The Overflow
Bergen, Norway
A nice letter from Brother Connie W. Adams tells of his arrival in Bergen, and of plans for getting a congregation under way in that lovely city of 150,000 people. A curious circumstance is that by the laws of Norway no two religious bodies may bear the same name; and a Holiness group is already registered under the name "Church of Christ." Brethren who are working in Norway have agreed to register with the government as "Christ's Church."
Badge of Distinction
There was a time when a "write-up" in the Gospel Advocate would cause most preachers to shake in their boots. But of late years that journal has established such a reputation for unfairness, unreliability ("Old UN-Reliable"), and vicious one-sided reporting of events that such a write-up now is almost regarded as a badge of distinction. Even the most rabid and prejudiced of Advocate readers have come to discount much of what they see there, knowing that (like in Russia) they will NEVER get both sides of the story in that journal.
"My daddy's business"
We've had a bit to say on these pages about the undue familiarity with divinity which is prevalent. Now comes word that a well-known gospel preacher is referring in his sermons to God as "Daddy." He quoted Jesus as saying, "I must be about my daddy's business;" and throughout all the sermon used that childish term to designate Divinity. How much longer will it be before these brethren really get into the groove and get hep with their jive talk? Who will be the first to refer to God as "Daddy-O"? Oh, yes, this preacher is a professor in one of our Christian colleges.
"How do you feel?"
"There is one topic peremptorily forbidden to all well-bred, to all rational mortals, namely, their distempers. If you have not slept, or if you have slept, or if you have headache, or sciatica, or leprosy, or thunder-stroke, I beseech you, by all the angels, to hold your peace!"
— Ralph Waldo Emerson New version
Then there was the aged preacher whose pet aversion was the way modern women leave their homes and go out to work. He habitually read Paul's letter to Titus, "That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keep 'em at home, good obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." (Titus 2:45.)
Lucrative jobs
Have you been reading the "financial reports" of some of the benevolent institutions among us lately? They are a real eye-opener to those who analyze them. Gunter Home, for instance, reported receipts slightly over $12,000.00 per month for the second quarter this year; Childhaven recently reported her farm income (Not contributions from churches) at a figure far in excess of what ordinarily would be required for ALL her upkeep and operating expense. Sunny Glen Home reports a profit of some $6,000.00 from her cotton crop alone. (See editorial.) All of which adds up to the fact that our "charitable institutions" are among the richest and most lucrative enterprises among us. In fact, the Superintendents of some of these homes are reported to receive compensation for their jobs in figures that are simply fantastic.
The whimsical cow
The way some of the brethren are jumping about from one side to the other of present issues calls to memory the story of the farmer with a whimsical cow. The cow strayed from home. The farmer and his son went out to hunt for her, and soon came to a wide, wide river. Said the farmer, "Son, you go down one side of this river, and I'll go down the other. That freakish critter may be on both sides!"
Anti-hospital?
Now that some of the brethren are really getting under way with their promotions for a "Church of Christ Hospital," and others are just as strongly opposing their scheme, how long will it be till we hear of the promoters accusing their brethren of being "opposed to medical care," and try to make people think they belong to the snake-handling, faith-healing cult who "don't believe in doctors ?" It's sure to come, if we can judge by the "they don't believe in caring for orphans" nonsense we've heard the last few years.
Credit lines
The way brethren are bowing and scraping to give credit to Deavers and Warren for their "total situation, component parts, constituent element" flapdoodle reminds us of the time one of Hollywood's biggest stars had a stomach-ache. A whole regiment of specialists was called in, and after many tests determined that the patient had appendicitis. Spokesman for the group announced the findings. "The diagnosis," he intoned, "is by Drs. Hickenlooper, Ricebrough, Chagknut, Fiddidler, and myself; based on an idea by Dr. Mortenburne, tested and checked by Drs. Sunburne, Chafe, and Peeler."
Our nomination
Our nomination for top comedian of the year goes to the official in one of our Christian colleges who recently wrote to a publisher that he wanted papers coming to the school which were not "negative" like the Gospel Guardian, but were "positive" and (how's this for drollery?) "free from all personalities, like the Gospel Advocate, Firm Foundation, a n d Christian Worker!"
Porter And Lanier
Incidentally, it was rather interesting to note that Gene Hancock gave up the publication of the Christian Worker when he became President of York College. Undoubtedly there were many factors in the decision — not the least of which must have been that Rue Porter, editor of the Worker, has been one of the bitterest and most vicious critics in all the church of the position advocated by Brother Roy Lanier, head of the Bible department at York, relative to orphan homes. Porter thinks that anybody who contends, as Lanier does, that an orphan home must be under an eldership is just plain silly and a crack-pot, and scarcely an issue of his paper fails to carry some well- -chosen tobacco-stained cuss words to that effect. We think Gene was right smart in refusing to be caught between the two!
Debate with Presbyterian
How long since anybody has ever found a Presbyterian preacher who was willing to defend his doctrine? Well, Floyd Thompson, preacher for the Berrydale Church in Santa Ana, California, has a six-night debate scheduled with a Presbyterian preacher sometime in January. Further announcement will be made later.
The years go by
"In masks outrageous and austere
The years go by in single file;
But none has merited my fear,
And none has quite escaped my smile."
— Elinor Hoyt Wylie
Charts?
Do you want some charts made? One of the best and neatest chart-makers we've found in many miles and years of travel is Mrs. Ettie Wells, 1149 S. W. 4th Terrace, Lyons Park, Pompano Beach, Florida. Her work is strictly top-grade, and her rates are reasonable. She knows the business; you will be pleased with her work.