“Dancing with angels”

- Thoughts on traditions

Growing up in a Salvation Army family, I was early exposed to the traditions and expressions of our movement as well as to the core – the Gospel. Step by step the content of the spiritual truths of the Gospel has been revealed to me, and like Paul I am still pressing on to “see” even more. In many ways the same can be said about the traditions and expressions. Being a part of the global SA-family since birth, I learned to appreciate our expressions even though I many times have questioned the forms when they have seemed emptied for content and meaning.

In many ways the revelation of the spiritual truths of the Gospel has gone faster than the revelation of the meaning of some of our traditions. Is this because the Gospel is preached, while our people’s understanding of the deeper meaning of the traditions is taken for granted?

Let us look at some examples:

“Dancing with angels”

The Native Americans who saw the white man’s movements in a flock of wolves, named him “Dancing with wolves”. Almost twenty years ago, before Kevin Costner’s famous movie, I met “Dancing with angels”. He was an old soldier in the Faeroe-Islands. In a prayer-meeting I saw him moving as among angels. With our banner lifted high he moved like a dancer among praying people, his face was radiant, and everything was so appropriate, genuine and right. It was not an attempt to create an atmosphere - he was just moving with the Spirit. He danced with the angels, and as a “Native of God’s Kingdom” I have given him his name.

After the meeting I learned that this was something Jogvan – “Dancing with angels”, used to do when the Spirit so led him. I interviewed him for our War Cry and asked him why. Jogvan said that for him the flag symbolised that Jesus had conquered all evil, and he wanted to remind the world and the devil that the victory was won. When Jogvan so was doing, he felt blessings flow to him and through him. The genuine content of the tradition “Glory-march” had been revealed to him, and through him it was revealed to me.

“Blood, fire & purity”

I have been under the flag on many occasions and for many dedications, and I guess I learned the meaning of its colours even before I could read and write. A few years back my wife and I led some meetings in Tallinn (Estonia). We had been focusing on praying for the nation, and in the final meeting we felt led to ask for the Estonian flag to be brought to the front. We asked representatives from the corps to come and hold in the flag as we prayed for the nation. Then I said: “Let us now pray that the blood of Jesus Christ, the power of The Holy Spirit, and the purity of God the Father will cover the nation.” 

As we prayed we took our banner and laid it over the national flag. Just a symbolic action for something taking place in the heavenly realms, but in a new way it brought content to the symbolism of our flag. God’s presence was evident.

The following Sunday we had an enrolment of a soldier in our corps, and with new vigour I could invite the soldier “under the blood of Jesus Christ, the power of The Holy Spirit and the purity of God the Father”.  The genuine understanding of “Under the flag” was again revealed for many in the corps.

“Territory-conqueror”

For several years I have been engaged in ecumenical prayer-initiatives, and several good books have been written about taking new territory e.g. by going “prayer-walking”. Since I was a boy I have loved to march. Apart from seeing that it can make people aware of the fact that there is a Salvation Army still around, I have though questioned the purpose. In my Cadet-days, it was called a “March of witness!”, and maybe it was. But to be a “March of witness” the people who see the march need to associate a message with what they see and hear. Do they?

The marches played may contain some familiar tunes, but this becomes more and more rare.

Can it still become meaningful? For me personally it happened when I started to focus on the claiming of spiritual territory for the Kingdom of God. There are so many parades claiming “ground” for other purposes. We want our towns and cities to be influenced by God – hopefully through a lot of conversions. But even without revivals and masses turning to Christ, The Spirit of the kingdom can influence decision-making on all levels of society. This can happen through prayer – even as we march! And if we are not permitted to march – let us still “march”, do our prayer-walks, alone or in small groups.

Why is this a theme?

We are now serving in Moldova - a country with a relatively new Army (13 years). The Army here has seen considerable growth over the years and much solid spiritual work has taken place and is still taking place. It has been interesting to notice that some of our traditions have been “adopted” as a “Salvation Army – way of doing things” – without necessarily any revelation why. So in Moldova we will wave our flags and rattle our tambourines to perfection without necessarily knowing why an expression of praising God has taken this form. The idea seems to be: As long as it is a valid expression for the Army - it should be valid for us too! And visiting Salvationists from other countries are excited and stirred when they see it. Then it dawned on me: Is this really any different in the other territories I have been?

“Soul-stirrer”

There is nothing wrong in being stirred in the soul as long as we do not confuse it with spirituality. I am easily stirred in my soul through music, beautiful nature, a joke or a good quiz-game and even good Army-tradition. The only way to make the soul-stirring elements of our traditions become “spirit-stirring” is to ask God to reveal their true meaning and purpose and preach this to our people. If this does not take place we may discover that some of our very good program-items and ways of expression will be analogue to Paul’s “list of actions” detached from love (1.Cor.13).  And again “if so”: Would it not be better to find new expressions?

“The Natives of God’s Kingdom”

So, when the Natives of God’s Kingdom see me in action, what name will they give me? “Dancing with angels”, “Blood, fire & purity”, “Territory-conqueror” or “Soul-stirrer”?

- Lord, as long as it is not the latter, I do not mind. I just want to dance with angels covered by blood, fire and purity until more territory is conquered for Your Kingdom. Let Your Kingdom come!