The Overflow
The pope has proclaimed 1950 as a "Holy Year." And according to Time Magazine, Rome is simply crawling with enterprising merchants of one kind or another who plan to make a killing (financial killing, that is) out of the affair. One ingenious beer baron down at Taranto is even having his beer bottles made in the shape of the basilica of St. Peter's There will be enough splinters from the "true cross" sold to gullible zealots (many of them well-heeled Americans) to stock a good-sized lumber yard. If all the "real nails" from the cross which are in Catholic hands could be gathered together and melted into one piece of metal, it would likely be enough to supply all the steel for a modern warship. It is highly probably that sometime very near the start of the year the pope will proclaim that the "real bones" of Peter have been discovered! Advance stories speculating on this have been coming from the Vatican with increasing frequency lately, telling of the discovery of the "real tomb" of the apostle. Since the Gospel Guardian a genteel, high falutin' journal, its editor can't describe the effect all this hocum has on him. But one of those little pasteboard containers like the airplanes carry for air-sick passengers might come in handy. If we see much more of this Catholic eyewash, we're liable to be sicker than Jack Dunn's "man of Distinction." (See below).
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America For Christ
It's going to be interesting to watch the progress of "the greatest cooperative evangelistic movement of the past half-century" which got under way the first week in October. For the next fifteen months 38 of the leading Protestant denominations (with a combined membership of 35 millions) are going to put on what they call the "United Evangelistic Advance." This movement has as its slogan "America for Christ," and is a subtle (some times not so subtle) counter attack to the Catholic goal of "America for Catholicism." If the issue is really drawn, we're likely to see some religious pyrotechnics —they may even get down to the "low plane" of the Bible Banner and Gospel Guardian and start slugging. Tch! Tch!"
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Man of Distinction"
"The man of distinction is slurping, The man of distinction is burping,
(If he had his rathers, Cocktails would be feathers)
The man of distinction is urping."
—O—
Meeting with a "faction" church Interesting items appear in the papers. For instance, look at this one from the Firm Foundation of September 20: "Dalhart, Texas — Brethren John G. Bills and U. R. Beeson are in a meeting this week, August 29 to September 4, with the faction church in Dalhart." No comment.
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Why not?
Two ladies on a street-car were overheard discussing t h e present strained relations between America and Russia. Said one, "Well, what if Russia and America don't like each other; that's no reason why they should fight. Why can't they learn to live together peaceably, sort of like husband and wife?"
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Park Hill Church, Denver In a day when so many churches are pleading for help to get the work started in a new place, it is refreshing to find one now and then that has started under its own power, and stands alone. Such is Park Hill congregation in Denver. Organized 12 years ago with 46 members, this congregation was self supporting from the very first day it began. They built and paid for their own house; they supported their own preacher (and did it well, too); they have sent money time and again to have the gospel preached in other western states, as well as in foreign fields. Today the congregation numbers slightly over 250 members, and already has well under way plans for the starting of a new congregation in Aurora, a suburb of Denver. Park Hill has secured a house for the new congregation, and within the next few months will be sending forty or fifty of her members out to begin in that new community. Yet without even trying we could name two or three score of churches having 400 or 500 members who consider themselves "too weak" to swarm and start a new congregation. The preacher now serving Park Hill is Elbridge B. Linn- X—0—X Tarbet's articles Appearing in this issue is the first of a series of three articles by Felix W. Tarbet of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in refutation of the "water baptism not for this age" heresy. The other two articles will appear in succeeding issues. We commend them to your careful study.
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Hurry, hurry, hurry!
We've just received a promotion circular sent out by Tanda Lodge (the California "Church of Christ" sports promotion organization) urging all churches to send teams of players to a huge sports rally to be held at Tanda Lodge at a certain date. An entry blank was enclosed for the convenience of the elders in listing the sporting events in which they desire to enter teams: archery, badminton, baseball, checkers, croquet, ping pong, swimming, tennis, volley-ball. The church winning the highest score would receive special honor in the shape of having its name engraved on the Tanda Lodge sports plaque! Hurry, hurry, hurry! Step right up folks; the big Church of Christ show is about to begin.
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Letters
"You seem in the last few issues of your paper to confuse "in spite of" with "because of." It is true that the Kentucky preacher twisted Acts 20: 28 to suit his personal desires, but why be so unjust as to lay the blame on the colleges he attended? I went to Freed-Hardeman college and five of the students studying to be preachers that year lost their faith after leaving school. It was not because infidelity was taught, but in spite of the fact that truth was taught. Most people can see through the illogical conclusions you have drawn, but some can't, so why get them upset and afraid that these schools have all gone to the dogs?"
—Wendall H. Bloomingburg
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Food for thought
"Ill thrives the hapless family that shows A cock that's silent, and a hen that crows;
I know not which live most unnatural lives, Obeying husbands or commanding wives."
—Francis Quarles
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R. V. Scott closed at Philippi, Wednesday night. Results not known.