The Overflow
The "clergy"
An interesting note comes to us from Phoenix, Arizona, by way of a copy of the letter sent by the Southern Avenue Church of Christ of that city to the Civil Defense Council of Mariposa County. In this letter the brethren say they have six "clergymen" on the staff of Southern Avenue (two ordained ministers and four student ministers) and that they propose to make themselves available in case of enemy attack to "administer rites for the dying, the seriously injured, and the dead." Well, that looks to us like a pretty appropriate work for "clergymen."
A charge of "heresy"
Incidentally, this Southern Avenue Church of Christ is the congregation started a few years ago by the West-side Church — and which then turned around and declared that she could not fellowship Westside because of Westside's "heresy" over the orphan home question. (P.S. Her "disfellowship" was only partial and not total; that is she did not disfellowship to the point of returning the several thousand dollars which Westside had contributed toward getting Southern Avenue started.)
No limitations
"G. K. Wallace's recent article in the Gospel Advocate says: 'Fellowship is required and congregations are as free in the sight of God to use their judgment in how they do this as they are in using their judgment as to the kind of meeting-house they build.' That statement will include the Missionary Society just as surely as there are missionary societies. That is the precise argument in justification of their existence used by all the old time digressives. G. K. needs to heed his own advice and write on 'how to be a Christian farmer'!"
— R. C. Welch Louisville, Kentucky As the bishop said it
A prominent Episcopalian bishop a few years ago was invited to be the guest of honor at a social event in one of the eastern colleges. As the sorority girls began to come in with their escorts the Bishop was heard to gasp audibly a time or two at the extremely low cut of their dresses. The Dean of Women, sitting next to him, gushed, "Bishop, isn't it a lovely sight to see all these wonderful young people so happy and so beautifully dressed. Honestly, did you ever see anything like it in your life?" "Never," gravely responded the Bishop, "never since the day I was weaned."
Debates
Negotiations are in progress for another debate between Brother Guy N. Woods and Brother W. Curtis Porter. We are hopeful that announcement as to time and place can be made shortly.
Proposition
And speaking of debates, how do you like this proposition, which was affirmed by W. W. McCollum in the McCollum-Cullum debate in Washington state a few months ago: "The Scriptures confirm the following: the church is in apostasy, morally, scripturally; is a certain and absolute denomination in the full meaning of the word." Brother Eugene Cullum, preacher for the Bremerton congregation denied McCollom's proposition, and did it effectively.
A letter to Lemmons
Extract from a letter that was never mailed: "Dear Brother Lemmons: In many editorials you have insisted that there can be no difference between actions in an 'emergency' and the normal routine of behavior. If I were starving to death, and you had the money to relieve my distress in that emergency, it would be right for you to send me help, and wrong for you not to send. I am starving; you do have the money; so please send me one hundred dollars. Your own words are: 'The plea that this was an emergency does not in the least effect any New Testament practice.' But since I know you were only 'editorializing' and do not in the least believe what you wrote, I will await your check — with no expectation at all of receiving it."
"No hobbies"
We notice that an increasing number of brethren now advertising in the papers for work are listing among their qualifications that they have "no hobbies." And the doctors and the psychologists keep telling us that "every man ought to have at leas one hobby." John Nance Garner, the ex-vice president, has a hobby of peeling pecans; F.D.R. was a stamp collector; Luther G. Roberts goes fishing; Charlie Brewer collects old clocks; and C. R. Nichol loves golfing Beware the man who has no hobby! He is very likely a crank who makes a very bad hobby of his "no hobbyism.'
Back To School "Now I lay me down to sleep The Professor's dry; the lecture's deep. If he should quit before I wake, Someone kick me, for goodness sake."
(Submitted by an ACC student who prefers to remain anonymous.)
Comment
"Yes, the boys have had a field day with your 'box in the vestibule. I understand what you had in mind but the idea left the gate down, and those boys are really looking for an opening! However, G. K. Wallace and others who have opposed churches contributing to colleges have no room to get 'cute' about the matter. They have practiced the equivalent to your suggestion for years. Somebody from the college comes and makes a speech. The church does not contribute, but pledge cards are passed out, contributions are taken at the door, etc. They have justified this as being individual contributions and not the church."
— James W. Adams, San Antonio, Texas In the middle
Well, as not unusual, the editor finds himself in the middle of the cross-fire between the Gospel Advocate, the Firm Foundation, and the American Christian Review. Good-pasture, Totty, Lemmons, G. K. Wallace, and Daniel Sommer's boy have all joined in on the chorus. They are agreed that the Guardian's editor is a bad, bad boy for proposing a "compromise" (unpalatable as it is to him and to thousands of other Christians, yet preferable to an open division) by which Christians might worship together in peace and goodwill. Now we'll see what THEY propose by way of a constructive overture for peace . . . . or do they have anything constructive ?
"Think BIG"
Hiram Hutto of Trussville, Alabama, calls our attention to a delightful cartoon recently appearing in the Saturday Evening Post. He thinks it might be appropriate for the brethren among us who are always admonishing us to "think Big." Two unshaven, ragged bums are standing on the street corner begging from passersby. One has a small dog-eared pork-pie hat which he is holding out; the other has a huge, ten-gallon Texas cowpoke's sombrero. Says the bum with the sombrero to his fellow pan-handler. "Trouble with you is you haven't learned to think big."
Brother Otey's request
"I badly need some copies of 'Living Issues.' Will pay first cost plus one-half more. Send books. I will mail check."
— W. W. Otey, Box 13, Winfield, Kansas Add another one
Brother Richard Weaver, lately of Humboldt, Tennessee, but now working with the Grand Avenue church in Chicago, sends us the name of a church which he happened upon some time back. Located on the Rutherford-Wilson County line in middle Tennessee, the building had this sign board before it: "Wilson County Line Baptist Church of Christ."
"Pass the apples"
From a church bulletin we saw recently, we pass on the item about the brother who was told that Adam and Eve had eaten an apple, and as a result their eyes were opened to a realization of their nakedness, and in shame they hid themselves. This brother, having observed the near nudity that is a common sight on the streets and in public places during the summer months, thinks it is high time to "Pass the apples, please!"