Concord Chronicle

Now that the moves have been publicized, I can breathe! It's always a strange place to be - waiting in limbo until we know if we are staying for at least another year or being transferred elsewhere. Program planning is difficult because you don't know whether you will be able to follow through on those plans or crafting plans for someone else to go by when it may not make sense without context. So, knowing that we get to stay at least another year means that we can continue with plans for the coming year.

When "the moves" happen, people try to analyze why certain people were moved and speculate why those appointments were given. First of all, there needs to be places "in the field" for the newly commissioned officers (pastors). Second, officers will be retiring. There may be other factors - health or family needs - that come into play. But all of this causes a domino effect. It's the life we officers have signed up for. Some may be upset because they didn't expect to be moved or they are being sent somewhere that they didn't imagine for themselves. Some may be excited for a new adventure and the change.

This is life. It's not always predictable. Just when you think you are settled, there's a surprise - good or bad - that comes out of nowhere! You just have to buckle up, pull the lap bar down, and enjoy the rollercoaster ride! (Says the girl that screams and laughs her head off on every single ride! I absolutely love rollercoasters, but I can't help but let the thrill I feel out!)

Here's the thing: everyone's coarse is a little different. You might find yourself comparing your ride to someone else's. You may look at others differently with superiority, mocking, or even bemoaning. Other times you may even find yourself being jealous over someone else's ride. How do you know when you are struggling with jealousy? It is when you have a hard time celebrating the successes of others.

Scripture talks about Cain who was jealous that God accepted his brother Abel's sacrifice and not his own. Cain quickly grew bitter, attacked Abel and killed him.

The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering, he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:4b-7

I read these words this week:

"When jealousy resides in your soul, it slowly hardens your heart and it will eventually produce a negative impact in your life. But, when celebration becomes a habit, jealousy doesn't grow and conquer your soul. In this way, you keep from creating rivals of innocent people.

Got jealousy? Try celebrating. Keep celebrating. Don’t compare what you know about your own situation to what you only think you know about the other person’s. Remember that God doesn’t compare you to others. He loves you just the way you are! Knowing this is another great reason to celebrate!"

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Galatians 5:19-26

Celebrate each other! Pray for one another.

AnnMarguerite Jones

I wish I could have been a fly on the wall just over two thousand years ago in Galilee at that wedding in Cana!

Surpisingly we don’t know who got married that day, but the wedding is famous because of the catering malfunction and its solution. Here is the story as recounted in John’s Gospel:

The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.” “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”

But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions.

When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”

This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

After the wedding he went to Capernaum for a few days with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples. John 2:1-12 NLT

I can imagine some of the conversation on that trip to Capernaum, “how did you do that?”, “what else can you do?” etc.

By the way, if I have done the arithmetic correctly, approximately 180 gallons of water was turned into wine that day, which is equivalent to a little over 950 standard wine bottles in today’s measure! How typical of God’s over-generosity! Foreshadowing the twelve baskets of leftovers after feeding the crowd of five thousand men, the bridegroom at the wedding would not want for wine for many days to come!

However, the thing that intrigues me about this story is Mary’s interaction with the catering servants! “Do whatever he tells you.”

In John’s narrative we don’t get to know the full conversation between Jesus and his mother other than she pointed out a problem to him. As I said, we do not know who was being married that day, only that Mary was invited, so we may surmise that it would have been some relative of Joseph’s or Mary’s extended family. Certainly Mary would not have been involved in the catering preparations, and as Jesus quickly pointed out, it was not her problem!

Yet she knew her son, and his compassion! I would love to know the events from his childhood and adolescence that convinced her that Jesus was the solution to the problem, but it is obvious from her interaction with the servants that she knew he was, and would accept the problem as his responsibility anyway!

It can be inferred that she may have had an inkling that Jesus’ solution would be unexpected and unconventional, because she tells them to do “whatever” he tells them. I can imagine her secret smile knowing that whatever Jesus did it would not only be spectacular but God-glorifying.

Note that the opportunity for the miracle would have been missed if the caterers has stopped to debate, analyze, involve committees or upper management, or protest Jesus’ instructions. Prompt obedience leads to miracles! As a member of my Bible study group recently pointed out — delayed obedience is just immediate disobedience!

Matthew records his own experience in his Gospel:

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him. Matthew 9:9 NLT

No second-guessing! No working out of details! Matthew just gets up, leaves everything behind, lets the chips fall where they may, and follows - the rest is history!

We, as Jesus followers, have direct instructions on what he expects us to do — just check out his commands to his first followers, they apply to us. By now we should be convinced that Jesus knows what he is about regardless of our perceptions that his instructions are counter-intuitive or unconventional. Whatever he tells us to do, just do it!

Expect miracles to follow.

Blessings on you and yours,

Jim Black

P.S. If you’d like to read previous ruminations of mine they can be found at https://www.salvationarmyconcordca.org/chronicle/?category=Bible%20Study

SUNDAY

• 9:00 AM - Youth Praise Team Practice - Chapel
• 10:00 AM - Spiritual Education & Discipleship Classes
• Corps Cadets - Corner Classroom
• College Age Class - Prayer Room
• Adult Sunday School - Library
• 10:30 AM - Prayer Group - Chapel Foyer
• 11:00 AM - Worship Service - Chapel
• 12:15 PM - Cinco de Mayo Potluck - Fireside Room
• NOTE: The corps is providing chips, taco-seasoned ground beef, shredded Mexican 3-cheese blend, salsas, and sour cream. Don't forget to bring something to share! And feel free to come dressed in your fiesta wear to church!
• 12:30 PM - Beginning Band Rehearsal - Chapel
• 1:00 PM - Youth Chorus Rehearsal - Chapel

TUESDAY

• 4:30 PM - Craft Class - Library
• 6:00 PM - Adult Bible Study
• Men's Bible Study - Fireside Room
• The Power of the Holy Spirit Names - Corner Classroom/Hybrid
• 7:00 PM - Songsters Practice - Chapel
• 8:00 AM - Senior Band Practice - Chapel

WEDNESDAY

• 10:00 AM - Women's Fellowship (CAMEO): Laughs and Lattes - Fireside Room

FRIDAY

• 6:30 PM - Teen & Young Adult Fellowship (YouthForce) - Game Night

SATURDAY - Divisional Music Rehearsals - Suisun Kroc Center

• 9:30 AM - Del Oro Chorus Rehearsal
• 11:00 AM - Del Oro Brass Rehearsal
• 1:15 PM - Divisional Youth Chorus Rehearsal
• 2:30 PM - Divisional Youth Music Electives

NEXT SUNDAY - Mother's Day

11 - Divisional Music Rehearsals - Kroc Center

12 - Mother's Day Sunday - Concord Corps

18 - Women's Rally - Kroc Center

19 - Del Oro Brass & Chorus Ministry Sunday

25 - Raising A Modern Day Knight Ceremony - TBC

27 - Volunteers Appreciation BBQ - Majors' House

NOTE: Corps Council and Corps Cadets Makeup Lesson Day - TBC

The "Battle of the Bay" Canteen Cook-Off and Training will be held on June 1st. There will be guests from the Red Cross as well as some "new" DHQ staff who are interested in seeing the professionals of EDS in action.

The training is intended for ALL Alameda County Corps and Concord Corps to participate.

Register through this link: https://forms.gle/E3mWPfEibXW8yRJs7 by Friday, May 24th or use the QR code in the flyer above.

In preparation for this cook-off, Mike and his EDS crew will be providing lunch on Sunday, May 26th from the canteen. It's going to be an awesome day!

Divisional Music & Creative Arts Camp - June 22-29 - $100

This camp offers an opportunity for young people with basic through advanced music and creative arts skills to hone their creative abilities, work as part of a team, and showcase their skills and talents at various weekly activities including soloist night, elective showcase, and a final concert.

Discovery Camp - July 15-19 - $75

This camp offers an opportunity for the campers to participate in more traditional camping experiences like lake front swimming, arts and crafts, archery, ropes, rock wall, hiking, boating, and more.

The camp site is now accepting registrations. The process involves a few steps, so it won't hurt to start now. Please mailto:AnnMarguerite.Jones@usw.salvationarmy.org with questions or to register.

Music & Arts Vacation Bible School - July 8-12 & 14 - FREE!

We are looking for volunteers who would like to be part of this year's crew - rotation leaders (Bible, crafts, games, and singing), music elective teachers, assistants, group leaders, assistant group leaders, kitchen crew, assembly crew, and decorating crew. High schoolers are eligible to be leaders.

There will be a volunteer and informational meeting after the service on Sunday.

The Applications for WMI are now available.

The Western Music Institute or WMI is a 9-day music and creative arts training institute held annually by The Salvation Army USA Western Territory at Pine Summit Camp in Big Bear Lake, CA. WMI has a history of training quality music and creative arts leaders.

With delegates ranging in age from 14 to 25, WMI is designed to enhance students’ musical abilities and help them discover ways to use their talents to further the Kingdom of God.

Major Tracks include:

• Brass Band (brass / percussion)
• Dance
• Drama / Theater
• Vocal
• Worship Teams

In addition to participating in one of the above majors, delegates also participate in choirs and in the elective of their choice. With nearly a dozen electives to choose from, each delegate is sure to have a great time.

Visit https://www.usamusicwest.org/wmi2024/ to find the application and more information.

Early bird rate closes June 16th. Anyone registered after these date may need to pay extra travel costs. Delegate fee is $125 of the total $950. Divisional Encore Soloist winners may choose to use their scholarship to cover their fees towards WMI or the Divisional Music and Arts Camp.

This initiative of turning our thoughts and prayers towards the same part of the world at some point in the same week is a beautiful way to unite us as a global Army family and I thank you for the commitment you each give to this.

INDIA CENTRAL TERRITORY

Colonel Yaqoob Masih - Territorial Commander

Colonel Sumitra Masih - Territorial President of Women's Ministries

Lieut Colonel M Stalin - Chief Secretary

Lieut Colonel Kezial Stalin - Territorial Secretary for Women's Ministries

We thank God:

• For successful territorial level Home League rallies completed successfully and helping hand money raised Rs.22,74,208.
• Thank and praise God that two divisions were made full self-support divisions.

Please pray for:

• Commissioning of the ‘Defenders of Justice’ session of cadets on 20 and 21 April 2024 and for their new appointments.
• Field changes in 2024.
• The parliamentary election which is going to be held in various states. In Tamil Nadu the election will be held on 19th April 2024. Pray for a peaceful election process.
• After COVID many of the officers are suffering from different kind of sickness. We need your fervent prayer support for good health for all officers (active & retired) and soldiers of the territory.

Email: annmarguerite.jones@usw.salvationarmy.org
Website: https://www.SalvationArmyConcordCA.org
Location: 3950 Clayton Road, Concord, CA, USA
Phone: (925) 676-6180
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tsaconcord