Covenanter Witness Vol. 54 - Rparchives.org

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The Daily Rounds
By Dr. Wilbur Weir
Four days in Italy on our way
home gives us
a bit of time to reflect, after all the baggage prob
lems invloved in crossing from Naples to Brindisi
are solved. This was our fifth furlough, one and a
half instead of one year, crowded full of interesting
experiences. Time and space do not permit even the
listing of them all; I shall confine myself to the
people we met individuals and groups.
1. College friends. After being out of the
country for seven years it is always a rare treat to
get back to Geneva College. At the Home Coming in
October and at the Commencement in June there
were class-mates and others to see; and just to sit
down and chat with Dr. and Mrs. Robert Clarke
was worth the trip.
2. Families in Covenanter Homes. When I was
a child and we had visiting preachers and mission
aries in our home I enjoyed their presence, and es
pecially the better food made available for the oc
casion, but I never realized until later the spiritual
values of such fellowship. Let me mention but one
name, that of Samuel Edgar. What an influence
for good he was on a growing lad! But my point
here is a bit different : the lift it gives to the visitor
to have that fellowship. You who entertain mission
aries in your homes give us encouragement which
you are not aware of. and often a spiritual fellow
ship which bears fruit in a foreign land. You and
we become co-workers.
3. Student Groups. Five groups stand out:
Geneva College chapel; two prayer groups of 500
and 100 respectively and a class group at Bob Jones
University; chapel at the Christian High School at
Phoenix, Arizona; a class at the High School at
Grossmont, California; two classes at New York
University. These all were a challenge and a stimu
lus.
4. Rotary Clubs. Our club was formed in Larn
aca in the spring of 1953. When I visited the head
quarters in Chicago I suggested that our club must
be the youngest. My guide replied that since July,
1953, 293 clubs had been organized. That was in
April, 1954. The Rotary motto "Service before
plays right into the hand of Christian missions. A
Rotarian at the luncheon in Orlando, Florida, told
me he knew the Rotary leader in Cyprus; had met
him at Rotary in Paris, France. A Rotarian at Tar
pon Springs, Florida, had met the Cyprus leader
in Mexico City. A small world; and it is becom
ings smaller faster than we can adjust our attitudes.
5. Other Churches. When I preached in the
community church at Crystal Lake, Chicago, one of
the announcements the pastor read impressed me:
"The men will meet as usual for prayer at 6:00 a.m.
next Lord's Day." At the Calvary Baptist Church,
New York City, they listened attentively to the nar
rative of the Christian movement in Cyprus since
the time of St. Paul. At Forty Fort, Pa. I was warn
ed that the congregation was not missionary minded ;
but thev drank in all I could give them and asked
for Sabbath School.
for more. They got it by staying
I believe that what one reads in Christian maga
zines about there being a spiritual revival in Ameri
ca is not exaggerated.
132
6. Conferences, and Grinnell. At the young
people's camps we were privileged to attend, one
came to feel hopeful. New spiritual life is express
ing itself among our young people. Even the notices
appearing in the Covenanter Witness calling the
conferences are an improvement over those used not
so long ago which seemed to be based on the assump
tion that unless you appealed primarily to the ath
letic instinct of youth you could not hope to collect
them. At Grinnell the young people were at their
best. Synod at Grinnell made me wonder whether
it would foe possible to set aside at least two days
of Synod week when pastors, missionaries, and other
Christian workers could sit down together in a re
laxed atmosphere for just two things : 1. Share with
the audience some success the Lord has given you in
Christian service. As one travels over the church
one finds here and there a note of victory. A pas
tor, a Sabbath School teacher, or some other worker,
has moved forward. The secret was a change in his
own heart, or it was due to a change in some method
or technique. Others should hear him tell about
it. 2. Share with the audience some failure you have
had in Christian service, when Satan gained the
victory. As one travels over the church one finds
here and there a note of defeat. It should be help
ful to hear from others how they found victory in
similar circumstances. Prayer for one another
through the year following such a meeting would
be of infinite value.
7. Foundations. Eighty Foundations were con
tacted in an effort to add to our building fund. One
responded with a gift of 10,000 dollars ; another res
ponded in the form of aid for our Christian students
to start Daily Vacation Bible Schools in Cyprus. 200
dollars would be made available the first year to
start the work.
8. Business Men and Corporations. This was a
most interesting and most difficult experience.
Christian business men have long been awake to
their responsibility to support Christian education
in America. Secular-minded business men are as
suming greater responsibility today, and corpora
tions are moving in that direction, aided by the in
come tax laws. But to listen to a person trying to
"sell"
a Christian school away yonder in the eastern
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