URBANarmy

The Director and staff will be the Army’s principal international advocate and adviser on social, economic and political issues and events giving rise to the perpetuation of social injustice in the world. They will assist the Army in addressing social injustice in a systematic, measured, proactive and Christian manner, consistent with the purposes for which God raised up The Salvation Army. I almost missed this circular email waiting in my in box.... You will be aware that in recent months much prayer, thought and planning have been taking place for a new global initiative by The Salvation Army with regard to issues of social justice. This letter gives details of that initiative. As you read on, I ask for your sincere prayers that ongoing divine guidance may be granted to all concerned, and for honour to be brought to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ as this initiative gets started and unfolds. On 1 July 2007 a new unit of International Headquarters will come into being to...

(*This is a summary of an original paper written with Lt-Col Karen Shakespeare) The loss of identity can be tragic as it can be dramatic; the raw material of rip-roaring novels and films as characters such as Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne rediscover who and what they are. Their lives an edge of the seat odyssey of recovery of self, worthy of a trip to the cinema! The challenge for church, says van Gelder , is to maintain its identity through first understanding its essence, ‘what it is’ (our message), it is then that the church can understand its function, ‘what it does’ (our part in God’s mission), then helping the church fully appreciate its identity or form, ‘how it organises itself’ (as one army).In other words, to avoid an identity crisis, the order is significant, the form of church is directed by what the church does in response to what it is called to be. The first paper in this series argued that training for a future generation needed to be secure in the essence of The Sal...

It seems that the International Social Justice Commission... is building its standing in its mandate to help TSA world to continue to think theologically and strategically about justice issues. Here is a snippet... "Joining Jesus invites us to come together as a global family and sing the songs of justice. Our proclamation and intervention trumpets Jesus’ vision for freedom… freedom from “life denying” vulnerabilities and freedom for “life promoting” opportunities. Freedom from “life denying” vulnerabilities Exploitation Poverty and oppression Violence and discrimination Sin Addictions Exclusion and voicelessness Human trafficking Hidden injustices Corruption Freedom for “life promoting” opportunities Dignity for all people Protection for the vulnerable Including the excluded Enabling the exploited Salvation Choices for the disenfranchised Safe and civil society Education and health care Gender equality and right relationships Religious freedom Sustainable economic opportunity E...

Myers has been a helpful book, the concept of transformational development is appealing, the theology has been helpful and healthy. He identifies the biblical image of shalom as an interesting one in terms of mission. Nicholas Wolterstorff points out that shalom is usually translated by the word "peace," but that it means more than the absence of strife. First, shalom is a relational concept, "dwelling at peace with God, with self, with fellows, with nature." Then, Wolterstorff suggests, we must add the ideas of justice, harmony, and enjoyment to capture the full biblical meaning of the word. Shalom means just relationship (living justly and experiencing justice), harmonious relationships and enjoyable relationships. Shalom means belonging to an authentic and nurturing community in which one can be one's true self and give one's self away without becoming poor. Justice, harmony, and enjoyment of God, self, others, and nature; this is the shalom that Jesus ...