Northwest Friend, March 1964
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Digital Commons @ George Fox University Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends Church Northwest Friend (Quakers) 3-1964 Northwest Friend, March 1964 George Fox University Archives Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/nwym_nwfriend Recommended Citation George Fox University Archives, "Northwest Friend, March 1964" (1964). Northwest Friend. 240. https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/nwym_nwfriend/240 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends Church (Quakers) at Digital Commons @ George Fox University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Northwest Friend by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ George Fox University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MARCH 1 964 Quaker Journal of the Pacific Northwest" Vol. XLIV No, 1 Thy Kingdom Come' The Ministry of the Pastor's Wife The Problems of Atheism American Style €^toriat without God found seminary a poor place to catch up. God didn't even seem too relevant ;4tftenlc^ in the church—not nearly as relevant as people. So the preachers specialized in life adjustments on a humanistic basis. Signs of the Times By Everett L. Cattell Elton Trueblood calls ours a "cut flower President, Malone College Canton, Ohio r civilization." We still enjoy a hang-over of t h e C h r i s t i a n e t h i c a f t e r i t s r o o t s h a v e b e e n this provocative announcement: "This church is different!" Whether 7Nthis our is town an advertising there is a signcome-on, tacked a statement to the front of ofdoctrine a small or chapeljust a withsud Reprinted with permission from THE SUNDAY SCHOOL cut away. But recently even the flower has TIMES, January 25. 1964 begun to fade. We are in the midst of a den whim of the sign-maker, I am not sure. general moral decline and only beginning to On second thought, who wants a "different" church anyway? When it realize that it may have something to do with comes to matters of religion and a church, we like to follow in safe, tra rHEalong communists without Him.fight God.It started We with just getHit our godlessness. There is nothing new about ditional channels. "Faith of our fathers, living still" has more appeal ler. Then Stalin and Khrushchev, and immorality. But, whereas it used to be than eccentric differentness. What is disturbing is not the sign so much condemned by decent folk, we now seem Mao Tse-tung followed. Even today our dip as the motivation which seems to make such an announcement necessary. lomats are puzzled, not knowing how to carry goaded to prove our sophistication by the It would be even more surprising if the sign said, "This church is like all on diplomatic relations with people whose quantity of evil that we can tolerate. the others around!" There has to be some individuality. pledged word is given for the purpose of The Supreme Court's definition of porno Adjectives and descriptions are not to be pulled at random from the air breaking it. After a loi^ history of broken graphy as dependent upon the relativism of treaties, so deliberately broken as to be ob (or borrowed at random), when we tell the neighbors about our church. public taste is a case in point. This is the Take for instance, the emphasis on "friendliness." The implication could viously a part of essential policy, we still sheerest humanism. It is a slap in the face are trying to do business on our own ethical be quickly drawn that churches in general are unfriendly, that other Chris of an absolute God. Scandals among high terms. We are only slowly awakening to tians are a cold lot. This kind of advertising just isn't cricket even for leaders in Britain and the U. S. A. show the the fact that these men are what they are be a supermarket; you don't build trade by publicly running down the compe same thir^. The recent spate of divorces cause they have the guts to practice openly titor. among the socially and politically prominent the ethics impiicit in godlessness. is bad enough in itself; but what is worse is To say ours is a comfortable "family church" implies perhaps the church The more we see of these gross atheistic the gamble by some that the public is really around the corner is filled with mostly old people. .or children. Is this bad? What will the spiritually hungry divorcee, or the lonely old man, or ethics the more we are frightened lest our (Continued on page 11) own more genial kind of atheism will pro the little boy whose parents won't come think about trying out a "family" duce the same kind of fruit. church? There is something a trifle smug and exclusive about a "friendly THE NORTHWEST FRIEND ! family church." The late C. E. Lewis expressed this danger well in his W E N E G L E C T G O D Published monthly, except August, by Oregon Yearly Meet- ; Screwtape Letters by observing that those who know God may keep the We do not fling our fists in God's face or ing of Friends Church, at Newberg, Oregon. Copy dead church small by "their uneasy intensity and the defensive self-righteous- line: Regular and special features to reach the Editor, 15th ness of a secret society or a clique." turn churches into museums. We merely of each month; church and Northwest news to reach the neglect God and turn our churches into re h^nagii^ Editor, 15th of each month. By-passing the denominational connections, look at all the ways we des spectable social clubs. This state of affairs cribe churches. Here is a "Bible Church." So the pastor across town owes a great deal to our educational system Subscription Price $2.00 per year in advance for its great influence in American life. Our T H E S T A F F goes one better and says his is an "Open-Bible Church." Another group attempt to avoid a religious establishment J a c k L . W i l i c u t s E d i t o r posts notice that they are a "Holiness Church." As if this isn't barrier 467 DeBarr Avenue, Medford, Oregon enough to keep unholy people out, the group across the street makes it has glorified secularism until, helped by the Harlow Ankeny Managing Editor 600 E. Third St., Newberg, Oregon crystal clear by tightening the rules to read, "Pentecostal Holiness philosophy of John Dewey, we have more Barbara Baker .... Christian Endeavor Society Editor Church." 'Welcome"has become so threadbare, someone reaches out with dangerously disposed of God than would have George Fox College, Newberg, Oregon the news his doors are always ajar, as "The Church of the Open Door." been true had we avowedly renounced Him. YEARLY MEETING BOARD OF PUBLICATION As the colleges and universities found they Those a little embarrassed about their denominational name throw up a could leave God out of the whole field of Joseph Reece President camouflage by using, "Community" or "Neighborhood." Of course the J a c k W i l i c u t s V i c e P r e s i d e n t community and neighborhood very well knows this church is not entirely knowledge, the impression grew that God Earl Barker Secretary was a private concern of no great moment Herman Macy, Harold Antrim, Phyllis Cammack, George home-grown and wonders what they are trying to hide. and that religion was no more authoritative Moore; Harlow Ankeny, Dean Gregory, Members ex-officlo than aesthetics. Business men trained in Address all subscriptions, contributions and changes of add this milieu could scarcely be blamed for ress to the Managing Editor. (Continued on page 15) feelir^ that God was equally irrelevant to Address all checks and money orders payable to the Barclay business practices. Professional men Press, 600 E. Third, Newberg, Oregon schooled in such an atmosphere could hardly Second class permit authorized at Newberg, Oregon be blamed for divorcing knowledge and action. And the preachers educated through college Zhe }iorthwest JrienA March. 1964 1 YEAR or so ago one of the national maga- _Teach a Sunday school class. volving around the church as it does, spends zines carried an article about the pas Lead a song service. much time thinking about church needs and tor's wife with this theme: "Sympa # The wife of our Assistant play the piano or organ. goals, about individuals who can best fill thize with her; her lot is a hard one." I re Superintendent, Clynton Crismcn, _Lead prayer meeting. positions. Providing she doesn't become member saying to myself as I read this, expresses well the place and ministry _preside over a WMU dogmatic, opinionated or insistent on having "Nonsense! A pastor's wife may need many of the pastor's wife in the Friends _Give a devotional talk. her way, she may be the very one to help Church. Drawing from her things, but sympathy because of her occupa Visit in homes. experiences of nearly 20 years clarify situations and policies. This may of tion isn't one of them." And I feel sure the in the parsonage, Morjorie Crismon _plan and give parties. ten be done best indirectly—through her women in the parsonages of our Friends offers advice of equal value to the —Supervise church dinners, receptions, h u s b a n d . A s t h e t w o o f t h e m t a l k o v e r churches would agree.