Concord Chronicle

Sorry this is late in getting out, but it has been a particularly busy week. Yet, a very constructive and fulfilling week. We started off with fun and games in our staff meeting (most entertaining!) and reviewed our core values and beliefs. I have included it here for you to see what is important to us as we do "business" and serving our community. It is something we brought with us from our previous appointment, but it has without a doubt become our culture here too:

Community - We are a beacon of hope in our community.

Actions - Our actions demonstrate excellence.

Respect - We respect all individuals without discrimination.

Enthusiasm - We work and play with enthusiasm.

Share - We share God's love with everyone.

HEART TO GOD and HAND TO MAN!

Do you notice that the anacronym spells CARES? We want to be a people known as welcoming, active, respectful, lively, and evangelical. We invite you to be an extension of The Salvation Army Concord Corps as we live out these principles.

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16, NIV

As we sang in our worship service today, "let your little light shine". Together we can be a beacon of hope in our community.

Shine your light in the darkness!

AnnMarguerite Jones

A phrase I don’t hear much in religious circles these days was quite common in my youth, “I’m going to put the fear of God in him”!

I don’t know what it’s like in your church, but certainly in mine, we are happy, joyous and cheerful worshippers.

Praise fills our thoughts, actions, and prayers.

We go as far as to sing the words of Bill & Gloria Gaither:

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow;

Because He lives, all fear is gone!

And there is truth in those words, because the fear that is gone is that we would have to spend eternity outside of God’s eternal presence.

But there is a holy fear we should cultivate because it informs our perspective of who God is and our relationship with him.

I encourage you to perform an internet search of the phrase “the fear of the Lord” and you will find it liberally throughout the Old Testament, especially in Psalms and Proverbs that are a distillation of Jewish belief before the advent of the Messiah:

In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. Proverbs 14:26 KJV

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. Proverbs 14:27 KJV

Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith. Proverbs 15:16 KJV

The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility. Proverbs 15:33 KJV

…and many, many more!

And only once in the News Testament:

“The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers.” Acts 9:31 NLT

We are comforted in our worship by the thought of Jesus as a friend and brother, (“What a friend we have in Jesus…”) and he certainly is those.

But he's not our "good buddy" or "co-pilot." His ways and thoughts are incomparably higher. We must approach God with awe and reverence. He came down to our level to identify with us, but we must remember that’s not his natural state. This is why not even Moses could enter the tabernacle when God's presence filled it.

I think the problem is with our word “fear”.

Fear in our experience is what initiates our “fight or flight” reflexes and usually reflects danger or dread, whether that is the imaginary monster hiding in our childhood closet, or the warning rattle of a venomous snake.

But the biblical word for fear is not usually used in that way. There it connotes awe, reverence, and overwhelming power and capability. It is that very power and capability that draws us into Him, rather than driving us away, because there is safety and security and serenity! Look again at the reference above in Proverbs 14:26 — the fear of the Lord provides refuge!

I often find myself explaining to others that the word “worship” derives from “worth” and “ship” and means to estimate how valuable something or someone is. To be “worthy” comes from the same source and means to have true value.

John the Apostle inspires G.F. Handel to set the words of Revelation 5:12 to music:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain — to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”

Let us make sure that our praise and worship is infused with a proper measure of awe, respect, and recognition of the worthiness of the God we adore — in other words “the fear of the Lord”.

It’s the beginning of wisdom, and we might just find that Luke’s words in Acts 9:31 come true for us too!

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 - Classroom 2
• College Age Class - Corner Classroom
• Adult Sunday School - Library
• 10:30 AM - Prayer Group - Chapel Foyer
• 11:00 AM - Worship Service - Chapel
• 12:15 PM - Food & Fellowship - Fireside Room

MONDAY

• NOTE: We have a rental group in the Chapel from 2-4 PM and the Fireside Room from 4-8 PM. To honor their contract, please avoid going into those spaces during that time.

TUESDAY

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

WEDNESDAY

• 10:00 AM - Women's Fellowship (CAMEO): What the Lord Has Done for Me? - Fireside Room

THURSDAY - National Day of Prayer

SATURDAY - Divisional Men's Rally

Location: The Salvation Army Suisun Kroc Center

586 Easter Wigeon Way

Suisun City, CA 95817

• 8:00 AM - Delegates leave for Kroc Center from the Concord Corps
• 2:00 PM - Program finishes and then head back to the Concord Corps

5 - Cinco de Mayo Potluck Sunday - Concord Corps

NOTE: The corps will provide taco seasoned ground beef, chips, and Mexican rice. Please bring dishes that will compliment this theme. Also, feel free to welcome any fiesta wear!

10 - YouthForce: Game Night - Concord Corps

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.

Summer Camp

We have already reserved spots for two sessions at Del Oro Camp. We may have a few spots available to us for Teen Camp which runs simultaneously with Discovery Camp. We can put your teen on a waiting list in hopes that they can get in later.

And the camp site is now ready to receive 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 - DATES TO BE DETERMINED (upon volunteers' availability)

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. Please let Major Ann know if you are available and willing to help in some way.

Link to register for VBS will be sent shared at a later date.

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.

SWITZERLAND, AUSTRIA, AND HUNGARY TERRITORY

Commissioner Henrik Andersen - Territorial Commander

Commissioner Lisbeth Andersen - Territorial President of Women's Ministries

Lieut-Colonel Daniel Imboden - Chief Secretary

Lieut-Colonel Heidi Imboden - Territorial Secretary of Women's Ministries

Prayer Requests:

Switzerland

• Give thanks and pray for the start of a new strategy period, which we have entitled "Lives transformed". May Jesus transform the lives of many people in our corps and social centers!

• Pray for workers for the harvest. Only one cadet is being sent out this summer, and no one has signed up for officer training this y

Austria

• Pray for the management team in Vienna under the leadership of Major Gerhard Wyss. A redistribution of responsibilities is planned - pray for wisdom for this.
• Pray for our small corps in Vienna, which is seeking new ways of reaching out to their neighborhood.
  

Hungary

• Pray for our French-speaking regional leaders who face the daily challenge of the Hungarian language, which is foreign to them. Ask for strength, motivation, and wisdom.

• Give thanks and pray for the preparations for the 100th anniversary of The Salvation Army in Hungary. The celebrations will take place from 24 - 26 May 2024 in Budapest.

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