The Overflow
Earl West's Articles
Beginning with the February 16 issue, we will carry a series of three articles by Earl West of Indianapolis, Indiana; on the missionary society question and its relation to the present school-in-the-church-budget question. These articles, written on assignment, go right to the historical heart of the society question and show the deadly parallel between the philosophy that justifies them and the equally loose thinking that would make our Christian colleges church - supported institutions. Don't miss them.
* * * *
No Mimeograph Machines!
The little church in Graton, California, has just built and paid for a very nice new church building. It was built at much sacrifice, and much, if not most, of the labor was donated by the members. Speaking at the first service in the new building, W. Clyde Poplin said, "This is one church building that was erected without the aid of a single mimeograph machine."
* * * *
All Things To All Men
Brother Hugh Tiner has a "Take Time To Be Holy" hour over one of the Los Angeles radio stations each Sunday morning. When the Hollywood church recently refused to accept E. L. Jorgenson as their preacher, and Jorgenson drew off a small faction from the church to start a new premillennial congregation, Brother Tiner very graciously and magnanimously announced the services of both churches over his program, giving the same recognition and encouragement to the faction that he did to the true church. A noble gesture, indeed! True brotherly love, largeness of spirit . . . but that's not "what we like about the west."
* * * *
After Twenty-Five Years
At a recent service with the Mabel and Santa Rita congregation in Tucson, Arizona, the editor baptized two middle-aged men, each of whom had lived with a Christian wife for about a quarter of a century. How many thousands of men would have obeyed the gospel if their wives had only had the patience to endure and remain faithful to the Lord!
* * * *
Was This You?
He sat with reverential head
And listened to the sermon strong;
He heard the Holy Bible read,
His voice joined in the song.
The service touched a tender chord—
He gave a, quarter to the Lord.
The day before he dined in style;
He ate and drank the very best.
The bill he paid and gave a smile;
Life, he enjoyed with hearty zest.
Cheapness he bitterly abhorred—
So, gave a quarter to the Lord.
—Selected
* * * *
Evangelistic Issue Next Week
For the sake of our many new subscribers, we call attention to next week's issue as being our evangelistic issue. The second week in each month we devote the entire paper to material of an evangelistic nature, providing our subscribers with a paper that can be most effectively passed on to those who are not Christians. Use it.
* * * *
Interesting New Book
"Why People Do Not See The Bible Alike" is the title of a very fine new book by J. Ridley Stroop of David Lipscomb College. It is well written and deals with a problem that has puzzled millions of people. Brother Stroop has been on the faculty at DLC for more than a quarter of a century; he brings to this book a background of information and original thinking that make it a truly refreshing treatment of an old, old subject. Unlike some college professors (see below) he writes in simple style and with convincing logic.
* * * *
"Lard"-Ing Some Of The Modernists.
In startling contrast to the style and subject matter of Brother Stroop (above) are the weighty and profound philosophies which fascinate some of our brethren on the west coast. Certain of the learned professors of Pepperdine College have recently been filling some of the papers with erudite dissertations on very abstruse and speculative philosophical profundities. We think the words the great Moses E. Lard used in description of sectarian preachers peculiarly apropos in this situation: "The language employed by these men in their writings and sermons (is) a peculiar language. Their themes (are) recondite and metaphysical. The essential natures of the Father and the Son, the mystic mode of three in one and one in three... (are) the popular themes of the clergy." If Brother Lard were living today, and should see some of the productions of these philosophers of the west coast, we doubt not that he'd take as dim a view of their bizarre vocabularies and "recondite themes" as we do—which is plenty.
* * * *
The Blue Pencil Morgue
According to the English papers of Montreal, Canada, "the Rev. Arthur Taillefer, curate of the Roman Catholic Church of Ste.-Madeleine d'Outremont" was convicted in the Montreal courts a few weeks ago of being the head of a dope-peddling ring which had been supplying Montreal with heroin. The French language press of the city, however, owned and operated by Catholics, made absolutely no mention of the culprit's being a priest, and a high placed one at that. But here is the pay-off: The American press, having all the facts in the case, followed the example of the French press, not the English, in reporting the incident! Every single fact that might have linked Taillefer with the Catholic heirarchy was carefully deleted from the stories appearing in most American papers. Of one thing American readers can be certain: for every bit of unsavory news involving Catholics that makes American headlines, there are a score of such items, more odious, that have gone into the blue pencil morgue.
* * * *
Getting Older And Older
A few years ago somebody coined the word "anecdotage" to describe that period of life in which aged and garrulous people insist on regaling their listeners with interminable stories and anecdotes of the past. But since medical science has made such marvelous strides in prolonging human life, what word shall describe those who live beyond the age of anecdotage ? Jack Dunn supplies it:
In the Alpine heights was a yodeler—
A pious man, a teetotaler
Who lived past the age
Of anecdotage, ‑
And was said to be anecdotaler!
* * * *
"Starting" Versus "Establishing"
It is infinitely better to establish one new congregation than it is to start a dozen. Contrary to the attitude of certain churches and preachers, the words are not synonymous.
* * * *
"Let's Have Fellowship"
The brotherhood has been longsuffering under the constant carping criticism of a certain element who are short on doctrine but long on "fellowship." But this is not a new problem. Nearly a century ago, Moses E. Lard dealt with the same difficulty. Writing of some of these brethren who "for sweet charity's sake" would wink at error, he said, "They may be readily known by their abnormal charity and eccentric affinities. They love everybody but their brethren, forget no one except their former friends, and have an intense affinity for sects, but none for the church of Christ. They talk much of spiritual Christianity, but attempt to check their folly, and they reveal that they have the spirit of the devil."