Forced Amsterdam Layover (tomorrows story)|

Tuesday evening – An attempt at a brief update; we arrived at the Tallnäs Conference Centre – 60 members of the 80 year old Swedish FSAOF, gathered for a 4 day retreat! Guest of honour; retired Commissioner Sven Nilsson,  who’ll turn 100 in a few weeks. A book detailing his multi- faceted service will be released at the same time.

Excellent facilities, but I had yet another tumble in the conference centre and the nurse on duty had me dispatched to the Värnamo Hospital the following morning. The tumbles turned out to be, as is so often the case, a blessing in disguise -  drove to Värnamo hospital, a state of the art facility of design and patient care + exray confirmed 2 wrist fractures, and Glad’s latent Nightingale skills. She’d wrapped my hand in place firmly, like a skilled surgeon, forcing the fractures to ‘mold’ – quite remarkable in the words of the fracture repair team.

We departed the hospital for a visit around this uniquely ‘special town’! Our first visit was to the train station. 

It was in the Värnamo train station that an inspired book store owner, the avid philosophy, Kierkegaard and theology scholar, Anna Ouchterlony, founded The Salvation Army in Sweden, in 1882 – assisted by Bramwell Booth, sent there to recuperate from exhaustion, from London, by his father William, founder of TSA…, But it was  hefounder himself, who beheld her gifts and abilities. She was allocated ten years to build the Army in Sweden and during that tenure built up a Christian movement, an Army with combat forces of nearly 10,000 soldiers, 600 officers, who opened over 140 corps. Hanna's driving force was her faithful and personal conviction that this movement was something uniquely intended for Sweden.  I asked some passers by if they knew the name Hanna Ouchterlony. The responses were nothing short of overwhelming; “Why, everyone in Värnamo knows the name Ouchterlony. Hanna was the Founder of Frälsningsarmen in Sweden.” And where is the corps? And each person explained in detail where it was located, although now inactive.

The corps was of interest for two reasons – my grandparents were married in the corps, and it was from the Värnamo Corps and train station that they departed in 1918 to serve in the SA’s pioneer team sent to work in the Russian Empire. 

The succession of Dignity

I attended an excellent lecture yesterday on  Erik Wickberg, born in Sweden, he  the 9th General of The Salvation Army (1969-1974).

As a teenager, he once beat the national Swiss chess champion.In1925, Erik became an Officer from Bern 2 Corps, Switzerland. His firstpointment was corps officer in Hamilton, Scotland. He then took on the role of Training (Education) Officer in Germany, and Private Secretary to the Chief Secretary and Territorial Commander. He went on to become Private Secretary to International Secretary and Assistant to Under Secretary for Europe at International Headquarters (IHQ). Soon, he moved to Sweden as IHQ Liaison Officer. During World War II, he was appointed to Germany, where he was often obliged to sleep in air raid bunkers. When the war was over, he was assigned the task of post-war relief in war-torn Germany. His next positions were, divisional commander of Uppsala, Sweden, Switzerland Chief Secretary, Sweden Chief Secretary, Territorial Commander of Germany, and Chief of the Staff (IHQ), before becoming the General. 

General Wickberg was honoured by many nations for his service to God and humanity. He was made Commander, Order of Vasa (1970); admitted to the Order of Moo Koong Wha (Korea, 1970); received an honorary D tor of Laws (Korea, 1970); awarded the Grand Cross of Merit, Federal Republic of Germany (1971); and awarded the King’s Golden Medal (Grand Cross), Sweden (1980). He authored two books: Inkallad(God’s Conscript) (autobiography, Sweden, 1978) and Uppdraget(The Charge - My Way to Preaching, 1990).oc

I had the privilege of meeting Erik Wickberg many times on both sides of the Atlantic. He was admired as a theologian and denominational leader.

A key point I picked up was a comment he made in a lecture to more than 100 cadets at the International SA College, that the principle of human dignity (earned or merited|) is the foundation of all social teaching. "Our dignity as SA officers is linked to the value and esteem that comes from the generations of officers and Salvationists that preceded us"

Midsummer Panic...

FRIDAY – MIDSUMMER EVENING

We did not know the extent of my injury as I have little feeling on my left side. However, the hand was coloured black and blue….

Fracture? Sensing that it was best to get to a Swedish hospital I tried to make an emergency change in our reservations from Riga to Stockholm by ship by departing that evening.     

On our attempt to depart the hotel as quickly as possible and drive to the dock, to change our reservation to Stockholm, we moved our suitcases to the elevator and parked me, in my wheelchair, next to the lift, only to read a small note; ‘LIFT UNDER REPAIR’! We learned that they had spent hours trying to repair it.  In that we could wait no longer I attempted, with help, to walk cautiously down the very narrow, circular staircase, however, the hotel staff and Glad were frightened I might fall and injure myself even further and they insisted that I be carried down in the wheelchair. So three men carried me backwards, strapped in my chair, gingerly one step at a time, to the floor level entrance area.

We located a pharmacy in Riga old Town, purchased bandages and a sling, and Glad wrapped my hand and adjusted the sling. We drove to the boarding area of Finnlineas, and a young man informed us that the change in booking would be problematic but he would see what he could do. I explained our urgency, pointing at my sling….

His efforts were nothing short of miraculous - ours was the last vehicle loaded on the ship and the crew could not have done more to assist in carrying suitcases and various equipment to our cabin. 

The agent not only got us on board the ship sailing 10 miniutes later to Stockholm, but secured a disabled cabin, a sumptuous, complimentary smorgasbord, and full breakfast as we sailed through the Swedish archipelago the next morning.

On arrival in Stockholm we met up with two dear friends, Lisbeth and Solveig   Lövmark for lunch, but with the intent of making a visit to the emergency department of the Karolinska hospital was postponed – It was mid summer day and most facitilites were closed so we decided to carry on to our next destination, my home town of Orebro where we checked in. 

That night at 02.00 I had yet another tumble and after a wait of an hour the only help available was three female hotel staff members who assisted me from the floor to my bed.  We had to spend one more night in that hotel and I asked if they were on duty the following night, to which they replied yes and I said, ‘in that case perhaps I will plan another tumble’, and we all laughed.  The following morning we departed early for the former SA officers retreat in Skillingaryd!

UNDER THE RADAR

I have had a number of enquiries wondering why `I have been under the radar, since last Thursday - the answer is quite simple.  Circumstances caused several emergency actions precluding the luxury of blogging.

Tuesday at midnight, we travelled by ship from Travemunde Germany to Liepeja, Latvia.  The cabin allocated to us, a true budget effort, was totally unsuitable for someone in a wheelchair, and without any disabled cabins or assistant facilities.   We had a bunk bed, Glad on top with me on the bottom and it was virtually impossible to get into or out of my bunk bed due to my 6’6” height and very limited space between the two beds.  On attempting to rise from the bed, with Glad’s help, I took a tumble, landing on my left side in a very tight space between the wall and the bunk bed.  

I have little sensitivity on my left side due my 12 year old stroke, but my sensitivity returned sharply and, I sensed I had indeed injured myself.   

The following morning, Glad examined my hand and wrist and said it had turned black and I confirmed, with some pain that she was right.  

There was no emergency care available on the ship so we had no option but to carry on once we docked in Latvia at 04:00, with our driving to Riga (see previous post). 

In Riga we stayed at the Irina Hotel and took the lift to the second floor. 

 The pain had lessened with the aid of 3 paracetomol. In the middle of the night, yet another mishap and a tumble on the hard wood floor. Glad called reception and young male staff member came running to help Glad to getme back on my feet and into bed.   

It’s worth noting that I’d deliberately lost a fair bit of weight during the last 6 months. I’m no light weight; nor am I dead weight!
(Part 1 of 4)

 

Straight millennials are becoming less accepting of LGBTQ people

The surprising results come from a new GLAAD survey.

STEPHEN JOHNSON

24 June, 2019

• The survey found that 18- to 34-year-old non-LGBTQ Americans reported feeling less comfortable around LGBTQ people in a variety of hypothetical situations.
• The attitudes of older non-LGBTQ Americans have remained basically constant over the past few years.
• Overall, about 80 percent of Americans support equal rights for LGBTQ people.

A new survey from GLAAD suggests that young, non-LGBT Americans are now less comfortable around LGBT people compared to recent years. Surprisingly, these young Americans (18- to 34-year-olds) were the only age bracket that reported feeling less comfortable, while attitudes among older non-LGBT Americans have remained basically constant over the past few years.

The results surprised leaders at GLAAD and The Harris Poll, which together have conducted the survey — "Accelerating Tolerance" — for the past five years.

"We count on the narrative that young people are more progressive and tolerant," John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll, told USA TODAY. "These numbers are very alarming and signal a looming social crisis in discrimination." 

The survey asked respondents to rate how comfortable they'd feel in personal situations involving LGBT people, as GLAAD reported:

• More young people ages 18–34 responded that they were "very" or "somewhat" uncomfortable in three personal scenarios including learning a family member is LGBT (36 percent uncomfortable in the 2019 report vs. 29 percent in the 2018 report); learning my doctor is LGBT (34 percent vs. 27 percent); and learning my child had a lesson on LGBT history in their school (39 percent vs. 30 percent).

• About 43 percent of males ages 18–34 reported that they were uncomfortable learning a family member is LGBT (up from 32 percent in 2018) and 42 percent of males ages 18–34 reported that they were uncomfortable learning their child's teacher is LGBT (up from 37 percent in 2018).

• Also, 40 percent of females ages 18–34 reported that they were uncomfortable learning their child had a lesson on LGBT history in school, an increase of 13 percentage points from the previous year's findings.

"This reflects a continued erosion in comfort among this age group over the past two years," GLAAD reported. "This year, the significant erosion is being driven by females ages 18–34, where comfort levels fell from 64 percent last year to 52 percent this year."

What explains the shifting attitudes? GLAAD conducted focus groups to identify some of the driving factors, finding two common themes: "newness" of gender politics and discriminatory political rhetoric. 

"They're interfacing with new gender identities and sexual orientations, so that takes a minute to get used to," Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, told The Daily Beast. "Then, look at this current administration we're living under, and its culture of hate and discrimination. Those are the two issues at hand here that emerged from the focus groups."

The results weren't all discouraging: The survey classified about half of all Americans as "allies" of LGBTQ people with high levels of tolerance — the same share as 2017, which Ellis said "is a big deal." Also, for the third consecutive year, about 80 percent of Americans support equal rights for the LGBTQ community.

Still, Gerzema offered a note of caution: "In this toxic age, tolerance — even among youth — now seems to be parsed out. Nothing today should be taken for granted."

Over the long term, Ellis hopes the results prove to be an anomaly. "Hopefully this is a two-year blip, until we have a turnover in the administration," she told The Daily Beast.A new survey from GLAAD suggests that young, non-LGBT Americans are now less comfortable around LGBT people compared to recent years. Surprisingly, these young Americans (18- to 34-year-olds) were the only age bracket that reported feeling less comfortable, while attitudes among older non-LGBT Americans have remained basically constant over the past few years.

The results surprised leaders at GLAAD and The Harris Poll, which together have conducted the survey — "Accelerating Tolerance" — for the past five years.

"We count on the narrative that young people are more progressive and tolerant," John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll, told USA TODAY. "These numbers are very alarming and signal a looming social crisis in discrimination."

24 June, 2019

Was the Founder a bublican?

William Booth owned a pub!

This year marked the 135th anniversary of The Salvation Army’s invasion of the Eagle Tavern and Grecian Theatre in London. 

The Army’s founder, William Booth, described it as “the greatest triumph” to that point in time, yet there is surprisingly little written about the event.

Originally known as the Shepherd and Shepherdess Tavern, the building had become a landmark as early as 1806. By June 1818, the Shepherd and Shepherdess Tavern had become the Eagle Tavern.

In 1822, Thomas Rouse acquired the lease and would go on to renovate the site, making it one of the largest places of public entertainment in London. 

During this period, the tavern also became the base for Henry Hunt, an activist and political agitator. He used the tavern for political meetings, dinners and protests, and in this way bought patronage and popularity.

The 1830s saw the Eagle Tavern prosper, with musicals, sporting activities such as boxing, a pleasure garden, the Grecian Theatre, a dance floor, billiard rooms, theme park rides and tourist attractions such as the coronation gate. 

The entertainment also attracted literary attention; Charles Dickens visited the site and wrote about it in Miss Evans and the Eagle, and the nursery rhyme, Pop Goes the Weasel, is about the negative impact the Eagle Tavern was having on the population of London.

Upon Rouse’s retirement, Mr T. Clark took on the lease and the place quickly deteriorated. Two years later, he placed the lease on the market. 

William Booth, convinced that the Eagle’s locality would be a good place to “train future evangelists” and the Grecian Theatre an ideal building for a corps, sent an officer, dressed in disguise, to the auction, and on 10 August 1882, The Salvation Army purchased the 17-year lease on the property.

Following some renovations, the Grecian Corps and Eagle Temperance Hotel was opened on 21 September 1882. Around 10,000 people attended the first meeting, with another 30,000 gathered outside to demonstrate against the Army.

Despite this opposition, within months of opening the Grecian Corps had recorded 1800 seekers for salvation. Many Londoners, disgruntled by the loss of their hotel and theatre, tried, through legal action, to end the Army’s lease on the property. 

The first court case saw a win for the Army, but a second case, arguing against the Army holding a liquor license without serving alcohol, was successful.

Subsequently, a sign on the door of the Eagle Tavern read: “William Booth, licensed to sell beer, &c., to be drunk on and off the premises.” Opponents took further, successful legal action to remove the tavern lease from the Army, but the loss of the Eagle, according to the Army, only increased the success of the Grecian Corps. 

Thousands would attend meetings, a Grecian “Slum” Corps was planted nearby by young people, and crime rates in the area decreased. However, in late 1898, the Grecian Corps, following further court cases, was eventually forced out of the building and conducted its meetings as open-air events.

In August 1900, the current Eagle Tavern was built and opened (pictured right). A year later, a police station was opened on the site of the old Grecian Theatre. The Grecian Corps became Hoxton Corps and is still an active place of Christian outreach. 

Garth R. Hentzschel is President of The Salvation Army Historical Society (Brisbane Chapter).

2019 Pentecost: Conclusion and Challenge:

2019 Pentecost: O Come Let Us Adore Him: Exploring the Names of God Continues—Conclusion and Challenge:

We’re Going to Turn the World Upside Down!

Throughout the 2018-2019 seasons of Christmas (Advent to Epiphany); Easter (Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday), and the 50 Days of Pentecost we have used the theme, “O Come Let Us Adore Him!” and focused on the meaning of adoration, to enable us to grow in our devotion to Jesus. Furthermore, we discovered that our relationship deepens and grows as we spend more time getting to know Him. Thus, during the Easter and Pentecost Seasons we have explored some of our Triune God’s names including: Jesus, Abba, Jehovah/Yahweh, Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah-Rapha, King of Kings, Lamb of God, Rabbi, Messiah, Son of Man, Man of Sorrows, Logos: The Word, Redeemer, Holy Spirit, Intercessor, Prophet, The Branch, The Good Shepherd, Cornerstone, and Power from on High.

Scripture: Acts 17: 1-9

We’re Going to Turn the World Upside Down!

On Pentecost Sunday we discovered that the baptism and infilling of Holy Spirit transformed the disciples (students of Christ) from fearful fugitives to fearless apostles (sent out with a message), proclaiming the Gospel truth! However, their tireless endeavours for fulfilling The Great Commission came at a high personal cost. The book of the Acts provides glimpses into the price they had to pay, such as being persecuted, imprisoned, flogged, threatened, and stoned to death. In spite of all this, they used their Spirit-given gifts to press forward with their Christ-appointed mission. And neither the religious nor the civic leaders liked the transformation and the new holy boldness that was being demonstrated by these Apostles. In fact, the civic leaders made a prophetic, statement that the apostles were ‘turning the world upside down!” (Acts 17:6). 

There are four key Scriptural phrases in the Easter and Pentecost Scriptural accounts that are essential for our understanding and personal growth: 

1) Christ’s ‘crime’, according to the religious leaders? “See how the whole world goes after Him,” (John 12: 19).

2) And the religious leaders’ other related comment: that it was “better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish,” (John 11:50).

3) Tying-in with these two prophetic assertions about Christ, was the accusation against His apostles that, “they’ve turned the world upside down and now they’re here [to do the same] in our city,” (Acts 17:6).

4) When the religious leaders questioned Paul and Silas, they were amazed by their holy boldness. In fact, they must have reminded the leaders of that ‘other troublemaker’, Jesus, for they “took note that these men were with Jesus,” (Acts 4:13).

Linking these prophetic phrases together certainly makes it clear that the religious leaders’ plan to kill Jesus to foil His mission backfired! Not only did they not mute Jesus, neither could they muzzle the disciples. Instead, the Good News of Christ’s Resurrection, and freely-offered Salvation spread like wildfire via the disciples and their converts! So the religious leaders’ dreams to squash the Jesus movement must have been a disappointment and an embarrassment! And even if the religious leaders reluctantly admitted it, there was no mistaking that, “these men had been with Jesus.”

When we first accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour, Holy Spirit comes and lives in us. Everything is new and exciting, we’re on fire and excited to share our faith with others. Sometimes, though, we lose our passion and become complacent. So I’ve been wondering: Do others come to the same conclusions about us as they did the disciples? Do others see evidence that we have been with, spent time with, Jesus? Are we using our gifts to do our part in fulfilling The Great Commission? My prayer for each of us is found in the words of two choruses:

“Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me
All His wonderful passion and purity
O, Thou, Spirit divine, all my nature refine
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.” --Albert Orsborn

and

“Send a new touch of power on my soul,
Lord, Send it now, Lord; send it now, Lord;
Touch my lips with a coal from thine altar, Lord;
Send a new touch of power on my soul.” --Leila N. Morris

Blessings & Peace

Elizabeth Hogan Hayduk
Former Salvation Army Officer (pastor),
Canada

The soul of the Army found its voice in HERBERT BOOTH.

 HERBERT BOOTH: SALVATIONIST

The soul of the Army undoubtedly found its voice in Herbert Booth, discovering in him a real genius for devising characteristic musical containers for the new wine the living spirit had fermented. His ability to conceive appropriate musical themes was developed incidentally. Latent as a natural bent, it was called out by a sense of the inadequacy of most secular tunes as vehicles for Army hymns and songs he himself had written.  Major Slater, Herbert's able and indispensable associate in elaborating and harmonizing themes, told the story in "The Musical Salvationist".

Richard Slater

 
Soon after the Marechale went to Paris to open Army work Herbert, as has been noted, joined her as an assistant.

"It was at this time in a strange way"—says Major Slater—"that Herbert was led into his first efforts at song-making, poetry claiming his attention at the onset, although always musically inclined."
A French woman, wife of an officer in the French work, placed at Herbert's disposal her collection of secular songs, suggesting that he write for the tunes sacred words—in French !—to be used in the Army meetings. Possibly the Major used the word "onset" advisedly, for there are evidences that Herbert's collision with the French language was as the shock of battle. Certainly the sequel of his serious and ingenious labour at this task showed him to be no Conrad, more successful in the employment of a foreign tongue than most of the authors to whom it is native, for Major Slater observed "that the work after all probably was not of much value ; but indirectly the effort was of incalculable good upon his character, for it opened up to his consciousness the possession of verse-making capacity. The desire to create was stirred within him, and when the verses were taking form his musical inventiveness won for itself an expression in new melodies that live to-day after so many years of constant wear." Evidently Herbert felt the want of freer modes ofmusical expression for characteristic and original religiousconcepts and emotions. The new wine had burst the old bottles, and new bottles were needed.

In 1890 the Printing and Publishing Department of the Army issued "Songs of Peace and 'War". In this collection of eighty six pieces nine are credited to Mrs. Herbert Booth

Mrs. H. Booth

and of the remaining seventy-seventhe words were writtenby Herbert, thirteen only of these songs being set to secular or adapted tunes. In the sixty-four original melodies the Commandant exhibited unusual versatility, attaining genuine excellence in each of three, if not four widely different modes. That the work, in a selected list of these, is of equal value is too much to say and is not to be expected. It is enough that the better examples are really superior.

An appeal to the natural, untrained and uncritical instincts of the average man is the informing intention of the compositions making up the bulk of the collection, and, in order to be designated strictly as “Songs”, the familiar mode of "Song, and Chorus" is uniformly employed. The composer is particularly happy in his transitions. A change of time, an adroit turn of the theme, andthe piece broadens out into a freer and more expansive manner, while enough of the initial motif is is retained to unify the whole. Here the avoidance of the common pit falls is striking. Cheapness, mediocrity, the sensous and saccharine, looseness of construction and poor workmanship are absent. This was an achievement.

The celebrated funeral march called "Promoted to Glory

England  

          

         

In the summer of 1890. Booth, wife of the Founder was nearing death.                      The Commandant, saw that it was his painful duty to make some arrangements for the funeral of his dearly loved mother, particularly with respect to appropriate funeral music for the bands to play. 

         The printers had reached the limit of time for waiting, and yet no idea for the funeral march had come. The writer waited upon the Commandant, finding him weary, perplexed, with one officer and another interrupting the interview on important questions, while we spoke of the wanted march. It seemed hopeless to expect that anything could be done in the time, at least anything worthy the occasion.                                                           At length, as the shadows of the night fell upon the room, the Commandant sat at the organ as a kind of rest from his thoughts, and said, as he touched the keys: "What I wanted to make was a march something like this." He played. The unlocked feeling of his soul rushed forth, and he went forward from bar to bar while the writer sat as close to the window as possible to catch the fast-fading light, and put down the music as it was being composed. Almost without a change of note what was played and what was put on paper that night was the Com­mandant's now celebrated funeral march called "Promoted to Glory."Surely God came near to help and inspire his child with those thoughts of music that he wished to place before the coffin of his departed mother.                                                                                                                                    The famous battle song of the Army, "God Is Keeping His Soldiers Fighting", is generally attributed to the Commandant. He did compose the music, but the words were written by the Pioneer Poet of the Army, William James Pearson. 

         As a mission-focused organisation, the early Salvation Army effectively utilised its own particular style of distinctive and unique music to drive its missional focus.

         Perhaps of all our early mission officers, William Pearson stands out as one who had a clear and focused missional mindset, reflected in the words of the song he penned:

We’re an Army fighting for a glorious King; We will make the world with hallelujahs ring;

With victorious voices we will ever sing: There’s salvation for the world.

For the world, for the world, Jesus died, Jesus died,
For the world, for the world, there is room in Jesus’ side.

All the world to save, to battle we will go,

And we ever will our colours boldly show, With a trumpet voice we’ll let the millions know

There’s salvation for the world.^[1]

(Song 940 – The Song Book of The Salvation Army)

            In paying a tribute to Colonel Pearson, the Commandant said :

"I well recollect the circumstance that called into being that universal song. It has been commonly supposed I am the author of these words. The music only is mine, the words belong to Colonel Pearson.                                                    

             It came about in this way. The music was originally set to words, the chorus of which runs : When the trumpet sounds I am ready.'                                                                                                                                      

One day the General issuing it sung was much pleased with the air and inquired why it was there could not be some warlike words put to it. 'Something about fighting'—said the General emphatically —'and less about the trumpets.' He then asked me who made it. I felt awkward but replied humbly. 'Make some more words then with some fight in them'—he added. I promised to try. I did,• but it was no use ; that tune and the trumpets seemed inseparable in my brain. No how could I get so much as bayonet's point of fight into it. Some great gatherings were coming on, and I naturally turned to Colonel Pearson. 'Certainly,' said he. The thing was accomplished, and the music was henceforth immortalized by the words which have made it a blessing throughout the world..

         "Now, if Colonel Pearson had done nothing more in the poetic line than to supersede my trumpets for this world wide war cry, he would not have lived in vain.

---

1. Edited extract of The Power of Song – a Salvation Army Australia Eastern Territory Historical Society presentation written by Major David Wooda retired officer and former Editor of Salvation Army publications, Australia

The Eulogy - Grace there is my every debt to pay.

Herbert Booth was a gifted musician and he wrote many songs that are sung by Salvationists around the world. He also exhibited a key skill in the organization of large spectaculars, such as the annual SA anniversary celebration at the Crystal Palace in London, where attendances at times reached 70,000 and Salvation Army massed bands and songster brigades (choirs) performed under Herbert's baton.

BRAMWELL BOOTH

When only 26, Herbert took control of all Army operations in the British Isles. However, conflict with his bureaucratic older brother Bramwell, his superior as Chief of the Staff, led to his departure from England.... In 1896, at the age of 34, he was appointed to oversee the Australasian Territory.... 
It proved a good move.... It placed him several thousand more miles from Bramwell. l.(From a bio not 100% historically correct - A  Correction will follow)

Grace there is my every debt to pay.

“It is a work of sheer inspiration. For eighteen months the rhythmic music had been sounding within him without words considered appropriate for an Army song.”  E Booth

The Words and music of Herbert’s most loved and admired song came together.

In 1889, Commandant Herbert Booth, supported by Major Richard Slater, completed Herbert’s most revered and sung chorus; 

Grace there is my every debt to pay.

Blood to wash my every sin away ;

Power to keep me spotless day by day,

For me, for me.

And thus, that emotive chorus – revealed the depth and conciseness of the Army’ doctrine: love, redemption and holy living. The pairing of the words with a simple, beguiling melodic form, found solid admiration and direct acceptance.

1926

From Evangeline Booth, THE COMMANDER'S EULOGY at her brother Herbert’s Funeral

Westchester, New York 

(Members of the NY Staff Band and Male Chorus participated)

He wanted nothing in a minor key…. hymns, brass band selections, have gone round the world, attracting and winning thousands of souls for the Kingdom of God.

“Who can say what soul-help has flowed and is flowing and, will flow from that gem :

Grace there is my every debt to pay, '

Blood to wash my every sin away,

Power to keep me spotless day by day….

to the multitudes who have and do and will sing such hope-inspiring, strength imparting words ?

         "Yet shall he live" in the sweet cadency and rhythmical flow of his glorious music and in the lilting strength and depth of those stanzas that voice the heart-longings of the oppressed with sin and sorrow and the searchers after God.

The musicians here to-day, therefore, represent tens of thousands of Salvation Army bandsmen the world over who are lovingly grateful for this consecrated gift of my brother's.

         It is impossible to make a comprehensive survey of his life on an occasion such as this. His affection as a relative,

         The great majority of popular songs of the 'nineties was the wretched spawn of an unspeakable sentimentality, in which music shared with words the odium of emotional unrestraint.

         It is to the credit of Herbert Booth that he seriously questioned the moral value of collective hysteria and that his work maintained the high average of dignity, variety and vigour reality demands and only intelligence supplies. Whatever else a musical critic, examining his song-tunes, might say, he would hardly have the temerity to suggest that they lacked strong, individuality. The popularized songs of the Army, though run largely in the mould of a two-four time air and a three-four, or waltz, time chorus, are quite as distinctive as its military garb and its chosen sphere of activity.

         "The Penitent's Plea" is given a setting which is certainly one of the finest examples of simple, melodic devotional songs in the extant literature of the type. The melody, tender and sweet, possesses also a lilting quality in which it becomes perfectly adaptable to the emotion of glad release expressed triumphantly in the chorus—"Grace there is my every debt to pay". 

Making a Joyful Noise

More from;

Return to Battle in Russia and

 Beyond Volume II

(seeking editor/publisher - will be available in English and Russian)

Return to Battle in Russia and

 Beyond Vol I 

(fewer than five copies) still available 

through SA Trade, USA Central

 Territory)

Captain and Mrs. Sven Ljungholm planted the Moscow Central Corps, in November 1991, in addition they planted two other Moscow corps in 1992, and a large (300) SA Outpost. During this period they were the only SA officers in place, and music became ‘as much a part of the Salvation Army as its uniform, its flags, and other means of working. The songs have done pioneering work such as few give them credit for….[1]’ often preparing the way for the Army,  months, and in some,  cases years, before an officer has appeared to carry on any organized effort.. There is not a corps in the Army, in this or in any other country, in which SA songs have not been used again and again. It is scarcely possible to go into any particular region of Russia without meeting up with the Founder’s song in its Baptist Churches.

No musical section has been more useful in extending the Army’s reach in Russia than the Moscow Central Central Corps Singing Company.

The recruitment and training of the 65 member music section was begun within weeks of the refounding of The SA in Moscow, an early initiative of Captain Kathleen Ljungholm and Recruit Marina Kokina. Further development took place under volunteer, several month visitor, Candidate Danielle Strickland, a Canadian Salvationist. In October 1992 Olga Afanasieva, a soldier in training at the corps, was appointed acting Y.P. Singing Company leader of the Central Corps.

SC Leader Olga Afanasieva holds advanced graduate degrees in both Choral Conducting and Piano Performance, and has been the conductor and trainer of recognised choral ensembles in Moscow, including the famed Red Army Chorus.

The Ljungholms were recently appointed by the General to ‘open fire’ in Ukraine and Moldova with the title Regional Commanders, saying farewell to almost 500 uniformed soldiers in their Moscow corps. 

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[1]Ottman, F. C.  Herbert Booth Salvationist p.63

2 of 3 Herbert Bootht laid the foundation and established the standard of music for the Salvation Army.

            HERBERT BOOTH 

 THE Salvationis tgives clearest expression to his emotion in music and song. These being the natural expression. of praise he is acting under constraint of a primitive instinct. 


The joy of redemption is ever and best voiced in the song of the soul, the pastoral crescendo of earth reaching fullness and strength when joined to the voices of all the redeemed in Heaven.

Herbert had directed the grand diapason of the Band Festival in Crystal Palace. And, he’d built the Army’s music sections in the UK into effective evangelists.

Following that demonstration his father, the General at the Officers' Council, said—"We must fill the world with music."

 But who amongst the Salvationists had the genius to carry into effect the Founder's wish ? Certainly not Bramwell the present General and then Chief of Staff. For music he had no special taste either natural or acquired, and he could play no musical instrument. As Chief of Staff he could exercise authority and in so doing he was and is ingeniously adroit. He did follow the lead of Herbert in the organization of bands and he was prolific in framing rules and regulations for them. He could insist upon their enforcement, but to inspire and develop any potential talent for music among the Salvationists he was caput mortuuni.                                                                                                       It was Herbert Booth, associated with the gifted musician Richard Slater,that laid the foundation and established the standard of music for the Salvation Army. 

Richard Slater was pivotal in creating a self-contained Salvationist musical world... Research and reveal that Slater and his scholarly and extensive contribution to the shaping, development and the evolution of Army music.Slater’s contribution to the wealth of Salvation Army music and of its place and function within our movement and broader social context is inestimable. Slater was termed ‘the father of Salvation Army Music’.                                                                                        Herbert asked Richard, on occasion to assist in the writing 

of his songs, and in fact was instrumental in assisting Herbert in writing, Grace There is My Every Debt to Pay, his most famous chorus..

- In 1889, Herbert, then commanding the Army through­out the British Isles, was requested to compose a song for the Christmas Number of All the World, by the General.                                                                            
On a dark November night of that year Major Slater was sent to the Commandant to collect the song. It was not ready and the need of a copy was urgent! The Commandant was pacing up and down the room. Within him was still sounding the melody of the "song without words". Some verses had been composed but no chorus. As the Commandant paced to and fro there came slowly together the words—

Grace there is my every debt to pay.

Slater, at the request of the Commandant, played the tune upon the organ. "There was a halt"—writes Major Slater —"and then the vague feeling took a definite form in the clear-cut line—

Blood to wash my every sin away ;

which was again followed by hesitation, difficulty and effort. 

The tune still went on, and as the notes rose and fell the third line, with an eager hand, was hastily put on paper—

Power to keep me spotless day by day,

and, with a feeling of triumph won, the closing words were added—

For me, for me.

And thus that wonderful chorus grew and went forth from the darkness of that November night to carry light and hope and warmth, with soul comfort to tens of thousands."-

The question remained; “he’d built the Army’s music sections in the UK into the hundreds, each section wonderfully effective evangelists.

The General had said—"We must fill the world with music."

 But who amongst the Salvationists had the genius to carry into effect the Founder's wish ? 

With Herbert’s task accomplished he was commissioned to Canada! If there has been declension, spiritual or artistic in the bandsmen, it is because the master-hand of leadership was stricken from control.

Part 3, next - Was Herbert's move across the Atlantic initiated by Bramwell?