Territorial Commander has special message for Salvos@4
Territorial Commander has special message for Salvos@4
2 March 2020
Commissioner Robert Donaldson (left) is greeted by Salvos@4 leader Lieutenant-Colonel Frank Daniels at Waverley Temple on Sunday.
Territorial Commander Commissioner Robert Donaldson called on Victorian Salvationists to be “yoked to Christ” during a special meeting of Salvos@4 at Waverley Temple in Melbourne on Sunday.
Now in its fourth year, Salvos@4 is a distinctive Salvation Army meeting held at 4pm on the first Sunday of each month. Known for its traditional music and worship style, it is primarily attended by long-serving Salvationists from the Victoria Division.
Meeting leader Lieutenant-Colonel Frank Daniels warmly welcomed the commissioner to the meeting, which also featured the Red Shield Band and the Melbourne Staff Songsters.
Commissioner Donaldson brought a powerful message, based on Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
To illustrate the passage, the commissioner related how, as young officers, he and his wife (Commissioner Janine Donaldson) were appointed to the Chikankata Mission in Zambia, which included a rural hospital, school and training centre. He said the farm on the property was his responsibility, but the area had been experiencing severe drought and the ground was rock-hard, needing to be ploughed in order to soak up expected rains.
The commissioner recalled seeing a pair of oxen – one of advanced age and the other a first-timer – yoked together to pull a plough and was fascinated as the older beast of burden helped his young partner to cope. This experience brought home the compelling analogy of the biblical text, and ‘share my yoke’ suddenly took on a deeper significance.
“If we are yoked together with Jesus, he will set the direction; he will teach and shape us. His promise is that if we trust in him he will redeem us – our yoke will be easy and our burden light,” the commissioner said.
To watch the service back, visit The Salvation Army Victoria Division 4pm Meeting on Facebook.
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