Canadian Adventist Messenger for 1986
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"I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown'; and he replied, 'Go out into the darkness and put your hand in the hand of God. That shall be to you better than a light and safer than a known way.' " —King George VI CANADIAN ADVENTIST From The President's Diary Volume 55, No. 1, JanuaryessenQ 1986, Oshawa, Ontario er G.E. Maxson/Editor June Polishuk/Associate Editor Allan Colleran/Art Director CONFERENCE EDITORS L. Larsen/Alberta M. Tetz/British Columbia D.M. MacIvor/Man.-Sask. /Maritime D. Crook/Newfoundland E.R. Bacchus/Ontario C. Sabot/Quebec Official Organ of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada: President, J.W. Wilson; Secretary, G.E. Maxson; Treasurer, N.W. Klam; L. Lowe, Vice-president. Departmental Directors: Education, J.D.V. Fitch; Personal Ministries and Sabbath School, C.S. Greene; Public Affairs, D.D. Devnich; Publishing, P. Cordray; Youth and Stewardship, P.A. Parks; Trust Services, F. Lloyd Bell; Consultant to Health Care Institutions, A.G. Rodgers. Issued monthly, annual subscription price in Canada 55.00. Out of Union 510.00. Conference Directory "IT IS FINISHED!'= PART I CANADIAN UNION CONFERENCE - J.W. Wilson, President; G.E. Maxson, Secretary; N.W. Klam, Treasurer; 1148 King Street East, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 1H8. (416) 433-0011. ALBERTA CONFERENCE — H.S. Larsen, President; W. Olson, Secretary-Treasurer; Box 5007, Red Deer, Alberta T4N 6A1. (403) 342-5044. BRITISH COLUMBIA CONFERENCE — G.B. DeBoer, President; NLY DOES JOHN, THE BELOVED, use these words in P.W. Dunham, Secretary, E. Tetz, Treasurer, Box 1000, relationship to Jesus death. The other gospel records are Abbotsford, British Columbia V2S 4P5. (604) 853-5451. MANITOBA - SASKATCHEWAN CONFERENCE — D.M. just slightly different. But one thing was certain, the Maclvor, President; M.D. Suiter, Secretary-Treasurer; 1004 crucifixionO and the subsequent resurrection galvanized His followers Victoria Ave. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N OZ8. (306) 244- 9700. into earth-shaking activities which miraculously made Christianity MARITIME CONFERENCE — President; M. Weststrate, into a world regligion. Secretary-Treasurer; 121 Salisbury Rd., Moncton, N.B. EIE 1A6. (506) 855-8622. Regardless how we may perceive crucifixion, in Roman days it was ONTARIO CONFERENCE — 0. Parchment, President; L Carney, Secretary; G. Gray, Treasurer; Box 520, Oshawa, Ont. looked upon as being less violent than other methods of terminating L1H 7M1. (416) 571-1022. life. This form of death was reserved for those who committed crimes QUEBEC S.D.A. CHURCH ASSOCIATION — C. Sabot, President; LM. Abel, Secretary; Treasurer; 940 Ch. against the Roman State or the emperor. Chambly, Longueuil, Quebec J4H 3M3. (514) 651-4240. *Archaeological excavations in Jerusalem discovered the bones of a NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR MISSION OF SEVENTH- DAY ADVENTISTS — D. Crook, President; B. Christenson, young man who had been crucified about the same time as Jesus. The Secretary-Treasurer; 106 Freshwater Road, St. John's, Newfoundland heel bones of the skeleton were held together by a large spike which A1C 2N8. (709) 576-4051. had been driven into the cross behind him. The two feet had been Legal Directory aligned tightly to each other like a pair of shoes. The knees were turned For the information of members and friends who wish to to one side so that the feet rested perpendicularly against the upright. remember the Church and its institutions in preparing wills and ONE spike had been driven through both heels. legacies. ALBERTA CONFERENCE CORPORATION of the Seventh-day The resulting position of the crucified individual was extremely Adventist Church - Box 5007, Red Deer, Alberta T4N 6A1. uncomfortable with the pivoted torso tugging relentlessly at the nails, THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CORPORATION of the Seventh-day Adventist Church - P.O. Box 1000, Abbotsford, KC V2S 4P5. which in this instance were driven into the wrists rather than the palms. MANITOBA CONFERENCE CORPORATION of the Seventh- day Adventist Church - 1004 Victoria Avenue, Saskatoon, The victim could never shift his weight and find release from the Saskatchewan, S7N OZ8. discomfort. MARITIME CONFERENCE CORPORATION of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Inc. - 121 Salisbury Road, Moncton, N.B. E1E Usually the shins were broken. Without the support of his legs, the 1A6. victim's body uncontrollably drooped down, his head fell forward and ONTARIO CONFERENCE CORPORATION of the Seventh-day Adventist Church - P.O. Box 520, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 7M1. his windpipe was pinched. He died quickly of suffocation. Shortening SASKATCHEWAN CONFERENCE CORPORATION of the life by breaking the shins, then, was looked upon as an act of mercy. 11 Seventh-day Adventist Church - 1004 Victoria Avenue, Saska- toon, Saskatchewan S7N OZ8. With Jesus this was never done as He had already died. SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH IN CANADA - 1148 King Street East, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 1118. Why then did Jesus die so quickly? of SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH in Newfoundland and In the Garden of Gethsemene he had agonized all night in prayer. Labrador - 106 Freshwater Road, St. John's, Nfld. A1C 2N& SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH - Quebec Conference, The spiritual weight of the world rested upon Him. His spiritual or Egli se Adventiste du Septieme Jour - Federation du Quebec - suffering was greater than His physical. Adding this dimension to the 940 Ch Chambly, Longueuil, Quebec J4H 3M3. physical was simply too much. Printed by Maracle Press Limited. Second class mail It was the weight of YOUR sins and MINE that finally, in the end, registration number 0912. Address all enquiries to 1148 caused His rapid demise. (Part II next month). ,e,, King Street East, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 1H8. 0. "Thanks to Larry Herr, CUC Theology Faculty, for his article on "How Jesus Was Crucified." ISSN 0702-5084 2 MESSENGER/JANUARY 1986 The Adventist Review keeping in touch Myron K. Widmer Associate Editor, Adventist Review 1."HOUGH DIVERSE, COMPLEX, hand has been upon this paper, to keep its AND DISPERSED THROUGHOUT purpose true and even to help it survive THE WORLD, the Seventh-day through all the wars, recessions, perils, and Adventist church is truly a family, a great church dilemmas that its years have seen. family! Fostering the unity that keeps us together Wherever I have traveled, from my as a distinct people, as a family, is ever a grandparent's church in Neligh, Nebraska, challenge for us as editors. As the church to Cairo, Egypt, I have felt right at home by continues to grow, both numerically and in the warmth of the members' welcome and the nature of its composition, the church by the beliefs we hold in common. must continue to approach its ministry to Indeed we are a great family! Bound the needs of the people in different ways. together by a common faith. Bound together So, too, the Review must continually by like goals. Bound together by our update its style of ministry to reflect an unswerving dedication to a vision of understanding of the changes in our church. sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the And uppermost, the Review must continue ends of the world. to seek new ways to weld together God's And as a family, I've noticed over the people in unity, yet not a unity through years that to keep in touch with one uniformity. another. Whether it be a missionary friend In line with our desire to better minister in Africa, a former classmate working in to the church, we are planning some major South America, or a fellow church member revisions for the Adventist Review during the in the next town, we keep in touch. We call, coming year. we write, and we even hear about others Our greatest challenge will be introduced through word of mouth. features, from editorials and special columns January 3, 1986, when a completely new I believe another great way of keeping in to the ever-popular letters to the editors' graphic design for the Adventist Review will touch with our world-wide church family is page. roll off the presses. This will be the first by reading the Adventist Review, the weekly Inclusion of each of these elements is not major change in many years. general church paper of the Adventist by happenstance, but by design of the During the next several months, many of denomination. editors. We continue to build upon the rich the coming revisions will be taking shape If you would take a moment to seriously tradition begun through the sweat and self- on our drawing boards and we invite your study its contents, you would find a sacrifice of our church's pioneers in 1849 — input. If you were not contacted for a survey tremendous wealth of information not years before our church even was named. of readers and non-readers being ad- found in any other Seventh-day Adventist As I often read through some of the old ministered for us by the Institute of Church publication. In each issue we bring to you a issues of the Review (filling up quite a few Ministry at Andrews University, you still vast array of information, concerning both rows of our office bookshelves) I am always are welcome to give your opinions on all the progress and the challenges of the impressed with two facts. aspects of the Review. We welcome your church, to keep you in touch with what is First, that the Review has undergone input into shaping the future of the Review. happening within Adventism. extensive changes in its 136-year history Address your comments to me at the Within every issue we take you around (including changes in size, shape, editors, Adventist Review, 6840 Eastern Avenue, the world through up-to-date reports of and even its name).