1. Art and Diseño

SELF DENIAL APPEAL
2015
“This is what the kingdom of
God is like. A man scatters seeD
on the ground. Night and day,
whether he sleeps or gets up, the
seed sprouts and grows, though
he does not know how”
The Kingdom comes, meaning we have hope and the
world has hope. We may not know how the Kingdom
grows, but we do know that we, like the farmer, are
called to action, to scatter the seeds and to do our
part while trusting God to do his.
Mark 4:26-29, New International Version
General William Booth launched the first Self Denial Appeal
in 1886. Since 1969 Salvationists have been challenged to
give one week’s salary to support the appeal.
Please give generously.
Week 1
INTRODUCTION
“They were like sheep
without a shepherd.”
Read Mark 6:30-34
In January 1879, William Booth wrote an article urging
his soldiers to embrace their new name of The Salvation
Army as well as their calling as Salvationists:
“Be a Salvationist. Look at this. Clear your vision. Halt,
stand still and afresh and more fully apprehend and
comprehend your calling. You are to be a worker with
God for the salvation of others. What is the business
of your life? Not merely to save your soul and make
yourself good enough for Paradise? If this were all, would
it not be an ignoble and selfish lot for which to toil and
suffer and pray and die, and would it not be as unlike the
Master’s as could well be conceived of? No, you are to
be a redeemer, a saviour, a copy of Jesus Christ himself.
Rescue the perishing. There they are all around you
everywhere, crowds upon crowds and multitudes” (The
Salvationist, January 1879, alt).
We have a clear responsibility to care for others in our
world – to work for the benefit of others. Just before Mark
describes the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, he
tells another story when Jesus asked his disciples to come
with him and “get some rest” (Mark 6:32).
Jesus and his disciples set off by themselves in a
boat to somewhere quiet but when they landed, people
were there, waiting for and needing Jesus to minister
to them. So he did, because “they were like sheep
without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34). He met the people’s
needs because their needs were great and he could do
something about it. And we should too!
One of the great strengths of the Army is that we are a
community – a global community that intersects with a
myriad of other communities around the world. We have
the resources to meet the needs of these communities
and we must do so.
We have a clear responsibility to
care for others in our world –
to work for the benefit of others.
We are called to be co-workers with God for the
salvation of others. We are called to play our part and we
can trust God to play his. We are called to give generously
because we are the blessed children of a generous
Father. Let’s seek to do our part and give to the work of
the Army around the world. God will use our generosity
when we do.
Prayer
Loving Father God, I thank you for every blessing. I thank
you for calling me to be a worker in your world for your
glory. Help me to lift my eyes from my own concerns and
help me see the needs of those who are sheep without a
shepherd. Amen.
We are called to give generously
because we are the blessed
children of a generous Father.
week 2
Pakistan
“You give them
something to eat.”
Read Mark 6:35-44
The feeding of the five thousand is one of the most
famous and awe-inspiring Jesus’ miracles. While we
might marvel at Jesus, it was not the disciples’ finest
moment. It’s true that the disciples were worried that the
people had nothing to eat. However, their solution was
not quite as generous as we might hope.
“Send them away,” they said to Jesus. “The people can
look after themselves,” they thought. But Jesus, rather
disconcertingly, replied, “You give them something to eat.”
“We can’t afford that,” the disciples protested. So Jesus
asked them to find out what food they did have. In fact he
commanded it: “go and see.”
Of course it wasn’t much. It was merely the meagre
lunch of a little boy. But later, as they picked up twelve
baskets of left-overs, I’m sure the disciples were once
again amazed at what their Lord could do with such a
small offering.
Perhaps we would like to imagine that we would be
the little boy in the story. It would be nice to think that
we would give away all we had in that moment – to
trust Jesus to do something extraordinary. But it’s also
possible that we are much more like the disciples: “send
them away, I can’t afford that.” After all, to dismiss the
plight of the hungry is an easier conviction to live by than
the command, “you give them something to eat”. If only
the command wasn’t the words of Jesus.
It would be nice to think that we
would give away all we had in
that moment – to trust Jesus to do
something extraordinary.
We could see poverty in rural Pakistan as someone
else’s problem, wish them well and send them on their
way. But perhaps the Lord is looking directly at us, asking
us to “give”. Giving someone the money for a donkey
might not mean much to us. But the amazing thing is
that when we do give, extraordinary things can happen.
Our money becomes a donkey, which becomes bricks
which becomes food for a whole family.
Perhaps we need to remember that the same Lord
and Saviour who worked a miracle through a small boy’s
generosity is at work in our offering as well.
Prayer
Lord, challenge me to see and care about the hungry in
our world and help me to play my part, small though it
may be, in helping them to eat. Amen.
Our money becomes a donkey,
which becomes bricks which
becomes food for a whole family.
week 3
Cambodia
“Some people brought a blind
man to Jesus and begged Jesus
to touch him.”
Read Mark 8:22-23
This is a great Bible story. Jesus’s miracle is
extraordinary. To be an onlooker at an actual miracle
would be an amazing thing. Imagine watching a disabled
person be healed before your eyes. That would be
awesome in the very best sense of the word.
Perhaps the best part of this story is those unnamed
“some people”. After all, the story is not possible without
them. They didn’t just ask, they begged Jesus to touch
the blind man in the hope that he would be healed. They
saw a member of their community in need of healing and
they brought him to Jesus.
Conviction and courage laced with faith is a powerful
mixture in the hands of God. A group of Korean
Salvationists, who are an example of “some people”, on a
mission trip to Cambodia, saw a community in need. One
member from the group felt so convicted by the need,
he started a hostel for young students. His faith and
courage not only provided a home for students but also
teachers and therefore an education to the poorest of
the poor in Phnom Penh.
Because of this series of events a young student’s
life was changed. This student gave his life to God and
now wants to serve God as a Salvation Army officer. And
so the Kingdom grows although we do not know how.
Certainly we could not predict the outcome or know
exactly what God will do with our conviction and courage.
We do know, however we are called to be one of the
“some people” – the ones who see a need and respond
because the cause is urgent and the need is great. The
persistence of those who brought their blind friend to Jesus
led to his sight being restored. Once again we see this
principle at work –when we do our part for the kingdom by
scattering the seeds, we can trust God to do his.
... when we do our part for the
kingdom by scattering the seeds,
we can trust God to do his.
Prayer
Lord, renew my faith. Help me to trust you to work in
and through me and in and through my actions. May
your kingdom come and may I do all that I can for your
kingdom cause. Amen.
week 4
Rwanda
“The woman was a Greek,
born in Syrian Phoenicia.
She begged Jesus …”
Read Mark 7:24-30
I cannot imagine living in a country, torn apart by
ethnic violence. Tribe and clan pitted against each other.
The wounds run deep in many families. Yet for a country
that is filled with violence, in Rwanda there is hope –
deep hope.
Cedric is a little boy who is a part of a family who has
seen violent death, knows what it is to be a refugee and
knows what it is like to be hungry and marginalised. Yet
to see him sitting in a Salvation Army pre-school, in his
Salvation Army village, is to see a picture of hope. His
mum’s life is hard but her love for her children is evident.
Hope transcends and transforms
community boundaries,
it creates new communities.
Hope heals and restores.
In Mark’s gospel we read a strange story of Jesus’s
interaction with a woman who was not part of his tribe
and clan. It’s unusual because at first, Jesus says he will
not heal her daughter. Apparently because the woman
was not Jewish and his first missional priority was to his
own people. Whatever the reason, it does not appear to
be a hopeful response from Jesus. But the woman was
not deterred. She did not try to argue with Jesus but
rather bravely responded with an “even so” answer. She
did not give up hope. She was desperate and persistent
and she needed Jesus to hear her. And her brave hope
was rewarded.
“For such a reply”, Jesus says, “your daughter is healed.”
Hope transcends and transforms community boundaries,
it creates new communities. Hope heals and restores.
It is easy in an affluent Western country to make
judgements about cause and effect for those who are not
like us, those in desperate need – the refugees, outcasts
and the marginalised. It’s easy to decide that they don’t
deserve our help. But the gospel calls us to answer their
“even so”.
William Booth spoke about the poor and destitute in
one of his few recorded speeches and said: “Brought it
on themselves you say? Quite likely. But that does not
excuse our assisting them.”
Perhaps we need to set aside the excuses we tell
ourselves to hear more clearly the “even so” of the
desperate.
Prayer
Lord, help me to see and to hear the pleas of the refugee,
the poor and marginalised. Help me to respond in a loving
way that brings hope and healing for them. Amen.
It’s easy to decide that they don’t
deserve our help. But the gospel
calls us to answer their “even so”.
week 5
papua new guinea
“Deny yourself, take up your
cross and follow me.”
Read Mark 8:34-38
One of the mistakes we make as Christians is to confuse
suffering and evil. It’s strange really because there is no
doubt that Jesus modelled and called us to suffering.
“Take up your cross,” he said. His listeners had no doubt
about what taking up one’s cross meant in first century
Roman Empire. Jesus suffered, Peter suffered, Paul
suffered and Stephen suffered. The roll call of Christians
who have suffered is a long and convincing list.
That is where keeping suffering and evil as separate
terms will help us. Yes they are connected, but they are
not the same. Evil is often the cause of suffering. Evil is
destructive, it stunts and prevents growth, but suffering
does not. In fact the great testimony of the Christian faith
is that we can flourish even in the midst of suffering.
Freda lives in Papua New Guinea. She is HIV positive
and so is her little girl – not through any fault of her own.
She has also been neglected and been refused help by
her people. In Freda’s culture the “wantok”, the clan, the
care of one’s own, is the glue that holds society together.
She is truly alone. And yet here is a story of hope.
In fact the great testimony of
the Christian faith is that we
can flourish even in the midst
of suffering.
She is not diminished by her suffering. Freda has found
hope in a loving Salvation Army community who helped
her and her daughter to flourish, even in their suffering.
Hope is rather a glorious thing. For we who are pretty
much suffering free, it’s impossible to not be humbled,
feel grateful and be challenged by Freda’s story.
Hope redeems our suffering. We are called to be
agents of hope – to do all we can to help those who are
suffering, to flourish in spite of their circumstances.
We are called to be
agents of hope...
Prayer
Dear Lord, I thank you because in you there is hope. You
can redeem our suffering. Your resurrection life is my
resurrection hope. Help me to do all I can to live as a
person of hope and to spread your hope. Amen.
week 6
ALTAR SERVICE SUNDAY
“You are not far
from the kingdom.”
Read Mark 12:29-34
We are bound together as a people of God. We are
bound together by the love of God. Not just because we
all love him, like football fans united by love of their team.
No, God’s holy love is also in us – in our hearts, minds
and souls. And that same love flows outwards in our love
of others. Oh, it’s true, we may not always feel loving
towards others. But perhaps if we’re honest, we can say
that we don’t always feel loving towards God. But what
we do know is that the “dispositions of our heart”, as
John Wesley said, our very being, is and must always be,
inclined towards God and towards others – a deep love
for God and deep love for our neighbour.
Practical love is
a rather glorious
expression of the
Kingdom.
Now it would be a very strange love that didn’t lead
towards love in action. Imagine if you loved someone and
never told them, helped them, spoke to them or cared for
them. Love requires something of us. The love of God in
our hearts certainly requires something of us. We have
an amazing message of hope. We need to share the good
news of the Kingdom with our neighbours. We need to
share it in every way possible, or at least help our fellow
Salvationists share it.
As The Salvation Army we are part of a big community
and that means we have a lot of neighbours. And that’s a
good thing! And you and I must do what we can to bring
Kingdom hope to people’s lives. And that’s not just words
of hope but tangible hope that takes the shape of huts,
wells, goats and schools, and is seen and felt in love and
laughter in hope-filled communities.
Practical love is a rather glorious expression of the
Kingdom. We, who are materially blessed, must do all we
can to express our hope and love by giving generously
and sacrificially to our neighbours. And when we do, the
Kingdom is near – it takes root and grows all by itself.
Prayer
Loving God, who first loved me and whose love transforms
me, help me to give generously and sacrificially to your
work, to help your message of hope spread through the
whole world. Take my offering and use it for your kingdom
purposes, I pray. Amen.
We, who are materially blessed,
must do all we can to express
our hope and love by giving
generously and sacrificially
to our neighbours.
together as one
Freedom takes the burden of the outcast
Lifting up the head of all who come
They’re finding hope
They’re finding hope
Secure in the fullness of Your mercy
The weary are restored in Your embrace
Invited home
Invited home
The Saviour’s love is refuge for the hurting
A welcome shelter, rescue from the storm
All fear erased
All fear erased
Drawn by Your love
Chains are broken
All will find a place in You
CHORUS
Drawn by Your love
Chains are broken
All will find a place in You
CHORUS
United we’ll stand, a light in the dark
Reaching the lost, and those in need
Hope through community and sharing Your love
We’ll stand together as one
There is hope for the hopeless
There is light in the darkness
There is peace for the restless
In You
CHORUS
Chris Smartt is a
Sydney-based songwriter,
performing artist, and producer.
Having grown up attending Salvation Army churches
both in Australia and Canada, Chris developed a strong
value for the role that music and creative expression plays
during corporate worship in helping people connect and
deepen their relationship with God.
Chris’ passion for music has always been framed within
his faith. As a committed Christian, Chris sees his music
as an extension of his ministry and he writes music that
reflects and shares the hope, grace, and peace that is
found in Jesus.
Chris is currently collaborating with other Christian song
writers and writing worship songs for his church as well as
writing new music for his next EP to be released in 2015.
Thanks to
Captain Grant Sandercock-Brown - Devotional Writer
Peter March & Michelle Watts - Video Producer / Director
Rebecca Wright - Video Production Assistant
David Scarborough - Editor
Rod Allen - Children’s material
Emma Park - Graphic Design
“Together as One” recorded at Music Entourage, Sydney.
Producer: Michael Fatkin
Songwriters: Christopher Smartt & Michael Fatkin
Mixing: Ben Whincop
Mastering: Matthew Grey
www. SELFDENIAL. info