The "Life Blood" of The Salvation Army
I spent time last week dipping into the book "Other Voices - Exploring the contemplative in Salvationist spirituality" and came across this quote from the Army's second general, Bramwell Booth -
"The great hope of The Salvation Army is the people outside The Salvation Army, in short the disinherited, the deceived, the idolaters, the adulterers, the drunkards, the extortioners, the whole mass of ungoldy self-seekers. For these we must live. Love of souls is our very life blood."
I was reminded of the words of a past Archbishop of Canterbury (who was also a Christian socialist), William Temple, who said -
"The church is the only society on earth that exists for the benefit of non-members"
If we allow this reality to take deep root in our thinking, our worshipping, our praying, our preaching, our planning, our living, our budgeting, our being, our very presence, how might (or how should) our priorities, our support structures, our programmes look subsequently?
Just thinking.
"The great hope of The Salvation Army is the people outside The Salvation Army, in short the disinherited, the deceived, the idolaters, the adulterers, the drunkards, the extortioners, the whole mass of ungoldy self-seekers. For these we must live. Love of souls is our very life blood."
I was reminded of the words of a past Archbishop of Canterbury (who was also a Christian socialist), William Temple, who said -
"The church is the only society on earth that exists for the benefit of non-members"
If we allow this reality to take deep root in our thinking, our worshipping, our praying, our preaching, our planning, our living, our budgeting, our being, our very presence, how might (or how should) our priorities, our support structures, our programmes look subsequently?
Just thinking.
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