ADayin theLifeof aSingleDad - Adventist Review

ADayin theLifeof

aSingleDad

June 1998

Love Lessons at Grasshopper JunctionRobert Folkenberg: Your Tithe DollareXcite98: Redefining a Generation

Love Lessons at Grasshopper JunctionRobert Folkenberg: Your Tithe DollareXcite98: Redefining a Generation

On the Home Front Of all the new writing talent showingup in the Review, I most enjoy LeslieKay’s On the Home Front articles. Herwriting is so down-to-earth, yetexpressed in such clear, humorous terms.Moms and housewives relate to herexperiences very well, I expect. But thebest part is when she switches to a spiri-tual parallel so smoothly that it catchesme by surprise. Keep up the good work!

— H e l e n S e l f

M O R G A N T O N , N O R T H C A R O L I N A

Tobacco Tax InitiativesRegarding Wendi Shull’s “Seventh-dayAdventists Support Tobacco TaxInitiatives” (Apr. NAD Edition). Itseems to me that the AdventistChurch should have no part in anyeffort, no matter how good or noble itmight be or seem, to legislate “anurgent moral imperative.”The church’s policy ontobacco has long beenknown. What happens whenthe other 21 churches decideSunday worship is the next“urgent moral imperative”?

— J o e l O r c u t t

O K L A H O M A

The Seventh-day AdventistChurch has always been forfreedom to practice one’sbeliefs. I was very concernedto see that our church is tak-ing a strong position support-ing government intervention

to reduce people’s freedom. Although Ibelieve that smoking is definitely anunhealthy habit and wrong personally,I do not feel it is right to force peopleby law to practice our health message.Would we also support sanctioning oroutlawing coffee and meat?

— K e n t B e d d o e

E D M O N D S , WA S H I N G T O N

The Local Church (cont.)The local church has had serious prob-lems for a few years, and I am grateful

to Alex Bryan(“The Local ChurchIs the Church,” Mar.19 Cutting EdgeEdition) for his hon-est exposition fromthe “pulpit side.” Iwould like to

enhance his contribution by sharing

some perspectives from the “pew side.”1. It seems odd that we have found it

easier to make new members than tokeep the old ones. We are very willingto spend money in evangelism, but notwilling to spend time and moneyaddressing the needs of those already in.

2. In some of the smaller congrega-tions pastors feel pressured to preachexclusively from Daniel and Revelation.A pastor told me that he could notafford to rock the boat, so he chose topreach “nonapplicable theology.”

3. When our children return fromacademies and colleges, we want themto forget everything they learned thatdoes not agree with our outdated tradi-tions. We make them very uncomfort-able to the point of leaving thechurch, and then we blame our institu-tions for not teaching them right.

Many people in the “pew side” areconcerned, but feel powerless to help.Our system of government does not

allow a member or two toexpress their concerns with-out being branded “trouble-makers.” The administratorsneed to visit the local congre-gations and invite the mem-bers to dialogue.

— D a n L o p e z

M O S E S L A K E , WA S H I N G T O N

Alex Bryan provided an excel-lent analysis of one of the pri-mary challenges facing theAdventist Church. It is toobad that the editors did notinclude the good news on thistopic. The North American

LETTERS

2 (754) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W , J U N E 1 9 9 8

In This Month’s Cutting Edge Edition . . .In “Always . . . and Forever,” former pop superstars

David and Marian Lewis tell why they left lucrative careerswith Atlantic Starr and Oil of Olay, respectively, and rejoined

the church of their youth.In “Standing Firm,” collegian Andra

Armstrong tells how young Adventistscope when their parents leave thechurch.

In “On the Level,” Ohio inventorSteve Divnick compares our witnessingmethods to multilevel marketing.

Plus columnists Chris Blake (Leaving the Comfort Zone)and Allan and Deirdre Martin (The X-Change).

If you don’t receive the weekly Adventist Review, youdon’t receive the Cutting Edge Edition. To subscribe, call 1-800-456-3991.

Division has developed a new deliverysystem for resources for the localchurch. The Church ResourcesConsortium brings together the depart-ments and an array of new technologyto supply information, materials, train-ing, and consultant services directly tolocal pastors and lay leaders. Thisincludes:

1. An 800 number you can call tohelp find just the right resourcesamong the thousands available. It iscalled Plus Line, and it is available at1-800-SDA-PLUS.

2. An automated fax-back systemwith fact sheets on nearly 100 topicsthat local churches without computerscan tap into 24 hours a day. It is calledFax Plus, and it is available at 1-800-474-4732.

3. A direct-access order desk whereany local leader can get what theyneed among all of the supplies andmaterials available without traveling toa store or worrying about what is instock. It is called AdventSource, andyou can dial 1-800-328-0525 and askfor a catalog.

4. Direct access to live trainingevents via satellite and teleconferenc-ing. ACN provides two or more “crosstraining” events each month andincludes all departments and ministryareas. To get a schedule, dial 1-800-ACN-1119. For those without a satel-lite dish, videocassettes are available.

5. Direct access to the most experi-enced specialists at more than 20 spe-cialized resource centers, each of whichprovides an 800 number “help desk”and a full range of information and cut-ting-edge research on what works andwhat doesn’t in areas such as youthministry, reclaiming former members,small groups, evangelism, and personaloutreach. Each has its own 800 num-ber—too many to list here.

6. An online computer form andwebsites where the same informationand services can be accessed by thosewho have computers.

7. More and more resource materi-als with high levels of personalizationand local adaptability—things such asjob descriptions on floppy disk and clip

art on CD-ROM that can be modifiedto each church’s context and needs.

This new resource system is servingthousands of local church leaders eachweek. It is the church’s primary strategyto address the needs raised in Bryan’sexcellent article.

— M o n t e S a h l i n

A S S I S TA N T T O T H E P R E S I D E N T

N O R T H A M E R I C A N D I V I S I O N

A Second OpinionDr. Roderick Yip’s letter “DiagnosisNeeded” (Mar. 1998 NAD Edition)got me thinking:

We’ve diagnosed the problem solong that the patient was dead onarrival. I’m sorry, but readingTestimonies for the Church and theConflict of the Ages series is notgoing to help one soul find heavenunless the words of God’s messengerare put into practice. Look around.We speak with the words of angels,but our youth are dropping away likeflies. Our youth are crying to beunderstood, and the best we can do is tell them, “We’ll pray for you.”

We don’t need more surveys; wedon’t need more reading; we don’tneed more instruction in how to doit just right. We need people willingto let the Holy Spirit act throughthem. We need people who areunderstanding and caring, and whoshow it by their actions. We needpeople who are not afraid to stand upand be counted, and are willing totake the flak that inevitably willdarken their skies.

Do you see great things happeningin North America? The answer is anunqualified no. Why? Because peopleare talking the same talk now that mygrandparents did 50 years ago. They’restill reading how to do it in manualsand praying for power to open the way.What they don’t see is that the way isthere—all they have to do is step outin faith and do it.

— R o b e r t O s t e r

N I N E M I L E F A L L S , WA S H I N G T O N

COVER STORY

A D V E N T I S T R

8 A Day in the Life of a Single DadChallenging? Yes. Lonely?Sometimes. Rewarding? Without question!B Y S H E R R I E P L A T T

ARTICLES

12 Surrounded? Thank God!While many have “fled” to thesuburbs, North America’s majorcities are still waiting to hear thegood news.B Y B R U C E C A M P B E L L M O Y E R

22 eXcite98: Redefining a GenerationAdventist young adults want toknow: What can we do for Christ?B Y A N G E L A R O S I C H

24 Accept No SubstitutesMaking sure your “treasure” isworth the price.B Y K A R E N L I N D E N S M I T H

DEPARTMENTS

2 Letters

7 Give & Take

16 From the Heart

18 World News & Perspectives

27 A Pastor’s Perspective

28 Global Mission

29 On the Home Front

30 Reflections

31 Children’s Corner

EDITORIALS

5 The Noise We Make

6 A Lonely Birthday This Year

E V I E W , J U N E 1 9 9 8 (755) 3

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“Behold, I come quickly . . .”

Our mission is to uplift Jesus Christ through stories ofHis matchless love, news of His present workings, helpfor knowing Him better, and hope in His soon return.

The Adventist Review (ISSN 0161-1119), published since1849, is the general paper of the Seventh-day AdventistChurch. It is published by the General Conference ofSeventh-day Adventists and is printed by the Review andHerald® Publishing Association, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive,Hagerstown, Maryland 21740. Standard postage paid atHagerstown. The North American Edition of the AdventistReview is published 12 times a year on the first Thursday ofeach month. Copyright © 1998, General Conference ofSeventh-day Adventists.

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PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.Vol. 175, No. 23

ROY ADAMS

Every day I receive information in my mailbox or hearreports on radio or television about ordinary peopleinvolved in one cause or another–whether it be theenvironment, gun control, hunger and poverty, can-cer, AIDS, women’s rights, what-

ever. I don’t belong to any.Nor have I ever participated in a street

demonstration for any cause. When hun-dreds, including the state governor, turnedup recently in the Maryland capital ofAnnapolis in counterprotest to a march bythe Ku Klux Klan, I was not there. Whenthousands joined Mothers Against DrunkDriving (MADD) in parades and marchesacross the U.S., I was not there. And whentens of thousands in towns and cities in theU.S. and Canada took to the streets infavor of or against abortion, I stayed home.

Nor was I there as students protested in the sixties against thewar in Vietnam; or as Martin Luther King, Jr., led his PoorPeople’s March on Washington in 1968; or as Louis Farrakhangathered his troops on the Washington Mall for the MillionMan March two years ago. And when the Promise Keepers cameto town one Sabbath last October, I went to church.

I don’t know about you, but I think about that. And I won-der what it means.

People get “beat up” at demonstrations sometimes; theycan come away with blood on the face; can even be throwninto jail. Am I a coward? Am I afraid to take risks for a goodcause? Demonstrators are passionate people. Do I feel strongenough on anything to stand up and be counted?

In my own defense, I might note that in many cases therehave been good reasons for my absence. Sometimes it was justplain inconvenient—I had classes, I had to work, I was out oftown. In others I became aware of the event only after thefact. In still others, Sabbath was involved.

But all that said, I sometimes have the feeling of shirkingresponsibility, of sitting back and letting others take the heat.And frankly, I have felt a little guilty for it.

Only a little, however—because I think (and that’s mypoint) that there are other ways to make a contribution, otherways to influence the status quo. And one of them has to dowith the “noise” we make.

Every one of us makes a certain kind of noise. The things we

fuss about around the dinner table—whether at home or diningout with friends. The things we beef about—whether in therealm of politics, religion, or the social issues of the day. Thejokes we make and the persons or things that form the butt of

them. All these, and much more, are noisesthat help to shape the atmosphere aroundus, that define our position on the issues.

When we learn that a plane was blownup over Lockerbie, for example, what dowe talk about the following day aroundthe table? If our conversation ignores thetragedy and focuses instead on who wonthe ball game the night before, then thenoise we’re making is shallow, trite,unbecoming. If a government has justmowed down citizens in the publicsquare, people ought to hear a certain

kind of noise around us—a noise of outrage. When we learnabout some of the garbage found on the Internet today, do we,somehow, signal our support for finding ways to silence thehatemongers among us and eliminate, if possible, the humanpredators in our midst that prey on innocent children?

It seems to me that even more than through demonstra-tions, this is how public opinion forms. It’s like an invisibleforce spreading imperceptibly through our own circle, our

own community, and far beyond. It’s as though millions of usare dropping pebbles in the pond, setting up circles that col-lide and intersect into a pattern of infinite complexity, butthat somehow settle down in the end into a shape for whichno single one of us can take the credit.

That shape, however, would not be the same if any of us failed to throw in our pebble—whether bigor small.

The waves on a thousand shores breakpeacefully, giving enjoyment to both adultsand little children playing puddles in thesand. But every so often, pushed by a mil-lion little wind gusts, as I imagine it,they pound the coastline, and reshapeit. That’s what happens too when mil-lions of us make the same kind of noise,when we throw our little pebbles inthe pond of life.

The Noise We MakeE D I T O R I A L

A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W , J U N E 1 9 9 8 (757) 5

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KERMIT NETTEBURG

Anybody else out there got a birthday June 24?I do.

When I was a kid I thought it was the per-fect time for a birth-day: six months from

Christmas Eve either way youcounted it. It was a perfect time forpresents. Even when one year it wasa nonallergenic, polyester-fiber-filledpillow, it still broke the longdrought between Christmases.

This year my birthday’s going tobe a little lonely. For the first time inmy life, I’ll be celebrating my birth-day without my special birthdayaunt. Hazel and I had the same birthday—except that shewas 40 years older. She died this past September. She was 92.

June 24 was always a special day together. A birthdaycake. A present—or, better yet, a card with money in it.One year it was a book called Greatest Religious Stories. Iread the stories so many times I had them all memorized.

We had a lot in common, despite our age difference. Sheliked to garden, and I liked to eat. She liked to bake pies,and I thought God created blueberries for her pies.

When I was 8—and she was 48—we played gamestogether at my birthday party. When I was 14—and shewas 54 with arthritic knees—she watched the pickup base-ball game at our party. When I was 19, she watched mewater-ski as she rode in the boat. When I was 33, she readmy children a story, and I enjoyed hearing it.

Every June 24 I woke up knowing that someone else wasthinking of me. Hazel knew it was my birthday, and she waswondering what fun I would have. As I grew older, ourshared birthday parties became fewer, but our sharedthoughts remained. We shared cards and phone calls insteadof cake and the annual picture taking.

This June 24 I’ll wake up and remember that this yearshe’s not thinking of me. It will be a little lonely.

I’ve learned something in the years since I was 8, though.I’ve learned that I can wake up every morning and knowthat Someone is thinking of me. Not just on my birthday,but every day—all day and all night. I know that Jesus ispaying attention to what’s happening in my life.

“He will not fail you or forsake you,” Moses told Joshua

(Deut. 31:8, RSV). It was a ringing declaration of confi-dence after Moses had spent 40 years leading a cantankerouspeople around a hot and barren desert. Now, ready to lay

down his life before he reached thePromised Land, he shared, in his lastmessage to Joshua, the most impor-tant things Joshua needed to know.

■ “He will not fail you.” Joshuaneeded one thing above all others: atrust in God’s plans above anyhuman devising. A firmness never towaver from following the commandsof God. God would be faithful ineverything Joshua needed.

■ “He will not forsake you.”Joshua also needed a sense of the presence and goodnessof God. Joshua needed to wake up each morning know-ing that God cared about what was happening to himand to Israel.

There’s another facet to the story of my birthday aunt.One year I forgot Hazel’s birthday. I was grown. I lived inanother town. I had my own family, a busy job. I forgot.

I didn’t remember our birthday until a week or so later. Iwas embarrassed. I bought one of those funny, belated birth-day cards, signed it, and sent it to her. No gift. No picture. Ididn’t even have the nerve to call.

A month or so later, while on vacation, we stopped atHazel’s place. There was my belated birthday card sitting onthe mantel over the fireplace in the living room. She pickedit off the mantel and said she thought it was the funniestcard she had received that year.

No condemnation for forgetting our birthday. No won-dering if a picture had gotten lost. No questions about whathad happened. Only love.

I learned about Jesus that day. There aremornings I forget about Him too. Send Hima quick, belated prayer at lunch. There aredays, even weeks, when I seem to live mylife, not our life together. But there’s neverany condemnation. Just love.

Kermit Netteburg is assistant to the presidentfor communication in the Seventh-dayAdventist Church in North America.

A Lonely BirthdayThis Year

G U E S T E D I T O R I A L

I’ll be celebratingmy birthday

without my specialbirthday aunt.


GIVETAKE

&

MAKE YOURSELF COM-FORTABLE: In the AprilNAD Edition we chal-lenged Adventists whodon’t subscribe to theweekly Review to put usto the test by subscrib-ing to and then readingthe magazine for 15 min-utes every Friday nightfor several months. Thatsame week we receivedthis photo from theCooper family inRedlands, California.Pictured left to right are

Ross (with dog Perky), Todd, and Tabitha. “The Adventist Review is well read in our home,”writes Tabitha. “This was not posed—it just happened.” To subscribe to the weekly Review,call 1-800-456-3991. Ask for the editors’ discount and the free book. You’ll have to getyour own sofa. Photo by Richard Cooper.

ADVENTIST LIFE

Working as an R.N. at Florida Hospital, Isometimes forget that patients come withquestions and misconceptions about thechurch organization affiliated with the hos-pital. This was brought to mind as I wasassisting a cardiologist with a cardioversion.The patient’s heart had developed an irregu-lar rhythm, so we administered IV sedation,then delivered a mild electrical shock.

“He’s converted!” the doctor exclaimed,as the heart went back to its normal rhythm.

The man opened his eyes, lifted hishead off the pillow, and said, “Does that mean I’m a Seventh-day Adventist now?”

Talk about a conversion with a jolt!—Susan Danforth Jones, Deltona, Florida

Intrigued with the creativity of our meatless meals, our 10-year-old grandsonintently watched us prepare taco filling in the electric fryer using canned vegetarianchili (a shortcut to burger and beans). Benny silently observed the process of mash-ing the beans to texture them as “refried” and sprinkling on the taco seasoning.

Little had we realized the impression of our reincarnating abilities. A fewweeks later we served for dessert our latest frozen fascination: chocolate tacos.Benny eyed me cautiously as he found the courage to ask, “Are these vegetarian?”—Roger C. Lankheet, Fennville, Michigan

Before I tuck my sons into bed for the night, we always have a Bible story andprayertime together. One night I decided to tell the story about Noah’s ark. Wegot to the part about the animals entering the ark when I asked my son Jeremy,“What animals got on the ark?”

“Camels, horses, and cows,” he replied.Then I asked, “And what else did Noah take with him on the ark?”After thinking about it for a while, Jeremy replied, “A fishing pole!”

—Lynn Golden, North Platte, Nebraska

ADVENTIST QUOTES

“The only ability God can-not give us is availability.”—Dale Thomas, head deacon, in a Sabbath schooldiscussion on spiritual gifts, Lady Lake, Florida

“Half of what you eat keeps youalive, and the other half keeps usdoctors alive.”—the late Clarence E. Nelson, M.D., when givingtemperance talks in churches

“All these blueprints, specifications,and plans are—without faith and thepower of the Holy Spirit—as uselessas a carton of contents labeled‘Batteries needed but not included.’ ”—Karl H. Bahr, church building chair, MiddletownValley church, Middletown, Maryland


WE NEED YOU

Send Give & Take submissions to . . . Give & Take, Adventist Review, 12501 OldColumbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904;Fax: 301-680-6638; E-mail:[email protected]. Pleaseinclude phone number. Submissions will notbe returned.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

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TEXT AND PHOTOS BY SHERRIE PLATT

NINE MONTHS AFTER

Mitchell was born, Jim

Harris’s wife, Sharon, died of

ovarian cancer. Jim was left to

raise his son and 2-year-old

daughter, Noël, alone.

Mitchell has now celebrated his first birthday

and Noël her third. Jim is a computer consultant

who works at their home in Collierville,

Tennessee. Following are some vignettes of their

life together, offered here to illustrate some of the

challenges encountered by a single parent, as well

as to dispel some of the stereotypes about what it

means to live in a single-parent family.

C O V E R S T O R Y


QUALITY TIME:While waitingfor Noël towake up, fatherand son playwith a toy thatmakes animalsounds.“Mitchell willsometimesmoo like thecow,” says Jimproudly.

UP AND AT ’EM: “The kids usually get up around 7:30in the morning,” says Jim. “Mitchell wakes up in a goodmood most of the time. I can hear him making noises inhis bedroom. He then begins hitting the side of his crib.When he starts running his fingernails down the wall, Iknow that it’s time to get him up.”

A Day in the Life of a Single Twenty-four hours a day he’s doing a job ideally shared by two.

7:30 a.m.

7:45 a.m.


KITCHEN DUTY: Noëlhelps her dad mixthe pancake batterwhile Mitchellmunches on someCheerios and bananaslices in his highchair nearby.

ONE FOR ME, ONE FOR YOU: In between bitesof breakfast for Mitchell, Dad gets to eat hisbreakfast.

ALL ABOARD: Afterthey clean up thekitchen, it’s time for aquick stroll around theneighborhood. “I’m thechoo-choo and you’rethe caboose,”announces Noël. Afterseveral minutes of run-ning ahead of thestroller making choo-choo noises, shedecides she wants tobe the caboose. Latershe becomes the choo-choo again. “She’sgoing to be ready for anap,” Jim observes.

OFF TO THE OFFICE: After breakfast Jim andMitchell make a quick trip to check e-mail inDad’s upstairs office.

KIDS FIRST: Noël and Mitchell enjoy their lunch before Dad even gets a taste of his.Sleep begins to overtake Mitchell as he takes the last few bites.

8:15 a.m.

8:30 a.m.

9:30 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

12:00 noon

Dad


DADDY’S LITTLE HELPER: Noël stomps raked leavesinto the trash container (with a little help from Dad).“We spend most of our days playing, sleeping, and eat-ing,” says Jim. Sometimes they “work.”

QUALITY TIME TOO: Around 8:00 in the evening Jimgets Noël and Mitchell ready for bed. They look at pic-tures before Mitchell is tucked into bed.

EVENING DRESS: Now it’s Noël’s turn to put on her pajamas. She and Dadhave their own storytime as Jim reads from The Children’s Bible. Tonight Noëlchooses the stories “The Children,” “The Coin,” and “Walking on Water.”

BACK TO THE OFFICE: “I can begin working after I put the kidsdown for a nap,” says Jim. “I have about two hours to makephone calls and get some computer work done. It also gives metime to read the paper and straighten up the house.”

1:00 p.m.

3:00 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

I WANNA DRINK: Noël gets one more drinkbefore Dad tucks her into bed for the night.“Now is when my day begins,” admits Jim.“Noël is good about giving me instructions.She’ll tell me to go to my office, turn on thelight, and work. But she wants me to leave thedoor open so she can see the light.”


Ministering to Today’s FamiliesBack in the 1800s Auguste Comte, the “father” of sociol-

ogy, expressed concern that the social disorganizationcaused by the French Revolution would destroy the family asa social institution.

In the early twentieth century, social scientists were evenmore fatalistic than Comte. John Watson, a behavioral psy-chologist, predicted, in his work Psychological Care of Infantand Child, in 1928 that marriage would no longer exist by1977. It was Watson’s belief that the automobile wouldcause the destruction of the family. Mobile and capriciousyoung people with money to spend would, in his opinion,take the family to its demise.

A year later, in 1929, while the Great Depression wasexpanding, the President’s Research Committee on SocialTrends reported to President Herbert Hoover on the state ofthe American society, pointing to the rising divorce rate as asign of strain in the family.

Although all of these predictions have not come true inthe technical sense, families have endured remarkablechange over the centuries, and particularly in the past twodecades. Most troubling is the fact that many of thesechanges have pushed this sacred institution farther away

from God’s ideal. What used to be called deviant is nowsimply described as variant.

As a church we must either meet the family’s new andcomplex needs or risk becoming irrelevant. We must beginwhere we are with what we have. But we must never surren-der the ideal: what our families can become through thepower of God. The fact that brokenness exists within ourfamilies means that Jesus is needed as much today asback in New Testament Capernaum of Galilee. And like then,Jesus is still available today.

“Our work for Christ is to begin with the family, in thehome,” wrote Ellen White. “There is no missionary field moreimportant than this” (The Adventist Home, p. 35).

There is no doubt that stronger and emotionally healthierfamilies is what we should be about. Whether they are tradi-tional or one of the many contemporary configurations oftoday’s family, our commitment must be to minister withlove and compassion.

After all, God’s grace is limitless, and available to all whowant to live for Him.

By Willie Oliver, director of family ministries for the NorthAmerican Division.

Sherrie Platt is communica-tion director of the Seventh-day Adventist church inCollegedale, Tennessee.

8:15 p.m.

Surrounded? Thank God!

The Urban Paradox

BY BRUCE CAMPBELL MOYER

FEW ASPECTS OF MODERN CULTURE HAVEproved more perplexing to conservative Christians,including Seventh-day Adventists, than the rapidurbanization of North America. Many Christiansfind cities distasteful and simply ignore them. Some

view cities as hotbeds of unspeakable crimes and poverty,places to be avoided by “proper” people. Still others devoutlybelieve that true Christian spirituality is extremely difficult, ifnot impossible, in the concrete jungles.

Only a minority seem to understand the challenge and theopportunity that cities pose for winning the world to Christ.

Even the briefest survey of the Bible, however, revealsnumerous instances of God’s deep concern for urban areas.Cities are a central concern of the Bible: at least 119 cities arementioned in its pages.

In the story of Sodom (Gen.18, 19; Eze. 16:48-58) Godnotices the behavior of cities, and Abraham’s prayer is givenas a godly model for urban concern. The relationshipbetween the presence of the godly and preservation of thecity is clearly established: 10 righteous people would havesaved Sodom from destruction. We also note that escape the-ology is insufficient for those who would flee the city. Theprimary evil is not environmental, but personal. While flee-ing the city does feature as part of the story of Sodom, it isclearly the perversity of the inhabitants rather than the cityitself that invites God’s wrath.

In the account of Jonah’s evangelistic mission to Nineveh weread of God’s struggle to plant a message and messenger in thiscity: again we observe God’s concern for the city as a place ofvital human activity. Given Nineveh’s record of conquest anddestruction, Jonah is a missionary story that teaches grace for thechief of sinful urban systems. God accepted the repentance ofNineveh even when the prophet acting in His name could not.

C U R R E N T I S S U E S


In the book of Daniel the city of Babylon is the chief coun-terpoint of Jerusalem. Its soldiers cut off the Temple, destroythe city of David, end the monarchy, and nearly obliterate themessianic people. Yet a creative God sends good Jewish boysinto the intellectual and political center of that city to func-tion within its structures (if not its lifestyle), mastering theurban pagan culture while still maintaining their own faith.

In Babylon, Daniel received visions of angelic influence ongovernment officials. As part of God’s designed chastisementof His rebellious people, Babylon—the destroying city—actu-ally served as a place of nurture and spiritual renewal. And itwas to His people in Babylon that God sent word: “Seek thewelfare of the city . . . and pray to the Lord on its behalf, forin its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jer. 29:7, RSV).

Is God truly serious when He asks “Should not I pity . . .that great city?” (Jonah 4:11, RSV)? What might God’ssearching question mean for North American Seventh-dayAdventists as we enter the twenty-first century?

The Growth of the CitiesEven for those of us who live in or near cities, the growth

statistics are nearly overwhelming: Shanghai—15 million peo-ple; São Paulo—17 million; Delhi—10 million; Cairo—10million; Tokyo-Yokohama—27 million people. The growth ofcities is a twentieth-century phenomenon.

Researchers report that there are 2,500 metropolises in theworld. There are hundreds of world-class cities with popula-tions of 1-4 million; more than 40 “supercities” of 4-10 mil-lion each; and 24 “supergiants” of more than 10 million.Estimates for the year 2050 predict the number of “super-giants” will rise to as many as 80.

A century ago, all of the world’s five largest cities werestrongholds of Christian life, discipleship, and urban


evangelism: London, New York,Paris, Berlin, and Chicago. This repre-sented a major change from 200 yearsearlier, when the five largest cities inthe world were non-Christian and evenanti-Christian.

In this century, however, the numberof non-Christian megacities has mush-roomed from five in the year 1900 to125 today. Non-Christian and anti-Christian “supercities” have explodedfrom zero in 1900 to 20 today, and willreach 180 by 2050, according toresearchers.

Serious Christians must also bealarmed by the steep decline ofChristian populations in these cities. In

1800, 31 percent of all urban dwellersworldwide were Christians. By 1900,that percentage had risen to 69. Ninety-eight years later, however, the propor-tion of Christians has dropped to 45percent, and in 50 years the rate will belittle better than that of 1800.

Adventist presence in the world’slargest cities is painfully small.Currently in the cities of Bombay (15million) and New Delhi (10 million)there is one Seventh-day Adventistchurch each. In Cairo (10 million)

there are two small and strug-gling Adventist churches. InNorth America there are numer-ous megacities with far too few

Adventist congregations to achieveeven minimally effective evangelization.

What have been the causes of theflight of Christians to suburbia andbeyond? Many economically advantagedpeople choose to leave cities for reasonsof safety and comfort. In suburbia theybelieve they will be insulated from theperceived high urban crime rates. Manyare clearly more comfortable living inculturally homogeneous neighborhoods.Their desire for peace and quiet forthemselves may seem laudable, but theP

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absence of their stabilizing influence inurban areas is painfully apparent.

Many North American cities havebecome “throwaway” neighborhoods,societies lacking positive role models,unsafe, unclean, and unloving—and allthat caused, at least in part, by the stud-ied neglect of those who are free tochoose which environment they willlive in.

Committed Christians will want toaddress some timely questions abouturban realities as we enter the twenty-first century:

1. Where will the majority of peoplebe found?

2. How might this majority of peoplebest be addressed?

3. What sort of church is best able toadequately communicate the gospel tothese people?

4. How can we best make faith possi-ble for these people?

Finding answers to these questionswill require serious, mission-mindedChristians to alter their mission strategyfrom a rural-only priority to one thatincludes a clear focus on urban need.Work in the towns and villages mustcontinue, but our mission strategy mustaccompany the thousands who aremigrating to the cities and are becom-ing lost in the materialistic and secularcomplexity of urbanism.

This suggests that Adventists must

stop reading their Bibles through “rural-only” lenses. While drawing on thethemes of rural and agricultural life, theBible is a very urban book, written byurban people: prophets, priests, politi-cians, military leaders, bureaucrats, andbusinesspeople. Most of the authorsrepresented in the Bible were citydwellers. Their writings deal with citiesin Egypt, Mesopotamia, Assyria,Samaria, Judea, and the Roman Empire.

The Bible tells us that Jesus traveled

from city to city, and that the apostlePaul centered his work in the cities ofthe Mediterranean basin. The book ofRevelation, in which Seventh-dayAdventists find their identity as a rem-nant people, was written to seven urbanchurches and describes the culminationof the plan of redemption in the city ofNew Jerusalem. As several writers havenoted, the Bible may begin in a garden,but it ends in a city.

Ready to Plant a Church?

By Russell Burrill

Has your congregation ever considered planting achurch?

Planting a new church can be an exciting and rewardingventure for your congregation. New churches are simplymore effective in reaching lost people than older estab-lished churches.

If any of these conditions exist in your congregation, youmay want to begin praying and planning with others aboutplanting a new church in your region:

■ The church is at 80 percent of capacity most Sabbaths.■ The parking lot is 80 percent full.■ The Sabbath school facilities are 80 percent utilized.

Studies have consistently shown that churches stop growingwhen they reach 80 percent in any of these areas. If your

church is at the 80 percent factor and is harvest-centered,it has three choices: build a bigger church, add an addi-tional worship service, or better yet, plant a new church.

■ There are significant people groups in your area notcurrently being reached by existing Adventist churches.These could be ethnic or racial groups, persons living in ageographical area, or a subgroup that the present churchisn’t reaching.

■ Your church hasn’t grown in attendance during thepast five years. Starting a new congregation may well causethe “mother” church to begin growing again.

■ God has placed a burden on you or someone in yourcongregation to plant a new church. Fan the flame that theHoly Spirit has lit. Pray with your leader group, attend train-ing events, and step out with the faith God has given you.

Russell Burrill is director of the North American DivisionInstitute of Evangelism.


The Nehemiah PrincipleA successful Adventist urban strategy

might follow a plan first articulated inthe book of Nehemiah: “The leaders set-tled in Jerusalem, and the rest of thepeople drew lots to choose one familyout of every ten to go and live in the . . .city of Jerusalem, while the rest were tolive in the other cities and towns” (Neh.11:1, TEV). Think of what might beaccomplished if 10 percent of theSeventh-day Adventist Church inNorth America were to moveto New York, Los Angeles,Chicago, and Toronto, not sim-ply as casual urban dwellers,but as deliberate, intentionalChristians committed to thesecities and their welfare andcommitted to making friendsand networking for Jesusthrough their homes, schools,offices, clubs, and businesses.

Ellen White first called forthis intentional working ofmajor urban areas more than acentury ago, but sadly, fewhave heeded her counsel.

Let me suggest a few likelyindicators of successful urbanAdventist congregations. Inaddition to an intentional focus on theircity environments and populations, theywill:

■ Understand, accept, and havecompassion for lost, unchurched people.

■ Obey the Great Commission topreach, make disciples, and baptize.These activities will be the unifyingcenter of their church program. Themain business of each congregationwill be to make faith possible forunreached people. They will under-stand that evangelization is not merely one ministry among many inthe church, but the overarching pur-pose for which the church was calledinto existence;

■ Adapt to the language, music,and style of the urban culture. Theywill not import and superimpose arural style of worship and outreach,but will go out of their way to beunderstood easily and to make faithpossible for as many people as possible(1 Cor. 9:19-23).

The Pauline PrincipleFor more than a decade the Seventh-

day Adventist Church has operated aprogram of “tentmaking” missions, seek-ing to place committed church membersin countries and cities that are closed toconventional missionaries. These areprofessionals and entrepreneurs who usetheir professions, vocations, or busi-nesses as platforms for mission, living asdeliberate, intentional Christians innon-Christian environments for the

purpose of discipling new Christians andplanting new churches. They are called“tentmakers” after the apostle Paul, whosupported his mission program by mak-ing tents.

The process is really quite simple.Tentmakers move into an area and makefriends—genuine friends—enjoying thetime spent together, moving deeper anddeeper into the lives of those they meet.In the process, they share what Jesus hasdone for them. Tentmakers don’t theolo-gize: they simply witness and then, asappropriate, invite others to consider seri-ously how commitment to Jesus mightimprove the quality of their lives. Urbantentmaker missionaries are generally sur-rounded, but never alone and never over-whelmed.

This same strategy could be specifi-cally and deliberately adapted in thecities of North America and Europe,empowering all of God’s people to beloving and lovable witnesses, transform-ing the marketplace and the urban sys-

tems with the presence of Jesus.

The Chosin PrincipleDuring the Korean War, Gen.

“Chesty” Puller, of the United StatesMarine Corps, had moved his troops,the 1st Marine Division, to the frozenChosin Reservoir on the border ofChina. While waiting for orders to con-tinue, he and his troops were surround-ed and outnumbered in a quick night-time maneuver by the army of the

People’s Republic of China.Gen. Puller’s message to

Gen. Douglas MacArthur wasclear and decisive. “We aresurrounded! The enemy is infront of us, behind us, and onall sides! We have them wherewe want them. They can’t getaway from us this time.”

As his troops were movingout, General Puller was asked ifhe was retreating. “[Expletivedeleted] no!” Puller replied.“We’re merely advancing inthe opposite direction.”

The Seventh-dayAdventist Church today findsitself in a similar situation.While we weren’t watching,

the cities of the world exploded in sizeand now comprise 50 percent of theglobal population. We are surrounded!The cities are in front of us, behind us,and on all sides! We have them wherewe want them. They can’t get awayfrom us this time.

We have only to move in the nameand strength of Jesus. ■

Bruce Campbell Moyer isdirector of the Center forGlobal Urban-SecularMission at AndrewsUniversity, Berrien Springs,Michigan.

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BY ROBERT S. FOLKENBERG

FROM ITS EARLIEST DAYS THE ADVENTISTChurch has believed in tithing, or what we have called“systematic benevolence.” Besides being the majorsource of income, tithing is an act of worship, an out-ward, visible manifestation of one’s faith. To take a siz-

able portion of your income and donate it freely (as opposed tobeing forced to do so by law, as with taxes) requires commitment,and each act of returning tithe can only strengthen that commit-ment. Make no mistake: those who benefit the most from tithingare those who do it.

Of course, administrators have a sacred responsibility toadminister that tithe according to policies approved by thechurch after a careful study of God’s Word and the counsel of theSpirit of Prophecy. “The church is very careful,” says a recentreport by the North American Division, “to account separatelyfor its tithe income and the use of tithe at every level of thechurch operation.”

Nevertheless, questions frequently arise over the use of tithemoney. A few congregations, in fact, have broken away from thedenomination because they’ve wanted to retain the tithe for usewithin their local church. Some members assert that tithe moneyisn’t being used wisely, that it feeds a top-heavy wasteful bureaucracyat the expense of the local church.

How much of the tithe actually goes into administration? The answer will probably surprise you.

I want to share with you the facts as to what happens to everytithe dollar you place in the collection plate. The numbers that fol-low are actual and are based on the North American Division.Even though Ellen White makes clear that we each are responsibleto return a faithful tithe and not be anxious as to the use made ofit, I want you to be informed and to have confidence in the leader-ship of our church.

The quick breakdown of your tithe dollar is as follows:11.35 cents—forwarded to the General Conference10.40 cents—forwarded to the North American Division10.00 cents—forwarded to the unions in North America68.25 cents—forwarded to the local conference100.00 cents total

Does this mean that one third or more of the tithe goes intothe bureaucracy? Not at all. Each of the entities above puts most


Your Tithe Dollarof the funds it receives into specific ministries or sends them backto the local conferences, retaining only a small percentage fortheir own use.

Let’s take a closer look at what happens at each level:

General Conference (11.35 Cents)■ 3.03 cents pay for services

offered to the world church fromthe General Conference complexitself—hardly a lion’s share,considering that theGeneral Conferenceoffice serves a 10-million-memberconstituency inmore than 200countries—with100 feweremployeesthan a fewyears ago.This payseverythingfrom theelectric billto editing theAdventist Review,accrediting primaryand secondary schoolsand colleges, and a myr-iad of other services oftentaken for granted.

■ 2.62 cents go to help oper-ate General Conference institu-tions, such as Andrews University,Loma Linda University, OakwoodCollege, the Ellen White Estate, the audit-ing service, and various publishing pro-grams around the world.

■ 3.64 cents help mission activities inthe world divisions (primarily four of them). Though all

F R O M T H E H E A R T

ADMINISTRATION

7.67 cents

LOCALMINISTRIES

83.51centsChurch/

Conference

SERVICES and SUBSIDIES

8.82cents

Education, missions,

publications,etc.


So how much of the tithe actually isspent directly by the conference orindirectly through the various min-

istries of the church in nurturing the spiri-tual needs of the member? To the 68.25cents add the 9.26 cents returned by thedivision and the 6.00 cents (average) fromthe union, and the total is 83.51 cents outof every dollar. North American membersalso benefit in the remaining 16.49 cents.How? Through reduced educational costs(2.39 cents) and through our world mis-sion program (2.06 cents), demonstratingwe’re committed to the global task ourLord entrusted to His followers.

Now just how much of the tithe goesinto running our church organizationbecomes apparent. Beyond the local con-ference level only 7.67 cents goes intoadministration (union 3.50 cents, division1.14 cents, and General Conference 3.03cents). Nothing like the bloated bureau-cracy some imagine, and a small price topay for the unifying effort and worldwidescope of our end-time movement.

I thank the Lord our members are com-mitted enough to this church to spend7.67 cents to underwrite the cost of all lev-els of our constituent-based church organi-zations. And remember, this 7.67 centsisn’t funding bureaucrats sitting behinddesks all day, but people who are develop-ing Sabbath school lessons and materialsfor the church, defending Adventists whoface employment problems over theSabbath, giving direction to our youth andPathfinder programs, and so on.

The facts are: (1) the vast majority ofevery tithe dollar remains in the localconference to fulfill the spiritual missionof the church; and (2) the majority of thefunds received by the GeneralConference, the division, and the unionsare also spent for programs that directlybenefit members.

Neither the Bible nor Ellen White’scounsels tell us how to determine the per-centages for use of the tithe. Thus I’m notasserting that these percentages are sacro-sanct. They have, in fact, been adjustedperiodically. We need to note, however,that each time they have been adjusted,the world mission program has suffered.You can see from the numbers above thatthere is very little left to be reduced if weare to maintain a world mission program

and a united global church. In fact, a care-ful analysis of challenging financial trendsinevitably leads us to confront spiritualand not management issues.

I can understand how some may mis-construe what happens to tithe. The flowof church finances is somewhat compli-cated, including, as it does, considerablepercentages being returned by both thedivision and the unions to nurture andgrow the local church.

In order to provide more informationon church finance to the world member-ship, the General Conference is workingto place a graphic global analysis of titheand its use on the Internet (followedthereafter by an analysis of nontithefunds). We will inform church members assoon as this information is available.

Regardless of how much we under-stand or fail to understand about churchfinances, our faithful stewardship mustrest on acceptance of the Lordship ofJesus, a conviction of the prophetic roleof this end-time movement, and prudentpersonal financial management. I don’tsuggest that every cent has always beenused wisely, or that mistakes haven’t beenmade. Only the Lord is infallible.

But one thing is sure: church adminis-trators and treasurers are committed tobeing the best stewards possible of theLord’s resources. Your tithe dollar is han-dled carefully and responsibly, with verylittle going into administration. ■

* For the sake of this report, employeeretirement benefits are considered an employ-ment cost. No attempt has been made to sepa-rate the retirement costs of those working inchurch organizations (conference throughGeneral Conference), since the vast majorityof employees who provide services directly tothe members are paid by conferences or educa-tional institutions subsidized by conferences.

Robert S. Folkenberg is presi-dent of the GeneralConference.

divisions are increasingly self-supporting,some countries’ economies are at a povertylevel. These funds are vital to sustain basicoperations.

■ 2.06 cents, added to Sabbath schoolmission offerings, pay the expenses of morethan 600 Adventist missionaries workingin dozens of countries all over the world.

North American Division (10.40 Cents)■ 1.14 cents go to operate the North

American Division—its office and admin-istrative costs.

■ 9.26 cents go back to the confer-ences in North America, in proportion totheir tithe, to help with education (2.35cents), evangelism (1.50 cents), regionalconferences (1.15 cents), special assis-tance funds (.75 cents), financially weakconferences (.57 cents), tuition for semi-nary students (.47 cents), and other mis-cellaneous items.

Unions in the North American Division(10.00 Cents)

What follows is anaverage—actualuse varies fromunion to union.

■ 3.50 cents areretained by theaverage union foradministration.

■ .50 centscovers the cost ofthe union paper.

■ 6.00 centsgo back to local

conferences, theunion college(s), and

in some instances, datamanagement services

provided for conferencesand some congregations.

The Local Conference(68.25 Cents)The use of these funds varies

widely, but essentially it coverspastoral employment expenses,

appropriations for primary and sec-ondary schools in the conference,

retirement benefit expenses (10.25cents),* conference office operations, andyouth camp subsidies. Most conferencesspend little on administration.

The first-ever NorthAmerican Division(NAD) convention forMaster Guides wasrecently held at the

Biltmore hotel in Los Angeles. Thedelegates came from 38 U.S. states,four Canadian provinces, Bermuda, and27 other countries. The conventionprovided training Pathfinder leaders forcurrent and future Master Guides andalso served as a celebration of 70 yearsof the Master Guide program.

The attendees chose from24 workshops in six tracks(including one Spanishtrack) on topics ranging fromMaster Guide requirementsand outdoor skills to churchheritage and youth evange-lism. Each workshop filled acertification requirement. “Igot a lot out of the servicetraining here,” said RicardoBaratta, who coordinates 16Pathfinder Clubs in NewMexico. “There are so manythings I can pass along to churchdirectors.”

At the Friday evening Investitureceremony, Terry Dodge, MichiganConference Pathfinder director,invested 22 attendees who completedMaster Guide requirements.

Besides training, the Master Guidesenjoyed fellowship and gained inspira-tion. Selene Stewart, a leader of the117-member Brooklyn Faith KnightsPathfinder Club in New York City, said,“I like learning about leadership, learn-ing how to motivate the kids. It’s fun tobe with all these other Master Guidesand share ideas.” Bob Wong, SouthernCalifornia Conference Pathfinder direc-

tor, called it “recharging the batteries.”At the awards banquet Willie

Oliver, North American DivisionPathfinder director and coordinator ofthe convention, took the MasterGuides back to their historical rootsthrough appearances by L. A. Skinner,the first world Pathfinder director;Henry Bergh, a retired CentralCalifornia Conference youth directorwho wrote the Pathfinder song in1949; and John Hancock, a retiredworld Pathfinder and youth director

who formed the first club namedPathfinders in 1946 and designed thedistinctive Pathfinder emblem.

Oliver also paid tribute to NormMiddag, former NAD Pathfinder direc-tor, whose vision for Master Guidetraining led him to begin organizing theconvention before his retirement. “Iwanted a convention for three reasons,”Middag said. “One, because we’ve neverhad one; two, to raise the visibility ofthe importance of Master Guides; andthree, to bring up the visibility of thePathfinder Leadership Award and thePathfinder Instructors’ Award.” Theawards are the two levels of trainingabove Master Guide certification.

Oliver presented a DistinguishedService Award to Arnold and DixiePlata for their work on a Pathfindermuseum and for many years of ser-vice to Pathfinder Clubs. He alsoconferred Outstanding ServiceAwards on several conference coor-dinators and club directors.

“This was a service-oriented con-vention,” said Baraka Muganda,General Conference youth director. “Isaw a whole atmosphere of being ser-vice-driven. This is very important to

youth ministry.“In my sermon [on

Sabbath morning] I gave theplea that we must be likeMoses, ready to challengethe pharaohs of today andsay, ‘We will go with ourchildren.’ The young peopleneed to see us loving them,sacrificing for them. We mustmove beyond the obvious—the programs, the insignias.We must see salvation work-ing in young people. Sal-

vation and service must be the bot-tom line of every program we do.”

The Master Guide program repre-sents the highest level of youth train-ing in the Seventh-day AdventistChurch. It prepares individuals forleadership in Adventurer andPathfinder Clubs as well as in senioryouth ministry and other churchoffices. Notes convention directorOliver, “People who enjoy workingwith young people are drawn to thisprogram because it provides them withleadership tools and training. Sincechurches across the division are alwaysin need of trained ministry leaders,Master Guides are ready to fill important

W O R L D N E W S & P E R S P E C T I V E S

First Master Guide ConventionMeets in Los Angeles


B Y T I M L A L E , G U I D E E D I T O R

INVESTED LEADERS: About 25 new Master Guides were invested atthe convention.


Church Confronts Violent Threats in Macedonia

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Macedoniacontinues to face threats of violence from a congrega-

tion that separated from the main church body.The breakaway group has occupied the main

Adventist church in the capital city of Skopje since1992, reports George Trajkovski, Macedonian Mission president.

“After a long court process, the Macedonian courtreached a verdict in favor of the official Adventist Churchas proper owner of the church building,” says Trajkovksi.

However, the separated group has resorted to threats ofviolence and, in some cases, murder to Adventist Churchpastors and members if they enter the church property.The date set for an amicable handover of the keys for thechurch and mission headquarters has now passed, and thecourt will now have to determine when and how theunlawful occupancy of the property will be ended.

The church will be requesting full protection and theopportunity to worship safely, without fear of harassmentor worse, according to a statement from Reinder Bruinsma,secretary for the Adventist Church’s Trans-EuropeanDivision, whose territory includes Macedonia.

“Church administrators at the local and union levels

and the Trans-European Division have been reluctantto publicize this issue too much,” says Bruinsma.“Efforts have been ongoing to reach a reconciliationwith the small breakaway group. These efforts havebeen totally unsuccessful.

“Though regretting such a move, the AdventistChurch does not deny the ex-members the right to formtheir own religious community; but after bending overbackwards to heal the rift, we had to take legal action.

“We could not sit still, since they had hijacked notonly the name of the church, its administrative office,and the main church building in Macedonia. The verdictreached by the appellate court is a step in the right direc-tion,” Bruinsma says. “We hope the Macedonian authori-ties will show that their country is one of law and orderand will provide adequate protection to our members.”

The Adventist Church began operating in Macedoniain 1880.—Adventist News Network.

ACS Receives Grant for National Tutoring Program

The Corporation for National Community Servicerecently awarded Adventist Community Services(ACS) a $255,000 AmeriCorps grant to initiate 100community-based volunteer tutoring projects for under-privileged children.

N E W S B R E A K


positions and do their part to hastenthe coming of Jesus Christ.”

He adds, “Many of the attendees arevolunteers who took vacation time andpaid their own way. This speaks vol-umes for the level of commitmentMaster Guides show.”

The convention raised the visibilityof Master Guides as a pool of well-trained leadership. Gary Halbasch, ofPortland, Oregon, who leads theTabernacle Pathfinder Club, com-mented, “Master Guides are the best-trained individuals in the church,especially for youth. They are the coreleadership for church ministries.”

Many people have thought ofMaster Guides simply as the upperreaches of Pathfinders. “Past eventshave always been related toPathfinders,” said Robert Holbrook,General Conference Pathfinderdirector. “This convention created aspecial bond among Master Guides.”

Master Guide training is not solelyattached to youth ministry anymore, asformer Pathfinder director Middagexplains. “This training applies to othertypes of church leadership, such aselder and Sabbath school leader. Olderpeople can benefit from it because itapplies to all types of ministry.”

There are about 2,300 registered

Master Guides in North America andmany more in other countries. As aclearly defined group of ministry lead-ers they enjoy discounts on leadershipmaterials and convention fees. Anewsletter, Pathfinder Notes, keepsthem in touch with events and cur-riculum developments. Some confer-ences in the NAD have Master Guideclubs, and others are planned.

The convention was one of a seriesof events celebrating the fiftieth anni-versary of Pathfinder ministries, whichculminates with the “Discover thePower” NAD Pathfinder Camporee inOshkosh, Wisconsin, in August 1999.

Oliver reports that with manyrequests for another event flooding in,he plans to hold the next conventionin two years’ time. Middag said,“People don’t want to wait another 70years. There’s a great need for this typeof training.”

SETTING THE TONE: Pastor Kevin Morrisleads convention attendees in a song service.


The grant funds 17 organizers for one year who meetwith program coordinators, ACS center directors, andyouth leaders, to help them start local tutoring sites.The organizers will provide training for volunteer tutorsand coaching for local volunteer leaders, and developcollaborative relationships with public schools andcommunity agencies, says Beth Schaefer, ACS publicinformation officer.

The grant is renewable for an additional two years andcould total as much as $765,000. The church’s tutoringinitiative is being sponsored by ACS and the YouthService Network. One hundred candidates have alreadyexpressed interest in the program.

Broadcaster James Dobson Visits General Conference

James Dobson, host of the Focus on the Family, visitedthe General Conference with his wife, Shirley, for an earlybreakfast with GC president Robert S. Folkenberg andother church leaders on May 8. Dobson also spoke brieflywith GC employees at the morning worship service.

Dobson, who has recently been in the media spotlight,spoke of his deep respect and admiration for theAdventist Church. “You are doing a wonderful workaround the world,” Dobson told his audience. “Many

Adventist guests have appeared on Focus on the Familythroughout the years, and I have many friends within theAdventist Church.”

The worship service also featured the music ofChristian Edition, directed by Calvin Knipschild. Basedin Glendale, California, the 25-voice Adventist men’schorale was the featured artist for the National Day ofPrayer ceremonies at the United States Capitol on May7, a program coordinated by Shirley Dobson.

N E W S B R E A K


T he announcement by India’s new Hindu nationalistgovernment that it conducted five nuclear tests in twodays has rattled more than a stretch of desert near the

Pakistani border.World leaders were quick to denounce India’s swaggering

entrance into the nuclear club, fearing that archrivalPakistan will quickly feel the need todemonstrate its own nuclear capability.Many governments recalled ambassadorsfor consultation and registered formal protests. Others, likethe United States, also promised painful economic sanctionsto penalize India’s assertiveness.

But beyond the rhetoric and the threats, India’s belliger-ent blasts have brought the world’s “nuclear spring” to ahasty end. Following the historic superpower agreements ofthe late 1980s that limited or eliminated classes of nuclearweapons, and the subsequent demise of the Soviet Union,many North Americans concluded that there was little leftto fear from the once-dreaded mushroom cloud. For nearly a

decade the news has been almost continuously positive: war-heads have been retargeted; missiles have been destroyed;smiles are all around. Some have even dared to prophesy anage in which potential combatants merely threaten eachother’s economies, or at most, destroy the means of produc-tion. Bloodless war has been a myth we found attractive.

Now all such optimistic scenarios mustbe set aside. Believers everywhere will bepraying that the potent mix of religion,

nationalism, and nuclear capacity now seen in several SouthAsian countries can be neutralized. But Christians alsounderstand that the fundamental forces driving peoplegroups and entire nations to dominate or destroy others willnot ultimately yield to either threats or diplomacy.

Peacemaking, to be effective, must include more thangovernments and nations. Only as individuals and groupsmake peace with the Prince of Peace can we have a reason-able expectation that the world will actually become a lessthreatening place.

The Cloud of UnknowingB Y B I L L K N O T T, A N A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R O F T H E A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W.

NEWS COMMENTARY

AMERICA’S FAMILY MAN: James Dobson (at podium) speaks toGC employees as Christian Edition (in background) providesmusic.

Only rarely do the editors of the AdventistReview encourage readers to respond to leg-islative initiatives. We are convicted, how-ever, that the moral significance of thetobacco control legislation now moving

through the United States Congress deserves action.Seventh-day Adventists have a long and consistent his-

tory of highlighting the biblical message about the rela-tionship of physical health and spiritual well-being. Formore than 130 years, church members have pledged toabstain from the use of tobacco, alcohol, and nonmedici-nal drugs, as well as to make positive lifestyle choices indiet and exercise that illustrate the belief that our bodiesare the temples of God (1 Cor. 3:16, 17).

Adventists also fund and operate both smoking-cessationand antismoking health initiatives: millions around theworld have quit smoking through the church’s Five-DayPlan and Breathe Free programs, and hundreds of thousandsof children and young adults have been influenced by thechurch’s active health promotion effort to never take up theinjurious habit.

According to government research, virtually all new usersof tobacco products are under the minimum age to purchasesuch products, making the tobacco industry’s documentedefforts to lure children and teens to smoke especially nefarious.Illegal underage smoking, supported by multibillion-dollaradvertising campaigns, traps tens of thousands of Americanyouth every year in a desperate habit that will send many toan early grave. Teen smoking is now at a nine-year high: onethird of American teens now smoke. Four hundred thirty-fourthousand people die each year from tobacco-caused illnesses—more than those killed by alcohol, car accidents, suicides,AIDs, homicides, illegal drugs, and fires combined.

Seventh-day Adventists now have an historic opportunityto illustrate their opposition to tobacco use and abuse by sup-porting legislation under consideration in the United StatesCongress. Titled “The National Tobacco Policy and YouthSmoking Reduction Act,” the legislation for the first timebrings the tobacco industry under the regulatory control of theFood and Drug Administration. It also holds the industrydirectly responsible for dramatically reducing the incidence ofunderage smoking by requiring counter-advertising (antismok-ing) campaigns and banning the use of sporting event sponsor-ship and cartoon images that have been employed to attractchildren and teens to use tobacco. If underage smoking doesnot decline by the required amounts, the tobacco companieswill pay billions of dollars in federally imposed penalties.

Other useful aspects of the legislation require therelease of all tobacco industry documents pertaining tounderage smoking and a new initiative to encourageinternational antismoking efforts. More than half of allsales for the two leading tobacco companies are now outside the United States.

But no legislation is perfect, and elements of “TheNational Tobacco Policy and Youth Smoking ReductionAct” raise concerns. Some Adventists may be troubled bythe prospect of the United States government offeringtobacco companies an annual cap on civil liability forsmoking-related illness only if those companies waive cer-tain constitutional free-speech (advertising) rights.

Several public health advocacy groups and some legisla-tors have criticized the bill for not being tough enough onthe tobacco companies and for not committing the gov-ernment to a truly anti-tobacco stance. Unless otherwiseamended, the bill does not restrict or eliminate most fed-eral price support programs for tobacco farmers, therebycontinuing government support for an industry that isclearly acting against the public health interest.

Even with these inadequacies, and the possibility thatfurther amendments may alter some aspects of the bill, the“National Tobacco Policy and Youth Smoking ReductionAct” deserves the support of Seventh-day Adventists forits groundbreaking efforts to combat underage smoking.

“I’m asking Adventists to act to help save the lives ofhundreds of thousands of their fellow Americans,” saysGeneral Conference president Robert S. Folkenberg. “Thislegislation represents our best opportunity to protectAmerican youth from the life-destroying tobacco habit.”

Brief, clear messages of support for the “NationalTobacco Policy and Youth Smoking Reduction Act” canbe phoned, faxed, or e-mailed to your U.S. representativeand senators. (Information is usually available in the gov-ernment listings [blue pages] of your phone book.) Youmay even wish to encourage your representatives to intro-duce or support amendments that further commit the U.S.government to an anti-tobacco position.

Key congressional leaders may also be contacted at the following addresses: Senator John McCain, primarysponsor (fax 202-224-2862 or [email protected]); Senate MajorityLeader Trent Lott (fax 202-224-2262 or e-mail [email protected]); and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (fax 202-225-4656 or e-mail [email protected]).


A Statement of Conviction: Why Tobacco Control Legislation Deserves Your Support

From the Editor and the Associate Editors

XeXcite98: Redefining a Generation

A lack of time and money has Adventist young adults dreaming even bigger about their August conference

—and leaning even harder on their Lord.

BY ANGELA ROSICH

AFEW MONTHS AGO SHASTA EMERY,21, and Jennifer Tyner, 28, sat talking aboutwhat the upcoming summer had in store. Theconversation soon turned from wedding plansand NET ’98 to the needs of their generation.

It was all the soil the seed needed. During the weekend of August 6-9, 1998, Emery, Tyner,

and whoever else shows will gather in Riverside, California,to redefine their personal relationships with God and com-mit their generation to God’s service.

The weekend will be packed with workshops, Biblestudy, prayer groups, music, and mission and service oppor-tunities. “We want this to be our generation doing some-thing for ourselves, for God, and for our church,” saysEmery, who is inviting keynote speakers, worship leaders,and discussion facilitators age 35 and under. Emery saysXers will challenge themselves to be authentic and commit-ted, to let down their guards, to cast off all pretenses, and toreally come to know God.

“This conference will be about our generation makingAdventism our religion, not just our parents’ religion or thereligion we’ve been taught in school,” says Emery. “We willfocus on personal relationships with Jesus. We want to boostthe pride and excitement in our church and its mission.” AllXers are invited, including those who have left the churcheither physically or mentally.

eXcite98 isn’t just about Generation X, but about build-ing the church and uniting its many generations. Organizersinvite every church across the nation not only to send some-one to the conference, but to ask someone under the age of

F E A T U R E


35 to preach from their pulpit on August 8. Gen Xers wantto participate actively in the church and feel that they areneeded, say organizers. They want the church to realize theirpassion, their sincerity, and most important, the spiritualgifts God has given them.

“eXcite98 may have a catchy title,” says Tyner, “but wepromise that it isn’t another revival prompting only an emo-tional high. eXcite98 is about our generation reinterpretingthe meaning of the scarlet letter attached to our birth dates.

eXcite98 WHO: All young adults from 20 to 35 years old who havebeen, are, or want to be affiliated with the Adventist Church.WHAT: A conference of learning through powerful mes-sages and workshops by our generation’s keynote speak-ers, sharing in small break-out groups, enjoying Adventistmusic and entertainment, meeting other Adventists acrossthe country, contributing to mission opportunities, andbest of all, focusing on the face of Christ through awe-some worships.WHEN: August 6-9, 1998. Registration all day Thursday,August 6; program begins at 6:00 p.m.WHERE: Riverside, California. La Sierra University hasoffered its facilities and campus for this event.WHY: To redefine Gen X by making Christ the focus of ourlives.HOW TO REGISTER: Go to http:www.excite98.net or callShasta Emery at (909) 785-2344.


We don’t want to be known as slackers;we want to be known as the generationfor Christ.”

The conference has also found sup-port outside of Generation X. “I’mhonored and delighted to add a per-sonal and pastoral word of affirmationregarding the vision the leaders ofeXcite98 are sharing with the nationand, by extension, the world,” saysAndrews University pastor and NET’98 speaker Dwight K. Nelson. “I reallydo believe that it is a Spirit-ignitedvision—a vision with the high callingof Jesus to radical discipleship in thisurgent hour of human history. I amdeeply convicted that here at last is a

generation perfectlypositioned by Godfor the repeat ofPentecost. Gen Xersare the most eco-nomically disenfran-chised generation inour history. More-over, socially andprofessionally theyare the most tran-sient. In otherwords, they are ageneration with thepotential for instantmobilization—whichis precisely thedescription of thefollowers of Jesus in

Acts 1 and 2.”It is this “instant mobiliza-

tion,” says Emery, that has keptthe conference from being boggeddown by committees, written reports,budget analysis, or agenda-drivenmeetings. “We’ve relied on volunteersand their God-given spiritual gifts,”says Emery. “If we can’t afford four-color brochures, fine. We are commit-ted to doing our best, and God isblessing the efforts of all the volun-teers. I guess you might call us grass-roots, but with the tremendous power

of God, those roots are healthy!”“We’ve let the church know we are

alive and kicking,” says Tyner. “Werecognize a need, and we will not restuntil we have fulfilled it.” ■

Angela Rosich writes fromRiverside, California.

TEAM BUILDING: Jennifer Tyner and ShastaEmery invite the Adventist Church to helpbring their peers (20 to 35) together incommitment to Christ at eXcite98.

HUDDLE: Prayer has become the focus of every volunteer.“We have seen God work in the lives of so many who arealready involved,” says Emery. “We need the church’sprayer and support.”

BIG PLANS: Manassah Nwaige (left) is involved indeveloping mission and service opportunities forthe eXcite98 conference, while Craig Chaya isone of many volunteers coordinating plans for theAugust 8 Sabbath, which calls for someone age35 or under preaching from every Adventist pulpit.Australia has already come on board, says Emery.

Accept NoSubstitutes

BY KAREN LINDENSMITH

CUBIC ZIRCONIUM. THEY SAY

it looks like the real thing. A

young man working in a jewelry

store apparently believed it. When

people took their jewelry to the

store to be repaired, he replaced all the diamonds with cubic

zirconium. He then sold the diamonds for cash and accumu-

lated quite a sum of money until the inevitable happened.

He was caught.

Can you imagine how the owners of those diamonds felt?Something just wasn’t the same about their jewels. They hadthem examined—cubic zirconium. They had been robbed. Itwas not hard to guess who the culprit was, and now hewould be punished.

Satan is in the business of replacing the diamond of God’sgift of Himself with the cubic zirconium of this world.Power. Pleasure. Possessions. Cubic zirconium.

Jesus Christ—and all that He represents—is the true dia-mond. “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant lookingfor fine pearls,” Jesus said. “When he found one of great

D E V O T I O N A L


value, he went away and sold everything he had and boughtit” (Matt. 13:45, 46).*

When my husband and I lived in Japan, we visited PearlIsland. It was here that Mikimoto irked his first oyster byinserting a grain of sand under its shell to produce the world’sfirst cultured pearl. After years of research he perfected themethod of producing pearls by inserting a small mother-of-pearl bead. This made a pearl created entirely of the oyster’ssecretions, called nacre. Cultured pearls closely approximatenatural pearls except that they deteriorate more readily. If thecovering of nacre is too thin, they will reveal their mother-of-pearl core after prolonged contact with the human body.

We found it interesting to go through the pearl museumand see how the pearls were made. We also saw pearls of allcolors and sizes—white, black, blue, gray, cream, lavender,rose, and mauve. Rose was the most valued color.

Before Mikimoto developed the first cultured pearl, theFrench invented the first imitation pearl. Back in the seven-teenth century they found that by dipping an alabaster beadin a pearl solution of fish scale essence and lacquer theycould produce something that looked like a pearl.

But before the cultured pearl and before the imitation pearlwas the natural pearl—the pearl of which Jesus spoke. Locatinga natural pearl is no easy task. Of these pearls, only a few willbe round and have the luster of true value. And of these, only avery few will be large enough to command a great price.

When the merchant found the priceless jewel, what didhe do? He sold everything he had to get it. Now if thathad been a cultured pearl or, worse yet, an imitation pearl


or—perish the thought—a plasticbead, the man would have been afool. But he knew what he was doing.He was a pearl expert. He knew valuewhen he saw it, so he sold everythinghe had to get it.

Not so the rich young ruler. TheBible tells us “he went away sad,because he hadgreat wealth”(Mark 10:22).Great wealth! If hehad recognizedvalue when he sawit, he would havethrown away allthe cheap imita-tions to get the onePearl of infinitevalue.

When he sawJesus blessing thechildren, he knewthere was somethingspecial about Him.Perhaps Jesus couldbless him, too. Hefelt somewhat defec-tive. Perhaps Jesuscould make up forwhat he lacked. Hesincerely believedthat he kept all ofGod’s command-ments, but some-thing was missing.

Jesus loved him.He valued him. Hewanted more than anything to share thepriceless gift with him. He would revealthe man’s weakness. “Go, sell everythingyou have and give to the poor, and youwill have treasure in heaven. Thencome, follow me” (verse 21).

Doing the UnthinkableIt was too much. His wealth. His

position in the Sanhedrin. Give it up?Live a life of uncertainty—poor, pow-erless, despised as Christ’s follower? Itwas too much. He went away sad. Hewas the wise fool.

In contrast to the wise fool is thefoolish wise. Imagine a party. All thetown leaders sit huddled around thetable in muted conversation. Here

comes Mary, uninvited, hunched over,not daring to look at the dignitaries.She weeps at Jesus’ feet. She slides amilky white vase of pure nard fromunder her robe. Then the unthink-able—she breaks it. The fragrance fillsthe room and with a wisp of the windis gone forever. Or is it?

Mary, unlike the rich young ruler,had no great wealth. But in Christ shesaw the eternal riches. She hadreceived from Him love and forgive-ness, and her gift was nothing in com-parison. She held nothing back. Shegave all. She risked all. In the presenceof critical Pharisees she broke her vaseand let its fragrance fill the air. Shewept unabashedly, kissing Christ’s feetand wiping them with her hair.

Imagine it. A murmur goes aroundthe room. Why this waste? Why thiswaste, indeed!

Jesus could not believe His ears.The men to whom He had devotedHis entire ministry did not understand.After three and a half years under His

constant tutelage—why this waste? Hisheart must have broken.

Mary felt the sting of embarrass-ment and looked hopefully into Jesus’eyes for some sign that He under-stood—that He accepted her gift, notonly of the nard but of her heart. Thewords of Jesus thrilled her soul: “She

has done a beauti-ful thing to me. . . .I tell you the truth,wherever thisgospel is preached . . . what she hasdone will also betold, in memory ofher” (Matt. 26:10-12). And so it is—in all four Gospels.

Paul said, “Weare fools for Christ”(1 Cor. 4:10). Paulrecognized valuewhen he saw it. Hethrew away all theimitation pearls ofthe past, yes, eventhe cultured pearls.Everything he hadvalued he gave toChrist. “I considereverything a loss,”he says, “comparedto the surpassinggreatness of know-ing Christ Jesus myLord, for whosesake I have lost all

things. I consider them rubbish, that Imay gain Christ” (Phil. 3:7, 8).

Paul was no fool. And despiteappearances, neither are we when wegive up all the cubic zirconium and plastic pearls that a materialistic culturethrows at us to gain Jesus Christ—theeternal riches, the genuine article. ■

* Scripture quotations in this article are fromthe New International Version.

Karen Lindensmith writesfrom McClusky, NorthDakota.

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JOHN NIXON

Ayoung pastor preparing for ordination had topass through a qualifying procedure in whichhis ordained colleagues grilled him with ques-tions. Some of thequestions were about

pastoral situations. Others weremeant to test his biblical knowledge.All went well until one ministerasked him to explain the reference toGod in Psalm 139:8: “If I make mybed in hell, behold, thou art there.”

The ordination candidate was deeplytroubled. How can God be in hell?

A look at the marginal readingwould have been helpful. The Hebrewword translated “hell” is sheol, which the New InternationalVersion translates as “the depths.” David is not here consigningGod to the eternal flames; he is expressing the divine attributethe theologians call “immensity.” God is not limited to spatialcategories; rather He fills every part of creation with the full-ness of His being.

David rejoiced in this knowledge: “You hem me in—behindand before; you have laid your hand upon me. . . . Where can Igo from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?”(verses 5-7, NIV).

But where was this Bible teaching when I was a child?Grown-ups taught us that God could not be with us in certainplaces, that if we ventured onto forbidden ground, we would beexposed and unprotected. Some went so far as to say that if per-chance we were to die while in some worldly establishment, wewould be lost. The intent was to shield us from the dangers ofthe world, but the effect was to create a picture of a limitedGod, someone less than all-powerful.

Nothing could be further from the biblical picture. Jeremiahasked, “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall notsee him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saiththe Lord” (Jer. 23:24).

Immensity is described as an aspect of divine infinity. Infinity isthe perfection by which God is free from all limitation, transcend-ing both space and time (or space-time). Divine infinity expressedin relation to time is called eternity. Eternity is not endless time,but the absence of time. God is elevated above all temporal limits,and He possesses the whole of His existence in one indivisiblepresent. The psalmist writes, “Before the mountains were brought

forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, evenfrom everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Ps. 90:2).

Divine infinity expressed in relation to space is called immen-sity. God is not to be thought of as dis-persed throughout creation, spread outeverywhere. Rather the idea is that spa-tial laws do not apply to Him. Whenthis truth is expressed in the positive,we say God is omnipresent; He iseverywhere. As one writer puts it, “Heinhabits all of reality, not just part of it.. . . He is no more available in oneplace than in another.” *

What a glorious truth! No wonderDavid rejoiced. Our God can reach us

no matter where we go or who we are. We can call on Him andHe will answer, even when we have turned away from Him andfind ourselves in a “far country.” God will go anywhere to reachus, no matter where Satan has led us astray.

And God is no more accessible to the educated and highlyplaced than He is to the unlearned and lowly. “For thus saiththe high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name isHoly; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that isof a contrite and humble spirit, . . . to revive the heart of thecontrite ones” (Isa. 57:15).

After a frustrating day in court representing youthful offenders,a non-Christian attorney was heard to say, “If these young peoplehad what the young people in your church have, they would notbe in trouble with the law.” Then he added, “Why do youAdventists sit up there on that hill isolated and to yourselves?”

It matters not in what city this incident occurred or towhich specific church the attorney made reference. The ques-tion is for us all: if we really believe that God is available to allpeople and present everywhere, should not we also be availableto all people and present everywhere to do His bidding?

* Richard Rice, The Reign of God (Berrien Springs, Mich.: AndrewsUniversity Press, 1985), p. 74.

John Nixon is senior pastor of the Oakwood CollegeSeventh-day Adventist Church in Huntsville,Alabama.

God Without LimitsA P A S T O R ’ S P E R S P E C T I V E

Where was this Bible teaching

when I was a child?



WHAT IF . . . ?

The first Adventists landed in the “unentered area” ofAustralia in 1885. Almost before they found their land legsthey were organizing preaching events, evangelistic campaigns,visitation programs, and literature-distribution efforts. And theyworked on print evangelism with the Signs of the Times.

Various media for evangelism have always fascinatedAdventists, and back then the print medium was at thecommunication industry’s cutting edge. Some 11 years

after the missionaries’landing, the churchhad grown enough toseriously considerkeeping in touch withbelievers scatteredthrough mostAustralian states andNew Zealand. Enterthe Record. This yearthe Record (the SouthPacific Division’s

weekly church magazine) turned 100.In looking at those early Records there’s no mistaking that

the church was on the move. There’s no mistaking thegrowth on all fronts. There’s no mistaking that the missionof the church was to the fore.

I read a note in the second issue of the Record (Mar. 1898):“Brethren Woods and Ballingall are at present conducting aseries of tent meetings at Kadina, South Australia.” Kadina?An insignificant country town of about 4,000 people.Insignificant? That’s where my home church is.

And I think, What if . . .What if Adventists hadn’t thought globally back then?Then again, what if Adventists don’t think globally now?

—Bruce Manners, editor, South Pacific Record and Signs of the Times

ONCE UNENTERED . . .

Country Seventh-day Adventist work began

France 1876 Cuba 1903Australia 1885 Thailand 1906Mexico 1891 Kenya 1906Nicaragua 1892 Malaysia 1911Belgium 1897 Senegal 1952Peru 1898 Malta 1957Indonesia 1900 Niger 1993Myanmar 1902 Mauritania 1995

HAUNTED HOUSE BECOMES CHURCH

When Adventists in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, decidedto conduct a series of meetings, the landlords of the commu-nity repeatedly refused to rent for that purpose. As a finalinsult, the Adventists were offered a “haunted” house, wherethey could conduct their meetings rent-free. After three mys-terious deaths had occurred in the house, no one had ven-tured onto theproperty and thehouse had satvacant for 27 years.

With Global Mission funds earmarked for hall rentalthe Adventists renovated the house and removed theovergrowth, including a tree that had grown up throughthe ceiling. The house was transformed into a beautifulhouse of God.

After the meetings 16 people were baptized. The newcongregation has about 45 people worshiping with them on Sabbaths.

Thinking Globally

G L O B A L M I S S I O N : R E A C H I N G T H E U N R E A C H E D W I T H H O P E

TELL ME MORE . . .Global Mission is an initiative to reach the unreached

with hope. To receive free Global Mission newsletters or jointhe Global Mission Prayer Ministry, phone 1-800-648-5824.

AU S T R A L I A

K A D I N AWE’RE NOT AFRAID: Twenty-sevenyears of superstition can’t stop thisgroup from making a “haunted house”their church home.

LESLIE KAY

Grasshopper Junction is not what it used tobe—which may be just as well, sinceGrasshopper Junction used to be a boot-scootin’ rip-roaring bar. But every time we passthe old deserted place on

our way into town, I remember. In spiteof its checkered past, I remember thesummers I treasured there with my father,its handsome, energetic proprietor.

A daddy’s girl from birth, I was con-vinced my father could do anything—shoot a pesky rattlesnake, take a splinterout of my finger before I knew it, tell thefunniest stories I’d ever heard—and mostof all, he was kind. I wanted to be justlike him.

I thought I had my chance to do justthat during my fourteenth summer, the summer of the “Tote-goat.” To my adventure-charged adolescent mind the Tote-goat was a powerful black stallion, and the porch behind thebar the last frontier to be conquered. No matter that my sleekblack “horse” was a lumbering yellow motorbike—and thesteep hill to the porch expressly off-limits. If Dad parked thebike at the top of the hill, I secretly wanted to do it too. Iwanted him to be proud of me.

So one blistering August day, after a few thunderous lapsbehind the bar, I pulled into my designated parking areaonly to “hear” the porch thrusting out its usual brazen chal-lenge, “Bet you can’t conquer me!” This time I made themistake of listening.

Resolutely facing my challenger, I twisted the throttleand screamed up the steep slope. But I panicked. Unable towrench my frozen hand from the throttle, I watched in hor-ror as the front tire lurched onto the cement pad, rammedinto the back wall of the bar, and attempted to climb to theroof, until gravity stepped in, and the bike slammed onto itsside, severing a fat electrical cord and smashing a half-dozenfive-gallon water bottles into splinters.

Grasshopper Junction hadn’t seen so much action allsummer. With a thump the back door burst open, and outstreamed the day’s catch of locals and tourists, turning myprivate humiliation into a painfully public one.

My father rushed to my side and turned off the engine.“Honey,” he asked anxiously, “are you all right?”

“I . . . I’m OK,” I managed to squeak. Speechless and pale, Idisentangled myself from the wreckage and stood with down-cast eyes, wishing death would come quickly and mercifully.

Sensing my embarrassment, Dad put his arm around meand gently led me to the house, awayfrom the terrible eyes. Once inside, hesat me down and calmly reprimanded,“Honey, what you did was wrong. I toldyou not to bring the bike up the hill. It’stoo dangerous for you. Obviously, yourealize that now.”

Miserably I whispered, “I just wantedto do what you do. I wanted you to beproud of me.”

Startled, Dad sat back and looked atthe floor, straining to comprehend theconvoluted workings of the adolescent

mind. Then he said deliberately, “Leslie, you don’t have todo what I do to make me proud of you. I’m proud of you justas you are. And no matter what happens—no matter whatyou do—you’ll always be my girl, and I’ll always love you.”

That summer I didn’t intend to take (and fail) a “crashcourse” in motorcycle stunt riding. I also didn’t plan to takea crash course in unconditional love from a man who wasnot a Christian, but who had intuitively received from Goda large-hearted love for his erring daughter.

Now I want to give something back to my father in appreci-ation for this great love he’s given me. So I pray that this manwho has worked so hard to earn everything he’s ever ownedwill come to understand that there’s one thing he can neverearn—the freely given unconditional love of his heavenlyFather. I pray that he’ll hear his Father’s voice reassuring him,“My son, no matter what happens—no matter what you do—you’ll always be My child, and I’ll always love you.”

I pray that my father will accept this divine love in all its fullness and allow it to transform him from a beloved butestranged son into a believing, eternal son of the living God.

Leslie Kay writes from a mining claim in Chloride,Arizona.

Love Lessons atGrasshopper Junction

O N T H E H O M E F R O N T


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BY A. L. HENDRICKSON

Not long ago I took a crash course inChristianity. Bogie, my perpetually puppylikeDalmatian, and I completed an eight-weekclass in beginningdog training. And as

I attempted to teach him basic goodmanners, I learned much moreabout brass-tacks faith.

Let the master lead the way.An obedience dog’s primary posi-tion is at its master’s side. It mustbe ready to follow wherever itshandler goes. Bogie had to learnto follow my lead, for if he didn’tstay by my side, there was a veryreal danger that he would inter-fere with another’s progress.

Sometimes obeying means staying in one place.Learning to walk wherever I led presented my pup with fewproblems compared to learning to stay where he was told.At first the dogs weren’t given the opportunity to grow rest-less. But as their understanding of what was expected ofthem grew, they learned that they couldn’t constantly be onthe go. They also learned that though we might leave them“on their own” for a short time, they were still expected toobey and were never out of sight.

Enthusiasm counts. Again and again our instructorreminded us to praise our dogs and to make the work fun forthem. A perfect performance that exhibits no real joy doeslittle to promote the sport. A well-trained obedience dogreveling in its work inspires beginners like me to set ourstandards high.

It doesn’t matter what your parents have accomplished.Some breeds have been bred for generations with obedi-ence in mind (Dalmatians, I hasten to assure you, are notone of these breeds.) But even if a puppy boasts obediencetrial champions on all branches of its family tree, withouttrust in its handler and daily practice it will never live upto its potential.

The more willing you are, the more the master canteach you. From “Canine Good Citizen” through the vary-ing degrees of companion and utility dogs, one constantremains: obedience work is a team effort. The moreadvanced the training, the more difficult the tasks.

The more noise you make, the harder it is to hear themaster. The first few nights of class were cacophonous.Some dogs bristled; some grumbled: one in particular yapped

at everything in sight. Before long,however, the only noises heard werethe voices of our instructor and eachhandler’s quiet patter of praise andreprimands.

And most important, keep youreyes on the master. My puppylearned to focus on my face, to lis-ten only to my commands, and toblock out the conflicting commandsof others.

Inspired both by the visiblechanges in my dog’s behavior and bywhat I felt were the Christian paral-

lels, I found biblical support for my analogy. In nearly everyinstance that I found dogs mentioned, the beasts in questionhad no master, and thus no manners.

Matthew 15 is slightly different in tone, however.When testing the Canaanite woman, Jesus tells her thatdogs shouldn’t eat at the children’s expense (verse 26).The woman’s answer, though (verse 27), strikes a chordwith dog lovers everywhere. The attitude makes all the dif-ference, you see. While snuffling under the table for thecrumbs children always drop, the dogs aren’t thinking, Oh,brother. All we get is leftovers. No. If the dogs in the illustra-tion are anything like mine, all they care about is All right!We get to eat with the master!

So is Bogie now an example of canine perfection?Hardly. But he is more attentive, more disciplined, andmuch more enjoyable to have around. I can’t claim to beanywhere near Christian perfection either. But I figurethat, like my puppy, I can’t go wrong if I keep listening tomy Master. ■

A. L. Hendrickson is a freelance writer living inColoma, Michigan.

Obedience TrainingR E F L E C T I O N S

I can’t go wrong if I listen to

my Master.


What’s one word youthink of when youhear “North Pole”?(“Santa Claus”doesn’t count—

that’s two words.) Lots of people think“cold” because it’s so very cold at theNorth Pole. It’s so cold up in theArctic that even though there is noland—it’s just an ocean—polar bearscan live there. Do you know how? Theocean is always frozen. The polar bearslive on a giant iceberg.

They can bear the cold becausethey have thick fur and because theyare big. Big bodies keep warm moreeasily than small bodies.

Seals also live in the Arctic. Theyhave blubber to keep them warm.Under their skin is a thick layer of fat.They are so fat, they are almost round.If you are going to live in the Arctic,the best shape to have is a ball shape.That helps you keep warm.

In the Bible sometimes the word“fat” means rich or powerful or strong. That’s why you might find a promiselike this: “The Lord shall guide theecontinually, and satisfy thy soul indrought, and make fat thy bones”(Isaiah 58:11). We still have this ideatoday. Sometimes we call someonewho is rich or powerful a “fat cat.”

There is danger in being a fat cat. Youcan start to think that you made yourselfrich and powerful. That happened to theIsraelites. The Bible says, “Israel grew fatand kicked. They were fat and full andfirm. They left the God who made them.They rejected the Rock who savedthem” (Deuteronomy 32:15, ICB).

God was especially upset that theleaders had turned into fat cats. Hesaid, “How terrible it will be for theshepherds of Israel who feed only them-selves! Why don’t the shepherds feedthe flock?” (Ezekiel 34:2, ICB). Thepriests were not teaching the people to

follow God.They were not helping thepeople who were weak or lost or cold.

Fat CatsROSY TETZ


Is it good to be a fat cat? It depends.If you walk with God, riches and powercan do a lot of good. But if you walkwith God, you can do amazing thingseven if you are poor and weak. Theimportant thing to remember is that Heis strong. Even if you don’t have blub-ber, God can keep you warm and helpyou share warmth with others. God canmake fat thy bones.

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ADayin theLifeof aSingleDad - Adventist Review