PACIFIC UNION rCONNECTINGe THE PACIFICc UNION oADVENTIST FAMILYr >> dAUGUST 2014er CAMP WAWONA Celebrates 85 Years OF SERVICE ... page 24 CONTENTS: PACIFIC UNION 30 Adventist Health recorder Recorder Staff 31-36 Advertising Editor / Layout & Design 12-13 Arizona Alicia Adams — [email protected] 22-25 Central California Publisher 10-11 Hawaii 8 Gerry Chudleigh — [email protected] 6 La Sierra University Administrative Assistants Loma Linda Sali Butler — [email protected] 8 Sharon Edwards —[email protected] 9 Nevada-Utah Printing 18-21 Northern California Pacific Press Publishing Association 5 Pacific Union College www.pacificpress.com 14-17 Southeastern California TheThe RecorderRecorder isis aa monthlymonthly publicationpublication reaching approximately 76,000 Seventh- 26-29 Southern California 16 day Adventist homes in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. Our mission is to inform, educate and inspire our readers to action in all areas of ministry. Editorial Correspondents Adventist Health 916-781-4756 Arizona 480-991-6777 20 28 Phil Draper — [email protected] Central California 559-347-3000 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Costin Jordache — [email protected] Exodus 20:8 Hawaii 808-595-7591 SUNSETS Jesse Seibel — [email protected] La Sierra University 951-785-2000 8/1 8/8 8/15 8/22 8/29 Larry Becker — [email protected] Alturas 8:18 8:09 7:59 7:49 7:38 Angwin 8:19 8:11 8:02 7:52 7:42 Loma Linda 909-558-4526 Calexico 7:39 7:33 7:25 7:17 7:09 Susan Onuma — [email protected] Chico 8:19 8:11 8:02 7:52 7:41 Nevada-Utah 775-322-6929 Eureka 8:30 8:22 8:13 8:02 7:51 Fresno 8:04 7:57 7:48 7:39 7:29 about the cover Northern California 925-685-4300 Stephanie Leal — [email protected] Hilo 6:57 6:53 6:48 6:43 6:37 A camper is baptized Stephanie Leal — [email protected] Honolulu 7:09 7:05 7:00 6:55 6:49 in the South Fork of Pacific Union College 707-965-6303 Las Vegas 7:44 7:37 7:29 7:20 7:11 the Merced River at Cambria Wheeler — [email protected] Lodi 8:13 8:05 7:57 7:47 7:37 Camp Wawona in 2013. Loma Linda 7:48 7:42 7:34 7:26 7:17 Wawona, which hosts Southeastern California 951-509-2200 Enno Müller — [email protected] Los Angeles 7:53 7:46 7:39 7:30 7:21 summer camps and Moab 8:26 8:18 8:09 8:00 7:50 year-round lodging, Southern California 818-546-8400 Oakland 8:16 8:08 8:00 7:50 7:40 began in 1929. It is Betty Cooney — [email protected] Phoenix 7:26 7:20 7:12 7:04 6:55 the only Seventh-day Reno 8:10 8:02 7:53 7:43 7:33 Adventist-owned Postal Regs:Regs: The The Pacific Pacific Union Union Recorder Recorder (ISSN 0744-6381), (ISSN 0744-6381), Volume 114, Riverside 7:49 7:42 7:35 7:26 7:17 camp located inside a VolumeNumber 7, 114, is the Number official journal 8, is the of the official Pacific journal Union Conference of the Pacific of Seventh- Union Conferenceday Adventists, of and Seventh-day is published monthly.Adventists, Editorial and office is published is at 2686 Townsgatemonthly. Sacramento 8:15 8:07 7:58 7:48 7:38 national park (Yosemite, EditorialRd., Westlake office Village, is at CA 2686 91361: Townsgate 805-497-9457. Rd., Periodical Westlake postage Village, paid CA at Salt Lake City 8:41 8:33 8:23 8:13 8:02 Central California). 91361:Thousand 805-497-9457. Oaks, CA, and Periodicaladditional postagemailing offices.paid at SubscriptionThousand Oaks, rate: CA,No chargeand additional to Pacific Unionmailing Adventist offices. church Subscription members; rate: $12 Noper chargeyear in San Diego 7:45 7:39 7:32 7:24 7:15 Sept. 19-21, staff and toU.S.; Pacific $16 foreign Union (U.S.Adventist funds); church single copy,members; $0.85. $12POSTMASTER: per year in U.S.;Send campers spanning $16address foreign changes (U.S. to: funds); Circulation single Department, copy, $0.85. Pacific POSTMASTER: Union Recorder, Send San Francisco 8:17 8:09 8:01 7:51 7:41 addressBox 5005, changes Westlake to: Village, Circulation CA 91359. Department, Pacific Union Recorder, San Jose 8:14 8:06 7:58 7:48 7:39 decades of ministry will Box 5005, Westlake Village, CA 91359. Tucson 7:20 7:13 7:06 6:58 6:50 gather to celebrate and reconnect at the camp. 2 paci cunionrecorder.com President’s Perspective erhaps you’ve heard the story of the man is referred to as “soft porn.” The crime shows Pretty strong words, don’t you think? But who was auditioning for a new chau eur. almost exclusively portray violence to women, the prophet is on to something, at least in my PHowAfter checking drivers’ license, DMVClo glamourizing se? their victimization in graphic opinion. Strong words of warning written in records, and referrals, he devised a simple terms. love long ago. Is this advice still valid? I think so. test to discern the driving skill and the mental Then there is boxing, where the combatants’ While I might regret, for a multiplicity of rea- attitude of the potential drivers. goal is to incapacitate their opponents. Is such sons, the hours spent watching football, boxing, He directed the last three candidates, one fare t for the Christian? and other “sporting” events, or just “regular TV” after another, to drive up a mountainous road Some of us castigate the ancient Romans for or sur ng the ‘net, I don’t think I will ever regret and to approach the edge of the road to the the brutality of the gladiator matches, with the the time I spend in prayer and Bible study. shoulder that came near a precipitous cli . The “thumbs up or down” that sent many losers to One can be used of God to build my spiritual rst driver took the limousine within 10 feet of their deaths, but are we as a society any better connection to Him and shape my character for the cli . The owner eternity; the other, not so much. Which will we dismissed him and While I might regret the hours spent watching choose? welcomed the next Now back to the story: The third chau eur applicant. He came football, boxing and other sporting events, candidate was a young woman. She handled within ve feet of “regular” TV or sur ng the Internet, I will never the limousine with such great precision, gently the cli . The owner braked at stoplights and cornered so well that breathed a sigh of regret the time I spend in prayer and Bible study. the owner was de nitely impressed. On the relief and thanked him nal test, when directed to see how close she for coming. could bring the vehicle to the edge of the same I’ll get to the third applicant in a moment. with our cheering when the quarterback is area as the other drivers, she didn’t leave the I recently attended a spiritual retreat held in sacked or some receiver is slammed by a defen- road, not even to take the tires to the shoulder our union. One of the presenters, admitting his sive lineman? Do we enjoy watching pugilists of the road. … “Is that as close as you can own challenge with watching violence on TV, attempting to incapacitate their opponent in get?’” the limousine owner asked her. “Sir,” she encouraged his listeners to think about their TV the MMA matches? responded, “this is as close as I want to get!” She viewing habits. Of course, the concept could be People educated in the e ect of television on was hired on the spot. extended to video rentals or purchases, internet our minds may tell us that constant viewing of How close do we want to get? The power of games and other opportunities. He particularly television threatens our spirituality. choice is ours. focused on the professional American version “All should guard the senses, lest Satan gain of football, organized as the National Football victory over them; for these are the avenues to Ricardo Graham League. the soul. Avoid reading and seeing things which As he spoke, I thought about the NFL broad- will suggest impure thoughts. Cultivate the casts. I counted a few games broadcast weekly moral and intellectual powers. Among the most during the season — Sunday afternoons, and dangerous resorts of pleasure is the theater. Monday and Thursday nights. I was personally Instead of being a school of morality and virtue, challenged to review my own TV watching as is so often claimed, it is the very hotbed of habits. Psalm 101:3 states, “I will set no wicked immorality. Vicious habits and sinful propensi- thing before mine eyes.” Of course, this broad ties are strengthened and con rmed by these statement was written before modern media entertainments. Low songs, lewd gestures, was invented, but I think the principle applies to expressions, and attitudes deprave the imagina- us today, don’t you? tion and debase the morals. Every youth who Admittedly, there is a lot of violence in habitually attends such exhibitions will be cor- our society. It surrounds us daily. Consider rupted in principle. There is no in uence in our “entertainment” on broadcast and cable TV, the land more powerful to poison the imagination, Internet, DVDs and now via direct streaming to destroy religious impressions, and to blunt to all the mobile devices and more.