The North Pacific Union Gleaner for 1984
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me regularly, encouraging me to study God's please contact us as soon as possible. Word — and to accept Jesus as my personal For the Dunes or Diamond Lake sites in Savior. Oregon, please contact: Diane Forsyth, He and other church members were also Northwest Re-Creation Unlimited Director, Letterd very helpful to my family when they came to P.O. Box 425, College Place, WA 99324, the community. My then former wife was phone: (509) 529-3791. Letters are welcomed for publication. The rebaptized by him, and a year later we were For Wallowa Lake State Park in Oregon, editor reserves the right to reject letters and remarried. please contact: Harold and Hilda Schwartz, where necessary, to edit for continuity and Pastor Wyman was moved to Grandview a Wallowa Lake Site Directors, 1012 S. High- space requirements. Letters must be signed few months after we met, but the work he had land Park Dr., College Place, WA 99324, and should not be over 250 words in length begun continued. Paul Massey started com- phone: (509) 525-7265. except, where, in the editor's discretion, more ing regularly to see me, and I was impressed A list of seminars appears in the an- space is available. Address letters to Editor, by his caring faithfulness over the months nouncement section. Box 16677, Portland, OR 97216. and years. It was apparent that he must have Harold D. Schwartz the real love of Jesus inside to continue vol- unteering his time with us prisoners. He has now become a lay pastor in the Stimulated to Study A Final Comment Jesus Behind Bars Program. It is designed to Recently one writer asked the following help people like Paul share their faith with questions: "Do we have to consult Ellen I was glad to see a large response to my people like me who have somehow lost their White or some other authority that comes letter to the editor. Although the writers were way, and desperately need to connect with along? What happened to common sense and generally opposed to my ideas, at least they Jesus. our own powers of reasoning. Are we return- were thinking and addressing a timely issue. During this time Jesus has continued to ing to the Dark Ages?" Perhaps they had never had to think about deal with my heart, and I have found many I praise God that we who are living in these that issue before. answers in His Word to us. Most of all I want last days have an authority on every question I have three points I would like to make in to serve Him and to establish our family on a that comes along, be it water witching, the reply. solid foundation with Him as the head. Now phrase "Almighty God," rings, etc. 1. God's own self-revelation in Exodus 3:13 would you believe I thank God for the time I During the days when Israel departed from used the title "I AM." To me this means have had in this prison to get acquainted with God "every man did that which was right in that God is a divine totality who is above Him and come under His direction for my his own eyes," but we have an authority now and beyond the scope of human imagery. life? and this condition should not exist. 2. Recent research has revealed that 25 per- I want to be baptized and be a member of Some people feel threatened when opin- cent of women and 10 percent of men in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Please ions they hold dear are challenged. I am so the United States have been sexually pray that I will be given strength to overcome glad that God's church is made up of thinking abused as children, most often by fathers the smoking habit which has kept me bound individuals. I do not always agree with all the and/or father figures in their lives. Count- for more than 20 years, as I know my body is opinions expressed, but I am nearly always less others have been abused psychologi- the temple of the Holy Spirit. Also I want to stimulated to further study and prayer when cally and physically. How can we reach provide an example of good health habits for issues are exposed to debate. these maimed, traumatized women, chil- my children. Keep up the good work dear members dren, and men with a gospel that presents Soon I hope to be paroled and live in the whom I call "watchmen on the walls of God in the figure of the one who is feared, community again. Someday I would like to Zion." I, for one, really appreciate you and dreaded, and even hated? return to share with others, who may be feel- enjoy the medium of the GLEANER for it 3. Language is not static but grows and ing as low as I was, Jesus' power to uplift keeps me abreast of other's thinking. changes with the growth and change in the them. Please give your support to your Pauline Koszescha needs of the people who use it. Our Eng- church program to connect prisoners to the Grants Pass, Ore. lish of today is radically different than that Source of new life. It is the only real way to of the 16th century or even of the 19th stop recidivism. "I was in prison and ye century. For many people the "old" lan- came unto Me." Matthew 25:36. guage no longer speaks the word that is Mark Williams meaningful. It seems that our "oldspeak" has not been a very effective medium for North Pacific UltiOPI Conference telling the gospel to the secular world and perhaps some "newspeak" could bring Re-Creation Unlimited life and meaning to the old story of Jesus. Gleaner Our great commands from Jesus are to "Accentuate the positive and minimize the love God and then to love and reach out to all negative!" I'm not sure who said this but it surely is good counsel for all of us when we (USPS 394-560) human beings with a loving liberating mes- Member Associated Church Press sage of hope. Let's not permit our hang-ups are inclined to criticize those about us. Here is a positive suggestion that may be helpful in Address all correspondence to: and insistence on outmoded language pat- GLEANER terns keep us from doing just that. better utilizing our time and energy. Re-Creation Unlimited is a summer parks North Pacific Union Conference Bertha Dasher P.O. Box 16677, Portland, OR 97216 Battle Ground, Wash. volunteer "Friendship Witnessing Ministry" to share in helping to provide evening pro- (503) 255-7300 grams at United States and State Forest March 5, 1984 Vol. 79, Number 5 Service amphitheaters as well as to help with A Prisoner Writes day-time activities and teaching adventures Editor, Morten Juberg When I came to Washington State Peniten- at these sites which could really interest va- Assistant Editor, Ed Schwisow tiary nearly four years ago, I felt I had cationers to maximize their vacation time. Published by the North Pacific Union Con- reached the lowest point of my life. The cir- Both Sabbath and Sunday worship experi- ference of Seventh-day Adventists cumstances that resulted in my coming here ences are also planned. Teachers of various Please Note—Every reasonable effort is were such that I was full of bitterness and classes, musicians, and storytellers are made to screen both editorial and advertising hatred. needed. This volunteer ministry is expanding materials and to avoid error in this publica- For years I had abused alcohol along with nationwide and year-round. tion. But the North Pacific Union Confer- some other drugs, and as a result was also If you have time and talent to share at ence GLEANER does not accept responsi- abusive to my family — the people I should either The Dunes, Diamond Lake, or Wal- bility for categorical or typographical errors, have been caring for and protecting. Now, as lowa Lake State Park in Oregon, we would nor for advertisers' claims. Litho U.S .A. CP34524 I look back I can see it was God's providence urge you to enroll in one of the upcoming Second-class postage paid at College Place, which brought me here! Re-Creation Unlimited Seminars in your Washington. Published semimonthly at Very soon after my arrival I attended a area. Please get in touch with us at once and service conducted by Frank Wyman, who make your personal vacation campsite res- Color Press, except one issue in December. was then an associate pastor at Walla Walla ervation now! Wallowa Lake State Park is Subscription, $6.50 per year. City Church. After the meeting I talked with almost completely booked for the entire POSTMASTERS: Send form 3579 to North him, mentioning my wife had been raised a summer. If you plan to vacation there and Pacific Union GLEANER, P.O. Box 397, Col- Seventh-day Adventist. He really seemed to you have a cabin, or plan to camp there and lege Place, Washington 99324. care about the inmates and continued to visit would like to help us share in our witness, GLEANER March 5 1984 page 2 Applause for Letter In the Jan. 2 issue of the GLEANER was a Are Angels Mechanics? letter to the editor that I wish to applaud. At last someone shares my feelings on the issue of censure within the church and I want to By Debbie Benado say that the remarks of the author are timely and true.