m editorial

New Aumkening

WHILE TRAVELING recently fundamentals of Christianity is minisTfy through the New England encouraging. Discerning leaders VOL. 50, NO. 9______States, I made it a point to visit among the more liberal main stream Protestant churches, as International Journal of the Northampton, Massachusetts, Seventh-day Adventist scene of the great American re well as within the Roman Cath Ministry vival of 1734-1735 and 1740- olic communion, are urging a re 1743. The Awakening began turn to the basics of the gospel. Editorial Director: with a series of sermons on the The commendatory work of Pope N. R. Dower subject of righteousness by faith, John XXIII and Vatican II, in not preached by Jonathan Edwards only opening the way for laymen Editor: to his congregation. Only a stone to read the Bible for themselves J. R. Spangler slab marks the spot where his but encouraging them to do so, is Executive Editors: church stood. Nevertheless, what perhaps the most promising O. M. Berg happened there soon spread to event to occur within the Roman Leo R. Van Dolson neighboring New Hampshire, communion in recent times. Associate Editors: and even into Connecticut. 3. Revivals have always been E. E. Cleveland associated with much prayer. R. Dederen News of the Northampton re A. E. Schmidt vival reached England, where an Visiting Wesley©s house (now a D. Skoretz account of it was written up and museum in London), one is circulated by Isaac Watts and deeply impressed with the little Health Editor: John Guyse, and later John upstairs prayer room from J. Wayne McFarland, M.D. Wesley sent out another. In 1740 whence came much of his power. Associate Health Editors: George Whitefield visited North So also with Whitefield, to whom Marjorie Baldwin, M.D. ampton, and although the re prayer became his native air. Herald Habenicht, M.D. vival seems to have ceased there "Oh, what sweet communion had Mervyn Hardinge, M.D. as quickly as it began, it burst I daily vouchsafed with God in Allan Magie forth into a mighty flame that prayer!" he exclaimed. Editorial Assistant: swept across the Atlantic. Wes In revival, prayer and Bible Marta Hilliard ley and Whitefield became the study go together. Whitefield Editorial Secretaries: central figures involved in Eng read the Bible on his knees, Nan Harris land. praying over every line and Dorothy Montgomery A study of the Great Awaken word. Wesley©s soul was satu Designer: ing and of other such revivals is rated with the Scriptures. So also Gert Busch most instructive, since we recog was that of Jonathan Edwards Printed monthly for the Min nize that revival is our greatest and all the great revivalists. It isterial Association of Seventh- need. Among the elements char was out of this closeness with the day Adventists by the Review and Herald Publishing Asso acteristic of genuine revival are Bible that the prayers ascended ciation, 6856 Eastern Avenue the following: that brought revival flames. As NW., Washington, D.C. 20012, U.S.A. $9.95 a year; 85c a copy. 1. The great revivals have one of our leading Seventh-day Price may vary where national always followed periods of in Adventist theologians and edu currencies are different. For each subscription to go to tense moral lapse. On this cators, Edward Heppenstall, a foreign country or Canada, ground alone it is evident that used to say as I sat in his college add 95c postage. THE MINISTRY is a member of the Associated revival is not only urgent today classes, "Prayer without Bible Church Press and is indexed study leads to fanaticism. Bible in the Seventh-day Adventist but long overdue. Periodical Index. Second-class 2. Revivals have always been study without prayer leads to postage paid at Washington, D.C. Editorial office: 6840 associated with Bible preaching cold formalism." Eastern Avenue NW., Washing on the great doctrinal founda 4. True revivals are always ton, D.C. 20012. Unsolicited manuscripts are tions of the Christian faith with associated with reformation. Re welcome, but will be accepted special emphasis on the theme of vival means a renewal of spirit without remuneration and will be returned only if accompanied righteousness by faith. In recent ual life, whereas reformation by a stamped, self-addressed years the new emphasis on the signifies a change in life style, a envelope. 2/The Ministry/September, 1977 Hold Much in Common contents Ernest Lloyd in His Just a note to express my apprecia 98th Year 21 tion for the complimentary copies of Health Staff Semantics and Salvation 4 THE MINISTRY. You really publish a Marjorie Lewis Lloyd Ministers Anonymous 22 useful magazine just full of perti John Rossel nent articles. I had not realized before Do Your Buildings Say, how much of the basic matters of the Featuring God©s Promises "Even So, Come, Lord faith we hold in common. Thank you, in Our Sermons 24 Jesus"? 6 and my best wishes as we seek to Walter B. T. Douglas Robert H. Pierson gether the truth and salvation in our C-14 Dating May Be Wrong People Are Important 26 Lord, Jesus Christ. Before 2000 B.C. 7 Mercedes Dyer CHURCH OF CHRIST MINISTER Randolph E. Neal The Tedium Is the Message 29 Ohio Have the Genesis "Cities John Harrell of the Plain" Been Discovered? 10 DEPARTMENTS Larry G. Herr Question of Accuracy Biblical Archeology 10 I have especially appreciated the Church Growth in Inter- By His Side 26 America 13 generally high quality of the scien James W. Zackrison Health and Religion 18 tifically oriented articles that appear President©s Page 6 frequently. However, as a physician What Adventists Owe Recommended Reading 31 specializing in hematology (blood dis to Other Christians 15 eases), I must take issue with the C. Mervyn Maxwell Science and Religion 7 inaccurate statement about "sickle- Sermon Spice Shelf 32 Are You Always Tired? cell anemia" in the otherwise fine ar Here©s the Answer 18 Shop Talk 28 ticle, "Mutations and the Origin of Marjorie Baldwin World Report 13 Species," in the May 1977 issue. It says, "This disease is so serious that Picture Credits: Cover, Skip Baker; p. 5, Harry Anderson; pp. 11, 12, 18-20, courtesy of individuals cannot survive if the he authors; Harold Munson, p. 22. moglobin genes from both parents have been affected; even if the disease is inherited from only one parent the impairment is considerable." I wonder what the author (Eric Magnusson) meant by "cannot sur break with old habits and prac vive." While patients with sickle-cell tices that are inconsistent with anemia do have a significantly short God©s holy law. History records FEED UI: VA ened life, many survive into their that revivals have always re forties. More important, patients sulted in lower crime statistics with sickle-cell trait (inherited from and higher standards of moral only one parent) should have no sig ity. Only a genuine revival and nificant "impairment," no anemia, reformation can bring a reversal "The Fruitage of Faith" and no limitation of activity or sur vival even though about 40 percent to the sad state of morals and I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Kubo©s of their hemoglobin is "sickle hemo permissiveness so prevalent superb article in the May, 1977 issue globin." Only rarely does one with of THE MINISTRY entitled "The Fruit today. Only then will public sickle-cell trait have any significant age of Faith," and read it a second opinion cause a change in the physical problems because of it. time for the benefit of my wife. How nauseating fare so often served RONALD E. TURK, M.D. up on our reading racks and TV very many people "go to seed," so to shows. speak, on "the security of the be liever," and "grace," and fail to carry Many voices are clamoring to through to the reality of a full gospel. be heard today, but what is re I shall treasure that article, and it AUTHOR REPLIES: I appreciate Dr. ally needed is a new spiritual will help me to further my already- Turk©s comment that sickle-cell dis awakening. Where are today©s strong convictions of the same truths. ease is clinically less serious than my Edwards, Whitefields, and Wes- I do not always agree with all your article indicates. I should have leys? When such do appear we teachings, but I do appreciate your checked my facts more carefully. I am can anticipate that their voices splendid magazine especially the sure that he will agree with me that will not always be well-received articles regarding the work of the sickle-cell disease is a very instructive either. But it is time for many ministry. The format and the typog example of the way in which muta voices to cry out in the wilder raphy of the paper is second to none, tion-based changes may spread in my book. . . . My ministry has through a population in the manner ness of bankrupt philosophies, always given high priority to com predicted by Darwin©s theory of natu "Prepare ye the way of the Lord." munications in the church. So, I think ral selection without providing any Will your voice and mine be I can speak somewhat with authority. warrant for the idea that accumu heard among those sounding the Keep it up! lated changes of this kind can explain call to a new great awakening? BAPTIST MINISTER the evolution of all forms of life on the O.M. B. North Carolina earth today. The Ministry/September, 1977/3 Christ our righteousness. Jesus is to be the center. Jesus is to so capture our Semantics attention that every other interest will be crowded into the unimportant back ground. When we say "righteousness by and faith" we are cutting it short. It is really "righteousness by faith in Jesus." We aren©t saved by faith. We aren©t made Salvation righteous by our faith. It©s all Jesus! Let©s not be worried about the words and phrases. Many of them mean the same thing. Many overlap. The distinc tions between them may be so fine as not to be important. One man uses one word to describe what we are talking about. One man uses another word, another phrase. If we could think of these words and phrases as being so many roads, all leading to a personal relationship with Jesus, most of our confusion would clear. Jesus told Nicodemus that he needed to be born again. He told the woman at the well that her need was to drink of A CONVERSATION between Alice in living water. On another occasion He Wonderland and Humpty Dumpty sums MARJORIE told the people they needed bread from up the problem of semantics so well that LEWIS LLOYD heaven and that He Himself is the it has often been quoted. But here it is Bread of Life. Peter on the day of Pen again: tecost called on people to repent. And "When I use a word," Humpty Paul and Silas urged people to believe Dumpty said in a rather scornful tone, on the Lord Jesus Christ. "it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less." Are There Different Ways "The question is," said Alice, to Be Saved? "whether you can make words mean Were all these different ways to be different things." saved? Does God©s plan for saving men And Humpty Dumpty replied, "The change from place to place and from question is which is to be master that©s time to time? Didn©t the woman at the all." well need to repent? Didn©t Nicodemus We live today in a theological won need living water? And didn©t the people derland of religious jargon where words at Pentecost need the Bread of Life? mean different things to different peo Isn©t there a common denominator run ple. Words and phrases may mean one ning through them all? Aren©t all these thing to the speaker and quite another words and phrases trying to tell us that thing to the hearer. we need a personal relationship with When it comes to righteousness by Jesus? faith, our problem is not semantics We may call it righteousness by faith alone. In addition and an even greater or justification by faith or conversion or threat to our understanding we have the new birth or knowing Christ or a an enemy who is absolutely determined personal relationship with Christ or the that the subject shall not be understood. new life or the victorious life or the sur "The enemy of God and man is not will rendered life. Or we can just call it true ing that this truth [righteousness by Christianity. Aren©t they all essentially faith] should be clearly presented; for he the same? We©re just looking at a knows that if the people receive it fully, Marjorie Lewis many-faceted diamond. And Jesus is the his power will be broken." Gospel Lloyd, formerly diamond! Workers, p. 161. script editor The terms we need to be careful about for the television are perfection and sanctification. It is So we©re up against two problems program It Is semantics and the devil. Let©s try to do Written, is note dangerous to claim these or even to talk something about the semantics right retired and about them too much. Because being now with God©s guidance. And that He residing in made perfect and being sanctified are can and will take care of the other Newbury Park, continuing processes. If we claim them problem, there is no question. California. we have our eyes on ourselves instead of 4/The Ministry/September, 1977 on Jesus, and they disappear. Perfection "We should thing ridiculous like trying to grow becomes imperfection the moment you never criticize before you are born, or trying to witness claim it! a fellow before you have anything to tell! Some But again, let©s not worry about the of us have been working at both those words. Let©s just get acquainted with traveler impossibilities! Jesus, however it happens. After all, we because he are describing a supernatural experi hasn©t taken A Personal Relationship With Jesus ence. Is it any wonder that our words the same steps Righteousness by faith is not a catch fail to describe it adequately? we have and phrase or a slogan or a status symbol. It We hear a great deal about the steps in the same is simply knowing Christ. Jesus in coming to Christ and in the resulting summed it all up when He said, "This is new life. We list them one way. Some order." life eternal, that they might know thee one else will list them a different way. the only true God, and Jesus Christ, One preacher will list three steps, an whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). other five, another ten. We should not be It doesn©t matter so much whether or disturbed by the difference, as long as not you can explain it. The tragic thing they all lead to Jesus. is to be able to explain it and yet never Nor should we be disturbed about the experience it! sequence of these steps. God leads us all True Christianity is more than differently. He leads us from where we knowledge. It is more than belief. It is are to where He wants us to be. This more than faith. It is more than obedi means that the destination will be the ence. It is a personal relationship with same, but the routes will vary. If you Jesus! want to go to New York from Miami you Too many people, sincere people, have will travel north. If you want to go to been trying to have a personal relation New York from Chicago you will travel ship with the law. And you can©t do it. east. It©s inanimate. It doesn©t live. You don©t For this reason we should never criti bow down to the ninth commandment cize a fellow traveler because he hasn©t and say, "Dear Ninth Commandment, taken the same steps we have and in the I©m sorry I broke you today." No. We same order. We may have made some bow down to a Person. The law cannot surrender that he hasn©t made yet. But save. It cannot heal the hurt of sin! he may have made one that we haven©t On the other hand, we should never made yet! forget that when we come to Jesus we So don©t worry about the sequence, as come to a Person who has the law in His long as you aren©t trying to do some- heart (see Ps. 40:8). The law is His character in writing. He died rather than set it aside. So if at any point we have a quarrel with the law we have a barrier in our relationship with Jesus! What we are talking about is a rela tionship like that of David and his God. David, the young brother who his family thought didn©t count. David, out there at night alone with his sheep. Looking up at the stars and talking with his Cre ator. Knowing that God was looking after him just as he, David, was looking after his sheep with his slingshot. David, hunted by his enemies. David, with his unclean hands. David, who sinned and then wept his heart out. Not because he feared that he might lose Bathsheba or his child or his kingdom or even his own life, but because he feared he might be forever separated from his God! Is it any wonder that the relationship between God and David was something special? II

Adapted from Marjorie Lewis Lloyd©s book, If It©s So Simple, Why Is It So Hard? (Washington, D.C., Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1976), pp. 23-27. Used by permission. The Ministry/September, 1977/5 I am thinking especially of the "Fin Do Your ish the Work" resolution adopted at the 1976 Annual Council. This was a his toric document in more than one sense, RuiMintjx but especially in that it called the Sev enth-day Adventist Church to a re newed emphasis on giving priority to . "Even the task of carrying the gospel to all the world. Among other laudable objectives, Comc9 we set before ourselves the challenge to erect buildings that would exclaim to all who see them "Even so, come, Lord Lord Jesus." "A serious attempt shall be made to be conservative in our building expansion so that only absolutely essential build ings are constructed. Buildings and fur nishings should be attractive, func tional, of sturdy quality, and economical. Let us demonstrate to our people and to the world that we do not believe in building extravagantly as though we intended to make this world our home. We must remember that the only things which will survive the de OF COURSE, neither you nor I would From One Leader struction of the last days are the souls ever be guilty of such a thing, but to Another that are prepared for the coming of the sometimes we suspect a fellow leader Lord. We must also remember that our now and then of launching out on too great institutions can be, and are now luxurious a project. An overly adequate being, nationalized in many places of building complex with all of the extra the world. The one purpose of this econ gingerbread that ate considerably into omy would be to release more funds for the reserves of the conference or the the church to use in giving the last institution, an ultraposh campground, warning message to every nation, kin an overly furnished office, or a too ex dred, tongue, and people." Annual pensive pipe organ sometimes fall into Council Action, 1976. such questionable areas. Was the moti Our structures must be representa vation providing for the needs of the tive of our faith in a soon-coming Sav work, or did we wish to erect a lasting iour. Do ours look as though we expected memorial to our administration? Was to need them for many decades to come? there a bit of self built into the founda Could we have been more saving, more tion of the project? economical in our construction? Now I am not being critical. I am Robert H. Pierson As we plan our building projects we asking myself the same questions that I need to keep in mind the source from am asking you. In these closing days of which much of our money comes. Rank the work you and I both need to be sure and file Seventh-day Adventists are not that we make every cent of every dollar wealthy people. Many of the dollars that that comes into the Lord©s treasury do a find their way into Seventh-day Ad full day©s work. We must build well and ventist collection plates are there be adequately. Shoddy work and poor cause someone loves the Lord and gives planning may bring reproach upon the sacrificially. We are spending dollars cause of God. Our buildings must be and cents that come from widows, from sound, adequately caring for the needs members who have little of this world©s of the work they are intended to serve, goods. We owe it to them to make their even though they are utilitarian. money stretch as far as possible. As I look back upon some of the We Adventist leaders on occasion buildings I have had part in erecting, I have been great "fund raisers," and we can see where I could have done better, Robert H. Pierson have the most loyal people in the world where less pretentious accommodations is president who respond to our appeals. Let us be would have served as well or better. In of the General sure to make plain to them what they such projects, funds for direct evangel Conference are giving for and let us try to save ism might have been generated if I had of Seventh-day money, as well as to stimulate giving. been more watchful and careful. Adventists. If we do, then God will bless us. II 6/The Ministry/September, 1977 the integrity of a tool that seemed to be science and religion gaining credibility with use. Dates posi Sponsored by Robert H. Brown Geoscience Research Institute tively established by independent means generally agreed with C-14 dates within less than 150 years. Going back in time, however, archeological dates become less precise and thus less useful in checking the accuracy of C-14. Before 2,000 B.C., in fact, C-14 is virtually on its own, free of all precise cross-examina tion. C-14 Dating Even so, current archeological and geological inferences on dates prior to 2,000 have left little reason to believe May Be that C-14 abruptly goes wrong between two thousand and three thousand B.C., the approximate time of the Flood. Pop Wrong ular assumptions on the development of civilization or the recession of glaciers find ready support in the full 50,000- Before year range of C-14. Until recently, creationists have been unable to present a serious scientific 2OOO B.C. challenge to the long-age implications of C-14. Now, however, there is evidence in ancient peat bogs and sediment accu mulations that hints at a serious flaw in the use of C-14 before 2,000 B.C. This Editor©s Note: This month©s feature summarizes some recent developments in the interpretation of RANDOLPH E. evidence has been described in a recent radiocarbon dates. Readers who are interested in NEALL issue of Origins, published by the Geo more detail may obtain back issues and a sub science Research Institute. 1 scription to Origins by writing the Geoscience Carbon-14 is absorbed into the life Research Institute, Loma Linda University, Loma cycles of all living matter. But once the Linda, California 92354. organism dies, its C-14 level begins to It is important for the reader to recognize that drop by a slow and regular process of the evidence and the conclusions reported in this radioactive decay. Within 5,730 years it article, as well as others of similar nature, should will have half the C-14 it began with, not be classified as "proof" for the Bible. It is more appropriate to classify such material in terms of and half again (down to one fourth the success in interpreting the results of scientific original) in another 5,730 years. This investigation from viewpoints that are consistent regular decay from a known starting with the teaching of Scripture. A conversion of point makes C-14 an obvious timing de radiocarbon ages into real time on a basis that vice. In theory, the lower the C-14, the conforms to the chronological data given in the older the specimen. Bible requires peat and sediment accumulation In practice, however, a low C-14 con rates immediately following the Flood that are centration could indicate something much greater than would be expected on the basis other than a long period of radioactive of data from recent historical times. Hence such decay from an initially high level: a low conversion is not acceptable to individuals who base their views primarily on the conclusions that level of C-14 to begin with. If so, a are in current favor in scientific circles. specimen could be far younger than its C-14 content would seem to indicate. WHEN WILLARD LIBBY developed A known (or assumed) beginning C-14 the radiocarbon dating technique soon level is therefore crucial to radiocarbon after World War II, he gave archeolo- dating. Since C-14 dates have correlated gists, biologists, and countless others an roughly with dates determined by other apparently dependable dating tool that Randolph E. means until about 2,000 B.C., scientists few have seriously questioned since. Neall©s most have been able to assume that at When carbon dating is applicable recent denomina mospheric C-14 levels were virtually most scientists will give it heed, what tional service was as public constant at least till then. ever their study, be it the movement of information Archeological dates and C-14 have not glaciers or the development of human officer at Andrews always agreed exactly. Conditions such civilization. University, as temperature of the planet and geo Until recently there was little reason Berrien Springs, magnetic and solar magnetic fields belt to suspect that anything could challenge Michigan. ing the globe have produced known al- The Ministry/September, 1977/7 terations in atmospheric C-14, causing drew most of his data from Radiocar C-14 dates to differ somewhat from real bon, a journal that publishes nothing time. but radiocarbon age determinations re Before 2,000 B.C. there is little way of ported by numerous C-14 laboratories. checking against other hard evidence, If C-14 dates were valid before 2,000 since archeological dates prior to that B.C., not only would peat and sediments time may be fogged by subjective and be older with depth as all data interpretive assumptions. shows but also both would be expected Relationship to Tree-Ring Dating to be older on the average in approxi mately direct proportion to depth. The most ambitious attempt to trace Twice as deep, for example, would C-14 accuracy before 2,000 B.C. has been mean approximately twice as old. But made by the Laboratory of Tree-Ring most of the lakes and bogs bear C-14 Research directed by C. W. Ferguson at ages too old for their depth twice as the University of Arizona. His guiding deep, five times as old, in some cases. assumptions are that one ring means Two explanations would be that the one year, that ancient weather trends deeper material was packed down, or it produced the same ring pattern in every accumulated slower than did shallower tree affected, and that ancient weather layers. But according to Brown©s analy was similar to today©s. A cross section sis neither explanation will serve. A By synchronizing or matching dis of a massive layer of peat cannot be squeezed into tinctive ring patterns of many overlap sequoia, meas uring 16 feet one fifth its size. In its natural state it is ping wood specimens from scores of 5 inches in not the fluffy stuff you put on your gar trees, Ferguson©s laboratory has con side the bark, den. Neither can sediment be com structed a master ring sequence extend shows 13 pressed sufficiently to account for the ing back as far as 5,400 B.C. When centuries of C-14 ages of deeper sediments. checked against C-14, the two dating growth. Each Slower accumulation is equally un methods have been found in rough century that likely. If anything, both peat and sedi agreement, thus lending apparent va the tree lived ments were accumulating faster thou lidity to C-14 dates prior to 2,000 B.C. through is sands of years ago than today. Peat Still, the ring technique is open to marked off grows best in a cool (but not arctic), by white serious question. 2 The Bristlecone Pine figures on damp climate. In more recent millennia has been known to produce less than one the section. the climate of the planet has been ring a year. But even with a steady warmer and drier, and peat growth has one-ring-a-year, ring patterns often lack accordingly slowed considerably. Slow- the distinctiveness (ring-width varia growing upper (recent) layers, then, tion) needed to positively place a given should show a far greater age spread for specimen in a master sequence. Fur a given thickness than the rapidly thermore, patterns that are distinctive grown lower layers. But, in general, often vary significantly from one side of C-14 shows the opposite. a given tree to the other. In fact, plain One explanation is that sometime guessing can be avoided in many cases prior to 2,000 B.C., the atmosphere con only by relying on C-14 to derive a ball tained no measurable C-14. After that, park location of a specimen in the mas there apparently was a major at ter-ring sequence. But even that does mospheric change that resulted in a not solve all problems. Says Ferguson, "I build-up of C-14 in the atmosphere over often am unable to date specimens with several centuries. That would mean one or two thousand rings against a that two organisms that died less than 7,500-year master chronology, even one thousand years apart could show a with the ©ball-park© placement provided C-14 age difference as great as 40,000 by a radiocarbon date." 3 years if one organism died just before In any case, tree-ring dating is semi- C-14 began to appear and the other died dependent on C-14, thus possibly after it approached present levels. eliminating any major discrepancy be In a critical transition period a radio tween C-14 and the rings almost by def carbon year could well refer to a month inition. The rings, then, may actually or less of actual time. That would ex serve to hide the real truth about C-14. plain why so much C-14 time passes Peat bogs and sediments seem to tell a over so little peat and sediment at different story. Robert H. Brown©s study deeper levels. involved a statistical analysis of age- This brings into new focus a few C-14 depth relationships of more than 100 dates previously considered too freakish lakes, ocean sediments, and peat bogs to warrant serious attention. A frozen scattered throughout the world. He musk ox found at Fairbanks Creek, 8/The Ministry/September, 1977 Alaska, had scalp muscle tissue 24,000 derstood, C-14 may prove a valuable years old and hair 17,200 years old ac asset to creationists. cording to C-14 dating. At least three Since pre-Flood organic material has other frozen animals, two mammoths an infinite C-14 age 50,000 years or and a mastodon, have been found with more Brown concludes that there was parts of their bodies with C-14 ages far probably an undetectable concentration different from other parts or from sur of C-14 in the atmosphere before the rounding plant life that perished with or Flood. But with the Flood could have shortly after the animals. come cataclysmic changes, bringing a Given the data from the peat and rapid rise in C-14 concentration and a sediment accumulations this should precipitous drop in C-14 from 50,000 to come as no surprise. Since hair is con 4,000 radiocarbon years in compara stantly replaced, it provides an up-to- Dr. R. H. Brown tively few actual years. the-minute readout of the C-14 level in In a later issue of Origins, Brown de the food supply at the death of the an scribes a triple impact that the Flood imal. But slower-growing body parts could have had on C-14 levels.6 First, such as bone or muscle tissue might be the mere burying of a major portion of several years out of date. That lag dur the earth©s carbon-bearing plant life ing a period of rapidly rising C-14 could could in itself account for most of the cause a bone of a 10-year-old mastodon expected change in C-14 concentration, to appear thousands of years older than even if C-14 were produced at the same its hair. rate before the Flood as after. An anal Rampart Cave, located at the lower ogy might explain. With five drops of end of Grand Canyon, offers another red food coloring (C-14), the smaller the example of the possible time-inflating cake (regular carbon), the redder it capacity of C-14. The cave contains al would be (the higher the proportion of most 200 cubic yards of stratified ani C-14). In burying quantities of regular mal dung deposits, mostly from the ex carbon, the Flood had the effect of di tinct Shasta ground sloth.4 minishing and therefore "reddening" From about 13,000 to 11,000 radio the cake, that is, of increasing the pro carbon years ago (a span of 2,000 years) portion of C-14 in the air and living the sloths deposited a layer of dung matter. about 70 centimeters thick, by far the Second, the Flood may have brought most dung of any comparable previous with it a drier atmosphere, thus permit period. Given the size of the Shasta ting a rise of atmospheric C-14. Genesis sloth, three to four hundred pounds, 2:5, 6, suggests that pre-Flood atmos that©s not much about one cubic foot phere had nearly 100 percent humidity. per year, or less than one week©s elimi In the upper atmosphere, such humidity nation from one healthy adult ground would restrict the production of C-14. sloth. Could that really be? For a layer Flood water could have come partly 70 centimeters thick, 200 years would from this vapor shield, leaving behind a seem far more reasonable than 2,000.s drier atmosphere more open to C-14 Brown©s conclusions do not purport to production. ( entirely destroy the credibility of C-14 Third, the geomagnetic field belting before 2,000 B.C. Though C-14 dates as the earth may have been stronger before such may be wrong, he considers the the Flood, also reducing pre-Flood C-14 C-14 sequence to be probably correct. levels. Put together, these factors could This would mean that a specimen found place a specimen up to 66,000 radiocar to be 30,000 years old by C-14 is proba bon years beyond its real age, if C-14 bly as old as all others indicating age could be extended that far. And 30,000, and older than one 10,000 C-14 66,000 is far more than we©d ever have years old, if only by a few real years. to subtract from the oldest C-14 date to accommodate a flood less than five Development Can Be Traced thousand years ago. tt The development of early civiliza 1 R. H. Brown, "C-14 Age Profiles for Ancient Sediments and tions, then, can still be traced with C-14. Peat Bogs," Origins (1975), 2 (1):6-18. 2 Herbert C. Sorenson, "Carbon-14 Dating and the Bristle- So far, C-14 sequence reveals that the cone Pines," THE MINISTRY, February, 1975, pp. 36, 37. earliest civilization began in the Mideast 3 Ibid. 4 Austin Long and Paul S. Martin, "Death of American and from there spread throughout the Ground Sloths," Science (1974), 186 (4164):638-640; Paul S. Martin, "Sloth Droppings," Natural History, August-Septem globe. Genesis 11:8 says: "So the Lord ber 1974, pp. 74-81. scattered them abroad from there [Bab s R. H. Brown, "Can We Believe Radiocarbon Dates?" Cre ation Research Society Quarterly (1975), 12(l):66-68. ylon, or present-day Iraq] over the face 6 R. H. Brown, "The Interpretation of C-14 Dates," Origins of all the earth" (R.S.V.). Rightly un- (1976), 3(1). The Ministry/September, 1977/9 there are layers of ash scattered over biblical archeology much of the site. Sponsored by Lawrence T. Geraty. In this decade two of Lapp©s staff associate professor of archeology and the members, Walter Rast and Thomas history of antiquity, Andrews University. Schaub, have returned to conduct a series of long-range excavations at Bab edh-Dhra©. Modern archeological digs, with their desire to know about the re Har<> the Genesis gion surrounding the city they are in vestigating, conduct surveys of other ^Cities of the ancient sites in the vicinity of their town in order to place their site into its Plain" Been context, geographically and historio- culturally. Heshbon has done this, and Discovered? so has Bab edh-Dhra©. The suggestions and implications of their finds are stu pendous for conservative Biblical schol ars. Anyone who has visited the Dead Sea ONE OF the advantages of being on knows that the area is almost com the "dig" at Heshbon was the weekend LARRY G. HERR pletely desert, interrupted by greenery trips that one could take throughout only where a spring exists or where a Jordan. Almost every weekend there river originating in the mountains were several groups scattering through round about finally reaches the Dead the country to visit other locales, such as Sea. Even Bedouin are rare in this area Petra, the desert castles, or various today, and hardly any archeological Biblical sites. sites are to be found, indicating its ex One weekend in 1976 five of us ar treme desert condition in antiquity, as ranged a visit to a series of five ancient well. sites far below sea level near the south It was thus with some surprise that eastern shores of the Dead Sea. The the archeological surveyors, hiking Jordanian Department of Antiquities through the region, constantly on the kindly arranged permits for us to enter lookout for signs of occupation, found the military zone (the sites are near the several other sites with similarities to border with Israel), as well as loaned us Bab edh-Dhra\ All five sites found were one of their four-wheel-drive vehicles built on the same type of sedimentary for the rugged tracks we would encoun geological formation, usually eroded to ter. a high promontory that could be easily In 1924 a large cemetery site was dis fortified, overlooking the Dead Sea val covered in this region by W. F. Albright, ley. The same type of pottery and ob an archeologist with whom readers of jects, masonry, and tomb types were this column are well acquainted. It con found at or near each site, indicating a tained hundreds of graves with pottery close relationship between all five at a from the third millennium B.C. Albright single period in time, earlier than, but proposed that this site, called Bab edh- not far removed from, the period usually Dhra©, might have been the cemetery for ascribed to the patriarchs. When these the cities of the plain mentioned in facts first became known in 1974 the Genesis 14, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, whole archeological community began Shemeber, and Bela (Zoar), which were, whispering about possible identifica according to the popular traditions of tions with the five cities of the plain. his day, buried beneath the waters of To satisfy my own curiosity and to the southern part of the Dead Sea. make my own judgments about the In the 1960©s Archeologist Paul Lapp sites, I eagerly joined the group, organ returned to the site and discovered a ized by Michael Blaine (a California Jarge town nearby, which he partially pastor and fellow supervisor at Hesh excavated. A large city wall, built in bon), and headed for the heat and dust such a way as to withstand the frequent Larry G. Herr of the Dead Sea valley. After sleeping earthquakes that occurred in the Jordan received his Ph.D. overnight in the awesome ruins of the from Harvard Valley, was found surrounding the city University in crusader castle at Kerak, high in the itself. Inside, many objects were discov June in Near Moabite mountains directly overlooking ered attesting to the vitality of the peo Eastern the Dead Sea to the west and almost ple living there before the town was Languages and 5,000 feet below, we arose to begin our destroyed, probably by a large fire, as Literatures. descent at 5:00 A.M. so that we could 10/The Ministry/September, 1977 finish our trip before the heat became coated here and there with the black too intense. smudge of bitumin, just as is described Our first stop was at Bab edh-Dhra© in the Bible. There were several Bed itself, where we confirmed what had ouin families tenting in the area, but we been reported from the excavations. We were interested in the site of Feifeh noted the pottery sherds still scattered situated beside a strong flowing stream. about on top of the ruins and spotted the Here were hundreds of tombs, as many spring far below in the canyon now as at Bab ehd-Dhra©. But the town was wastefully running off into the Dead considerably smaller, only the size of a Sea. According to geologists, this canyon fortress or a very large American house. was much higher at the time the city ghor Perhaps the original inhabitants existed just over four thousand years camped round about the fortress in ago; this would have enabled the stream tents, as Lot did near Sodom and as the to flow through a broad plain easily ir modern Bedouins still do. Otherwise, we rigated for teeming croplands and or are at a loss to explain the large ceme chards. Some dwellings were discovered tery. Large deposits of ash again overlay outside the walls of the town, which A map of the the ruins. reminded us of Lot©s pitching "his tent Dead Sea region The heat was growing intense, and toward Sodom." At least people habit identifying the the road was so difficult to traverse to ually lived outside the city. We noted sites mentioned the last site that we decided to make a in the accompany hasty return to Kerak. From others, the evidence of the destruction of the ing article. town by fire, as well as the fact that no however, we know that the fifth site, other town had been built on top of it Khanazir, is the smallest of the five, during the succeeding 4,000 years; it though the most prominent, high on a had been completely forgotten. We also rock outcrop overlooking the valley. checked the size of the town, which was Only a few tombs and a small fortress relatively good-sized for antiquity but have been found there, but pottery indi minute by modern standards: slightly cates that the site dates to the same larger than a city block. period as the other four. After a quick look at some of the All the way back to the Heshbon ex tombs on the other side of the road we cavation camp at Madaba we discussed headed south about five miles to another the pros and cons of an identification of site, as yet unexcavated, called Nu- these five sites with the Genesis cities of meirah by the Arabs. This also was high the plain. There were a few problems, above a meager stream that flowed in but they were soon worked out. We were the valley below. As we walked over the puzzled over the small size of the sites; site we noticed the masonry similar to there were much larger cities from the Bab edh-Dhra© in the exposed portions of same time period both west and east of the town wall. Just outside the town the Jordan River, but, of course, the were graves and grave markings identi Bible makes no claims as to the size of cal to those at the first site. But the most the cities of the plain, only their wick interesting feature was the ash that edness. completely covered the area (probably to The testimony of the thick layers of a depth of five feet or more), reminding ash on top of the sites was striking: us of the fiery destruction of the cities of whereas many ancient sites were de the plain as recorded in Genesis. But the stroyed by fire, very few destructions size of the site was disappointing as it have been of such a great incendiary was only about 300 feet long by perhaps nature that so much ash remained. 100 feet wide, about as large as a foot Truly a great conflagration must have ball field. A few miles farther south was the site of Safi, very well watered by a perennial stream descending from the mountains. No town buildings have been found here from the early period, the end of the Early Bronze Age, but surface potsherds A plan of the indicate they probably lie beneath one Early Bronze of the later towns built by the Romans, Age site of Byzantines, and Arabs. On the hillsides Bab edh-Dhra©, Bab edh-Dhra© surrounding the area, graves typical of possibly one the period have been discovered. of the five Here the good road ended and only a "cities of dusty track led through the desert, the plain." The Ministry/September, 1977/11 5; f , destroyed these towns, and signifi cantly, not one of them was rebuilt. If a substantial number of people had Doors Closing escaped they probably would have re built the towns. Opening Another reason some of us did not like to identify these sites with the cities of D. A. ROTH the plain was that they were destroyed RAPID CHANGES are being made at least two hundred years prior to the in political, economic, and social condi dates generally ascribed to Abraham. tions of developing countries of the The archeological dates could be altered world. Some doors are being closed to Christian missionary work while slightly but not to that extent with any others are suddenly opening. ease. On the other hand the 430 years of The world divisions of the Seventh- Exodus 12:40 is often divided in half by day Adventist denomination carefully many chronologists, to make 215 years watch these changes and adjust pro sojourn in Palestine by the patriarchs grams and budgets accordingly to take and 215 in Egypt by the children of maximum advantage of potential gos Israel. But Exodus 12:40 explicitly pel presentation. Despite all efforts to states that the 430 years were spent in maintain careful distribution of mis Egypt, which, if taken into considera sion funds in all areas of division ter tion, would place the patriarchs roughly ritories, there are many overseas areas where a lack of funds makes it neces 200 years earlier, very near the archeo- sary for us to bypass unique opportu logically dated demise of the five sites nities to present Christ to those who we visited. know Him not. Could it be that Sodom and Gomor In the Republic of the Philippines rah, as well as the rest of the cities of our denominationally owned and the plain, have been discovered? Their operated radio station at Mountain existence can no longer be questioned View College could beam the gospel even by the most skeptical scholar since message to the entire archipelago one of the tablets from the recently un twenty-four hours a day if sufficient earthed sensational archives at Tell funds were available. Currently the station operates a mere few hours Mardikh (ancient Ebla) in Syria, con every day within a limited coverage tains in a list of tributary cities the An Early Bronze area. names of Sodom and Gomorrah. These Age burial Up until this year in the populous texts date to the same period as the chamber of the country of Bangladesh not a single ruins of the five sites, furnishing a fur huge Bab edh- representative church building could ther indirect argument for their iden Dhra© cemetery; be found for our more than 2,000 tification with the cities of the plain. notice the members. The first substantial church The proof is not certain, but proposals heaped bones structure in the nation is currently in the center being constructed in Dacca near mis for the specific sites of the cities of the with skulls and plain are receiving more and more fa sion headquarters. Lack of funds pre tomb offerings vents completion of the building. vorable consideration. II at the sides. In South India there are unlimited opportunities today in public evangel ism. Unprecedented opportunities are now open to our workers and church members, if sufficient funds were only available for public witness. English-language schools with stu dent volunteers in non-Christian Indo nesia have been very effective in bringing the gospel to young adults. If sufficient funds were available many branches of this type of missionary ac tivity could be established in urban and rural areas. The annual Missions Extension Of fering scheduled for all North Ameri can Division churches on Sabbath, September 10, 1977, will provide spe cial funds to the world divisions for projects over and above the regular and special budget appropriations. Let©s take full advantage of open doors while we still can.

12/The Ministry/September, 1977 a part, there are other elements that have been motivating factors behind the Church evangelistic advance in the Inter-Amer ican Division. Growth In We do admit to some advantages. In spite of the diversity of our population, Inter-America certain basic social structures make it easier to develop methods that will be effective in nearly any part of the divi sion. The English- and French-speaking areas share a common heritage, and the THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST JAMES W. Caribbean littoral is fairly homogenous CHURCH is growing at a constantly ZACKRISON in social structure. The same holds true accelerating pace in Inter-America. Ac for the Spanish-speaking areas of the cording to a study done in 1970 by Read, division. Monterroso, and Johnson on the growth Family ties are close and seldom be of evangelical churches in Latin Amer come individualized as is the case in so ica (Latin American Church Growth many contemporary cultures. Even [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970]), Ad- though the family members may mi ventists were either in first or second grate from rural areas to urban centers, place growthwise in eight out of nine the ties with the group left behind re Spanish-speaking countries in the main close, and communication is con Inter-American Division. In the one re stantly maintained. Whatever tran maining country we were in third place. spires with one member of the family is The study also showed that our growth immediately known, analyzed, and has been steady over the years as com studied by the other members. This sit pared to some other churches whose uation is of great advantage in evangel growth patterns have often been erratic. World Report ism. A chain reaction is established that According to the statistical report produces multiple results. presented at the 1976 Annual Council, We have the advantage of relatively the Inter-American Division grew at a stable congregations. Except for peri rate of 8.75 percent during 1975, sur odic migrations in search of employ passed among Adventists only by the ment in some newly prosperous areas, Southern Asia Division. Nearly 17 per we do not face the problem of what some cent of all Seventh-day Adventists in have called "Winnebago Adventists." the world reside in Inter-America. Dur The church is the center of the social life ing 1976 the division surpassed its of most church members, and conse long-held goal of baptizing more than quently it is possible to develop long- 50,000 persons in one year. range programs, knowing that the If our churches on the island of Ja human potential for carrying them out maica were spread out in a straight line is available and stable. there would be a Seventh-day Adventist Another advantage enjoyed in Inter- church at one-mile intervals over the America is the commitment to high entire island. Some islands in the Car standards of Christian behavior and at ibbean are almost entirely Adventist. tire. The general spiritual tone of our What is the Inter-American secret? churches is good. The conservatism of A prevalent conception of Inter- the early pioneer workers, coupled with America groups its inhabitants into a the Spanish heritage in many areas, has common mold and gives the impression produced an ingrained adherence to that church growth is relatively simple church standards. because the majority of the population Latin American society has been is more or less homogenous in culture shaped and molded by Catholicism. This and life style. In reality, however, has produced a pattern of thinking that Inter-America is as heterogenous as any runs through all our society and can be place on earth. We have four major lan identified and utilized as a common de guage groups, English, Spanish, French, nominator when dealing with people at and Dutch, and hundreds of indigenous almost any level. Adventist evangelistic dialects and peoples within the territory James W. methods have been built on this com Zackrison is of the division. Peoples of all kinds of translation and mon denominator and found to work backgrounds and cultures compose the research coor wherever this situation holds true, in cosmopolitan membership of the Inter- dinator for the spite of national boundaries or language American Adventist Church. Inter-American differences. While some cultural realities do play Division. We are fortunate in the fact that V1 The Ministry/September, 1977/13 theological controversies and conserva Lay workers derstanding the basic psychology of tive-liberal tensions are almost un are fully Catholic society. The methodology he known in Inter-America. Our ministry capable of and his colleagues developed is still in is dedicated to the fundamentals of the use today, though modified to meet con faith and is preoccupied with carrying preparing temporary conditions. Emphasis is this message to the general population. candidates for placed on making a total impact on the There is also unanimous commitment to baptism and city or area where a campaign is to be the inspiration of the Spirit of Prophecy. holding held. The speaker invariably appears on television, speaks at service clubs, at The Humanization of Inter crusades on their own. colleges, and on radio until he becomes personal Relationships well known in the location. No other Those who visit Inter-American com religion is attacked in any way. Truth is mittee meetings are always astonished its own best defense and proof. The ini at the spirit of brotherhood manifested, tial topics presented deal with home and even in the heat of the decision-making family relationships. Five-Day Plans to process. While differences of opinion Stop Smoking are used and tied in di may exist, they are minimal compared rectly to the crusade itself. The doctri to the overall "family of God" spirit that nal subjects are usually presented reigns throughout the division. Our through a teaching approach, using a leaders have gone out of their way to Bible course and Bible marking. The humanize the administrative process average crusade runs two to three and place the emphasis on people rather months. By the time a candidate is bap than machinery. It is difficult to find a tized he has usually gone through a truly unhappy worker in this division. series of studies with a layman, the Administration is not looked upon with crusade, a series of studies during the fear and trembling, but rather is looked crusade, and possibly an advanced Voice to for counsel and guidance. This ap of Prophecy course. proach has produced a spirit of enthusi asm that is infectious and multiplies Commitment and Participation itself into a dynamic program at the by the Laity grass-roots level. Inter-America is committed to the No one in this division has any doubt concept that "every true disciple is born at all where our priorities lie. Inter- into the kingdom of God as a mission America is synonymous with evangel ary" (The Desire of Ages, p. 195). The ism. In response to an opinion poll a laity of the Adventist Church in Inter- local mission president wrote: "In Inter- America is a vital key to the growth in America we believe in the urgency of membership. Laymen win thousands of preaching and announcing the soon converts every year. The clergy is as coming of Jesus. Since we must prepare signed to districts so large that it would ourselves for that great event, and in be impossible to attend to all the needs harmony with that belief, deeply in without the help of committed laymen. grained in us, we cannot remain inac Lay workers are fully capable of pre tive while souls are perishing without paring candidates for baptism and hold Christ. This is why we do not try to ing crusades on their own. ©save© money at any level when it comes The laity is involved in running the to evangelism. We are pushing the ac church machinery, as well as in evan celerator to the floor, preaching in sea gelism. This participating by the laity son and out of season, using all the produces a spirit of interest and com forces of the church children, youth, mitment to the church and its progress adults, laity, and ministry because we that is lacking if members are expected want to finish the job as soon as possi only to warm the pews on Sabbath ble." morning. To be named a local church The evangelistic methodology used in elder is a privilege that is taken the Spanish-speaking areas of the divi seriously. Election as a delegate to a sion is the result of many years of ex conference constituency meeting is not perimentation and analysis. Much of it taken lightly. The Adventist Church in was developed in South America and Inter-America is "our" church as far as implemented in Inter-America. Early the laity are concerned, and they are attempts to import North American vitally interested in its progress and ul methods failed. timate destiny. Lay preachers abound, The real father of Latin American and pastors seldom have to worry about evangelism was Walter Schubert. Pas filling their pulpits if they must be ab tor Schubert recognized the need of un- sent. M 14/The Ministry/September, 1977 What Adventists Owe to Other Christians

WHEN SEVENTH-DAY ADVENT- C. MERVYN the confusion of the Middle Ages. ISM arose in the forties and fifties of the MAXWELL Diaries and devotional works reveal nineteenth century it built solidly on that a personal love for Jesus never died the work of devoted Christians, both out among the faithful. As is well Catholic and Protestant, who had for known, of course, concern for spiritual centuries treasured the Bible and the ity in the church led (understandably great truths it contains. but unfortunately) to a multiplication of Adventists base their beliefs on rituals and penances. Scripture. But who preserved the Bible Then Martin Luther appeared, often during the Middle Ages, when it might on his knees before God seeking peace have been lost or forgotten? Roman and truth. Catholic monks in Western Europe, of As a professor in a Catholic univer course, and their Orthodox counterparts sity, Luther was required to teach the in the East. Bible as the word of God, but so many Predictably, passing centuries gen penances were required of him by his erated customs that, to some extent at devout advisers that heaven seemed least, obscured the meaning of Holy impossible and God was an angry judge. Writ. Thank God for Wycliffe! This "Love Christ?" he asked in a moment of Catholic scholar loved the Lord and be anguish. "I hate Him." lieved in Christ as the source of all The writings of Saint Augustine truth. As he struggled with the Word he helped. Then with intense excitement realized that not all was well with doc Luther discovered in the Bible that sin trines that had filtered down to him, and ners are not saved by "works" but by he urged his fellow believers to lay aside simple faith in the life and death of various man-made interpretations and Jesus (Romans 4:1-10; Ephesians 2:8, 9). return more closely to Scripture. He be He also discovered "the priesthood of came the father of the first translation believers," the truth that everyone may of the whole Bible into Middle English. come to God directly through Christ (1 Under his inspiration Lollards went Peter 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5). "The gates of about England in distinctive garb read paradise opened wide," he said, "and I ing this Bible to the people and teaching walked right in." them to put Scripture above tradition. Like Wycliffe, Luther also regarded Their influence is still felt. C. Mervyn Max the Bible as the only rule of faith. "Un Seventh-day Adventists believe in well, Ph.D., is less I am convicted by Scripture and professor of plain reason, I can do no other," he righteousness by faith and in the su church history at preme significance of a personal rela Andrews Uni stated firmly at Worms. tionship with Jesus Christ as Lord and versity Theolog Adventists believe that the Lord©s Saviour. Obviously, it was those within ical Seminary, Supper is a simple meal at which Jesus the Catholic Church who kept alive the Berrien Springs, invokes His covenant of grace to forgive knowledge of God and of Christ through Michigan. sin and to conquer iniquity. They see it The Ministry/September, 1977/15 as a tangible reminder of the cross and a Anabaptists came to be known as Puritans, because thrilling herald of the Second Coming. thought the of their concern to purify what seemed Somehow, on the tides of church his Sabbath well to them to be the rather immature tory, the simple words of Jesus, "This is Christianity of the new Anglican my body," came to be understood as worth dying Church. turning the communion bread into the for. Thanks to To the Puritans we owe the King actual flesh of Christ and as rendering them we think James Version. In 1603 Puritans peti the wine so sacred that laymen must be the Sabbath tioned King James I for a new transla forbidden to drink it lest they acciden worth living tion for use in worship services. The tally spill the "blood of God." Supersti for. king complied, appointing forty-seven tious folk entered churches at midnight scholars of the realm to undertake the to steal away fragments of the body of task. Eight years later, in 1611, the fa Christ and to sprinkle them for good mous King James Version came off the luck among their cabbages. It was pop press. Who can estimate what this ularly felt that little need existed for translation has done, to the glory of sermons or, indeed, for any worship ex God? cept at the moment when a bell rang Adventists, along with all other Eng and the pastor pronounced the words, lish-speaking Christians, are greatly Hoc est corpus meum. Services were ac indebted to Calvin and his descendants. celerated to make this mystic moment come the quicker. Christ©s sacrament of Adventists Didn©t Invent Immersion spiritual fellowship became for millions Seventh-day Adventists believe in little more than magic. baptism by immersion, but, of course, But Luther and Wycliffe became con they didn©t invent it. When Luther vinced that the bread does not actually stressed the Bible as above tradition and turn into the body of Christ. And Luther faith as vital to sacrament, some of his especially saw the meal as a supreme followers noticed that Jesus had said occasion at which the ever-present that people would be saved if they be Christ assures repentant persons of the lieved and were baptized (Mark 16:16). forgiveness of their sins. They wondered how infants could have All over Northern Europe thousands faith. The first Anabaptist to die ap rejoiced with Martin Luther, and large pears to have been a pretty Swiss girl numbers gave their lives for their faith. whose head was held under water in a In France and Switzerland other de horse trough in mock imitation of "be voted Catholics continued their study liever©s baptism." Others died in this and discovered additional truth that had way or by being drowned in rivers or been obscured. John Calvin, father of burned at the stake. Or barbecued be Presbyterians and Congregationalists, side a fire. Others were laid on open had a mind as logical as Luther©s was coffins too small for them. Soldiers enthusiastic. He systematized the excit pounded them in with their hobnailed ing Biblical truth newly coming to light. boots. It is unfortunate that Calvin©s name Analogous to the Anabaptists on the today is associated with "predestina continent of Europe were the Baptists of tion" so disparagingly. He did teach England and America who, however, predestination, but to the people of his unlike most Anabaptists, adopted "bap time it did not appear as it does to us. tism by immersion." They noticed that Ordinary people had come to believe Paul called baptism a "burial" and that that their destiny depended on the deci Jesus came up "out of" the water after sion of ministers, who "held the keys" to He was baptized (Romans 6:3-12; Mat the kingdom of heaven. Calvin said that thew 3:16). people were predestined by God (not Some Baptists and some Anabaptists, men) before the foundation of the world! as they continued to study the Bible It is difficult today to grasp the immense which Luther had opened up to them, relief that came over his congregations. discovered the seventh-day Sabbath. Calvin also emphasized the marvel- For keeping it, they were persecuted by ous change (sanctification) that can Protestant and Catholic alike, and some come to a person who sees himself as a laid down their lives. Andreas Fischer predestined child of the sovereign God. was thrown over a castle wall. Oswald Thousands of Catholics gratefully ac Glait was hurled into the river Danube. cepted the recovered truths that he John James was hanged, drawn, and taught them. Many of these, too, gave quartered. They thought the Sabbath up their lives as a result. well worth dying for. It is thanks to such In England the followers of Calvin Christians that Seventh-day Adventists 16/The Ministry/September, 1977 think the Sabbath well worth living for. To those who Justification through Jesus Christ, In the eighteenth century, teaching preserved and sanctification through the Holy Spirit, on predestination began to grow stale. passed on salvation by faith alone, the Bible as the Millions who had never felt the fear of only rule of faith, the seventh-day Sab priests feared that God might have pre truth through bath, the sleep of the dead, all these destined them to be lost. John Wesley the ages, truths and more, Seventh-day Advent discovered that salvation is for "who Adventists owe ists drew from their former churches. In soever believeth" (John 3:16). a great debt of return, they offered to their Christian Today Adventists are at work in 195 gratitude. brethren and to the world some exciting countries, preaching that Christ©s grace news that they discovered about a great is free to all men everywhere. Thank new enterprise in which Jesus is cur God for John Wesley and the Method rently engaged in heaven on the sinner©s ists. behalf. Through the centuries many individ So when Adventists say that they ual Christians have taken literally the have "the truth" they mean that they words of Jesus, "Our friend Lazarus have the truth that other Christians sleepeth" (John 11:11) and of Daniel have taught them, and also a special 12:2, "Many of them that sleep in the understanding of the grace of God that dust of the earth shall awake." Wycliffe applies particularly to the present time. believed in the "unconscious sleep be When an Adventist says that he has tween death and resurrection." Martin "the truth" he is not boasting. It isn©t his Luther (at times, anyway) taught that truth. It©s God©s truth; truth that God death in Christ "is a fine, sweet and has revealed through the Bible. And brief sleep." The Anglican Francis most of it is truth that God has revealed Blackburne, the Baptist Matthew Caf- to a great many devout persons through fyn, the Puritan poet John Milton, and the ages, who preserved it and passed it in America, the former Methodist min on, often at great sacrifice. To such ister George Storrs, and the former Christians, Seventh-day Adventists owe Congregationalist minister, Charles a great debt of gratitude. II Fitch, are samples of numerous others who believed the same. Seventh-day Adventists are grateful to belong to their company. Ministers© Monday Seminar In the early nineteenth century oc DESIGNED FOR MINISTERS OF ALL FAITHS curred a grand phenomenon known as the great second advent awakening. It Sept. 26, 1977—Baltimore, Maryland was a vast interdenominational move Nov. 21, 1977—Washington, B.C. ment that stirred Europe and both North and South America. It caused the SPEAKERS AND TOPICS INCLUDE: truth about the second coming of Jesus Raoul Dederen, D.es-L., Professor of Theology, to shine with greater luster than it had Andrews University since the second century. Out of this "The Battle Over the Bible" interdenominational revival rose the J. Wayne McFarland, M.D., Assoc. Director, General Seventh-day Adventist Church. Conference Health Department Annie Smith, an early Adventist poet and editor, was originally a Baptist. "The Minister and His Health" Rachel Oakes and R. F. Cottrell were R. H. Brown, Ph.D., Director, Geoscience Research originally Seventh Day Baptists. Institute Hiram Edson, Frederick Wheeler, and Stuart E. Nevins, Asst. Professor of Geology, Ellen Harmon were Methodists. Christian Heritage College Joseph Bates and James White were members of the Christian Connection. "Fossils, Sedimentary Rocks, and Stockbridge Howland was a Congre Noah©s Flood" gationalist. As these and increasing thousands of FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND others became Adventists in the early RESERVATIONS WRITE: days of the Seventh-day Adventist Baltimore Seminar Washington, D.C., Seminar Movement, they did not give up the 6600 Martin Road Gaymont Place Columbia, Md. 21044 Staunton, Va. 24401 beautiful truths about Jesus that they or phone (301) 461-9100. or phone (703) 886-0771. had learned in their former denomina Ask for Jim Hoehn. Ask for John Loor. tions. Instead, they found new glory in them as they learned still richer con There is no charge for the seminar complimentary meal cepts. provided. Runs from 9:30 A.M. until 4:30 P.M. The Ministry/September, 1977/17 The more active the cell, the more mi tochondria it has; some liver cells may contain as many as 1,000. These tiny powerhouses come in all Always Tired? shapes round, cylindrical, football- shaped, and threadlike. Some are sta ttere^s tionary, some move. Some can even change their shape and size, depending on the cell©s need for energy at the mo the Answer ment. Frequently they collect near structures that need their ATP or near the supply of their materials. In muscles they are lined up just where they are needed the most to shorten the distance the ATP must travel. UP, UP, UP goes the price of Middle- MARJORIE But whatever their shape, size, or lo Eastern oil! Up, up, up goes the price of BALDWIN cation, mitochondria have three essen gas, electricity, and coal. Obviously the tial parts: an outer wall, an inner wall Western world is in a tremendous en folded upon itself into partitions (cris- ergy crisis. But there is another energy tae), and a gelatinlike material (matrix) problem, closer home than we may have that fills the spaces (fig. 2). Each part realized. Western man has an internal has a special work to do, which we will energy crisis. Almost everyone, it consider later. seems, runs low on push before the day is over, and the bottom seems to drop out Fuel for the Powerhouse of his energy reserves. Just here is a fascinating bit of cre What is this energy? Where does it ative marvel. Whether corn oil, pota come from? Can it be stored, like an toes, beans or other foodstuffs cient Egypt©s plentiful grain reserves, against times of future need? matrix The "oil" that fuels our bodies is called ATP (for adenosine triphosphate). cristae Every thought we think, every move we make, every beat of the heart, requires ,er membrane ATP for its energy. It is produced in incredibly minute factories called mito chondria, found in all body cells (fig. 1).

"outer membrane

Fig. 2. Structure of mitochondrion, the powerhouse of the cell.

Nucleus provide the raw materials, mitochondria can convert their fats, carbohydrates, and on occasion, protein leftovers, into a single product called acetyl-CoA. Then, no matter where it comes from, each acetyl-CoA particle contributes to ytoplasm Marjorie energy production. It swings onto a one Baldwin, M.D., way energy merry-go-round called the is assistant "citric acid cycle" that has ten stations. Mitochondria professor of At each of these the CoA is transformed health sciences at Loma Linda into a different substance, the last of Fig. 1. Diagram including the nucleus and University School which gives the next particle of acetyl- cytoplasm of the cell and showing the location of Health and an CoA the necessary push for its spin of mitochondria in the cytoplasm. There are associate health around the wheel. (See figure 3.) many other parts to the cell, and many more editor of THE Now, hold your breath! Every spin of mitochondria. MINISTRY. the citric acid wheel makes lots of en- 18/The Ministry/September, 1977 ergy for us for example, each molecule of glucose (from carbohydrate) produces 40 molecules of ATP. And don©t forget the ATP coming from the acetyl-CoA N X V * ^ from fat and protein. electrical mechan- chem- ** When we realize that most of our en •work ical ical °*er ergy comes from ATP we begin to un / y derstand the tremendous significance of these wonderful processes. "It appears . _ __ ft D P .----^- today that the whole business of the metabolic breakdown of food materials mitochondrion is so designed and directed as to produce the richest possible harvest of ATP to Fig. 4. Body others that remove byproducts. The in replace that used up in energy-consum energy is ternal jellylike substance contains the ing operations."1 dependent on enzymes of the energy wheel. It is here mitochondria. that phosphate is added to ADP to gen ATP Recycled erate the precious ATP. But this is only the beginning of the Where, then, does energy come from? energy story. As ATP releases some of Largely from the breakdown of glucose its energy it becomes ADP (adenosine with the subsequent formation of in diphosphate) in a process that can be credibly large amounts of ATP, our represented very simply as ATP^> prime energy source. But where does ADP+energy. This process is revers glucose come from? From foods such as ible the addition of phosphate and fruits and grains. And how do the plants outside energy to ADP regenerates make food? ATP. Mind-bending! Reminds one of the Here is another fascinating and wheels within wheels seen by Ezekiel in thrilling story. Mitochondria have, in his vision, all sustained by the Hand green plants, twin sisters called chloro- underneath the wheels. plasts. These are mostly located in the And so the mitochondria, the power leaves. From air the plants absorb car house of the cell and thus of the body, is bon dioxide; from the soil, water and the place where the internal energy minerals; from sunshine they absorb crisis is solved. (See figure 4.) Its outer photons, which are tiny bits of light wall receives the essential raw materi energy. Through the miracle of their als. Its inner wall and partitions contain energy-capturing chlorophyll, chloro- some enzymes that make ATP and plasts add carbon dioxide to a "starter" already present in the plant and fash ion, by a series of marvelous reactions, Carbohydrate the foods needed by man and God©s other creatures. These processes also use ATP energy to spin their wheels and create Fat Protein (surplus ammo acids) the products, as do those of the mito chondria. But where do the photons and mole cules of "starter" in the green plants come from? When we push back our deepest inquiry as far as we can we come, like the genealogical records of Scripture, to the Creator Himself. For, ultimately, beyond the sun, all energy is His gift, used not only to create but to sustain and maintain His works. ATP energy Good news! Dr. Kiessling, of the Uni versity of Uppsala, Sweden, and his as •waste products sociates, actually measured the mito chondria in some men©s leg muscles.2 After 14 weeks of training, sedentary young men increased their mitochon- drial volume 50 percent; after 28 weeks, it doubled they had twice as much mi- tochondrial material in the same mus Fig. 3. The energy wheel (citric acid cycle), showing interrelation cles. But crack volunteer Swedish ath ships between food and body energy. letes had more than three times as much The Ministry/September, 1977/19 mitochondria. Could this decrease ATP 3x formation? In heart failure there is not enough "squeeze" in the heart muscle to main 2x 1 tain normal circulation of the blood, so CD there is less oxygen available. If circu CD lation is restricted by narrowing or even Ix O> CD o obstruction of some segment(s) of the blood vessels, or blood-vessel hardening, g g g CD or even by constrictive clothing, then cz> c^? c > some parts of the body are deprived of adequate oxygen. Could these condi Sedentary After After Champion tions contribute to energy lack? Young 14 Weeks© 28 Weeks© Swedish Of course, food supplying carbohy Men Training Training Athletes drate, fat, and protein is vital. But be yond that a number of vitamins and as the sedentary men. (See figure 5.) Fig. 5. Effect of minerals are essential in the enzyme Dr. King, of Washington State Uni vigorous exercise factory of the energy wheel. All can be versity, forced some laboratory rats to on mitochondrial provided in the diet the Lord recom run in motor-driven work wheels 40 content of muscle. mended in Genesis 1:29, 30; 2:15-17. minutes a day. They also developed (Fruits, grains, nuts, and vegetables.) nearly twice as many mitochondria as And even hormones play a part. did animals that were not exercised in Thyroid hormone, for example, in this way.3 creases the production of many en On the other hand, during the first zymes, including one that is important two days of total inactivity, muscle tis to the exchange of energy phosphate. sue loses as much as one-tenth of its Many drugs sabotage the energy equip mitochondria..4 It all adds up to one ment. conclusion regular, vigorous exercise Along with health and life itself, en increases mitochondria. And this means ergy is one of the very most valuable more energy. assets we can have. Would you like to have more of it? Try a balanced routine Can We Store Energy? of regular total body exercise, good food, Really, in a sense, we store potential rest, avoidance of drugs, the best air you energy in glycogen and fat. However, can get, along with good breathing hab this energy is largely unavailable if mi its to get it into your body, and absolute tochondria are few and far between freedom from worry. There is nothing owing to inactivity, sedentary living, like confidence and trust in God to keep deficient exercise and physical work the mitochondria spinning out the ATP. because not much of it can get out of Above and beyond these partially storage. known-and-understood mechanisms is There is another, more available, the Creator, our great Source of all life power cache called phosphocreatine in and energy. He who created the sun, muscles. This provides power for instant chloroplasts, mitochondria, ATP, and all intense work when energy is used faster the rest, can impart renewed supplies of than it can be recycled from ADP in the energy through channels unknown and usual way, and this continues until the unperceived to us, but as real as that metabolic machinery catches up. During imparted to the dying paralytic let down periods of rest and relaxation the stock through the roof of Peter©s house, when, pile of glycogen and phosphocreatine is at the fiat of the Creator he rose, took up replenished. Perhaps this, among other his bed, and walked. things, is involved in the counsel "The "In him we live, and move, and have work of building up the body takes place our being" (Acts 17:28). II during the hours of rest." 5 1 E. Baldwin, The Nature of Biochemistry (Cambridge: The Some Warnings University Press, 1967, 2nd ed.), p. 93. 2 K. H. Kiessling, "Mitochondrial Volume in Skeletal Muscle From Young and Old Physically Untrained and Trained Cyanide, present in tobacco smoke, Healthy Men and From Alcoholics," Clinical Science, 44:547- poisons the mitochondria and blocks the 554, 1973. 3 D. W. King, "The Effects of Immediate and Chronic Exer formation of ATP. cise on Rat Skeletal Muscle Mitochondria," Diss. Abst. (Physi Carbon monoxide, also in tobacco ology), 29B:1824B, 1968. " D. H. Rifenberick, James G. Gamble, and S. R. Max, "Re smoke, fills up the oxygen-carrying sponse of Mitochondrial Enzymes to Decreased Muscular Ac tivity," Amer. J. Physiology, 225 (6):1295-1299, 1973. seats in the hemoglobin of blood, and 5 Ellen G. White, Education (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific this decreases the oxygen available to Press Publishing Assn., 1903), p. 205. 20/The Ministry/September, 1977 A. Under the blessing of God I have Ernest Llotjd lived a systematic healthful life style. Beginning each day at 5:30 in the morning, I follow healthful habits such —In His as eating three light meals a day and keeping an optimum weight. 98th Year Q. How long have you been a veg etarian? A. Since September of 1896, when I MANY OF our readers will remem entered Battle Creek College in Michi HEALTH STAFF gan. This school was situated close to ber the name of Ernest Lloyd as editor INTERVIEW of one of their first childhood loves, Our the world-famous Battle Creek Sanitar Little Friend magazine. Pastor Lloyd ium, where a score of us students has had a long and most rewarding life, worked after school hours. We learned one of outstanding service for the Lord from physicians there that a vegetarian and His work. How has this man main diet is the best for human beings. Their tained his health and alertness? Does monthly lectures in chapel and our he know something we don©t know and physical improvement assured us we maybe should? Let©s ask him. were on the right road. Time has proved it. Q. Pastor Lloyd, we understand that you are in your 98th year. Q. What foods do you enjoy and use Would you give us a thumbnail regularly? sketch of your life? A. Fruits, grains, vegetables, and A. I was born in Ontario, Canada, nuts. I am a small person, and have February 22, 1880. My early home was never weighed more than 130 pounds. in Chicago, Illinois. From 1896 to 19011 Early in life I learned that light meals were best for me. attended Battle Creek College in Michi Pastor Ernest gan and since 1901 have been engaged Lloyd Q. Do you have any known chronic in Adventist denominational work with diseases? a total of 75 years in medical, educa tional, and publishing areas. I have A. Not really. A little arthritis in my never really retired, but am still occu left hip reminds me I am getting older. pied with worthy activities. It is like the old-fashioned rheumatism our parents had, you remember. I carry Q. We are interested in what you on with my daily schedule of activities, are currently doing. Please briefly regardless of a few pains in that left hip. outline your activities for us. Q. Were your ancestors long-lived? A. Currently I am connected with two They say that if you want to live to a volunteer services in the St. Helena good old age you should pick the Hospital and Health Center. Also, I do right parents and grandparents. You field work among the academies in the seem to have done a good job. Pacific Union Conference in the interest of building greater confidence and faith A. Some on my mother©s side had long in the gift of prophecy. I am now asso lives. She lived to be 92. ciated in this work with Roger Coon, of Q. It doesn't sound as though you Pacific Union College. I have also are keeping your pharmacist very always kept my hand in literature min busy. istry, which I believe to be highly im portant. A. I©ve had very little need for either over-the-counter or prescription medi Q. Of all that you have done, what cines. have you enjoyed the most? Q. Do you have frequent colds or A. The twenty-five years spent as edi heart pains or infections? tor of Our Little Friend, because work ing with the developing minds of grow A. No. I©m not really bothered with ing children is the most important of such. any work. Q. What about memory lapses? Q. To what do you attribute your A. At 97 my memory works pretty being able to keep up such a pace well, I am thankful to say. But the and accomplish what you have? inevitable takes place I do have em- The Ministry/September, 1977/21 barrassing moments now and then like other elderly persons. Q. You mentioned you've never had a weight problem. Apparently daily exercise and light meals helped you avoid that pitfall. What do you do for exercise? A. I walk at least two miles out in the open, jog a little, and always "pump in the oxygen" while outdoors. Walking is the best exercise known to mankind. The way we©re constructed proves we were built to walk and run. Q. Your enthusiasm and zesty spirit indicate a real love for life. Ministers What hobbies do you have? A. I do some gardening. Until I was 92 I frequently sang duets with an old LET ME confess in the very beginning, friend in his eighties. We were often I think I©ve had it. I©m finished, through, invited to "come back again, please." I done in. Let men of stronger faith and also do some writing. greater courage right the world©s wrongs; I must be content to sit in the Q. Have you ever had to watch house by the side of the road and be a your blood pressure? friend to man. A. No. It©s always been normal so far. I have served on boards and commit I don©t have tension problems. tees until they are running out of my ears. I have given speeches to PTA©s and Q. Do you maintain a fairly regular service clubs until my name (within a program, or do you run on a "catch limited area) is a household word. I have as can" basis? opened every kind of meeting and con A. I am a firm believer in regularity. test extending from the Association of Commerce and Industry to the grade- Q. But, to be really practical, how school swimming meet. I have prayed can a busy minister keep regular for baseball, football, wrestling, and hours? junior high proms. But the Lord seems A. We have an ideal toward which we strangely distant to me right now. My work, but it must be flexible because of nerves are jittery, butterflies are con the nature of our work a little like that tinuously in my stomach. And my of a doctor who must be on call at all church members, who used to love me times. dearly, now wonder what I do with all my time. They seldom see me in their Q. How have you handled such homes, and of course I©m never at the devastating emotional menaces as church when they call. discouragement, worry, doubt, and Two weeks ago I preached a sermon, the like? Everyone seems plagued by using as a text that glorious passage them, to greater or lesser extent. from Isaiah 61: "The Spirit of the Lord A. As Christians we can turn to God to God is upon me; because the Lord hath give us power to live above discourage anointed me to preach good tidings unto ment, worry, and doubt. I go to bed to the meek; he hath sent me to bind up sleep and not to worry. I do my best in the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty the daytime and leave the rest to the to the captives, and the opening of the Lord. The main thing is to do our best. I prison to them that are bound; to pro have no doubts concerning the Bible or claim the acceptable year of the Lord, God©s love for me. God teaches us how to and the day of vengeance of our God; to live above circumstances. comfort all that mourn . . ." Thank you, Pastor Lloyd. We hope As I worked on the sermon, I heark that your sharing your own experience ened back to my ordination vows. I re with us will encourage many of the membered the charge to the minister, ministers who read this interview to live as well as to the congregation, and the longer, healthier, and more productive moisture in my eyes when the hands lives. fl were laid upon me. 22/The Ministry/September, 1977 tffOffl/fffOff.V

And as I read and reread Isaiah, and JOHN ROSSEL fort all that mourn. What was good recalled that Jesus quoted the very enough for Jesus (Luke 4:18) is good same words, it dawned upon me again; enough for them. To them has been this is the true job of the minister. The given a group of people to love and to members of my church have their joys cherish. They are the shepherds of the and sorrows the same as people every flock. The congregation may number a where. Only so many times, instead of hundred or a thousand . . . the job is the being with them in their hour of joy or same. sorrow, I am attending a committee MINISTERS ANONYMOUS awaken meeting. Maybe I©ll get to them later in in the morning with the thought: Who the week, but by then it is too late. To be needs me most today? One who is ill ... sure, they can hear me on Sunday and in sorrow . . . broken by failure? The gain a certain vicarious help, but it is confused, the distraught, the frustrated? nothing like having the minister in your The young, the old? Christianity has front room when you want or need him. THE answer to all problems. If the min I know what my job is. It is (1) to ister does not bring the solution, there preach good tidings to the meek, (2) to will be no solution. To be sure, he needs bind up the broken-hearted, (3) to pro help. He may call in a doctor, a lawyer, claim liberty to the captives, (4) to pro or a teacher. But the minister deals with claim the acceptable year of the Lord, the total personality, which is the area (5) [to proclaim] the day of vengeance of wherein the problem must be solved. our God, (6) to comfort all that mourn. MINISTERS ANONYMOUS are in And if that is not a full-time job, then terested in civic affairs, but they never someone does not know what his job is. let this interest swerve them from their These Biblical goals represent a divine appointed rounds. If they have to choose commission no minister can escape. Ei between the United Fund and a Sunday ther he acknowledges Jesus Christ as School class, they will take the Sunday Son of God, and lives and dies in accord School class every time. They may not ance with these goals, or he is in the get their picture in the paper, but they wrong profession and has not even the are doing their job. Leading one small right to call himself CHRISTIAN. child along the straight and narrow way So after much soul searching, I have can in the long run be more important decided to cast my lot with that splendid than raising a million dollar budget. group of people, unknown throughout MINISTERS ANONYMOUS would the ages, unknown in the modern world like to make twice the money they are today, whom I call MINISTERS ANON now receiving. They know there are YMOUS. They are mostly ministers in ways to do it if you play all the angles. difficult churches, underpaid, over Some ministers make lots of money; worked, and ofttimes not appreciated. some serve their people. You cannot do MINISTERS ANONYMOUS take both. seriously the words of Isaiah that their So I am a charter member of that sole job is to preach good tidings to the group known to all as "The least and the meek, bind up the broken-hearted, pro Adapted from Ablaze. last." I call them MINISTERS ANONY claim liberty to the captives, and com- Used by permission. MOUS. M The Ministry/September, 1977/23 Featuring God9s Promises

THE APOSTLE PAUL once reminded WALTER B. T. minister may never know what His the Galatians that as Christians they DOUGLAS promises are. When we find the prom were children of promise like Isaac. ises and learn to trust them our faith in "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are His Word will increase. the children of promise" (Gal. 4:28). God Our hymnbooks are full of expres plans a great future for each of us. sions of trust in God©s promises. For In writing to the believers at Ephesus, example, one reads, "Praise the Lord, Paul declared that, as Christians who for He is glorious, never shall His had accepted the Lordship of Christ, promises fail." Another one says, "The they had come into a wholly new rela Lord is King! Who then shall dare ... to tionship with God. "Ye are no more doubt His royal promises?" One hymn strangers and foreigners, but fellow-cit which the Puritans liked to sing was: izens with the saints, and of the house "Firm as His throne His promise stands. hold of God" (Eph. 2:19), he told them. .. . His children©s children ever find Thy This intriguing passage of Scripture ex words of promise sure." presses the oneness of God©s love for all who claim it and are willing to partici God's Covenants Rooted pate in it. We can rejoice that, in addi in His Promises tion to being fellow citizens with all God©s covenants are rooted in His other Christians, we are "no more promises; they are almost another name strangers" in another significant way. for them. The Old and New Testaments Before becoming Christians, Paul says, take their names from His promises; we were "strangers from the covenants both are books of promises. Long before of promise, having no hope, and without God assured Abraham that He would God in the world" (Eph. 2:12). Now, as bring blessings to Abraham©s son Isaac Christians, we are no longer strangers and to all his descendants, God made a from the covenant, but have a God- promise to Adam and Eve that still car given right to claim His promises. ries meaning for us. God told the great Have you thought lately about the opponent of mankind in the Garden of promises of God? Do they still have Eden, "I will put enmity between thee meaning for you, or have you come to and the woman, and between thy seed repeat them routinely, without feeling and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, or depth? Do they play a vital role in and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Gen. your life? 3:15). This gave hope to fallen man. Consider God©s promises. They are Years later God promised Noah that the like the provisions of a will left by seasons would be regular and consis Christ, making bequests for us. They tent. We can take assurance from this, meant so much to Paul that he called that in the very stuff of God©s universe those to whom he wrote, "the children of there is reliability; we can trust it be promise" (Gal. 4:28). cause we trust Him who is the Creator. "He is faithful that promised," says Because all of nature is His creation, the writer to the Hebrews (Heb. 10:23). Walter B. T. we can learn from it. What we may at God keeps His word, and we are invited Douglas, Ph.D., first think of as disorder, like the whirl to put our trust in Him. God©s promises is assistant wind, the Hebrews saw as an expression are an integral part of His Word, the professor of of the free spirit of God. In some ap Scriptures. What He commands is done; church history parently "unmoral" parts like the rain, what He promises, He fulfills. He car at the SDA which seemingly reward both the good Theological ries out His agreement. Shouldn©t we Seminary, and the bad, Jesus saw an expression of therefore take His Word seriously? Andrews God©s abundant love. These assurances Shouldn©t we study the Bible more ear University, from our Creator we can indeed trust. nestly, searching out the promises? Un Berrien Springs, Deep in the Old Testament is God©s less we do so, we and those to whom we Michigan. covenant with His people to redeem 24/The Ministry/September, 1977 In Our Sermons

them. As their Creator He blesses them, has been known by Christians as a very and when they get into trouble He personal inward experience. It is partly rescues and redeems them. He will not corporate and partly individual; it is give them up; He heals their diseases given to us especially when we are at and forgives their iniquities and their worship together, and we also receive it sins. He has mercy on them with a when we read the Bible in private devo loving kindness that is eternal. tion and gratitude. Our God is still saying to us today, "I "The Spirit breathes upon the Word give you My word; you do not have to and brings the truth to light; carry your guilt, for I have redeemed Precepts and promises afford you. I have blotted out your transgres a sanctifying light." sion as a black cloud, and your sins will I All of us, I believe, know something of not remember. Come unto Me, and I will this in our own experience. I judge, be a Father to you and will supply all however, that we do not read our Bibles your needs." All through the Old Testa in this way as much as our forefathers ment the prophets looked forward to did. To do so is both a special privilege God©s promises of a Redeemer who was and a special responsibility. We can best to come. The apostle Paul registered the give others a living message if it is liv fact that these promises were fulfilled in ing in us through the power of the the coming of Jesus. Spirit. In his second letter to the Corinthians One old seventeenth-century Puritan Paul emphasized this fact. He assured says that part of the work of the Holy them that God is faithful and steadfast, Spirit is to bring "to our remembrance and that there was no wavering of his savory and suitable phrases and pas convictions about Christ©s fulfillment of sages of Holy Writ, especially the pre God©s promises. "For all the promises of cious Promises. . . . Promises and God in him are yea, and in him Amen" Prayers," he adds "are like figures of 6 (2 Cor. 1:20). Christ©s coming validated and 9; the very same figures, only the God©s promises and put the seal of au Promises, like the figure 9, do bend thenticity on them. That is the good downward, and Prayers, like the figure news for all of us who, though once 6, do bend upward." strangers to Him, by God©s mercy have inherited the promises and now know At the Heart of Our Worship His redeeming love. All the assurances The promises of God ought to be at the that Christ gave us are the promises of heart of our worship, but this will be God and are as sure of fulfillment as possible only if we take the Bible were those other promises that have seriously and read it thankfully. "As I been so abundantly kept in the past. was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I The Holy Spirit was also the subject of will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" a promise. One description of the Spirit (Joshua 1:5). "I will guide thee with mine is, "The promise of the Father" (Acts eye" (Ps. 32:8). How many Christians 1:4). In some illuminating passages have read these words and taken the about the new covenant in Jeremiah 31, promises literally and directly as some God says, "I am a Father to Israel" thing they could trust, and have been (verse 9), "and I will remember their sin immeasurably blessed as they experi no more" (verse 34). He also says, "I will enced the promised companionship and put my law in their inward parts, and guidance. write it in their hearts" (verse 33). This "Prove me now herewith," God invites is without doubt accomplished through us (Mal. 3:10). We need to take Him at the promised Holy Spirit, who brings His word for ourselves and then help our about a changed nature in us. congregations to learn to know Him This promised gift of the Holy Spirit better and trust Him further. II The Ministry/September, 1977/25 leaders in a very worthwhile workshop by his side on the Human Potential last fall. We were greatly enriched and blessed as we Sponsored by Catherine Dower were challenged to stretch ourselves, to for the Shepherdess. set goals and achieve results, to improve ourselves physically, mentally, socially, Dear Shepherdess: During the annual and spiritually. council in October of each year we plan I asked Mercedes Dyer to write some meetings for the women in attendance. thing so all of us, including those not in It is a happy time for us, of renewing attendance at the workshop, could enjoy friendships and seeing how the gigantic some of her thoughts. Also this month machinery of the church operates. I©m including an interesting piece taken Mercedes Dyer, Herman Johnson, from the Southern New England Minis Ruth Murdoch, and W. G. C. Murdock, ter Communique. It©s in the box on the all from Andrews University, were our next page. With love, Kay.

TOO OFTEN we worry about the im Just to recognize a person may not be pression we make, the roles we should People enough. We need to listen. Feelings, as play, the image we must reflect. We well as words, call for our response. become preoccupied with reputations. Are When talking to people we should look We want to project the right influence in Impor directly into their eyes, keeping eye order to support our husbands, our contact. They probably won©t recipro church, and our role as a minister©s wife. cate, but if we would strive earnestly to This eventually becomes a burden, and tant capture their innermost feelings we we tire of the load. must pay attention to their eyes. Eyes Instead, our concern should be people. are the most expressive part of the body. We need to concentrate on being chan We should also try to perceive what nels through which people will be drawn MERCEDES DYER their whole body is saying. Good listen to Christ. Our involvement must be ing encompasses the language of the with people. whole being. It helps us empathize with Our families, church members, and people try to feel how we would feel if community neighbors all have human we truly were in their situation. needs. They long to be recognized, lis Aside from being recognized and lis tened to, understood, cared for, appre tened to, everyone wants to be under ciated, and loved. We can meet those stood. It is painful to feel deeply and not needs by sharing ourselves with them. be understood by anyone. This is real It is not necessary to tell others all loneliness. Our response to people about ourselves. But we can recognize should convey that we sense their feel them by giving them our full attention ings. We should reflect verbally and ac even for just a moment. We should no curately the emotions expressed. Then tice persons individually and observe they know we sense where they are their nonverbal, as well as verbal, lan emotionally. Whatever the emotion is, guage. If someone is cheerful, head up, we can reflect it back. Here is an ex and spontaneous in body movements, ample. "You are frightened that some with a quick alert step, we can look thing is wrong? Is that what you are directly into this person©s eyes and say, saying?" When we know that someone "Today is a good day for you. You look so understands our feelings, we are re happy. I©d love to hear what©s happening lieved. We do not have to carry our bur in your life to bring you such joy. Would dens alone. We have shared them, and you care to tell me?" If someone is ob that makes the weight lighter. Often viously preoccupied, head down, facial hearing them reflected or paraphrased muscles drawn, restrained in manner, back gives perspective, and one knows we can say, "Hello, today isn©t your best how to go about taking steps to care for Mercedes Dyer, day, is it? Something must be worrying Ph.D., is professor the situation. you. Could you tell me about it?" Notic of education But understanding is not always ing individuals for what is going on at Andrews enough either. Persons must feel cared within their world is a way of recogniz University, for, appreciated, and loved. This means ing them. We may become sufficiently Berrien Springs, we may need to go a step farther. We perceptive to do this. Michigan. have to follow through to help them 26/The Ministry/September, 1977 take the appropriate action. Then, in a day or so, we can telephone or send a card or short note. We can express in a Qtiurrel of the Tools few words that we understand. We care. We appreciate their struggles, pain, In a carpenter©s shop, a very disappointment, or whatever emotion noisy one, the tools were quarreling has been expressed. We may let people among themselves. Brother Ham know they are specifically mentioned in mer was in the chair, but the other our daily prayers. We can invite them to tools had told him to leave because join us in prayer at a specific time. he was so noisy. He answered, "If I Though physically not together, we may am to leave the carpenter©s shop, be united in our communication with Brother Gimlet must leave too; he God for strength and courage to do as He is such an insignificant thing, and indicates. when he has finished his work he People are important. Personal, indi seems to have made so little an vidual, undivided attention, even for impression." Little Brother Gimlet just a moment or two, can help others rose and said, "If it is the wish of all know that they are important to us. This of you that I should go, then I will, helps them feel important to God. Our but Brother Screw must go, too. heavenly Father watches over each of You have got to turn him round and us. He cares about us. He has provided round to get him into anything." for our needs. He longs to have us trust And Brother Screw said, "If you Him. He observes, hears, understands, wish me to go, I will, of course, but appreciates, and loves us. Let us reflect if I go Brother Plane must go, too. I Him in our concern for others and thus know he seems to be doing a lot of lead them to a closer relationship with work, but it is all superficial; there Him. II is no depth to it." And Brother Plane said, "I will go if you wish it, but if I go, Brother Rule must go, too. He is always telling others what to do." "Well," said Brother Rule, "I will go, but if I go, Brother Sandpaper must go too; he is always rubbing people the wrong way." In the midst of all the discussion, the latch of the door was lifted and into the shop walked the Carpenter of Nazareth. He had come for His day©s work. First He put on His apron, and then He went to His bench. In front of Him He had the plan of a pulpit He wanted to make from which He might proclaim the message of His love and grace to men. So He took up the hammer, and the little gimlet and the screw and He used them. And He took up the rule, and used that. And He took up the plane, and He worked with it. And He took up the sand paper and He rubbed off the edges. Then the time of sunset came, and the day©s work was done. The Car penter had finished the pulpit, and it was perfect. And after He had gone, the tools remained silent. They had discovered that the great Carpenter had a work for each, and that they had become workers to gether with the Son of God.

The Ministry/September, 1977/27 talk Sponsored by Ralph Martin, Coordinator of Pastoral Ministries for the Oregon Conference.

follows the rapture, thus closing National Council Makes the mind toward the work of the Letters That Will Be Read Films Available antichrist today. Second, the false Want to get your letters read? hope that is inherent in this pro to Local Churches phetic interpretation of a second Mimeograph a finger on which you Scotch-tape a small coil of A selection of films on a wide chance for salvation following the variety of topics that have been string. Have the caption read, rapture. These errors can cause "PUT A STRING ON YOUR aired and found popular by the multitudes to be lost. The truth three major television networks about our Lord©s return must be FINGER." Then with small print is available to local churches proclaimed everywhere. add whatever it is you want your through the National Council of congregation to keep in mind at As another book in the Back to that time. Churches. God Series, this paperback is The film program is called "Our One church purchased window available through our Adventist envelopes and folded the letter in Sunday Best." David Pomeroy, Book Centers for only 60 cents. director of broadcast production such a way that a tiny sugar sack, The author has done an excellent the kind people sweeten coffee for the NCC, says the subjects job in bringing together a vast run "all the way from your favor with, was Scotch-taped to the let amount of pertinent material in terhead. The caption read, ite Bible story or parable to sub so limited a space. Every church jects like the Bicentennial, crimi "HERE©S SOME SWEET NEWS would do well to have a supply on FOR YOU." Obviously, the mem nal justice, patriotism, and hand for missionary labor. Evan women©s rights." bers read what the news was gelists will especially welcome about. In addition to use in local the book. It is a volume whose churches, the films are offered for With window envelopes there time has come, and it should be are countless possibilities to call rental to colleges and universi given wide distribution. ties, hospitals, service clubs, and attention to your message. With armed services programs. the quick presses in every neigh A catalog of the "Our Sunday borhood, a little picture that has Best" resources is available from Helps on Preaching attention-getting possibilities can the NCC Television Film Library, You can keep abreast of the be placed in such a way that when 475 Riverside Drive, Room 860, best thinking and practice in the the letter is folded the picture New York, N.Y. 10027. Reli field of preaching with a $3.00 shows through to the outside, at gious News Service. subscription to Homiletic, an an tracting the reader to open and nual review of books, articles, and read the message. academic theses on preaching, What About the published by the Academy of "Rapture"? Homiletics, the Religious Speech Baptismal Card Since the occupation of Jerusa Communication Association, and The Ministerial Association of lem by the Jews there has been a the College of Preachers. Ad the Mountain View Conference crescendo of preaching on the im dress: Homiletic, 3510 Woodley stocks a card, which is useful to minence of a secret rapture of the Road NW., Washington, D.C. give baptismal candidates, con church to precede the literal Sec 20016. taining the following: ond Coming by a seven-year trib ulation period. For some time we PREPARATIONS have needed something concise Theological Bibliography and inexpensive that could be The Seminary Student Forum IN PLANNING FOR THE placed in the hands of those who of Andrews University has come BAPTISM THIS COMING SAB come under the influence of this out with its second and enlarged BATH, YOU WILL NEED TO false teaching, as well as those edition of Theological Bibliogra BRING THE FOLLOWING IN A who proclaim it. Now we have it. phy, Basic Books for the Minis PAPER SACK, PLASTIC BAG, ter's Library. The compilation of OR SMALL CASE: We refer to the new publication, A. LARGE TOWEL. The Secret Rapture, by Raymond this bibliography is the work of B. LARGE HANDKERCHIEF Woolsey, book editor of the Re Sakae Kubo, editor, with the as OR SMALL TOWEL. view and Herald Publishing As sistance of the faculty of the C. CHANGE OF UNDER sociation. In this very readable Seminary. Consisting of 57 pages, CLOTHING. (BAPTISMAL volume of only 64 pages, Woolsey it offers the titles of books and ROBES ARE PROVIDED.) develops the historical back magazines in the area of Bible D. SOME LADIES MAY ground to the rapture theory and backgrounds, church and min WANT TO BRING A examines the scriptures used to istry, church history, missions BATHING CAP. substantiate it. He also discusses and theology, and Christian phi E. A PLASTIC BAG FOR WET its pitfalls. Two dangers stand out: losophy. Copies may be secured at CLOTHING IS HELPFUL. First, that of placing the emer $2.00 each through the Seminary F. YOU MAY INCLUDE gence of the antichrist in the fu Student Forum, Andrews Uni SLIPPERS AND EXTRA SOCKS. ture during the seven-year tribu versity, Berrien Springs, Michi Ablaze lation period that supposedly gan 49104. 28/The Ministry/September, 1977 if You Dotft Know What Yoifre Doing9 the Tedium Is the Message

WE ALL know that instant aphorism, JOHN HARRELL With your purpose written out, con analogous to instant tea or instant sider if it really gets at your people©s breakfast, "The medium is the mes needs and moves toward the long-range sage." If nothing else, it instantly made goals of the group. If not, reshape the its shaper famous, and ever since angels purpose until it is absolutely right. Then have rushed in ... and that©s about the you are ready to consider methods and size of it. Over all, across the country resources to achieve the purpose. and across denominational lines, I get Result of Blind Faith the impression we©ve lost our heads over media. We©re using media, all sorts of Media disasters sometimes occur as a media movies, bubblegum, balloons by result of blind faith. There is no im the gross, cassettes and videotape but moral intent, just a naive trust that the if we don©t know what we©re doing, as latest thing is going to work the miracle far as anyone else is concerned, the te that hasn©t been occurring recently in a dium of it all is the message. And te group. dium is not the message of the gospel. The fact is, using media does not We©ve all sat through multiple-screen make teaching easier. It may make multi-sensory presentations even per learning easier and more profound, but petrated them ourselves and just sort it increases the teaching burden. There of blanked out. Not because the experi are just a lot of details to take care of ence was so heady and intoxicating, but even when you plan to use a simple because there really was no point, or so filmstrip. And it helps immeasurably to obvious a point, that the frantic lost have the filmstrip in the projector right moment, or over-kill, bored us to tears side up and in focus. or turned us off completely. In such Working with the media generally cases, truly, tedium is the message. means working with equipment, and What has gone wrong and what are the equipment being physical is susceptible clues for valid media usage that can to malfunction. Murphy©s Law applies communicate the vitality of the gospel? in the long run: "If anything can go Obviously we are in for trouble any wrong, it will." Napoleon©s advice is well time we use methods or materials with taken: "Plan on victory, prepare for de out a clearly denned purpose. The pur feat." If we are going to use media, it is pose should be so sharp in our mind that essential that we develop skills of we can write it out in one sentence. It is operation, which include emergency generally a good idea to construct the first aid. sentence so that it contains the phrase With purpose shaped and skills ac "in order that." An example might be: quired, it is still necessary that we have "To generate an awareness of pitfalls an appreciation of the nature and pos and possibilities of media usage in order sibilities of the media resources avail that readers may improve their teach able and that may aid in realizing the ing capabilities." purpose. For us teachers, we can con- The Ministry/September, 1977/29 sider all media in terms of three cate With a clear The third category of media is called gories. This oversimplification may purpose, with illuminating. Unlike didactic materials, wrench things a bit, but it will be handy the necessary these media do not set out to inform us and practical for a start. or tell us what to think. But in far more skills, and with profound ways they illuminate experi Fragmentary wisely chosen ence and enrich our lives. They may One category of media we will call and richly refer to events, like a Rembrandt cruci fragmentary. The item might be a mag varied media, fixion, or, like an abstract MacLaren azine picture, a videotape of a TV com tedium will film, refer only to themselves. They mercial, a nature specimen, or a book never be our have such integrity, such artistic and with an Aesop fable. Each is a fragment creative life of their own, that they be of reality. It simply exists. It may have a message. come significant events in themselves purpose in another context, such as to which we experience and take into our induce us to buy a particular product. selves as valuable additions to our lives. But within the context of religious edu With talent and skill, church leaders cation, it is raw datum. As such, it is can create similar events within the introduced into a group for study and framework of liturgy or for some special response. It becomes our task to ask of occasion. it, What are you? How do I feel about One of the wonderful things about the you? and What can you tell me? modern media of photography and re Cultural fragments, such as baseball cording is that they can be mass dis cards, or a random documentary tape tributed. Grunewald©s altarpiece can be recording made during a coffee hour, in only one place at one time, but the can yield many insights into the kind of multi-media event, "Definition of Pas unexamined life we are living. Frag sion," can be part of people©s direct ex ments from nature or history can en perience everywhere. large our sense of the world we live in So, there are three radically different and the stream of time that issues into kinds of media experiences fragmen now.... It is essential to recognize their tary, didactic, and illumination. All fragmentary character, their cut-off- three need to be in our repertoire as ness, and the need for us to supply an teachers and leaders. And fortunately explicit context if they are to be useful today we have many ways of learning in religious education and not contrib about what media productions are ute to the tedium. For this, imagina available. There are a number of news tiveness, a kind of poetic sense, is re letters, each with its point of view, edu quired. cationally, theologically and aestheti cally. You do not need to subscribe to Didactic them all, but the one that corresponds Most of us feel more secure with the most closely to your point of view will second category of media we call didac keep you informed of the materials tic. These are "teaching" materials, pure you©d want to know about. Teachers© and simple. They may be self-instruc magazines generally have a media col tional workbooks, film or filmstrips, or umn. These columns vary in quality and cassettes. They inform and sometimes carefulness as do the newsletters. When explain. They may even tell us how the you find a reviewer you trust, stay with new learning should touch our everyday him. He will broaden your perspective lives. and deepen your appreciation. Last, There is a lot to learn these days, and there are books to help you find the didactic teaching media can facilitate media you need. The Audio Visual Re learning. They can make learning more source Guide and the Media for Chris interesting, more encompassing, and tian Formation Series are the standard more memorable. Can, depending on the books with the most reliable evalua skills of the producers and the group tions. A copy of one or both should be in leader or teacher. There is nothing mag every parish or church school. ical or guaranteed about didactic media. With a clear purpose, with the neces Eastman Kodak has no control over sary skills, and with wisely chosen and the charlatans and geniuses who buy richly varied media, tedium will never and use their film. A good library of be our message. On the contrary, we carefully chosen didactic filmstrips, cas have at hand today the media and settes, simulation games, etc., belongs methods to express the vitality of the in every parish and is the right of every Good News as never before. 18 volunteer and professional teacher and Reprinted from Your Church magazine, Sept./Oct. 1976, by leader. permission. 30/The Ministry/September, 1977 recommended reading

are devoted to "proving the ther was misunderstood by the Christian religion" authentic. In author or was unknown to him. PRAYER MINISTRY IN THE an intellectual climate in which Near the back are chronological LOCAL CHURCH, Steve reality and truth get short shrift, tables. At first glance these look Harper, Baker Book House, this book is a scathing rebuke to ordinary enough, after the old- Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1976, much contemporary ignorance fashioned pattern of dating an 88 pages, $2.50. concerning the truths of the era from a fixed Creation date. Christian religion. (Anstey©s era begins 120 years This book is written under the The perusal of this book, like earlier than Ussher©s once-au conviction "that an individual is all of Dr. Mascall©s writing, will thoritative 4004 B.C.) It is, of going to be alive in Christ as he is be fruitful and refreshing. It is a course, as subjective as all the alive in prayer, and that a church healthy dose of intelligent think other various Creation eras, since is no stronger than its prayer ing, which if taken will prove to for lack of precise and complete life." be an invigorating and healthful data every author has a different It is filled with practical sug tonic. beginning date. In the latter part gestions as to how the pastor can Patrick Boyle of his tables, from about the time motivate the church in the life of of the last kings of Judah, An prayer so that "there will be a stey©s B.C. dates agree with, or are continuing renewal, freshness, not far from, the generally ac and ©aliveness© to everything the CHRONOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, Martin An- cepted chronology derived from church does." It also discusses well-attested ancient sources. But such matters as corporate prayer, stey,Kregel Publications, prayer meetings, special days of Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1973 "standard chronology" they are not. Only a careful scrutiny of the prayer, prayer vigils, prayer (a facsimile reprint of the 1913 groups, prayer partners, twelve- tables and of his explanations in original, entitled The Romance the text will reveal how far afield and twenty-four-hour prayer of Bible Chronology), 271 pages meetings, the individual prayer he can go. (including 114 pages of tables), Two examples of his unsatis life, and family devotions. $12.95. factory methods are apparent in Each chapter is followed by the solutions he offers in two discussion questions designed for Probably few readers of THE areas the judges and the He use in small discussion groups. MINISTRY who are younger than brew kings in which the Biblical This is the first book I have seen fifty have ever heard of this book data leave room for differing in that relates to this particular as or of the discussions about 30 terpretations. First: Was the pect of pastoral ministry devel years ago of certain aspects of its period of the judges (a) the sum of oping a church whose member chronology. all the figures given for the vari ship is truly alive to prayer. The book was written with a ous judges and foreign oppres Every pastor and church can ben laudable, if overambitious, aim sors, or (b) a shorter length of efit from it. to produce "a standard chronol time, with some of the rulers con Orley Berg ogy, which shall accurately rep temporary in different parts of resent the exact date at which Palestine? Second: In recon each event took place, so far as structing the kingdoms of Israel THE CHRISTIAN UNI this can be ascertained from the and Judah, at times when the re VERSE, E. L. Mascall, Long statements contained in the text" corded lengths of the reigns do man and Todd, Ltd., London, (of the Bible). not match the synchronisms be Gloucester Road, SW7 4SU, Near the front of the book will tween the two unequal lines, do England. Branch office: Can be found some interesting infor we (a) accept the longer total (of terbury House K2P IXI, On mation on chronological sources Israel) and assume gaps (inter tario, Canada, 1966, 174 pages, and on the early chronologists regna) in the shorter (Judah) 66p (approximately U.S. $1.09). and their methods, which are lines, or (b) assume overlaps useful in studying the history of (coregencies) in the longer line to Some writers are blessed with the early development of chronol make it match the shorter? the gifts of clarity of thought and ogy. Then comes a discussion of The older chronologists, such as expression and a sound grasp of the author©s dating and the rea Ussher, used method (a), and reality. Professor Mascall is such sons behind it. The book is, of consequently put the earlier a writer. Though this little book course, obsolete because of the reigns and all preceding dates was first published in 1966, its vast amount of archeological in earlier in the B.C. scale. More re current availability is evidence of formation made available since cent chronologists used method its value. 1913. Indeed, it was obsolete (b) because it harmonizes with The Boyle lectures for 1965, of when it was written, since source more of the Biblical and historical which this book is the substance, information already available ei data. Julia Neuffer The Ministry/September, 1977/31 sermon spice shelf

one of self-esteem, kills one©s Restoration spiritual witness, and makes one "Go" ineligible for the gift of all gifts, Hosea 14 eternal life through Christ (1 Cor. "Go ye into all the world, and 1. Growth in purity: 6:9). Young people are usually the preach" (Mark 16:15). "He shall grow as the lily" first to criticize those lawmakers "Go ye therefore, and teach all verse 5b currently in the news for their nations" (Matt. 28:19). 2. Growth in depth: alleged affairs. To engage in il "The Lord appointed other sev "He shall . . . cast forth his licit sex is a sin, and many com enty also" and said, "Go" (Luke roots as Lebanon" verse 5c promise their ideals and flaunt 10:1, 3). 3. Growth in breadth: the just laws of God. This is the "Whom shall I send?" Then said "His branches shall spread" Western world©s greatest weak Isaiah, "Here am I; send me." God verse 6a ness: moral permissiveness! said, "Go and tell this people" 4. Growth in beauty: BILLY GRAHAM, Quote Magazine. (Isa. 6:8, 9). "His beauty shall be as the He also says it this way: olive tree" verse 6b "I send" 5. Growth in usefulness: verse 7 Quotes From Quote "shall return" verses 1-3 "I send you forth as lambs "shall revive" verses 4-6 Marriage will fast disappear among wolves" (to seventy) (Luke "shall retain" verses 7-9 unless it is limited strictly to only 10:3). Adapted from "Pulpit one to a customer. Dr. O. A. "Father, I send these. As thou Helps." Published by AMG Inter Battista . . . What makes eating hast sent me into the world, I national, Ridgefield, New Jersey. your words so difficult is swallow have sent them" (John 17:18, ing your pride at the same N.E.B.*). time. Franklin P. Jones . . . It is "As my Father hath sent me, Pitch for Funds? better to debate a question with even so send I you" (John 20:21). out settling it than to settle a "So they (Paul and Barnabas), During the Middle East war a question without debating it. being sent forth by the Holy rabbi was reported to have intro Joseph Joubert . . . Blessed are Ghost. . . ." (Acts 13:4). duced an appeal for funds by say those who can give without re PHYLLIS BAILEY ing, "I have been designated to membering, and take without deliver the sermon on the forgetting. Elizabeth Bibesco * From the New English Bible. The Dele amount." Aniicus in Church . . . Two out of three marriages gates of the Oxford University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press, Management, The Clergy Jour end in divorce. The trouble with 1970. Reprinted by permission. nal, February, 1977. marriage, it seems, is not the in stitution. It©s the personnel. Lou Erickson . . . Only faith in a life Total Commitment: A modern after death in a brighter world | Change of Address fable relates that a hen and a hog where dear ones will meet were traveling together. They again only that and the meas ^ m c" * § passed a church that displayed ured tramp of time can give con o 5L »J' p E1 HH solation. Winston Churchill . . . rt-> ^ the sermon subject for the coming — ^ _ 9 "° I—I Sunday: "How Can We Help the An old Danish proverb tells us: g. c g, < hd cc CD i © (B ,j (P I Poor?" After a moment©s reflec "You may light another©s candle & H tion the hen ventured: "I know at your own without loss." And so «" I p" § i what we can do! We can give them you may! Sharing the light you cr 2L a ham-and-egg breakfast." The have with another increases the 3. g £.»•