Reflex Actions

According to scientists the hayfever season is arriving earlier and earlier in the wake of global warming. This is not good news for Britain's 12 million hayfever sufferers. Anyone who suffers from it has my sympathies.

Recently I heard of a different kind of sneezing problem that affects about 25% of people. Their sneezing is set off when they look at bright light. A scientist with a sense of humour called it Autosomal dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst syndrome (ACHOO for short!). It’s also known as the photic sneeze reflex. Why does it happen? It’s thought that some people have an association between the nerve that causes sneezing and the optic nerve that transmits visual impulses to the brain. Overstimulation of the optic nerve triggers the ‘sneezing’ nerve, and this causes the photic sneeze reflex – ACHOO!

This is just one of many kinds of reflex actions of which the body is capable. Another is the ‘knee jerk’ reaction, which happens when we’re knocked just below the knee cap and a nerve signal travels to the spine and triggers the muscle response. Reflex actions like this don’t involve the brain – they are involuntary and instant.

Sometimes our responses to people, situations or ideas are like reflex actions. They are instant and unthinking. I listed a few words or ideas that might elicit such a response. How about these? Health & Safety, worship bands, DHQ, Post Modernism, taxes, political correctness, marmite, mission statements, Annual Appeal.... Now you don’t see all those in the same sentence every day! 

Our unthinking responses are often prompted by previous experiences, prejudices or personality clashes. Sometimes they are a defensive reaction to criticism. In most cases the response is instant. How easy it is to put our mouth into motion before our brain has got into gear, or to shoot off an email in hasty response to something that has got under our collar.  Now I’m not saying that such responses are always wrong or that we shouldn’t get emotional about things. Simply that it pays to think things over – to reflect before we react.

Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple is sometimes thought to be an emotional ‘gut reaction’ to the corruption he saw going on in there. Mark, though, records that when Jesus went to the temple ‘he looked around at everything’, then went off to Bethany and came back the next morning to turn over the tables of the money changers and drive out the dealers. His initial response may well have been an angry one, but then he literally slept on it. He took time to reflect before acting – it was a self-controlled, albeit a dramatic, response.   Paul mentions ‘self-control’ when he speaks of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It might not seem like one of the most attractive qualities compared with love, joy, peace, etc, but it is just as important. Spirit-prompted self-control can prevent damaging responses. A controlled, thoughtful, balanced reaction is what’s most needed. It’s certainly not to be sneezed at!

Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts

Assistant to the Secretary for Scotland

Help for Homelessness

Diners at an Edinburgh restaurant have raised money to help tackle homelessness in the city.

The Hard Rock Cafe on George Street presented a cheque for £1660 to staff and service users from The Salvation Army.

The money was raised through the restaurant’s Take Time To Be Kind campaign, which saw all proceeds from the sale of its £1 wristbands go to the church and charity.

Iain Wilson, service manager at the Pleasance Lifehouse (centre for homeless people), said: "We are honoured that the Hard Rock Cafe has decided to support our work in this way.


“It will help us to continue offering compassionate support, a listening ear and practical help to many of the city’s homeless men and women.

Our lifehouses offer people more than just a bed for the night. They provide a safe space for them to take control of their lives and make positive choices.

"We have a great relationship with the Hard Rock Cafe and the staff there. I’d like to thank them for all their help over the past few years and I hope we can continue to count on their help for many more years to come."

Lesley Ross, sales and Marketing manager at the Hard Rock Cafe in Edinburgh, said: "We're delighted to continue supporting the homelessness work of The Salvation Army here in Edinburgh.

"Our relationship with The Salvation Army goes back a few years, with our staff having donated a lot of their time to help out at the Pleasance Lifehouse.


"As a result, the perception of homelessness among my colleagues and I has changed greatly. We have come to realise that homelessness is not just about people living on the street but also about vulnerable people who have fallen on hard times and who need a bit of extra support.

We are delighted to be supporting The Salvation Army as it celebrates its landmark 150^th year."

Pause for thought

To conclude our posts about Greenock, Lynn the Salvation Army Officer at Greenock brings us a pause for thought.

..Lynn, Salvation Army Officer, Greenock

I have just completed an insurance renewal form that asked me to confirm the value of my most important possessions and those that were to be put on the all-risk category.  It got me thinking about Value and Security

What are  your most valuable possessions – a mobile phone, your TV, your home?

Yet, are not our most valuable things in life often what money cannot buy – friendship, family,  being part of community life at the Salvation Army, the love and respect of those who know us well, the inner satisfaction of a day well lived?

For me personally it is also the real assurance within my heart that through Jesus Christ I have the unfading hope of everlasting life.

No circumstances can take God and His love away from me – they are not at risk! 

If you are a Christian, in Him is security now and forever.

Do you have this “blessed assurance”?

John 1:3 says, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us.  And our fellowship is with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ.”  Want to know more? Then contact us.

Greenock Drug and Alcohol Work - A story

Today we hear from Alan and his story about the work at Greenock


.. Alan, Greenock

I have had quite a journey since I first came into contact with the Salvation Army and without them I know I would not be here today to tell you about it.

I had been evicted from my flat, lost my family, job, dignity and self-esteem, all due to my alcoholism. I was suicidal and did not see any future for me at all.

Social Work referred me to Hope House, an environment that I knew nothing about. I spent almost 3 months there, at what was the worst time in my life.

The staff at Hope house continually tried to motivate me and never gave up on me. The chaplain put lots of time and energy into trying to help me. It is only now when I look back that I am grateful that they never gave up.

At this point I still needed alcohol everyday and I was a physical wreck, I was also mentally and spiritually bankrupt.

I had reached my gutter and it was then that staff informed me that if my conduct continued I would be asked to leave. (Looking back they were right: my behaviour was totally unacceptable.) My reply to this was ‘what do you want me to do?’ (I was beat)

Staff then took the time to speak to me and gave me some options. One of these options was Fewster House and the beginning of my path to recovery. The staff team threw their support behind me and ensured that I took up my place at Fewster House.

At Fewster House I learned about myself, my actions, responsibilities and the affect that my addiction had on myself and those around me. I learned to deal with issues one day at a time and started to build a life in recovery.

There were still many hurdles and anxieties to deal with: in particular moving into accommodation in the community.

This is when Greenock Floating Support Service came in. They worked with me to find appropriate accommodation and to support me through the transition of moving from Fewster House to a shared house (3 people) in a fantastic tenement in the west end of Greenock.

As well as supporting me to deal with any tenancy related issues they also continued support with my alcoholism. They never gave up on me and allowed me to see the potential within myself. I started volunteering at a Salvation Army shop and also went back to college to retrain and educate myself.

Now I am looking to get to work and to move to my own tenancy. I am at the final stages of hearing about a position with the Scottish Drugs Forum which will give me a paid placement to complete my SVQ in Social Care.

After 2902 days of sobriety, I am still taking it one day at a time.

Words can’t convey my gratitude or appreciation to the staff of the Salvation Army as they saved my life. They also supported me to see that I could have a future.

Thanks for not giving up on me.

Alan.

Greenock Drug and Alcohol Work

This week we are going to be focussing on some of the work done at Greenock.

A very special meeting was held at the Greenock Salvation Army Corps which celebrated all that has been achieved over the past three years.

 A Covenant has existed between Greenock Corps and Greenock Floating Support Service since November 2011, building on a relationship established over many years. Integrated Mission is at the heart of the Salvation Army's work in Greenock.

This has led to:

• permanent prayer/quiet room
• joint Bible study and prayer events
• twice weekly Community Cafe
• "Lifetree" - staffed by corps volunteers and service users from Greenock Floating Support
• corps based addiction worker (as part of the Scotland Drug and Alcohol Strategy)
• Garage Project - providing weekly volunteer opportunities for service users and the chance to pick up a bargain or two

Just over a year ago the partnership was further enhanced when the Floating Support team relocated to new offices in the former quarters attached to the corps, establishing the first campus model in Scotland.

Likening the renewal of the Covenant to a renewal of vows and other lifelong commitments, the leader of the meeting, Divisional Commander, Major Russell Wyles, encouraged all of the congregation to be part of this ministry - corps members, service users, staff and volunteers - came forward to sign the Covenant, pledging to '"Share of ourselves, our resources and do together all that we can in order to fulfill God's Kingdom within the town and community of Greenock".

Gospel Concert

The National Youth Gospel Choir of the Netherlands Salvation Army (J-Unit) is doing a tour of a few corps in Scotland and the Northern division between 3rd May and 8th May.  For further information about them please visit http://www.j-unit.nl.

They will give a gospel praise concert at Edinburgh Gorgie on Sunday 3rd May at 5pm and on Monday 4th May they will be at Perth Corps.

On the Monday in Perth, the choir will give a gospel workshop from 2-5pm which will be followed be tea for anyone who attends and wishes to stay.  The workshop and the tea are FREE OF CHARGE.  The workshop is open to all ages.  In the evening at 7pm the choir will give a concert and admission is £5 on the door.  

This is a great opportunity to meet Salvationists from another territory and to sing/listen to some gospel music.  Those who attend the workshop will have opportunity to perform with the choir in the evening.

WHO CARES...

..ABOUT THE GENERAL ELECTION?

My wife and I moved to Scotland three weeks before the independence referendum last year. We couldn’t fail to notice something was happening! There was an incredible level of political engagement, and on referendum day itself almost 85 per cent of the electorate voted – the highest turnout in any British election since every adult was given the right to vote in 1928. By contrast, only 65 per cent of the electorate voted in the 2010 UK general election.

The high level of voting in Scotland was due to one straightforward reason: there was a huge issue at stake, which had the potential to change people’s lives dramatically. Perhaps there’s the clue to why the voter turnout in the last general election was so low. Many people believed there was nothing of importance at stake – that there was little to choose between the parties, so why bother making a choice? It may not be true that the choice was so narrow – but even if was, it is disappointing to think that a significant proportion of the population did not take their civic responsibility seriously.

God cares

It would be even more disappointing if Christians were among that number, because, as well as being a civic responsibility, it is a spiritual responsibility. Why so? First of all because we serve a God who is concerned about every aspect of our lives. Archbishop Desmond Tutu asks if the Bible says ‘that what happens in the market place, in the courtroom, or in Parliament is of no particular religious significance, and that all that matters to God is what is confined to the sacred sphere of the ecclesiastical?’ His answer, of course, is no! The Bible reveals a God who is passionately concerned about every aspect of people’s lives. He seeks the welfare of people in body, mind and soul – and so should we.

The common good

Political engagement, even at the most basic level of casting a vote, is also important because God made us to live in communities. The question we need to ask ourselves is: ‘what can I do to make my community better?’ Even if we are keen to vote, it is all too easy to focus on our own needs and interests. But Christians who take their responsibility seriously will look to the common good. We will think about the moral and social issues, and consider what kind of society God desires. This might also involve looking beyond our national interest to see what our country can be and do in the world.         

Lessons from history

There are many inspiring historical examples of Christian political engagement. One of the best known is that of William Wilberforce, who, as a member of parliament led the campaign to abolish the slave trade in the early nineteenth century. Another example is from our own Army history. When the Army’s leaders became aware of the extent of human trafficking and child prostitution, they took a leading role in highlighting the issue and raised a storm in Victorian Britain. A petition with 393,000 signatures was carried to Westminster by eight Salvation Army cadets and placed on the floor of the House of Commons. Parliament responded. The age of consent was raised from 13 to 16 and various measures were put in place to tackle the issue.    

What to do

Compared with such dramatic examples we might think our votes don’t really matter. But as we’ve seen, it is a responsibility we must not take lightly. So, how should we go about it?

·         Make sure you are registered to vote! The process has changed this year. Whereas before one person could register for the whole household, now each individual needs to do it. The deadline is TODAY!!! Go to www.gov.uk/yourvotematters for more information.

·         Find out about your candidates, their parties and their positions. You’re bound to get a leaflet though your door!  

·         Inform yourself about the issues. Get to know the facts, not just the headlines. You can do this by yourself, or there may be a study group you can join. Not all Christians will agree on every issue. We are influenced by our background, our experiences, our understanding of the Bible, and even our personalities. But all of us need to apply our hearts and minds to the matter of voting, and make a sincere response.   

·         You could write to your candidates expressing your views.

·         You might want to attend hustings to listen to what the candidates have to say, and perhaps ask them a question.

·         Vote on the 7^th of May!

·         Continue to pray for politicians and for our country in the days beyond the election – and don’t forget the European and some local elections on 22^nd May.

·         If you want to be more involved in politics then www.christiansinpolitics.org.uk gives some helpful advice.

Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts

Assistant to the Secretary for Scotland