A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E S A LVAT I O N A R M Y S O U T H ER N T ER R I TO R Y
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COLONELS BUKIEWICZ, LT. COLONEL SEDLAR APPOINTED TO NEW ROLES BY BR AD ROWL AND In September 2022, Colonels Ralph and Susan Bukiewicz received farewell orders from the USA Southern Territory. Colonels Bukiewicz has been appointed as National Chief Secretary and National Secretary for Personnel respectively at USA National Headquarters as of January 1, 2023. On the same date, Lt. Colonel Deborah Sedlar will take up a new appointment as the Chief Secretary of the USA Southern Territory with the rank of colonel. Colonels Bukiewicz will succeed USA Southern Territory officers Colonels Kenneth and Paula Johnson, who will retire from active service. Prior to assuming appointments in the USA Southern Territory in 2017, Colonels Bukiewicz spent their entire officership in the USA Central Territory, serving as territorial secretary for personnel and officer resource and development secretary. Prior to that appointment, Colonels Bukiewicz served as divisional leaders in the Metropolitan and the Colonels Ralph and Susan Bukiewicz Lt. Colonel Deborah Sedlar Western Michigan-Northern Indiana divisions. Lt. Colonel Sedlar, an officer of the USA Eastern Territory, is currently the Executive Secretary to the General at InternaLt. Colonel Sedlar was born in Houlton, Maine, and graduated from Montional Headquarters in London. She was commissioned in 1989 as a member tour High School in Pennsylvania. of the Ambassadors of Christ Session of cadets. Lt. Colonel Sedlar served Commissioner Kelly Igleheart, territorial commander, encourages solas divisional commander of the Western Pennsylvania Division before taking diers, employees, adherents and officers to join him in praying God’s richest up her current appointment. Earlier in her officership, Lt. Colonel Sedlar blessing upon these officers as they prepare to take up their new appointment responsibilities. served as the undersecretary for the Americas and Caribbean Zone.
Light of the World
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BY GENER AL BRIAN PEDDLE When I consider the star that was a significant part of the first Christmas story, I’m reminded that scientists view the stars in the sky very differently than I do. For instance, they use light years to measure the distance of the stars from us on earth. A light year is the distance light travels in one earth year, so about 5.88 trillion miles (or 9.46 trillion kilometres). The sun is our closest star and is some 93 million miles away. So, the sun’s light takes about 8 minutes and 20 seconds to reach us, meaning we see the sun as it was more than 8 minutes ago. The next closest star to us—Alpha Centauri—is some 4.3 light years away, so when we view this star today, we see it as it was 4.3 years ago. It’s as
if we are looking back in time. This means that the Magi written about in Matthew 2:1-2 would have seen a star whose light was beaming before they could even see it. And yet, God used that star to lead them to Jesus: “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2 New Living Translation). Jesus came to be the Light of the World. He came to shine His light in darkness—our darkness, the darkness of this world. We read in Isaiah 9:2 (New International Version): “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” This was prophesied long before Jesus was born. Are we talking about light years when it comes to Jesus? No, I don’t think so, because the Bible tells us He is the alpha and omega—the beginning and the end. He is as much a bright light today as He was at the beginning of time, or when He came to the earth to take up residence and “move into the neighborhood” (John 1:14 The Message). Jesus is not constrained by time. He is the “light of the world” (John “Light...” continued on page 8