turned away from junior academies, senior I still believe that perhaps the less said academies and colleges due to lack of funds? about rings the better, but very soon now LETTERS Where, I ask again, are our priorities? these things are going to melt with "a fervent Oh, how temporary is our time here on heat" and why shouldn't we put them in the Letters on nontheological topics are wel- "melting pot" now and let them go to work in comed for publication. The editor reserves the earth. With volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, civil unrest and arbitrary government control God's cause? Surely we won't need them in right to reject letters and where necessary, to heaven where we walk the streets of gold. So edit for continuity and space requirements. in the offing, what manner of persons ought we to be? Do we need to add luxury to lux- let's claim the power of His Spirit and put in Letters must be signed and should not be over our everything to that end. 250 words in length except, where, in the ury, or do we need to sell what we have and put it into God's closing work? Harriet Douglas editor's discretion, more space is available. Portland, Ore. Address letters to Editor, Box 16677, Port- As for me, my money will go into spread- land, OR 97216. ing the gospel. Name Withheld Your picture in the GLEANER of the one It is not our normal policy to print playing the saw brings to my mind my It was a great surprise to me to see the anonymous letters, but we have the name of brother, Waldo, who died 20 years ago. pews in my church receiving upholstered the writer on file. The question raised isn't a He had a keen ear for music even to being a padding. At $50 per pew — and that covers new one, but it deserves further consideration. piano tuner when the price for such a job was the cost of materials only — I counted $400 At the risk of being classified as the devil's five dollars. invested in this endeavor by May 31. It is nice advocate, we must point out an item or two for As with the one shown in the GLEANER, to be able to live in such luxury, but I won- emphasis. he heard someone playing a saw, or trying to, der, sir, what our brothers and sisters in far- There's no lack of funds among Adventist and decided then that that was what he off, poverty-striken countries would think of members. As we see it, there is a lack of com- wanted to do and began trying them out. As this luxury. True, it keeps down church munication of the needs of the church to its he found no two alike, he got permission to noise; true, it looks great; true, it's the membership. Then comes the ever present try the saws in a large hardware store but epitome of comfort. problem of consecration of one's personal fi- none suited him until one day he stepped into In many parts of the world, our people are nances. a little place in his town where carpenter meeting in make-shift churches under trees It is interesting to speculate on the high cost tools were sold. He asked if he might try a while we bask in the security of full of the materials that went into the building of few saws. To his surprise, he found just such stomachs, wall-to-wall carpeting and exten- the wilderness tabernacle for the Jews. Some- as he wanted and no extra price on it. sive modern conveniences. Where is the one made an interesting statement regarding It fitted his every need and he became so spirit of primitive Godliness? Where is the the expenditure: "Why didn't God have the used to playing that I've seen him at church spirit of sacrifice? Jews spend that money on an evangelistic when every pew was crowded and more On May 24, 1980, this is what appeared in campaign for the Amalekites? people outside. Someone would ask for a saw the church bulletin: "Church Budget, re- solo. It didn't make him a bit nervous. He ceived to date, $2,240.61. Needed, would sit in his chair on the rostrum, touch $3,795.00." The way I figure it, there is a This month our pastor, who is a "rock and his saw with the bow for the right pitch, then need of $1,554.39. Where are the priorities of gem hound" started a "melting pot" to raise play two stanzas of "Under His Wings" or God's remnant church — in padded pews or funds for our church school's building proj- some other well-known hymn with no slips or in offerings? ect. off-tones at all. If encores had been in order, Several times a month, I receive word "Just what I've been waiting for," I said, there would have been plenty, I'm sure. from the Voice of Prophecy telling of finan- and my memory took me back 29 years to Carroll Farnsworth cial needs. Where are our priorities — in when I became engaged to a non-Adventist. Walla Walla, Wash. comfort, or in evangelism? He wanted to buy me an engagement dia- Then let us look at child evangelism. What mond, and since he owned his car and 140 I just read in the June 16 issue of the a need there is in this age of mixed values and acres, that could have been "some rock." I GLEANER about the people who were so world influences. How many children are held out against it, however, and he com- unhappy that the color photos on the covers promised and bought me a little white gold are always spoiled by the mailing label. Well, watch which I didn't need and didn't last past I have a suggestion. At the end of each year, the first baby. print a calendar of the next year using the A few months later, Dr. Russell, a Presby- cover photos from the year just ending. terian minister, performed his first wedding Charge enough to cover the printing costs, LEANER ceremony without rings as we became a and make it a quality calendar with paper NORTH PACIFIC UNION CONFERENCE happy man and wife. heavy enough to frame the prints later. 0 (USPS 394-560) But when our first son was on the way, my I know I would love to have such a calen- friend convinced me that I should be wearing dar, especially if it included features such as Address all correspondence to: a wedding band and I purchased one. That scheduled offerings, sunset tables and GLEANER, following Christmas, I bought a matching camp-meeting dates, and I wouldn't mind North Pacific Union Conference one for my husband. paying up to, say, seven dollars for it. P.O. Box 16677, Portland, OR 97216 Six years later when our twins, numbers On another subject, the inside cover article (503) 255-7300 five and six, were four months old, I attended titled "A Tribute to My Father" fired my camp meeting and for the first time in my life curiosity. Garret said he first heard the saw July 21, 1980 Vol. 75, Number 14 became a converted Seventh-day Adventist. played on a street corner when he was a Editor, Morten Juberg The first thing I did when I returned home young man. My father has often told the Assistant Editor, Ed Schwisow was to put my wedding ring in the jewelry story of when he was a young man walking Published by the North Pacific Union chest with the engagement watch. My hus- home after playing the saw for church. Some Conference of Seventh-day Adventists band said nothing, and four years later on the people on a street corner wanted to know Friday afternoon before his baptism, I play- what he was doing with a saw when he was Please Note—Every reasonable effort is fully removed his ring and added it to our wearing a suit, so he sat down and played a made to screen both editorial and adver- collection in the chest. hymn. I just wonder if it was my father that tising materials and to avoid error in this People do ask me why I don't wear a wed- Garrett saw sawing on the saw, but he didn't publication. But the North Pacific Union ding ring, and I tell them that with my Sam- say where he saw him. Conference GLEANER does not accept sonlike husband and seven children, I never Diane Cromwell responsibility for categorical or typo- felt I needed one for protection or to signify Springfield, Ore graphical errors, nor for advertisers' that I was a married woman. claims. Litho U.SA CP29472 Second-class postage paid at College Place, Washington. Published semi- About the Cover monthly at Color Press. Subscription, $6 Nature photographers Tom and Pat Leeson, Port Angeles, Wash., captured the per year. beauty of the flower, shooting stars, in the Olympic National Park. These gems of POSTMASTERS: Send form 3579 to beauty are common in the Northwest from May to July. North Pacific Union GLEANER, P.O. Box GLEANER readers will recall that the Leesons took the picture of Mount St. Helens 397, College Place, Washington 99324. which appeared on the May 19 issue. GLEANER July 21, 1980 page 2 the shelves were full of food, our health was good, we had plenty of clothes and I God Is Good: had a good job.