The Overflow
Supply And Demand
A couple in McAlester, Oklahoma, not long ago abandoned their five year old son. Within a very short time after the local newspaper had told the story SIXTY families had contacted the local officials begging for the child for adoption. This is the response generally to such situations. Why confine children to an "institution" when a "home" is available to them?
Solid, Man — Real Solid!
Canadians are chuckling over an incident that happened in Oakville, Ontario, not long ago, and which has found its way in various versions into newspapers and magazines on both sides of the border. A young Canadian truck-driver, employed by a concrete mixing company, became aware that a local play-boy was paying altogether too much attention to the trucker's beautiful young wife. One day while delivering five cubic yards of concrete to a construction job, the truck driver drove down his own, street and spied the play-boy's brand new Cadillac parked in front of his house. He stopped the truck, rolled down the windows of the Cadillac, and methodically unloaded his full five yards of cement into, on, over, and around the Cadillac! They do say it was a bit messy; but it cooled the romance all right, and provided one of Oakville's junk yards with a solid and enduring tourist attraction.
Emphasis - Benevolence
We note one of the Lubbock, Texas, churches has now set herself the goal of giving the major portion of her contributions "to benevolent work." This congregation has accepted the philosophy so subtly put forth for the last few years, and now honestly comes forth with a "social gospel" objective, emphasizing this world and its needs, rather than the world to come. But is this church alone? Hardly! Just consider the veritable snow-storm of appeals that clutter the mails, and see how many of them are for present needs, temporal needs, earthly wants, rather than for the gospel or things spiritual and eternal.
Emphasis - Recreation
Announcement of a skating party for the young people in the Meaford, Ontario, church bulletin carries this from the preacher: "I believe that we can preach the gospel through providing recreation for the young people much better than we can from the pulpit." So, preacher brother, you should make like a coach or an athletic director. This is not only "better" than pulpit preaching, it is MUCH better!
We Consider It Inevitable
"I have heard through several highly reliable sources recently that there are schools on the brink of making all-out appeals for church support." - (Foy E. Smith in Firm Foundation, March 15.) And when that happens (as happen it most certainly will sooner or later!) watch the wild scramble of a huge flock of erstwhile "opposers of church contribution" in their wild gyrations to get on the band-wagon. And then vow to high heaven that they have never changed! All of which emphasizes once again that modern institutionalism is a "package deal". Church support of benevolent organizations can NOT be divorced from church support of educational organizations. The man who thinks it can — is a man who isn't thinking.
A Dosis-Lepsis Sponsor
Remember J. W. Roberts' highly original exegesis of Philippians 4:1517, in which he proved (?) Philippi was a "sponsoring" church because it kept a record of gifts received from other churches and then forwarded on to Paul? Well, in this current "Million For The Billion" campaign we see where the Gladstone Church in Frederick, Oklahoma, wants to be that kind of a "sponsoring church". Only Gladstone wants to "sponsor the sponsors"! There are seven "sponsoring churches" listed in the Firm Foundation of March 1, each congregation soliciting funds from other congregations to help it in supporting some worker or workers in Asia. Now the Gladstones elders do not propose either to support any worker in Asia, or to send contributions to any other church supporting such a man — what they want to do is to 'promote" this Asian work and keep a record of all contributions sent to each of the seven "sponsoring" churches. They request that each "sponsoring church" please send them full information as to all monies received, and all monies spent — and Gladstone will keep the records! Do NOT send your funds to Gladstone — just your records. No comment. On account of such effrontery leaves us speechless . . . .
Put Your Name On It
We have on hand several excellent articles, but the name of the author is missing. Maybe his name was on the envelope when it came to the office, and he thought that would be sufficient; but this editor rarely sees the envelope. All mail is first processed at the Lufkin office, then the editor's share of it is all put together into one big envelope and airmailed to wherever he happens to be. So, please, put your name on your manuscript, not just on the envelope. Thanks.
"The Charitable Ones"
We were given a fleeting smile the other day by a brief comment in Brother Carl Ketchersides's "Mission Messenger." Carl is lately going with ever longer strides into full-fledged modernism, and is seeking of course, to carry his readers along with him. One reader wrote in to ask if many of Carl's friends did not think he had turned soft and liberal. Carl replied, "Only the most charitable think that; the rest think I have lost my mind." But, as we see. it, Carl has things in reverse (not unusual for him) — the really charitable ones will offer insanity as the excuse for his present course; less charitably inclined will attribute it not to insanity but to infidelity. But whatever the reasons, it is obvious that Ketcherside is well on his way to becoming one of the most liberal of liberals among us.
Gimmicks Galore
A letter from a thoughtful brother calls attention to the current craze in the church for gimmicks — gimmicks instead of the gospel. All kinds of purposes cards, thermometers, bottle tops, name placards, booby contests, stunt features, variety shows, fellowship fads, and assorted advertising oddities are to be found in increasing number among congregations who once gloried in the gospel as God's saving power and God's drawing power. These childish gestures are being publicized under the caption "It's A Good Idea"; but we wonder, is it?
"Beep Silence"
Comes also a letter from Hoyt Houchen in which he tells the incident of an east Texas elder who called upon a sister to lead the singing in a certain service. When he was challenged by the preacher, and cited to I Corinthians 14:33, "Let your women keep silence in the churches," he shrugged off the whole problem with an original and startling bit of exegesis: "Oh, that means for them to keep the babies quiet!"