Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/336779
prayer & praisE >> Called to be God's people COLONEL JANICE HOWARD In this new column, the "12 Calls" written in Commissioner Robert Street's book, Called to Be God's People, will be ex- plored. May this series cause us to live in the fullness of life God intended through Christ and by the Holy Spirit! I n 1996, General Paul A. Rader (Ret.) called Salvationists to form the In- ternational Spiritual Life Commission (ISLC) to refl ect "on matters of belief and practice touching our very heart as a people raised up by God for His holy purposes." Salvationists have become "a people of God," Rader said, part of the Church universal. How then is the spiritual life of the people to be cultivated and sustained? ISLC discussed these questions, corresponding members sent papers, and other Salvationists submitted correspondence for consideration on the chosen topics. The outcome consisted of "12 Calls." Commissioner Robert Street wrote about the Calls in his book, Called to Be God's People, a tool to be used by Salvationists. The 141–page document is available via free download at http:// www1.salvationarmy.org/ihq/documents/ called-to-be-gods-people.pdf. This material includes explanations, questions, and scripture verses that can be utilized for personal study, group Bible studies, sermon topics, and soldiers' meetings. Each call can be dissected, sentence by sentence, to be studied and practiced. May we Salvationists further understand who we are as a people of God. We begin with the fi rst Call of the ISLC, the "Call to Worship." Call to Worship We call Salvationists worldwide to wor- ship and proclaim the living God, and to seek in every meeting a vital encounter with the Lord of Life, using relevant cul- tural forms and languages. We affi rm that God invites us to a meeting in which God is present, God speaks, and God acts. In our meetings we celebrate and experience the prom- ised presence of Christ with His people. Christ crucifi ed, risen, and glorifi ed is the focal point, the epicenter of our worship. We offer worship to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit, in our own words, in acts that engage our whole being: body, soul, and mind. We sing the an- cient song of creation to its Creator, we sing the new song of the redeemed to their Redeemer. We hear proclaimed the word of redemption, the call to mission, and the promise of life in the Spirit. For a continuation of this article with questions and scripture, please go to www.armyonitsknees.org. There you will also fi nd the territorial prayer requests. Holiness Institute for Soldiers October 16–19, 2014 THQ Conference Center Cost: $150 www.armyonitsknees.org "Our Journey in a Bible-Shaped Life of Holiness"