Record for 1998

Volunteering: Sti t e atest rage RECORDNo v ember 21 I 9 9 8 In this issue My venture into the world of youth Outback town uses Signs—and how! Healthwatch edition 10 "What do You mean, 0819-b633 N F `Touch him?" 11 edit o r i a 1 ELLEN WHITE AND HER CRITICS ecently I received a copy of a the charges levelled at Ellen White, criticism," where Douglass deals letter in which the writer asked and faithful members are confused openly and candidly with many of is church board to take his and disheartened as they repeatedly the problem passages that have puz- name off the church roll. A major hear or read criticism and doubt zled readers around the globe. reason for this step, he indicated, expressed in regard to Ellen White's Another section I found valuable was the Adventist Church's insistence ministry. However, help is on the was "The continuing relevancy of "that the church stands or falls on way. God's messenger." At times, Mrs the visions of Ellen White, being of Earlier this year the White Estate White is spoken of as though she God." released the book Messenger of the was important only for the fledgling Among other things, he was trou- Lord by Herbert Douglass. This book Seventh-day Adventist Church 100 bled by stories concerning Ellen of nearly 600 pages has been written years ago, but that she was no White's physical feats—for instance, to replace T H Jemison's book A longer relevant to the church at the holding a big Bible during some of prophet among you as the standard end of the twentieth century. At the her visions. He wrote: "Unfortunately college textbook on the gift of age of 80, she wrote, "Whether or there is no eyewitness accounts (sic) prophecy. Though written with col- not my life is spared, my writings of such feats and even the White lege students in mind, it contains a will constantly speak, and their work Estate admits that they do not have wealth of information of benefit to all will go forward as long as time shall any evidence of this and other super- last" (page 52). natural feats." The relevance of Douglass adds, "When considering I was surprised when I read this, the Adventist message and mission, since I have in my files a recent arti- Ellen White for the the relevance of Ellen White for the cle by Dr Roger Coon who, at the present and future present and future is as certain and time of writing his article (1990), was as needed as the trunk is to the an associate secretary of the White is . certain. branch. For as long as the branch Estate. He names two eyewitnesses needs the trunk, so Adventists will (Otis Nichol and James White) who church members and church leaders. continue to sense the security and recorded just such feats. Unfortunate- Major chapters in Messenger of the strength found in her writings" (page ly, there are many such false and Lord deal with the question of Ellen 20). I misleading rumours and charges cir- White's inspiration, her contribution The book also contains 16 appen- culating around the world. to the Adventist Church and the prin- dices dealing with such topics as False charges against and criticism ciples of how to interpret her writ- "the shut door" and Ellen White's of Ellen White and her ministry are ings. In the section "The real Ellen growth in understanding her own generated by various kinds of peo- White" we get to know her as the visions. It is my conviction that the ple. Some are troubled by her use of wife who considered her husband book Messenger of the Lord will con- other sources; others fail to apply to James to be "the best man that ever tribute to a better understanding of her writings accepted rules of inter- trod shoe leather" (page 52). While Mrs White's life and work. Hopefully, pretation for inspired writings and "Mrs White is best known as a it will also restore confidence in the I therefore come to wrong conclu- remarkable public figure, for those messages of the Lord's servant to the sions; while still others have certain who knew her best she was a con- remnant church. presuppositions about how a sistent Christian mother and wife prophet should function and find it who maintained a close and tender hard to fit Ellen White into their par- relationship with her husband and Gerhard Pfandl ticular mould. children" (page 60). Spirit of Prophecy Church leaders, pastors and elders I was particularly interested in the Coordinator are, at times, unable to respond to section entitled "How to evaluate South Pacific Division Next week Official Paper Manuscripts Should be sent to The Editor, RECORD, South Pacific Division Signs Publishing Company, Warburton, Victoria 3799. ACN 000 003 930 jag Amok Manuscripts or computer disks will only be returned if Being Adventist Swami-DAY accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Editor Bruce Manners ADVENTIST Phone: (03) 5966 9111 Senior Assistant Editor Lee Dunstan CHURCH Fax (03) 5966 9019 and facing up Editorial Assistant Brenton Stacey [email protected] Copy Editor Graeme Brown to social Editorial Secretary Meryl McDonald Subscriptions South Pacific Division, $A40.00 Senior Consulting Editor Barry Oliver $NZ73.00. All other regions, $A70.00. Air mail rates on responsihii application. Order from Signs Publishing Company, Vol 103 No 15 Warburton, Victoria 3799, Australia. Printed weekly by Cover photo: Austral—International Signs Publishing Company. • a , e 2 November 21 1 (8 adventist life ROAST COOKING AND CUTLERY DRA WERS by David R i 1 e y our mother-in-law is always story. The second drawer is fairly hand-me-down insights will not do. right, right? straightforward. All the big things Thomas (the doubter), when told A newlywed Englishman are obviously kept in this drawer— that Jesus was alive, responded that noticed that his wife always cut the rolling pins, large knives, cleavers he wasn't going to believe it until end off a roast before putting it into and the occasional chainsaw—no he saw his Lord in the flesh. the oven. He dared to ask why. arguments here. "In fact," he added, "I want to "Because that's what my mother But the third and fourth drawers feel his nail-scarred hands." always did," she said, and implied are often confused, so let me set the When Thomas did see Him, Jesus that he shouldn't question her judg- record straight. The third drawer is didn't castigate him for not believ- ment. for your cling wrap and aluminium ing, but He looked Thomas straight But he wanted to know. Next foil, and the fourth is for your tea in the eye and said, "Touch me and time his mother-in-law came over, towels. Don't even try to swap these see" (Luke 24:39). I he summoned all his courage and around—it won't work and your life God is someone that I have to asked her about the techniques will be a failure (and don't even experience for myself, and He's behind her superb roasts and, by think about storing the tea towels in looking me in the eye, saying, the way, why did she cut the end a linen closet!). "Check me out and see what I can off them? Just do it the way my mother do in your life!" M "Because my mother did it that does it. She's never wrong. way," she said, and implied that Other people's knowledge is fine everyone knew that and it was a for some things. I have my accoun- David Riley is a young businessman who time-honoured tradition that tant do my accounts because he writes from Sydney. He attends the stretched back to Eve. knows the laws. Whenever I'm sick, Kellyville Adventist church. So he asked his wife's grandmoth- I see my doctor, who provides er about it, wondering if he would details on what will make me well. ever be allowed to understand this And my friend who gives me veg- Secret Women's Business. etables from her own garden, tells Grandma said, "Because I had a me that it's best if they're organi- tiny oven . ." cally grown. Fifty years of roasts were hacked But what about about because no-one had ever spiritual opinions? stopped to ask why they were That's up to doing it that way. me! Why are we such creatures of Second- habit? I asked myself this once hand informa- when drying the dishes. tion is fine In the home that I grew up in, when it comes the utensil tray was laid out from to topics like left to right with spoons, forks then tax, medicine and knives. That was the natural, pre- carrots. But when ordained way it was always done. it comes to things You can imagine my shock to of an eternal learn that, weird as it may seem, nature, some ignorant, twisted people do it in a different order! This makes it incredibly difficult when I'm wiping up the dishes at a nonconformist's house. If they don't have the correct sequence, then I'm putting spoons in their fork section, forks with the knives, and I don't have any idea where the knives are going! The three drawers underneath the utensil compartment tell another Bits'n'pieces f 1 a s h p o i n t Did you hear .

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