Isaiah 40, Luke 3:1011: Today We are Afraid; Tomorrow, Peace, We Hope.

Presented to The Salvation Army: Alberni Valley Ministries, 05 Dec 2021, 10 Dec 2023, and 08 Dec 2024 by Major Michael Ramsay (and 614 Warehouse Mission in Toronto on 10 December 2017)

  

To see the 2023 version, click here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2023/12/isaiah-401-8-28-31-luke-31-6-straight.html

To see the 2021 version, click here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2021/12/luke-31-6-isaiah-401-8-straight-paths.html

To See the 2017 version, click here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2017/12/isaiah-401-8-sometimes-buildings-need_9.html

 

It is Christmas Season, there are so many great events going on. When we were stationed in Toronto, we participated in the Santa Shuffle, an annual fun race put on by The Salvation Army. When I lived in Vancouver, I faithfully ran every second day. I lived about 5km from my office – I used to run there and back. In Winnipeg I lived almost 10km from the College; a colleague and I ran there a few times. In Toronto I would run past our current DC’s (Lt.-Col. Jamie Braund’s) quarters regularly and here in Port Alberni I even ran a little bit. Running can be fun – but when you get out of the habit and have to start again, it can be a chore. And running here, sometimes those hills can feel like mountains and those valleys, ravines.  I can remember when I was first learning to run, being near the end of my run and my energy... rounding a corner and seeing... another hill to try to run up...I then understand Luke 3:4-6 and Isaiah 40:3b-5:

“...make straight in the desert

a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be raised up,

every mountain and hill made low;

the rough ground shall become level,

the rugged places a plain.

And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,

and all people will see it together.

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

 

This is a great verse to ponder when you are running up and down hills and around curves, looking towards a time when obstacles will disappear. This is part of the Good News of Luke 3 and Isaiah 40. This is the Good News that John the Baptist proclaims: when Jesus returns with His Kingdom, obstacles will be removed. As during Advent we commemorate waiting for Jesus’ birth, we also hope for His return so our mountains of trouble will be levelled, and our valleys of despair will be raised to abundance. The crookedness of our paths will be straightened. That is our hope.

 

Last week we lit the candle of hope. Today we lit the candle of peace. One of the key things about hope and peace in the context of Isaiah and Luke is that both are to and from God and an humbled people, a conquered people, an exiled people. There is no hope when you are on top of the world...only fear that you will fall – and where there is fear there is no peace.

 

Today, the world is full of fear.

 

When we lived in Swift Current Saskatchewan, I believe each Christmas we would raise more money per capita for The Salvation Army than any other place. (It is why I always try to raise $200 000 here – because I raised more than that there well over a decade ago.) At first this was a victory – and then it was almost a fear for me. What happens if we are not the best? What if someone beats us? What if I do not beat my previous record? What if I fail?

 

It was the same in university, I did achieve good grades and made the Dean’s list and graduated with distinction – but I did become distracted by getting good marks and once I became addicted to ‘A+’s, a ‘B’ was infuriating. There was no inherent joy in achievement anymore only a fear of failure – and fear can stomp out hope and it kills peace.

 

It was not always like that though in school: I remember a time when I would hope and pray and celebrate even a passing grade. I remember High School French. The only French words I remember from that year we’re ‘ne lancer pas la papier’ which means ‘don’t throw the paper’. Apparently the teacher didn’t like that we threw paper airplanes in class. Every time we made one, we could hear her say, ‘ne lancer pas la papier’.

 

I don’t think I was her favourite student. One day I was in the counselling alcove and I saw her and she asked me what I was doing. I told her I was switching out of her class in 3rd period... ‘That is a very good idea to switch out of my class’, she said. ‘...to your class in fourth period,’ I continued. She was not impressed.

 

Don’t we all have stories of a more carefree time? Look back on those times: these are usually times when you didn’t have a lot except the love of a few good friends and the hope that the future will be better. There is a lot of freedom in not having much. Is it Janet Joplin who sang that freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose?

 

Sometimes this is right. Sometimes I think we get to a place of fearing loss so much that we no longer have peace, we no longer have hope, and we no longer have love. Sometimes when we do have enough to get by, we don’t share what is ours for fear that we might not have something. This is reflected very much in tithing. When a person who has tithed or knows they should tithe, does not tithe... this is a sign that we are not doing well. This is a symptom that we are not free and at peace but instead bound up in fear or pride or something else that keeps us from tithing. I remember when we were Corps Officers in Tisdale, there was Ralph. He had a limited income. As a guessed example, he only made $52.30 a week and every week he tithed $5.23. This is an example of love. This is an example of our hope in the Lord. I think of him when sometimes I fear for my finances. I can choose peace and hope instead.

 

Fear can rob us of hope. Fear can rob us of love. Fear does rob us of peace.  Our candle today is peace and peace is the opposite of fear. Today the world is full of fear. Jesus is the Prince of Peace! And He is who we are waiting for in Advent.

 

In Advent we talk about the Good News of the Salvation of the world. Do you know where in the Bible this Good News shows up for the first time? Genesis 12:1-3: “All the nations of the earth will be blessed” and do you know what happens just before... Genesis 11: the tower of Babel. God told the people to move and fill the earth. The people said, ‘No. We are going to stay here, build a city and a tower, and make a name for ourselves instead.’ God levelled their tower, their city; their pride and their fear, in order to give them the hope of salvation.

 

Isaiah records how God’s temple was destroyed, the holy city Jerusalem, and the independent nations of Israel and Judah were destroyed and, through this, God provided them with hope. In Isaiah comes this hope of flattened mountains, raised valleys, straight paths and the true peace that can only come from trusting God.

 

There are many things in our world, our country, our province, our time, and our life that are coming crashing down all around us these days. We can still have peace even in the midst of it all. God loves us.  There have been quite some troubles in the world recently – wars, some of which we are actively provoking, promoting, pursuing, and engaging in – sending arms and (our allies) troops. There are other things happening right here – in our very neighbourhood. For those of us who are experiencing life tumbling down around us it can feel as if we are in exile in our own lives, for those of us who are fearing or grieving, for those of us who feel like all is lost, God is here. When the people were scattered from the ruins of Babel, God was there with Terah and his son, Abraham, offering salvation. When Israel was slave to Egypt, God was there with Moses offering salvation; when Judah was exiled from her city, her temple, and her life, God was there pointing her towards Salvation: Jesus’ Advent; Jesus, whose imminent return we eagerly await today, when he returns all the insurmountable mountains in our life will be levelled, all the impassable valleys raised, and all our crooked paths made straight – and right up until that time, right until the end of this age, He is here with us in the midst of it all.

 

It is Advent. Let us start and let us continue living our lives  in hope, in peace and in love. Let us all walk in God’s hope, God’s love and God’s peace, for we know He will see us through and we know He is with us even as we look forward to the day of Christ’s return when all those valleys will be raised, all those mountains will be levelled and all our paths will straightened for ever more.

 

Let us pray.

 

 

 

  

Romans 5:7-8: Death, a Demonstration of Love.

Presented to Alberni Valley Ministries, 24 November 2024. By Major Michael Ramsay. Based on a chapter in his book, Salvogesis’ Guidebook to Romans Road and sermons presented to Swift Current Corps, 26 July 2009

 

To view the earlier sermons, click here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/07/romans-58-while-we-were-still-sinners.html

To read ‘Salvogesis’, click here: http://www.sheepspeak.com/ebooks.htm   

See also Romans 5:10: Reconciliation Day. Presented to The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries, 02 October 2022, by Major Michael Ramsay: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2022/10/romans-510-reconciliation-day.html

 

Romans 5:7-8: “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.”

We have just had Remembrance Day the Monday before last. The Salvation Army plays a big role in Remembrance Day ceremonies across this country because of the great work the Lord did through us during the First and Second World Wars.

General Harry Crerar, former Commander of the First Canadian Army in the Second World War said, “It would be easier to forget one’s name than fail to remember the times without number when the Salvation Army was, in truth, our comforter and friend.” During both world wars and throughout the Cold War, The Salvation Army provided Canadian military personnel with comforts such as hot drinks and snacks and helped keep up spirits by manning leave centres. Very close to the front lines, the Salvation Army showed films, established canteens, organized sporting events and other recreational activities, supplied reading material, stationery, cigarettes, and other items for the troops. The Salvation Army also offered spiritual care and counselling to military personnel: comforting the wounded and to burying the dead. In short, they did whatever they could to help maintain morale. The Salvation Army instructed its supervisors to “care for the body, mind and soul of every [service person] irrespective of creed or personality.” In the midst of the horrors of war, the Salvation Army aimed to offer a glimpse of home to the military.[1]

In Canada, The Salvation Army Home League raised funds and sent thousands of comfort packages filled with socks, underwear, Christmas presents, and other items directly to The Salvation Army chaplains for distribution. Salvationists visited the homes of deceased soldiers comforting and looking into the welfare of many grieving families. Truly the Salvation Army “provided the reassuring link between the fighting man and his world of peace and kindness and sanity”[2].

I have heard many individual accounts from veterans of WWII or their widows about how much God used the “Sally Ann” during the War. Canadian soldiers were sent overseas. Many were saved and many died for our side. 

Christ died for us while we were still sinners (cf. Ro 4:5). Romans 5:10 tells us that besides our being still sinners, we were more than that: we were His enemies (cf. 1 Jn 4:10). When we were still apart from Christ, ‘sinners’ as they say, we were Christ’s enemies. When we were not under Christ’s leadership, we were not subjects of His kingdom and thus – as we are involved in a spiritual war - we were His enemies. We, through our allegiances and citizenship fought against Christ even though His only desire was for all of us to be saved and be a part of His Kingdom (1 Tim 2:4). 

One might respond, “when I didn’t know Christ, I wasn’t his enemy I led a good life. I didn’t hurt anybody. I just happened to get to know God later on in life and become ‘born again’ . . . that doesn’t mean that I was ever God’s enemy, does it?”

The Apostle Paul argues that the sinner (a sinner is anyone who doesn’t serve God) is an enemy of God; the sinner is simply like a citizen of a nation/ group that is not under Christ and thus is at war with Christ. Paul makes a strong distinction between the sinner and the saint. The sinners are not on God’s side. The saints are on God’s side.

A good way to understand how we were “as sinners” and even “as enemies of Christ” could be expressed in a further military analogy. We know of the horrors of war and the crimes that our enemies commit. We, and our allies, however, are far from innocent. In WWII, the UK and the US created an horrific firestorm carpet bombing Dresden and killing many innocent women, children and others. And, of course, the United States intentionally dropped the atomic bomb on an already defeated Japan. War crimes.

During the World Wars, in Canada we treated anyone of German, Italian, Ukrainian, and especially Japanese ancestry as our enemies. We confiscated the belongings and livelihoods of Japanese-Canadians and put them in internment camps. (The famous Canadian scientist and environmentalist, David Suzuki, spent part of his early life in such an internment camp.) We treated innocent people as our enemies. As is shown through the official government apologies and tax money paid in reparations by later generations who were not even alive during the Second World War, the responsibility and the liability for this legally rests with all of us. 

In more recent history, during the “War on Terror,” the American president declared that “Whoever isn’t with us is against us” and proceeded to sanction torture of their captives in Guantanamo Bay, as well as elsewhere in the world. Americans still have their facilities in Guantanamo Bay even today and the acts committed thete have created many enemies all over the world for the rest of us. Terrorism, counter-terrorism, suicide-bombing, assassinations, and mass political murders increase precisely because many countries in this world are falling short of the standard of the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). 

When I was younger I worked at CFB Esquimalt; then Canada was seen as a peacekeeping nation as we recognized more clearly the blessings of being a peacemaker (Matthew 5:9) Things have changed now.

The consequences of all our wars affect not only the families our country and our weapons bomb but they also affect each of us. Especially in a democracy: the consequences of our country's actions impose guilt on us all. Even today we are choosing to spend billions of dollars to kill Russians, Ukrainians, Palestinians, and others instead of feeding and caring for our own families and vulnerable people under our care. The money we spend killing children overseas could easily be spent saving children at home.

Now, just like Canada’s many wars since the end of the Cold War has made each of us (as citizens of Canada) many enemies; so sin makes us enemies of Christ. Before we were a part of His Kingdom, we were at war with Christ. And we can never win such a war so the consequence of this war against Christ; the consequence of this sin is death (Ro 6:23).

Paul tells us in Romans that Adam and Eve were the original sinners (Ro 5:12−21; cf.1 Cor 15). They were the first to transgress the will of God. God told them that they could do anything they wanted so long as they went forth, multiplied and did not from eat the fruit of just one tree. He graciously let them tend take care of His garden (Ge 1:28, 2:17, 9:1). And then what did they do? They disobeyed God – they sinned. In so doing, our ancestors declared war on God. Humankind has been in at War against God ever since (Ro 3:23).          

Paul was writing at a time very like our own as our society distances itself from God. He writes that, “at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Ro 5:6). Verse 8: “but God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.”

I have heard on several occasions a story about a preacher in an English church whose sermon one Sunday caught the attention of two young boys sitting in the pews. He used the account to impress on the congregation how Christ died for us. He said:

A father and son went fishing off the coast of England with one of his son’s friends. A terrible storm came. The wind and waves tossed their boat up and down, back and forth, and both boys were thrown overboard. The father ran to grab the only life preserver. Even if there had been more than one life preserver he could not possibly have thrown two of them in time. There was only time to save one boy. The father threw the life preserver… to . . . his son’s friend. The boy grabbed it and the man pulled him into the boat. By the time the father had rescued his child’s friend there was no sign of his son. The father had sacrificed his only son, so that the other boy could live. 

 

The story reminds us of our Heavenly Father and His Only Son. God let His Only Son − whom He loves − die so that even those of us who do not know Him, those of us who are sinners, those of us who are His enemies, can be saved. God’s son died for us at just the right time so that all of us can be saved (Eph 1:7; Jn 15:1−17). 

After this sermon, the boys approached the preacher. They asked if he had made up the story. He told them it was true. They weren’t convinced. One boy asked why a father would let his own son die for a kid he didn’t even know. The preacher told him that the father knew that even if his own son were lost, yet he would be saved. He knew that his own son, even if he died, would yet live; he would see him again at the resurrection. The point, the preacher explained, was that the father had sacrificed his son to save the other boy.

“How do you know that story’s true?” demanded one of the two boys, still skeptical.

“Because I was that boy who was saved,” replied the old preacher.

And so it is with all of us. God the Father has already sacrificed His one and only son so that we can live. All we need to do is to grab hold of the life preserver of our salvation, hold tight in holiness, and not let it slip away. Christ died so that we could live. If we grab hold of him we can make it through any storm. We can.

Do not let Jesus’ death be in vain in our own lives. We can make it through anything if we grab hold of him, like a life-preserver, If there is anything we are holding onto that is preventing us from seizing this salvation, let us cast it aside, and grab hold of Jesu. If we are holding on to any aspect of our lives so tightly that we are not fully clutching that preserver of our salvation, let us cast it aside, let us immediately reach out and grab hold of His life preserver so that we can all be gloriously saved for now, in the storms of everyone’s lives and forever more.

          There are friends and family members of many of us here who are being tossed around in the storms of life and feel like they are going to drown, I am sure. Please share the Life preserver of Jesus and His salvation with them. Jesus can get us through every storm and every trouble. No matter who we are and what we have done for, Romans 5:8, “…God demonstrates His own love for us, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Let us pray

Romans 3:35-4:4: Nothing to Boast About

 Presented to TSA AV Ministries, 17 November 2024, by Major Michael Ramsay

Romans 3:35-4:4:

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his [patience] he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

 

The last two verses again: If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

 

I have been blessed. I am thankful that I received the King Charles III Coronation Medal last night – so thankful. As I said last night, I really do think this award is meant to honour all of us and  all of the work all of we do.

 

After not sleeping well the last couple of nights my mind started to wander as I read the scriptures in the very early hours of the morning. I realized that I have been blessed, I have been honoured a few times in my life.

 

These things do mean a lot to me – but - I know that I didn’t get The King Charles III medal or any other award because I work harder or better than anyone and everyone else. I know this and any and every other trinket (which mean so much to me) could easily have been given to others. I know it is the Grace of God when any of us receive honours and a blessing of God when any of us receive recognition. I do find it really humbling And I am glad that I received it for teamwork – even the MP mentioned that.

 

I am greatly humbled that God chooses to use us here in The Salvation Army the way He does. And I am very aware before God that I should never look at my ‘trinkets’ and think, “I deserved that; I am so good.” Most people work hard their whole life – many harder and better than I do -and never receive that acknowledgement. Everything is the Grace of God. I am so thankful to the Lord for that.

 

Romans 4:2-3: If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

 

Working hard is good but it is not what gets us awards and rewards. It doesn’t even, contrary to what some may think, get us better things in this life.

 

You don’t get rewarded with money by working hard. You don’t get rich by working at all (hard or not!). You know the secret to getting rich? Being rich! You get rich, if you are already rich. If you work 15 hours a day at minimum wage; if you work 20 hours a day at the average wage, you will never get rich. You may actually get poorer the way our system is set up now.

 

You know the sure-fire way to make money? – it is to have money. The richest families in the world today (apparently) by and large are the same richest families there were 400 years ago when the English first arrived in North America. If I have millions of dollars in the bank, I will make more money today in interest than I will if I work a whole day and a half without sleeping or doing anything else.

 

Hard work really does not give us temporal wealth any more than it gives us rewards. It doesn’t. Neither does working hard give us eternal rewards. It doesn’t.

 

Romans 4:2-3: If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

 

God cares about our relationship with Him. Something else struck me yesterday at the Gala. There were a number of things that went wrong – as there always will be. When the AV person came to me hat-in-hand about not having the tree on the screen at the correct time, I honestly didn’t mind. When the MC apologized anxiously from her heart about forgetting the MLA, I honestly didn’t mind. When other errors happened and people came to me and told me how things went awry, even as their boss, I didn’t mind. I encouraged them and I left feeling good about them and the work they were doing. I was proud of them. They made a mistake and because they came to me, I am confident they will strive to never make those mistakes again. They did great!... and no one was the wiser, and really, soon I will forget the little blips and just remember the great success as God really did bless us with a great event last night.

 

Now we have really great employees here who almost never complain about anything but I contrast this to when employees, in our day-to-day work, try to hide something from me, as their boss, or when I remind them that they did not do something and instead of chatting with me about it, they get defensive saying “that wasn’t me” or “its not my fault” or “I am not the only one” then I get quite upset. I lose a little respect for them. I learn that I can’t rely on them, I lose trust in them. And if this continues over time, I no longer ask them to do things and then, if it continues even more, I am not in relationship with them.

 

It is the same with God. If I do something wrong and get defensive, blame others, try to hide it, get angry, God will be hurt – just like I am as an employer. But if I make mistakes and come to God and tell Him I made a mistake, how bad I feel about it, and ask for the opportunity not to make that mistake again, God will forgive me. God loves me. God loves us.

 

The more I come to God even having made many mistakes, confessing them to Him, and remembering not to do the same thing again, the more I show God that I love Him and I trust Him. Then, just like I forgive my employees when they do that; so much more will God forgive and trust me and you and us when we come to Him in that way.

 

But when we let God down by accident or on purpose and then deny it, deflect it, excuse it, or blame God or someone else for it; we drive a wedge in our relationship with God. And then just like some employees walk away from their jobs when things start going in this direction; if we do this to God, I can’t imagine that it will be too long before we walk away from Him and that would break His heart. Because it is our relationship with God that He cares about. Our believing Him, our trusting Him, our loving Him.

 

Because God Loves us and He wants us to succeed and, as long as we come to Him, it doesn’t matter what we have done or how long ago we have done it, He will continue to love us and trust us and He will trust us even more with things of this world and the next. Let us believe God in this.

 

Romans 4:2-3: If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

 

Our salvation for here and now and forever has nothing to do with how hard we work. It has everything to do with how much we love the Lord – and by the way, when I love my boss, I work very diligently for them.

 

So my encouragement for us all today is let us work hard for the Lord -nnot striving to win or accomplish anything or out of fear of not accomplishing things - but just out of pure love for our saviour.

 

Let us pray.

 

Thank you Lord that we are saved by your faithfulness and that when we believe you and trust you our relationship with you will deepen and grow. Thank you that you love us for now and forever.

 

Amen.

2024 Hope in the Valley Address (Romans 12:15, Matthew 25:34-40)

Presented to the Alberni Valley Community at Italian Hall, 16 November 2024, on the occasion of the presentation of the King Charles III Coronation Medal and The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries 'Hope in the Valley' Gala to Launch the Christmas Season, in the presence of the MP, MLA, Chief Councilor of Tseshaht First Nation and Chief Councilor of Hupacasath First Nations and other gathered guest, by Major Michael Ramsay

 

Two very important things to do before we start today are: to honour the Nations who’s traditional and un-ceded territories we are meeting on and to honour the Creator.

 

Many of you who know me here, know that this is a very important picture to me. It is a poster of a Roy Henry Vickers painting entitled’ Easter 1985’. A few years ago, Remi and Ruby Tom presented it to me with the words Haatapi Hawit (Creator) written underneath.

 

It is on the door of my office for everyone to see and whenever my door is open and I lift up my eyes from my desk there is an image of Haatapi Hawit (Creator) in front of me.

 

It is the Creator that we serve in everything we do.

 

With that in mind, let us pray:

Haatapi Hawit (Creator). Lord, thank you. We know that you have provided everything that there is in the world and you have tasked us to take care of your creation and all of your creatures. Thank you for all the people present here who have been faithful in that regard. Lord, we thank you for the opportunity to serve one another. Amen.

 

I would now like to honour the Tseshaht and Hupacasath First Nations and the Nuu-chah-nulth people for welcoming us and allowing us to work alongside you and in these your traditional and un-ceded territories.

 

I have such a deep respect for both of you Brandy and Ken personally, your councils, your families, your teams and all that you do - not for only members of your nations but for so many others in the Valley here. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention your father Ken, George Watts; for George was a good close and personal friend to my father-in-law and Susan’s family.

 

Thank you so much Ken, Brandy, Tseshaht and Hupacasath for all that you do and for welcoming us and allowing us at The Salvation Army to work alongside you in these your traditional and un-ceded territories.

Major Michael was presented the King Charles III Coronation Medal for making significant contributions to the community specifically relating to bringing community groups together for a common purpose.

Major Michael Ramsay's written comments:

Thank you so much for this recognition of the work that has been done through the people working with and alongside the Salvation Army. It is a real privilege for us to be honoured alongside other people and organizations in our community that do so much such as

·        Marlene Dietrich of Abbey Field

·        Grace George

·        Jeanette Watts

·        Cyndi Stevens & Friendship Center

·        David Wiwchar and the Toy Run

In the Salvation Army we have a salute to recognize that all good that is done is really done by the Creator through us. – SALUTE. Thank you

The Salvation Army and all that we do here is a team sport. I was thinking what are some of the ways that we are like various sports teams? – and immediately it came to me that there is one way that The Salvation Army is NOT like a sports team. We are not like a baseball team… there is no crying in baseball.

 

There are lots of tears in The Salvation Army. There is not a week that goes by without staff, volunteers, soldiers, congregants, and / or community members crying. And there is a lot to cry about.

 

Jennifer Osbourne, one of our friends at the Bread of Life Centre, has made this wonderful graphic of a tree. The leaves on that tree each have the name of one of our friends there who has passed due to addiction. The tree has way too many leaves. The tree has new leaves way too often.

 

There are lots of tears at The Salvation Army. We have been touched by more than one suicide since we chatted at the Christmas Kick-off last year.

 

·       We have lost many friends from overdoses.

·       We have lost friends through violence.

·       We had one friend recently die from burns.

·       We have seen many friends slip back into addiction.

·       We have seen friends experience homelessness – for the very first time this year.

 

We have seen more seniors than ever before needing to eat at the soup kitchen and get their groceries from the food bank – for the first time ever.

 

There are lots of tears of sadness at The Salvation Army.

 

Romans 12:15: says, weep with those who weep; rejoice with those who rejoice

 

And there are also tears of rejoicing at TSA

 

There are lots of success stories we hear and celebrate with our team.

 

People have already thanked me saying that they wouldn’t have a Christmas without The Salvation Army. This brings tears to my eyes.

 

This year we were able to provide food hampers to more than 1500 people – on top of the 1200 people we helped with Christmas hampers last year. And we expect even more this year.

 

In 2024, you, through your support have provided more than 112,500 warm meals through the Bread of Life kitchen

 

In 2024, you, through your support have provided a safe place for 2000 people to sleep plus another almost 500 more during extreme weather

 

And - this brings real tears of joy to me too – as well as providing a safe place for folks experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity – ten of the people who stayed with us this year, we were able to help find stable permanent housing.

 

We are also so thankful to partner with the Friendship Center to provide meals for their guests at the Tiny Homes Village and the Shelter. There we have provided more than 90 000 meals for our friends.

 

We are so grateful also to all the organisations that partner with us on the Salvation Army food truck. Elim Tabernacle (Bruce, Belle, and team) has been partnering with us on The Salvation Army food truck on Mondays for many years now, as has Khalsa Aid (Kim, Raghbir and team) on Tuesdays. They also recently provided some much-needed bedding for our shelter. Kinsmen (Barb and Steve) take meals out on the food truck every Wednesday, and Arrowsmith Rotary has been serving people in need on Thursdays for a very long time now as well. With the support of these groups, we have served more than 7000 meals to people in need this year.

 

You, through all your support, have also provided so much clothing to those in real need this year. 

In 2024, you through your support, have helped so many children as well. You sent 33 kids to camp who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to go to camp – Some for the very first time.

 

You, through your support, have also provided 144 children with backpacks full of school supplies so that on the first day of school they have new items to help them learn – just like their friends.

 

You, through your support, have also provided 1152 litres of milk for children and families in need.

 

You, through your support, have also provided 1120 lunches for children who eat at the schools during the school year but don’t have access to those meals during the summer.

 

All of you in this room, in some way, have contributed to this and so much more. This really does bring tears of joy to my eyes; so, while there may be no tears in baseball, the love and work all of you provide for those in need in our community really does bring tears to my eyes. Well done team!

 

I am now going to speak a blessing over us. This blessing is from  Matthew 25:34-40:

³⁴ “Then the [Lord] will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

 

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

 

⁴⁰ “The [Lord] will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

 

My friends this is your blessing; for this is who you are, in all you do.

 

Thank you.

Remembrance Day Address 2024 (Romans 5:7-10 and Isaiah 11:6)

Presented to the Alberni Valley community at the Community Remembrance Day Ceremonies at the Glenwood Centre by Major Michael Ramsay, Padre, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 293, on 11 November 2024

 

August 4^th,1914 Canada, as part of the British Empire joined World War One. Four years later, when the fighting ceased on November 11^th, 1918, there were 888,246 Commonwealth soldiers who never returned home – over 18% of them, 160 000, were Canadian, Newfoundland, and First Nations soldiers.

 

Then from September 10^th, 1939, until August 14^th, 1945; 1,159,000 Canadian, Newfoundland and First Nations service people served in World War 2 and when the war was over, a further 44,090 Canadian, Newfoundland and First Nations service people had laid down their lives.

 

Robert (Robin) Watson was just 14 years-old when he joined the Army. On Thursday, at the Field of Honour. we held a memorial service for him; he was 96 years old. He was, I believe, the Valley’s last surviving Word War II veteran.

 

Many people marched out of the Valley to serve God, King, and Country in the first world war, the second world war and the conflicts that followed. In past years here I have shared many of their stories.

 

Today I would like to add to those stories, remembrances of George (Bud) Hamilton, James George, Eduard Clutesi and others. They were among the Nuu-Chah-Nulth soldiers who left the Valley here offering their lives for us, our ancestors, our descendants, our families, our friends and our allies.

 

George, 'Bud' Hamilton, as he was known, was the youngest boy in his family. He was a young Hupacasath man. He was a residential school survivor. Even so, he volunteered to serve with the Canadian forces during the second world war. He was a bright and resourceful young man. On his tests before entering the military, it is recorded that he was above average intelligence.

Letters he wrote home, to his dad Clifford, still exist. He wrote about how he applied to transfer to the navy. He wrote about how he looked forward to going fishing with his dad when he returned home from the war.

 

Bud Hamilton landed at Juno beach with the Canadian Forces on June 6th, 1944. Canadian forces on that day alone suffered 1,096 casualties, 381 of whom were killed in action. By the end of the Battle of Normandy, Canadian casualties exceeded 18,700. George, Bud Hamilton experienced all these horrors and Bud Hamilton survived to fight another day. But then...

 

as fighting continued into Belgium, in one particular small town, an enemy artillery shell exploded very near to him; it severed his spinal cord, and he slowly succumbed to his injuries.

 

He would never go fishing with his dad again.

 

Bud had a daughter whom he never knew. She was born after he died. I understand that she is living today in Idaho with a large family of her own - whom Bud never met.

 

There is also James Goerge. He was the son of Cecil George (George Hamiliton's brother). James was his only child. James survived the war; James made it back and with the money he made, he bought a commercial fishing boat.

One night he tied his fishing boat at a sandbar near where the orange bridge is today. There was an explosion, and he died in his boat that he bought with his pay from serving in the war.

 

I have mentioned Eduard Clutesi before, hereditary chief of the Tseshaht First Nation. [Josh Goodwill, I believe, sits as heredity chief in this seat today.] I will now share a little more of Eduard Clutesi’s story as I have come to understand it.

 

Eduard Clutesi was of superior intelligence, his military tests showed. He was a genius. He taught himself to play violin. He could draw your portrait perfectly. He was very quiet. He did not say much.

 

He served with a mortar unit. This was precise work. It involved intricate mathematical calculations. He served well. He was killed with his mortar unit in the battle of Caen and he was buried with his military comrades in Europe. He never did return.

 

Our First Nations, in many cases, were forced to renounce their status, in order to be enfranchised – until as late as 1960. Yet many, I am told saw the greater good and thus served and found true friendship with their Canadian Comrades and many died for us. Thank you. Thank every veteran who lived fought and in some cased died for us.

 

This week as well as laying to rest a veteran who signed up to serve in the war as a 14-year-old child, I also got news that my sister’s only child passed away suddenly at 22 years of age and it dawned on me that of the 200 000 soldiers who died fighting with the Canadian forces in the World Wars, the majority of them were children – no older than my niece. Canada’s youngest soldier was 10 years old.

 

Our service people, our family members who fought and died; their parents never saw their 22-year-old children, their 26-year-old children, their 17 or there 12-year-old children again.

 

The veterans who served and survived those wars weren’t in their 90s then, like they are now, if they are still around. Mostly, they were children in their 20s or even younger.

 

Our service people who died for us and the veterans who lived and saw them die. Please let us remember them.

 

And in remembrance of those who made the supreme sacrifice, Let us be better men and women, and give us peace in our time.

Lest we forget.

 

We will remember them.