The use of brass bands by the early Salvation Army became an iconic part of its identity and public image. It is commonly known that the use of brass bands slowly developed in the Army in response to its need to have sufficient volume of music to be able to draw attention and cut through …
Author: Chris Button
I am an eternal student with a background in working with the homeless and theological study. I'm an ordained minister in The Salvation Army. Life is confusing - this my attempt to work it all out!
Everyone has a Vocation
Every human has a divine vocation. In fact, they have often have several. Part of being human means working out what our vocation is. The most important thing to remember is that our vocation, whether general or specific, is part of what creates meaning in our life. Without understanding our vocation, we will fail to …
Learning How To Deal With Grief, Loss, and Absence
Over time, the initial pain of grief gives way to the dull ache of absence. People think this is because grief shrinks over time. I think it is more that we grow used to it, and the sharpness of its edges is changed into something else. I think that grief over times ends up being …
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Depression, Faith, and Me
I'm not ok today. My particular brand of neurospicyness means that I occasionally go through periods of depression. Sometimes these last for a day, sometimes for a few weeks. Sometimes it's just a general feeling of melancholy and anxiety; other times it feels like a big pit of icy darkness waiting to swallow everything good …
Trauma and Fragmented Discipleship
We make a mistake when we think of discipleship as something which develops in a straight line from A to B. Instead, when working with survivors of, or people experiencing, trauma, we need to recognise the fragmental nature of human reality and so also avoid faith-tropes such as holism, wholeness, and flourishing. We need to …
The Cross and The Traumatised God
If we take seriously the claim that God experienced the fullness of human experience, particularly in the crucifixion of Jesus, then we can speak about God having traumatic experiences. This changes not only how we see God, but how we can relate to God in our suffering. A God who experiences trauma is a God …
What is The Vocation of salvation army Soldiership?
Being a soldier is more than a form of membership or a way to belong. It is a vocation. It is not the only vocation that God calls people to, nor is it a higher or more important vocation than any other vocation. However, it is a distinct vocation. What is a Vocation? Vocation is …
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Covenant Unto Death
*Disclaimer - this is a personal reflection and presents my own opinions and beliefs, not anyone else's.* The call to follow Jesus is not one that we can put down when the going gets difficult or when life becomes complicated. When Jesus commands us to come and follow him, it is a demand which transforms …
Who Am I? Unknowing Myself in a Dietrich Bonhoeffer Poem from Prison
We often feel pressure to know ourselves. We are told that one of the most important parts of our journey is discovering who we are, to find ourselves, to know our authentic self. I think this is by and large a waste of time. Instead of trying to find out our so-called authentic self, we …
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Judging Ourselves Stops Us Judging Others – Learning From the Desert Fathers
The more we are aware of our own mistakes, sins, and failings, the more we are assured of our dependence on grace. As such, we learn not to judge others. The Desert Fathers For the first monks, those Christians who went to live in the deserts of North Africa during the 3rd to 6th centuries, …
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