1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

Issue No.5 Jan – June 2014
www.sasra.org.uk
Volume 2012-17
ISSN 1358-0507
“…but as for me and
my house, we will
serve the Lord.”
Joshuah 24:15
THE JOURNAL OF THE SOLDIERS’
AND AIRMEN’S SCRIPTURE
READERS ASSOCIATION
MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL
Havelock House, Barrack Road,
Aldershot, Hampshire GU11 3NP
Chairman: Colonel J W Lewis
Allen Lt Col J C MB ChB FRCS
Bray Maj P RIFLES
Bunting Gp Capt M RAF
Claydon Capt M RAMC
Dawes Lt Col N C E
Frazer Capt E T RE
Gallaugher Sqn Ldr R A MBE
Greenald Flt Lt J RAF
Hall Col R G R QGM
Hoey Maj R RE
Kirke Lt Col C M StG PhD
McMahon Maj A RA
Mcleod Lt A QARANC
Porter Maj Gen R J M MBE QCVS
Rendall Maj J S
Rider Col C R F CBE
Shannon Maj P D MBE BA ARCM
Thomson Brig R J DSO MBE
Wells Maj W J D RIFLES
Tel: 01252 310033
Fax: 01252 341804
Email: [email protected]
Text: +44 (0)7887554744
www.sasra.org.uk
SASRA is a Registered Charity No. 235708
Registered in Scotland No. SCO39130
Patron:
Her Majesty The Queen
President:
General The Lord Dannatt of Keswick in the
County of Norfolk GCB CBE MC DL
Vice-Presidents:
Major General Sir Laurence New CB CBE
Major General R M Llewellyn CB OBE
Air Commodore B C Laite
Colonel E B L Armitstead CBE
General
Secretary’s Notes
(The Council is also Corporate Trustee of
Miss Daniell’s Soldiers’ Home)
VISITORS
Rev J Woodhouse QHC
Chaplain General HM Land Forces
The Ven (Air Vice Marshal) R J Pentland QHC
Chaplain-in-Chief, RAF
General Secretary and Treasurer:
Sqn Ldr C R Woodland MBE RAF (Retd)
Administrator: Mr J G Tucker
Members Support Coordinator:
Mr D Smith
Finance Secretary: Mr N K W Hayward
Prayer Secretary: Mrs C M Rivers
Solicitors: Barlow Robbins
Auditors: HPCA Ltd
Financial Adviser: Mr R J Barwick FCA
Investment Adviser: Brewin Dolphin
by Sqn Ldr Colin R Woodland
To every thing there is a season
and a time to every purpose
under the heaven:
Ecclesiastes 3:1
My precious mother would often say,
usually when I was saying or doing
something inappropriate, “There is a
time and a place for everything!” We can
almost all recount the time and place of
our birth but even those who cannot still
most certainly were born in a particular
place at a particular time. Unless the
Lord returns in the meantime, we will all
also have a particular place and time
where and when we will die. The writer
of Ecclesiastes, often thought to be
morose, is, nevertheless, one who
understood the joys and sorrows of life
and the various phases we all go
through. Ecclesiastes chapter 3 describes
the rollercoaster that most of us will
recognise as life.
Well, the season for me to be
General Secretary is fast reaching its
conclusion. I am as convinced of
that as I was that the Lord called me
back in 2003 to take on this
mammoth task – A task that could
never be achieved without the
Lord’s calling and equipping. Now
the Lord is calling someone new to take
on the role as I enter my third
retirement, twice from the Royal Air
Force and now from SASRA. However,
there is a problem. Whoever the Lord is
calling has not yet answered the call! Is
there a Jonah out there? Someone the
Lord has called but is running off to
Tarshish or Taymouth, Tiverton or Torbay.
Or is there a Samuel, hearing his name
being called but not knowing by whom?
Are you being called but feel unworthy
or unable, like Moses? Just see what God
did with Him! Are you hiding in the
Threshing barn, some worthwhile job
but not where God wants you to be, like
Gideon? There are many others in the
Bible who were reticent, felt unworthy
or were downright disobedient but God
eventually had His way and many were
blessed because of it. Where are you?
We know you are out there.
There’s a work for Jesus, ready at your hand,
’Tis a task the Master just for you has planned.
Haste to do His bidding, yield Him service true;
There’s a work for Jesus none but you can do.
There’s a work for Jesus, precious souls to bring,
Tell them of His mercies, tell them of your King.
Faint not, nor grow weary, He will strength renew;
There’s a work for Jesus none but you can do.
Work for Jesus, day by day,
Serve Him ever, falter never; Christ obey.
Yield Him service loyal, true,
There’s a work for Jesus none but you
can do.
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Like so many before me who have
retired from being a SASRA worker, I am
under no illusion. Any truly born again
believer in the Lord Jesus Christ can
never retire from walking with Him or
working for Him.
ASR Derek Brooks, at the age of 91 years,
has been called home to his reward.
Derek was in Lincoln when I was
stationed there and he and Heather kept
many Service personnel in the area,
including Sharon and me, in fellowship
with local churches and each other. ASR
Ivor Sherwood, one of his fellow
workers, has written a short article about
Derek that I have included in this issue
of READY.
Scripture Readers well established in
their ministry, just settling in to their
new posts and retired from the work
have contributed to this edition. There is
a short article from a Council member,
two from Serving members and two
from wives of staff members. So, you
should get a well-rounded view of what
is going on.
You do not want me wittering on, so I’ll
stop here and let you get on with
enjoying the rest of the magazine.
Miss Daniell’s Soldiers’ Homes
150 years in 2013
With all the excitement and activity caused
by SASRA’s 175th anniversary we almost
missed the fact that Miss Daniell (very
much influenced by her mother) began her
work to get the soldiers out of the pubs of
Aldershot and under the sound of the
Gospel in 1863.
Havelock House is on the site of the
original Miss Daniell’s home, the present
building replaced the original building in
1963 Many will remember Andrew Purslow,
who was Missioner at the home from 1939
to 1971 but few will know that his father,
Bertrand, preceded him from 1894 to 1936.
A plaque commemorating their tenures
still hangs in the Foyer of the building
with the text , …they may rest from their
labours; and their works do follow them.
Since 1984, SASRA has been the Corporate
Trustee of Miss Daniell’s Soldier’s Homes
and occupies the building as their
headquarters. Miss Daniell’s continues to
spread the Gospel through the only
remaining home, the Jackson Club at
Gibraltar Barracks, Minley, Surrey. The
Club Superintendents since 1984 have
been Scripture Readers as well as
superintendents at the club. The first was
Tom and Bobby Donald. He was succeeded
by David and Cindy Johnson and then by
Bill and Pat Woolfall. Sadly, Pat passed
from this life in March 2013, just missing
SASRA’s 175th Celebration in London but
just seeing the 150th anniversary of Miss
Daniell’s homes in February. Though Pat is
comfortably in the arms of her Saviour, Bill
continues his retirement without her by his
side. Please bear up Bill before the Lord.
ASR Kevin and Ruth Wadsworth succeeded
Pat and Bill Woolfall and are currently
running the Club.
LCpl Stefan van Aswegan
SASRA Members
Over the past six and a half years the
Lord has blessed me with so many things
and I could write about them for pages
and pages, but the best blessing he has
given me I can still remember as if it
was yesterday.
On the 6th of April 2013 I got married to an
English rose by the name of Shannon. On
our wedding day the Lord blessed us with
wonderful weather even though all that
week it had been raining and really windy.
After the wedding and the honeymoon that
we spent in Crete, we finally got the
privilege to move into our quarter. However
this was not long lived as I got told in the
next week I had to go to Canada for an
exercise with my new unit The Queens Royal
Hussars. As I left for Canada I knew that my
new wife now had to take care of the flat
by herself and that she had to unpack all of
our belongings.
After three and a half months in Canada I
came back to a flat that was fit for a king. I
still remember when I left that the flat was
in a terrible state and that our belongings
were all over the place. As I opened the
front door and beheld the wonderful state
of the house I remembered Proverbs 31 and
I knew how blessed I was to have such a
lovely wife.
We went through some old photos of my
father-in-law Lee McDade and all he was
actively doing for the Lord and I prayed that
Saturday night asking the Lord for us to be
able to do something for our church. That
following day the opportunity arose for us
to start helping in Sunday school at our
church at St. Peters church in Baker Barracks
Paderborn Germany. We also got asked if
we could start a home group/Bible study at
our flat as there is a great need for a study
group in our area. Before my wife and I
agreed to do it, we prayed about it for a
week long and felt that it was the right
thing to do.
The Lord has looked after my wife and
myself and provided for our needs at all
times. Some days our walk in life has not
been easy and our faith gets tested.
Sometimes we pass and sometimes we fail,
but we are so grateful for serving such a
merciful God and that we are reminded in
Numbers 14:18 The LORD is slow to anger
and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving
iniquity and transgression, but he will by no
means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity
of the fathers on the children, to the
third and the fourth generation.
477 Ready
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Part Time ASR
I will tell you a little about myself and my
journey to faith..
Ron Herapath
Tern Hill
I have been very fortunate in that I have
had Christian parents. My mother is a
deep, wise woman who has a simple
faith which exudes from her to others
around her; just about everyone that
comes into contact with her is touched
by her spirituality. My father also was a
spiritual man but it demonstrated itself
in a different way, he was far more vocal
about his faith. My father shared with
me how he came to faith. We were living
in London between 1950 and 1960, this
was the time when the great evangelist,
Billy Graham, was holding his missions
in Haringey; my father went to see him
and he gave his heart to the Lord with
so many others when they were called
up. I come from a large family, there are
three sisters and one brother and we all
lived in a basement flat in a posh part of
Kensington. That is not to say that we
were wealthy, in fact we barely managed
to make ends meet. My mother was a
house keeper which brought in some
money, whereas my father worked in the
city of London in an insurance company.
We attended an Anglican Church and
enjoyed the services as a family. We
children went to the Sunday school and
youth club attached to the Church. My
lasting memories of those days is of
having several of the presiding clergy to
dinner on different occasions and these
were times that I considered to be special.
My mother and father did not actually
read the Bible to us but God’s name was
held to be sacred. I can recall my father
was teaching me how to read and it came
to a word which was “God”. I was loathe
to read the word out and he very kindly
told me that I need not be afraid as God
was my friend. I was very young. During
this period we said grace before eating
our meals and the Lord’s Prayer before
climbing into bed and that was the total
of my prayer life. My practice of faith was
that of a child.
We eventually moved out of London to
Chelmsford in Essex. We children had
various attitudes to this move. My eldest
sister was distraught as she was at a
good school and progressing well, it was
the same for my elder bother. I thought
of the move as an adventure. The reason
for this move was to provide a healthier
place to live as London did not suit
my twin baby sisters. In Chelmsford I
joined an organisation called the Boys
Brigade. To be a member you have to go
to church every Sunday which involved
a Church Parade once a month and our
own service in our hut half way through
the main service.
It was here that I heard the
Gospel message clearly and
much of the stories from the
Bible. I was also impressed
by our Boys Brigade Captain
who I thought of as a man
touched by God.
On one occasion we had been messing
about outside and someone had written
something on a leader’s car. He called
those of us in who he though were the
culprits and told us that this is not the
sort of behaviour he expected from boys
who were part of a Christian organisation;
I felt so ashamed and this is one of the
events that made a lasting impression in
those early days. As a family we continued
to worship in the local Anglican Church
which was actually a sister church on a
new housing estate. This church I recall
was an evangelical branch of the Church
of England. I was involved in the Sunday
school which met on a Sunday afternoon
and later on joined the youth club. At
that time it seemed that curates would
come for a year or two and then move
on. In comes another important event
in my life in the form of a young curate
by the name of David Evans. David was
a friendly, godly man who had a quick
and easy going sense of humour, he
was greatly liked by all of my friends.
He of course ran the young people’s
fellowship and took us all camping on
several occasions. There is one occasion
that stands out form all the others.
Young people tend to have their own
agenda and so we were playing in the
recreation ground and forgot about the
time. One of the things that David liked
to do before going to bed was to have a
short time of prayer and reflection, very
nice. However it did not seem to be so
important to us and was easily forgotten.
David came to the area where we were
playing, obviously a little angry and called
us back to have our quiet time. He told
us that the main reason that he took us
on these camping trips was to have the
opportunity to share the Gospel with
us and that he was in a mind to take
us back home. This deeply touched
me that he cared about us
479 Ready
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so much and thought the Gospel so
important that years later I can recall this
event and thank God for it. It was from
David that I first heard the term being
born again and that the only way that we
can be right with God is by repentance
and accepting God’s gift of life through
the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.
My previous pattern of life seemed to
continue for a while, until I was sent on a
sailing course to Plymouth. Whilst there
I encountered a gentleman who showed
me from the Scriptures what it meant to
be a Christian: it was at this point that
I made that step of faith and began to
enjoy a sense of peace.
“For I know the plans I have for you,”
declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to give you
hope and a future”. Jeremiah 29:11 (ANIV)
I eventually became confirmed into the
Church of England, attending quite an
in depth training and weekend retreat.
At this point I made some attempt at a
prayer life and started to get daily Bible
notes all of which died a death. There
seemed brighter things to attract a young
man who had just started work! At this
point I was interested in sport like Judo
and of course girls began to become
important to me.
I began to read my Bible and pray and
I was encouraged to attend a Baptist
Church, I received some good theological
training and met my wife, Sue. We
enjoyed a tour in Germany and were
quite happy. Since becoming born again I
thought it important to make a statement
of my new faith so I was baptised by
total immersion even though I had been
chrstened as a baby and confirmed in
the Church of England. It was here that
a sense of vocation began to emerge, I
felt that I wanted to serve the Lord in
a deeper way, however I was a serving
member of the RAF and also a nurse,
so worked difficult shift patterns which
made it impossible to do so. Given that
I was a psychiatric nurse I did find a way
of working for the Lord. I was stationed
near Swindon and the churches had
banded together to form a counselling
organisation. There were two years of
training and a system of supervision. This
was a really good experience and I felt
that the Lord was in this work. At this time
my prayer life was active and I attended
prayer groups coupled with Bible study.
We were quite charismatic so spent a lot
of time awaiting the leading of the Holy
Spirit and of course the spiritual gifts were
in evidence.
A dark period of my life was upon the
horizon. The first gulf war suddenly came
in to view. Although a serving member
of the RAF I never believed that I would
have to go to war. I was quite concerned
and so was Sue. A friend at church gave
me a passage of Scripture to take with me
Jeremiah 29:11 (ANIV)
I started an apprenticeship with a local
engineering firm in Chelmsford and
completed it, but was dissatisfied with my
life, it all seemed pointless, I eventually
left my job in Chelmsford and wandered
from job to job, one was in London
another in Southend. This too, did not
impress me very much. I eventually
settled on a career in Psychiatric nursing.
I embarked on enrolled nurse training
at Colchester and went to Scotland to
complete my registered nurse training.
This was a time of coming away from
anything to do with truth or faith, when
I was not studying I was drinking and
seriously involved in chasing women, my
intentions were less than honourable. My
life style left me feeling wretched but I
was determined that I would not make
that step of faith; I would do it my way!
My nurse training came to an
end and I chose to join the
RAF. This I thought would be
the place where I would find
lasting satisfaction.
This helped me through the situation and
in fact I was greatly blessed whilst out
there, receiving a promotion to Sergeant
and meeting lots of Christians amongst
the Americans. We had some uplifting
times of fellowship and Bible study. There
were occasions that I found it difficult to
pray during the Gulf war but I did seem
to have a sense of peace and when I
returned home I learned that the Church
had been praying for me.
I eventually left the RAF and went to
work for a charity called Combat Stress,
they provided support for ex-serviceman.
We moved from Swindon to Ellesmere
and started to get to know the new
community we had joined. This is quite
a significant time for me because this is
where I started to seek deeper ways of
serving the Lord. My mother has said for
a long period of time that she thought I
should become a priest? I put this down
to a mother’s love and shrugged it off; I
did however have a desire to deepen my
faith and serve the Lord and his people
in a more profound way. I joined in with
some local Christians and embarked on
a course of study called the Bishop’s
Certificate. This helped me to
examine my sense of calling
and led me to apply to become a Scripture
Reader with the Soldiers, and Airmen’s
Scripture Readers Association. This
seemed an ideal choice because I was an
ex-serviceman and had a desire to witness,
to what I thought of as colleagues, the
love of God. It is here that my prayer
life began to take on a new significance.
Prior to this my prayers where quick, a
grace before eating, a prayer that the
Lord will open up the Scriptures to me,
a thank you for blessings received and a
prayer for whatever member of my family
or close friend who was in need, and of
course for the revival of the nation. Now
I started to pray for the young men that I
was visiting and their families, also for the
organisation that I felt privileged to be a
part of. Prayer has always been important
to me but now it helped me to focus on
what was important to God and not just
what was important to me, they have not
always been the same! In this period God
taught me one very important lesson. I
was becoming very annoyed that there
were not enough people being saved
after all was I not going into the barrack
blocks and giving the Gospel message? I
mentioned my frustrations to my chaplain
and he shared this nugget of advice, I will
never forget it, he said, “Ron, God does
not require you to be successful, only
faithful, he will do the rest”.
Editor’s note: I have unfortunately had
to cut Ron’s article short due to lack of
space. However, I hope that I have kept
the essentials in.
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From
Injury
to
Like many soldiers, my ambition to join
the Army began at an early age, although
it was not until I was at the point of
leaving school that I began preparing
myself in earnest. Like many young men,
I left school feeling self-confident in my
own abilities, ready to make my mark on
the world and excited about the prospect
of a military career. Although I had
grown up in a strongly Christian family,
I was in many ways dependent on my
parents’ faith and it was not until I began
to leave home that my own faith was
really tested for the first time.
Before joining the Army, I decided to
run a Marathon. I had the right build for
long-distance running and was confident
that I could prepare myself if I stuck to a
training programme that I had designed
myself. Four months later, I had become
very fit, running 50 miles a week on roads
but absolutely hooked on the endorphin
highs that go with long-distance running.
As a result, I foolishly ignored the warning
signs of overtraining: I began running
on the camber of the road to relieve the
pain in my left leg and stuck rigidly to my
training programme despite developing
acute backache, which forced me to lie
down in the evenings.
Major
Simon Maggs
One evening, when I was out on yet
another 15-mile run, I suddenly developed
sharp pains in my knees which forced me
to stop running overnight. Frustratingly,
none of the doctors or physiotherapists
that I saw were able to diagnose the
problem properly and I was sent away
with nothing better than Ibuprofen,
Tubigrip and the advice to ‘stop running’,
Healing
– Being Discipled by God
which was the last thing I wanted to do.
The sudden absence of endorphins and
the realisation that this might be a
serious injury which could prevent me
from joining the Army brought me
literally to my knees and I asked God in
desperation to help me out of the mess
that I had made.
praising God. I knew from my parents that
miracles were real but this was the first
one I had seen for myself!
Seeing that I was at my wits end, my Dad
suggested that I speak to Mark, a member
of our church who prayed for people.
After the Sunday service, I approached
this very tall, no-nonsense character
who turned out to be a police unarmed
combat instructor, as well as a Christian.
When I described my problem, he told
me to sit down on a chair and hold out
my legs in front of me. For the first time,
I noticed that my left leg was a full inch
longer than my right! This explained why
I had been compensating by running
on the camber of the road and also the
knock-on effect on my back, due to the
difference in leg length.
All my misplaced arrogance was blown
away by this sudden injury, forcing me to
place my whole future into God’s hands.
I had to turn away from doing things my
way (what the Bible calls repentance)
before He was able to make something
of me, but in His way. Ultimately, none
of our abilities and strengths are of any
use unless they are submitted to God’s
control. Unfortunately, most people find
it hard to give God control of their own
lives, as I did.
Mark then took me completely by surprise
by asking whether I wanted to be taller
or shorter! I replied that I would like to
be taller and instinctively closed my eyes
before he started praying. Mark told me
instead to keep my eyes open and to
watch my legs closely as he was going
to pray for the right one to grow out to
the same length as the left! With a very
simple prayer, Mark commanded my right
leg to grow in the name of Jesus and (I
kid you not) my right leg grew a full inch
before my eyes in about five seconds.
Clearly, I was amazed and delighted – I
thanked Mark and went home to tell Dad,
Looking back, I realise that God
used this situation to disciple
me as a young Christian.
Submitting our lives to God’s will does not
mean becoming weak, but rather ‘meek’.
The word ‘meek’ is a much-misunderstood
word which for the Christian is best
described as ‘power under control’. The
word ‘meek’ was originally used by the
Ancient Greeks to describe a warhorse
which was trained and harnessed, so
that its formidable strength could be
directed by its rider in the heat of battle.
As Christ’s disciples, we need to be both
courageous and humble:
‘meek not weak;
a doorway, not
a doormat’.
447 Ready
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Spiritual Exercise
On the 3rd of June 2013 I had the
great privilege of being invited to visit
elements of the 5 Rifles battle group
deployed on exercise Bavarian Charger
which was overseen by 20 Brigade.
This was an exercise of great proportions
including two of the logistic regiments
that I visit back in Gutersloh. To be
invited and to be able to stay with
these troops for 7 days was one of the
greatest experiences of my time as a
Scripture Reader.
My trip was organised with the help
of Revd Stuart Turner 1LSR, 6TLR ‘s
Chaplain, even getting me – as the
Army would say – squared away with
the appropriate equipment – Bergen,
poncho, doss bag, webbing and lots of
Haribo sweets along with Bibles and
tracts to give to the troops. The Lord
also prepared me with a simple verse
which would become my whole reason
for being on the exercise, taken from
Proverbs 16:24 which reads
“Gracious words are
like a honeycomb,
sweetness to the
soul and health to
the body”,
ASR Lee McDade
Moving from
Gutersloh to Catterick
a verse with so much truth as would
prove evident as my time progressed.
On arrival at camp Albertoff , I was given
a quick tour and allocated a bed space.
While Revd Turner was whisked off to
the FOB, I began to visit the troops who
were in a supporting role.
As a Scripture Reader I had prepared
a separate spiritual resources Bergen
which would see me in good stead and
my main function of visiting troops
began immediately.
Bavaria had been hit with the worst
weather the area had seen in a long
time and the troops had been exposed
to heavy rain for a solid six weeks, so a
friendly face with some Haribo was a very
welcome sight indeed and, I must say, for
a Scripture Reader the soil was fertile.
Gracious words were the order of the day
and I saw the effect of such words while
talking to soldiers who had been away
from home, were very wet and very tired.
The Bible says we must be ready to have
a word in season for the weary and God’s
word indeed can be so soothing and can
be like honey to the soul.
It was a great opportunity to get
amongst the troops and really engage
them in conversation. The tract “Dead
Man Falling” was taken eagerly by so
many and whereas normal camp visits
can prove sometimes to be a struggle,
the Lord had most definitely prepared
the hearts and minds of the troops on
exercise. In other words, people were
pleased to see me and I praise God
for that.
Our visits to “out posts” where there
would be a small group of soldiers on
their own keeping guard were so fruitful
Revd Turner and I would visit these posts
both in the day and at night.
One particular visit to one of these out
posts had us there for an hour as each
of the soldiers asked for personal prayer
and some words of encouragement.
This went on for the whole week and it
was a blessing to Revd Turner and me to
see God in action in such a wonderful
way. Each out post and unit visited
produced opportunities to glorify God in
some way and with up to 3000 soldiers
in and around the training area, we had
plenty to do.
Our day would usually start at 0600hrs
and finish around midnight. Even our
times in the cook house were times of
blessing and conversation.
Our week finished with a field service
held for 1LSR in the vehicle recovery
area. What a blessing it was to share
the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus
Christ and the hope He brings, with the
whole regiment and to leave them with
a Biblical challenge that all, no matter
what rank, will have to stand in front of
God one day.
I am so grateful to have been
able to attend the exercise and
pray that the seeds sown will
take root in all the lives of those
spoken to. I hope and pray that
the words were like a sweet
honeycomb to the soul. I give
God all the glory and praise His
name for his help and providing
me with this experience.
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SASRA Fellowship Weekend
Amport House
It was a joy to be invited once again to be involved with the outreach to the
Edinburgh Military Tattoo. As it was during the days of rehearsals, most of our
encounters were brief due to the busy time of those taking part.
w
I met Craig (Black Watch). I kne
He
.
oo’s
him from previous Tatt
e
was pleased to see me and mad
k
spea
to
ing
com
of
t
the poin
with me. He had a friend with
g’s
him, Peter. Some years ago Crai
ons
rati
ope
on
d
kille
brother was
r
in Iraq and we discussed it. Pete
then told me that his brother was
caught in an explosion but it was
two men either side of him that
took the blast. It was pointed
out that this kind of thing should
improve our prayers. There is an
eternity to face and we need to
y
be ready to meet our God. The
.
nodded and listened respectfully
I spoke with a lad from the Black
Watch who told me that his wife
is an RC. He said that he did not
object to her going to church
and taking the children but that
he was not so keen. I felt led to
tell him that no denomination
is perfect and that I too am not
perfect. However there is one
who is perfect, The Lord Jesus
Christ. This caught his interest
and we spoke of how the one
who is perfect died for our sin on
the cross. It was also mentioned
that “faith comes by hearing and
hearing by the Word of God”
(Rom 10:14). I also gave him my
own testimony.
Two soldiers asked me” is your name Mel?
We met you many years ago when we were
recruits.” In our conversation together I
mentioned that people were so involved with
this dark world that they were not prepared for
the next. We are still around and people need
the Gospel. It was a pleasant conversation and
they seemed pleased to speak with me.
The Imps motor bike display team were pleased
to make use of our room and to play the
games. Those who were responsible for these
youngsters were glad to have our help and to
use the facility. One of the ladies looking after
the Imps told us that she was a Lay Reader so
that led to a spiritual conversation. She was
pleased to receive a copy of Our Daily Bread.
I met a very pleasant young man who told
me that his father had been a member of the
Free Church of Scotland but was now with
the Lord. The lad was very responsive and I
suggested that he was at the cross roads. To
this he agreed and I therefore told him that I
and perhaps others would pray for him: this
seemed to please him. I then gave him a little
book “Safety Certainty and Enjoyment.”
Near Andover, Hants
19 – 21
September 2014
This provides a wonderful
opportunity for prayer
supporters to fellowship;
hear reports from Scripture
Readers; meet serving
personnel, and pray.
If you would like to attend or for further information, please contact:
Matthew Glass (01934) 813244 or 07917 757390, or at [email protected]
SASRA
Supporters
Weekend
Willersley Castle, Cromford, Matlock Derbyshire
13 to 15 June 2014
Share the fellowship of a weekend together,
hearing reports, Devotionals and Bible studies
from our resident Scripture Reader: Tiaan de Klerk
Su
p
in po
p
en r rt t
jo a h
m yi yer e w
in ng a o
is t nd rk
tr h
y e
Mel Moodie ASR Retired
For details and booking form contact Mark Powell 13 Rydalside, Kettering,
Northants, NN15 7DR Tel. 01536 410991 email: [email protected]
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Esther Macleod
Roddy and I met face to face for the first
time in August 2009 in Singapore. Prior
to this we had only communicated via
email, phone and text. We got engaged
during those two precious weeks
together; the rest of our courtship/
engagement continued “virtually” for
the next three months before we finally
got married in December 2009.
On a very chilly evening in January
2010, I strode confidently out of London
Heathrow Airport wearing the only
suitable clothing that I owned for the
English weather, a coat and a new red
beanie hat that my husband Roddy had
kindly bought me. What an extreme
climate change from the summery
humidity of Singapore’s 32 degrees
centigrade to Surrey’s wintery below
zero. During our first month together
Roddy took on the bulk of the cooking
and household chores/responsibilities,
this was a good opportunity for me
to see how my new partner managed
and enabled me to adapt and feel
comfortable in my new environment.
Wife of ASR
Roddy Macleod
Pirbright
I have always had a reasonably clean bill
of health and whilst I have felt chilly, this
has continued. I haven’t had to visit the
Doctor with any major sickness. I put this
down to my Chinese diet, lifestyle and
the jobs that I held previously. I was a
Police Coast Guard with the Singapore
Police Force and played the bagpipes
with the Singapore Women’s Police
Pipes and Drums. I got lots of fresh air
and exercise.
Life in Surrey had been painfully lonely
for Roddy. He was a long way from his
family, home and friends. However this
meant that he was very understanding
of my needs. In a way I felt blessed that
I had no need to struggle with the stress
of setting up a home as I already had to
deal with a new man, in a new house!
Life had taken on a new dimension for
both of us.
God works in wonderful ways especially
when we humbly admit our weaknesses
and vulnerabilities. Roddy and I were
finally able to get away to the Isle of
Lewis in the Western Isles of Scotland to
visit his family, my new in-laws. I had to
brave a long road trip followed by the
biting chill on the ferry crossing to the
island. We stayed with Roddy’s brother
who is a rural crofter and used his home
as a base whilst we drove across the
island visiting the rest of his family. I
was greeted with so much warmth that
Scottish families are renowned for. I was
very touched by how they welcomed
me into their family and I quickly felt
at ease. When I look back now I am
amazed at how God kept me sane and
healthy through all these vast changes.
He made Himself so real to me that I felt
comforted and encouraged in my time
of need.
Roddy and I have both been brought
up with Christian influences. However,
we have very different lifestyles
and practices with regards to our
faith and different denominational
backgrounds. We have both had to
learn to be tolerant with one another
and sometimes this means being ready
to compromise. For example Roddy
attended two traditional services at his
local church on a Sunday both in the
morning and the afternoon; I found this
heavy-going. I was used to attending
only one contemporary service in
Singapore. We now, as well as attending
Roddy’s traditional service, visit other
more contemporary churches.
The novelty of being newlyweds is
gradually wearing off and this is where
‘the rubber hits the road’. I have had
to deal with the challenges of different
taste buds, unusual living habits and
sometimes annoying foibles (and so has
he!). Some of these are brought about
by our cultural differences while others
are simply getting used to the whole
marriage thing.
In August 2012, our fiFirst
baby, Samuel J. En Macleod
(J. En being his Chinese
name meaning ‘outstanding
grace’), was born and I
was faced with a new
challenge, Motherhood.
Part of this new role means socialising
with other young mothers and wives
of Service personnel. I have also gained
some new friends locally. I used to think
that I made friends easily being an
extrovert by nature, but having Samuel
and living in a different country has
opened up a new side of me and
made me realise that I have far
more to learn. It’s strange
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Still Marching On
ASR Meg Atkinson MBE Swindon Area
what being a mother can do to one. I see
many more aspects of God’s parenting to
me now that I am a Mum.
Samuel had his first Birthday in August
this year. It was a lovely summer’s day
and Samuel soaked up all the happy
celebrations with delight. There was
such a multicultural group of friends
attending that when I think back
now I realise how blessed I felt to be
surrounded by such a group of friendly
folk. Everyone got on well with each
other despite their cultural differences
and not having met before. Sometimes
it’s easy to get caught up with life and
just drift along. However, there are
many times when I am reminded of the
many blessings God has lavished upon
me and my family.
Sometimes the work Roddy does here
in Pirbright is fraught with challenges
though he feels greatly encouraged
when recruits respond favourably to
him with their enquiries and those who
genuinely want to learn about God and
the truth. These are the days that he
comes home with his morale boosted
and his soul lifted. These encounters that
Roddy experiences, reassure me that I
need to share my faith to others in a way
that will not offend them but encourage
them to know the truth.
Please remember us in your prayers as
Roddy and I bring Samuel up. There
are many things to learn as a parent
and for me; one of the most important
is being consistent especially when
it comes to sharing God’s truth with
my son. By God’s grace this year we
will be celebrating our 4th Wedding
anniversary. Pray for our continued
love for each other and our beautiful
son Samuel.
WALK
Throughout my week at
Nijmegen the verses that kept
coming to mind were ‘I am
the Lord who changes not’
and ‘Jesus Christ the same
yesterday, today and forever’.
The constancy of my Saviour is heartwarming, comforting, reassuring and
fills me with utmost confidence. There
was so much about my annual visit to
Nijmegen that was different to last year.
New buildings, new route, but the most
notable difference was the…
WEATHER
which could only be described as, ‘hot,
very hot to melting’. The importance of
taking on plenty of fluids throughout
one’s time on the road could not be over
emphasised. There wasn’t any respite
from the sun and heat, especially on the
long open roads where there were no
trees or building where we could walk
in their shade! This played a big part in
1000 drop-outs on day one. However, for
me, despite the challenge of the excessive
heat, I much prefer it as it makes the…
so much more enjoyable.
The locals were very generous
with their water and erected
showers by the roadside
for us to walk under, some
enjoyed spraying the road
so there was no escape for all who passed
by. I often soaked my beret which helps
to keep my head cool. The glorious
weather meant I was back in my
favoured sandals resulting in me
walking home from the march in the
same comfort as I walked to it.
Because of the lovely weather many
of us enjoyed relaxing and socializing
in the open space surrounding our
accommodation. Over such times I made
many new friends and contacts. As always
my ‘Kojak lollies’ were well appreciated
and one cadet team burst into song with
a little thank you ditty whilst marching
along. Whilst in the shower I heard a
voice from behind a curtain say ‘Meg that
lolly was just what the doctor ordered’. A
long walk gives opportunity for long talks
and I enjoyed opportunities to…
WITNESS
Last year I made a lovely contact with
a young office, Jim, he called himself a
‘doubting Thomas’. I was able to give
him some literature to read at his leisure.
Well! You can imagine my delight when I
saw that he was back again this year and
on the first day we walked a fair distance
together with a profitable time of
questions and answers. I gave him ‘God’s
credit card’, before we got separated by
the throng of people. Before he returned
to his unit I was able to give him a copy
of ‘The Reason Why’ and a booklet called
‘Light of the World’.
Mike is a Methodist minister and
chaplain to a TA unit in Liverpool. One
evening after a day’s marching we sat
in the sunshine and shared aspects of
our ministry that challenged us in our
respective callings.
On day three, a young cadet asked me
about my cap badge, I explained what it
meant and went on to quiz and challenge
Jordan about his spiritual state. I listened
to another young man’s testimony and
defence of it with simplicity, sincerity and
real conviction, it really warmed my heart.
Once again my week away was both
challenging and rewarding, but what
topped it off was a gift I received from
Kirsty, she is part of the admin team.
Whilst shopping in Nijmegen she came
across a bottle labelled ‘Holy Soda’! Yes,
really! I enjoyed the apple and cranberry
juice over the course of the week.
The psalmist says’ The blessings of the
Lord maketh rich’, and I’m richer for yet
another successful Nijmegen march.
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What a Faithful God Have I
God is good! Many Christians find it hard
to really trust God during the difficult
times in life. How do I know that He will
do what He says? How do I know that
He really hears my cry for help?
I am in a very privileged position in that
I’ve been a Christian for 60 years! I’ve
had the opportunity over and over to
prove Him to be faithful in every way
and in every circumstance. I also grew
up in a Christian home with parents
who were in full time Christian work,
seeing God’s provision in all sorts of
circumstances. I’ve seen time and time
again how God has provided for His
children, how He has led them through
difficult times. I’ve experienced times
when I didn’t feel that He was there,
but on looking back I saw that He had
carried me through those desperate
times. I experienced Him doing things in
my life that I thought were absolutely
crazy, only later to realize that He was
right after all.
Sharon
Woodland
During the summer of 2012 I developed
a cough. It was nothing new. I’d had this
cough on and off for several years and it
had been diagnosed as asthma related
to hay fever. However, as September
progressed it seemed to get worse. On
the television were adverts saying that
if you’d had a cough for over 3 weeks
you should go to your Doctor and get
it checked out. So off I went. My doctor
very wisely referred me for a chest x-ray.
Colin, my husband, had to go away for a
few days. He’d only just left when I got
a call from the Surgery to say that my GP
had made an appointment for me that
evening at 5:30 and not to come alone.
I knew that didn’t sound good. I tried
to contact Colin, but he was driving,
so I tried our daughter, Ruth (a nurse)
but she was in a meeting at work, so I
went next door. I have a lovely Christian
neighbour. She drove me down to the
Surgery and, at my request, she came in
with me to see the Doctor. My GP said
that a shadow had been found on both
of my lungs and she was referring me to
a Specialist. My Doctor explained that
it was probably cancer, but there was a
slim chance that it was TB or some other
infection. She was amazed how calm I
was and I was able to tell her about the
assurance I had that God was in control
and would care for me.
When I got home, although I felt a little
shaky, inside I had a total calm which I
knew had only come from God. I told
the Lord I didn’t know where to look in
the Bible, but that I needed reassurance
from Him. My Bible was sitting next to
me, propped up along the side of the
arm chair. As I said those words my Bible
fell open to Psalm 39 (NIV). I began to
read it. A few verses just stood out to
me: v4
“Show me, O Lord, my days;
let me know how fleeting is my
life.”; v12 ”Hear my prayer, O
Lord, listen to my cry for help; be
not deaf to my weeping.”
I carried on reading Ps 40:1 “I
waited
patiently for the Lord; He turned
to me and heard my cry.”
I knew God was in control. I just needed
to trust Him.
Then I waited for the specialist
appointment and a diagnosis. However,
during that time, in my daily readings,
God was speaking very clearly. I knew
that He was working in my life even
though I may not understand just what
He was doing or why. I felt that this must
be spiritual warfare as we were working
full time for SASRA.
The day before my CT scan, we had to
go to Catterick for the farewell of one
of our Scripture Readers. We didn’t have
a role to play in the service; we were
just a part of the congregation. I chose
not to sit with Colin and the Brigadier,
but rather to sit on an aisle seat so that
I could get out easily if I should begin
coughing. A young woman stood up
to do the Bible reading, Psalm 91. I
looked the passage up in my Bible to
read along. With my eyes I could see the
words “he” and “him” etc, but with my
ears I heard “she”. v14-16
“Because ‘she’ loves Me,’ says
the Lord, ‘I will rescue ‘her’;
I will protect ‘her’, for ‘she’
acknowledges My name. ‘She’
will call upon Me, and I will
answer ‘her’; I will be with ‘her’
in trouble, I will deliver ‘her’ and
honour ‘her’. With long life will I
satisfy ‘her’ and show ‘her’
My salvation.”
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Well, you can’t get any clearer than that.
This was to become the passage I clung
to and still do. I developed a real peace
knowing God was in control of the
whole situation.
Over the next 2 weeks God seemed to
continually pour out His reassurances
and instructions to me. A few of these
are:
1 Thes 5:16-18 “Be
joyful always;
pray continually; give thanks in all
circumstances, for this is God’s
will for you in Christ Jesus”
Ps 145:13b “The
Lord is faithful to
all His promises and loving toward
all He has made.”
Ps 32:7 and 10b “You
are my hiding
place; you will protect me
from trouble.” And “The Lord’s
unfailing love surrounds the
‘woman’ who trusts in Him.”
Hebrews 13:5b “Never
will I leave
you; never will I forsake you…”
Ps 22:5 “They
cried to you and
were saved; in you they trusted
and were not disappointed.” I
clung to those last 2 words “not
disappointed”.
I began to doubt that this was Spiritual
Warfare. Was God allowing this for
another reason? Then He gave me 1
Peter 5:7-10 “Cast all your anxiety on
Him because He cares for you. Be selfcontrolled and alert. Your enemy the
devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour. Resist
him, standing firm in the faith, and
the God of all grace, who called you
to His eternal glory in Christ, after you
have suffered a little while, will Himself
restore you and make you strong,
firm and steadfast.” What was that?
“Your enemy… looking for someone to
devour”, “after a little while” and “will
Himself restore you”. I was in a spiritual
battle and God would be victorious!
After all, in Job we read that the devil
went to God and said “look at your
servant Job. Of course he’s faithful to
you, life is great for him. If all this were
taken away, he’d soon reject you.” So
God gave permission for the devil to
deal with Job, but he was not allowed to
touch Job’s life. The devil removed all of
Job’s family and possessions, yet Job still
remained faithful to God.
I found myself praying that I would
bring honour and glory to His name no
matter what happened to me: that I
would be faithful and true to my Lord
and Saviour. With that came another
promise: Ps22:24
“He has not despised or disdained
the suffering of the afflicted one:
He has not hidden His face from
‘her’, but has listened to’ her’ cry
for help”.
He gave me the opportunity to not
only witness to my GP, but also to my
Specialist and to the nurses.
I ended up seeing a Surgeon who
decided to perform a biopsy on Nov 7th.
I had never had a general anaesthetic
before. The nurses and doctors found
that hard to believe at my age. Over
the years I’d heard all sorts of stories
of people saying and doing things that
they normally wouldn’t dream of saying
or doing as they came around from
anaesthetic. I began praying that even
in this I would bring glory and honour to
His holy name. God reminded me once
again that I was to cast all my anxiety on
Him because He cares for me. A chorus
kept going through my mind and onto
my lips:
ce
You are my hiding pla
art
he
my
fill
s
ay
You alw
nce
With songs of delivera
aid
afr
Whenever I am
I will trust in You
I will trust in You
Let the weak say
I am strong
Lord
In the strength of the
As they administered the anaesthetic, I
was singing in my heart –“ Be bold, be
strong, for the Lord your God is with
you…I am not afraid, for I’m standing
in faith and victory, for the Lord my God
is with me” – I don’t remember getting
any farther than that!
God said in John 9:3b that
“this happened so that the work
of God might be displayed in
‘her’ life”
Since then, I can’t stop praising Him. I
feel like dancing around the house! My
heart just keeps singing:
Faithful one, so unchanging
peace
Ageless one, you?re my rock of
you
on
end
dep
I
all
Lord of
in
I call out to you, again and aga
in
aga
and
in
I call out to you, aga
ble
You are my rock in times of trou
n
dow
fall
I
n
whe
up
me
You lift
All through the storm
Your love is, the anchor
My hope is in You alone
For the rest of my life, every time I
look in the mirror, I will see the” scar
of battle” and will be reminded of my
Faithful God and Saviour who always
gives us the victory!
Tuesday (Nov 13) we went back to see
my surgeon. He hadn’t even shut the
door behind us before he said “I have
some good news”! I didn’t need to hear
anything more. God had proved Himself
once again to be faithful. The surgeon
went on to explain that not all the test
results are in yet, but that the important
ones were. There was nothing sinister to
be found. By the 29th, when I visited him
once again, all the remaining test results
were back and an actual diagnosis was
made. I have Sarcoidosis! Simply put
it’s where you’ve had an infection that
your body can’t deal with, so it has
encapsulated it until the germ dies. This
will just take time (possibly up to 10
years – they think I’m already half way)
and they don’t anticipate having to give
me any treatment.
God is still giving me promises: Psalm
56:3 &4, 12b -13
“When I am afraid, I will trust
in You. In God, whose word I
praise, in God I trust; I will not
be afraid…I will present my thank
offerings to You. For You have
delivered me from death and my
feet from stumbling, that I may
walk before God in the light of
life.” Isaiah 49:10b and 13b “He
who has compassion on them will
guide them and lead them beside
springs of water…For the Lord
comforts His people and will have
compassion on His afflicted ones.”
This wonderful, faithful God,
who has brought me
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through this frightening time in my life,
can be your God too. To know this peace
that is beyond all understanding you
need to recognize that you, like me and
everyone else, is a sinner and fallen short
of God’s standards. Once you realize this
you need to ask His forgiveness, ask Him
to come into your life and allow Him
to take control. It’s such a peace when
you know that you don’t need to figure
things out in your life by yourself or be
afraid of things that happen to you. You
now have a Saviour who “knows the
plans I have for you…plans to prosper
you and not to harm you, plans to give
you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29
v11). I know that even if this had been
cancer (the word I dreaded to hear) He
still would have given me this peace,
and I would have known His presence
in my life.
Now I am a year on in my life. I’ve just
been to the specialist once again for my
6 monthly check-up. The x-ray has shown
that the lymph nodes have shrunk to
half of what they were. The Doctor says
that “nature is taking its course”, but
of course, I know that God is having the
victory!
May I take this opportunity to thank
each of you who have prayed for me
during the past year and ask that you
continue to do so please as my journey
with Sarcoidosis is not yet finished.
And so I go on singing:
have I.
What a faithful God
d
Go
ul
What a faithf
have I,
What a faithful God
y.
wa
ery
Faithful in ev
B
TA
Tactical advance
Lee McDade
to Battle ASR
Recently moved to
Jesus was once asked what it meant
to do the works of God. His answer
was a very simple but profound
statement “to believe in the one
whom he has sent.” What a great
statement for the Christian – to
believe in the one who He has sent
– in work, at play, whether you are a
student or retired, whatever you do –
believe in the one whom he has sent.
Whatever I do as a Christian and
as a Scripture Reader I do because
I believe in the one whom He has
sent – whether I am visiting the block,
attending church parade or helping
the Padres or welfare staff with an
issue, I do it because I believe in the
Lord Jesus Christ.
Recently I have seen a new door of
opportunity open with Waterloo
platoon, in the form of a weekly 6 mile
TAB. Those familiar with the Army will
know that the acronym TAB stands
for Tactical Advance to Battle: it is a
forced march
at speed
ITC Catterick
carrying 35 pounds on your back and
usually with a 9Pound weapon. The TAB
has to be done as a squad in a set time.
It’s been great to get alongside the men
of Waterloo Platoon every Wednesday
and complete their weekly TAB with
them. It has given me some great
opportunities for the Lord
I TAB because I believe in the one who
He has sent.
The men of Waterloo Platoon are all
soldiers recovering from injury and are
being brought back up to Army fitness.
They are men who need encouragement,
strength and courage to overcome their
obstacles so they can complete their
training.
As I TAB over the North Yorkshire
countryside with its peaks and valleys it
often reminds me of my own Christian
walk and the strength which God has to
give me on a daily basis.
We all, as Christians, will know what it is
to be involved in spiritual warfare and,
in the same way that soldiers
tactically advance to battle; so
do we.
We, like the soldiers, have to be
encouraged and strengthened in
the Lord so we can face the daily
spiritual battle that we all face as
Christians.
I need to have my strength renewed daily,
to take time to listen to God, to meditate
on His Word – our, survival guide – before
I am ever ready to enter into the spiritual
Battle of life as a Christian, with its peeks
and sometimes dark valleys.
I also believe that fellowship is a wonderful
tool. When the Army TABs, it does it as a
squad. If someone begins to struggle they
are motivated and encouraged by the
other members of the team.
Our “squad” is the fellowship we belong
to, Christian brothers and sisters who
go through the same valleys and peaks
we experience. I love the fellowship and
guidance I receive from being with other
Christians and it is what keeps me going
over the hills and through the valleys of life.
One of the most important rules of doing
any endurance run or march is making sure
you have trained regularly and that you
have been well fed and well hydrated.
It is so important that, as Christians, we are
spiritually fed and refreshed on a regular
basis: this is our training for those battles
for the endurance run which can be the
Christian life. Jesus once said that whoever
drinks of the water that He gives will never
thirst again.
I pray that, if you are a Christian who is
going through the valleys at this moment,
you will allow yourself to be hydrated by
our Lord Jesus Christ.
I find that key to my own
Tactical Advance to Battle is
personal time with the Lord in
prayer and study of his Word
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ASR Ray
Hendricks
Gutersoh
The work of an
Army Scripture
Reader can
sometimes be
likened to a
game of rugby,
where one is
invited to play and at the same time
face fierce opposition. The opposition
will state that because of the diversity
of belief, it is not appropriate for the
Gospel to be preached openly for fear
of offence. The Bible says of itself that
the Word will offend those who are
in darkness. I have been present when
a Commanding Officer, after a short
Gospel testimony, told nearly 200 Service
personnel, the testimony was nice but
what they would be held accountable
for was the Army’s Value and Standards,
which are taught throughout training.
Another major obstacle to overcome is
that the average soldier, male or female,
has a short attention span when faced
with the unfamiliar language of the
Scriptures. For this reason, we should
take a look at the way Jesus spoke to
large crowds when His subject was
unfamiliar. He used stories in the form of
parables to engage them and leave them
with something they could remember.
Please join with me in pray that the
following briefing, which I sometimes
give to the troops as an introduction,
will accomplish that which Jesus said in
Matthew 10:16:
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of
wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
I am a part of the Ch
aplaincy Team by kin
d permission of the loc
Chaplains, but I am no
al
t a Chaplain; I am a for
mer WO1 with the RL
returned to work with
C. I have
the military because
Jesus, my boss, has ask
to come back and tel
ed me
l soldiers some vital inf
ormation. I am now the
Scripture Reader or AS
Army
R. My time to speak to
you is limited so I am
get straight down to
going to
it. My boss, when He
did this job, spoke to
did not easily underst
people who
and, so He used parab
les, stories that used
concept but had a he
an earthly
avenly meaning. I int
end to use an analogy,
to speak to you in a lan
I am going
guage you can underst
and; one which all Ser
personnel or any civilia
vice
n who works closely
with the Armed Servic
able to comprehend.
es will be
Once you join the Ar
med Services, your ne
w life is dictated by the
instructions written in
Joint Services Proced
ures (JSP), the Manual
Law (MML) and Army
of Military
General Instructions
(AGI). Standing Orde
One Orders are the me
rs and Part
ans by which the Chain
of Command instruct
inform you of the ess
and
ential requirements of
the Regiment. If, at an
you fall foul of any of
y time,
the Orders taken fro
m these publications,
be required to appear
you will
in front of the Chain
of Command. You wi
give the reasons for no
ll have to
t complying with the
order. If you say you
know that it had been
did not
published, that becom
es a further offence be
ignorance of an order
cause
is no excuse.
You need to know tha
t the men and wome
n who wrote and com
books JSP, MML and
piled these
AGI were heavily infl
uenced by another bo
Instructions Before Lea
ok: Basic
ving Earth.
So you know where I
am going with this, Th
e Basic Instructions Be
Leaving Earth is not on
fore
ly one of the oldest set
s of instructions,
it is the most publishe
d, translated, reprinted
and the most
freely available set of
66 books ever to have
been published.
This is a summary of
the Orders, published
by the
Basic Instructions Befor
e Leaving Earth:
Romans 3:23 (ESV)
For all have sinned an
d fallen
short of the glory of
God.
499 Ready
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rank,
personnel without exception of
It has been determined that all
rt
hea
e
ctiv
e been found with a defe
status, creed race or colour hav
).
2:12
re. (See Romans
and therefore a defective natu
organ pumping blood around the
his heart does not refer to the
1) T
racter, personality and motivation
body. It is a reference to the Cha
for living.
die with the body).
(This is a living soul that does not
t cost
re, has been purchased at grea
2) A replacement heart and natu
e
thre
All
ses.
pha
e
thre
in
nted
to the King, and is to be transpla
ul.
essf
succ
be
to
nt
spla
tran
the
for
phases must be accomplished
Revelation 3:20 (ESV) behold I stand
at the at the door and knock. If
anyone hears my voice and opens
the door, I will come in to him and
eat with him, and he with me.
John 14:6 (ESV) Jesus said to him
“I am the way, and the truth, and
the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me”.
to pay. Ezekiel 36:26 And I will
give you a new heart, and a new
spirit I will put within you. And
I will remove the heart of stone
from your flesh and give you a
heart of flesh.
2) A
ll those who choose Phase 1
will be offered extensive training
on the use and function of this
new heart and nature; they
will be encouraged to regularly
gather to celebrate, teach and
encourage each other.
3) T
here will be no other
voluntary phases.
1) This phase is a purely voluntary
phase where those who have
heard this Order and recognise
the Truth are to go to the Only
Appointed One and He will
exchange the defective heart for
a new one free of cost, nothing
Psalm 39:4-5 (ESV) O LORD, make
me know my end and what is
the measure of my days; let me
know how fleeting I am! Behold,
you have made my days a few
handbreaths, and my lifetime is as
nothing before you.
1) All those who have
made the
exchange and have be
en diligent
in making use of the
ir training,
who have been discip
lined,
loyal, courageous, lov
ing and
honourable, and who
endure to
the end will meet the
One who
purchased this new he
art and
nature. They will receiv
e final
promotions; honours
, which will
never be taken away,
and will
spend an eternity wi
th Him.
(See Psalm 39:4-5).
2) All those who failed
to take
advantage of this fre
e gift in
Phase one will bypass
Phase 2
and go directly to Ph
ase 3 where
full payment for the
defective
equipment they have
refused to
have replaced will be
levied.
Matthew 24:44 (ESV)
Therefore you
also must be ready, for
the Son of
Man is coming at an
hour you do
not expect.
Romans 6:23 (ESV) Fo
r the wages
of sin is death, but the
free gift of
God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus
our Lord.
1) This phase is compu
lsory for
everyone who refuse
d Phase
1 and is found with de
fective
equipment. They will
be forcibly
brought before the rul
er and
owner of the Kingdom
. (See
Matthew 24:44 and Ro
mans 6:23).
2) It is clear that repaym
ent must
be of the same type,
and must be
commensurate with
the value of
the defective equipme
nt.
3) H
eart and nature in a
body forms
a living soul, this is an
eternal
creation and therefore
the
repayment for it has
to be eternal.
All personnel who ha
ve already
chosen Phase 1, are rem
inded to
attend regular traini
ng sessions
similar to those for ph
ysical fitness,
and do not neglect ga
thering
together to encourag
e each other
and celebrate your de
cision and
new life. (See Hebrews
10:25)
A full breakdown an
d
details of this order ca
n
be found in the Basic
Instructions Before Le
aving
Earth also known as
the
BIBLE. You can get he
lp
with understanding of
these orders and how
to
put them into practic
e
from me and any of
the
Chaplaincy team.
501
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Standing in the
Shadows of Giants.
During that weekend, I received the news
that I was to call Brigadier Ian Dobbie on
the Saturday morning, with the General
Secretary being present. That kind of
news can cause a multitude of thoughts
to run through a Scripture Reader’s mind!
However, when I called on the Saturday
morning, Brigadier Dobbie put my mind
at ease and informed me that Squadron
Leader Colin Woodland had been
awarded the MBE for his work as SASRA’s
General Secretary. It was a providential
time for the announcement, as we
were all able to share in the joy and
recognition of this outstanding award.
ASR
William Wade
Gutersloh
The General Secretary was then able to
stay on for a few days after the weekend
and to not only meet with high-ranking
officers and serving soldiers, but also to
have another on-the-ground glimpse of
our work as Scripture Readers. This was
once again providential, as he was able
to be present at one of our frequent
Battery Day services with 26 Regiment
Royal Artillery, at Mansergh Barracks,
Gutersloh. On each of the Regiment’s
Battery Days, a church service is always
incorporated into the special day. On this
day, the weather was glorious and so
the service was outside in the sunshine.
The Chaplain, Revd Andy Oliver, led the
SOVEREIGN SERVICE
service and I was given the opportunity
to share my testimony and to challenge
the soldiers to consider the claim of John
3:16 for their own lives. Padre Oliver then
went on to share a short evangelistic
Gospel message. One telling comment
following the service was when the
Battery Second-in-Command told Padre
Oliver and me that that was just exactly
what the Battery needed to hear.
shadows of giants
who may not have
been as famous as
Patrick, Wesley or
Graham. I read the
revised version of
SERVICE
SOVEREIGNBrigadi
er Ian Dobbie
Sovereign Service
while on holiday
in France this year
and was once
again spiritually
encouraged in
reading of the
Gospel legacy left by those who have
gone before. I read of many exploits of
Scripture Readers, throughout the war
years, in times of peace, on the field and
in the barrack-room. And I read of men
and women standing before Service
personnel proclaiming the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, often out ‘in the elements’.
And once again I realised that I was
standing in the shadows of giants, even
within SASRA. Giants like Rudd, Havelock
and May, like Frampton, McLellan and
Stickings, and even more recently Readers
like Moodie, Yarwood and Atkinson. The
list could go on and on.
General Lord Dannatt in his Foreword
writes:
has
This revised edition of Sovereign Service,
of the Soldiers’
been published to mark 175 years
In
and Airmen’s Scripture Readers Association.
Dobbie, has
it the original author, Brigadier Ian
within
place
taken
have
that
included the changes
the zones of
the Armed Forces for the Crown and
over
conflict to which they have been deployed,
records
the last 25 years. This updated volume
to our calling,
the faithfulness of the Association
of Jesus Christ
to present the truths and promises
& Royal Air
to young men and women of the Army
of how we
Force and has set out an honest account
& Monarch over
have sought to do our duty to God
the last 175 years.
After the General Secretary’s visit, he
posted across from HQ a copy of all of
the photographs he was able to take
while he was out in Germany. Quite a few
were of the Battery Service. As I looked
through them, I realised that standing
out there in the open air, preaching the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, is truly standing
in the shadows of giants. It is a practice
that Jesus himself engaged in, whether
that might be on a mountainside or
along the sea shore. It is a practice that
the early Christians favoured, standing
in places such as Jerusalem, Samaria
and Athens. It is a practice which has
run throughout the Church age, with
preachers carrying the open-air preaching
torch. It was practiced by Francis, Patrick
and Columbanus in the Celtic Church era.
It was practiced by Hus, Luther and Calvin
in the European Reformation era, and
also by Bilney, Latimer and Ridley in the
English Reformation era. It was practiced
by Whitefield, Wesley and Edwards
during the Enlightenment era and also
by Booth, Sunday and Graham in the
Modern era. And still it continues today,
thank God.
17153 Sovereign Service Hard Back
Dust Jacket (409x189mm) AW.indd
I was also reminded while on holiday
over the summer of standing in the
SOVEREIGN SERVICE Brigadier Ian Dobbie
Our recent SASRA Weekend at Church
House, Lubbecke was another full house
and a fantastic time of fellowship and
teaching. The SASRA faithful gathered
at Church House from 14th-16th June
and once again, everyone left feeling
encouraged and ready to go back to
their places of influence with a renewed
vigour for Jesus Christ.
Brigadier Ian Dobbie
… was commissioned into the
Royal Engineers in 1958, the third
consecutive generation of his family
to be so. He became chairman of
the SASRA Council in 1991.
Price £7.50
House,
Obtainable from SASRA, Havelock
3NP
Barrack Road, Aldershot, Hants. GU11
1
Foreword by General Lord Dannatt
The important thing is, though, that
we as Scripture Readers go on and on.
On and on preaching this great Gospel
message of salvation from sin, on and
on encouraging military believers in
their faith in Jesus Christ, on and on
being a representative of the King in a
military context. For, as we do, we not
only stand in the shadows of giants
past and present, but we also cast our
own shadows on to those who will
follow in our steps.
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Memories of a former colleague
Lt Col Charles Kirke
ASR Derek Brooks
SASRA Council Member
22nd February 1922
To
9th September 2013
I first met both Derek and Heather
in 1981 when I became the Area
Representative for the North of England
and North Wales; we met at the annual
staff conference.
That was Jesus talking, and the message
is pretty clear. Oh dear…
Being ashamed of Jesus is pretty easy,
isn’t it, particularly among our friends?
Every time we let a friend insult Him by
using His Name as a swear-word, every
time we hear someone making jokes
about Christianity and don’t speak up
for our Lord, every time we duck a
challenge to explain what we believe,
every time we keep quiet about our
faith for fear of what other people will
think, every time ... we behave as if we
are ashamed of Him.
In some places, acknowledging Jesus
as Lord brings persecution and even
death, but not here in the UK or in
the Services (whatever country we are
in). Here the pressure is more subtle.
People who make it clear that they
are Christians risk nothing more than
laughter, scorn, and exclusion, but of
course we are social beings and we
want to avoid these things if we can. I
have to admit that such thoughts put
pressure on me to keep a low profile as
a Christian for a long time among my
friends and colleagues in the Army.
Well, let me tell you something
surprising. Very often the fear that keeps
us quiet and embarrassed is based on a
lie or an illusion. Our faith is part of us,
and our friends and colleagues should
know that. Letting them know what we
feel is an act of friendly trust, and I have
been surprised how often this has been
met with interest, tolerance, and even,
occasionally, respect.
And anyway, if our friends
shun us for saying what we
believe then … well, they
can’t have been very good
friends anyway.
Let us all, with Paul
in Romans 1:16 say,
with our heads
held high “I am
not ashamed
of the Gospel!”
Then in 1985 I was posted to Celle
Germany as a Scripture Reader, Derek
and Heather were in Bielefeld, Derek
would regularly arrange a day of
fellowship for all the Scripture Readers
(4 of us) and our wives. What great
times these were, we would go to
different places of interest and just share
in fellowship, both May, my wife, and
I have fond memories of those times.
One time in particular was a very frosty
wet day and as we drove from Hohne
to Bielefeld it all looked so beautiful
the trees were white and every blade of
grass was white and frosted, however
when we got to Derek’s we were full of
this and I remember his reply being “you
have not had to break all the ice from
your car” his car had been completely
encased in ice.
I also remember all the times he
organized the Easter Convention at
House Stapelager. There was a lot
of work in that, ordering the food,
allocating bedrooms, arranging
transport and so on, but Derek never
seemed to be fazed by this. Everything
had to be done to a very high standard.
I remember on one occasion setting out
the meeting room with chairs which
Derek normally did, when he came in
I hid behind the door, he just looked
and walked out again, I thought I have
passed.!!!
We later took over from him and
Heather in Bielefeld.
Derek was well loved by so many people,
I was talking to one such just the other
day who said that Derek was just like a
Pastor to them.
Many will be in the kingdom because of
Derek’s faithfulness to the Word of God,
in life, word and actions.
Derek was a great friend to me in so
many ways, I will never forget him and
look forward to that great and glorious
day when I will meet him again in
Heaven, He has just gone before. He
is now with his beloved wife, Heather,
whom he loved so much.
Ivor Sherwood
Retired ASR
505
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Northern Ireland and
Isle of Man
Mr P S Somerville, The Maples
17A Ballyhill Lane, off Long Rig
Road, Nutts Corner, CRUMLIN
BT29 4YP tel: 028 9082 4097
mobile: 07917 757389
email: [email protected]
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South Wales
Mr M J Glass BA (Hons), 4
Burnham Drive, Bleadon Hill,
WESTON-SUPER-MARE, Avon,
BS24 9LW tel: 01934 813244
mobile: 07917 757390
email: [email protected]
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East England
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Kettering, Northants, NN15 7DR
tel: 01536 410991
mobile: 07917 730368
email: [email protected]
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and South East England
Mrs Maureen McCormack
31 Southern Way
Farnborough GU14 0RE
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Keswick
Convention
‘Therefore be ye also ready:
for in such an hour as
ye think not the Son of
Man cometh.’
Matthew 24:44
SASRA
Basis
of Belief
The basis upon which the
work of the Association is
carried on is belief in:
“The supreme authority
and sufficiency of the Holy
Scriptures, as originally given in
the Old and New Testaments as
being (not merely containing)
the Word of God, revealing
His will to men: the unity of
the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit in the Godhead;
man’s fall and spiritual death;
redemption from sin and
from the wrath to come only
through the Propitiatory
Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus
Christ; justification by faith;
the necessity of the direct work
of the Holy Spirit to impart
and sustain spiritual life; the
essential oneness of all who
believe in the Lord Jesus Christ:
and the obligation resting
upon all those who name His
Name, to afford evidence of
their discipleship by a life of
obedience to His commands.”
Our Work
The Association seeks to present the claims of the Lord Jesus
Christ to members of HM Forces and their families. The work
is financed solely by the free-will giving of the Lord’s people.
We commend this strategic mission among those who may be
called upon to lay down their lives for their country.
How can you help?
By Prayer – a monthly Prayer letter is available.
By personal involvement – as a Local or Area
Representative or a Full/Part Time Scripture Reader.
By practical financial help – donation, Gift Aid, SASRA
Drum in your home or meeting, or by means of a legacy.
By alerting others to the spiritual needs of the personnel
in the Armed Forces.
By inviting the Association’s Representatives to visit your
church/fellowship and give a report on the work.
Enquiries may be sent to the General Secretary at our
Headquarters address:
SASRA, Havelock House, Barrack Road,
ALDERSHOT GU11 3NP
Please make cheques and Postal Orders payable to ‘SASRA’.
Our National Giro Account No, is 2720256. We bank with
The Royal Bank of Scotland, Sort Code: 16 19 26,
Account No: 10139767
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