – even to themselves.

Human nature hasn’t changed much through the centuries. In Old Testament times, people were just the same: a mix-ture of goodness, of trying to be good and of sometimes failing to be good.

Describing his own shortcomings, the psalmist prays to God: ‘When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of dis-cipline was heavy on me’ (Psalm 32:3, 4 New Living Translation).

But, instead of letting the past rule his life, he does some-thing about it. He confesses his wrongdoing to God and seeks forgiveness.

Psalm 32

Good for the soul

He contrasts his previous life with the joy of being forgiven: ‘Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! … Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebel-lion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone’ (32:1–3).

Sharing his burden of guilt with God through penitence and confession

was definitely good for the psalmist’s soul.

Sometimes the per-son we find it hardest to forgive is ourselves. But being honest before God and fac-ing our past – with all its regrets and ‘what-might-have-beens’ – are the first steps to receiving divine forgiveness and the Almighty’s help to make a new begin-ning.

Sometimes the person we find it hardest to forgive is ourselves

Children’s entertainment today, of course, is very different from what I was used to. Now that most families have televisions and computers, it’s hard to imagine a mum and child sitting together in front of the radio listening to ‘Humpty Dumpty’.

Despite the benefits that modern gadgets can bring, I wonder if we’re in danger of letting them take over our lives. Do we allow them to take the place of other people? Are we more tempted to sit in the family lounge playing on our phones or chatting on Facebook than chatting with our loved ones face to face?

Earlier this year, I read a report which said that parents can’t get away with simply sticking their children in front of the TV, as it’s no replacement for quality time.

By physically interacting with children, parents and other adults can show them that they are valued. A child who feels valued is perhaps more likely to feel secure and emotionally balanced, and go on to develop lasting relationships.

The Bible’s Book of Proverbs says: ‘Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it’ (22:6 New International Version).

In order to ‘start children off’ on the right path, it’s a good idea

ARE you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. Those words began each broadcast of Listen With Mother. The lunchtime radio programme ran from the 1950s to the 1980s. It consisted of a story and songs – mainly nursery rhymes – sung by a very operatic voice.

14 The War Cry 8 June 2013

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by CATHERINE WYLES

Annual subscription of The War Cry Print version £26 (UK) or £44.50 (overseas) Call 01933 445451 or visit sps-shop.com

App version £9.99 Visit App Store or Play Store

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A child who feels valued is perhaps more likely to feel secure

for adults to be alongside them, showing an interest in their lives and helping them. And once the example is set, it is more likely to be followed in future generations.

We need to listen to our children and take pleasure in being with them. It is time and energy well spent.

I’M Michael Darracott. I have been an executive chef in several large establishments in charge of cooking for 200-plus people. I have also written a number of books. It gives me great pleasure to offer my recipes in The War Cry.

I invite readers to send in recipe ideas, to be considered for publication here. I would also like to offer help with any cooking-related problems you have. So send in your question and, if it is selected, an answer will be published on this page.

Email your recipes and questions to chefmike56@chefmikedarracott.com

Ingredients:

4 large potatoes

2tbsp vegetable oil

Garlic salt and black pepper

100g Cheddar cheese, grated

158 June 2013 The War CryWhat’s cooking?

SUDOKU SOLUTION

Ingredients:230g self-raising flourA pinch of salt 60g unsalted butter 30g Cheddar cheese, grated150ml milk

Cheese scones

Method:Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/

Gas Mark 6. Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle with flour.

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl and rub in the butter. Add the cheese and milk, stirring to form a soft dough.

Lightly flour the worktop, then use your hands to shape the dough until it is about 2cm thick. Use a 7cm cutter to cut out rounds, then place them on the baking sheet.

Glaze the tops of the scones with a little milk. Bake for 15 minutes or until the scones have turned golden brown. Serve warm or cold.

Makes 6

chefmikedarracott.com

Cook with chef MICHAEL DARRACOTT

Readers’ questions answeredKim, South Wales: Is semolina a good source of iron?Chef Mike: Yes. Semolina is rich in beta proteins. When metabolised in the body, they

produce iron.

Tracy, Swansea: I have some yarrow in my garden. How could I use it?Chef Mike: You can brew yarrow to make a tea.

Clare, Honiton: Why are breadcrumbs used in certain recipes?Chef Mike: They help to bind ingredients, so the food holds together while cooking. They also

give the final dish an attractive look.

Frank, Cornwall: What’s the best way to cook broccoli?Chef Mike: To preserve taste and nutritional goodness, my favourite method is to steam it in

a steamer.

Susan, Swindon: Apart from flour, what else can I use to thicken soups and stews?Chef Mike: I often use cornflour mixed with water, a roux sauce or arrowroot.

Ann, Hampshire: Is there any significant difference between brown eggs and white eggs?Chef Mike: No. The colour of the eggs depends on the breed of chicken. It’s all a matter

of genetics.

Elizabeth, Bedford: Why is it that a copper saucepan is better than a stainless steel one?Chef Mike: Copper is more effective in conducting heat than stainless steel.

Method:Preheat the oven to

190C/375F/Gas Mark 5. Lightly grease a baking tray.

Pierce the potatoes with a knife, then wrap in foil. Cook for about 80 minutes.

Once the potatoes have cooled, cut each one open. Scoop out most of the potato and discard. Place the potato skins on the

baking tray, then brush with the vegetable oil and salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 4 minutes.

Remove them from the oven and spoon in the cheese. Return them to the oven and cook until the cheese has melted and gone crispy. Cut into wedges before serving

Serves 4

Crispycheese potato skins

The Skrel – a formida-ble alien species – con-stantly attack people with the lethal Ursa, a weapon of mass destruction.

Many people think the

Ursa is unbeat-able, but Prime Commander of the United Ranger Corps, Cypher Raige (Will Smith), uncovers its weak-

ness. The Ursa attacks only when it detects fear. If it is ever to be defeated, someone will have to conquer their fears.

Cypher’s son Kitai (Jaden Smith) is keen to emulate his dad’s greatness. But he also feels under pres-sure to live up to his father’s reputation.

As a result of the death of his sister, Kitai and his father have a rocky relationship. Kitai believes he could have saved her and thinks his father believes the same.

In an attempt to fix their relationship, Cypher takes Kitai on a trip. But their ship spins out of control and crash-lands on Earth. Cypher is critically injured. To save him, Kitai must journey through the toxic planet and face

the threat of attack.Kitai is afraid. But Cypher tries to

help his son overcome fear. He tells him: ‘Danger is very real, but fear is a choice.’

We can all have moments that cause us to fear. We may suddenly be forced out of our comfort zones by a rela-tionship breakdown, redundancy or bereavement. At these times, we per-haps feel as though we can’t go on.

However, we can take comfort from the words of God, who prom-ises: ‘Do not be afraid – I will save you … When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you; your troubles will not overwhelm you’ (Isaiah 43:1, 2 Good News Bible).

Whatever we face – however frightened we

may be – we don’t need to feel alone. God sent his Son, Jesus, to a world made toxic by human sin to rescue us from death.

If we ask for forgiveness, and believe that Jesus died for our wrongdoing, we can experience God’s presence and peace in this world and after Earth.

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The Salvation Army (United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland) on behalf of the General of The Salvation Army. Printed by Wyndeham Grange, Southwick. © Linda Bond, General of The Salvation Army, 2013

Will Smith and son face their fears in sci-fi flick

EARTH is the most danger-ous place in the Universe. The planet is toxic and, in the inter-est of self-preservation, human beings have fled to the planet

of Nova Prime. Life is difficult for them in After Earth, Will Smith’s latest film, which was released in cinemas yester-day (Friday 7 June).

WHAT ON EARTH?

writes RENÉE DAVIS

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Cypher encourages Kitai not to fear

At times we feel as though we can’t go on