Taste and See DONALD SATTERlfE contents minisTfy VOL. 49, NO. 4_______ Why Blame the Church? 5 J. R. SPANGLER International Journal of the Seventh-day Adventist Ministry Courageous Planning 7 ROBERT H. PIERSON Editorial Director: Telephone Evangelism 8 KAUFMANN/MC QUISTAN N. R. Dower Editor: "Years Behind" 11 ALFRED S. JORGENSEN J. R. Spangler Executive Editors: Increasing Baptisms the Easy Way 14 JOHN FOWLER O. M. Berg Leo R. Van Dolson "Knowledge Shall Be Increased" 16 PAUL F. BORK Health Editor: J. Wayne McFarland, M.D. Remedy for Dying Districts 18 JAMES W. ZACKRISON Associate Editors: E. E. Cleveland R. Dedere©n Has God Stopped Creating? 20 R. E. HOEN H. Habenicht, M.D. M. G. Hardinge, M.D. Messianic Mileposts Psalm 2 23 w. E. READ A. E. Schmidt Editorial Assistant: Why E. White Called for Help 24 D. A. DELAFIELD Marta Hilliard Editorial Secretary: 28 Years in an Iron Lung 26 MARK FINLEY Hazel Bowen Designer: One Stick 29 HEALTH STAFF G. W. Busch Stomachs Need Siestas Too 30 HUBERT F. STURGES Celebrate the Bicentennial 33 MC FARLAND/DELAFIELD Printed monthly for the Min isterial Association of Seventh- day Adventists by the Review An Innovative Adventism? 34 JACK W. PROVONSHA and Herald Publishing Asso ciation, 6856 Eastern Avenue NW., Washington, D.C. 20012, Reaching Spiritual Illiterates 36 WALTER R. L. SCRAGG U.S.A. $8.95 a year; 75c a copy. Price may vary where national currencies are different. For Preparing for Christ©s Return 41 LORRAINE HENRI each subscription to go to a foreign country or Canada, add 75c postage. THE MINISTRY is a member of the Associated Church Press and is indexed in the Seventh-day Adventist 16 Biblical Archeology 39 Seminary News Periodical Index. Second-class postage paid at Washington, D.C. Editorial office: 6840 40 By His Side 25 Sermon Spice Shelf Eastern Avenue NW., Washing ton, D.C. 20012. Unsolicited manuscripts are 46 Recommended Reading 45 Shop Talk welcome, but will be accepted without remuneration and will be returned only if accompanied 20 Science and Religion 42 World Report by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. 2/The Ministry/April, 1976 WE HUMAN beings are strange crea Obviously, we cannot expect our con tures. We receive an unexpected "wind editorial gregations to "taste and see that the fall" in money or things, and we©re not Lord is good" as we present our Sabbath satisfied. We want more. We taste some morning sermons and Wednesday eve delicious food and can hardly wait to get ning prayer meeting studies unless our more. But when we receive a small Taste own souls have been deeply fed. Our measure of God©s blessing and power church audiences are "captive" in the we are prone to turn away satisfied, just sense that they are committed to attend as if God could give us no more. and ing week after week, and in most cases The psalmist challenges us, "O taste they will continue to attend and receive and see that the Lord is good: blessed is See. .. some blessing, even though the preach the man that trusteth in him" (Ps. 34:8). ing may be shallow or superficial. The setting of this gracious invitation is But if we expect to reach the general a very interesting alphabetic acrostic public with our message it can be accom psalm. Beginning with aleph, the first plished only through Bible-centered, letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the Christ-centered messages that come writer, David, introduces each verse of from hearts that have discovered for this psalm with a word that begins with themselves that the Lord is good. the Hebrew letter that fits his acrostic. One taste of the good things God has For some reason that is not clear (per provided is not enough. Each day, as we haps a scribal omission) the sixth letter, dig deeper into the inexhaustible treas waw, is missing from the Hebrew al ures of the Bible, we experience new phabetic sequence that forms the basis taste thrills new discoveries of the of the acrostic. The ninth letter of the hidden manna, the deeper truths that Hebrew alphabet is t, the first letter of are placed there for those who are will the word ta©am, "taste." The obvious ing to become involved in more than meaning is "try the flavor of" or "experi merely superficial study. ence." When combined with "see" the In order to be truly successful in this concept involved becomes "find or dis quest we must discover for ourselves the cover for yourself." "truth as it is in Jesus." Every discovery Verses 9 and 11 call the "saints" and must lead us to a deeper experience with the children to revere and worship the and better understanding of the "Pearl Lord. Before the minister can success of Great Price." fully lead his flock into this kind of ex Even old, familiar passages take on perience, he must, of course, "taste" new depths of meaning as we allow the for himself and discover that the Lord is Holy Spirit to help us understand facets good. The surest proof of God©s gracious- of truth that we have never seen in ness, kindness, and concern for us is those verses before. found in our personal experience with There is a tremendous joy and excite Him. ment that comes from discovering the Since the psalmist is choosing a word hidden treasures of the Word of God. that fits the acrostic, we must take into The reward we receive is worth far more consideration this poetic intent in our than the effort it takes to discover it. interpretation of verse 8 and not try to How much we miss if we are unwilling make too much out of a single word. to put forth such effort. Actually, our discovery of God is a grow Think of the stupendous privilege in ing and ongoing experience that deepens volved the privilege of sharing God©s as time goes by. The more we "taste" the truth as He reveals it to us in a way as more we "see." meaningful as if the words recorded It is strange, isn©t it, that so many are thousands of years ago had been placed satisfied with a mere "taste" of what in the Scriptures and preserved for just God has to offer. When we discover that this one moment of time the thrilling which is so "good" how can we subse moment of personal discovery. quently ever be satisfied with less than What a challenge this presents. What this? Why aren©t we inspired to continue an opportunity is ours to "taste and exploring and discovering the even see," to search for, discover, and share greater blessings God makes available? with our congregations deep secrets of Particularly, how can we as ministers truth that come from the very mind of who have so often been blessed in our God truths that He has placed there to study and sharing of the Word of God help us understand how good He is and grow careless about Bible study and that will not only develop but continue communion with the Author of the to daily nourish our spiritual natures. Bible? L. R. v. D. The Ministry/April, 1976/3 A Change in Attitude tongues and healings. In the past few days I feedback have been reading again from book two of In the May, 1975, issue you printed a part Selected Messages. Especially the first sixty of a letter written to you under the title pages are so very clear and I believe of par "An Open Letter to Pastors." There is no ticular importance for our workers at this doubt that this is a subject over which we very time. It would be, it seems to me, very need to be concerned. However, I ana not at much in order to have notices in THE MINIS all sure that the answer to the problem is TRY at times calling special attention to this the one stated in that letter. good counsel. In one church I pastored we had a large Delmar T. Burke group of young people who were attending Hope, Michigan the church under duress. They went because their parents made them go. Their attitude Dangers of Health Emphasis was quite obvious and their unconverted The impetus given to health evangelism state was indicated by their dress also. in MINISTRY this past year has been thrilling When I looked over that pastorate and saw to many of us medical laymen who desire a the situation I determined to preach on cen closer working relationship with our minis tral issues and hoped to turn the minds of terial brethren, and the satisfaction of see these young people from their negative out ing souls won to the message from our medi look to positive values, and preach Christ. cal labors. There are three dangers that may Just a few months later one of the leading accrue as a result of this health emphasis. rebels among this group of young people The first problem concerns the ministers came to speak to me after the Sabbath morn themselves, particularly those new to the ing service. Several other young people were gospel calling. As these young men get "in with her and this is what she said. "Pastor, fected" with the thrill of working as a gos we have been discussing why it was that pel-medical team and see the tremendous you didn©t preach against the miniskirt." interest generated in health evangelistic Naturally I was very eager to hear what approaches, they may have lessened interest their conclusion was.