British Advent MESSENGER ORGAN OF THE BRITISH UNION CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS VOLUME 73 • NUMBER 8 APRIL 12, 1968 AN ALL - OUT EFFORT NEWBOLD SHOWS THE WAY by KENNETH H. GAMMON, Secretary, British Union Lay Activities Department ES, Ingathering is an all-out effort this ship Card, which provides a project to stir the year. Despite devaluation and the hard interest and challenge the activity of this y budget, Ingathering seems to be as easy group. To send a "flying doctor" plane on a as ever. We believe that more members are fifty-mile mercy flight, or a mission launch on participating than ever before and from a thirty-mile journey of healing, to treat a leper reports coming in, enthusiasm is high. for three months, to feed an orphan for six Newbold College students and faculty weeks—these all become a reality for our have thoroughly enjoyed their Ingathering and earliteens. seldom, if ever, has there been greater zeal For the first time ever, from tiny tots to shown for this missionary endeavour. Under oldest members, we are able to make a the able leadership of Pastor V. H. Hall, the united all-out effort in the Ingathering target of £3,500 was set. Last year's total was campaign. "If Christians were to act in con- £2,800. In one week the magnificent total of cert, moving forward as one, under the direc- £4,640 17s. 9d. has been brought in. What an tion of one Power, for the accomplishment achievement and what an inspiration to the of one purpose, they would move the world." rest of the field! "Testimonies", Vol. 9, page 221. Although Britain's financial reverses seem not to have affected the spirit of giving we Or. K. Hogganvik examining a child in the Addis Agger area. must remember that the money we collect Ethiopia. buys less than ever before, so this means that to support the existing work we must collect much more that formerly, and to ex- tend the work means more money again. Let us all make an all-out effort right up to the closing day. For the first time ever, we have been able to enlist the help of the entire Church. For- merly, of those not old enough by law to col- lect from house-to-house, only the juniors have had any scheme whereby they could help the missionary cause, and this was by the Missionary Volunteer Picture Books. We are proud of our juniors for what they have done and are doing. However, one of the most energetic and enthusiastic groups in the Church has had no plan geared to meet their capabilities. Now this has changed. This year sees the introduction of the Earliteen Friend- service. It is the one who has made Letter from a Leader . the visit, conducted the Bible study, and solicited in the Ingathering —your own experience. It is not your Campaign who has the story to tell. profession, nor your preaching that The freshness of the experience is makes the deepest impression but dependent on the date of the event. your uniquely personal relationship Can it be that our silence declares with God. Not only does it exert a our non-commitment? There is no profound influence on others but it church gathering in which one hears also constitutes a strong anchor to more repeatedly of God's direction the soul in the ebb and flow of life. and of providential circumstances We need to be more conscious of than in a colporteurs' council. These our walk with God from day to day. are the men whose daily bread We must cherish the precious ex- depends upon their constant per- periences of a close fellowship with sonal involvement in service and Dear Friends, Jesus. It seems to me that certain their lives are enriched by these vital The question was direct and un- church practices of bygone years contacts. expected. I must admit, I hesitated which apparently have fallen into In closing may I refer you to these for a while before I replied. During disuse could well be revived for the choice words of counsel: the silence I searched into my mind vitalizing of our spirituality. I refer "The Christian should often review to recall a suitable incident that to the testimony meeting. Old- his past life, and recall with gratitude would satisfyingly answer the fashioned! Out of date! Unnecessary! the previous deliverances that God question: "What is your greatest Embarrassing! One can guess the has wrought for him, supporting him experience with God?" Some reaction from some to this sugges- in trial, opening ways before him memories of specific answers to tion. I make no plea for the preserva- when all seemed dark and for- prayer, of direct evidence of provi- tion of archaic institutions and the bidding, refreshing him when ready dential guidance, and of divine help retention of time-honoured pro- to faint. He should recognise all in time of need came to mind and cedures whose only recommendation of them as evidences of the watch- I related them to the young man in may be their antiquity, but we must care of heavenly angels. In view of our house. It was a refreshing defend the unchangeable value of these innumerable blessings he exercise as I thought of bygone voicing our experiences with God. should often ask, with subdued and years and my personal memories of This exercise increases the spiritual grateful heart, 'What shall I render the somewhat minor events of a perception and helps us to discern unto the Lord for all His benefits crowded life which unmistakably the hand of God in the affairs of toward me?' " "Patriarchs and Pro- impressed me with the presence of men. Thus the ordinary event of life phets," page 187. God in my experience. possesses an extraordinary signifi- Sincerely ye rs in Christian fellow- That question has repeatedly cance and daily living becomes more ship. sounded in my ears during recent meaningful and abundant. The weeks. What is your greatest ex- edifying influence of such a life perience with God? This is what exerts a power to encourage and President, others who are seeking fellowship inspire. South England Conference. with God are intensely interested in Closely linked with testimony is The Most Definite Sign of the End framework of scriptural doctrine and teaching, some OUR Lord specified the most definite sign of His meaningful tableaux on the canvas of church history." coming when He said: "This good news of the kingdom page 13. will be proclaimed to men all over the world as a wit- Among the eighteen chapters, there is one on the ness to all the nations, and then the end will come." relation of this Council to the previous Councils right Matthew 24:14, J.B. Phillips. back to the Council of Nicea, A.D. 325. There is a The Lord's Messenger to the Church of the remnant chapter on the relation of the Bible to Tradition, an- has an equally definite prediction to pin-point the near- other on the relation of the Roman Church to the other ness of the end. "When Protestantism shall stretch her churches, another on the relation of the Pope to the hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman Bishops, another dealing with the rising influence of power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp the Laity in the Church of Rome. There is a chapter hands with Spiritualism, . then we may know that on the new attitude of the Papacy to the world. A the time has come for the marvellous working of Satan, penetrating chapter on the character of the Church and and that the end is near."—Testimonies, Vol. 5, page 451. its pretensions is worth careful study, also the new Significance is lent to these graphic words by the attitude of Rome to Religious Liberty, Calendar Reform, publication of a new and scholarly work on the recent the Jews, the Ecumenical Movement. Vatican Council in Rome. The book is entitled: A question that must he faced by the intelligent Adventist is, to what extent has Rome changed? This V A T IC A N II— BRIDGING THE ABYSS. book affords a careful and well-documented appraisal By Dr. Bert Beverly Beach, Ph.D. of events and actions that must be considered. As Dr. Beach writes in his summing up: "It would be equally Review and Herald, 1968; Price $6.95. mistaken for non-Catholics to think that the Catholic (£2 17s. 11d., plus 1/7 postage) 350 pages. Church they are dealing with today is the same old Every minister and member who wishes to be in- Bible-suppressing, science-resisting, every and any liber- formed on the momentous happenings of the Vatican ty-opposing, secular world-hating, culture-ignoring, Council, and their significance on the shape of things to Latin-mumbling, laity-disparaging, ecumenism-condemn- come, must read this book. It gives a coverage of the ing obscurantist papal Romanism of Tridentine and actual decrees and the inside meaning of this Council Counter Reformation vintage." Pages 323, 324. of the Roman Catholic Church. To use the felicitous With two samples of the style, and this brief out- phrasing of the author, the debates and actions of the line of the contents, you must by now be reaching for Catholic Bishops are painted "with Adventist brushes, your pen to order your copies from the Book and Bible against a background of Bible prophecy, and within the House.