⚠ Content Note This post is a sensitive subject and includes discussion about suicide and death. There are no graphic descriptions given, but the conversation is about suicide. Please be aware before reading further. What follows comes from my experience of suicide from working in The Salvation Army UK’s homelessness service, working as an officer…
Making a point, giving evidence for it, and then explaining it, is the basic structure of academic writing. It is the foundation of a basic but solid paragraph. We need to remember P.E.E! When you are doing academic writing, you are writing to persuade and convince. If nothing else, you want the person reading your…
A key tool in your armoury for doing theology is practical theological reflection. What Is Practical Theological Reflection Theological reflection lets you place a real-life situation in the context of the wider historical Christian tradition and the Bible. Getting used to doing this will help you put your theological knowledge into action to inform your…
Quietness is underrated for its importance in pastoral care. The Hospital and the Horse A patient who changed the way I think about ministry The hospital is one of the most demanding environments for pastoral ministry. People are vulnerable, often in pain, and the usual social conventions fall away. What I learned there came not…
What does it mean to listen to God when we can’t hear God? How can we follow Christ during times of spiritual dryness? There is a silence at the heart of Christian life — and learning to sit in it may be one of the most important things we ever do. The Heart of the…
The structure and identity of The Salvation Army is a form of prophetic irony. The Salvation Army is an ironic critique of the world’s false military power. It directly contradicts how kingdoms of this world function, as opposed to how the Kingdom of God works. The Salvation Army is… An Army? The dominant ecclesial metaphor…
The Salvation Army salute challenges the world’s status quo, directing focus from earthly powers to the Kingdom of Heaven. What Is The Salvation Army Salute? The Salvation Army salute is made with the first finger of the right hand raised to shoulder height. You can see it at formal occasions such as the commissioning ceremony….