The Australia Territory’s Rallying Cry: Hope revealed
BY COMMISSIONER MIRIAM GLUYAS, Territorial Commander
The Salvation Army Australia Territory has issued a ‘rallying cry’ as a callback to its Army roots, using slogans to unite and inspire our Salvationist troops.
The rallying cry is ‘Jesus-centred, Spirit-led, hope revealed’.
The rallying cry isn’t intended to add even more to our mission, vision, and values, but instead serves as a measure to draw them all together as we ask ourselves in all we do:
‘Is Jesus central to this?’
‘Where is the Spirit leading us?’
‘Where am I seeing hope revealed?’
HOPE REVEALED
The Salvation Army Australia joins the international Army to join God’s work in the world.
The Salvation Army has an international mission statement that sets the identity and direction for every command and centre that the Army operates:
The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in His name without discrimination.
Today, I charge us each to take up our place in this shared vision:
We are to be an ‘Isaiah 61, Luke 4’ people. The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is on us. We have to make sure, first and foremost, that this is true. We are to be ‘oaks of righteousness’ (Isaiah 61:3). The people of God have to put their roots down deep.
They’ve got to be places where people want to come and shelter, where people find refuge, where we can sit and talk and explore together. If we’re not oaks of righteousness, we can’t do what God asks us to do.
[As Isaiah 61:3 also says] we’re to bring ‘beauty for ashes’. We live in a world without hope. So, we’re to bring beauty instead of ashes. It’s The Salvation Army deal.
Romans 8:24-25 says, “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
We can have confident hope evidenced by our faith (Hebrews 11:1). We can have great belief in God’s promise to us (Romans 4:20-22). We can have resilient spiritual lives amid turmoil as we “rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12).
For those who are lost, scared, alone, afraid and in need of a saviour, Catherine Booth writes, “They looked, and longed for, the healing balm, the oil of consolation. They said: ‘Can I be saved? Do you think there is hope for such as I am?’ Oh yes, you poor Magdalene and legion-possessed men, there is hope.”
The Holy Spirit’s life and work in us is a promise. It means we can positively say we have hope, for “My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power” (1 Corinthians 2:4).
General Eva Burrows once said: “We all know the verse in Romans 8:28, ‘All things work together for good for those who love God’. I prefer the New International Version translation because it says, ‘In all things, God works for the good of those who love him and are called according to God’s purpose’. It’s not the ‘things’ that work, but it’s God who works in things.”
Samuel Logan Brengle wrote, “Finally, the great work of this Holy Guest is to exalt Jesus; to glorify Him who humbled Himself unto the shameful and agonizing death of the cross; to make us to see Him in all His beauty; to knit our hearts to Him in faith and love and loyalty, conform us to His image and fit us for His work.”
“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you” (Titus 2:11-15)
As we stay faithful to God’s will and workings in The Salvation Army, professionally and personally, whatever expression, mission, ministry and part of the movement we are in, we will truly live out our rallying cry, ‘Jesus-centred, Spirit-led, hope revealed.’ and share Good News.
“Wherever there is hardship or injustice, Salvos will live, love and fight, alongside others, to transform Australia one life at a time with the love of Jesus.”
– Salvation Army Vision Statement
“And, recognising that God is already at work in the world, we value integrity, compassion, respect, diversity, and collaboration.”
– Salvation Army Values Statement
“Not only has the Army resuscitated hope in despairing Christians, but among the poor, the lost, and the forlorn everywhere.”
– Catherine Booth
· CELEBRATING: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).
· CERTAIN: “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5).
· CHILDREN: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).
· CONSOLED: “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentation 3:21-26).
· CHOSEN: “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope” (Matthew 12:18-20).
· CONFIDENT: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
· COMMISSIONED: “I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossian 1:25-27).
The themes above are simply suggestions to help us focus our thoughts. They each relate to our identity and how we are meant to live in response; in our caring, creating, building and working.
God of Elijah, hear our cry: Send the fire!
To make us fit to live or die, Send the fire!
To burn up every trace of sin,
To bring the light and glory in,
The revolution now begin,
Send the fire today!
(Thou Christ of burning, cleansing flame – William Booth)
