The Overflow
Mirable Dictu!
From Rufus Clifford of Nashville comes a note telling of a church sign he saw recently near Crockett, Texas, while on a trip with his family. The sign simply stated "New Energy Church." And our comment on that? "You just can't hardly find them like that anymore."
Now, Hear This
And Ferrell Jenkins of St. Louis sends us a copy of a recent bulletin by brother John Allen Hudson's Old Paths Book Club. Among other selections offered by the club is one book entitled "Preaching in the Twentieth Century," jointly produced by J. P. Sanders, C. A. Norred, Falling Y. Tant, and Roy E. Cogdill. We opine that it is surely a typographical error, for had it been intentional brother Hudson would no doubt have written "Fallen Y. Tant."
Compensation
Just to even the score, and show that he really does appreciate the Guardian editor, here is what brother Hudson says about the book "J. D. Tant — Texas Preacher," written (so his catalogue states) "By Fanning Yater Tant. The most entertaining biography of a gospel preacher to appear in our generation. The delightful, vivid history of a true "original" and also of the Restoration in the West from about 1880. Full of humorous anecdotes and vivid recreations of a time and a way of life which has passed: from Sherman's March to the Indian reservation and the San Francisco earthquake. Life in the West when preachers still forded streams and rode circuit." Price $4.00. And you can order it from the Gospel Guardian.
Fettered
According to a letter Gayle Oler wrote Jesse G. Jenkins some months ago, which has been printed in several church bulletins, Oler is completely fettered and unable to condemn any man for any unscriptural practice in which he may be engaging. Specifically, he says that he does "not condemn one for taking the Lord's Supper on a day other than the first day of the week." He says he takes it on the first day because he has an approved example of such (Acts 20:7); but does not condemn one for taking it another day. By the same token he can NOT condemn one who sprinkles (although he immerses), nor one who practices polygamy (although he is a monogamist), nor one who accepts the authority of a Pope (although he accepts the authority of elders.) What weird and fanciful positions a man can be driven to by a hobby!
No Paper Next Week
We do not publish a paper the last week in the year. But look for the Gospel Guardian in your mail box as usual the first week in the new year. Incidentally, several have commented to us that they sometimes miss getting the paper one week, and then get two the next week. The fault lies with Uncle Sam. Talk to your postmaster. The full complement of papers goes into the post office at Lufkin each Friday afternoon.
Church Work?
Somebody sends us an "Educational Department Bulletin" from the Sixteenth and Decatur Streets church in Washington, D. C. Among the interesting announcements of "church work" for this congregation we note a "Young Adult Forum," a "Parent-Teacher Tea," and a "Halloween Party." Pretty good; but we still think that church that put on a "Greased Pig Chase" deserves top billing.
Setting The Record Straight
We commend the following lesson in "how to say it" to certain verbose preachers to whom we have listened in boredom in years past: An habitual drunk was before the judge to plead. "As God is my judge." whined the drunk, "I am not guilty." "He's not; I am; you are; thirty days," said the judge.
No Overwhelming Enthusiasm
We hear of a certain church which invested money in a good television set — so the congregation could watch "Herald of Truth." We opine there will be no overwhelming enthusiasm for this gimmick among the preachers. Even the "Herald of Truthers" themselves (the preachers, we mean) will probably view this competition with something less than wild acclaim. Just think how many sermonizers could find themselves without a job if this sort of thing caught on!
Time For A Repeat
Brother H. Leo Boles used to tell of a famous sermon title used by some of the preachers of his day entitled, "Bible 'Nots' where 'Not' Is Not Found." After listening to some of the sickening sophomoric nonsense of such sillyisms as "Where There Is No Pattern," we think it high time for a repeat of some of the old-fashioned preaching on the necessity of Bible authority. The absence of Bible authority should exclude and prohibit any practice from the lives of people who respect the will of God.
A Voice From The Grave
....it is certain that the bishops of one congregation have no authority to oversee the affairs of another congregation. They have authority in only the one congregation. All the ecclesiasticism and hierarchies of the present day have come as a direct result of a failure to observe that principle — the principle of congregational independence." — G. C. Brewer (T h e Model Church, p. 13.)
We can think of no more beneficial gift than a subscription to the Gospel Guardian. It will be helpful to us in our circulation of the paper and it will help the person to whom it is sent. Why not sit down now and make up a list of people who are not now subscribers and give them a year of continuous good reading!