The Overflow
High Finance
We are now informed that Brother James Walter Nichols is resigning from Herald of Truth to devote his full time and talents to the field of Christian journalism, specifically to the Christian Chronicle. He is seeking to borrow slightly over $100,000.00 from various brethren over the nation (friends, relatives, strangers, just anybody) to finance the new venture. He has been on the Board of Directors of Chronicle Publishing Company for the last year; has already arranged to refinance $75,000.00 on the assets of the corporation, and is seeking to raise at once an additional $29,000.00. Having led the churches out of the wilderness of ignorance and lethargy and shown them how they can put on a national radio broadcast, and unwilling to rest on his laurels, Brother Nichols is now planning to promote a like gigantic venture in the field of journalism. We predict he will succeed. As a promoter this lad has talent — and we do mean TALENT. "Gimme a dollar" Eugene Smith is a piker in comparison.
Watermelon Wiggle
Brother William Ward of Long Beach, California, sends us the bulletin of Los Altos Congregational Church, which advertises a "Men's Club Dance" dubbed the "Watermelon Wiggle." It is sponsored by the Men's Club, and the price is 50 cents per couple. Those attending were promised "all the watermelon you can eat." Since a leading Texas religious journal has now come out in favor of the church participating "in business" for profit, and since one of Texas' best-known gospel preachers recently acted as Master of Ceremonies at a Fort Worth dinner-dance, maybe it won't be long till we'll be having such high class church sponsored events as this in Texas. Why not? We could combine "business" with "pleasure"!
Qualifications Of Elders
One of the big churches in the Texas panhandle recently pressured her entire eldership into resigning, and then selected a new group of elders. The new preacher (who had engineered the deal) laid down as a positive qualification for eldership that each man selected and appointed "must believe in the scripturalness of Herald of Truth." No comment.
The Digressives Liked It
On August 22 Brother E. R. Harper used the Herald of Truth national broadcast to argue and defend the arrangement under which Herald of Truth operates. It was the same sort of defense he has been making in the religious papers — an appeal to past practices etc. rather than to the scriptures. He says that the sermon was widely applauded, and that the conservative wing of the Christian Church regarded it so highly that they have written asking permission to reprint it and give it wide distribution among Christian Churches. But of course! The Conservative wing of the Christian Church is wedded to the "missionary society" concept; they simply object to UCMS, but do NOT object to the idea of a society. In fact, they have a society of their own. Clearly they recognized in Herald of Truth a surrender of the traditional opposition of loyal churches to the missionary society. Of course they want to distribute the sermon. Why shouldn't they? How much stronger evidence does Brother Harper need that he is on the wrong track? How many Methodist Churches have written in for permission to distribute his sermons on baptism?
They're Like That
Speaking of crazy guys (and who was?) did you hear about the little boy whose parents gave him a boomerang for his tenth birthday? The little fellow was simply delirious with joy, and threw the boomerang everywhere, over the roof, out windows and doors, around corners, in rain or in snow, by day or by night. Always it came sailing right back into his hand. When he was fifteen, his parents decided against giving him a fountain pen or a watch because the only thing he really loved was the boomerang. So they gave him a fancy new boomerang*. A month later a friend asked the parents how their youngster liked his new boomerang. "Oh, it's awful," they moaned. "Our poor boy is a mental case now in the hospital. He went crazy trying to throw the old one away!" (Editor's note: Just wait till some of the fellows get converted and try to get rid of some of these great projects they have started. Crazy, man! The land will be crawling with psychos.)
Advice To Controversialists
A word of caution might be in order to many of the brethren who are writing and talking so much about the issues before the church today: It's a good idea to keep your words soft and sweet because you never know when you may have to eat them.
From Jerusalem
It is reported that in the recent Billy Graham campaign in Nashville one of the most active members of Billy's "committee" was the teacher of a Bible class in one of Nashville's biggest and most fashionable Churches of Christ. And another member of the Lord's church in Nashville made the welcoming address, describing Billy Graham as 'the kind of Christian needed in our day," or something to that effect. "0, Jerusalem, Jerusalem!"
Tch! Tch!
"Selma, Texas, Sept. 1 — UP — The Rev. B. N. Galle, pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, complained to officers Wednesday that burglars broke into the church Tuesday night and took 30 cases of beer stored there for picnics." Pity the poor parson. What kind of lousy picnic will it be without beer? It sort of reminds us of the lamentable plight of the Indiana parson (gospel preacher) whose study was burglarized and who reported to the police that his trusty six-shooter was stolen from the pastoral desk.
Schedule
This "traveling preacher's" schedule for the rest of the year is as follows: Wendell Avenue Church, Louisville, Kentucky, October 24-30; Garden Oaks Church, Houston, Texas, October 31-November 7; Haynesville, Louisiana, November 14-23; Eldorado, Texas, November 28-December 5; and University Heights Church, Lexington, Kentucky, December 12-19.
The Advantages
From Collier's Magazine: "A unified church, speaking out on national and world problems, would have far greater influence than any of the present denominations could possibly have alone. And they point out that a single body could focus its strength on projects now hampered by lack of central concentration." (Quotation sent us by Maurice Barnett of Rogers, Arkansas.)
Can You Help?
Brother D. A. Sinclair, Sundridge, Ontario, Canada, is zealously working with a small congregation of less than a dozen members at Sundridge in the building of a meeting place. They are in dire need of help, as there are only two wage earners in the congregation. Brother Sinclair is giving his time without remuneration. It is apparently impossible to get any place at all to meet. There is not a New Testament congregation any closer than 200 miles to Sundridge. This is a chance to send a few dollars to a truly worthy place. Every cent will help. Send all help to Brother Sinclair at the above address.
Fortune-telling Brother Wilbur Hunt, 417 - 6th Ave., Palmetto, Florida, has a very fine little booklet, "Fortune-Telling Is Foolishness," which he sells for 25 cents. In an age that has gone crazy generally over fads and religious fakery, Hunt's booklet might help save some deluded soul from being tricked.
Sweeping It Out!
This is a P.S. on a letter that came a few weeks ago: "Oh, yes, our preacher gave us a sermon on 'Heaven' yesterday. He said Jesus had gone to prepare heaven for us — that he was up there now sweeping up the place and garnishing it for us!"