Worship

[kiora]

I am finding at relly hard to worship and give God the glory that he deserves at my corps at the moment. I am basically used to being in a very varied corps that has all kinds or music right from oh boundless salvation to the modern ones that make the older generation out of breath !
The thing is I have moved away to university now and I now attend my boyfriends corps. I ahve been going there aroudn once a month for three years but now I am there nearly every week I am finding it really hard to stay in touch with God.
I am not blaming the officers- they have been through a very hard time these past few years and everyone is so glad that they are still able to serve the Lord but they just don't have the energy to push the Corps forward.
I am called officership and that calling was always at the front of my mind but now for some reason, I feel it is being snatched away by the Devil and God is trying to grab it back but he can't find me to give it back.
I really don't want to go to another church as I love the army and all it stands for so much and everything I believe, I have been through so much which my own family to belong to the army (they are not christian and do not agree with it). Also my boyfriend and I who are getting engaged soon want to worship together.
does any one have any advice ?

 

[Andy Broadley]

I'm not going to try and advise you too much on this Kiora, but I think you are in the right place for the support you need. What I would say is that I think you need to give God a little bit more credit than you are doing. If God has chosen you for officership, hang in there and trust the Lord to bring you through. Also, you answer your own questions in your signature. You can do anything through Christ.


It is dreadfully difficult to be part of a corps that is a good cure for insomnia. You are in my prayers.

Be interested to hear though, if you were the CO, what would you do to change things?

 

[kiora]

get more people involved in meetings , create a worship group,

 

[Abiel]

Too late at night to get too deep...but I ahd a similiar feeling way back- I'm leaving Lord, get me out of here Lord...I'd never consulted him before on whether I should leave a church or not...and he said stay. And he has honoured that in AMAZING ways.
The army is diverse, and when you are an officer, you may find yourself posted to a very traditional Corps. Talk to some people who have been there a long time and see where they have come from to get to where they are now. And try to find an avenue of service at the Corps and soak yourself in it. I reckon the first place to find something a bit funky is in kids work. Finally, how many of you are of a similar age? Could you start a house/cell group together?

 

[Abiel]

PS I'll be back..!

 

[InTheFlame]

The one thing that occurs to me that others haven't mentioned, is this - worship is a week-long thing. Get some of your favourite song lyrics together and, if possible, have your own private (between you and God) worship time during the week. You don't need to always sing - read the bible, pray, ask God for help applying what you just read in the bible to your life, etc.

And the king bowed in worship on his bed and said, 'Praise be to the LORD , the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.'
1 Kings 1:47b-48

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.
Romans 12:1

 

[elm0]

This a comment one of our officers made during one of his Sunday messages: "I constantly have people coming to me and saying 'This church really needs to do something about _______.' My response of late has become 'Who is the church? Aren't the people the church? What can you do about it?'"

Basically, our officer was becoming swamped on Sundays with people saying things like "The rubbish bin is full." So he started saying things like "Do you know how to empty it?"

Maybe you can do something about the situation, even if it's simply praying for the officers, praying that God will put the right people in the corps to help where the officers seem to be having trouble. Maybe ask your officers if there's any way you can help out, ease their workload.

 

[kiora]

It is sort of awkward because it isn't exactly me corps if you see what I mean. I don't offically soldier at the corps because I am at university so I officially soldier at my home corps. I have considered transfering but I love my home corps and I am not ready for that and my officers and everyone else at home would be upset and so would I. Also I ahve another problem. I am not a comissioned bandswoman because I used to work on band practice night at home but now I am at this other corps I am going to band practice but i cannot play out as I can't become comissioned into their band as I'm not officially a soldier of their corps.

 

[kiora]

That is something else that God really wants me to do and I have felt that at my other corps as well but I am wondering that if there is such a barrier in the way then maybe I have misinterpreted what God was saying to me ?

With regard to listening to music at home and reflecting I always do it.

Again I wouldn't mind getting involved with Sunday School or Brownies or something like that but i am at uni so I go home one weekend a month so I feel it isn't fair on the children.

 

[elm0]

It is sort of awkward because it isn't exactly me corps if you see what I mean. I don't offically soldier at the corps because I am at university so I officially soldier at my home corps. I have considered transfering but I love my home corps and I am not ready for that and my officers and everyone else at home would be upset and so would I.

That's fair enough.

Also I ahve another problem. I am not a comissioned bandswoman because I used to work on band practice night at home but now I am at this other corps I am going to band practice but i cannot play out as I can't become comissioned into their band as I'm not officially a soldier of their corps.

Personally, I can't see why you shouldn't be allowed to play in their band. I guess this is something about the Salvation Army that's gonna grate on me.

 

[Abiel]

It is sort of awkward because it isn't exactly me corps if you see what I mean. I don't offically soldier at the corps because I am at university so I officially soldier at my home corps. I have considered transfering but I love my home corps and I am not ready for that and my officers and everyone else at home would be upset and so would I. Also I ahve another problem. I am not a comissioned bandswoman because I used to work on band practice night at home but now I am at this other corps I am going to band practice but i cannot play out as I can't become comissioned into their band as I'm not officially a soldier of their corps.

It is hard to transfer from a place you love. There is no need for you to do that, if 'home' is still 'home' for you.
Banding can be a huge commitment- could you realistically take that on along with studies? Also if you go home once a fortnight, you wouldn't be able to be on duty, just the same as for Sunday school.
It seems that you are still very much attached to home- and this is a good thing. There is quite enough upheaval when we go off to university.
I was wondering if there are fellowships of students you could be involved with. We had Christian Union when I was at uni, and it was a time when I grew tremendously in my knowledge of the wider christian world. This is good experience for a future in officership.

What is your degree going to be in? You say you and your bf plan engagement, so presumably marriage. How do see all these different aspects coming together in the future? I know that is a HUGE question, but you have a lot going on. Studying, engagement, marriage, and gainful employment once you graduate, and the call to officership (is your BF called too?).

Sometimes it helps to work out the goal (officership? marriage?) and organise the other stuff to work towards that. Another way is to ask the question 'what do I think God wants me to be doing in 5 years...10 years ' and so on. On the other hand, sometimes we have a time when we simply have to focus our energy on one area (studying)

In all this though, God's in control, and if we are obedient to Him, it will go his way. Also He has this thing about doing stuff in his time...ARGGGGGHHHHH! I was first called at the age of 20, and I didn't even get into the Army until I was 31! But here I am, living proof of God's faithfulness.

Will be praying for you.

Much love

 

[kiora]

I have been called to officership since I was 14. and yes my before is also called. we are going to get married either when i graduate (i'll be 21) or when I finish my PGCE (i'll be 22) but we need to look into the fact of being married and being apostgraduate and hwo that will affect student loans and grants etc.
I do not miss anything else at home apart from the corps- how funny he he.
yeh we have a christian union at uni but I have songsters on the same night also I never go to uni unless I have lectures etc, I sort of live here now is you see what I mean as in I won't go back to my Mum's for the summer etc.
Also I don't see why being in a section while away at uni is a problem because I am in the songsters and also whenever i go home which is for one weekend a month/5 weeks my boyfriend always comes with me so he is missing band etc and that is accepted because he is supporting me.

 

[Abiel]

I did the graduate/ pgce route. PGCE is much more time consuming than degree- it's jolly hard work. When I did mine, I worked every hour God sent to keep on top of the volume of work. It was the hardest year's study of my life.

 

[Gumdrop71]

The one thing that occurs to me that others haven't mentioned, is this - worship is a week-long thing
***********
Amen! I attended a non Salvation Army church it will remain nameless, they were singing on Sunday and have a little Christian newspaper for the area we live in but other than that they are not involved in helping those in desperate need. Oh yes, you have the Christmas baskets but as you folks say,"Need Knows No Season."
You folks ARE real!!!
That is why I was honored when I was able to ring the bell by the kettle for Christmas.

 

[elm0]

but as you folks say,"Need Knows No Season."

I was given one of those 'Jesus is the reason for the season' T-Shirts one Christmas and I think my response was "Shouldn't it say Jesus is the reason for the seasons?"

 

[Gumdrop71]

I was given one of those 'Jesus is the reason for the season' T-Shirts one Christmas and I think my response was "Shouldn't it say Jesus is the reason for the seasons?"
==============================

 

[Gumdrop71]

ames 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing
that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have perfect
result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing
==========
THAT was the passage I was looking for!!! TY!

 

[elm0]

Don't thank me, thank God.

 

[chaplainjared]

i know what your feeling cos i have been there before myself. What i have found is that i need to make my personal worship time what i need it to be, so if the service is not very uplifting for me, then i have had the opportunity to worship god my way personally.
Many times as i drive to church on sundays i play my hillsong or planet shakers CD's very loudly in my car and sing at the top of my voice!
This sounds a little strange probably, but it works for me. Its gotta be about worshiping God, and doing it the way that we need to. Its a hard situation to be in. I love the army too, but sometimes i need to escape. I will sometimes (but rarely) go to a night service at a large local church that i is very inspiring. perhaps you could do the same?
well hope this is some type of help.
God Bless

 

[kiora]

I have often thought about going to another church but i have to stick with teh army and that is what God is telling me in my heart.
I received spritual renewal today from God as I testified to my church and I have become so sure of where I am going, I cannot believe it I know exactly where God wants me and where he is going to use me.
I am really in touch with God right now but he is still frightening me like just before I was due to read my testimony this morning he spoke to me through Music and showed me that a decision I have been thinking about for a while was SO right and not to hold back as it was the actually key to his plan for my life.
thanks to everyone xXx