Major
Graham Mizon, CO, Rehent Hall Corps, London shares with us;
36
years ago this week, I was commissioned as a Salvation Army Officer and
received my first Marching Orders. This all happened in a packed Royal Albert
Hall.
It
didn't only happen to me. It also happened to 107 other folk - a real mixed-bag
group of ordinary people who for two years collectively called themselves
"Disciples of Jesus".
We
had no idea then what would happen to us all. At least one of our number would
become a TC. One of our number would become a Baroness and serve in the House
of Lords. One of our number would be promoted to Glory just 8 weeks later. One
of them would end up marrying me! One on that day would receive the same
appointment as me .... before returning to serve in his homeland in India. This
talented officer went on to serve the Lord with honour, before his untimely
early death.
Some
of us are still serving as officers. Some of us have gone on to serve the Lord
in other ways. Some have lost their faith. Some have now completed their
heavenly journey.
Today,
I am looking forward to meeting up with a number of those Disciples of Jesus at
the place where were are all met almost 38 years ago - the William Booth
College (known then as the ITC). That Disciple who took the joint challenge of
marrying me will also still be by my side. Looking forward to a weekend of
fellowship and sharing. But also of ministry to each other.
We
are no longer young men and women. We no longer wear stand up collared uniforms
and the ladies don't wear bonnets. It is highly unlikely that there will be a
big take up for a lunchtime game of football in Ruskin Park. And no one will
tell us off if we are not in our bedrooms by 10pm (although I doubt any of us
will still be awake by then anyway!). No one will end up having an interview
the next day because they climbed over the college wall, as that will
physically not be possible.
But
we are now older and wiser. We have been shaped and designed by the same God
who called us and who has been with us through those 36 years. I can still
recall many helpful words that I received as a Cadet back then in my early
20's. Some of those words come flooding back to me now:
The
will of God will not take you,
where
the grace of God cannot keep you.
I
can now testify to that. And I am sure that those words will form the testimony
of many of my sessional friends as we share our experiences this weekend.
_____________________
The
above post will also be featured in the FSAOF blog -- Note, the band and
songsters lead the corps' members twice each Sunday on a March of Witness and
Open-Air meeting in central London.