To Love, Honor,… andRescue - Adventist Review

To Love, Honor,…and RescueJon and Pamella Paulien celebrate their second honeymoon—by staying alive.

October 1997October 1997

October 30: Spotlight on WorshipHave you ever wondered why yourspouse likes getting hugged at churchand you don’t? Do you ever cringewhen someone says “Let’s have wor-ship”? At your church service, whatrole does God play: bystander, audi-ence, or performer? Do the “contem-porary” worship forms thrill you orthreaten you? Have you heard strangerumors about a new Colorado churchcalled “Grace Place”?

Coming later this month—asparkling 80-page issue you won’twant to miss. In “When We All GetTogether,” you’ll find:

■ Thoughtful essays on the above subjects.■ Photo features on Adventist churches in Holland, Nebraska; Winter Park,

Florida; Medellín, Colombia; and Berthoud, Colorado.■ The annual Week of Prayer readings.■ Much, much more.But if you don’t receive the WEEKLY Review, you won’t get it. To subscribe

at a discounted $33.97 for 40 issues, call 1-800-456-3991.

Coffin’s objective evaluation ofchurch policy regarding divorce andremarriage is long overdue. As a fam-ily law attorney I have concludedthat adultery is not a physical act.Adultery is anything that destroys theintimacy of the partners. Just as trueintimacy is mental and spiritualbefore being sexual, so adulteryoccurs from the loss of any of thosecomponents in marriage.

However, a church should notautomatically disfellowship one part-ner without first visiting and prayingtogether with each of the spousesseparately and investigating the facts.

I have personally grieved because of alocal church action in which a wifewas disfellowshipped for whatappeared to be sexual infidelity.There was not so much as a pastoralvisit beforehand. In reality she wasmerely escaping from repeated physi-cal abuse by her “innocent” husband,who, immediately after the divorce,commenced openly cohabiting withanother woman outside of marriage.

Christ’s admonition—to “go and sin no more”—should be ourexample. Ours is not to judge, but to nurture.

— C a t h e r i n e B . L a n g - T i t u s

G L E N D A L E , C A L I F O R N I A

Global Mission SpecialRegarding your recentGlobal Mission issue(July 31), the “Hangingin the Imbalance” blurbon page 2 seems to evi-dence the church’s con-cern over population

disparities. However, perhaps thegreatest disparities can be seen amongWhite New Yorkers. Overall in theNew York metro area Whites are theoverwhelming majority, yet almostnonexistent in the church. If you wantto print population disparities, howabout printing some of the most egre-gious ones?

— E r i c A . G a n g

N E WA R K , N E W J E R S E Y

Divorce—And Church PolicyJames Coffin’s “The LongShadows of Divorce”(August NAD Edition) ismost needed and wel-come fresh air. Beingmarried for 21 fulfillingyears but close to somany cases described, I find it a blessingto see this issue presented so well. Myprayer is that our organization wakes upto the reality and provides healing andgrace to those who need it most.

— F. M e z a

V I A E - M A I L

LETTERS

2 (1298) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W , O C T O B E R 1 9 9 7

ACTION: Grace Place program director StevePauly runs the lights for a Sabbath morningsketch directed by Lynn Parent and performedby the youth group. Grace Place (the week-end ministry of Christ Advent Fellowship) isone of four Adventist churches, all different instyle, highlighted in our October 30 issue.

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In “Going Against the Grain” (July 31),Andy Nash’s football metaphor aboutthe ballcarrier worked well. How nice itwould be, then, to see the church throw-ing a few fantastic, unbelievable blocksdownfield for our bold, young ballcarri-ers. If teamwork is the word, we mustsurely learn that skill.

— G a e l H o y t

V I A E - M A I L

More PleaseWhat an incredible picture of Jesusappearing before Pontius Pilate in BillKnott’s “Who Is Prisoner, Who Is Judge?”(August NAD Edition)! If this vivid andrealistic portrayal, with its unmistakablypure theology of salvation, is a sample ofwhat your new associate editor can bringus, then we are in for a real treat.

— R o b e r t E . O s b o r n

TA K O M A PA R K , M A R Y L A N D

CongregationalismI applaud Andy Nash’s sentiments in“Congregationalism: The Wrong Shaking”(August NAD Edition). His admonitionto “stick around loudly” mirrors the advicemy father gave me regarding the church.His words are commendable, challenging,and reconciliatory.

However, Nash’s assessment of congre-gationalism misses the mark. Tithe distri-bution is an obvious issue. Overlookedare member perceptions that justice isless important than expediency, creativ-ity is secondary to orthodoxy, andabsolute control is the objective ofadministrative leadership. Many mournthat what began as the “great Adventmovement” has become monolithic, thespirit of conservatism replacing the mov-ing of the Spirit.

At the risk of sounding too sympathetic,I think the movement toward congrega-tionalism is more than an attempt to redis-tribute tithe. And it’s deeper than apastor’s longing to see an AdventistSaddleback. It’s an attempt to revitalizethe church, empower its members, findrelevance, and rediscover the Spirit that

made Adventism great! Until these reali-ties are understood and addressed, we willnever be able to “get along.”

— G r e g o r y L . H o e n e s , p a s t o r

H O L LY W O O D , C A L I F O R N I A

The 6,000-Year TheoryI noted with some concern and amaze-ment the editorial comment (AugustNAD Edition) that stated, “We alsoreject the 6,000-year theory, which holdsthat the earth will experience a Sabbath-like rest for the seventh millennium. . . .It has no biblical basis.”

As one who has done considerableresearch and writing on this topic, the evi-dence is clear to me that virtually all theAdventist pioneers believed and taughtthe general validity of the seventh millen-nial—great Sabbath—rest. (See JamesWhite, in Review and Herald, Mar. 6,1856; J. N. Andrews, “The Great Week ofTime, or the Period of Seven ThousandYears Devoted to the Probation and theJudgment of Mankind,” a Review andHerald series running July 17 to August 21,1883; and “The Millennium,” BibleReadings for the Home.)

Though some may choose to misuse thegeneral parameter of the “great week oftime” to try to set a date for Christ’s secondcoming, this should not cause us to aban-don the biblical concept. Unless we arewilling to repudiate the testimony of virtu-ally all our Adventist pioneers and recallBible Readings, the concept of the greatweek of time and the millennial Sabbathstands as a biblical concept and anAdventist understanding.

— G . E d w a r d R e i d

F U LT O N , M A R Y L A N D

The idea of the seventh millennial rest canbe found among the writings of Adventist pio-neers. While Ellen White frequently referredto a period of “six thousand years,” she did notuse this language to imply what some othersdid—the setting of a date for the SecondComing. In fact, she repeatedly warnedagainst any calculation that would lead todate-setting. This was the focus of our previ-ous editorial statement.—Editors.

COVER STORY

8 To Love, Honor . . . and RescueBeing happily married means beingthere for each other—no matterwhat.B Y P A M E L L A P A U L I E N

ARTICLES

12 What My Mother KnewAbout the TubeEither we control the television, orit controls us.B Y L O R E N D I C K I N S O N

16 A Place Called PEACEBeing battered throughout the weekis bad enough.B Y J I M L O R E N Z

24 Ready to RumbleA tremendous resource is beingunderutilized at practically everylevel of the church.B Y A N D Y N A S H

DEPARTMENTS

2 Letters

7 Give & Take

14 Take a Stand

15 Global Mission

19 From the Heart

20 World News & Perspectives

29 Children’s Corner

30 Reflections

EDITORIALS

5 What Happened to theMormons?

6 Why Good Things Happento God’s People

NEXT WEEK

Dad’s Radical FaithA choice between responding to God’slove and making a living.

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“Behold, I come quickly . . .”

Our mission is to uplift Jesus Christ through stories ofHis matchless love, news of His present workings, helpfor knowing Him better, and hope in His soon return.

The Adventist Review (ISSN 0161-1119), published since1849, is the general paper of the Seventh-day AdventistChurch. It is published by the General Conference ofSeventh-day Adventists and is printed by the Review andHerald® Publishing Association, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive,Hagerstown, Maryland 21740. Standard postage paid atHagerstown. The North American Edition of the AdventistReview is published 12 times a year on the first Thursday ofeach month. Copyright © 1997.

Publishing Board: Robert S. Folkenberg, chair; Phil Follett, vice-chair; William G. Johnsson; Lowell Cooper; A. C. McClure;Dorothy Watts; Ted N. C. Wilson; Martin Ytreberg; Robert Nixon,legal advisor

Executive Publisher and Editor William G. JohnssonAssociate Editors Roy Adams, Bill Knott Managing Editor Myrna TetzNews Editor Carlos Medley Assistant Editors Stephen Chavez, Andy Nash Editorial Assistant Ella RydzewskiAdministrative Secretary Chitra Barnabas Editorial Secretaries Mary Maxson, Jean SequeiraArt Director Bill Kirstein Designer Bill TymesonDesign Assistant Alan ForquerDesktop Production Stephanie KapingAd Sales Melynie TooleySubscriber Services Steve HansonDirector, Periodical Sales Ginger Church

Consulting Editors: Robert S. Folkenberg, MatthewBediako, Phil Follett, Robert J. Kloosterhuis, A. C.McClure, Jan Paulsen, Leo Ranzolin, R. F. Rawson, CalvinB. Rock, G. Ralph Thompson

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Scriptures credited to ICB are quoted from theInternational Children’s Bible, New Century Version, copy-right © 1983, 1986, 1988 by Word Publishing, Dallas,Texas 75039. Used by permission. Texts credited toMessage are from The Message. Copyright © 1993. Usedby permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Texts cred-ited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New InternationalVersion. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, InternationalBible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan BiblePublishers. Bible texts credited to RSV are from theRevised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946,1952, 1971, by the Division of Christian Education of theNational Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.Used by permission. Bible texts credited to TEV are fromthe Good News Bible—Old Testament: Copyright ©American Bible Society 1976; New Testament: Copyright© American Bible Society 1966, 1971, 1976.

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.Vol. 174, No. 40

I can’t remember when I haven’t taught a weekly Sabbath Schoollesson. Even back when there were only about four of us in theclass. But now my church is larger and its membership morediverse. The group has changed, and I guess I’ve changed, too.But one thing hasn’t changed: We still come together each week.We still open our Bibles. We still seek the guidance of the Spirit.And we are always blessed.

Weekly journal of a faith that works. The Adventist Review.

1-800-765-6955

GrowUp,Adventist

WILLIAM G. JOHNSSON

Afunny thing happened on the way to thekingdom. The Latter-Day Saints, commonlycalled the Mormons, became not onlyrespectable but acclaimed.

Adventists can only wonder:What happened?

On the surface, Adventists and Mormons havemuch in common. Both movements arose inAmerica around the same time—the 1820s to1840s. Both claim a prophetic figure whoreceived divine revelations. Both value extra-biblical writings. Both believe in the secondcoming of Jesus, with a time of difficulty pre-ceding it. Both emphasize healthful living,with abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, andcaffeine. Both have a strong missionaryemphasis. Both claim about 10 million adherents. Both standfor clean living, moral behavior, and family virtues.

Small wonder that the public commonly confuses “SDA”and “LDS.” Adventists get credit for “that wonderful choirin Salt Lake City,” and Mormons probably for hospitals withtop-quality health care.

Scratch just beneath the surface, however, and you findthat Adventists and Mormons are as different as oil and water.Mormon founder-prophet Joseph Smith died at the hands ofan angry mob, shooting and wounding three of them before heexpired; his successor, Brigham Young, is thought to have had27 wives. Ellen White, by contrast, was married to but oneman and ended a long ministry as a revered leader and citizen.Adventists look to the Scriptures as the source of doctrine,standard of faith, and test of all other writings; Mormons addthree books to the Bible and interpret it through these books.Although Adventism began in America, it has become aglobal religion, with more than 90 percent of its members out-side the United States. Mormonism, however, is basically anAmerican religion: with 4.8 million members in the UnitedStates, it is the country’s seventh largest.

Adventists and Mormons are even further apart in theirrespective beliefs. Adventists affirm the foundational truths ofChristianity—the Trinity and the atoning death of JesusChrist. But Mormons teach that God was once human andhad a wife, and that humans may become Godlike. “As manis now, God once was; as God now is, man may become,” saidLorenzo Snow, an early Mormon president-prophet. From a

biblical perspective, such a claim is monstrous and echoes thefirst lie—“You will be like God” (Gen. 3:5, NIV).

In 1846, 30,000 Mormons fled their dream city of Nauvoo,Illinois. Attacked in print and in person, they set out westward

under the leadership of Brigham Young. A 1,000-miletrek brought them at last to the great Salt Lake of

Utah, which Young called “the right place.”There in the desert, cut off physically and

socially from mainstream America, they builttheir kingdom.

This summer marked the 150th anniver-sary of their arrival. National televisionnews gave them prime-time coverage, and

Time ran a laudatory cover story,“Mormons, Inc.,” that dwelt at length onthe wealth of the movement—whose cur-

rent assets total at least $30 billion. Mormonism’s combina-tion of virtues “may make it the religion of America’sfuture,” gushed Time.

But three years ago when Adventists celebrated their150th year since 1844, the public hardly noticed. Ouch!

The transformation of the Mormons—how did it happen?First, through a studied public relations effort. A genera-

tion ago Mormons began a special effort to pitch themselvesto the mainstream. At a time when society is falling apart,the Mormon standards of chastity, fidelity, honesty, and hardwork resonate with many.

Second, because of a huge shift in American culture.This is a time when “anything goes” in theology, be it NewAge, Mormon, or whatever; when even Christians don’tknow and don’t care what they believe. And it’s an agethat has scant regard for history. If it did, the Mormonswould find few takers: their fantasticaccounts of a lost Israelite tribe inNorth America and huge battles onthis continent strain credulity.

“By their fruits ye shall knowthem” (Matt. 7:20), we often sayglibly. But this test, like the“increase” one—rapid growth—isn’t sufficient of itself. It isvalid only within the largercontext of: What do theScriptures teach?

What Happened to the Mormons?

E D I T O R I A L


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The story is told of a person who was the only sur-vivor of a shipwreck. He eventually washed up ona small, uninhabited island.

He prayed for God torescue him, and every

day he scanned the horizon for help,but none arrived.

After several days he decided tobuild a little hut out of driftwood, toprotect himself from the elements.The hut also offered him a place tostore the food he scavenged from theforests that covered the island.

Life became predictable, but theman never forgot that his ultimate goal was to be rescued.

One day he was foraging for food when a fierce storm lashedthe island. Though drenched, he thought happily of the protec-tion he would find at his hut. But when he returned, he foundhis little hut in flames, smoke rolling up to the sky. He wasstung with grief and anger. “God, how could You do this tome?” he cried.

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the soundof a ship approaching the island, coming to rescue him.

“How did you know I was here?” the weary man asked hisrescuers.

“We saw your smoke signal,” they replied.You may have wondered if anyone has seen the signs of dis-

tress in your life. A loved one dies. A business deal goes bad. Amarriage fails. There doesn’t seem to be enough money for boththe rent and Adventist education.

God doesn’t always make everything come out well, but Iassure you that God does keep His promises. Sometimes we don’tunderstand His promises, but He keeps them. For example,Romans 8:28 is a familiar passage that many of us probably havememorized. But it’s a passage that we should look at in greaterdepth. “And we know that all things work together for good tothem that love God, to them who are the called according to hispurpose” is the way the passage reads from the King JamesVersion of the Bible. It begs the question: Are all things good?

Our problem may be less with the promise than with thetranslation of the promise. The apostle Paul didn’t promisethat everything would work out smoothly. A better transla-tion is found in the New International Version: “And weknow that in all things God works for the good of those who

love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”The promise is not that everything will be wonderful, but

that God will work in everything to bring joy into the livesof those who love Him. The reasongood things happen is that God isworking for us.

God is working to bring good toyour life. Did you lose a loved one?He helps you find comfort. Have youbeen hurt, laid up with sickness? Hegives you time to read His Word, topray, to listen to Him. Have you seenfinancial disaster? He helps you becontent with less.

Our fires are God’s smoke signals. And when God sees them,we know that rescue is not far away.

We find this principle at work in the history of ourchurch. The Great Disappointment was a terrible trial forthe Millerite believers. They were sure that Jesus wouldreturn in 1844—many certain that it would occur onOctober 22. Yet Jesus didn’t return.

They were crushed, heartbroken, disillusioned. Many ofthem wondered if God had abandoned them, if God could betrusted to keep His other promises.

But God worked through some of the Millerite believers toopen new truths, to reveal more about His plan of salvation.Hiram Edson, James White, Joseph Bates, and others searchedthe Bible. They learned about the heavenly sanctuary, aboutthe seventh-day Sabbath, about how to trust God even whenthey couldn’t understand His ways.

God sent visions through Ellen White. She guided the earlylife of this movement, helped us see God’s plan more clearly,helped our pioneers as they sought to understand the Bible better.

In all these things God was working to bringabout good. He will do that in your life andmine.

Next time your little hut is burning to theground, remember that it just may be the smokesignal that leads you to depend more deeply onGod’s grace.

Alfred C. McClure is president of the 850,000-member Seventh-day Adventist Church inNorth America.

Why Good ThingsHappen to God’s People

G U E S T E D I T O R I A L

Rescue is not far away.


GIVETAKE

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ADVENTIST LIFE

One Sabbath at the Elizabeth City,North Carolina, church, Pastor JohnSeaman told a children’s story about a girlnamed Mary, who “knew everything” andrefused help with any of her projects.Once Mary tried to make a pie. Refusingher mother’s help, Mary left out manyingredients, including a piecrust. Theresulting pie was a disaster.

When Pastor Seaman asked the chil-dren what lesson they had learned, heexpected someone to say, “Mary learned that sometimes she didn’t know it all.”

Instead, 4-year-old Lisa responded, “Put in the crust!”—James Coleman, via E-mail

Not long ago we were in the car with our daughter-in-law and her two girls. Inthe middle of a discussion about babies, 4-year-old Madison asked, “Mammy, whyis it that Oma [Dutch for “Grandma”] has no babies?”

“Well,” said her mother, “she has had four baby boys, but they are all grown up.Your daddy was the youngest baby of your oma.”

Madison paused, then said, “Oh, Oma and Opa, thank you very much forgiving me my good daddy!”—Dr. and Mrs. Leslie E. Keizer, Bellport, New York

“HATS OFF” TO ADVENTIST YOUTH

In a day whenmemorization ofScripture hasbecome almostpassé, these twojuniors memorized allthe memory verses for arecent quarter and were able to repeatthem on Thirteenth Sabbath.

Congratulations to Breanna andElizabeth! (Look for your Review caps inthe mail.)

Do you know a young Adventist age 18or under who goes the extra mile for God?Send us a paragraph telling why a youngperson (not a relative) deserves specialrecognition. Please also send the address,phone number, and photograph (preferably“in action”) of that person. Periodicallythe Review will honor Adventist youth onthis page.


WE NEED YOUGive & Take is your page. Send your “Adventist Quotes,” top-quality photos, “Adventist Life”vignettes, “Readers’ Exchange” items, “Jots & Tittles,” and other short contributions to: Give &Take, Adventist Review, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904; Fax: 301-680-6638; CompuServe: 74532,2564.

JOTS & TITTLES

In this feature, Adventists sharechurch-related advice.

TRACKING MEMBERS: A non-Adventist friend in Texas told me ofan interesting plan in their church tofollow up on absent members. A cardrack was placed on each side of thefoyer. All members’ name cards wereplaced on the right side. On arrivingfor services, each member transfers hisor her card to the left side. Any whosecards remain on the right are immedi-ately contacted and told they weremissed at services.—Jean R. Hastings, Loma Linda, California

YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY:Three months ago there were noactivities or Sabbath school classesgeared toward young adults at ourchurch, so we decided to do some-thing about it. Now we plan a vespersand social event each month, and wehave a Sabbath school for youngadults and the young at heart. It hasbeen delightful to see people doingsomething together.

—Sherri L. Poston, Jackson SDA Church, Jackson,Mississippi

Breanna and Elizabeth Fannin

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BY PAMELLA PAULIEN

FOR 20 YEARS MY

husband, Jon, had always been

there for me. No matter what,

he always cheered me on. He

never gave up, never abandoned

me—even though others had.

I grew up in a home in which I experienced

things that left permanent emotional scars.

Divorce and the combat that led up to it left

early and vivid memories. I also felt singled out

as an emotional and physical target.

C O V E R S T O R Y

Meeting and falling in love with Jon was one of the high-lights of my life. He was a young pastoral intern; I was ayoung adult wanting to get in touch with God. I beganattending church and asked for Bible studies. The seniorpastor, who began studying with me, saw a potential matchwhen Jon joined the staff, so he found other things to do soJon could take up where he had left off. One thing led toanother.

After we married and had children, some of the ugly,scary memories from my childhood were resurrected from mysubconscious, where I had sought to keep them buried. Theemotional pain was severe. It immobilized me. I tried desper-ately to deal with the pain on my own. But I realized ulti-mately that I couldn’t handle it alone.

Throughout the entire process Jon was the one whowalked by my side and kept me from sinking. I depended onhim, and he never let me down. We found out about aChristian counselor who specialized in cases of emotionaland physical abuse. He offered to work with me intensively,if I could spend some time in the part of the country wherehe had his practice. Kind friends in the area opened theirhome to me.

In my desperation I said to myself, I’m not coming homeuntil this is taken care of. As I drove out the driveway of ourhome, I thought, I’m no good to myself, my husband, my chil-


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To Love, Honor,. . . and Rescue

shop, high tide had already passed morethan two hours before, and the watershould have been fairly shallow. Butnature is not so easily scheduled. Thewater was still uncomfortably deep.

I hemmed and hawed as to whetherI really wanted to snorkel under the

prevailing conditions. There was anominous chill in the air, and I hatebeing cold. But there was no questionin Jon’s mind; he was going snorkeling.Indeed, the night before, he had takenhis gear out to the water, but becauseno one else was there, he had comeright back—to my relief. I didn’t wanthim snorkeling alone.

The irony is that Jonis not a good swimmer. Ifwe had gone out onthat boat, he wouldhave rented a buoy-ancy suit in order tokeep afloat for theentire two hours.

Now Jon put onhis snorkel, divingmask, and flippersand flapped onout toward theopen water. Hecrossed over abit of coral walland in no timewas off. Jon’sgoal was to swimjust as far as hecould and thenfind a piece ofcoral largeenough to keephis head abovewater so he

could rest before continuing.For a man who can barely swim, it

was quite a plan.I carefully crossed over the wall and

plunged into the deep water. Thewater certainly had a different feelthan at low tide. At low tide I sawtwo-inch fish and waded in two orthree feet of water. Now I was seeing12-inch fish, and the water was six orseven feet deep.

I was uneasy about the fact that myfeet did not touch the ocean floor. Iwondered, What about when I need torest or adjust my mask or pour water outof my snorkel? But Jon was ahead andalready out of shouting distance, so Ifollowed.

I enjoyed the fish that swam by meand the beautiful colors of the coral.Every now and then I would check tosee where my beloved husband was. Ididn’t like the fact that he was so farahead, especially considering his swim-ming skills. Yes, I was concerned.

That’s when my attention wasdiverted by the appearance of a gigan-tic stingray. It was an awesome sight—a huge stingray swimming right infront of me. The stinger trailing

behind it must have been five feetin length. I couldn’t

My husband had been my life support when I was drowning

emotionally, but could I rescue him?


dren, or anyone else in this condition. It’stime to deal with the emotional garbagetied up with all these memories. The pasthas now become the present. I’m notcoming home until I can be the kind ofperson I want to be. Of course, I toldJon and my children none of this.

This Calls for a CelebrationWith the Lord’s help, and with the

support of many friends—and espe-cially Jon—I was finally able toprocess the things that had kept meemotionally and physically wounded.

Now we were celebrating our twenti-eth wedding anniversary at HeronIsland on the Great Barrier Reef. Eversince Jon had read about this isolatedisland off the coast of Australia, inhab-ited largely by birds, he had felt itwould be the perfect place for a secondhoneymoon for just the two of us.

We left a bitterly cold Michiganwinter behind and headed for the trop-ics. For a couple relaxed days weenjoyed bathing in the hot sun, walk-ing around the island, observing thewildlife, snorkeling in the shallowwaters just off the beach, and feastingon the resort’s wonderful gourmet food.

One of the highlights of our fourdays on the island was staying up lateone night to watch 350-pound sea tur-tles crawling ashore, searching for anesting place, and laying their eggs inthe sand.

As a final adventure we had signedup to go out on a boat that would takeus out to deep waters for about twohours of snorkeling. But unstableweather conditions caused the trip tobe canceled. This was disappointing.One of the main reasons we had cho-sen to celebrate our anniversary therewas the fact that we would be able tosnorkel the rich ecosystem of theGreat Barrier Reef, something Jon hadwanted to do for a long time.

One More AdventureIt was our last day. In order to “get

our money’s worth” we decided tosnorkel the coral reef by wading in justoff the beach. Who needs a boat whenthe reef is right offshore?

According to the schedule at the surf

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believe it! It was exciting to see,and yet frightening. I wondered ifJon had seen the ray. It had comefrom his direction.

A Cry for HelpI had been thinking all along

that for a person who could notswim very well, he really was fartherout than he ought to be. Just then Iheard Jon’s voice. Was he just callingmy name, or was he crying for help?

I immediately began swimmingin his direction. Something told methat I needed to be strong and pacemyself. I needed to be calm andrelaxed. So I swam with determina-tion—steady, but not so fast that I’dwear myself out.

When I arrived, the look onJon’s face was horrifying. What washappening? His face revealed fear,pain, and shock. “Ock” he groaned.But I didn’t know what that meant.Had the ray stung him? Or had

something else bitten him? “Ock!”he moaned again. I couldn’t under-stand what he was saying, so I toldhim to take off the mask andsnorkel so we could talk plainly. Iattempted to take the thing offmyself, but he resisted.

Then it dawned on me. “Oh,you mean rock,” I said. I took holdof his hand so as to move himaway from the rock.

“No!” he shouted.All kinds of thoughts raced

through my mind. Maybe his footwas wedged between some rocksand he was in pain. Or even worse,maybe his foot was severed! Myheart pounded. I knew that at thisvery moment Jon was in some life-threatening situation, but what? Weweren’t communicating.

I had never seen Jon look so fear-ful. Immobilized emotionally, hewasn’t thinking rationally. He wasin a state of shock about something.

STANDING ON THE ROCK: Pamella and Jon Paulienhave God—and each other—to thank for keepingthem together—and alive.


I needed to find out soon, because Icouldn’t tread water forever.

I put my face into the water. I saw aspherically shaped piece of coral, abouta foot and a half high. It was near Jon’sfeet. So that was the rock that he hadbeen talking about. Did he want me topick it up for him? If I swam way downto the bottom to pick up that rock, mysnorkel would fill with water and I’dcome up coughing and spitting sea-water. I waited for more information.

Now, finally, with no snorkel inhis mouth, he wailed, “I’m in trou-ble!” My heart sank. “I can’t make itback!” he moaned.

I was devastated. Not being aswimmer, he didn’t have the confi-dence to make it back to shore. Itwas too far, and he was too tired.And the water was too deep.

Fearful thoughts invaded mymind. Is this the end of Jon’s life? Willhe drown right in front of me? Will Idrown too? I can’t save him. He’s six feettall. We were both really scared.

Somehow I would have to save myhusband’s life. There was nobody else todo the job. I was it. In his present statehe certainly couldn’t save himself. If Iwas to go home with a husband, Ineeded to do something, anything, rightnow! For 20 years Jon had always beenthere for me. Now I had to find a way tobe there for him. At that point I lookedheavenward and cried, “Jesus, help!”

I turned back toward Jon. “Every-thing’s going to be fine,” I said. “You’regoing to make it.” Smothering the fear Ifelt inside, I gently told him to “relax.”

First I steadied him on that pieceof coral so he could catch his breath.(That’s what the “ock” was all about.He didn’t want to let go of hissnorkel because of the extra “height”it gave him.)

I continued to encourage him.“We’re going to make it,” I said. I didn’t know what was going to hap-pen. It seemed to me we were bothdoomed. We were out there, strug-gling, fighting for our lives, not know-ing if we would live to see anothertomorrow. The waves kept knockinghim off the rock, since it was moreround than flat. But at least he was

catching his breath from time to time.And how did this five-foot-six-

inch woman keep her nose out of thewater so that her six-foot husbandcould be elevated long enough tocatch his breath?

Flippers, of course. I stood on thetips of my flippers. And that gave mejust enough height to keep my face outof the water.

With both of his hands he grippedmy right arm firmly. We just stoodthere quietly. By steadying him on therock that, fortunately for us, was therewhen we needed it, I was able to keepmy husband from drowning. The Lordhad answered my prayer for help.

What Really HappenedAfter Jon caught his breath and

began to recuperate, it was time to callfor help so we could get back to shore.But for some reason I couldn’t. I guessthat I believed that after what we hadjust been through, we could get backourselves. But after a bit of coaxing, Iagreed to holler for help.

A woman reclining in a chair out inthe sun heard me. “Did you say help?”she hollered.

“Yes,” I yelled back, and she was offand running. In no time a muscularyoung man appeared on the beach anddove in after us. Ten or 15 minuteslater we were back on shore.

At the nurse’s station we answeredsome questions about Jon’s health.His blood pressure was fine (theyshould have checked mine), and hewas released.

Looking back on this experience, Ihad more than a few questions. Whatif I had not chosen to process those

scary childhood memories that hadkept me from reaching God’s potentialfor my life? What if I hadn’t reachedout to a godly Christian counselorwho understood what I needed? Whatif I hadn’t started to learn how to for-give those I needed to forgive so Icould begin to get on with my life? Ifthis incident had happened sixmonths earlier, would I have had the

calmness and strength to do whatneeded to be done when my hus-band needed me the most? Would Ihave lost him forever? Would weboth have drowned?

Three months later my familyand I were in North Dakota atcamp meeting, where Jon had beenasked to speak. While there, we raninto a good friend, Ben. I was eagerto tell him all about our horrifyingexperience on Heron Island.

Ben listened patiently. He wasamazed by my story. Then he told us afew things about snorkeling, one of hisfavorite hobbies. He told me that therewas no way that a person could standon flippers. “Flippers are just tooflimsy,” he said. “They can’t hold a person’s weight; it can’t be done.”

I asked, “How did I stand on thetips of my flippers for such a longtime then?”

He grinned a mysterious grin, “Youdidn’t,” he answered. “An angel heldyou up.”

T here are a good number of thingsI don’t understand. I can’texplain why I had to suffer so

long with terrible emotional and psy-chological wounds. I can’t fully appre-ciate how God’s grace was demon-strated in the people God used for myhealing. But I do know that my lifewas preserved by a gracious and power-ful God, and that—like Jon—He’salways been there for me.

Angel or not, it was God’s powerthat aided me and my husband, Jon,when I prayed, “Jesus, help!” ■

Pamella Paulien is not an expert swim-mer, but she is a wife and mother ofthree children. She recently began work-ing toward a degree in horticulture.

We were outthere struggling,

fighting for our lives.

What My Mother Knew About the Tube

Are there Adventist Review families serious enough aboutthe compelling power of TV to do something daring?

BY LOREN DICKINSON

IT’S A COLLECTOR’S ITEM NOW. I WISH I HADone, but I don’t want it in the condition I remember asa kid. Without warning one Thursday morning, it sim-ply wouldn’t play. That mystified my brother and me.

Then the answer began to emerge. Someone hadwedged herself behind that dome-shaped cathedral radio andlifted one of the vacuum tubes, rendering that low-fidelityinstrument soundless and useless. Paul and I considered thata high crime.

A few days later the mystery unraveled. My mother con-fessed. She had removed one of the vacuum tubes Wednesdaynight. But she had an agenda. “If you continue listening tothat jazzy music, the tube stays out,” she announced, and shemeant it.

How did she know? Ah, she had discreetly checked thetubes when she returned from work. They were warm, andstill worse, that orange-colored, recessed dial sat squarely onthe jazzy music station from Minneapolis.

It all seems so innocent now. But matters of media, espe-cially TV, have become crucial matters since then, particu-larly for the young. Let’s take a candid, unsettling look atkids and TV, and then offer some hope. A lot of hope.

A plethora of facts have surfaced:■ In American homes with TV (and 98 percent of all

homes have at least one) the set is on seven hours per day.Not a week; a day. But please note: the TV is on, only on. Insome homes the TV acts like electronic wallpaper. Perhapsno one’s watching, but it’s on.1

L I F E S T Y L E


■ Some physicians claim they can predict kids’ cholesterollevels “not by a blood test, but by how much TV they watch.” 2

■ Twenty percent of juvenile offenders in jail admit tocopying criminal behavior from TV.3

■ Some studies say one can expect to experience fiveacts of violence per hour on prime time. Many kids arestill up and plugged in. And high school seniors haveseen an estimated 18,000 hours of TV by the timethey graduate, a statistic we’ve heard again andagain.4

■ When the Mighty Morphin Power Rangerscartoon heroes debuted in the fall of 1993, aggres-sive behavior skyrocketed, especially among boys.5

■ One of my media colleagues calls TV “a low-effort medium.” 6 I get his point. Reading is a high-effort medium, he says. That makes choices easyfor some. TV often wins.

■ With virtually no effort, television and othermedia habits can turn into addictions. A decadeago a student in a course I offered conceded shehad watched The Sound of Music 18 times.Another saw it 12 times. TV addiction, in fact,may be even more pervasive than that.

Of course, that doesn’t exhaust the litany ofunsettling outcomes we can lay at the feet of TV. But isthere a brighter side? Yes. It’s tougher, though, to see,because the behaviors are not nearly so dramatic.

■ Take Sesame Street. Millions of young devotees for two PH

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decades have learned to cooperate,take another’s point of view, and expe-rience fair play, to say nothing oflearning how to count, spell, sing, andspeak better and earlier in life.

■ Media scholars insist that all TV,in fact, is educational. Not just PBS,CNN, or Sesame Street. Inevitably,good and evil emit over the samechannel.

■ Estimates show that we receive athunderous 70 percent of our newsfrom TV.7

■ Some TV shows, such as TheCosby Show and All in the Family, madesome important statements in theirheyday. The Cosbys showed that fami-lies can share respect; All in the Family,despite its irritating rage encounters,exposed bigotry at a new and publiclevel.

Are there, then, “Adventist Reviewfamilies” serious enough about thecompelling power ofTV to do some-thing dar-

ing? Assuming so, let me offer somevery hopeful options.

Option 1: Toss out the TV. Somefamilies have, and it works. For otherfamilies, deciding no longer to permitTV is something like deciding nolonger to permit books, magazines, andeven radio into their experience.These media, however, are not equallycomparable. Not when you considerhow compelling and engaging TV isover reading and radio.

Option 2: Make TV viewing aninteractive family event. Tell your kidshow your family values are alike anddifferent from what they’ve seen onTV. Generate some guidelines on whatyou approve and to what you object.

Option 3: Set limits. Plan hours,times, and programs. Do it by familyconsensus. Consensus is not the same asmajority rule. Majority rule doesn’t sat-isfy when barely half the family deter-

mines what goes and what doesn’t.Consensus means general agree-

ment by virtually all.Option 4: Put the news in

perspective. Somethinglike: “That’s pretty scary,but most people don’t gethit by a drunk cab driveror shot by a neighbor.”

Option 5: Talk backto your TV. Call, or (bet-

ter yet) write the sta-tion, demanding

(kindly) betterquality fromprograms.Hard copyis tangible;calls areeasilyforgot-ten ordis-

torted. Write the program director orgeneral manager.

One example: In October 1993MTV “bowed to public outrage andmoved Beavis and Butthead to a latertime slot” after a preschooler in Ohio,apparently inspired by the program’s“heroes,” set a fire that killed hissister.8 Talk back. Families can requestlearning channels from cable compa-nies that urge viewers to vote for theirchoices.

Option 6: Be informed. Write forthese booklets:

1. “When Pulling the Plug Isn’tEnough: A Parent’s Guide to TV.”Send $3 to the Center for MediaEducation, 15121 K Street NW., No.518, Washington, D.C. 20005.

2. “Television and the Family:Guidelines for Parents.” Send astamped, self-addressed envelope toAmerican Academy of Pediatrics,Dept. C: TV Brochure, Box 927, ElkGrove Village, IL 60009-0927.

3. Call 1-800-226-9494 to order avariety of books, videos, and curricula.The Center for Media Literacy pub-lishes a quarterly newsletter for mem-bers.

Unlike the 21-inch TV, the dome-shaped radio is gone. Sadly, so is mymother. But I can see her now. Shewedges herself behind the TV andyanks out the plug for reasons muchmore serious than jazzy music. Andthat was 1940. What now? ■

1 John Vivian, The Media of MassCommunication, 2nd ed. (Needham Heights,Mass.: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1993).

2 Richard Paul, Putting It All Together, videoby Insight Media, 2162 Broadway, New York,NY 10024.

3 Ibid.4 Ibid.5 Christine Debois, “Keep Your Eye on TV,”

Northwest Health, January-February 1996.6 James Hannum, interview, Jan. 19, 1996.7 Ibid.8 Debois.

Loren Dickinson is professorof Communications at WallaWalla College, CollegePlace, Washington.


GINA SPIVEY BROWN andLORETTA PARKER SPIVEY

GINA: There are times when legal action isnecessary, even among Christians.

Should an Adventist who has a grievanceagainst another member take that person tocourt? The text we use to discourage such legal

proceedings is 1 Corinthians 6:1-7: “Dare any of you, havinga matter against another, go to law before the unjust, andnot before the saints?” (verse 1).

However, many fail to read the eighth verse: “Nay, ye dowrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.” ManyChristians have been taken advantage of simply becausethey refuse to sue “their brothers.” But are people whodefraud another believer really our brothers?

Jesus said our brothers and sisters are those “who do thewill of my Father” (Matt. 12:50).

Here are three points to consider:1. A brother or sister wouldn’t treat me in such a way that

I would have to take him or her to court (see Luke 17:1, 2).2. The law was made for the unjust and for sinners, that

is, for those who break the law and come under its condem-nation (Rom. 3:19).

3. There are Christian lawyers and judges in our sys-tem whom we can expect to judge righteously and impar-tially. Even those who are unrighteous can still be usedfor God’s glory (see the story of the unrighteous judge inLuke 18:1-7).

The bottom line is this: there are many people in thisworld who call themselves Christians but don’t reflectChrist in their words or deeds. So should the Christianwho has been defrauded seek and receive legal assistancein times of need, even if the person being sued is a“Christian”? Yes!

Every possible step should be taken to avoid legal actionin every situation with every person. But once all avenuesare exhausted and the situation must be resolved, theChristian should not be made to feel like a villain becauseof exercising his or her legal rights.

Doug Llewelyn, of the famous TV show The People’sCourt, said it best: “If you have a problem with some-one, don’t take the law into your own hands; take thatperson to court.”

LORETTA: It sends an inconsistent messagewhen Christians sue each other.

Gina, please allow me to begin by quotingsomeone whose writings and life I respect—eventhough we rarely agree. “The ultimate question

is: Do we trust God?”Any idea who said that?You did! And I agree. We can’t trust God for everything

and sue our brother or sister at the same time. It’s a shamethat we Christians have allowed the “Take ’em to court”attitude to permeate our perspective.

Take a look at my three points:1. Is “brotherhood” contingent upon good and positive

actions? Jesus had every right to say that those who dothe will of His Father are His brothers and sisters.However, I’m not so sure that you (or I) have the right tomake that determination—lest we fall into the categoryof the Levite and the priest in the story of the goodSamaritan (see Luke 10:30-37).

2. Some things are just “family business.” We, thechurch, don’t have a separate legal system. If we sue eachother, we as members of God’s family allow others outside ofthe family to handle “our business.” It sends a horrible mes-sage to those whom we’re supposed to evangelize. How can Ipreach and teach about God’s miracle-working powers andyet not trust Him to work in every situation?

3. God is judge. And His Word is clear: “But I say untoyou, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do goodto them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefullyuse you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children ofyour Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun torise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on thejust and on the unjust” (Matt. 5:44, 45).

And finally, if you have a problem with someone, don’ttake that person to court. Take a stand—and take the indi-vidual to Jesus in prayer. He promised: “Call unto me, and Iwill answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things,which thou knowest not” (Jer. 33:3).

What do you believe? And why? Gina and Loretta challenge youto read your Bible, know what you believe, and take a stand . . .for Jesus.

Sue Unto Others?T A K E A S T A N D



Don’t Just Sit There

G L O B A L M I S S I O N : R E A C H I N G T H E U N R E A C H E D W I T H H O P E

Nevada Nirvana

Green Valley, Nevada, isn’t green or a valley. It’s nearly9,000 brown, flat acres of planned housing development.Made safe with high walls and security gates, it blocks every-thing except boredom.

Green Valley regulates much of your life—the pets youcan own, the flowers you can plant, the color of your house,where to place your garbage cans. (Apparently you can stillchoose your own deodorant.)

“All that a community can be,” the promotional materi-als promise. “A place where you’ll enjoy life more than youever did before.” A conformist’s paradise, for sure.

Could the church be a Green Valley? Where we lookinward—with club rules to keep us secure and happy—andnever look outside? Where the high walls and security gatesof religion shut out the world’s problems? Where we sing, sit,listen, chat with friends—and just wait for Jesus to come?

What about our world? What about salt? What about light?We can’t see through shut doors. We can’t see the mil-

lions who don’t know Jesus. We can’t see people suffering.Just before He left His disciples, Jesus said: “Go and

make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the nameof the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, andteaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”(Matt. 28:19, 20, NIV).

In other words, just don’t sit around in Green Valley church.—Gary Krause, Global Mission communication director

If our world were ahouse of 1,000 people,there would be . . .

.

Hope in Her Heart

Valerie lives in Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countrieson earth. Few Adventists live in Burkina Faso, making it ahigh-priority area for Global Mission. Valerie discoveredJesus through Matthieu, a Global Mission pioneer who wasthe only Adventist when he arrived in the city of Yako.Matthieu held services three miles from Valerie’s home, andseveral nights a week Valerie, who has a crippled leg, hob-bled to the meetings. Now an Adventist, Valerie is sharingher faith with other young people in Burkina Faso.

VALERIE AND FRIENDS: A growing family of God in Burkina Faso.

300 Christians700 non-Christians

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—adapted from Donella Meadows, Beyond the Limits,Rio Summit, 1992

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to seek shelter from what nature dishes out, but we may des-perately need shelter from the story of divorce, criticalbosses, and the constant struggle to make ends meet.

It is strange that we often don’t equate the church withshelter—quite the opposite. The storm going on out inthe world may be dwarfed by the storm brewing in thelocal church.

Part of the problem is that people, even the dearmembers who have been Adventists all their lives,

often don’t know how to keep the Sabbath.While they refrain from working on the

Sabbath, they don’t refrain from doing“business” on the Sabbath. Nehemiah 13tells us that people used to violate theSabbath by bringing a “load” into the cityto do business on the Sabbath. That load

doesn’t have to be material. It can be men-tal. And often we discharge it onto someone

else—for instance, we remind Robert not to belate again to the board meeting, or tell the head

deacon that the parking lot needs restriping, or informMary how she could be a better greeter.

All these items might easily be taken care of at othertimes instead of being conveniently left for the Sabbathhours, thereby robbing someone else of a Sabbath blessing.Even if we speak “in love,” those we address may torturethemselves for the rest of the Sabbath because they feelembarrassed or sad that they let the church down.

The physiologist Ivan Pavlov studied the response ofa dog when the reception of food (something pleasant)coincided with the ringing of a bell. Soon the associa-

A Place Called

PEACE

BY JIM LORENZ

THE SCENE IS SABBATH MORNING.

As head deacon Rick walks in the church door,he is bombarded by questions. Why isn’t therestroom fan working? Don’t you know what yourjob entails? (Never mind that only five people

showed up at the last work bee.)In another corner of the church Leslie, a Sabbath school

leader, hears how she could be doing a better job. Asusual, she won’t hear about the good things shehas done.

Ken, the public-address man, gets feed-back—not only from his sound system duringthe worship service but also from membersafterward. They never consider that he isdoing the best he can with the equipmenthe has to work with.

Sue is going through a hard divorce. Shewants to forget the mess her life is in for justa few hours. But upon arriving at church she isbombarded with questions like “How is thedivorce going?” Pretty soon she will come late andleave early (or probably not come at all), to avoid theinquiring minds that want to know.

After the service the pastor hears that he needs to dosomething about the way Bill runs Pathfinders. Someoneelse complains about the way Ms. Anderson is dressed.Another objects to the order of the worship service.

In wilderness survival one of the very first things one doesis seek shelter. It is vital—we have to have shelter to sur-vive. We must also realize, however, that shelter comes inmany different forms. In our hectic world we may not need

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tion became so strong that the dogwould salivate at the simple ringingof the bell.

What if, instead of food, Pavlov hadadministered an electric shock as thebell rang? The answer is clear: theevent would then have been associatedwith terror.

What’s the effect when Sabbathand church are associated with the“shock” of complaint or criticism, oreven well-intentioned “reminders”?Are we conditioning one another toassociate church and worship withnegative feelings? Then is it any won-der that we burn out our leaders andhave a hard time getting experiencedpeople to accept church office?

A church full of criticism leaves peo-ple with no place of calm amid life’sstorm. It seems to me that we have for-gotten a basic element of what theSabbath and church are about. In mythinking, they’re about shelter and rest.The church service is just a small part ofthe Sabbath, which was created to be ashelter in time. One day in seven thatwe don’t worry about making ends meet.One day in seven that we don’t worryabout our schoolwork. One day in sevenwhen we can taste a bit of what heaven

is like—time without worry—becausewe are in the presence of God.

The Old Testament had cities ofrefuge, where people in trouble couldflee. We need to ask ourselves, “Is mychurch a city of refuge? Or is it aRoman colosseum, where battles are aspectator sport? Can I let my guarddown, or do I have to be on constantalert against an ambush?”

The key variable is attitude. The Disney theme parks are suc-

cessful in large part because of theiremployees’ attitude. Every employeeexudes the feeling that they aredelighted to make your stay in theMagic Kingdom an unforgettable one.

Consider the possibilities of achurch in which the members had thesame attitude as that of Disney’semployees. And take it a step further.What if church members functionedon the basis of God’s standards? Whatif, in other words, they went beyondthe standards of the Magic Kingdom tothe standards of God’s kingdom? Itwould be heaven on earth, wouldn’t it?

To address these concerns, theAntelope Hills church (in Antelope,California) intentionally became a bat-tered Christians’ shelter called PEACE

(People Escaping A ChaoticEnvironment). They were guided bytwo scriptural passages—Psalm 27:5and Haggai 2:9. “For in the day oftrouble,” says Psalm 27:5, “he will keepme safe in his dwelling; he will hideme in the shelter of his tabernacle andset me high upon a rock” (NIV). Andspeaking about the place of worship,God says in Haggai 2:9: “And in thisplace I will grant peace” (NIV). TheAntelope Hills congregation saw thesetexts as clear indication that thechurch is to be a shelter of peace.

Like everything else, the batteredChristians’ shelter isn’t a quick solu-tion. It’s not easy to fight the “old manof sin.” As pastor and as a member ofAntelope Hills, I’ve caught myself ask-ing such questions as how someone’swork was going, only to find out thatthat person was having problems withhis or her boss. I’d brought up some-thing the member might have been try-ing to forget for 24 hours. Oops!

After the church had implementedthe plan, my wife, Julie, and a churchmember, Bertha, were rushing to set upfor Communion one Sabbath morning.Someone else had left the job undone,and Julie had just begun to complain


mildly when Bertha gently remindedher that she was in a batteredChristians’ shelter. Shortly afterwardBertha’s husband came in and alsostarted complaining about the samething. He too was gently remindedwhere he was.

The Antelope Hills shelter proveda great witnessing opportunity. Peoplewould often ask, “What is a batteredChristians’ shelter?”—a question thatgave members the perfect opening toexplain the unique mission of theAdventist Church and the blessings ofthe Sabbath. I started our church’s air-conditioning repairman on Bible stud-ies after he’d asked about the meaningof the shelter.

But the idea of a batteredChristians’ shelter isn’t to be confinedto church only. We should make theentire Sabbath a shelter. Have younoticed that Satan works harder onSabbath than on any other day of theweek? Family members often bickermore on Sabbath than on other days.Try telling yourself, “I’m going to bite

my tongue and bring up the problemafter Sabbath. Sabbath is too special toget into a knock-down-drag-out fightthat leaves me fuming for the rest of

the day.” Plan to discuss the problemafter sundown Saturday night. Oftenyou’ll find it not worth bringing upagain because it was trivial to beginwith. Let your children see thatSabbath isn’t a time when Mom andDad are easily angered. That will be alesson not soon forgotten.

What is a battered Christians’ shel-ter called PEACE? It is a place wherepeople don’t need to struggle to sur-vive. It is their church, it is their home,and it comes 52 times a year. That,when you stop to calculate it, is morethan a month and a half of peace.

What about making your home,your church, a battered Christians’shelter every Sabbath? ■

Jim Lorenz is the associatepastor of the RosevilleSeventh-day AdventistChurch in Roseville,California. The present arti-cle—as well as the shelter idea—came outof his experience at the Antelope HillsAdventist Church in Antelope,California, the first church he pastoredafter leaving the seminary.

The Battered Christians’ Shelter Statement of Beliefs*

BY JIM LORENZ

Because we believe the church should be a shelter from the stresses of life,and because we have freely received the “perfect peace” (Isa. 26:3) that comesonly from God (John 14:27), we are also to give this peace to others (Matt.10:8); thus we operate by the following guidelines:

1. We preach and practice the kingdom of God, thus seeking to bring a little ofheaven here on earth and prepare people for the Second Coming (Matt. 6:10).

2. We believe that we are all equal in God’s sight (Gal. 3:28).3. We endeavor to remove barriers from between ourselves (Eph. 2:14).4. Our aim is to practice God’s unconditional (hesed) love (Jer. 31:3; John 3:34).5. We strive to create a supportive atmosphere (Heb. 10:24, 25; 13:17).6. We avoid demeaning, gossiping, grumbling, disputing, or criticizing (even

constructively) while at church (Ps. 31:20; Phil. 2:14; Eph. 4:29).7. We are careful what questions or comments we make to others, so as not

to take them emotionally out of the shelter—questions like: “How is the divorcegoing?” or “How’s the boss treating you at work?” (Isa. 58:13).

8. We allow people to be human by forgiving them (Eph. 4:31, 32).9. We believe the shelter is for restoring relationships and comforting the

afflicted (Lam. 5:21; 2 Cor. 1:4).10. We become servants in service to others and in the exercise of our

freedoms so that more people will be brought in contact with the kingdom ofGod (1 Cor. 9:19; 10:33).

* Condensed for space.

ROBERT S. FOLKENBERG

When Jesus spoke with Nicodemus aboutbeing born again, He touched a sensitivespiritual nerve. No veneered religion,however attrac-tive, will do. Real

faith has to plunge deep beneath thesurface, so deep that Jesus spoke ofan entirely new life, one built upona new birth.

Notice how this conflicts withcontemporary values. Today’s seekeris told that within one’s self residesa vast storehouse of capacity wait-ing eagerly to be released. All sortsof systems are promoted to liberatethe “real” us, including positive thinking, transcendentalmeditation, cosmic self-discovery, spiritual power pointing,horoscopic channeling, and a grab bag of psychologicaltechniques touted by celebrities and the lesser known.

At the core of it all is a premise as old as a peril-riddentree in Eden: that happiness and success, to say nothing ofself-esteem, can be acquired and made to flow from within.

The Bible confirms the value of every person on the basisof a cosmos-wide status conferred by the Creator. The wayGod looks at us was confirmed by Jesus’ coming among us atunthinkable sacrifice. “Every good endowment and every per-fect gift is from above,” wrote the apostle James, “comingdown from the Father of lights with whom there is no varia-tion or shadow due to change” (James l:17, RSV). The point?Personal worth is real, but it rests not in self, but from how ourCreator values us. It’s shown in how He made us and what Hehas done to rescue us—both Eden and Calvary. We are God’streasured creatures, destined to be heirs of His kingdom.

Victorious living is found only in a shift of spiritual para-digms, from rule-based spiritual service to a new walk inlove, infinitely intimate, profoundly powerful. Like theunfettered wind moving its way through newly open cham-bers of the heart, God’s Spirit occupies the lives of willingbelievers, taking command. At last Jesus is Lord.

How different the Christian life looks from the surren-dered side. No longer driven by multiplied rules, obligations,opinions of others, or self-forgiving greed, now we walk handin hand with Jesus. He is tender, yet infinitely strong. Oldguilt sloughs away in the presence of His grace. In response

to our appeal, He steps in to become the master of all ourlives, anointing us with His own righteousness, the same thatrestores us to fellowship with Him.

Old struggles lose their grip as theycome under His power. Daily refreshedwith prayer and Bible study, thebeliever grows ever more Christlike.

Grasp the picture: we the crea-tures of His hand, long runawaysand aliens, now returned—notinto some shallow, sentimentalharmony, but for real, welcomedback into the kingdom of God.Now of grace, soon in glory.

Jesus assured Nicodemus that thisalone leads to eternal life. The old battles of trying and failing tomake oneself good are things past. The war that arose in heavencontinues on earth, but now on the turf of the triumphant Jesus.

So does this mean temptation has been disarmed? No,but Someone else joins us in battle, One who has met thetest and overcome every temptation. To the degree that westay at His side we are victors.

Human frailty is still ours, and we are still less than weought to be. But we have given Christ the wheel of ourlives, and at every moment He retrieves us. Lapses may trou-ble us and provide Satan an opening to discourage us. Butwe will not accept them as normal, sheltering them with anexcuse, for they are not normal. “If we confess our sins, he isfaithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us fromall unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

But doesn’t each mistake in some way unravel the cordof acceptance by Christ? In the little book Steps to ChristEllen White took on that question directly: “The charac-ter is revealed, not by occasional good deeds and occa-sional misdeeds, but by the tendency of the habitual wordsand acts” (pp. 57, 58).

What is the direction of our lives? Are we with Jesus?Then we are on the way to victorious living.

Robert S. Folkenberg is president of the GeneralConference of Seventh-day Adventists.

The Secret ofVictorious Living

F R O M T H E H E A R T

Victory is found only in

a shift of spiritualparadigms.


My whole life haschanged,” says LouiseTwyman gleefully.“When I first attendedthe camp three years

ago, I had already lost a lot of weight. Ihad gone from 230 pounds to 165. Butslowly the weight started to come back.Within a few weeks I was back up to185. I remember thinking, I don’t wantthis weight back. I want a way to keep itoff. This program not only controlledmy weight; it changed my whole life.”

Does the above testimony soundlike an advertisement for one of themiracle diet rip-offs? Your skepticism iswarranted. You can’t walk by thecheckout counter of a grocery storewithout noticing the headline thatreads “Eat All You Can and Lose 50Pounds in One Week.” A few monthsago we would sit and swap fad diettales with you, but not today. Notsince Fitness for Life.

Humble BeginningsMany Adventists in the Allegheny

East Conference are raving about theFitness for Life health program. Thebrainchild of conference health direc-tor Gwendolyn Foster, Fitness for Lifestarted in 1978, after Foster came incontact with Nathan Pritikin. “NathanPritikin, founder of Pritikin LongevityCenter, had experienced serious healthproblems around World War II,” saysFoster. “He read The Ministry ofHealing, by Ellen G. White, appliedthe health principles, and was sur-prised by the life-saving changes thathe experienced.”

Pritikin was also surprised that thechurch hadn’t done more to spread thewealth of knowledge on health it had.

He challenged Foster to use the talentsGod gave her to spread the healthmessage. She accepted the challenge.The rest, as they say, is history.

Backed by the Allegheny EastConference, Foster developed a min-istry that focuses on health evange-lism, and participants have beenblessed since 1978.

Gladys Swift remembers when hercousin came back from a Fitness forLife camp held in Pine Forge,Pennsylvania. “I couldn’t believe howgood she looked. She had so muchenergy, and her life changed. Shetalked about the spiritual experienceshe had there. I knew I had to go.”

This past summer Swift attendedthe camp. “It was a real life-changingexperience for me. I feel better, sleepbetter, and have peace of mind. Evenmy husband made major lifestylechanges.” Swift has already signed upfive people to go to next year’s camp.

Josephine Hairston suffered for years

with weight problems and joint pain.“What I learned through Fitness for Lifesaved my life. The principles are so sim-ple: drink plenty of water, walk, rest, eathealthy foods. It’s mind-boggling howeffective this program is.” Hairston andher sister now conduct Fitness for Lifeseminars for their community.

What’s the Secret?Like most quality programs, Fitness

for Life succeeds because of its simplic-ity. The camp begins with a thoroughphysical assessment of the campers.This assessment includes blood tests,blood pressure screening, a weigh-in,exercises, and a timed walk.Physicians, under the direction of Dr.Geneva McCleary, a preventive-carepractitioner, develop a fitness profileand exercise regimen for each camper.A postcamp assessment is done so thatparticipants can see the difference.

Participants rise early in the morningfor devotions, calisthenics, and a vigor-ous walk. When they return, a healthymeal is prepared by camp dietitians.Each day doctors, nurses, and nutri-tionists give lectures on topics such aspreparing healthy meals, hypertension,diabetes, and weight control. At 4:00p.m. a cool swim is a time to study thebenefits of hydrotherapy.

In addition to camp, Fitness for Lifeseminars, cooking classes, and lifestyletraining continue throughout the yeararound the conference. The programequips church members with medicaltraining to share the principles ofhealthful living with neighbors.

An Adventist church in Berryville,Virginia, tried it. The church con-ducted a two-week program inWinchester and invited the commu-

W O R L D N E W S & P E R S P E C T I V E S

A Witness to Fitness


B Y D WA I N A N D K E M B A E S M O N D , F I T N E S S F O R L I F E V O L U N T E E R S W H O

W R I T E F R O M H A G E R S T O W N , M A R Y L A N D .

GUIDING LIGHT: Allegheny East Conferencehealth director Gwendolyn Foster (left) estab-lished the camp more than 20 years ago. Fosteranswers questions for Louise Twyman, a non-Adventist camper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

nity. “The visitors outnum-bered church members,”notes Doris Roberts,Berryville’s first elder. Todaythe church continues Fitnessfor Life through monthlygatherings at which partici-pants talk about the goodnessof God and encourage eachother in healthful living.

Louise Twyman attended aFitness for Life camp for thefirst time three years ago. Shebecame so impressed with thepresentations that she video-taped everything. Six monthslater she went to visit her sonand daughter, who live in Las Vegas.While there she conducted a two-weekFitness for Life seminar at a non-Adventist church that her daughterattends. More than 40 persons attendedthe first time she did it. Last year shewas asked to do the seminar again, andthe response was great. But here’s thesurprise: Twyman is not an Adventist!

The wife of a Baptist minister,Twyman adds, “I went to Las Vegas

Evangelismo was the watchword atthe Biennial Hispanic EvangelismCouncil, held recently at La

Sierra University in Riverside,California. Pastors, evangelists, andadministrators from throughout NorthAmerica convened for five days ofinstruction, planning, and fellowship.

Attendees also put the final toucheson this fall’s LA RED (NET) ’97 satel-lite evangelistic initiative that will beheld November 8-15. The speaker forthe eight sessions, which will originatefrom São Paulo, Brazil, will beAlejandro Bullón, ministerial secretary

of the South American Division.Congregations throughout South andCentral America will join approxi-mately 420 sites in North America forthis international evangelistic event.

According to Manuel Vasquez, vicepresident of the North AmericanDivision for special ministries, LARED ’97 is just one of the outreachevents being planned for Hispanicsbetween now and the year 2000. In1999, 100 major evangelistic cam-paigns will be held in large citiesthroughout North America, commem-orating 100 years of organized out-


North American HispanicsHighlight Evangelism


B Y S T E P H E N C H AV E Z , A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R , A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W

ready to do all the things I usually do.But I had no desire for anythingexcept sharing with people what I hadexperienced through Fitness for Life.”She now heads a support group inPhiladelphia, in addition to her evan-gelistic excursions to Las Vegas.

A Recipe for SuccessFitness for Life is predicated on the

belief that the God who made us can fix

us. Its total-health philosophyemphasizes the importance ofnutrition, exercise, water, sun-shine, temperance, air, rest,and trust in God (NEW-START). The Fitness for Lifeprogram is designed to bringbalance and healing to thefour dimensions that make upa whole person: the physical,mental, social, and spiritual.

Fitness for Life also benefitsfrom the support of theAllegheny East Conference.A volunteer staff of physi-cians, nurses, hydrotherapists,dietitians, and church mem-

bers dedicate two weeks of their vaca-tion time to support the program.With such support, the conferenceoffers an affordable program to partici-pants who otherwise could not attend.

Foster notes, “I believe, as EllenWhite says, that the health ministry isthe right arm of the gospel. Fitness forLife is an effort to communicate thegospel of Jesus to a world that is dying—both spiritually and physically.”

reach among Hispanics in the NorthAmerican Division.

In addition to the evangelisticemphasis, several Hispanic Adventistswere honored for their contributionsto the Adventist Church, as well as totheir larger communities. Those rec-ognized were Maria Denneny, ofTempe, Arizona, for her work coordi-nating women’s retreats for Hispanicwomen; Max and Mary Martinez fortheir service to Native Americans;Louis Torres, from Amazing Facts, forhis work with NET ’96 and LA RED’97; Juan Carlos and Nancy Pardeiro,of Springdale, Arkansas, who ownand operate a full-power “familyfriendly” television station (seeAdventist Review, June 5, 1997, pp. 20,21); Tulio Peverini, from PacificPress, for his 28 years of service aseditor of El Centinela; and MiltonPeverini, for his 27 years as director-speaker of La Voz de la Esperanza.

EARLY TO RISE: Each morning the campers started their day with atwo-mile walk.


Church Leaders Convey Regrets to Great Britain’s Royal Family

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the UnitedKingdom added its voice to those expressing sadness

and regret at the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.Church leaders called on all members to observe amoment of silence together during their worship serviceson Sabbath, September 6.

In a message sent August 31 to the queen and membersof the royal family, British Union president Cecil Perryspoke of the church’s shock and sadness at the news.“Our hearts go out to those closest to the princess whoare experiencing grief and bereavement,” said Perry. “Wewill be asking all our members to pray specially for theprincess’s children.

In a response received the same day from BalmoralCastle in Scotland, the queen’s private secretaryexpressed the royal family’s gratitude.

“The Queen, the Prince of Wales, Prince William,Prince Henry, and all the members of the Royal Familyare most grateful for your thoughtful expression of sympa-thy on the sudden and tragic death of Diana, Princess ofWales. The private secretary has been asked to thank youfor your kindness in writing as you did at such a sad time.”

African Initiative Impacts Nine Countries

More than 60 African-American pastors, educators, andhealth-care professionals traveled to nine African countriesthis past summer to provide a wide variety of ministries,reports General Conference vice president Calvin Rock.

The volunteers conducted camp meetings, revivals,health seminars and workshops, and served in hospitals andclinics. Sponsored by Operation Reachback, an organiza-tion of Black Adventist professionals, the volunteers trav-eled to Cameroon, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Kenya, Madagascar,

N E W S B R E A K


L ike most small-town doctors, Dr. Thomas Hicks wasbeloved by those he served. He cured their illnesses,stitched their wounds, delivered their babies.

Regarded as something of a benevolent aristocrat in tinyMcCaysville, Georgia, he operated and dispensed medica-tions for free, donated generously to his church, and handedout the best Halloween candy in town.In return for his generosity, the towns-people kept his secret.

Dr. Hicks sold babies. He also performed then-illegalabortions in his country clinic. In an era when an out-of-wedlock birth branded a young woman for life, Dr. Hicksoffered another chance at respectability. Sometimes hewas able to persuade the girls to carry the babies to term.Then he would sell the infants to childless couples andthrow in a birth certificate naming the adoptive parentsas the birth parents. The birth mothers slipped awayanonymously. County records show that between 1951and 1965 as many as 200 babies were “born” to parents

from as far away as Ohio and Arizona.It appeared Dr. Hicks’s secret died with him in 1972. But

an Ohio woman’s father told her that she had been handed tohim and his wife through the back door of the doctor’s office,still swaddled in blood from her birth mother’s womb. Shehad cost $1,000. With her search for her birth mother, the

town’s best-kept secret began to unravel.Townspeople are loath to condemn Dr.

Hicks. Each time he persuaded a youngmother to carry the child, they reason, he saved an innocentlife. They call his actions “unofficial adoptions” rather thanblack market baby selling.*

While it’s easy to rush to judgment over a story like this,it’s impossible to know Dr. Hicks’s motives. We can surmisehe prevented 200 abortions. Perhaps that is enough to allowhis gilded memory to remain untarnished despite his ventureinto situational ethics.

* New York Times, Aug. 23, 1997, p. 1.

Dr. Hicks’s Secret

NEWS COMMENTARY

B Y R E N É A L E X E N K O E VA N S , P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S C O N S U LTA N T, N A S H V I L L E , T E N N E S S E E

A TIE THAT BINDS: Pastor Helvius Thompson (far left), MarciaNiles (second from right), and Eddie Myles (far right) estab-listed new bonds in Tanzania.

Conferences in Ingathering

Ingathering, that venerable Adventist insti-tution begun early in this century, officiallyresumes at the end of this month. While manyAdventist members tend to give directly toIngathering rather than solicit money frombusiness associates and community members,

solicitation isn’t dead. The top five conferences in solicitingfunds from nonmembers in 1996:

Ontario* $141,823.72Greater New York 134,031.64Texas 96,453.20Georgia-Cumberland† 76,713.86Michigan 74,003.26

* Ontario Conference is no longer on the traditional Ingatheringprogram, but is piloting a new program called “ADRA Annual Appeal,”which is replacing Ingathering in a number of conferences.

† About 50 of the local churches in the Georgia-CumberlandConference are involved in two pilot projects with a new program called“Campaign for Community,” which also replaces Ingathering.

Additional information on these new programs can be obtained fromMonte Sahlin, ADRA director, North American Division, 12501 OldColumbia Pike, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904.

Flu FactsEven though influenza season doesn’t come on in full

force until November or December, October is a goodmonth to start thinking about flu shots. The reason: it’s notimpossible that flu season could start early, putting seniorsand younger people with chronic health problems at riskfor possibly fatal flu complications. Each year thousands ofpeople die from pneumonia resulting from influenza.—Baylor College of Medicine.

Smoking MomsMothers who smoke not only put their own health at

risk. They also are hit by higher medical expenses to treattheir young children’s respiratory illnesses directly attribut-able to environmental smoke. A new University ofWisconsin at Madison study estimates that children underage 5 in homes where mothers smoke incur an average of$120 per year in additional medical expenses.—Health andFitness News Service.

—Compiled by Larry Becker, editor of Vibrant Life, the church’s health out-reach journal. To subscribe, contact your ABC, or call 1-800-765-6955.


For Your Good Health

Mauritius, Tanzania, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.The initiative was Operation Reachback’s second

annual service project.

News Notes

✔ Newbold College sent an evangelistic team led byJeff Brown to South Africa for an evangelistic series andrevival in KwaZulu-Natal province and Johannesburg,respectively. At the close of the meetings 113 personsjoined the Adventist Church.

✔ Andrews University, Pacific Union College, andAtlantic Union College are ranked among the best col-leges and universities in the United States, according tothe September 1, 1997, U.S. News and World Report.

For the eighth consecutive year AU ranked amongthe 228 best national universities and PUC has rankedamong the top 10 Western regional liberal arts colleges

for four years.✔ Timothy J. Lale, associate editor of

Insight magazine, was recently appointededitor of Guide magazine. Lale replacesCarolyn L. Rathbun-Sutton.

✔ Derrick Nichols, pastor of theKingsview Village Seventh-day AdventistChurch near Toronto, Ontario, Canada,

was recently elected president of the Ontario Conference.Nichols replaces E. Rick Bacchus, who became associate pas-tor of the Willowdale Adventist Church in Toronto.

Adventist Communication Network Broadcasts

Here are a few of the programs plannedby the Adventist Communication Network

for November. Call 1-800-ACN-1119 for complete pro-gram listings, time, and channel information. All timesshown are Eastern time. Nov. 4 ADRA’s World airs each Tuesday (Nov.

4, 11, 18, and 25)—8:30-9:00 a.m.Nov. 5 First Wednesday—church news, 7:30-

8:30 p.m.Nov. 8 La Red ’97—Hispanic evangelistic series.

Airs each night until November 15. Nov. 15 Net ’98 Countdown Rally, 4:30-6:00 p.m.

What’s Upcoming

Oct. 1 Monthly Focus—Adventist HeritageOct. 4 Children’s SabbathOct. 4-11 Health Education WeekOct. 11 Voice of Prophecy Offering

N E W S B R E A K


Tim J. Lale

ACN

BY ANDY NASH

“With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained,might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, andsoon-coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world!”—Ellen G. White, 1902.

“We finally got rid of those noisy kids.”—A church memberin Oregon, 1997.

LAST FALL I LOGGEDonto CompuServe’sAdventists Online forum tofind, in the Young Adultssection, a discussion that

angered me.The discussion,1 titled “And Then There

Were None,” had been started by Oklahomayouth pastor James Buckmaster. His openingpost read: “What can we do about the massamounts of young adults leaving our church?What should the church as a whole do?What can you do?”

A couple advocates for youth and youngadults quickly joined in.

“In my humble opinion,” wrote AllanMartin, from California, “I have yet to see thechurch show a tangible interest in doing any-thing more than the minimum. . . . Youngadults are leaving the Adventist Church, someto reaffiliate with more pertinent Christian

C U R R E N T I S S U E S


communities, others leaving Christian and/or Adventistlifestyles altogether.”

“Take back the church!” wrote Ray Tetz, from Maryland.“If young adults think that it will be handed over voluntarily,they could not be more wrong. . . . Don’t wait out the mortal-ity options. Take back the church. And be prepared to give itup to a bunch of young know-nothings sooner than you like.”

I couldn’t believe these guys. Were they still fussingabout the “discrimination” Adventist youthand young adults faced? I hadn’t had thatexperience at all. Here at the Review—firstas a summer intern, now as staff member—Ihad been entrusted with all kinds of respon-sibilities. True, I hadn’t exactly noticed thechurch seeking out young talent (except forpastors), but I was sure that if youth andyoung adults really tried, they could breakthrough. And so I set about enlighteningJames, Allan, Ray, and the rest.

“I’m tired of the griping,” I wrote. “Withenough energy and enthusiasm, youth andyoung adults can overcome anything—brokenpromises, antiquated ideas, whatever.”

The ensuing three-week debate was bitter,painful—enough to keep me up at night.How can these people be so critical of thechurch? I wondered.

A year later I confess it freely: I was deadwrong. The underutilization of Adventist

CHANGING THE WORLD: In asociety where youth and youngadults are increasingly beinghanded the reins, merely askingthem to have the scripture read-ing or collect the offering once aquarter isn’t enough.

They’d help fight the good fight—if they ever got the chance.


youth and young adults, though cer-tainly not universal, is much greaterthan I had ever realized. Though we’rea church of the young in some regions,such as South America and Inter-America,2 we’re not in North America.If we were, we would be known for it.

My online friends were being criti-cal of their church not because theyhated it, but because they loved it.The problem is big and getting bigger.Even I, an optimist constantly lookingfor reasons to be optimistic, havewatched my optimism evaporate.

Growing Up Adventist I think what partially blinded me to

the problem is the affirmation andacceptance I have found in the Ad-ventist Church. Last year I wrote a col-umn, then a book, about thechildhood church that taught me“faith, love, and laughter.” Thosememories are all accurate. I loved“growing up Adventist”—not only inMinnesota, but in Florida, Tennessee,Thailand, Michigan, and nowMaryland. I love the Adventist peoplein my life, and I’m indebted to themfor the kindness they didn’t have toshow me, but did.

Upon review, though, I’m begin-ning to understand why my experi-ence was more enjoyable than that ofmany of my peers: because the fairlytraditional package I came in was thepackage the church wanted. Because

what I had to give matched what thechurch thought it needed.

It’s been a hard lesson, and I shrinkat my former naïveté. But now, as Iwatch 38 to 50 percent3 of my peersdrift from the Adventist Church—andthousands more bob aimlessly on theedges—I’m convinced that the prob-lem runs much, much deeper than“those selfish, slacking Gen Xers.”

A Disabled Body To put it simply: We haven’t

allowed God’s kingdom to be as big

as it needs to be. Or, to use the language of

1 Corinthians 12, we’ve disabled thebody of Christ. Sure, we recognizethat “there are different kinds ofgifts,” “given for the common good”(verses 4, 7), but, to paraphraseOrwell, we’ve deemed some giftsmore different than others. Andbecause these “different” kinds ofgifts (and service and working) areusually found within a “different”generation, we’ve decided that wedon’t need either.

It isn’t our decision to make. “The eye,” counseled Paul, “can-

not say to the hand, ‘I don’t needyou!’ And the head cannot say tothe feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On thecontrary, those parts of the body thatseem to be weaker are indispensable.. . . If one part suffers, every partsuffers with it; if one part is hon-ored, every part rejoices with it”(verses 21-26).

We’re suffering. We might notrealize it, but we are. Too many feetare being waved away, leaving thebody of Christ walking on its hands.Their gifts slighted, accused of want-ing only to be entertained (a giantmyth), thousands of youngAdventists wander off.

UP AND COMING: Children at Play artists Jimmy Pleasants and Kameron DeVasher repre-sent a new generation of Adventists hoping to use their gifts for God’s glory.

ROLL ’EM: Currently a communicationsassistant with Adventist CommunicationNetwork, Dame Looby dreams of makingmovies—within the church. “I’ve alwaysexpressed a deep interest in film writingand production, even though some of myfamily members and friends don’t sharemy views,” she says. “The Adventistorganization has the technology, theresources, and trained professionals toadvance onto the ‘big screen.’ Christianshave been taught about God’s savingpower through sermons, seminars, per-sonal testimonies, television, and satel-lite programs. The church can alsoeffectively portray who we really are andour mission through motion pictures.”

There are, of course, glimmers ofhope. It’s refreshing, for exam-ple, to find many churches

involving young adults in efforts to meetthe various needs and learning stylesexisting within any congregation.

But inevitably, several self-desig-nated “gatekeepers,” instead of attend-ing the worship service they like, willattend the service they don’t like.Frowns on their faces, tongues cluck-ing at the smiling young adult playingbass, they’re determined that Ellen

White’s “rightly trained” (see openingstatement) means that the church’syouth must be clones of themselves—thinking, talking, dressing, praisingexactly as they do.

Adding to the gatekeepers’ fire iswhen a young, newly baptized Adventist,fresh from a drug-filled, heavy-metalbackground, testifies that all he needs is aKing James Bible, a King James hymn-book, King James instruments, and otherassorted King James items.

I don’t question such testimonies; I

PUT US TO WORK: Recently graduated fromHarvard Law School and formerly StudentAssociation president at Andrews University,Adam Rose is cofounder of FACE IT! anAdventist young adult-driven ministry thatstrives “to motivate and empower youngadults to become actively involved in reach-ing out to others in our generation.” “I amconvinced,” says Rose, “that if the churchdoesn’t learn to utilize the talents and per-spectives of its young adults effectively, itwill rapidly find itself without the benefit ofour presence, support, and financial commit-ment. Whether for fear of losing control ormerely for fear of change, the AdventistChurch, at both the local and national levels,has failed to involve its young adults in keyleadership and decision-making areas. Only

when our opinions and abilities are taken seriously will we be willing to place our energiesand efforts into the organization of the Adventist Church.”


affirm them. If some contemporary wor-ship elements remind these people oftheir former lifestyle, they should steerclear of them—just as many war veteranssteer clear of Fourth of July fireworks. Butfor this same mentality to be urged onevery young Adventist goes againsteverything Paul counseled and the won-derful variety with which God created us.

This isn’t to say that youth andyoung adults in your church won’t ever

be wrong. They will be. Some will bewrong, some lazy, some simply impossi-ble. But please, longtime Adventists,don’t judge the whole lot on the basisof a few bad eggs—or even several.

The same goes for young Advent-ists. Too often do I see sweeping shotstaken at older Adventists—and thethings they love. “The organ is wayoutdated,” some will say, citing statis-tics that show the organ connects witha minority of people. But for thatminority, the organ is still a powerfulworship tool and must be upheld.

To paraphrase Paul: “Neither can

FACING THE MUSIC: Possibly thechurch’s best jazz saxophonist, BobMartin, of Kettering, Ohio, has encoun-tered resistance in varying doses. “I thinkthe most common form of resistance isprejudice,” he says. “Some people believethat certain instruments have an inherentevil to them. To them, it doesn’t matterthat the musician is using his instrumentto worship, it doesn’t matter how well heplays it, and it certainly doesn’t matter tothem that the music may be uplifting toothers. It just matters that it’s not theinstrument they prefer; therefore, it mustbe wrong or somehow evil. Prejudice isugly that way. . . . Whenever I can breakthrough all the ugliness, the blessing istremendous. Knowing that you are some-how helping bridge a gap between heavenand earth and bringing someone closer in

their walk with God is an incredible experience. And the blessing I receive is two times theblessing others receive when they hear my music. Only God can turn prejudice and igno-rance into a blessing. That’s why I still do what I do.”

WHEN THEIR EYES LIGHT UP: La Sierrasenior Shasta Emery, the 1997-1998 presi-dent of the Adventist IntercollegiateAssociation, says that most Adventist colle-gians are “apathetic” toward the church.“We’re searching for something real, butsometimes the church is afraid to be real,”she says. “Young adults need to feel owner-ship. I love looking into the eyes of some-one who for the first time feels as thoughthe church needs them.”


the feet say to the head, ‘Because youhaven’t arrived as we feet have, you’reno longer a part of the body.’ ”

Acceptance must work both ways.

What About . . . ?Some will argue that youth and

young adults are making their mark inNorth America. After all:

Columbia Union College recentlyhired a 23-year-old full-time chaplain,Kumar Dixit. “He’s giving it 100 per-cent,” says senior Wendy Shull. “Thespirituality has gotten better on campus.”

The Adventist Review has turnedover much of its new Cutting EdgeEdition4 to young adults. Of this year’sfirst eight cover stories, seven werewritten by Adventists in their 30s, 20s,

or in the case of Walla Walla’s SarahE. Coleman, teens.

This spring at the Forest City,Florida, Spanish church, 95 percent ofthe 200 youth members regularlyattended a two-week, youth-run evan-gelistic series led by 24-year-oldAustralian pastor-evangelist CesarCardenas. Said one report: “Skepticaladult members were amazed andthrilled at how youth ownership of theseries advanced the youth to newheights of spiritual commitment.” 5

But these are exceptions—andthough there are more, there aren’tenough more. As a rule you’ll be luckyto find decent youth representationeven in attempts to reach other youth.

At this year’s General Conference

Spring Meeting, a friend walked througha committee where the members satwringing their hands as they contem-plated how to minister better to today’syouth and young adults. Not one youth oryoung adult was on the committee.

What’s so difficult to understand? Forthis to be a church for young adults, thismust be a church of young adults.

Walking the Talk? There are good intentions, yes. In a June editorial, North American

Division president A. C. McClurewrote: “Here comes the class of 1997.Let’s not coddle them. Let’s not makethem prove themselves. Let’s not makethem watch from a stool in the corner.Let’s not underestimate their ability tomake a difference. . . . We need whatthey can bring us. Let’s make sure theyknow that.” 6

Powerful words. And I hope thatElder McClure will support them withconcrete steps—perhaps inviting a few1997 graduates to work closely with him.

Meanwhile, it’s been seven yearssince world church president RobertFolkenberg’s inaugural address—theone that brought so much hope toyouth and youth ministers. “If we give[the youth] a piece of the pie,” he toldhis mostly adult Indianapolis audience,“they will stay for dinner.” 7

The widely heralded speech was fol-lowed by the formation of the president’skitchen cabinet on youth, “a marvelousmix” of 18 North American Adventistyouth, collegians, and young adults meet-ing April 10-13, 1991, at the worldchurch headquarters. “I want you to wres-tle with the obstacles we face in thischurch,” Elder Folkenberg told the group.“Don’t settle for superficial solutions.” 8

One of the cabinet’s recommenda-tions was that they “meet twice a yearfor two years,” at which time “the fre-quency of the meetings could be re-evaluated.” 9 The committee met oncemore. “While we were there we hadgreat communication,” says memberVictoria (Mummert) Emde, “but after-ward I don’t know what happened.”

The cabinet also recommended thatsince Adventists under 30 made up onefifth of the church, all North American

NET ’98: Rumblings of OwnershipNelson: “We’re targeting Gen X, and we’re inviting the world to come.”

BY ANDY NASH

The evangelistic series that pledged to “communicate the gospel of JesusChrist to thousands of young people known as Generation X” has broughtAdventist Gen Xers into the planning. On August 12 at Andrews University sev-eral young adults met with NET ’98 officials, youth ministers, and speaker-des-ignate Dwight K. Nelson to discuss how more young Adventists might be ralliedto participate in NET ‘98preparation and the seriesitself. The task force contin-ues to dialog via phone andE-mail and will meet againduring a Generation X sym-posium November 17 and18 in San Diego.

Meanwhile, here are somefurther specifics about NET’98, beginning next fall:

■ As announced last winter, the series will be geared toward secular GenXers. “We’re targeting Generation X, and we’re inviting the world to come,” saysNelson, noting that the influence of MTV has given the world’s secular young peo-ple an unprecedented commonality.

■ Though NET ’98 remains untitled, Nelson’s theme will be the character ofGod. Citing Christ’s Object Lessons, page 415, Nelson says, “Every person ofevery age needs to see this ‘revelation of His character of love.’ ”

■ Each of the 26 nightly meetings will last 67 minutes (much shorter thanNET ’95 and NET ’96).

■ Music, drama, special features, etc., have not been finalized. (The taskforce has suggested a nightly “person on the street” video package, in which ran-dom secular people across the world would be asked questions about theevening’s topic: what God’s like, millennium fever, hell, etc.)

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Division representative committeesshould contain 20 percent of thesame.10 These days you’ll be hardpressed to find many conferences wherethat recommendation is taken seriously.

Recently Elder Folkenberg clarifiedwhat he meant by the original “piece ofthe pie” speech. “When young peopleshare with others what’s in their heart,”he wrote in an online conference last fall,“they’ll find their mouths filled with pie.”

He expanded on that comment in aDecember 16, 1996, Pacific UnionRecorder article titled “Stop! Wrong Pie,Wrong Bakery!” “If you’re wonderingabout getting your piece of the pie,”wrote Elder Folkenberg, “maybe you’rein the wrong bakery. Why not join the23,000 Global Mission pioneers aroundthe world who have discovered that the‘real’ pie isn’t membership on commit-tees or boards? It isn’t in the order of[the worship] service, the routine, or thestructure. If music, the order of the wor-ship service, or if ‘to celebrate, or not tocelebrate’ is your dominant question,maybe you’re in the wrong bakery.”

It’s good counsel—for all ages.There seems, though, to be two dif-

ferent kinds of pie: God’s pie and thechurch’s pie. And while youth andyoung adults can easily grab a piece of

God’s pie (witnessing, giving Bible stud-ies, counseling summer campers), theyneed help getting a piece of the church’spie (holding a church job, serving oncommittees, crafting the worship ser-vice). True, committees won’t evenappeal to most young people and seem-ingly aren’t as integral to the mission ofthe church as Bible studies, but they’restill important. If they aren’t, why do wehave so many of them?

The Bottom LineDon’t misunderstand. The issue here

is not talent or intelligence or wisdom,but simply ownership at every level—from being a Global Mission pioneer toplanning the Pioneer program.

A year ago I was ignorant of how lit-tle ownership was available to my lesstraditional peers. A year from now I’llreport on what, if anything, has changed.It’s my hope and my prayer that thatarticle can be much more positive. I hatewriting with a lump in my throat. ■

1 In these discussions, someone writes amessage for all to view—not unlike a note onthe refrigerator door. Then someone else comesalong and replies to that note. A third personmight choose to reply to either the first note orthe second, etc.

2 As William Johnsson reported in “SouthMexico: Baptisms and Bloodshed” (Mar. 13),

members in their 30s and 40s dominate adminis-trative posts. When they reach 50, they’removed back to the local levels. And theAdventist Church, amid persecution, is thefastest-growing church in southern Mexico.

3 Steve Case cites an estimate of 38 percentattrition from active church participation in“Where Have All the Youth Gone?” GiraffeNews, Spring 1993; Steve Daily estimates a 50percent attrition rate in his Adventism for a NewGeneration, p. 3.

4 The Cutting Edge Edition arrives the thirdweek of each month—just after the WorldEdition, and just before the AnchorPoints Edition.If you don’t receive the weekly Adventist Review, Iinvite you to try it. Call 1-800-456-3991. (Ask forthe editors’ discount.) If you don’t like it, call meat 301-680-6560. I want to know why.

5 Monday FAX (edited by KermitNetteburg), July 21, 1997.

6 “Not Much Pomp in This Circumstance,”Adventist Review, June NAD Edition, p. 6.

7 General Conference Bulletin, July 19, 1990,p. 13. For more on Elder Folkenberg’sIndianapolis speech, see “A Conversation WithRobert S. Folkenberg,” Adventist Review, Oct. 4,1990.

8 See Chris Blake’s “A Prayer and a Hope,”Adventist Review, June 6, 1991.

9 Proposal Summary Statement, NorthAmerican Division President’s Youth Cabinet,July 10.

10 Ibid.

Andy Nash is an assistanteditor at the AdventistReview.

The Samuel PlanBY ANDY NASH

The last thing the church needs is for youth and youngadults to run the show alone. Even the young prophet-to-beSamuel needed Eli’s help in recognizing the voice of God.

But it was Samuel, not Eli, whom God was calling.In case the same is happening today—in case God is calling

a young person, a thousand young persons, to lead His peopleas James and Ellen and Uriah once led His people—they need tobe placed not only where they can be called, but where otherscan help them recognize Who’s calling.

These suggestions are about ownership, mentorship, andrestoring the body of Christ to full efficiency. Those most hesi-tant to try them might well be those most delighted with them.(Remember, though: healing takes time.)

■ Church members: In large congregations, take theneeded steps to turn over one of the Sabbath morning ser-vices to youth and young adults (with older members servingas mentors/advisers). In small congregations, turn over oneservice a month. Suspend judgment for one year.

■ Church board: If a group of youth or young adults comes for-

ward with an idea for nontraditional ministry, go crazy with supportfor it. Tell the congregation about it. Pour money into it. Even if youdon’t understand it. The fact that you backed the project—no mat-ter its success—will stay with its creators for a long, long time.

■ Church employees: If you work at one of the church’s lev-els and the thrill is gone, find a new job—perhaps in the publicsector, where your spirituality will be tested and probably soar.Before you leave your old job, ask your supervisor if a youngAdventist can have it.

■ Church employers: Where it’s not possible to give youngadults permanent jobs, offer 10-week internships—and don’tunderestimate their value. I can trace at least half of my excite-ment about this church to a March 1993 phone call from theReview editor.

■ Committee members: If you’re on a committee discussinggeneral-interest or youth-related issues and youth aren’t wellrepresented on that committee, ask why.

■ Everyone: Mentor a young person any chance you get. To those willing to try these and other ideas, I’d welcome

your reports—positive or negative. Send [email protected] or to my attention at theReview’s editorial office.

Have you ever seen anoptical illusion?Maybe on a hot daythe road ahead lookslike it is wet, but

when you get there it is dry. Ormaybe you see a stick in the grass,and for a split second you think itis a snake.

Your eyes are playing tricks onyou. The road surface looks wavylike water because the light is bentby the waves of hot air rising fromthe road. Or maybe you are scaredof snakes, so whenever your eyessee anything that even remotelylooks like a snake, your mind goes“Yikes!”

Optical illusions fool your eyes.Look at the lines in this illustration:

The top line looks longer, but actu-ally both lines are the same length. Inanother kind of optical illusion, anobject might seem to be one size whenyou see it by itself, but when you see itnext to other things it suddenly seemsto be bigger or smaller. Sometimes youcan’t believe your eyes.

When Jesus was raised to life afterdying on the cross,He went to see thedisciples. Thomaswasn’t there.When he cameback, the other dis-ciples told himthey had seenJesus. Thomas toldthem, “I will notbelieve it until Isee the nail marksin his hands” (John20:25, ICB).

Thomas hadtrouble with faith.The Bible says that“faith means know-ing that somethingis real even if wedo not see it”(Heb. 11:1, ICB).

You Can’tBelieve YourEyesROSY TETZ


Thomas had seen Jesus. He had seenJesus heal the sick and feed the 5,000and still the storm. But he had alsoseen Jesus die on the cross, and that’sall he could remember right then.

Thomas’s faith wasn’t strong enoughto remember all the things he knewabout Jesus. Faith was a hard thing forThomas.

A week later Jesus came back.Thomas was there this time. Jesus said,“Look at my hands. . . . Stop doubtingand believe” (John 20:27, ICB).Thomas saw and believed.

We can’t believe our eyes. We havenever seen Jesus. We need faith toknow that Jesus is real, because wecannot see Him. Even though we can-not see Jesus, we can learn about Him.And the more we know about Jesus,the stronger our faith will be.

Faith is sort of the opposite of anoptical illusion. An optical illusion issomething you see but can’t believe.Faith is something you believe butcan’t see.

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BY ERIC BEAVON

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, themoon and the stars, . . . what is man that you are mindful ofhim?” (Ps. 8:3, NIV).

It was 1964. I was 13, and the mop-topped Beatleswere the rage. Teens at myacademy in Berrien Springs,Michigan, were drawing pic-tures of guitars on school

notebooks and clipping glamorouspictures of electric guitars to pin ontheir bedroom walls. Young would-be guitarists roamed school hall-ways strumming the air, chanting,“She loves me, yeah, yeah, yeah!”

Gone were mental pictures of acowboy softly strumming his gui-tar by the flickering light of acampfire; rebellious rhythms werenow in the air. Gyrating guitaristswere striking electronically ampli-fied strings in accompaniment toantiestablishment lyrics. Strobelights replaced the fading coals ofyesteryear’s campfire. The reputa-tion of the guitar had become tainted.

No small wonder that my dad, a minister and union con-ference youth leader, never mentioned to his three teenagesons that he owned and played a guitar. The association ofthe guitar with the “heathen” was too strong; Dad simplykept the secret to himself.

Then one day I tried to beat a case of boredom by rum-maging around in Dad’s office closet. It was crammed full ofintriguing stuff—a catchall sort of place. Far to the back, inthe dim light, I spotted something shaped like a guitar. As Icleared my way toward the object, I discovered that it was,in fact, a small guitar.

As I worked it out of the closet, I noted a green pennant-shaped sticker affixed to the case; the sticker read “EMC.” Iknew Dad had graduated from Emmanuel MissionaryCollege years ago. Awestruck, I wondered, Could this guitarbe his?

Waiting for an answer wasn’t easy, but I reveled in thethought that within the walls of my house lay a real gui-

tar. Wouldn’t my friends be impressed with such a find?Notebook sketches and cutout pictures couldn’t compareto this!

That evening Dad confessed that the guitar really washis. He shared stories of playing it during his college days at

EMC, then offered to play it for mybrothers and me—if we had anyinterest. Did we!

He tuned the guitar carefully,played a few chords—throwing in a“run” here and there for pizzazz—then began to sing along in hissmooth tenor voice: “Roll along,prairie moon, roll along while Icroon, swingin’ by in the sky,prairie moon . . .”

It is now 1997. My teenagepassion for guitars has waned, yetwarm in my heart is the memoryof Dad teaching me how to tunemy first guitar and play begin-ning chords. On many occasionssince those early lessons we’veenjoyed playing and singing oldWestern favorites together. The

discovery of that guitar in the closet made a specialbond between Dad and me.

That little guitar has also provided me with aninsight into my heavenly Father’s heart. When Iponder the worth of my life within His enormous

domain, I see myself like that guitar—small, out of tune,and suffering from a tarnished image. Gratefully, my heav-enly Father sees beyond my appearance; He hears whatothers cannot hear. His heart’s desire is for me to allowHim the opportunity to turn the tuning pegs of my charac-ter, then strum the strings of my life in tuneful accompani-ment to His rich, melodic voice. ■

Eric Beavon is a carpenter living with his family in alog cabin 10 miles from Silver Star, Montana.

Turning the Tuning Pegs

R E F L E C T I O N S

When I ponder the worth of my life, I see

myself like thatguitar—small and

out of tune.


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To Love, Honor,… andRescue - Adventist Review

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