Lake Union Herald for 1984

NY invitation to worship in the house of the Lord was met by ADavid with eagerness and joy. He had experienced the delight of formal worship for the major part of his life. When he states, "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord" (Psalm 122:1), I believe every reader in the habit of regular church at- tendance can understand his feelings. Which of you has not repeatedly experienced joy and gladness in worship? Try to remember, if you will, the immeasurable pleasure you have experienced with fellow believers in the house of the Lord. Just the memory of such occasions makes one's pulse beat faster. In Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 362, Ellen G. White says: " Fellowship with one another should make us glad. With such a hope as we have, why are not our hearts all aglow with the love of God?" I have only to reflect on my many years of pastoring to remember the faces of members who were recovering from long illnesses and anticipating their return to the services of the church. I am yet moved by the excitement of their voices and touched by the elation of their hearts. The Psalmist reaffirms his feelings of ecstasy in the act of worship when he exclaims in Psalm 84:10: "For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of The my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness." This is no idle rambling by someone who is incoherent. Rather, it Joy is a declaration made by one who is eminently qualified to make such a judgment. This psalm was composed while David was in ex- ile. He had been driven by his own son, Absalom, both from his Of throne and from the house of God. As a king, David was acquainted with all the pomp and splendor Worship attached to royalty. But as a saint, he knew also what was to be found in the experience of worship and prayer. His conclusion is that a few hours on the Sabbath spent praising God in the sanc- Robert H. Carter tuary is better than a thousand ordinary days pursuing secular President goals. A humble position of trust in God's house is preferable to a Lake Union Conference lofty office in a worldly enterprise. From the depths of his own experience David declares which of the two losses is the heavier, and which is the subject of greater regret. Unequivocally he concluded that it was church that he missed most. He had not one word of complaint respecting the loss of his kingdom. His mind was wholly occupied with his inability to attend the services of the sanctuary. In verses one and two of Psalm 84, the joy of worship is enun- ciated in the following words: "How amiable are thy tabernacles, 0 Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God." oc= COVER Photo by Becky Beardsley of Livonia, Michigan. This photo was one of those chosen during the 1984 Herald Cover Photo Selection. The Lake Union Herald (LISPS 302-860; ISSN 0194-908X)is published biweekly and printed by University Printers, Berrien Springs, Michigan. Second-class postage is paid at Berrien Springs, MI 49103. Yearly subscription price $5.00; single copies 25 cents. Postmaster: Send all address changes to Lake Union Herald. Box C. Berrien Springs. MI 49103. TWO • July 31, '84 • Herald THE HEART OF THE LAKE UNION Joy in Serving Others by Dale Ziegele INTER skies were blackened by the hot billows however, to the Adventist Church and the help it pro- Wof flames which enveloped a rural Wausau vided through the Westmans. home. Curious folk paraded by in the comfort of their Of far more worth than the newspaper articles and cars as the home burned, but few stopped to help the praise from the community and church family, was occupants who would soon be homeless. the joy this opportunity for service brought to Ned Notable exceptions to the tragic lack of neighborly, and Vera. Ned says, "You can't stand by and not help response were Ned and Vera Westman, community when you see a need." services leaders for the Wausau Church. The Where do the Westmans learn of those in need? Westmans immediately gathered handmade quilts They pick up information from local broadcasts and and bedding for the homeless family from the com- from newspapers telling of those experiencing a munity services stockpile. loss. Through friendships formed at flea markets (one Newspaper journalists who reported on the loss of of the Westmans' retirement hobbies), many cases of the home and the despair of the occupants, also men- need are related to Ned and Vera because people tioned the scores of onlookers and the scarcity of know that they and their church care. helpers on the scene. The reporters gave recognition, To Ned and Vera joy in service is indeed reward enough for the hours, days and weeks of sewing blocks of new fabric into quilt tops which fill the basement of their suburban ranch home. Not content with just doing for themselves, the Dale Ziegele is the communication director of the Westmans have followed Jesus' example who Wisconsin Conference. Himself "went about doing good" (Acts 10:38). Ned and Vera Westman, community services leaders for the Wausau, Wisconsin, Church, are ready to assist when help is needed in their area. Herald • July 31, '84 • THREE Students at Oakwood College are encouraged to develop good study habits and to discipline themselves in preparation for a life of service to God and mankind. Oakwood College Offering on August 11 The Mission of Oakwood College by Vivian Joseph HE General Conference has mitory expansion program. tive. You can be a part of this plan Tdeveloped, as a part of its In recent years the student by making a sizable contribution calendar of events, special days enrollment at Oakwood College when the Oakwood College Offer- designated annually for the receiv- has grown at such a rapid rate that ing is collected in your church. ing of offerings for specified pur- it has been impossible for the Oakwood College, a coeduca- poses. This plan goes back at least school to keep pace by providing tional liberal arts college located to November 14, 1918, when the sufficient dormitory living quarters. about five miles northwest of the General Conference Committee, on At this time the campus housing is city of Huntsville, Alabama, is the recommendation of the treas- inadequate. operated by the General Con- urer and the departmental secre- In 1977, because of the in- ference and mainly serves the taries, voted 11 special offerings to creased enrollment, the Gentlemen black constituency of the be received during the following Estates, a trailer court, was denomination. year. developed to house college fresh- Its beginnings may be traced The Oakwood College Offering men. Housing in the four dormi- back to 1895 when the General was designated as one of those tories plus the trailer court have Conference Association sent a special offerings sponsored by the the capacity to adequately house three-man educational team to the General Conference. This offering approximately 900 to 925 students. South to select and purchase pro- is collected annually during the During the 1983-84 school year the perty, not to exceed $8,000, for a month of August. student enrollment at Oakwood school for black youth. They When donations are received College was 1,455. learned of a 360-acre farm in this year from the constituents In addition to the renovation of Huntsville which they inspected. At across the North American conti- the dormitories, there will also be a that time the population in Hunts- nent, the proceeds will be utilized complete renovation of the married ville was only 15,000; it is now in a dormitory renovation and dor- students' apartments. The college 160,000. has a limited number of one- and As the team began to inspect two-bedroom apartments for mar- the land, G. A. Irwin, who was the ried students. director of the southern district for Vivian Joseph is the director of The board and administration are the General Conference, felt im- the Lake Region Conference com- determined to make the housing at pressed that this 360-acre farm was munication department. Oakwood both adequate and attrac- the site for which they were look- FOUR • July 31, '84 • Herald Oakwood students receive practical experience in the several industries Oakwood College consistently ranks with the na- located on campus. The college fosters development of the physical, tion's leading universities in the number of black cultural, intellectual, and spiritual faculties. men and women who go on to medical school. ing. The other committee members States and from 38 countries. knowledge in certain vocations agreed and the property was pur- In September of this year, best suited to the students' in- chased. The Oakwood College pro- students are expected to arrive on terests and aptitudes. perty now consists of 1,185 acres. the Oakwood campus from Austra- 6) Physical: To provide a health IX- When Elder Irwin and 0. A. lia and New Zealand as a result of and physical education program Olsen, then president of the Dr. Rock's recent visit to these that will give an understanding of General Conference, walked under countries. and encourage proper care of the the 65 giant oak trees that stood Oakwood has a mission.

Load more