Olivet Nazarene University Digital Commons @ Olivet Preacher's Magazine Church of the Nazarene 9-1-1978 Preacher's Magazine Volume 54 Number 01 Neil B. Wiseman (Editor) Olivet Nazarene University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_pm Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, International and Intercultural Communication Commons, Liturgy and Worship Commons, Missions and World Christianity Commons, and the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Wiseman, Neil B. (Editor), "Preacher's Magazine Volume 54 Number 01" (1978). Preacher's Magazine. 571. https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_pm/571 This Journal Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Church of the Nazarene at Digital Commons @ Olivet. It has been accepted for inclusion in Preacher's Magazine by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Olivet. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A Pastors Prayer Our Heavenly Father: We seek Thy face at this early hour on our Lord’s great day. Above all else, we need Thy melting grace and a sense of Thy divine presence among us. Even now, give us the humility of faith and the inner assurance of Thy enabling power. Our own reserves seem very low this morning. But we trust Thee now for all we need. Even as our Lord himself admonished Peter so long ago, help us to “feed the sheep” entrusted to our care. Rather readily we detect many cares and conflicts that surround those we serve. But often we do not read their deepest needs except on their downcast countenances and by their wistful glances. In Thy house, be pleased to speak through us today. We offer Thy people Thy Word to feed their hungry souls. They are thirsting after “the water of life” ; may we not proffer them our own “soft drinks” of current opinion, even when sweetened with a dash of humor. We cannot truly analyze their real needs except by Thy Spirit’s penetration. We dare not reach for the crannies or dark places of their souls by ourselves. Let the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, do its work in our midst today. We dare not dull those sharp edges by our careless paraphrasing, no matter how popular the trend. Some see Thy way as good, but like a faraway mountain pass —so high and too difficult to climb. Let Thy Word afford us the needed clarity and reassurance. Help us this morning to fling a whole bundle of Thy promises at their feet in the nick of time. Let our knees bend at truth proclaimed, and may our hearts melt in genuine contrition. Grant that our unashamed cries for succor shall be heard in Thy house today. Enable many to learn that Thy Word is both Light and Life. We promise Thee in the quiet of our own heart this morning our sincere praise for all Thy mercies. We will be careful to give Thee—and Thee alone—all the glory. Hear our prayer, for we ask it sincerely in the name of Him “who sacrificed himself for us, to set us free from all wickedness and to make us a pure people marked out for his own, eager to do good” (Titus 2:14, NEB).* Amen Samuel Young *From the New English Bible, © The Delegates of the Oxford University Press and The Syndics of the Cambridge University Press, 1961, 1970. Reprinted by permission. EDITORIAL MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE PREACHER S MAGAZINE by Neil B. Wiseman Little boys on their way to becoming grown men “ Laurie” DuBois was a courageous pioneer youth experience crushes. I was captured by my first executive. He was also my trusted advisor, reader crush on Miss Watson, my third grade teacher. Then of my M.Div. thesis, and, for a time, my landlord. there was my first awareness of little girls and then We worked together on many projects and commit­ the teen years. I even remember the 19c valentine tees when we pastored neighboring churches in sent back inscribed, “sender unknown—let’s keep Denver. I never knew him to be on the wrong side it that w ay.” of an issue. But when I was 15, I was smitten by a new crush. The Bible says, “iron sharpens iron, and one man I developed a strong attraction to the P re a ch e r’s sharpens another” (RSV).1 In this m anner, my Magazine. My pastor, Robert A. North, introduced fr.iend, Norman Oke, sharpened my ministerial de­ me to it. He bore with an awkward adolescent velopment. The “iron” of his helpful editing sharp­ through the first glimmerings of a call to preach, ened my love for the Preacher’s Magazine. His affirming my aspirations in significant ways. He resignation as editor to accept a pastorate in Wash­ made time to talk with me. He gave me books to ington, D.C., came too early for me. Later we read and a class to teach there in our little church worked together on the pioneer faculty at Nazarene in Detroit. When he introduced me to the P re a ch e r’s Bible College at Colorado Springs. I pastored a M agazine, it was love at first sight. My pastor and nearby church and taught part-time; he was the the Preacher’s Magazine taught me those primer academic dean. His unique writing style and his love lessons on what the Christian ministry is all about. for preachers are qualities I still admire. As soon as I could get my own subscription, I Richard S. Taylor is my special friend, and when began to save every issue. As time permitted, I he became the pilot of the Preacher’s Magazine, indexed the articles and sermons on 3 x 5 cards. I knew the object of my long affection was in good As the years rolled on my Preacher’s Magazine hands. The holiness movement could hardly have index became a bountiful resource to which a busy gotten along without his writing, preaching, and young pastor turned again and again to meet the teaching. There are some fine points on which we rigorous demands of preparing spiritual meals for have agreed to disagree. But last week I had a letter growing parishioners. I preached better then and I from him consisting of a delicate blend of admoni­ preach better now because of the Preacher’s Maga­ tion and affection which closed with those warm zine. words, “I love you a lot.” My love affair with the Preacher’s Magazine put Then I owe so much to the gentle strength of me in touch with some of the giants of the holiness James McGraw. True, I loved him because he was movement. How could I keep from being strength­ my wife’s uncle. But I loved him too because he ened by editors like J. B. Chapman, L. A. Reed, was my friend. Though we did not see each other and D. Shelby Corlett; and writers like C. B. Jerni- often, our conversations always picked up just gan, Floyd W. Nease, C. E. Cornell, H. Orton Wiley, where we left them the last time. He was a teacher/ and Charles W. Carter? preacher and peacemaker. By training, experience, The last four helmsmen of the Preacher’s Maga­ and intuition he saw things from a pastor’s perspec­ zine —Lauriston J. DuBois, Norman Oke, Richard tive. Though he loved his major assignment of train­ S. Taylor, and James McGraw—have enriched my ing preachers in his seminary classroom, he was life not only by insightful editing, but by personal always eager to be involved in the frontline local acquaintance, love, and respect. ministry of the church. 1 My love affair with the Preacher’s Magazine co n ­ istry. The idea that devotion plus excellence pro­ tinues through my present associations in this effort. duces effective ministry will be heard often through I welcome Wesley Tracy as managing editor. He is these pages. my trusted friend, an experienced pastor, and a All my professional instincts are pastoral. More gifted teacher. His incisive pen has a way of cutting than 15 years of my ministry have been in the pas­ to the heart of an issue. Then, too, denominational torate, and I have been training pastors in the class­ leaders in the Churches of Christ in Christian Union, room for the last six years. I see myself as an igno­ Evangelical Friends Church, Wesleyan Church, and rant parish priest. Being ignorant (that’s not the the Church of the Nazarene are my advisors. The same as stupid), I can learn. And I have a deep con­ Preacher’s Magazine is fortunate to have Stephen viction that every holiness preacher can grow and Miller as office associate. Steve is a second year learn along with me. Being a priest, I see things from seminarian, a journalism graduate from Kent State the perspective of a pastor who is trying to bring University, and a Christian education major who God and man to intersection. Being a p a rish priest brings creative skills to the Preacher’s Magazine. causes me to look at Kingdom efforts from the view And I am grateful to our publisher, Mr. Bud Lunn, of a local church—the center of spiritual life. who keeps pushing the Preacher’s Magazine to Your new editor is no match for the stalwart greatness with new ideas and massive economic greats who edited the Preacher’s Magazine from subsidies. its inception in 1926, but the development of both My affection for the Preacher’s Magazine grow s your ministry and mine is important to me and I when I think of our 15,000 readers plus their will give you my best.