Covenanter Witness Vol. 89 - Rparchives.org

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wowAWAITING OUR NEW PSALTERLet's be positive and realize that we have God's Word in ourpraise and we need not think for one minute that if we spreadit abroad that it will return void.Even though the new Psalter is not out yet, there aresome specific things that you as a Reformed Presbyteriancommitted to Psalmody can be doing:1) Pray for the Committee as they make finaldecisions on translations, tunes, and publishingarrangements.Most of our readers are aware that Synod's PsalterRevision Committee has been working fast and furiously toproduce a revised edition of the Psalter that will make the useof the Psalms all the more meaningful in our worship. Thepainstaking hours of preparation are nearing the final stagesas music is now going in to the printer to be set. Yet to comeare the tortures of proof-reading and the final printing, butthe committee is anxious that the new book will be on themarket by the summer of 1973.What have the reactions to this work been so far?Certainly there has been considerable interest stimulated ascommittee members from across the church have taken backto their home congregation some of the vision for this newPsalter. The valuable opportunity to have trial portions ofthe proposed new words and tunes has whet the appetite ofmany. A few have been highly critical over such matters asthe inclusion of chants and the use of modern languageselections. But by and large the denomination appears to belooking with great anticipation toward having such a book ofpraise.Just recently I had the privilege to attend a meeting ofthe Psalter Revision Committee. While there to offertechnical details on printing and distribution, I naturally hadtime to observe the way this group works. I am prepared tosay that we have every reason to hope for the best Psalter yet.Tbe musical and theological precision that have beendevoted to the new metrical Book of Psalms are unmatchedanywhere.What I am saying is that it is high time that we as aCovenanter Church begin to be proud of what God is doingthrough us to advance Biblical praise. None of us is going tolike every feature of the new Psalter. If we go at things with acritical eye we can find all kinds of minor technical objections— ninety-nine per cent of which are simply mattersof taste. What I hope is that for once we can rally aroundwhat is really a project of great merit. If we are desirous tosee that the Psalms have a real impact on the spiritual life ofChristian America, now is our chance. Every effort is beingexpended to make this the best-looking, most theologicallyaccurate, and musically acceptable Psalter that has yet beenproduced. If anyone could imagine the hours already put in,they should be able to see that every conceivable considerationhas been weighed and acted upon accordingly.Under the meticulous eye of Charles McBurney, the mostminute details have been carefully worked out.Now it is up to us to do our part to make the Psalmsmore widely known to the whole Church of Christ. This istoo great a treasure for us to hide away in our pews alone.2) Ask God to create or at least increaseenthusiasm in your own life to receive joyfully theadded benefits this new Psalter will provide.3) Ask God to keep you from idle, vaincriticism. Seek to approach the new Psalter criticallyonly in a sense that will be genuinely beneficial tothe body of Christ.4) Begin to make plans to place the Psalter inyour congregation as soon as possible, so that all ourchurches will experience a unity of praise. (Asannual budgets are being planned, we urge deaconsto take note.)5) Pray for the Spirit to help olderCovenanters who may have some difficulty adjustingto certain changes in their praise.6) Begin to talk up the new Psalter toChristian friends outside the denomination. Considerthe advisability of purchasing gift copies fortheir use."Let us sing Psalms to Him with grace; with shoutslet us rejoice."R.W.N.•Editor:In reading Mr. GaryNorth's article concerningwoman's head covering, I wassomewhat amused at aG4U& JL04fi&."women's hair (whatever theprevailing culture's styles forwomen may dictate.)!" Itwould seem from thisstatement that the appearanceseemingly, incongruent of the man who is to be theremark. After establishing that authority figure is at the mercythe Scripture teaches man's of the dictate of women'sauthority over woman and styles. Is this what the authorsaying that a woman should calls maintaining "his Godgivenright of authority overtake "no position of authorityover men,'' he goes on to say, women'' ?"But a man must never let hisDonald Piperhair grow longer thanNicosia, Cyprus2 COVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, £2, 1 year;£3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 738 RebeccaAvenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.Second class postage paid atWinchester, Kansas 66097.fMEMBER CSTg^>TEVANGELICAL PRESS ASSOCIATIONVOLUME LXXXIXNO. 1WIT!JANUARY 3, 1973CONTENTSARTICLES:Can a Calvinist Pray?The Farm: Training Ground for Faith and LifeUnanswered PrayerLearning from the Jesus People.Tips for WitnessingRES 1972."Unto the Hills"FEATURES:A Word Due."hi Truth and Love"Glimpses.Hey Lookit. . .Bring the Books.Distaff Deductions."Count Her Towers"NewTapes:4.6.8.10.1416.20.2.21213171819Now available . cassette tapes from THE REFORMED CON­FERENCE ON CHRISTIAN LIVING held on March 24 and 25, 1972at the First Reformed Presbyterian Church, Beaver Falls, Pa.Tape No. 1Dr. John Sanderson, RPES"The Sovereignty of God — Implications for Witnessing to theLostTape No. 2Prof. John Frame, OPC"The Sovereignty of God — What is Holiness?"Tape No. 3Rev. James Carson, RPCThe Sovereignty of God — Implications for Christian Living asSeen in the Book of Revelation"Costs:each tape S3.50set of all three tapes S10.00Postpaid anywhere in USA.Please send your order with check or money order made payable to:Alan Wissner125 Watkins AvenuePittsburgh. Pa. 15202•.•••••:••:•••:•••:•••:••:«•:••:••:..:..:..»•:••:••:••:••:••:JANUARY 3. 19"3 3

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Therefore, if we were to reason from the absolutesovereignty of God to the conclusion that prayer is unnecessary,we would be going astray from the clear commandsof God's Word. The problem of understanding whatwe face here is only a part of the larger problem of therelation between the sovereignty of God and the significanceof all human activity. It would be just as easy to concludefrom the foreordination of God that believing in Christ, orpreaching the Gospel, or attempting to safeguard one'sC nily from physical harm has no effect as to say thatpi

TheMy family was sitting down to the dinner table when ayounger brother hollered, "There is a steer in the pond."This cry would have meant very little if it were in thesummer but in the middle of winter it could mean the steer'sdeath and a great financial loss. The steer had walked out onthe pond and the ice had given under him. All we could seewas the black head above the icy water.Instantly Dad jumped up and said, "Come on!" Asmy brothers, Dad, and I flung on our winter chore clothes,Dad gave more orders. Because we had worked together andDad knew what each son was skilled at, Dad assigned jobsaccordingly: one brother was to get the rope, another a longplank, and I a horse. Dad grabbed our axe and ran to thepond to chop a path toward the shore. One brother broughtthe plank which would distribute Dad's weight over a largersurface of ice, thereby permitting Dad to stand on the icewith less possibility of breaking the ice more.As I ran to get Prince's bridle, I planned the quickestway to get him wherever he might be in the 20 acre pasture.Although I usually got some feed to give Prince when Icaught him, I decided that in this emergency there was notime for eating. It is unusual to run right up to a horsebecause it frightens the horse but I did in this criticalsituation where time could mean life or death. The hours Ihad spent training Prince caused her to trust me in doingthis. By this time Prince sensed that an emergency hadarisen and her spirits were up. We galloped at a quick pacetoward the barn lot gate. After opening and closing the gate,I decided to let Prince trot while being led; training her letme know that this was faster than mounting and riding herto the saddle shop. Once at the saddle shop, I put the saddleon, tightening it extra tight. I had never roped a steer fromthe back of a horse, but I knew that the saddle had to betight. I rode swiftly to the pond, stopping long enough toopen and close two more gates.Training GroundforFaith and LifeDad had chopped enough of a path in the ice so that thesteer could stand on the mud with his front feet. Dad also hadthe rope on the steer's head so that Dad and my brotherscould hold the steer's head up if it got too weary fromswimming. Dad had made a halter to put around the neckoithe steer so that the rope would not choke him. Myfirstthought was that we were using a nylon lariat which is nevetto get wet. But the thought didn't stay long in my mintbecause I knew that saving the steer was much more important than sparing a rope.I took the rope and secured it to the saddle horn; fo'the first time in my life I had a 900 pound steer on theother6COVENANTERWITNESS

end of the rope. This was a first for Prince too but he workedwell; again the hours of training paid off. As I tightened therope, the steer struggled and finally got its front feet on topof the slippery ice. Then Prince pulied hard and out came thesteer. What a relief, but what was I to do now?The steer started to trot around and wind the ropearound Prince's back feet. So quickly I spun Prince around toface the steer and Prince braced himself as we tightened therope. Dad said that we should put the steer in the holdingpen so that we could watch him and keep him warm for a fewdays. So Prince and I gave the steer its first and probably lastleading lesson. Not all steers lead like the ones at the statefairs and shows; they are strong-willed and rebellious. Forthe steer's best, we led it into the pen so that we couldprovide the care the steer needed.This experience and numerous similar ones have beenused by God in developing my own character. I am convincedthat God planned to use His created universe forman's personal development, even before sin entered intoman's experience. In Genesis 1:28 God blessed man andsaid, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, andsubdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birdsof the sky, and over every living thing that moves on theearth" (NASV). God has given us this outline of therelationships in which God blesses people. To be fruitful andmultiply means husband-wife and parent-childrenrelationships in the family. Subduing the earth requires mancultivating a relationship with his environment. Theserelationships and responsibilities are done as a service to Godwho is the owner of all. Fundamental to these relationshipsand this service is a man's relationship with God.God has used each of these relationships in my life onthe farm. God instituted the family; He commanded Adamto be fruitful and multiply. The family unit was thenassigned a task — to develop the earth and bring it to itsfullest state. In order for this to be accomplished, eachmember of the family must have a proper relationship to theother family members. The experiences that a family goesthrough on a farm encourages the family to establish a closerelationship. Work can be done better and faster when all thefamily works together. Dad knew that he could depend on usboys to do our part to the best of our ability. Not only did wework as a family but also we played ball in our front yard, wewent horseback riding together, and we even competed inhorseshows with our family team of four horses and riders.These experiences not only unified the family but theyalso developed the individual member. It required all of usworking together to save the steer; I could not claim all thecredit. However I knew, when that steer was on solid groundagain, that I had had an important part in the job. I knewthat I had worth and that I was a valuable asset to the familyoperation. This helped in developing my own self-image andmy sense of worth before God.God also ordained that man should have a relationshipto the environment. Man was to learn to relate to and use theanimals; he was to learn how to subdue animal and plant lifeto serve him in developing the earth. As God made man asteward of these things, God continues today to hold manresponsible. What a privilege!Man has also learned how to make tools and use thetools in accomplishing man's responsibility of subduing theearth. My Dad has learned many skills in using these toolsand he knows how to transfer these learned skills to newsituations. When he knew the steer was in the pond, hethought through the immediate problem to find a suitablesolution. He could not shirk this responsibility and expect toplease God and to remain successfully in the farming occupation.He had to think of the tools necessary for the job;these included the horse, the rope, and plank; he then had toassign the correct responsibility to the appropriately skilledson. The emergency situation was a stretching one becausewe had to do something we had never done. Through it welearned new ways in using the animals and tools. I learnedthat a horse and rider must face directly toward or directlyaway from the roped steer to prevent the steer from knockingthe horse off balance. I also learned the importance of time,the necessity of knowing the priorities and the way in whichone makes every minute count. When the job was completed,I also had a sense of being a good steward of God'screation. I experienced too the satisfaction of completing thejob, which is a God-given blessing to man when he carriesout his God-given responsibility.We also share in the command that God gave Adam tobear rule over the animals. As I have obeyed this command,God has taught me about my relationship to animals. In thecrisis situation described, we had a helpless steer; withoutour help, he would have drowned. We also had to decidewhat was the best treatment of the cold steer. I realize nowthat much of the sensitivity to and care for animals that Ilearned on the farm has helped to make me more sensitive tothe needs of people.Previous to this incident, I had broken Prince. To dothis, I had to win his confidence to let me sit on his back;then I had to teach him how to start and stop when I wantedhim to — not when he desired to. I then trained him to helpme carry out responsibilities on the farm. The experience oftraining my horse taught me much about my relationship toGod. He is my master and He trains me to know what is bestfor me. As I communicate my desires to Prince through thetouch of the reins, so I know that God commands methrough His reins on my life, the Word of God.The purpose of the man's relationship to his familyand of the man's relationship to his environment is to serveGod. The prerequisite to establishing these relationships in aGod-honoring way is that man musthave a properrelationship to God. It is impossible for man to accomplishfully his purpose in the world if he is in a rebelliousrelationship to God; only through Jesus Christ is it possibleto have that relationship. Without Christ, the farm experiencewould not have been one of God developing myChristian personality. But because by God's grace Hebrought me to Himself early in my life, God used the farmexperience to build into my life some of these relationshipsand characteristics.LARRY R. FALK(Student, R. P. Seminary)JANUARY 3, 1973 7

Perhaps the most telling illustration of effectualpersistence in prayer is seen in the Canaanite woman whoasked Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter. The Lordgave her every reason to give up. He appeared to ignore her.He told her he was sent to the Israelites, reminding her thatshe was a foreigner. Likening the covenant people tochildren, He compared her to a dog playing about the table.But finally He rewarded her faithful persistence, "Owoman, your faith is great; be it done for you as you wish"(Matthew 15:22-28).The realization that what seems good to man may notbe the best from God's perspective makes the Christianwilling to bear refusals, but the sons of God cannot bearbeing ignored. Like the Canaanite woman they may stand itfor a time, but when nothing comes back but the echo oftheir own voice, faith fails and spiritual drought sets in. TheScriptures make it clear that God does close His ears to manyof the prayers offered to Him.God is deaf to the prayers of one who regards evil in hisheart. In Psalm 66:18 the poet says, ' 'If I regard wickednessin my heart, the Lord will not hear. . '' Such a one harborssin in his heart, delighting in it, refusing to let it go, even atthe very time of prayer. Jesus renounced such hypocrisy byquoting the words of Isaiah, "This people honors Me withtheir lips but their heart is far away from Me" (Mark 7:6).The same prophet Isaiah declared that word of God, ".when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide myeyes from you, yes, even though you multiply prayers, I willnot listen. Your hands are full of bloodshed" (Isaiah 1:15).Saul, the first king of Israel, is a tragic example of sucha disobedient heart. He wanted God's favor but not at theprice of obeying God's will. When he was afraid because ofthe Philistines he prayed, but' 'the Lord did not answer him,either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets" (I Samuel28:6). As a result Saul went to the Witch of Endor to attemptto get a message from the departed spirit of theprophet Samuel. So great was the fall of God's chosen Kingfaced with the problem of prayer unanswered because of hisrebellious heart.Prayer from an evil heart may not be the impassionedplea of a desperate man, as in the case of Saul. It may bebeautifully enunciated as nothing more than a show. Jesusrenounced those who engage in public prayer to gain favorfrom men rather than God. The Lord also found fault withmeaningless repetition and long prayers which emphasizethe outward form of prayer rather than the heart-felt substanceof it (Matthew 6:5-7). Mere lip service is a futileeffort.Jesus declared that worship is offered in vain whenmen follow as true doctrine that which is not according toGod's appointment (Mark 7:7). Prayer which falls underthat condemnation is not effectual. For example, acceptableprayer must be offered in the name of Jesus Christ. This doesnot mean merely that one should conclude his prayers with aphrase such as "in Jesus' name, Amen." It means that theworshipper must come to God with true faith in Christ as Heis presented in the Gospel. The worshipper must trust Christas the living Savior who, being God, became man, fulfilledthe righteousness demanded by God's law and offeredHimself as an atoning sacrifice for man's sin. He mustsubmit to Christ as Lord of all, obeying the injunction, ' 'doall in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks throughHim to God the Father" (Colossians 3:17). RepeatedlyJesus emphasized that if men ask in His name they shall beheard.Prayer is an act of faith. The exercise of such faith incalling upon God in prayer is no easy matter. It is necessarythat one be guided by God's truth concerning faith. Hebrews11:6 not only emphasizes the necessity of believing that Godis, but also that He rewards those who seek Him. The onewho doubts, says James (1:6,7), should not expect toreceive anything from God. If one is taken back a bit by thatsweeping statement, he might be encouraged to find in thenext verse that James has been speaking of "a doublemindedman, unstable in all his ways." A father who askedJesus to heal his son exclaimed, "I do believe; help me inmy unbelief" (Mark 9:24). The son was healed.It is important that the Christian realize that the faiththat pleases God is that which is stirred up by the Scriptures.That is bound up with prayer that is with the spirit and withthe mind (I Corinthians 14:15). This is opposed to a pseudofaithwhich is a subjective state which a Christian may seekto generate, believing that unless he can experience aparticular emotional pitch God will not hear his prayers. C.S.Lewis, in his Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer, saysthat ' 'the state of mind which desperate desire working on astrong imagination can manufacture is not faith in theChristian sense. It is a feat of psychological gymnastics."An encouragement to prayer is expressed by Jameswhen he takes men to task for lusting, envying, fighting,murdering and yet they do not have because they do not ask.However, he sounds a note of caution when he goes on tosay that men may ask and still not receive because they praywith the wrong motives. They ask for such things as willsatisfy their desire for pleasure.It should be abundantly evident from various Scripturescited that getting one's prayers answered is related toone's walk with Christ. Jesus expressed that when He said,"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, askwhatever you wish, and it shall be done for you" (John15:7). If one is bound in intimate faith-union with Christ; ifthe Scriptures possess and form his heart; then he can ask forwhatever he wishes and God will hear. The reason for this isthat what he wishes will be in accord with God's wishes. Hewill have on his heart what was first on the heart of God.Unanswered prayer is contrary to normal Christianity.Faithfulness knows a constant round of asking and receiving,asking and receiving. God may withhold some of Hisgreatest gifts for a time so that one might learn to desiregreatly the things of God's Kingdom; He may not grantwhat one asks because something better lies in store; but Hewill not ignore His people nor close His ears to their prayers.WILLARD McMILLAN(Dean, Geneva College)JANUARY 3, 1973 9

We have considered (in the Dec. 20Witness) the Jesus Movement, what isit? We have examined some of theerrors characteristic of the Jesus people— errors related to the Gospel,eschatology, work, family, law andchurch. I have also made the judgmentthat the movement, though chargedwith energy from the Holy Spirit, isnevertheless immature and untaught orat best dispensationally taught. Nodoubt like the porridge in Goldi-locks,some of you are going to judge mythoughts as too harsh, others, not harshenough, and perhaps some —just right!But in any case I do want to share withyou two things: first, the strengths ofthe movement from which we in thechurch might learn, and second, somesuggestions as to what our attitude andapproach should be relative to the JesusPeople movement.liCsirnhifjfromtheJesusl'co|»lc10CORPORATE WARMTHIf a stand-offish attitude towards the church by anindividual is a basic fault, then the corporate warmth andcommunal spirit of the Jesus People is one of their plusses.According to Jack Buckley, a youth minister of the RPCESin Berkeley, the young people who live in his home, and themany more who move in and out of it, have a real lovetowards one another. They like each other and they helpeach other; they want to be in each other's company. Nowifall this were against a back-drop of constant lounging aroundwith no effort expended in making a living, we couldn'tattach much significance to this, if any. But such is not thecase as we have established. They may not work a 40-hourweek, but they do work enough to maintain themselves andhave enough to contribute to their own society. Thus theirdesire to be with and to share with each other is Biblicallysignificant. Jesus himself says, "By this shall men know youare my disciples, if you love one another." In his highpriestly prayer, didn't Jesus ask that we should experience inour inter-personal relationships a one-ness like unto theoneness between Jesus and the Father, a one-ness that is tobe a demonstration to the world at large, a one-ness thatbrings together that which is as diverse as the parts of thehuman body. Yet this is what happens in reality, just as Pauldescribed it in I Corinthians 12:12-27.It may be an over-simplification to state that many ofthe people in our congregations are in the middle between astand-offish attitude toward the church and wildly excitedabout being the members of one body, the church of Christ.That middle position is hardly enviable. I think that theJesus people may have something here — a corporateemphasis that has caused me much soul-searching, and mywife and I to institute something new in our home.Every Lord's Day we are inviting about a fourth of ourfamilies to join at our home following the service for acommon meal. Actually, it amounts to just about anyonewho wants to have Christian fellowship on the Sabbath.They bring a casserole, or salad or dessert and we eat ourfood together. The only structuring that goes on is a fewphone calls to help coordinate the dishes, and then an openendeddiscussion in the afternoon. During the discussion,the people can question the pastor and each other, relate orreact to the morning message, or share anything that is ontheir minds. It is working out well, with the Lord using this,I believe, to bring about more warmth in our congregation.BOLDNESSAnother strength and lesson for us is the BOLDNESSwith which they speak of Jesus. I'm sure that in some casesthis boldness is more a brazenness. But in our day whensilence is golden and dogmatism is dross, the boldness ofmany of the Jesus people is refreshing. There was an interestingpiece in Christianity Today in which the writerobserved that in days of old, humility of a person was aCOVENANTER WITNESS

commendable thing, but today it is more the uplifting of theperson with humility of conviction. We've put the emphasison the wrong thing for the Bible teaches us to proclaim themessage of this book with confidence and clarity. RememberPaul's attitude toward the Gospel. He was debtor to allpeople to share it, he was ready to preach the gospel, and hewas not ashamed of it.I often wonder why it is that we who are front runnersin doctrinal pursuits are often dull and unimaginative whenit comes to applying the gospel in society. For instance inTarzana, San-Francisco Valley, there is a hamburger standmuch like a small McDonalds where on the counter is allkinds of Christian literature. You can't miss it, and if youdo, the dish-out man will make sure to dish out somewholesome conversation about things of the Lord along withyour 39 cent hamburger. Why is it that this place, just astone's throw from Tuft High School, and others like it, arerun by bold enthusiastic non-Calvinist, non-ReformedChristians. Maybe Reformed churches are doing this, and ifso I rejoice, but I'd like to know where they are.ATTITUDES AND APPROACHNow what should our attitude and approach betowards the Jesus people? There are some who feel that,since there are various degrees of rebellion in the movement,we should let them alone. Make no gesture towards bringingthem in lest they influence our youth wrongly. That's oneextreme. On the other extreme we have those who for onereason or another are real Jesus People fans and would favornot merely opening the doors to them, but allowing them totake over and transform the worship of the church. Somecongregations are doing that!I would advocate a position somewhere in between,neither rejecting or swooning. The movement is fundamentalisticto a large degree and is definitely a youthmovement — a street crusade. As such it lacks direction andmaturity. So rather than reject it as a bad scene or embrace itas Christianity arrived, we should seek to reform themovement by our love and teaching expertise. Frankly, weneed some more Jack Buckleys to count the cost, to go inamong them, Bible and Reformed literature in hand, andlead them to doctrinal stability.Last year I wrote in response to an article by LarryNorman in the Hollywood Free Paper in which he issued theplea for trained pastors to offer their teaching services. In thisletter I stated that we would be willing to spend timeteaching the Bible to whomever, whenever, and wherever,within reason of course. We never received any response andbecause of this, I have to admit that I cooled off a bit. Butperhaps our effort was too feeble at most. Jack has gone inAbout the Author: The Rev. George Miladin ispastor of the Woodland Hills, Calif. ReformedPresbyterian Church (Evangelical Synod). Thisarticle is developed from an address he gave at thePacific Coast Youth Conference.among them, and through contact with Jack Sparks andChristian World Liberation Front, he is experiencing somewonderful teaching opportunities.And there's the experience of Jack Sparks himself. Afew years ago, he gave up teaching (as a statistics professorfrom the University of Penna.) to work with CampusCrusade. In 1969 he went to Berkeley as a missionary to thevast hordes of street people roaming about and around theCalifornia campus. He began inviting kids to worship servicesin his home. As soon as some were turned off drugs andwere converted to Jesus, Jack invited them to live with hisfamily, so that the Sparks home became a Christian commune— a West Coast L'Abri. Now that Jack has absorbedsome sound teaching at L'Abri, hopefully, his doctrine ofthe church and worship will improve. But how can we faulthim for opening his home to Christian converts. I certainlycan't. That leads me to something Jack Buckley said in ourtalk together. These words: "The Jesus people movement isnot only supplying a church substitute but is fulfilling a loveneed." It would appear to me that in God's providence manykids have responded to a warm, self-sacrificing missionarythrust. Not just a few gospel tracts thrust in their faces, butthe opening of a home and its love to their needy, sinful, andrebellious, and hungry hearts.What would our response be if a street person came tous — long hair, flowery shirt. Would our people receive himas a visiting brother; would you? Would you invite him to ayoung people's meeting, much less to your home?Even, if for the moment, we were to argue that theJesus People are really Satan-deluded people, a disruptiveand divisive force (which I don't believe), what should be theinstitutional response of a congregation of Christian peopleas they became aware of this force? Calvin tells us plainly,"Lord, you are sovereign and in your providence you havebrought this judgment upon us to teach us some very importantlessons, to work a work of repentence in our souls,to bring us closer to thee in the way of righteousness andholiness."What lessons? To warm us up by God's Spirit withrespect to our loving one another and also to love sinfulmankind enough that we might speak boldly the message ofsalvation. I do believe that God has raised up these kids for apurpose, that the movement with all its imperfections is ofHim. Where it is going and where it will end, I don't know.Certainly it's going to require more than Jack Sparks to keepit alive and to direct it to the visible Church of Jesus Christ.But even as it presently stands, in the providence of God ithas caused us to re-examine our faith and practice. It hasmoved us to dig in our Bibles seeking to prove all things; andit has also brought the name of Jesus before multitudes ofpeople who perhaps had not given it any thought before.May God grant that we who are the people of God, chosenby the Father, redeemed by the Son, and Sanctified by theSpirit go forth with greater zeal to see that name which isabove every name lifted up in our midst, even in our worldwhich is God's world.GEORGE MILADINJANUARY 3, 1973 11

"GOOD NEWS" PAPER DIDN'TMAKE ITThe Aquarian Times in California,dedicated to reporting only good news,had to fold up after 26 months, accordingto Now. Readers and subscribersjust wouldn't pay. Laudable asthe venture sounds, it certainly is notrealistic. It won' t make the '' bad news''go away. More important is our attitudetoward good and bad news, and ourperspective, which determines what weregard as good and bad. For instance,the millions of Pennsylvania staterevenue from our lottery, whichsupposedly lowers our taxes, is badnews, while the word that the Son ofGod has been born a human, thoughHis lot is to suffer crucifixion, is goodnews.''THE UNDERGROUNDCHURCH"The name of Romanian pastor Dr.Richard Wurnbrand, who suffered longyears of imprisonment including muchbodily torture, is associated in the news,and in fund raising type of publicity,with the "underground church"behind the Iron Curtain. The question israised in some U.S. periodicals,religious and secular, as to the existenceof an "underground church," andtherefore, of the integrity and trustworthinessof those seeking to ministerto our suffering brethren.Even in the secular news media,where the official word is to tread lightlywhen it comes to anything critical ofCommunist governments, there isrecognition of persecution. U.S. Newsand World Report, in a 1971 article,said, "Years of repression by thePeking regime have driven ChineseChristians completely underground. . .At a time of prospective improvementin relations between Red China and theWest, religious leaders in the U.S. andEurope are wondering what — ifanything — can be done to improvethe lot of mainland China's 'silentchurch.' '' And in a N. Y. Times articleImpedesI Rev. Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010this year, "More refugees are leavingChina than any time since 1962. Mostof them swim to Hong Kong, spendingup to ten hours in the water, usually atnightThe carefully guarded statements bysuch writers as Chester Ronning, aformer Lutheran teacher in China, whovisited China last year as the personalguest of Chou En-Lai, do not do muchto reassure one. "You know, I neverheard anyone in China attackChristianity, and I was there a month."He said earlier in the article, "Ofcourse, I'm rationalizing, I thinkmostly about the things in China thatmy parents might be happy about . . .because I expected to be disappointedand, of course, I was ... in regard to thestate of religion."EP's report of Bishop GerhardHeintze's (Evangelical LutheranI Church in Brunswick, West Germany)visit to Romania, includes his statementthat he could not find indications thatthe church in Romania is "underground.""Showcase church,""underground church," "martyrs'."Just because the aid being sought forthose behind the Iron Curtain is notkept secret, we can hardly dismiss theefforts of those who ask for contributions,as untrustworthy. After all,it does not purport to be a "cloak anddagger" operation. Carl F. H. Henry,founder-editor of Christianity Today,according to EP, after warning that it isquestionable how much of the moneyraised for evangelical witness in China,really goes into that cause, says that"Communist hostility to Christianityjustifies some risky ventures, howeverunsure the returns."ZODIHIATES FOUND"GUILTY"Spiros Zodihiates, who preaches thegospel, among other means, by placingsermons as paid advertising in Greeknewspapers, has been charged withunauthorized appeals for funds, and ofproselytism, the latter charge, becausehis ads held that salvation is by faithalone. He was found "guilty" of theformer charge, acquitted of the latter.Of course, it is the latter charge that ismost serious, as regards the gospel.Charges were brought by ArchimandriteGermanos Paraskenopulosthat the ads sought to convert Orthodoxreaders to Protestantism. Two Orthodoxpriests of the patriarch ofAlexandria testified on behalf ofZodihiates. Christianity Today reportsthat the two were dismissed fromservice in the Patriarchate. Sentence onthe former charge, which is beingappealed, is 5 months in jail.THE PROTEST PRESSBoth the "left" and the "right" inthe country apparently feel that there isan "establishment" ranged againstthem. The "obscene" press seems tohave fallen into some public disfavor,but the "Jesus People" press is apparentlyon the increase. The Alternativeis a student publication, fromBloomington, Ind., Reason, a"libertarian point of view monthly,"neither "liberal" nor "conservative,"published in Santa Barbara, Cal., withwhat appears to be a sort of Ayn Randapproach, and a "Jesus People" sheet,have all come to my attention within thepast few days. Each region of thecountry has its own. They come and go.Some survive — and become"establishment." The media field iscompetitive, but the gospel messageabove all others deserves to be heard. Awidespread knowledge of the Word ismore important than ever that we mayexercise discernment and that theTRUTH may be proclaimed.CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AP­PROVED IN CALIF.California citizens by a 2 to 1majority approved the death penalty inNovember. They also rejected legalizingmarijuana, approved a measure tooutlaw forced school busing, and turneddown a measure to tighten obscenitylaws in the state.MARIA, OF "SOUND OF MUSIC"FAMEMrs. Von Trapp (the Baroness ofthe story told in the "Sound of Music"film) according to EP, is to speak at a' 'Jesus Rally" to be held in McCormickPlace in Chicago Nov. 21. Her home,incidentally, is near Barnet, Vermont.12 COVENANTER WITNESS

Hi Kids,We are glad to hear from the Eastvale Juniors,Beaver Falls, Pa.I hope we hear from at least one member of everyjunior society in the United States, Canada and Japan inour Hey Lookit Club!Do you have a long ride to church or do you have towait in line for lunch? Mrs. Clark Harris, a wife andmother, and a member of our North Hills congregation,has some ideas for buying up time, a precious gift fromGod. Thanks, Mrs. Harris!Your friend,Mrs. A.Our family always had a long drive to church everySabbath. My sister and I tried to think of things to do that wouldplease God on His day. We came up with a great idea. We weregoing to start at the beginning of the Old Testament. You couldstart with either testament; it wouldn't matter. Maybe evenCatechism questions, names of apostles, the Ten Commandmentsor memory verses would work. Each week welearned 3 books. The first five were easy — Genesis, Exodus,Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Before we knew it, wewere half way through and we could really recite them. MyMom and Dad helped us sound out the ones that we couldn'tpronounce.I have never forgotten any of them and it has really helpedwhen I needed to look up a verse quickly.Perhaps you could try this idea when you are travelinganywhere.&.*a^CU"^T^^^— #'° _ K4_- « ^ K'"^^_"^tu .-^^.^^^c^U& y^ * ^o* ~a*xAs&VA- a.f^ A ^^o£-^O^u -4tse>•*«sv&-4c£i^T -

TIPS for WitnessingHome Bible StudiesSomething warm and golden came to our neighborhoodalong with the chrysanthemums and turning leaves this fall.Many neighborhoods, very possibly your's, too, are feeling thesame glow or at least seeing the first small blooms. Thehousewives are always the first ones to see it and they oftenwaste little time in filling their homes with its fragrance forwhole families to see and enjoy. And it's such a bargain, too —more even than the beautiful free gifts of nature. With propercare it grows a little every day, it's color and warmth becomericher and deeper with time, and it lasts forever. The seed needsonly to be planted in a very few homes within one small neighborhood.And often the whole community is enriched by theresults.In five homes within just a block or so of our neighborhoodthat seed was the gospel of Mark. The ground wassimply prepared by a few phone calls (and prayers) and now overmorning coffee, once a week, five of us are having this seedplanted quietly in our minds as we listen to it read and discusswhat it means.Marilyn Kunz and Catherine Schell began "NeighborhoodBible Studies" as an organization in I960. Nowhomemakers, businesswomen and couples meet in discussionBible studies from Maine to Hawaii, in Canada and in othercountries using the methods and study guides described in theirbooklet, How to Start a Neighborhood Bible Study (A Guide toDiscussion Study by Marilyn Kunz and Catherine Schell,Tyndale Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois.)To be in a Neighborhood Bible Study one need onlybelieve that the Bible is worth studying. It is not for experts butfor those who do not know much about the Bible and want tolearn. Informal discussion groups are held in the homes andleadership is shared with the aid of questions from a study guide.The discussions are enhanced by the different backgrounds ofeach participant and often one's insight sharpens another'sunderstanding and thoughts are stirred to further study.Why Mark? As a first unit of study it has the advantage ofbeing the shortest of the four gospels and you do not needbackground in other parts of the Bible to study it. The studyguide provides about twenty questions per chapter coveringthree major areas: 1. What does it say? 2. What does it mean?3. What does it mean to me? Further guides are available toassist in continued study of the Bible.Are you thinking — "This is just another Bible Study?"It may actually be something new and unique for you to try inyour neighborhood. Why? Perhaps because you're afraidstudying the Bible with your neighbors will make you look"preachy" or "holier than thou" and you just don't knowhow to approach this. You could first pray that God would giveyour neighbors and friends a desire to study the Bible. Next,invite them to your home for coffee, afternoon tea, dessert orwhatever to hear about Neighborhood Bible Studies. Then havesomeone other than yourself present the idea. Someone who hasbeen in a study or read the booklet would be fine. You and yourneighbors can decide together if you are interested. This wayyou are not pushing the idea on them.The purpose, of course, is for each person to discover forhimself what the Bible says, then to apply its meaning to hisown life, to remove misconceptions about Christianity due toignorance or misinformation about what the Bible says, to givepeople sufficient information to understand the issues ofcommitment and obedience to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior,and to reach people where they are.Here is a natural bridge between the Christian and hisneighbor. Not telling but discovering together what the Biblehas to say. A natural setting where people can ask questionsthey may have thought too stupid or insignificant to raise inlarge groups or ask their minister or priest. And often thesequestions are profound and hit at the most basic spiritual issues.LINDA GARDNERDirect WitnessingTelling others how to witness is impossible. Witnessingdepends so much on our personalities. But maybe somesuggestions can help.A Christian believer is always witnessing whether hemeans to witness or not, so he should live a consistent life.While many of the contacts we make are fleeting, they shouldnever be underestimated. A smile with a word fitly spoken hasoften been the means used by God to change the course of a life.This was one thing I learned in my "trial and error" methodwhen I called in our neighborhood in the Bronx of New YorkCity around our church.14 COVENANTER WITNESS

Another point that has helped me over the years is that Inever cease to wonder at the believer's position in Christ as"sons of God." What a family to be adopted into! Whatpromises are made to the members of that family! "Beloved,now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what weshall be; but we know that when he shall appear, we shall belike him: for we shall see him as he is." I John 3:2. When Ilook upon any man, woman, or child, I try to remember he is apotential son of God.If you would consciously witness to your community youshould have a God-given burden for souls out of Christ. If youdon't have such a burden, ask for it and accept God's disciplinesin your life as He prepares you. Acquaint yourself with attractivegospel tracts and choose six or eight Bible verses to usewhen your contact comes to the place she will listen to what youhave to say.Choose your Bible verses from such as Is. 53:6; Rom.3:23; Eph. 2:8,9; I John 1:9; Rom. 6:23; Is. 55:1; Eccl.12:14; Rom 10:9; John 5:24; Is. 1:18; John 14:6; Titus3:5; John 3:16; Mark 8:36; Acts 16:31; Ezek. 18:4; IJohn 5:11-13; Heb. 9:27; John 8:36 to name a few. Chooseverses that appeal to you so you can use them well to coverman's need of salvation, his inability to save himself, God'splan of salvation.There are good tracts also for special groups as cults andour Jewish friends. The Back-to-God Tract Co., 2850Kalamazoo Ave., Grand Rapids 8, Mich, has excellent tractson false religions of all kinds. Have one of these tracts handywhen a member of a cult calls at your door. Such a tract can helpyou think of answers or be the answer if you are pressed fortime.Suppose you want to call on a neighbor you don't knowvery well, or one you have never talked to about God or onewho is new in the neighborhood. Don't try to do it all in onecall. Share something you have made with her. Borrow a "cupof sugar.'' Now you' 11 have an excuse for a second call to returnthe sugar. While with your neighbor, keep your eyes and earsopen, but don't be snoopy. Let her know you love her. Ifpractical invite the family over for an evening meal — indoorsor outdoors. With a blessing asked before the meal and familyworship shared afterwards, her family will learn how aChristian family lives. All these communications can lead toreal friendship and confidence. If you have done your"homework" with tracts and Bible verses you can now answerher questions and point her to the Gospel.Now, if you want to do door-to-door canvassing alone orin a group, it is better to follow another plan. Pray much, planyour strategy, and then start. It is so easy to put it off. BookFellowship of Syracuse has a tract that gives you introductoryremarks to make when you knock at the door. Be sure that"smile" is working here. Memorize what to say at first, if youhave trouble starting, but vary it soon so you can keep yourapproach natural, and see what works best to get that dooropen. Even if rebuked, smile and thank them. That way you cango back again. Never get angry and "close the door" by yourreactions though they have been ugly. You represent the Kingand He can do the impossible. A survey canvas can be veryhelpful, and sometimes a nominal Christian can be led toconfess a hunger she has that is not satisfied. Pray and try. Prayasyou try. Door-to-door calling is hard work. But the grace ofGod shining throuuh your eyes can make it very rewarding, ifyou have "praved up" before vou started. Joyful witnessing!LOLA WEIREvangelism TrainingFrom September through November I was invited toteach an adult elective course at the North Hills R.Pcongregation during the Sabbath School hour. As it happened,there were about a dozen "regulars" with an average attendanceof twenty (forty-six different people were involved).Thus the task was to minister to the core without completelylosing the "drop-ins."There were two major goals in the course: to motivatepeople to evangelize and to give the content of the gospel in away that it could be passed on. Motivation was stressed byproviding an atmosphere of support. People could share theirexperiences (both victories and defeats) and frustrations withthe assurance that the rest of us were ready to listen, encourage,and pray with them. A book table was provided withabout fiftv titles so that members could browse and discoverbooks that would instruct and challenge believers regardingevangelism. Cassettes were also available for those whopreferred that medium of communication. Occasional bookreports were given to inform and to stimulate interest in theresources.Content emphasis in the early part of the course centeredon the opportunities and responsibilities of the non-professionalChristian for sharing the gospel. We considered such passagesas Acts 8:1-4 and I Thessalonians 1. The role of church officersin evangelism can best be described as player-coaches.The focus of the second half of tbe course was gospelcontent. In addition to individual input from books andcassettes, two presentations of the gospel were considered indetail. The first is a summary of the gospel that has been writtenby Kenneth G. Smith. It has several names, of which the bestknown is "An Overview of the Bible." All students were askedto memorize this presentation over the course of a month. Thesummary was given to them in mimeographed form, and thesummary was also given in class by cassette. A section was to bememorized each week; there was class discussion regarding theassignment; and the group was divided into pairs so that thematerial could be practiced orally.For those who would be more comfortable with anothermethod, a second approach was introduced. It consisted of aseries of three printed Bible studies from the gospel of John.Each study had one question as its theme (Who is Jesus?, Whathas Jesus done?. What does Jesus want?). These were to becompleted at home and then were studied together in class. Aset of suggestions for the presenter of this method was thendistributed to the students. If the class goals were achieved, itwill now be possible for these adults to share their faith accuratelyand comfortably in at least two ways. The methodchosen would depend on one's own personality and the specificsituation involved.At the end of the course an extensive bibliography wasdistributed to encourage further study.P. S. The Overview, studies in John, and bibliography are alavailable from the R. P Board of Education and Publication.DAVID R. ARMSTRONGJANUARY 3. 1973 15

THE SABBATHIs the Sabbath a creation ordinance perpetually bindingupon men, or is it not? This was the subject of much study incommittee and a subject debated some by Synod. A strongattempt was made to get Synod to simply say that both views arevalid Reformed views, but Synod was not willing to say they areboth "Valid." Since a clear decision could not be reached atthis Synod; a new major study committee was appointed andthe problem will come up at the next Synod. Member churchesare invited to send in the result of their studies.WOMEN IN CHURCH OFFICESThis is the age of women's lib, and an audience gatheredto hear Synod discuss the role of women in the church. Anumber of churches declared that women should be admitted tothe church offices and ordained. However, Synod decidedclearly that women are excluded from the office of ruling andpreaching elders by the Scriptures. Concerning womendeacons, the answer was not clear and Synod advised caution inthe matter of ordaining women as deacons. More study is tofollow.DOCTRINAL DIGRESSION IN THE NETHERLANDSA number of churches expressed much concern about Dr.Kuitert, who seems to deny the historicity of Genesis one tothree, and other theologians in the Netherlands. The delegatesof the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland informed Synod thatdisciplinary actions are being taken; committees are appointedto meet with these men and report to their Synod in November.Therefore, they urged that the RES wait to see the outcome ofthese actions before they judge too severely. Some delegateswere not altogether satisfied with this.WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHESMarie Chapian, a young woman who grew up in NewAgainst the clear advice of the RES the Gereformeerde York City, tells her experiences through poetry. TheseKerken in Nederland has joined the World Council ofChurches. Their delegates stated that their church intends toremain in the WCC in order to witness. There was considerablediscussion of the WCC in which it was stated that the WCC issupporting guerrilla-like subversion in South Africa, that agreat variety of heresy is in its bosom, and that its aims do notcoincide with historic Christianity. Synod warned that membershipin the WCC may weaken the Reformed witness of thosewho join and reminded member churches of its past advice andprevious resolutions strongly advising member churches not tojoin the WCC.It was a great privilege to attend the RES and meetprofessedly "religious" poems (two are prefaced by Scripture)are of mixed value. The poems are helpful because they enablethose unfamiliar with inner city life to see the outlooks andaffairs of those within.The Arminian faith is extremely evident, and must berefuted. Concerning being born again, she cries, "I had done it.I had done it." She exhorts a "Little Old Lady" that there ishope if ''you'11 turn to Christ.'' Other faults are: each person ishis own cross; salvation is that "warm feeling in my mind;"Satan provides sinners with happiness, kindness, and delightwhile merely keeping them from looking "up."Robert More, Jr.delegates from around the world. To my surprise I found manydelegates who sing only the Psalms. The issues that are beforethe RES are quite important. I hope that our church will appointstudy committees and make significant contributions to theScriptural solution of such issues.PURSUED. Vera Schlamm. Regal Books, 1972. $1.25 (pb).GENE SPEAR(Missionary to Japan)DOUBT. Stephen Board. IVP. 17 pp. $.15.Having appeared earlier in His, this booklet views doubtunder four heads: emotions, ignorance, system confusion(philosophy, viewpoint), and will. The section on philosophywas the most helpful.The section on will evidences a rationalistic bent (mansolves doubt by his diligence); everywhere the assumptionappears that natural will CAN dissolve doubt, submit to God,know His truth. A passage such as II Corinthians 4:4 deniesMr. Board's position.For removing doubt, the Westminster Confession ofFaith, Chapter 18, is still preferable.Robert More, Jr.IESUS THE RADICAL. Ada Lum. IVP. 40 pp. $.75.According to Ada Lum, Jesus is a radical, one who is an"insider" going to the root to change people. In contrast, arevolutionary is an "outsider" bent on sabotaging the existingstructure.Jesus the Radical, an eight-lesson Bible study on part ofJohn, is designed to examine the facts of the text, interprettheir meaning, and draw conclusions. Some background and afew leading questions are provided.A strictly Reformed view of salvation is not presented.Estella NussCITY PSALMS. Marie Chapian. Moody Press. 48 pp. $.95.Touching account of the writer's experiences in pre-warGermany and Nazi-occupied Holland. Coming through all thehardships inflicted upon Jews that survived the gas chambers(she did a stint in Belsen), she now practices as a pediatrician inLA. and testifies to the saving grace of God in her life. There isno deep understanding of the doctrine of the Reformation, but asimple and apparently intense faith in Christ is evidenced. Oneis amazed at the complex ramifications of the Providence of Godin leading His own through the diverse experiences and circumstancesof their lives. Light reading. Gordon KeddieJANUARY 3, 1973 17

A New LifeWe are at the beginning of a so-calledNew Year; but I feel, rather thancelebrate New Year's only once everytwelve months, that we should considereach new day as a beginning again, a newchallenge to make that day more usefulthan the one before.Life is exciting, rewarding and richwhen we start the day with a visit withGod and ask His guidance through theday. There is no place for worry when wetrust our precious Guide. He works outdetails in our life that we never dreamedof, and gives encouragement to all tocontinue doing what has proved useful inour lives and begin to improve in areasthat have not been satisfactory.When, before every meal we thankGod for our food and ask Him to bless it toour use and us to His service, we need tohave full confidence He will do just that.May we at the close of each day thank Godfor strength to work, for minds to plan andhearts to appreciate the good things fromthe inexhaustible storehouse of Heaven.Whether our year starts with January1 or July 1, the important thing is whatwe have accomplished for Christ andwhat, with His Divine Guidance, we planto do for and through Him during thefuture.The word new reminds me that in1971, I began a new life, with a newhusband, in a new house, in a newcommunity. That was a year toremember! No matter how much oneloves to teach, when she reachesretirement age, she has no choice but to18dlSTAFFckdiiCTioNshand in her resignation. Knowing thatUnification had united Eskridge HighSchool with those of Dover and Harveyville,Kansas, I set about to make mylast year a memorable one. With thecooperation of the alumni, I sponsored ahistorical yearbook which featured classesback to 1893. Then on May 28 I turnedthe keys for the last time in the lock of myEnglish room where I had spent 36V2years and walked away with my flood ofmemories. That was Friday and thefollowing Tuesday, June 1, Ray Milliganof Clay Center and I were married by theRev. Paul White in his home at Quinter.When Mr. White handed us a giftBible at the close of the weddingceremony, he called our attention to apassage that he had marked (I John 4:7-11) and requested that we reread it oneach anniversary. May we suggest that allof you do the same at the beginning ofeach new year or oftener.When we allow the Spirit to dwellwithin, then love will be visible without.This love will be active in the face ofopposition, wise in the face of need, kindin the face of misunderstanding andconstant in the face of discouragement.When the Eskridge communityrecovered from the stunned surprise of myapproaching marriage, for we were bothwithin a year of our threescore and ten, afriend remarked, "Now you will be ahousewife."I am glad she did not say, "just ahousewife," for which one of my readerscares to be referred to as just a teacher,just a farmer, or just a minister? I amproud to be a housewife, and my hat is oftto the many Christian housewives whoselights are shining as they strive to makethis a better world by service in Hiskingdom. In our homes, our communities,and in the church at large, thereare daily challenges for us to go about"doing good."At times the pendulum swings wildly,but we need to find God and discoverstability which will give us a firm foundation.There is plenty of opportunity topraise the Lord for His mercies as I goabout such daily tasks as preparing meals,doing the laundry, or working on myapplique butterfly quilt. Every Sabbath, asour car backs out of the garage, we arewitnessing to our neighbors that ourchurch stands high on our list of priorities.I came to Clay Center a stranger, but Iwas not a stranger long. On the secondevening, before we had finished unpacking,light shone, cars honked, and incame the Hebron congregation, accompaniedby several neighbors to extendthe right hand of fellowship. I soon caughttheir spirit of unity and friendliness andwas not too surprised when men andwomen alike greeted me by my first name,Murrel. at church the next Sabbath.After a year and a half in this live-wirecommunity in the Middle West, I amconvinced there is a place for the ruralchurch. Here is a group of Christianfriends, far from the madding crowd,pressing onward and willing to let Godwork out His own plans in the hearts ofthis Christian flock, whose lives arededicated to His service. Hebron, a smallchurch by some standards, but large inhospitality, zeal for God and dreams forfuture growth, can well be thankful thatthey have 100 years of Christiantestimony in the area as they look forwardto the fulfillment of their dreams for thefuture.We like to share our home with othersand our Guest Book lists visitors fromCanada to Tennessee; from California toMinnesota. We cannot brag that "GeorgeWashington slept here," but many of ourfriends have. As I write little ghosts andgoblins are enjoying our goodies tonight asthey keep ringing the doorbell andshouting, "Tricks or Treats!"As we travel the road together in oursunset years, we trust our home willcontinue to be a Bethel where God and ourfriends will delight to dwell. "Because thisGod will be our God to all eternity yeaeven unto death itself our constant Guideis He."MRS. RAY MILLIGANNE MURREL DILLCOVENANTER WITNESS

"Count /IHer A /ITowers..." 4^|CAMBRIDGE, MASS.(Waldo Mitchel, Pastor)Members and friends of thecongregation attended a reception onOctober 7 in honor of the Rev. and Mrs.James Pennington (nee Ruth McKeown).Ruth was a former member of ourcongregation.The Covenanter Bible Club for youngadults has begun meeting monthly at thepastor's home.On October 20, the Rev. and Mrs.Paul Wilson reported on their recent workin Cyprus.ROSE POINT, PA.(Joe Caskey, Pastor)The Bible Club, which meets at thechurch after school on Wednesdays, hasan average attendance of 20 children,most of them from families outside of thechurch.The Mary Jane Missionary Societymet at the home of Mrs. Roy Bessell, Sr.and made apple butter for our Home forthe Aged in Pittsburgh. They alsoprepared clothing to send to Selma,Alabama.Our fall communion was October 1.Mr. Kermit Edgar preached at thepreparatory and communion services.TOPEKA, KAN.(Howard Elliott, Pastor)Deacons in the Topeka Congregationare elected for a period of four years. Dr.Joe Huston and Mr. Maurice Reed wereelected tor this term.The Rev. Ralph Joseph, pastor of theBethel and Old Bethel congregations atSparta, Illinois, was the assisting ministerfor our Fall Communion. Mrs. Joseph andtheir two sons accompanied Rev. Joseph.A> j ^RAYMOND M. WILSONA keen sense of loss has been felt at theWashington Reformed PresbyterianChurch in the death of Mr. RaymondWilson, July 29, 1972. Mr. Wilson was alife-long member of the WashingtonChurch and was a member of the Sessionfor more than twenty-eight years. All ofhis children and grandchildren are part ofthe church which meant so much to him.Those of us who knew him will misshis hearty laughter, enthusiastic singingin the praise service and his faithfulpresence at the church. He was a longtime confidant and advisor to his pastors."Red'', as he was often called, was a mangiven to hospitality and rejoiced as he wasgiven opportunity to minister in this way.Our comfort is the sure word of theScripture, "Blessed are the dead who diein the Lord."S. Ray Blair. Moderator,Washington SessionReformed Presbyterian ChurchEvangelism in County Cork"There was not enough spoons —biscuits — sugar — milk — tea —workers; we were short of everything;and the room was not big enough." "Inever thought I would see the day whenthis would happen in Cork." These weresome of the comments of our missionaryin Cork, on returning one evening fromthe "coffee bar.'This was not a coffee bar in the usualsense of the term, but a 'get together' ofyoung people contacted by our teammembers on the streets of Cork, after theopen-air meetings on the Grand Parade. Anew venture in connection with theCampaign this year, the coffee bar provedto be the most rewarding aspect of thework. The time was devoted to seriousconversation concerning spiritual matters,over a cup of tea or coffee. As a result ofthis work, a few young people professedfaith in Christ.Although the team members viewedthis aspect of the work this year withapprehension, nevertheless they weregreatly encouraged as night after night thenumbers of young people attending increased,until the room in use was packedto capacity-Most of the team members were inCork for the first time and felt veryinexperienced, but all members proved thepromise of God read from Jeremiah 1:7,8at family worship on the first morning ofthe Campaign — ' 'But the Lord said untome, Say not, I am a child: for thou shaltgo to all that I shall send thee, andwhatsoever I command thee thou shaltspeak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I amwith thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord."The rest of the work followed the usualpattern. Each morning a hour was given toBible study and prayer. The early chaptersof the Gospel according to Mark werestudied, the ABCD method being used.This Bible study proved to be veryrelevant and challenging. The remainderof the morning was given over to door-todoorvisitation during the first week of theCampaign and to the distribution ofGospel literature in Cork city centre thesecond week.After lunch there was a period ofprayer, before setting out for the beachservice. A beach service was held eachafternoon, excepting the Thursdays andSaturdays. The beaches visited wereMyrtleville, Fountainstown and Youghal.After the evening meal an open-air servicewas held on the Grand Parade, one of themain thoroughfares in Cork.Fellowship was enjoyed with PhilipMacSweeney, Martin Dempsey andWillie Sullivan — young Christians inCork. Philip and Martin helped with theopen-air meetings. Fellowship was alsoenjoyed with a group of young Christianssimilar to the 'Jesus Movement' people.These young converts made contact withother young people by conducting Biblestudies on the footpaths of some of themain thoroughfares in Cork City.Some things worthy of note regardingthis year's Campaign were the spirit ofunity evident amongst the team members,and the very real spirit of inquiry evidentamongst the young people contacted.Many of those contacted were dissatisfiedwith their own religion and were seekinganswers to their questions. It was theprivilege and joy of the team to providethese inquiring voting people with portionsof the Scriptures and tell them otChrist, the only Saviour.-—The Cork CommitteeJANUARY 3, 1973 19

M*to the\W**Trood OSConf erence(Left) It's tug-of-war time at theYouth Conference. Paul Wilson getspulled first into the slime pit.T. M. Hutcheson reports from Cyprus. . . "We had three rather good conferencesduring the summer of 1972. Thefirst was for youth, some of whom werecommitted Christians. This conferencewas well attended. The second one was forour Church Members, with about 20being able to attend. The third conferencewas a short-notice affair, to accommodatea group of about 25 Greek Evangelicalyoung people from Athens."\- ,. 'ft(Above) Ken Smith and Patsy Boylediscuss some ideas with two of the girls.(Above) It is Going-Home time for the campers after thecamp; here they are loading their baggage into their bus.20COVENANTER WITNESS

COVENANTER^iBible Under AttackSee page 6.Jerome in his study.Albrecht Durer

WDMYOU ARE APPRECIATEDIn a day when it is supposedly impossible to get"something for nothing," I am proud to say that theWitness is living proof that many Christians are willing togive of their time and efforts without charge in order to seethat we have a better church magazine.Each month the editorial staff (fancy name for theoffice crew) get together for our Think Tank Day in whichwe discuss the kind of articles that will engender the mostinterest among our readers. Then we set about trying to findpersons qualified to write such articles. We are continuallyamazed and deeply pleased at the willingness shown bynumerous people who agree to contribute to our pageswithout any motive of gain. To each and every one of thesepeople we are most grateful. Ln most cases we try to plan ourissues many weeks in advance; this calls for rigid deadlinesin most cases. We have been greatly encouraged by the faithfulnessof our writers and department editors.Then too, we are encouraged by the increasingnumber of individuals who take time to react to what hasbeen printed. The full columns of "In Truth and Love" forthis issue are a sample of the kind of dedicated readers wehave. We know we can't please everyone, but we are pleasedthat those who have contrary opinions do take the effort toexpress them in writing for us. In a small church like ourswhere there are so many close ties, it takes real courage ofconviction to do this. We sincerely appreciate your efforts.(Just let me say again that if you wish to express yourselfanonymously, we will be glad to respect your confidence andstill open suitable Witness space for you. We hope in thisway to allow issues and not personalities to be properlyaired.)Again, let me say to all of you, your cooperation hasbeen gratifying. Please keep your suggestions, criticisms,and contributions coming in. WE NEED TO HEAR FROMYOU.R.W.N.audi JLOO^. rr^"Editor :spoke of something which theyJust a word of appreciation understood and appreciatedfor the comments of the farm and loved. My heart waswives in the Dec. 6 Witness, warmed.As I read I could see that theyH. B. Harrington2•Editor:I was much interested inRev. Spear's article in the Nov.22 issue, "Is ReformedEvangelism a Failure?" Iconsider that the problemswere well brought out, but Iwas disappointed in the lack ofa positive ending.I read the last paragraph asbeing meant to give thepositive side. In such case, Iwould have introduced aheading such as "Our Encouragement"or "Assuranceof Success," and used anotheropening than "Finally."We need to read this article,but read the lastparagraph as our assurance andnot as one of our "ImproperGrasps."Robert McConaughy•Editor:As we approach the end of another calendar year and aschurch budgets are being reviewed, I thought it might be appropriateto call to the attention of the various congregations afew pertinent items concerning ministers' salaries.I would recommend that those responsible for developingbudgets review the following directives and suggestions ofSynod: Minutes of Synod, 1968, pp. 61-63; 1971 Minutes,pp. 29-30; and 1972 Minutes, p. 86.Two items which I think need to be emphasized are thatevery full-time minister by order of the church should bereceiving at least the minimum salary and that the minimumdoes not include fringe benefits or parsonage.The 1968 Synod adopted a report which stated thefollowing:I. Business costs are operating costs of the congregationand should never be included as a part of a minister's salary.A. Car expenseB. Office supplies and expenseC. Conference expensesD. Professional duesE. HospitalityF. Advanced studyII. Ministers' compensation includes the salary andcertain benefits. Examples:A. SalaryB. Parsonage or allowanceC. UtilitiesD. PensionE. Hospital and Medical insuranceRecommendation 4 (p. 63) stated,"That each congregation be encouraged to assume theresponsibility of paying all of the expenses incurred by thepastor in fulfilling his pastoral duties."and 5 stated,' 'That each congregation be encouraged to assume more ofthe responsibility of paying fringe benefits."Where a congregation feels it is financially impossible tomeet the mandate of Synod with regard to minimum salary itshould make a request for aid through Presbytery; or considerthe pastor to be employed part-time and allow him to supplementhis income by working part-time elsewhere.Congregations should be encouraged to pay more than theminimum wherever possible. It seems disheartening thatministers in the denomination for 10, 20 or 30 years wouldstillbe at the minimum.It should be the desire of all congregations to follow thedirectives of Synod in keeping with the form of Presbyterianchurch government.Stewart LeeGeneva CollegeBeaver Falls, Pa.COVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C.E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.OVENANTERVOLUME LXXXIXNO. 2JANUARY 17, 1973ITNECONTENTSARTICLES:Should We Preach Covenanter History?Under Attack: The Authority of ScriptureOur Church & Key 73What Happens at Death? ...Should Pastors Moonlight?Pray Ye Therefore.FEATURES:A Word Due. .."In Truth and Love".Distaff Deductions.Hey Lookit...Bring the Books."Count Her Towers"4610.14.16.2022.1213.18.19SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, £2, 1 year;£3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 738 RebeccaAvenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.Second class postage paid atWinchester, Kansas 66097.MEMBER «rScriptures to Live ByA PROGRAM OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EVANGELICALSAN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TOENCOURAGE SYSTEMATIC BIBLE READINGBY THE MEMBERS OF YOUR CHURCH.JOIN WITH THOUSANDS OF OTHEREVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS IN THISNATION-WIDE PROGRAM.PLACE YOUR ORDER TODAYMail to: National association of EvangelicalsBox 28, Wheaton, Illinois 60187Amount enclosed $ Please bill usNOTE: Prices include postage and handling charges.NAME.—j— YES, we wish to share in NAE's_ L _1_ Bible reading program for 1973.' | ' Please send the following:I I BIBLE READING GUIDEHandy two-color Bible reading guide for each day in theyear Readings are arranged on a topic-per-week-basis.Space is provided to mark off selections as read25/$1.50;50/$2.50; 100 or more/$4.50 per 100I I POSTER.This 8Vi" * 11" poster will draw attention to your Biblereading program for 1973 Attractively done in twocolors Order one for each bulletin board and Sundayschool classroom.12/754; 25/S1.25, 50 or more/$2 00 per 50I I PRAYER GUIDE.A specially prepared prayer guide for those interestedin praying for the NAE ministries. De

Should IDe 'PreachCovenanter JtistoruAs a long established church with roots reachingdirectly back to the Reformation, it is not surprising thatCovenanters have developed a sense of history. The excitingevents of the "Killing Times in Scotland" have fed theillustrative fires of many of our preachers and still excite ourCovenanter youth today. But the question must be asked ifsometimes we have not been guilty of glorifying Covenanterhistory itself rather than giving due glory to the God ofhistory, as He reveals Himself in the pages of His Word.Our society tends to divide life into two categories,secular and spiritual, using the word "spiritual" not as itwas intended to mean "lead by the Spirit", but rather asreligious. This is often done in interpreting history. Wesupposedly have church history and secular history. Churchhistory is said to be primarily the history of the church in itsconflict with the world, but it is often conceived of asreligious history as opposed to secular history. Some havedeveloped the idea that there is something more holy aboutchurch history; therefore, we can preach it because it issacred.As we look at Scripture, however, we see that allhistory is religious — all of history is part of that movementfrom the beginning in the Garden of Eden to the consumationof the New Heaven and New Earth. All of historyis the account of the conflict between the seed of woman andthe seed of the serpent.We can't make a neat division between religious andsecular history and preach one without the other.Covenanter history — though I thank God for it — is nomore unique as preaching material than American history.If the preacher is to become a preacher of history, thenhis calling is not unique. Instead of being an expositor ofScripture, he has become an interpreter of history or apolitical scientist. Or maybe we should turn it around andsay the historian and political scientist has become thepreacher. If they have become the preacher, why should wenot make the psychologist, physician and linguist preacherstoo?

SAMUEL RUTHERIURD.JAMES GUTHRIE, MINISTER OF STIRLING,When we depart from the Scripture for preaching, weopen a Pandora's box in which anything available becomesfit material. We have no legitimate basis to limit it toCovenanter history or any other history. If we are to preachhistory, why should we concern ourselves with history over200 years old. Should we not concern ourselves with historywe read on the front page of the New York Times and preachon it? That would be more relevant.Our church's subordinate standards do not allow us togo outside of Scripture for our preaching. The Scripturesteach us that worship is a unique experience in which thepeople who are confessing in the society that Jesus is King ofall creation express their commitment to God corporately. Inthe Directory for Worship we say "The parts of publicworship named in the Word of God are: Praise; prayer; thereading, preaching, and hearing of the Word of God; thepresentation of offerings; the benediction; and the administrationof the sacraments, baptism and the Lord'sSupper." We also say that we acknowledge "that theScriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word ofGod and the only infallible rule of faith and life.'' By that weprofess that we can understand all other manifestations of theWord of God only as we view them through the Scriptures.Natural and medical science, creation, Jesus Christ andhistory are understood as we look at them through the pagesof Scripture, not visa versa. If this is true, then history,whether it is the report of the missionary, or the ChristianGovernment Movement or Covenanter history, has no placeas a basis tor our preaching.The basic question before us is what is preaching? Is itthe raising up of examples for us to emulate in our day-to-dayliving? Or is it the proclamation of truth as that which givesthe foundation by which we confess Jesus as King for all oflife?Preaching is not the call to emulation. It is the call toembrace the truth that is proclaimed as God's Word. It is byusing this truth that the historian can rightly understand andteach history. It is by this truth that the housekeeper canrightly keep house, or the laborer carry out his labor. Onlywith the foundation of Scripture can the Christian Communityproperly proclaim to the world that Jesus is King ofall life. If we leave this preaching to preach Covenanterhistory, we have become blind leaders of the blind.I thank God for the way He has displayed Himself andHis doctrines on the pages of Covenanter history. But wepreach those doctrines not because of their relationship toCovenanter history, but because of their place in theScriptures of the Old and New Testaments.Our historic past may provide rich illustrations of theoutworking of Biblical truth, but our pulpits are not to begiven over to adulation of by-gone saints. We dare not usetexts of Scripture as jumping off points for lengthy sermonson the noble faith of our Covenanter forebearers. Suchmoralizing places our faith in the work of man rather thanthe sovereign purpose of God in history.•JANUARY 17. 1973 5

Attack:The Authority%t'And moreover, because thePreacher was wise, he stilltaught the people knowledge;yea, he gave good heed, andsought out, and set in ordermany proverbs. The Preachersought to find out acceptablewords: and that which waswritten was upright, evenwords of truth. The words: ofthe wise are as goads, and asnails fastened by the mastersof assemblies, which are givenfirom one shepherd. Andfurther, by these, my son, beadmonished: of making manybooks there is no end; andmuch study is a weariness ofthe flesh."1% Ecc. 12:9-12';J. G, VOS(Prof, Geneva College)This term relevant is looked upon by some peopletoday as an absolute of some kind, as if it were a quality ofsome kind in itself, but what is relevant depends on whereyou are. If I were a convict in Sing Sing prison, I would thinkone of the most relevant things I could have would be a hacksaw blade.The common demand that religion be made relevantisidolatrous. It is based upon an assumption that God exists forour convenience. It amounts to a demand that God and HisWord be observed as a means to an end. The German poetHeinrich Heine was lying on his death bed, when a friendcame and asked him, "Heinrich, what will you do aboutyour sins?" "My sins? God will forgive my sins; that iswhat God is for." On the other hand, St. Augustine dared tosay, "Thou hast made us for Thyself and our heart isrestless until it rests in Thee." So also are we to consider therelevance of Scripture.COVENANTER WITNESS

ABSOLUTE AUTHORITYif ScriptureDUAL FUNCTION OF SCRIPTURE^ ^ — • • — — — ^ »Our Reformed Standards such as the WestminsterConfession of Faith and the catechisms that accompany itrecognize a double function of the Holy Scriptures, and theytreat Scripture quite separately in two different sections.First it is treated as the authority and then many, manychapters later as a means of grace in the Christian life. Thesetwo are not simple coordinates to be placed side by side, likea and b. Scripture as authority is basic and its beneficialfunction as a means of grace is absolutely dependent upon itsvalidity of authority. It is only because the Bible is the Wordof God that it can make us wise unto salvation.In our day it is common to view the Bible as a means ofgrace. It is a rare and outspoken individual who will denythat the Scripture is a means of grace. Even atheists commendmany of the ideas of the Bible. But the Bible asauthority is everywhere being attacked, undermined, toneddown, and evaded. But the relevance of Scripture dependsabsolutely on its authoritative character.The author of Ecclesiastes did not have a very highestimate of the literary output of his day. He called it endlessand he said that much study of it was weariness unto theflesh. Now we can imagine what the inspired author wouldhave said if he could have seen a modern Americanbookstore and seen the immense output of printed mattertoday, almost all of which is not based upon a valid view ofworld and life. We are today assaulted by an interminablebarrage of torrents of words which are a form of akaleidoscope of changing opinions and fashions of erring,sinful humanity. Everything is regarded as relative, nothingis regarded as absolute.Over against this form of written words of his day, thepreacher claims to have set forth words which were upright,or subjectively sincere and also words of truth that wereobjectively true. You might get on an airplane at the GreaterPittsburgh International airport and you might sincerelybelieve with all your heart that it is going to Kansas City,when in fact it is going to Havana. You are sincere but itdoesn't change the direction in the least. There is neededobjective truth as well as subjective sincerity and authority ofwhich the author claims to have both.As he speaks of the sayings of the wise and thecollected proverbs, the writer of Ecclesiastes mentions thatthese are no merely human compositions but that they arealso inspired. He goes on to affirm that they have been givenby one shepherd. Now one shepherd could only mean God,the great shepherd of his people. Therefore this man claimsto present a body of fixed, absolute, unchanging, Godinspiredtruth over against the unstable relativism of men.In many circles today it is considered old-fashioned tohave absolute truth. John Dewey is quoted as saying,"Absolutely no absolutes." To which someone replied,"Mr. Dewey should absolutely not talk that way." The truescholar is often regarded as a hesitant person who will notventure to stick his academic neck out and commit himselfbut maintains a kind of scholarly equilibrium to opposingviews. To commit oneself to a fixed body of truth isunacademic.Over against this popular relativism, we believe thatthere is absolute, unchanging truth. As Christians we arenot merely seeking truth; we claim to possess it already inthe objective revelation of the God whose very nature istruth. Now of course we glory only in the cross of Christ,but we do not need to be ashamed to be known as what KarlBarth scornfully called "the blessed possessers." Blessedpossessors we are because the Christian is not a seeker aftertruth: he already has it. He may seek a better understandingbut he already has the truth. Christ is the Truth. If theChristian has Christ, he has the Truth.(Continued on next page.)JANUARY 17. 1973 7

THE DYNAMIC OF SCRIPTUREIn a day when the very existence of absolute truth isquestioned and when the Bible is regarded as a merecollection of human insights and folklore by many people,we take our stand with Jesus Christ who said, "Ye shallknow the truth and the truth shall make you free.'' And wehold that the Bible is a fully trustworthy, objective standardof truth. The author of Ecclesiastes, the preacher, deals firstwith Scripture as a stimulus to action, and afterwards as asource of security. "The words to the wise are as goads."And afterv/ards he says "the words of the wise are as nails ina secure place."Loraine Boettner in his little book on predestinationcites three countries where Christianity has been takenseriously and has brought a great deal of activity andprosperity — Holland, Scotland, and New England. BiblicalChristianity has always been a powerful motivating force. Ithas produced action, not merely upon the area of religion butalso upon the broad field of human life. Where the Bible hasbeen taken seriously, human life has flourished and hasprospered. When man undertakes to rule and subdue theearth as God's servant, genuine progress has existed. SamuelG. Craig in his book Jesus of Yesterday and Today says thereare two tests by which you can tell if Christianity has failed.In the first place, compare those parts of the world where ithas been comparatively unknown and see the difference.Secondly,'compare the Christian present with all its faultsand failures with the pre-Christian past and you will see thedifference.The words of Scripture are as nails and stick in a secureplace. They are the authoritative revelation of absolute,unfailing truth. Our modern world is sick unto death fromwant of a valid knowledge of truth. The Bible bears that out,but if you read Time and the daily newspapers you see it too.Pragmatism and relevantism are everywhere dominant andseldom challenged, and yet without intellectual anchorageand security we cannot live. We may exist from day to daybut we are not really living.ATTACKS FROM WITHINThat the Bible is the only rule of faith and life is a truththat was accepted by all evangelical Christians until recently.Alas, today this is being challenged by some people whoshould be supporters of it. There are those who claim toreject the theology of liberalism, of neo-orthodoxy, and ofpost-Barthian neo-liberalism who nevertheless themselvesadopt and employ the methodology of the heresies whichthey reject.8Now these heresies which were once straightforwardlyput out of the front door of evangelical and reformedChristianity are some of them today in danger of beingreadmitted by different names by the side door and backdoor. I would like to cite a number of ways whereby the soleauthority of Scripture is being denied or compromised today.The old liberalism, people like Fosdick, frankly andwithout inhibition subordinated the Word of God to humanreason. I once heard a minister say, "We should accept theteachings of Jesus Christ only in so far as we find them to betrue.Secondly, neo-orthodoxy or Barthianism madeScripture a mere vehicle for a "word" which touches us inan encounter or crisis experience, and denied emphaticallythat the Bible is the Word of God. To hold to the Scripturesas infallibly true was denounced as bibliolatry or biblicism.Today we are confronted with something new inReformed circles, those who claim that Scripture is only oneform of the word of God, alongside three others. We are toldthat Scripture is the written word, Christ is the incarnateword, proclamation or evangelism is the preached word, andthe word embodied in the structures of the universe is thecreation word. It is, of course, true that Christ is the incarnateword and that Biblical preaching is the proclamationof the Word of God and that God's Word in wisdom andpower made the creation what it is. The error comes, notfrom affirming the existence of these four forms of the wordof God, but in the simple coordination as deposits ofauthority for truth without a valid analysis of the relationbetween them. Only Scripture is authority in the sphere oftruth. We know nothing of Christ apart from Scripture.Preaching can rightly be called the proclamation of the Wordof God only when, and only to the extent, that it declaresand applies the truth revealed in the Bible. True preachingisnot an additional form of the Word of God alongside of theBible. It is the proper use of the Bible in reaching people withthe message of sin, salvation, and righteousness.Finally, as for the structures of creation, no Biblebelieverquestions the word of God as wisdom and powermaking these structures what they are. "By the word ofGod, the heavens were made and all the host of them by thebreath of his mouth." No one who believes the Bible woulddeny that. But they are certainly not an additional form ofthe word of God, coordinate with the Scriptures. Thecreation structured by God's word of wisdom and power isametaphysical concept, not an epistomological one. It pertainsto the sphere of being, not to the sphere of knowing.And for a valid knowledge of it, we are absolutely dependentupon holy Scripture for a valid approach to it and an understandingof it. Thus structures of creation are notCOVENANTER WITNESS

JANUARY 17. 1973coordinate with Scripture as a form of the Word of God.They are the created reality which we can see aright onlywithin a world view for which we are absolutely dependentupon the Scripture. How can we know with infallible certaintywhat the word of God in the creation structures says?Scholars and scientists who are Christian believers studyingthe structure of creation do not agree on what they find andwhat the findings mean. In the face of this situation, somewould like to decide where the truth of these findings lies likethe kindergarten decided whether the kitten a child broughtwas male or female — by voting on it. Now this is not theway you decide questions in the spirit of truth, althoughsome people seem to think so. The Reformed scholars whospeak of the Word of God being embodied in the structures ofcreation are not evolutionists as far as it is known to me;they are all strict creationists; but they are opening the doorto the methodology of all theistic evolutionists who maketheir study of all living organisms basic and then after thatadjust the Bible to their theories. Any philosophy whichplaces human thinking and human intellectual effort aboveor on a par with the infallible Scripture in the sphere of truthis "more bitter than death."Another evasion of the Bible's authority is found inthe innocent sounding assertion that the Bible is infallible inwhat it intends to say. But this is commonly used as a loadedstatement and it implies, quite evidently, that the Bible sayssome things that it does not intend to say and it is impliedthat fallible man can decide which is which. The Testimonyof our church is an old book; it was first adopted in 1806. Itrejects as an error this proposition: "That there can be anyerrors in the Bible" and then it asserts in chapter 4, section1, "God hath spoken nothing the full force of which He didnot comprehend." What the Bible says, it intends to say,and of course what it intends to say is true.Another current evasion is that the Bible is infallibleand has authority only in relation to religion or salvation. Sowhen Genesis 1 says that God created living organisms aftertheir kind, this does not have authority because it is notrelated to religion or salvation. Now we hold, and ourforefathers did before us. that the Word of God, the Bible, isthe only infallible rule of faith and life. And life we note doesnot involve onlv ethics: life includes a world view. Is notscientific study part of life? When Reformed standardsuse the term life, does it mean religious life only? This is thenature-grace dualism of Thomas Aquinas, but certainly theWestminster Confession does not mean this. You see thespheres overlap: the common notion that the Bible containsnumerous errors in historic and scientific matters cannotstand The Bible, as the infallible revelation of God. isnormative in every area of human life and human thinking.It must be soundly interpreted of course, but rightly interpretedit is normative. This does not mean that in theBible you can find the chemical formula for sulphuric acid. Aprofessor at the University of Michigan once said, "Wouldsomeone tell me what is the Dutch Reformed view ofsulphuric acid?" That of course is the wrong question toask. The Bible does not tell you what is the Covenanter orUnited Presbyterian view of sulphuric acid, because thereisn't any, but the Bible which teaches about the nature ofthe universe, about the God who created it, and about theman who is made to rule over it. is the basic a priori forchemistry. The question is not how there can be a Christianchemistry but how could there be a non-Christianchemistry?THE CHALLENGEShall we stand up for sola Scriptura, the Bible alone, orshall we let it be corroded away and let it go down the drain?How do we find out what the Bible intends to say? Notby seeking some other form of the word of God to putalongside the Bible, far less by seeking some other form ofknowledge to put alongside the Bible. We don't find outwhat the Bible intends to say by putting Darwin's Origin ofthe Species on one knee and the Bible on the other knee.This will never give vou solid truth. You do not find theanswer by putting Darwin alongside the Bible and thenstriking a balance. The only way to find out what the Bibleintends to say is by a more thorough study of the Bible itself.This is a hermeneutical principle known as the analogy ofScripture, set forth in the Westminster Confession of Faithin chapter 1. section 9 as follows: "The infallible rule ofinterpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself; andtherefore, when there is a question about the true and fullsense of any Scripture (which is not manifold, but one) itmust be searched and known by other places that speak moreclearly."The battle for the Bible is the battle of the future aswell as the battle of the past. But if we think that this battlehas been won and go on to other battles, we are certainlymistaken. The basic question today, as in all times, is thequestion of the authority of Scripture, and subordinateto that, the question of salvation. And relevance, in our dayas in any day. depends absolutely upon authority. Recentattacks on the relevancy, sufficiency, perspicuity, andnormative character of the Scriptures arc more insidiousthan those of the past, because they have arisen amona theprofessed defenders of the orthodox view of Scripture. Buterror is error no matter where it takes its rise. Sola Scriptura— the Bible alone is the only reliable principle for theknowledge of ultimate truth and value. Our task is to defendits full authority for all areas ot life.•9

OurC8bKey-73With the arrival of the new year,we will be hearing with increasingfrequency the phrase ' 'Key 73." This isthe name given to a continent-wideeffort in cooperative evangelism whichis to be made in 1973. Most of the majordenominations, and many of the smallerones, are participating. So are suchgroups as Inter-Varsity, CampusCrusade, and the Billy GrahamEvangelistic Association.Key 73 has intentionally beenquite unstructured, in order to permit aswide a participation as possible. Participatinggroups are encouraged tomake their own plans, and to preparetheir own materials. (The ChristianReformed Church, for one, hasproduced a massive amount of materialsfor the use of its congregations.) Sharingof materials and ideas is encouraged.There is one major joint project, thepublication of a CongregationalResource Book, which is available fromthe Secretariat of Key 73 (Address: 418Olive Street, St. Louis, Mo.).In addition to denominational andlocal programs, there will be an emphasisupon the use of mass media:radio Bible studies, TV specials atEaster and Christmas, promotion of aTheme Hymn Contest, etc.Reformed Presbyterians will beasking, "What should be our reactionto this great evangelistic effort?" TheSynod of 1972 considered this question,and took two actions regarding Key 73.It was resolved that: (a) thedenomination would not participateofficially in Key 73; and (b) individualsand congregations should makedecisions about their participation onthe local level under the direction oftheir sessions, and in the light of theScripture and the Church's Confessions."These actions were not takenbecause the Synod was opposed toevangelism as such, but it was felt thatthere were serious difficulties in officialparticipation in Key 73. While manyevangelicals are involved in the planningof the program, there is no officialstatement or definition of what is meantby "evangelism."10 COVENANTER WITNESS

The original proposal which led toKey 73 was a call by Carl Henry, theneditor of Christianity Today, for widerevangelical cooperation in many areas. .on a biblical basis for biblicalends." When Christian leaders met todiscuss his proposal, it was found thatthere was so much disagreement amongthem that the only possible area forcooperative effort was that ofevangelism. Thus, it was implied thattheological viewpoints have little or noeffect on the practice of evangelism.But it is precisely in evangelismthat one's "theology" comes to expression.How can anyone urge anotherto become a Christian without giving hisunderstanding of what it means to be aChristian? How can one proclaim thegood news of Jesus Christ withoutknowing who Jesus Christ is, and whatthe good news is? The mass mediaprograms produced by Key 73 willreflect a theological viewpoint. Butgiven the wide range of participants, it isimpossible to know ahead of time whatthat viewpoint will be. So far, thedefinition of evangelism as expressed inKey 73 has been broad enough so that anumber of Roman Catholic bishops haveencouraged Catholics to take part in it.We welcome the evidences of a renewalin some parts of the Catholic Church ofan interest in Bible study and biblicalpreaching. But it is a seriously defectiveevangelism which does not challengethe understanding of salvation which isstill a part of Catholic dogma.Justification by faith alone, which is anessential part of the good news of theGospel, is still incompatible with thesacramental teaching of the Romanchurch.Official denominational participationin Key 73 would haveidentified the witness of the ReformedPresbyterian Church with the messageand the methods of the TV specials andother prominent aspects of Key 73. Wehave good reason to be uneasy aboutwhat that message and those methodswill be.But is was recognized that, on thelocal level, a different situation mightprevail. In given communities or areas,there may well be programs in whichthere is a clear and biblical understandingof evangelism operating.Therefore Synod urged individuals andcongregations to decide about their ownparticipation in the light of the localsituation. It is to be hoped that thisaction of Synod will be taken seriously,and that sessions and members will feeltheir responsibility to be aware of whatis being planned in their areas, and toprayerfully consider what their responseshould be.There seems to be a growingconviction in the Reformed PresbyterianChurch that theology and evangelismcannot be separated, and that we mustbe Reformed in practice as well as inbelief. But there is a strong temptationhere which we have not been altogethersuccessful in resisting. We are inclinedto become critical of the ways in whichevangelism is being done by others, butnever get around to doing evangelism inthe right way ourselves. We are oftenput to shame by the zeal, theimagination, and the persistence ofthose who do not share the richtheological heritage which God hasenabled us to share. Our Lord JesusChrist requires of us more than a correctunderstanding of how evangelism oughtto be done. He requires of us that we beobedient to him in making the gospelknown to the whole world.At the same time that it took itsaction regarding Key 73, the Synod alsodirected the Board of Evangelism toprovide program suggestions, materialsand leadership for an evangelism emphasisin the coming year. The Board isnow seeking to carry out that assignment.But the work of evangelism willbe done, if it is done at all, by the localcongregations under the leadership oftheir pastors and sessions. May 1973 bea time when the Holy Spirit works ingreat power in the whole Church ofJesus Christ, and in the part of hisChurch called Reformed Presbyterian!WAYNE R. SPEAR(Prof, R. P. Seminary)JANUARY 17, 197.3

70& C(t yCctfotlIt has been interesting to read fromtime to time the indictment of Christianfiction — it is not of literary value, notrealistic, too saccharine sweet fordigestion, and it presents a picture ofperfect living if only a character becomes aChristian. All of these accusations are trueof certain books written for evangelisticpurposes. But I believe the field ofChristian writing has been improving.Like the Christian School movement, theChristian Writing movement is growingup, or coming of age, and using methodsand techniques and providing aids towriting which have greatly improved andare improving the finished product.Several times I have come upon bookswhere a similarity occurs between asecular and a Christian book, andsometimes one has influenced the other, Iam sure.In 1970 a popular book was The ChildFrom the Sea by Elizabeth Goudge. I haveenjoyed this English writer and her books,which are strongly spiritual in theirovertones, with Episcopal settings. So Iread The Child From the Sea and wassomewhat chagrined to find that it waswritten from the king's side of the strugglewith the Covenanters in Scotland in thedavs of Charles II. Actually it deals withCharles' younger life, and a girl's love forhim, before he became the persecutor ofthe Covenanters. Lucy Walter wasmarried to him secretly (history does notstrongly substantiate this fact), andfollowed him into exile in Holland andFrance to be near him with their child. Itstruck me that this was a contrast to TheStory of Grizel by Elisabeth Kyle, anotherhistorical novelist. Grizel Hume's fatherfled into exile in Holland during the samecentury because his life was threatened indlSTAFFdEdlJCTiOMSthe Covenanter cause, and Grizel was thestrength and guiding force of her parents,sisters, and brothers during this period.Her lover was in the army of the Prince ofOrange, and later belped in theestablishing of religious liberty inScotland. But he and Grizel waited tomarry until the dangerous times werepast, then were granted long and happyyears of life together in a peacefulScotland. Lucy Walter, on the other hand,Charles' young sweetheart, became sick,was imprisoned in the Tower of London bypolitical enemies, and died shortly afterbeing freed and returning to France. Shewas living for satisfaction in romatic love;Grizel for others because of her faithfulnessto the Covenanted cause, and theywere rewarded in this life accordingly.Both were historical characters, at thesame era of history, but the novels aboutthem bear out the contrast in their lives'commitments.Another contrast is between Cry, TheBeloved Country by Alan Paton andWings of the Morning by Alan LivingstonWilson. The former is a classic inliterature as a novel dealing with the racequestion in South Africa. And it is certainlya Christian book of the highestorder, although in the context of Highchurch, also. Inspired, I believe, by thework and writing of Alan Paton in thecause of the native African, Alan L.Wilson, a missionary to Africa, haswritten Wings of the Morning in theevangelical context. He emphasizes thevictory in Christ which is the experienceof a converted boy, who, unlike hisprototype in Cry, The Beloved Country,does repent of his sin, turn from it, andfind joy in Christian life and love. But it isnot as beautifully written as literature. It Iseems to me it is written with urgency, bya busy missionary, to show that there canbe victory in Christ. Whereas, in Cry,The Beloved Country the "victory" isshown in a sadder, more poignant way,with much more revealing of hearts andmotives. Read both of them. They're goodmissionary reading.In children's books, there are two Iwould like to contrast, The Secret Gardenby Frances Hodgson Burnett and RainbowGarden by Patricia St. John. Publishedfirst in 1911 The Secret Garden hasenjoyed a long and popular run amongchildren's books, and will be found inmost children's libraries. RainbowGarden, as well as others of Patricia St.John's books, is mostly known inChristian circles simply because it iswritten in the context of evangelicalChristianity. It is the story of pathetic littleElaine who is shunted to another home inthe cause of her mother's career. But thehome to which she goes is a trulyChristian home, and there she comes toknow true love, responsibility, andIchildhood play, as well as coming inrepentance to the Lord Jesus Christ.Christian parents, as well as children,should read it. In The Secret Garden MaryLennox's parents die and she goes to thehome of a recluse uncle, whom she neversees. She gains health and joy in life,through the natural wonders she discoversin the "secret garden." Finally the uncleand his son are reunited, and Mary isincluded in their happiness through thesame discovery. There is also a villagefamily whose happy, active life intriguesMary, but only in furthering her interestin nature. In The Secret Garden thegarden is central and human relationshipsstem from it. In Rainbow Gardenrelationships with the Lord and others arecentral, the garden being the means ofconveying the Gospel message, as eventstake place in and around it.Of all six books, The Secret Gardenisreally the only one that could be called acompletely secular book. However, thetrue and evangelical Gospel as we believeit, is presented in two, while The ChildFrom the Sea, The Story of Grizel, andCry, The Beloved Country have romanceand racial themes primarily, with spiritualovertones being secondary.I think Patricia St. John has trulycaught the essence of a Christian book. Itis still the story of one young girl'sstruggle for happiness, a human interesttheme, but the Gospel is presented toElaine. In this type of book, the readermakes his own application to his life, bythe power of the Holy Spirit.12 COVENANTER WITNESSW.E.

7) i/H VtfAUlOMADear Mrs. A.,This summer I played base-ball for the first time. Attry-outs I had to bat and catch and throw the ball. I gotpicked for the nationwide team. I play right field and leftfield. I had a Christian coach.Good-byeJohn Copeland, Grade 2Dear Mrs. Armstrong,I'm writing to tell you about my summer. Well firstof all my neighbors got a new swimming pool. And wehave lots of fun in it, Plus we go swimming in it justabout every day.And now I know how to doggie paddle and swimclear across the pool. And I can open my eyes underwater. In fact we throw golf balls in and dive under forthem.The pool itself is about 75 feet long, its round andholds about 13,000 gallons of water. Its 3*/2 feet aroundthe outside and 4 1 2 feet in the middle.P.S. We've had lots of fun in it this summer.Janice Dobbs. Grade 5Dear Kids!June in January! Wouldn't that be a good title forthese letters? I must admit that they wrote these just at theend of summer, but they do sound like happy fantasy in ourpresent cold weather. Their junior swim party last summermust have been fun, too.In talking with Mrs. Nahas this morning I learnedwhat they have recently done and are doing, so was broughtup to date.The lessons they use teach them about the Bible — thehistory of the Bible and how to use the Bible. Also, theystudy about Christian living such as how to overcome eviland how to use the tongue, that restless evil. (That musthave been a good review of camp, Four Mile.)A scrapbook illustrating and explaining their recent"doings" is being prepared for the juniors in Japan. Thatmight be a fun project for other groups, too. We are hopingto hear from Japan soon.Four Mile Juniors bowl once a month with Mrs.Brown and a Christmas party is in the plans.Memory is a regular activity with prizes for completedwork.Love,Mrs. A.Dear Mrs. A.,When I went to my Grandma's and Grandpap'shome, we did not know there would be a flood the nextday. The rivers overflowed, the water went over cars,washed away trailers and ruined things. We helped a lot ofpeople who had to leave their homes.Your FriendKent CopelandDear Mrs. Armstrong,I want to tell you about my summer. We had fun inthe pool and I learned how to swim. And I got a new bikethis summer and I rode around with my friends. My twobrothers camp and I'm going to have fun without them. Igot some new friends this summer built there house rightin front of ours.Judy Dobbs, Grade 1Dear Mrs. A.We took a trip to Florida and we got sun burned.And when we got there we went fishing. And I caught afish one foot six inches long. And then we went swimming.And me and my sister chased each other aroundthe pool. And then we played pool for a quarter. We metthis old man. And he helped us build a puzzle. And thenwe had to leave.Love,Jerrv Dobbs. Grade 3IANUARY 17, 1973 1 3

What Happens at Death?JERROLD S. MILROY(R. P. Pastor, Bloomington, Ind.)II Cor. 5:1-10We often think of the existence of man as beingdivided into two periods: one, his lifetime on this earthand two, his existence in heaven or hell following theresurrection. This is no doubt largely because we find verylittle information in Scripture concerning what is knownas the "intermediate state." The major emphasis ofScripture concerns our manner of life so that we will knowwhat we are to believe concerning God and whatresponsibilities He has given us. It follows, that withregard to the afterlife, Scripture emphasizes not what istemporary but rather what is eternal, the final state ofglory with Christ in His Kingdom.The idea of an "intermediate state" is therefore theoutgrowth of at least two other primary teachings ofScripture. First, we believe Scripture teaches thatfollowing death there will be a bodily resurrection, i.e.that in some mysterious way even though our physicalbody has decayed and returned to the elements it will berestored. Paul testified, "But if the Spirit of Him thatraised up lesus from the dead dwelleth in you, He thatraised up Christ lesus from the dead shall give life also toyour mortal bodies through His Spirit that dwelleth in you"(Romans 8:11, see also I Corinthians 15:35,44; Job19:26,27; and Philippians 1:23). Second, we believeScripture teaches that this bodily resurrection will takeplace at the Last Day in conjunction with the SecondComing of Christ. (I Thessalonians 4:16; John 5:28,29;6:40)The question naturally arises then, what has happenedto all those who have died and are awaiting thebodily resurrection at that Last Great Day? There is little,if any, disagreement concerning the condition of thephysical body following death. "Dust thou art, and untodust thou shalt return." (Genesis 3:19) That this is true inthe case of both believer and unbeliever is evidenced bythe fact that all alike see decay and corruption. However,even in death the believer's body belongs to the Lord. Butwhat of the soul? The term "intermediate state" is used torefer to that realm or condition of the soul for the periodof time from death until the resurrection while the soulisseparate from the body.A variety of opinions exist with regard to our understandingof this state. The major differences have to dowith the nature of the state: whether the soul is consciousor in some condition such as sleep with no awareness oftime or surroundings; whether the soul is given somesecond chance for reformation and repentance and acceptanceof Christ; and whether or not the soul is in somekind of purgatory which, although not giving the soul asecond chance, is somehow preparing souls which areunfit so that they may be fit for heaven.14 COVENANTER WITNESS

While Scripture does not use the term "intermediatestate", there are several passages which give informationpertaining to the understanding of this temporary conditionthrough which all, except those who are alive at thecoming of Christ, must pass. In the remainder of thisarticle we shall endeavor to note some of the teachings ofScripture on these matters.Scripture often refers to death as a falling asleep,while others seem to indicate a state of unconsciousness inthe grave (e.g. I Thessalonians 4:13; Ecclesiastes 9:10).For these reasons many have suggested that the "intermediatestate" consists of a state of darkness or unconsciousnessin which neither the believer nor the unbelieveris aware of anything. In contrast to this we believethat Scripture teaches the conscious existence of the soulof both the believer and the unbeliever. We find nothingto say that the soul of a person falls asleep, or even that hisbody falls asleep, but only that the person falls asleep.When reference is made to a person having no consciousnessin the grave, the implication is simply that theperson is no longer able to engage in the activities of thispresent world. Since the dead person looks very much as ifhe is asleep (at least before decay begins to take place) thisterm is quite appropriate to use as a figure of speech.Further we find that Scripture speaks of believers asenjoying a conscious existence in the presence of Christimmediately after death (e.g. Luke 16:19-31; II Corinthians5:8). We should perhaps note in passing, thatalthough we find indication of the consciousness of thesoul after death, still there is no encouragement for theliving to attempt to communicate with the dead. On thecontrary, the use of the figure "asleep" suggests nocommunication is made with this life. In fact attempts tocommunicate by means of witches were forbidden in theOld Testament.In contrast to the idea of a second chance, Scriptureemphasizes that the condition of a person's soul is fixed atdeath. Without exception the coming judgment isdescribed as a judgment of those things done in the flesh,never a consideration of things done in the "intermediatestate." The basic principle behind the theory of a "secondchance" is that only a conscious rejection of Christ can bethe basis for eternal condemnation. This is Scripturallyunsound. Man stands condemned at the outset because ofhis fallen nature. The rejection of Christ without questionadds immensely to his condemnation. But even theGentiles apart from a knowledge of Christ stand condemnedfor not doing that which they knew to be right (cf.Romans 1:32; 2:12-16).For the wicked then the "intermediate state" is atime of conscious suffering while for the righteous it is atime of blessing and joy. Both of these aspects are indicatedin the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke16:19-31). Jude, verse 7, describes those wicked persons inSodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities as"Undergoing the punishment of eternal fire." On the otherhand, for the righteous believer, the "intermediate state"is a time of being present with the Lord, while beingabsent from the body (II Corinthians 5:6-9; Philippians1:23). Thus the believer is in just the same position that ispromised by Christ to the repentant thief "today shalt thouJANUARY 17. 19^3be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43). That the term"paradise" refers to heaven is indicated in Paul's use of theterm in II Corinthians 12:2,4 as well as by the testimony ofthe New Testament that heaven is the place to whichChrist ascended following his resurrection, (e.g. Acts 1:11;3:21)We gain some further insight concerning thecondition of the righteous when we find Hebrews 12:23describing the membership of the invisible church inheaven as containing "the spirits of righteous men madeperfect." So the process of sanctification is then complete.Revelation 14:13 speaks of this state as being a "rest fromtheir labors; for their works follow them." But we shouldtake note of the Scriptural use of the term "rest" whichdoes not mean idleness or inactivity. Rather, the termindicates a satisfaction and joy in accomplishing the willof the Lord. The curse of sin has been removed so that thethorns which turn "work" into "toil" or "labor" are nolonger present. In fact, we find the souls of believersactive in reigning with Christ (Revelation 20:4) as well ascrying out for vengeance on those who persecute theChurch (Revelation 6:9).Although we find Scripture teaching that thecondition of the soul, for believer and unbeliever alike, isfixed at the time of death, that condition is not the same,either in degree of blessing or punishment, as the finalstate of heaven or hell. For the wicked the punishment ofhell is described as being the destruction of both soul andbody (Matthew 10:28). On the other hand, Paul, while notdescribing it as a painful condition, considers the "intermediatestate" as "nakedness" (II Corinthians 5:2-4).This he apparently considers an abnormal condition, butstill one to be looked forward to as a blessed time ofcommunion with Christ (II Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians1:23). The further degree of blessing in heaven is alsoindicated in II Timothy 4:8 where Paul expresses confidencethat "In ihe future there is laid up for me thecrown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteousJudge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me,but also to all who have loved His appearing." Luke 14:14also speaks of the rewards to be given at the resurrection,that Last Great Day when Christ shall come again. Sowhile both the punishment of the wicked and the blessingsand joys of the righteous in the "intermediate state" arereal and great, still they should be considered only aforetaste of that to come.This view concerning the "intermediate state" hasbeen clearly defined by the Westminster Confession,Chapter 32:1 as follows; "The bodies of men after deathreturn to dust, and see corruption, but their souls, (whichneither die nor sleep,) having an immortal subsistence,immediately return to God who ga\e them. The souls ofthe righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, arereceived into the highest heavens, w here they behold theface of God in light and glory, waiting for the fullredemption of their bodies; and the souls of the wickedare cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utterdarkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day.Besides these two places for souls separated from theirbodies, the scripture acknowledged) none."n

ShouldPastorsMoonlight ?It seems to me that the Bible definesthe function of the pastor in specificterms, and not all functions of the elderneed be restricted to the one designatedteaching elder or minister.When the Bible states that Christmakes or sets apostles, pastors, teachersover the body (Eph. 4:11, Mk. 3:14; ICor. 12:28,) we can see that there aredistinct functions belonging to theminister that are outside the functions ofthe ruling elder who rules only. What arethey? Preaching is one, administering thesacraments another. When we think of allthe other things the minister does, does itnecessarily mean that because he doesthem, that he is the only elder who shoulddo them? Might not all the other thingsthe minister does belong equally to theruling elder who rules only?The function of the eldership isgeneralized, and it becomes difficult tospecify a particular function as belongingto only one kind of elder. Hence, all eldersshould teach to an extent, exerciseoversight, visit, . . .It may be that thosecalled to preaching should be the chiefofficer, but it needn't be the case that onlythe teaching elder preside at all meetingsand functions. If that were the case thenthe congregation without a pastor is lessthan a congregation and I'm not sure thatwe can make that allegation. In a wordthen, the various functions of theeldership are not restricted to the teachingelder but can be and should be theprovince of the eldership in general. Thismeans then that being an elder is morethan attending a meeting once a month. Itmeans study to teach, visit to encouragethe membership and presiding at funeralsand other state functions ordenominational or interdenominationalgroups. The exclusion we can make(already mentioned) is the area of thesacraments and preaching.The laborer is worthy of his hire. Wemight argue from the Bible the existenceof a ' 'just wage" but it would prove morefruitless than establishing minimumsalaries. Nor can we argue from Scripturethat "sacrifice" is the minister's lot, butnot the lot of all wage earners in thecongregation. There is no more reason forthe minister to accept a smallerremuneration than for anyone else in thecongregation. The minister then should beentitled to a salary as much determined bythe existing levels in his location as hisparishoners salaries are. The prevailingcriterion should not be what the ministerwill accept above the minimum determinedby Synod. Where the willingness ofthe congregation to pay is less than whatthe minister requires (he is entitled to asubjective evaluation also) then it seems tome that a minister should seek a secondjob and come to an agreement with hiscongregation concerning his time andduties.This points up the need then for rulingelders to be ruling elders in Biblical termsand not in terms of convenience (e.g., hecomes from a long line of Covenanters, orthere wasn't anyone else to pick from thecongregation). All the descriptions of theelder in the New Testament can also applyto the ruling elder.YesIn a past survey in the denomination,two-thirds of the ministers replying statedthey were not able to live on their salary.There is some obvious dodging of issues orsome unrealistic thinking if ministersrespond thusly and congregations continueto try to come to terms withministers on the basis of unrealisticsalaries. It wouldn't be the first timeministers had to seek other means ofsupport. The situation demands realism:pay the minister a living wage (notminimum) or hire him on a part-timebasis.In summary, the Bible teaches (in myopinion) the laborer (minister) is worthyof his hire, that the distinction in functionbetween elders makes it imperative thatruling elders assume their full office thusactually freeing the teaching elder fromthose duties that assume great blocks oftime and can be handled by others. Theoption to work at a part time job should bethe arrangement between the minister andhis congregation, not automaticallyexcluded by both. This type ofarrangement would encourage poorercongregations to call someone and alsoencourage men to serve poorercongregations. It might also be a way ofinterning young seminary graduates priorto their making a total commitment to theministry.SAVANAROLA JONES(T. R. Smyth's friend)16COVENANTER WITNESS

NoA man called to the ministry becomesa servant of the Word; being a servant ofthe Word is in itself a high calling and afull time task as outlined in Scripture. Mypurpose is to explore this in three mainheadings: The minister is entitled to anadequate support; The full time ministryvs. part-time ministry; This need for parttimepastors does not exist in theCovenanter Church.First, the minister is entitled toadequate support. In the Old Testamentthe priests were provided an adequatesupport through the tithes and sacrifices.Reference is made to this in the NewTestament and since the ceremonial lawwas no longer to be observed, somesubstitute provision had to be institutedfor the support of the gospel ministry. Anumber of Biblical passages apply:Numbers 18:8; I Cor. 9:13,14; II Cor.11:7-10; 12:13,14; 12:17,18; I Thess.2:6,9. There are others, but we'll justconsider I Cor. 9. Paul argues that he and,later in vs. 6, Barnabas have the right orliberty to eat without performing manuallabor and that includes expecting thesupport of a wife should he be married. Ifit's true that a soldier, farmer, shepherd(vs. 7,8) are entitled to support, then aminister should be supported by people'scontributions even as the priests of the OldTestament were supported by the tithesand offerings, vs. 13,14. He says in vs.10, "he that plougheth should plough inhope " telling the congregation thatthey should not permit the minister tolabor without renumeration. Thestrongest argument of all however comesout of verse 14: "Even so hath the Lordordained that they which preach theGospel should live of the Gospel." Christinstituted this practice, and it is thepeople's duty to maintain their minister.Second, the full time ministry vs. parttimeministry. This is basically what itboils down to. If we honestly believe that aperson has a calling to a job, then his callto the ministry is a full time vocation.Should he not be called to the ministry andstill feel called to aspects of this work, itmight indicate a call to the rulingeldership, in which case his vocationalcalling would be to another occupation.A man called to the Gospel ministry isa servant of the Word. This cannot beemphasized too strongly to eradicate thenotion that he is the servant of the church,the session or the congregation. Being aservant of the Word involves the ministerin a wide scope of activities: preaching,watchman (So thou, son of man, I have setthee a watchman unto the house of Israel. .), witness, and as Paul tells Timothy,"be urgent in season and out of season."When we consider the functions of aminister, the list is nearly endless: teacherof the Word; conveyer of the Word topatients, invalids, perhaps prisoners injail, communicant classes, neighbors, theworld, ... In sum, the minister is aservant of the Word to (1) the church, and(2) the world.There are distinct disadvantages to apart-time minister. Consider, the problemof the calling: is it to his every day job, orto the Gospel ministry? Now obviously,one is going to get less time than theother, hence one or perhaps both will beless efficiently served. There is always alimit on time, and I'm certain that we allset priorities in our vocations, but isn't itprobable that with the part-time ministry,when priorities are established, fewer willbe gotten to and probably the most difficultone or ones will be postponed (indefinitely)?It is possible that conflicts will arise inthe two vocations: funerals, weddings,and such activities as counselling orvisiting the sick. I know of a case where aworking pastor was unable to attend thecourt of the denomination because his jobconflicted or did not permit him to be off atthat time.Third, the need for part-time ministersin the Covenanter Church does not exist,either financially or vocationally.Organized congregations are selfsupporting,contributing and raising theamount designated to Synod's budget.Presbvteries are now involved in their ownbudgets, so that at three levels the work ofthe church is being supported. If we add tothis the many outside causes (^AmericanBible Society, National Reform, RTF.private contributions to such activities asthe Billy Graham Crusade), we notice thaton the whole the church is not lacking infinancial substance. Now individualcongregations do have difficulty meetingtheir obligations to a pastor, and it is forthis reason that we're Presbyterian and aidis available. Either way, self-supporting oraid-receiving congregations can support aminister.When we look at the need vocationallyfor a part-time pastor, we should considerthat any function a minister can fulfill on apart-time basis, a ruling elder can alsofulfill (except for the sacraments). Theneed in the Covenanter Church is for fulltime ministers: pastors, counsellors,teaching elders, etc. What, if any, valuedoes a part-time minister have? From theScripture passages cited, it would appearvery little, if any. Avoiding the hassle over"full or part-time service", since allChristians are committed by the Covenantto be completely in the Lord, we deal herewith vocation and the question arises as towhether there is such a thing as a parttimeServant of the Word. It comes downto this in terms of values as we see this inthe New Testament preaching of theword. And it appears that should theservant of the Word be considered a parttime work, that service to the Word willbe seen solely in terms of the ministerialfunctions and duties, setting priorities andthen making value judgments concerningwhich ones should be attended to andwhich ones let go. Is this the picture of theNew Testament preacher?In summary, we see that the Bibleteaches that the minister is entitled to anadequate support, that part-timeministering is a pragmatic rather than aBiblical approach, since it is extemelydoubtful that one can make out a case for apart-time servant of the Word.THOMAS R. SMYTH(R. P Elder, Cambridge, Mass.)Editor's note What is yourreaction to what Me\srs. Smyth andJones are saying 0 Hon about tellingus ?JANUARY 17, 197.3 17

CHILDREN'S PRAYERS. Elsie B. Mills. Purnell and Sons Ltd.(Distributed by Scripture Press Publ., Inc.), 1969. 10 pp. $.98.Pre-schoolers will enjoy hearing, repeating, and learningthese seven short prayers in poetic form, as they see the colorfulpop-up pages. Little eyes can see in this book things for which tothank God. These prayers do not fall into conventional patterns.Betty FinleyLANGUAGE AND FAITH. Cornell Capa and Dale Kietzman,ed. Wyeliffe Bible Translators, Inc. Santa Ana, Calif. 1972.160 pp. $3.95 (pb); $8.95 (hb)."How could God be their God if He couldn't speak theirlanguage?" This might be one of the motivating questions forpeople actively committed to translating God's Word into theworld's languages. Language and Faith portrays pictorially andverbally the burdens, skills, obstacles, cultures, and joys encounteredby translators. It also skillfully informs the reader oflinguistic developments and the progress of translation aroundthe world, with special emphasis upon Southeast Asia and theSouthwest Pacific.This second Wyeliffe book in a decade featuring Bibletranslation left me with a renewed appreciation for an EnglishBible, but far greater an increased burden for other people tohave the Word in their tongues. I also finished this book with astrong impression of the relationship between a man's sense ofworth and belonging and an outsider's acceptance of andtranslation of that man's language. Highly recommended as aninformative book on Bible translation.EILEEN FALKWHY WORLD EVANGELISM? David M. Howard. IVP. $.15.To advocate Christian engagement in world evangelism isthe intent of this little booklet. (In the past this would have beencalled foreign missions.) The tract consists of one long sentencemade up of eighteen clauses beginning with "because" andleading to one conclusion which is "therefore worldevangelism." Each "because" has a Scriptural reference attachedfor a presumably Biblical argument.The tract attempts to take the reader by storm rather thanby patient presentation of whatever Biblical imperative forevangelism there may be. It is difficult to see how the conclusionreached follows from many of the reasons given. Anumber of the reasons given for world evangelism will havemore appeal if one has previously accepted the Arminiantheological position.The most useful page is the one having the bibliography.Read the books listed and you may have an intelligent grasp ofworld evangelism.This cute little book could easily lead to big error. Notrecommended.H. B. Harrington18DIVINE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE. Louis Gaussen.Kregel Publications, 1971. $5.95.Born in Geneva the Rev. Gaussen was pastor therefrom 1816 on. He, with Merle d'Aubigne and the ScottishHaldane brothers, were mighty defenders of historicChristendom at the time liberalism overran Geneva. That'swhy the corrupt "Compagnie des Pasteurs" disciplinedhim!This book, a reprint of the 1841 Scottish edition, waswritten after the modernistic "existential" and"destructive criticism" views began departing from theScriptural doctrine of inspiration. Gaussen's thesis concerningthe Scripture is, "it is God speaking in man, Godspeaking by man, God speaking as man, God speaking forman!'' The word of God, he contends, in all its content andlanguage comes straight from God's mouth and yet, to thelast iota, comes by the skill of men as well.This deep and comprehensive study is especiallysuitable for Bible scholars. Unfortunately, there are somemisprinted words, awkward English translation of theFrench, and many "big words" which may frighten thehaphazard reader.ROBERT MORE, JR.GENESIS IN SPACE AND TIME. Francis A. Schaeffer. IVP.1972. 167 pp. $2.25 (pb).This sketchy treatment of the first eleven chapters ofGenesis adds nothing to the already overloaded library shelvesdevoted to this topic. The treatment is admirably faithful to thetext of Scripture and for that we may be thankful in a day whenmany so-called Bible believers feel compelled to make myth outof what is, as Schaeffer affirms, plain history.The comprehensiveness of Eugene Merrill's AnHistorical Survey of the Old Testament (Craig Press, Nutley,N.J.), and the precise exegesis of Raymond Surburg's essay inDarwin, Evolution and Creation, (Concordia, St. Louis.) ed. P.Zimmerman, is altogether lacking. The current personality cultaround Schaeffer will give him a wider audience than theseexcellent writers can hope for.What is worse is that Schaeffer is good on noncontroversialmatters but silent when it comes to the matter ofthe length of days in Creation and the integrity of thegenealogies in relation to the ante-diluvian chronology. Heiseven silent on the relationship of science to the Scripture atthese points, except to say that the ' 'lack of finality in science"with respect to dating (of the origin of the earth) is one reasonfor making no decision on the meaning of the word day as usedin Genesis one! (p. 57) Elsewhere, Francis Bacon, theElizabethan scientist, is quoted with approbation when heespouses a blatantly dualistic world-view; although Schaeffer,evidently not appreciating Bacon'.s philosophical position, putshis own interpretation of Bacon's words into the old Thomist'sthought when it is just not there!A few questions are begged; Does Genesis 1:26necessarily imply the Trinity? Does Genesis 3:15' 'suggest themodern biological term mutation " ? (p. 98) What is the ' 'imageof God" in man? In two pages under this title Schaeffer onlysays that it is what differentiates man from non-man and doesnot even rise to the level of the answer to Q. 10 of the ShorterCatechism.Gordon KeddieCOVENANTER WITNESS

equire at least an additional threethousand pounds for the coming year."For a great door and effectual isopened unto me, ..." (I Cor. 16:9)."Finally, brethren, pray for us, thatthe Word of the Lord may have freecourse, and be glorified, even as it is withyou" (II Thess. 3:1).NOTICEAny minister visiting in the areawishing to supply the pulpit, or to candidatefor the Allegheny Congregation,please contact:Chester R. FoxR. D. No. 1 Freedom, Pa. 15042Phone 412-775-5888OAKDALE, ILL.(Robert Henning, Pastor)Rev. Robert McCracken of Marion,Iowa assisted our pastor during thecommunion season held in earlyNovember.Rev. and Mrs. Paul Wilson spoke atour Fall Thankoffering on Dec. 6.INDIANAPOLIS, IND.(Roy Blackwood, Pastor)Our Communion Service was held onOctober 15, 1972. Assisting Dr. Blackwoodwere Licentiate Robert Henningerand Elder Donald Fulk.Dr. Blackwood is preaching on a seriesentitled, "The Mediatorial Dominion ofChrist."There are some fifty high schoolersfrom Shortridge High School meeting atthe Church Center every Wednesdayevening under the leadership of RichJohnston.A unique baptismal service was heldon November 5, 1972, at which Mr.James McMahon, a member of thecongregation, and his daughter, Cheryl,age 11, received the sacrament of baptism.Mr. McMahon spoke briefly to thecongregation relating his Christianprofession.In another baptismal service onSeptember 17, 1972. Jerald AlanHulbert, son of Robert and LorettaHulbert, was baptized with his grandparents,Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Patton ofVero Beach, Florida, present.Irish R.P. Work in EireFor some years now a new interest inthe Scriptures and Gospel teaching hasbeen evident in our work amongst thepeople of the South.When the young people of the CorkCampaign work returned after their timein Cork this past summer, their reportswere encouraging, especially of their workin the coffee bar. These reports spoke ofmany young people seeking somethingworthwhile, ready and willing to talkabout what the Scriptures teach and thethings of Christ. Contact was also madewith some young Christians who expressedthe desire for systematic Bibleteaching and willingness to learn fromthose who were prepared to teach them.The Irish Evangelization Board feltcompelled to consider the need. Aftermany hours of deliberation and muchearnest prayer, the Board felt that Godwas laying before them definite needs inthe city. Accordingly the Board has askedtwo of our young men, Revs. A. C. Greggand C. Knox Hyndman, to go south for aperiod of a year to explore the possibility ofwork there.These young men have now signifiedtheir acceptance of the invitation andasked leave of absence from theirCongregations. They hope to go southearly in February 1973- It is hoped to havea public farewell meeting in Dublin RoadReformed Presbyterian Church, Belfast,on Monday evening 15th January at7:30.The Board has been grateful for thegenerous support which the members ofthe Church have given towards the workin Ireland. This encourages us to setbefore vou our financial needs for 19 7 3. Inview of the fact that we will be reviewingthe salaries of our present workers in theIrish field and with our new commitments,we estimate that we willFILM ON ALCOHOLISMTO BE DEVELOPEDIf you drink, don't drive!Alcoholism: America's number 4public health problem!It's called the Bumper Sticker Syndrome.It's been used for decades — and ithasn't worked!Temperance-oriented motion pictureshave failed too. Dire predictions aboutwhat will happen to the liver (or life) aftertwenty years of constant drinking are metwith a careless shrug of the shoulder.Sequences explaining how alcohol slowsreaction time, affects caution, judgmentand decision are met with polite tolerance."Give us something different,"school people on the state, county andlocal levels said. Produce a film that willhelp kids to prevent circumstances thatmay induce them to start using alcohol.From Public School Audio-Visualpeople, from Health Education peoplecame the same cry. Let's try something inthe newly emerging instructional pattern:something that will stress values andattitudes.So when Mrs. Lucile D. Edgar of LaMesa, California suggested a project tohonor the memory of the late Dr. J. D.Edgar, I told her about the need for thisfilm. This project gives me considerablepersonal satisfaction because as my teenage pastor Dr. Edgar's godly influencehelped set the direction of my life.The production cost will be dividedbetween the California Council onAlcohol Problems and Burt MartinAssociates, producers of many churchsponsoredfilms. The film will be dedicatedto Dr. Edgar. Right now the story line isbeing perfected in concert with PublicSchool Audio-Visual and HealthEducation Curriculum people.Bergen BirdsallExecutive DirectorCalifornia Council on Alcohol ProblemsEd. Note: Here's hoping that the "valuesand attitudes" presented in this him willdare to show Jesus Christ as the onK trueanswer to alcoholismJANUARY 17. 1973 19

Pray Ye Therefore...Here and gone. For a few short weeks it seemed like oldtimes to see the K. G. Smiths back in the mainstream of churchlife in and around Pittsburgh. And yet we all knew that theirstay was to be a brief and hurried one as they headed for yetanother foreign shore. Selfishly some of us wished that tbeywould stay State side, but all the while we realized that in God'splan, there is work for them to do in Cyprus. This picture wastaken at the Pittsburgh airport on the day of their departure,when we promised, some through tears, to pray for and supportthem. To make your prayer covenant specific, we hope you willconsider the matters mentioned on the right hand column ofthis page.Going out to the mission field for thefirst time requires far more adjustmentsand meeting with many more difficultsituations than new missionaries anticipate.Therefore, they need our specialprayers.*1. A New Culture. As soon as theystep off the plane or the boat therealization is brought to them that theyare living in absolutely new and unexpectedconditions. They are "foreigners"and therefore objects of curiosity and, insome places, of ridicule. The dress, food,houses, common courtesies andsalutations are all new. Of the sights,sounds and smells, many strike discordantnotes and the language barrier renders allthese things still more baffling andfrustrating.2. Language Study. The very first taskthat lies before them is the mastery of thenew language. In many lands today thereare excellent language schools and experiencedteachers to help the newcomer,but in spite of all these helps, it is a longand painstaking struggle in the vastmajority of cases before the newmissionary is able to express himself to thepeople or even fully to understand what isbeing said to him. Today far more isexpected and demanded of the foreignmissionary in his use of the language thanwas the case 30 years ago. He mustcontinually be in the position of a learnerand in many countries he will not hope tofully take his place in the work until he hascompleted his first term of service.3. Involvement with the People. Theaverage Anglo-Saxon has an inborn senseof superiority to other peoples and veryoften unconsciously reveals it to a painfuldegree, which alienates him from the verypeople whom he is seeking to win to theLord. Great care must be taken to learnthe customs of greeting people, not onlywhat you say but how you say it; andevery opportunity must be used tomanifest interest in and love for them,with a sincere desire to win their esteemand affection and become one with them.This is a process that takes time, patienceand much grace, but it is one of thegreatest secrets of becoming a successfulmissionary.*T.S. Soltau-third in a series on Prayer,which appeared in Newsletter WorldPresbyterian Missions, Inc. January1972. and published here with theirpermission.20 COVENANTER WITNESS

COVENANTER4 *>'' If- ^*S>^

iffifoMETHE VALUE OF LIFEModern man has sued God for "divorce." To allintents and purposes, he appears to have won his suit.Covenant bonds have been cast aside. A faithful life ofobedience to God's Word has been repudiated as slavery atworst or mental cruelty at best. Vows of loyalty and love toGod have been broken with the utmost impunity.Now man is "free" — able to enjoy himself and hisworld without the yoke of bondage to tie him to a dictatorialGod. The Creator-creature distinction has been obliterated.Now man can worship himself and his own achievements.Surely the Great Society cannot be far away?But the facts of contemporary history somehow don'tseem to support that conclusion. If our movies are any indicationof prevailing moods, we are doomed to utmostdespair. Instead of finding happiness in his newfoundfreedom, man has turned inward to look at himself and he isapparently disgusted and depressed by what he sees. Thefrequency of mental illness (much directly related to his newsexual "freedom") and the increasing rise in suicides overthe past ten years add their evidence that man is farther awaythan ever from finding his Utopia.And yet he rants and raves about the value of humanlife. He thwarts attempts to carry out capital punishmentbecause he declares we have no right to take life. And abreath later he gives blanket endorsement to the most liberalviews on abortion and mercy-killing.Is this schizoid man saying something that his owndeaf ears cannot hear? Could he be telling us that since hehas divorced himself from the Creator and Sustainer of alllife, he has lost all perspective on the value of life itself? Is heexperiencing the frustration of "No Exit" because hedoesn't even know who he is or where he's at?We invite your attention to the articles on pages 4 and10 which endeavor to stimulate us to think as Christians ontwo major areas where there is much discussion about thevalue of human life. We also wish that you will let us knowyour points of agreement and disagreement with what thesetwo authors have to say.RWN•Editor:I was struck by a recentconversation with my husband(member of another Reformeddenomination) concerning hisfirst impressions of the R. P.fellowship. He's been mostimpressed by the worshipservice itself. It's proper,reverent, and unique.However, he's not so sure thatwe realize this. It disturbs himto recognize that the R. P.denomination alone holds tothe position of exclusivepsalmody, and yet see us asworshippers so apathetic anddefensive about it. Do we notknow what abundant wealth isours in holding to this standard?If so, then why aren't wemore positive towards it? Whydon't we show some reverentpride and enthusiasm as we"stand to sing" in God'shouse? Though I'm a lover ofthe Psalms and my R. P.heritage goes generationsback, I had to plead guilty tothe accusation. I wonder ifthere are others.A Fifth Generation R. P.•X"• Editor:I sincerely hope you willreceive and publish replies toLois Gross' article. I believeher views represent those of avery small segment ofChristian mothers. Most willagree to the need forwholesome sex education inthe home, but few will endorsethe overt methods shesuggests. Her article is at leastprovocative.Name Withheld• Editor:Re. the Nov. 8 issue, Mr.Martin's ' 'no created object isin and of itself unclean."God's original creation, yes.But does it now exist? Did Godcurse it all — Gen. 3:17? Is itnow "subject to vanity,"groaning to be "delivered fromthe bondage of corruption" —Rom. 8:20,21? Is salvationonly a "new humanization"or a "new creation" — II Cor.5:17? Is Satan not "in and ofhimself unclean" — II Pet.2:4; I Jn. 5:18?Robert M. More, Jr.• Editor:Accepting Whose Average?In response to 'Public Repentance: Out of Date?':Anyone firmly convinced of what Scripture teaches andwhat the Confession reaffirms will no doubt have to agree withthe December 6th editoral. However, I would go a step furtherand ask, whether repentance Public or Private is going out ofdate?I for one would share the editor's optimistic view of ourdenomination. We are not altogether cast aboard a sinking ship,but as believers and members of the R.P.N.A. we should beburdened and seriously concerned about the necessity ofrepentance. "We have no right to expect God to bless us as aChurch if we tolerate sin 'within the camp'."The problem in capsule form whether speaking of a publicor private repentance is that as believers we all too often acceptman 's average as God's average. To be near God and to(Continued on page 15.)iCOVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottVOLUME LXXXIXNO. 3JANUARY 31, 1973Mrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, £ 2, 1 year;€3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 738 RebeccaAvenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.CONTENTSRev. Dean R. SmithARTICLES:Capital Punishment.What's In a Name?Official Publication of the Reformed Mid-Winter Beauty. .Prolonging Life.Presbyterian Church of N. A.What Is Your Evangelism Board Doing?Looking AheadPrinted bi-weekly under theFEATURES:A Word Due.supervision of the Board of"In Truth and Love"Glimpses. . . . .Education and Publication by the Hey Lookit.Bring the BooksPatterson Press, \\ inchester, Kansas."Count Her Towers""Count Our Davs"SUBSCRIPT ION INFORMATIONPlain Mr. Knox•I7S1014101213181920Plain Mr. KnoxIn observance of the 100thanniversary ot the birth of JohnKnox, the Scottish ReformationSociety is making available thistimely, exciting biography of JohnKnox.A limited number of copies areavailable through the Board ofEducation and Publication at SI.25'ostpaid. Send orders to:Second class postage paid atWinchester, Kansas 66097.MEMBER (^j»2$>»EVANGELICAL PRESS ASSOCIATIONt fn : iTf ""Board of Education and Publication~3N Rebecca Ave.Pittshuruh. Pa. 15221A.NL'ARY 31. 197.3

"We get the kind of villains we deserve" was astatement in an interview on the morning news program;that same night the TV showed the film, "In Cold Blood"at the end of which the two criminals who carried out thesenseless murder of the Clutter family were put to death bythe state of Kansas.The next morning the Bible passage for the "Read ItThrough in '72" Program (Romans 12 and 13) stated —1 'Never take vour own revenge, beloved, but leave room forthe wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I willrepay, says the Lord. . . . For rulers are not a cause for fearfor good behavior but for evil. . . But if you do what is evil, beafraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is aminister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the onewho practices evil."The next Lord's Day the minister preached on "HisGun — No Toy!'' Lately capital punishment has been in thenews, so it was a current issue.God has not organized the Bible topically. To find allthe verses on capital punishment and fit them together isdifficult. Then people are confused by the paradox in theChristian community. The modern theologian calls itbarbaric; some Bible-loving believers say, 'It's Biblical.'The liberal is against it so he appears to value life; the orthodoxman is for it so life must mean little to him.Confusion does exist today; the apparent value of lifedoes fluctuate like an unsteady market. This is illustrated by'The Associated Press announced the election results ofNovember 7, 1972 stating that California over-ruled itsSupreme Court on capital punishment . . . The CaliforniaSupreme voted six to one to outlaw the death penalty, butvoters decided to reinstate it. The U. S. Supreme Court hasoutlawed the penalty as it has been generally applied." Thusthe matter of life and death is treated as a thing to be decidedor redecided by popular vote.God is the author of order in a world that operates byprecision providence. What may appear as a world of chanceto the natural man is a kingdom that is under the lovingcontrol of a righteous Father who will not be turned fromHis purpose for His creation.When God created this wonderful universe, Hisjudgment was that everything "was very good." The recordfollowing includes — the creation of man in the image ofGod, man's rebellion against his Maker resulting in the Falland the marring of this image. Other results were soon toappear: the loss of paradise, the first murder — Cain slew hisbrother Abel, but God knew immediately for Abel's bloodcried from the ground where it had been spilled. (Gen. 4:10)God did not put Cain to death in the electric chair, butHe separated him from the ground. Cain went out from thepresence of the Lord (4:16), saying, "My punishment is toogreat to bear!" (4:13). He was fearful lest some one wouldtake revenge, so God appointed a sign for him, saying ifanyone did kill Cain vengeance would be taken on himsevenfold (4:15). Later a descendent of Cain, Lamech, said.Give heed to my speech, For I have killed a man forwounding me; and a boy for striking me; if Cain is avengedsevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold." (4:23-24)

This wicked race of men so polluted the world thatGod soon had to stop the whole calendar ot history by asentence of death on the race of mankind, except for oneman, Noah, who with his family found favor with God(6:8).Immediately after this "death sentence was carriedout by the Flood. God promised that never again would Hehandle things that way. God's purpose for the human raceand the world must go forth in an orderly way without suchinterruptions occurring periodically.A new era began. God placed responsibility in man'shands. "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shallbe shed, for in the image of God, He made man." (Gen.9:6) This is one of God's basic commandments.Later God chose a man, Abram, "in order that hemay command his children and his household after him tokeep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness andjustice." (Gen. 18:19) So the new covenant relation tookspecial note that "the intent of man's heart is evil from hisyouth" (Gen. 8:21). We must be trained from childhoodnot by a permissive pattern dictated by popular opinion of theday.God revealed a pattern of His own, and over and overagain we read "shall surely be put to death." Exodus 21gives us several samples — He who strikes a man so that hedies. (v. 12), he who strikes his father or mother. . (v.15), he who kidnaps a man. , (v. 16). He who curses hisfather or his mother " (v. 17); all these and many morecarried the penalty "that man shall surely be put to death."Death was the penalty for other transgressions -- idolatry,adultery, immorality, the disregard of the Sabbath, etc. (Lev.21:10-23; Numbers 35:10-31).If a man was under the sentence of death, he could notbe ransomed; he must die. So you shall not pollute the landin which vou are: for blood pollutes the land and no expiationcan be made for the land for the blood that is shed onit, except bv the blood of him who shed it. And you shall notdefile the land in which vou live, in the midst of the sons ofIsrael" (Num. 35:31 31).If the people did not take care of the execution ofjustice, God said that he would set His face against that manand his family (Lev. 20: 1-6). Over and over He states thatHe will cut off that person who is guilty - as in the eating ofblood, idolatry, immorality, the one who neglects thePassover, one who does anything defiantly, blasphemes theLord, despises the word of the Lord and breaks His commandment— that person shall be completely cut off. It is aperpetual statute (I.e\. 17:10; 20:2-11: Numbers 9: 1 3 :15:30-31: 19:13.20.21).But death could not be inflicted by the testimony ofone witness, it must be by two or three: a false witnesswould suffer the same sentence that he was intending tobriny to the one against whom he was bringing falseevidence. So it was a very serious thing. "The hand of thewitnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, andafterward the hand ot all the people, so vou shall purge theevil from \our midst" (Deut. 1^:0-7).(.niitinued nil now page.)5

Capital Punishment (F"You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers inall your towns which the Lord your God is giving you,according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people withrighteous judgment." (Deut. 16:18). "You shall not pityhim, but you shall purge the blood of the innocent fromIsrael that it mav go well with you." (Deut. 19:13).It is often taken for granted that life for life was putaway by Christ, but in Matt. 5:17-22 Christ talks of inwardfeelings that deserve the judgment of death. It is true Christtells us to overlook minor insults, but the New Testamentreminds us to fear God who has the right to take vengeancein wrath. The passage in Romans 13 is one New Testamentconfirmation of the death penalty. Government has beeninstituted by God to execute justice. Therefore the police donot carry toy pistols; the army does not shoulder makebelieverifles."If possible, as far as it depends on you, be at peacewith all men" (Rom. 12:18). God urges prayer "for kingsand all who are in authority, in order that we may lead atranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity." (I Tim.2:2).God's plan calls for keeping things in check so menmay dwell together and prepare for eternity. In this life wemust develop a respect for life and law. We must come tosubmit ourselves to the pattern which these display. In orderto bring this about in our lives God has given us the institutionsof the family, the church and civil government.Because by nature we are stubborn and rebellious, God hasordained that the home use the rod of discipline (Prov.1 3 :24; 22:15), the church the keys of the kingdom (Matt.16:19), and civil government the sword (Rom. 13:4).When parents had a stubborn and rebellious son andcould not command his obedience, they were to bring him,and all the men put the child to death (Deut. 21:18-21).These laws for God's people did not mean wholesale murderof children, but the diligent use of every means (Deut. 6:6-9) to bring up their children to respect life and to submit toauthority.The person who believes that the Bible teaches capitalpunishment as a continuing command is not a person who istrigger happy, or a man who wants to throw the switch ondeath row; rather he is more likely a father who manages hisown household well, keeping his children under control withall dignity (I Tim. 3:4), who does not provoke his childrento anger but brings them up in the nurture and instruction ofthe Lord (Eph. 6:4). His home is a training school where inlove he commands so that his children can go out able to livewith others, ready to establish godly homes, prepared to bearthe responsibility of law abiding citizens.Fie knows that if he shirks his covenant duties thechildren mav become a law to themselves to suffer for timeand eternity.The question of capital punishment gets down to thebasics;if these fundamentals were understood and practiced,many problems would be seen in a different light; the wholeof life would be lived in a manner foreign to today's patternof war, fear and frustration.Because we disregard one of God's most explicitcommands, we are reaping what we have sown. Just note thevarious items that present themselves as news and considerhow they came about through the lack of respect for humanlife (the image of God in the person) and the lack of submissionto authority. Study the home life — the pattern inwhich they developed.Thus if man is to live in the eternal kingdom of God forwhich his time in this world is but a preparation, he mustlearn to live with respect for life, for authority and in submissionto the eternal laws of God. Else he can never go to aplace where there is good will and peace and happiness underGod with his fellow men. (Rev. 21:8,27; 22:15).If man fails to perform his tasks in training hischildren, God will cut them off, separate them to themselves(sin separates man from the ground, from others and fromGod) and at last will cut off His own grace and face that theyto themselves will undergo a punishment seven timesseventy-sevenfold ad infinitum, but they must bearitthrough all eternity with no relief.Should you not do your utmost for that child of yours,for that boy in the church, for that man who never had achance to learn these lessons as a boy? God's law can not beput aside. The penalty of death will be administered, if not intime, in eternity.Would that each child might enjoy the love andcompanionship of a Christian home, the fellowship of afaithful church, and the blessings of a law-abiding society!May God grant us strength and wisdom for the task!PAUL E. FARIS(R. P Pastor, Lisbon, New York)nCOVENANTER WITNESS

IDhat's InIt was Shakespeare's opinion that "Arose by any other name is still a rose."And without much thought, most of uswould probably agree with him. The namethat you give to something or someoneshouldn't really make any difference to thething or person himself. My name couldbe Joan or Peggy or Mahitabel Lou and Iwould still be the same person I am now asKathy. Or would I be?Sbakespeare thought so, but as I thinkabout the giving of names in Scripture thisis not the prevailing attitude. A person'sname is considered very important,perhaps even having an influence on hislife. The business of giving a name is asignificant task and not to be taken lightly.One of the first tasks given to man as apart of his commission to subdue the earthwas to give names to all living creatures.Adam looked at all the creatures and gavethem names and it is believed by some thatthis naming also stated to some degree thefunction and position of that particularcreature.Adam even gave the name "woman"to Eve when sbe was created. He calledher "woman" because "she was takenout of Man." (Gen. 2:23) So the namingof Eve proclaimed to some extent herposition and function in relation to Adam.The Bible goes on to say "Therefore shalla man leave his father and his mother, andshall cleave unto his wife: and they shallbe one flesh." Not only did the name"woman" remind Eve of her position andfunction, but it reminded Adam of hisresponsibility toward this "woman."In the garden, while creation was stillin a perfect state, a name was a verysignificant thing. One name was not justas good as the next for any particularcreature.After Adam had named all thecreatures the business of giving names waslargely the responsibility of parents of newoffspring. Seeing how godly parents in theScriptures did this is interesting. A namewas usually given for some very specificreason.Often the name told ot someexperience in the life of the parent at thetime of the child's birth. More importantly,the name told of God's specificwork in the life of the parent.JANUARY 31. 10~\3In the New Testament God directlya Earnerdecreed the names for John the Baptistand Jesus. In the case of Jesus iSa\ ior) thename told what His work on this earth wasto be, and Mary and Joseph knew exactlywhv this name had been chosen for theirson.Eve named her third son Seth. saying. In a number of cases in the Scriptures"For God, hath appointed me another God changed a person's name. Heseed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew." changed Abram to Abraham, Sarai to(Gen. 4:25) Lamech named his son Noah, Sarah, Jacob to Israel, Simon to Peter,saying, "This same shall comfort us and Saul to Paul. In each case the changeconcerning our work and toil of our marked and told of a new intimatehands, because of the ground which the relationship between God and that person.Lord hath cursed." (Gen. 5:29) Joseph A name is so much a part of the wholenamed his first son Manasseh, saying, person, that when these people were"For God hath made me forget all my changed into new creatures God alsotoil, and all my father's house." (Gen. changed their names.41:51) The daughter-in-law of Eli the From this Biblical perspective a namepriest named her son Ichabod, saying, is not just a label for identification purposesonlv. Even in our pagan society it is"The glory is departed from Israel:because the ark of God is taken." (I Sam. recognized to some extent that a name is a4:21,22)personal thing involving the whole person.These children certainly knew the Mo one likes to be identified by a numbermeaning of their names and had most asif they were an impersonal object justprobably heard the meaning explained like any other. We all prefer our namesmany times by their parents. The name which show us to be unique and of individualworth.was a continual witness for both the childand parent to the personal work of God. Yet it often seems that a name isAt times God intervened in a direct assigned to a child with as little thought orway in the naming of some children. meaning as a number. I don't think we canHosea was called to prophesy to the nation draw very specific conclusions from theof Israel and the naming of his children way children were named in the Bible, butplayed an intricate part in this prophecy- we should realize that the giving of namesGod commanded Hosea to name his is an important task in God's eyes anddaughter, Loruhamah, "for I will not should reflect His attitude.more have mercy upon the house of In a general wav we might concludeIsrael; ." Hosea was told to name his that a name should have meaning to bothson Loammi, "for ye are not my people, the child and the parents. A name mayand I will not be your God." (Hosea express some experience in the life of the1:6,9) Later God cbanged the names of parents in their relationship with God, orthese children and His message to Israel hopes for the character or work of thesaving, "I will have mercy upon her that child. A name can be used to teach a childhad not obtained mercy: and I will say to about some aspect of God and His creationthem which were not my people. Thou art in a very personal way. Not only throughmv people: and thev shall saw Thou art our genes, but also through the names wemy God." (Hosea 2:23)give we have a great influence on the livesThese names were a witness not only of our children.to the parents and children, but to a whole When vour child asks why he wasnation. In the case of these particular given this or that name what will he learnchildren, imagine the impact their original when you tell him that you just liked thenames and then their changed names must sound of it. or that it's always been in thehave had upon them in teaching them family, or that you foundit the best from aabout God and His redemption in an list of common names? In our society theextremely personal way.reasons we choose a name usually do notreflect a Biblical attitude. This makes itKATHY STEGALLdifficult to give meaningful names. Godlvparents will have to be creatbe in naming\bout the author: Kathy is thi. wife of their children it we are to reclaim tor ouru minarian Ronald St L gall and t/k an it IK children I the true relevance and value ofnl two clnldnn. (a/eh and Ci

The things God has made should not necessarily old age — when life draws them ? Each of us who is clothedalways make me consider how they seems empty, hopeless, and a cold in the white robes of Christ'saffect me spiritually. What is God telling attitude sets in, do I bundle up in selfpity,remorse and selfishness?reveal Jesus to each person in our life —righteousness has a responsibility tome through what I see in the winter,whether in a snow storm, the sun Trees, bushes, and all nature are especially to those in our homes. Here issparkling on new-fallen snow, or the given a lovely white blanket of snow by where our lives are most bare. How canbarren trees and ground with no God to keep tender buds protected from I cover up my sin scars, my brokencovering?cold wind and drying out. It covers the promises to God, my deformedBare trees reveal the basic structure imperfections, and the glistening beauty Christian life, my heart hardened •intand shape. Nothing is hidden — like in the sunshine draws a person outside the shape it's in ? How can I get rid ofscars, broken branches, bird's nests, to get a close-up view. Do people want a the thoughts nested into my mind thatdeformed trunk. How is a soul bared to close-up view of your life because your repeatedly reproduce evil words andGod and man ? In the winter of life — inner spiritual beauty shines out and actions ?

\I If «- tS\S¥ \mw "• *-*r—•— —- - -reputation I give His Name. That's why ' 'For as the rain cometh down, andHe has given so many helps and the snow from heaven, and returnethpromises of victory to motivate me in not thither, but watereth the earth, and VIRGINIA McBURNEYthe right way. Psalms 34, 63, and 103 maketh it bring forth and bud, that itare full of promises and responsibilities may give seed to the sower, and bread toAbout the Author: Virginia McBurney,to assure the closeness and blessing of the eater: so shall my Word be that wife of the Denison, Kansas R. P. pastor,God. Isaiah 55 questions our purposes goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall is responsible both for the text and theand aims in life, calling us to come to not return unto me void, but it shall beautiful winter sketches in this articlGod, forsake our ways and thoughts, accomplish that which I please, and it and the front cover of this issue of theand seek God's mercy and pardon, and a shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent Witness.full and fruitful life. A faithful lifewitnessed by others gives them hopeIsaiah 55:11,12.

EUTHANASIA QUESTIONEuthanasia comes from the Greek, meaning "an easydeath" or "a good death." The practice of mercy-killingwas once an accepted part of many societies. Eskimos, forexample, who could not survive otherwise would let agedpeople die as painlessly as possible when the food supply ranshort. On the other hand, modern Western societies wereoriented toward the protection of individuallife regardless ofthe cost, especially favoring the helpless and the weak. Atthe same time, the withholding of extraordinary measures tosustain life was widely condoned in private. Most physiciansagreed that when the family consented and when thepatient's condition was clearly shown to be terminal,measures to prolonglife were not required.ProlongingLife....CURRENTTRENDSThe next step was "passive" or "negative"euthanasia. This type of euthanasia involves the withholdingof the usual life-preserving measures in the hope of shorteningpainful or "useless"life indirectly. For example, ifthe only means of sustaining thelife of a terminal cancerpatient in a comatose state was through intravenous feeding,the LV would be withdrawn and death would follow. This"passive" euthanasia was practiced by many physicianswhen, in their judgment, it was the only humane course ofaction. In a recent survey of a group of medical professors,87 per cent favored "negative" or "passive" euthanasia.The taking of definite measures to terminate orshortenlife — "positive" or "active" euthanasia — is notgenerally condoned in Western society at the present time.In an address at the opening of the new medical school inNottingham, England, Sir George Pickering expressed thenow prevailing opinion about euthanasia among Britishphysicians when he said, "I reject euthanasia — killingpeople is not what doctors should, or could do." At thesame time, he was in favor of letting the aged die withdignity and not trying to prolong the lives of "old men and10women stuffed with other people's viscera. . ." Variouseuthanasia groups argue that there is very little differenceethically between "active" and "passive" euthanasia, onceit has been decided thatit would be best for a patient not togo on living.The Euthanasia Educational Fund, whose membershiphas grown from 600 in 1969 to over 5,000 in 1972, hasreceived more than 65,000 requests for living wills. Thesedocuments are designed to help physicians and families makedecisions about life-prolonging measures in terminalillnesses where the patient is unable to give his wishes. Aperson executing a living will indicates that he does not feardeath as much as he fears the indignity of deterioration,dependency, and hopeless pain. The signer asks that whenany of these conditions are present he be permitted to die "indignity." It was generally felt that these documents did notbind the physician or the family legally. However, they didhelp the consciences of both when the terminal patient wasin a coma or when his reasoning and judgment faculties werepermanently impaired.The medical and legal professions arestill quite uncertainas to their respective roles in making the necessarydecisions. How much should be left to the doctor, a committeewith lay members, or the courts? Arguments weregiven for all these, but in general the physicianstill took themajor responsibility, consulting with the family whenpossible.ORGAN TRANSPLANTSNew problems presented themselves in relation toorgan transplantation. This new and powerful technique ofprolonging life depended on the recovery of useable organsfrom a donor as soon as possible after death. The kidneys orheart from a person who is dead remain useable for a limitedtime and can be transferred to a patient needing a transplant.The shorter the time interval, however, the better thechances for a successful transplant. A physician caring forboth the donor and the recipient would be in a position ofpotential conflict over the care of his two patients.Therefore, it was generally agreed that a different physicianor group should be responsible for the care of the donor andmake decisions quite independent of the needs of therecipient and his physician. These decisions were generallymade by more than one physician.The question then arose, ' 'What is meant by death?"In an attempt to redefine death, the State of Kansas in 1971enacted the first law in the United States that attempted todefine death, taking into account problems of organ transplants.In part this is how it reads: "A person will beconsidered medically and legally dead if, in the opinion of aphysician, based on ordinary standards of medical practice,there is the absence of spontaneous brain function; and . . .(that if) during reasonable attempts to either maintain orrestore spontaneous circulatory or respiratory function inthe absence of aforesaid brain function, it appears thatfurther attempts at resuscitation or supportative maintenancewill not succeed, death will have occurred at theCOVENANTER WITNESS

time when these conditions first coincide. Death is to bepronounced before artificial means of supporting respiratoryand circulatory function are terminated and before any vitalorgan is removed for purpose of transplantation."Needless to say, this statute had mixed reception inboth legal and medical professions. Some argued that death isa process, not a precise event, and therefore, any attempt topinpoint the exact moment of death is arbitrary. On theother hand, others argued that death must be defined interms of a precise event.BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVEHaving stated the major problems of "mercy killing"with which the medical and legal professions are faced, thequestion arises as to what the Scriptures say abouteuthanasia. Are there principles which the Word of Godgives to those who are faced with a situation in whicheuthanasia may be a viable alternative?In attempting to answer these questions we must firstlook at what the Bible says about death. There are twoviewpoints of death in the Scriptures. In the first place, deathis the most natural of events. "It is appointed unto men onceto die" (Hebrews 11:27). In this viewpoint death may beaccepted without rebellion and without the desire to prolonglife at all costs. Realizing that Jesus' going to Judea wouldplace Him in great danger, possibly imminent death,Thomas said to the disciples, "Let us also go, that we maydie with him" (John 11:16).In the second place, death is the most unnatural ofevents. It is the penalty for sin (Romans 6:23). It meansseparation from God and is to be feared as such.Both viewpoints are found in the Bible and should notbe overlooked. Death is a biological necessity. Physical decayand death are inescapable. Yet the Bible speaks of death asthe result of sin. In Romans 5:12, the Apostle Paul tells usthat "by one man sin entered into the world, and death bysin." But when we read the account of Adam's sin (Genesis3), we find that Adam did not die physically on the day thathe disobeyed God. And in the fifth and sixth chapters ofRomans Paul is contrasting the death that came aboutthrough the sin of Adam with the life that Jesus Christbrings men. The possession of eternal life does not cancel outphysical death. So that we may infer from all this that deathwhich is a result of sin is more than a bodily death. Weshould understand that physical death was the result ofAdam's sin, and that the penalty includes both the physicaland spiritual aspects. So that it seems better to understanddeath as something that involves the whole man. In otherwords, man does not die as a body. He dies as a man, in thetotality of his being — spiritual and physical.The Bible deals with death as it deals with all reality.And, one finds that the outstanding feature of NewAbout the author: Jim Wright is pastor of theOrlando, Florida R. P Church: he was previously amedical student at the University of Kansas. Hisfather, R. Paul Wright, is a medical doctor in KansasCity.JANUARY 31. 1973Testament teaching on death is that the emphasis is on life. Ifwe look up the word nekros (dead) in a concordance, we findthat in most places it is used with relation to the resurrectionfrom the dead. Death is treated more or less incidentally, asthat from which men are saved. Hebrews 2:1-1 speaks otChrist taking upon Himself our nature " that throughdeath he might destroy him that had the power of death, thatis. the devil." The devil is no absolute disposer of deathbecause his power is always subject to God's over-ruling.Christ came to put an end to death, and it was through Hisdeath that He defeated Satan. Apart from Christ, death is thesupreme enemy, the terrifying svmbol of alienation fromGod, the ultimate horror. But Christ died that men mightlive. He has used death to deliver men from death, and it issignificant that the New Testament speaks of believers as"sleeping" rather than "dying" (I Thess. 4:14).The resurrection of Christ indicates the extent of Hisvictory over death, and the whole of the New Testament'snote of triumph originates with this event. In Acts 3:15Christ is called "the Prince of life," in Romans 1-1:9,"Lord both of the dead and living," and in I John 1:1, "theWord of life." Jesus' victory over death is complete andfinal. While death's destruction is certain (Rev. 21:1),Christ's victory is made available to His people. Not only isthere a glorious future, there is a glorious present. Those inChrist have already passed out of death into life (John 5 : 21).Death cannot separate him from God, because Jesus said,"If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death" (John8:51). These words do not deny the reality of biologicaldeath, but they do point us to the truth that the death ofChrist means that the believer has passed out of the statewhich is death. He is brought into a new state which is called"life." In due course, the believer will die physically, butthe sting of death has been withdrawn. The death of Jesusmeans victory over death for His followers.From the Scriptures, then, we find that theprolongation of life here on earth in our physical bodies is notthe final goal for the Christian or, for that matter, the non-Christian. We are strangers and pilgrims on this earth. Sothat when a decision has to be made with regard to theprolongation of human biological existence of not. severalbasic Scriptural principles must be the guide.First, to follow Christ's example of love. Is the actionto be taken in the best interests of the patient, himself andhis family?Second, to pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit, forChrist promises that He will be our Comforter and ourGuide.Third, to seek the advice of Christian friends andphysicians. "In the multitude of counsellors there is safety"(Prov. 21:6).Fourth, to have the assurance that,if after the decisionhas been made either to continue supportative measures orto discontinue these measures. God who is so\ereign canoverrule in all matters. "Shall not the Judge of all the earthdo right?" (Gen. IS: 25).JAMES M. WRIGHTl I

MISSIONARY PILOT INSURANCERequired by law to insure its (approximately100) pilots, the MissionAviation Fellowship found that theycould deposit $75,000 in a Statecontrolledfund, just slightly more thanannual insurance would have been, andthus meet the legal insurancerequirement. The MAF headquarters isin Fullerton, Cal.NATIONAL HANGOVER"About 9 million Americans, 1 in15 of us over age 18, are alcoholics."This is the way Sylvia Porter, syndicatedfinancial columnist, refers toour alcoholism problem. The secularcommunity seems at times to view ourneeds more realisticly than do thosecommissioned to speak in God's name.The trouble is, the secular communityhas no solution. Ms. Porter appears tomeasure the worth of remedial stepsbeing taken purely in terms of moneyspent. Yet the "rehabilitation centers"for alcoholics that are multiplying aspublic money becomes available — andindustry money, including grantseagerly offered by distillery companies,seem to do more to nurse the alcoholicalong in his habit, than to rehabilitatehim - - or her. It's popular today tomake light of the "anti-saloon leaguerand WCTU-er" but not so popular toecho Habakkuk, "Woe to him thatgiveth his neighbour drink, that puttestthy bottle to him, and makest himdrunken alsoIsit true that drunkenness and suchsocial ills have been reduced underCommunist countries? The alternativeto willing submission to the Mediator,the Lord Jesus Christ, is the less thanwilling submission to civil force.Dr. Schwarz, anti-communistcrusader, characterized one of hisdebate opponents. Prof. Roger Dittman,of California State U. at Fullerton, asbeing for communism with a small ' 'c''and as being opposed to the free enterprizesystem. One trouble is thathistoricly.it has taken a big "C" and aIRev. Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010big stick to make communism work, tothe extent that it has, and theelimination of "free enterprise" hasusually been accompanied with the lossof many other freedoms also. What doesall this have to do with our ' 'nationalhangover?" Surely God's people needto be proclaiming some Habakkukwarnings and some gospel commands,such as "Repent."AMERICAN CIVIL RELIGIONIt is not just Calvinists who believein the sovereignty of God over everyarea of life who see the religiouscharacter of our public life (Glimpses,25 Oct. 1972). Christianity Todayreports a colloquium on "Civil Religionin America" co-sponsored by theAmerican Jewish Committee (AJC) andthe Southeastern (Southern) BaptistSeminary. It deplored "tendencies ofcertain proselytizing movements whichdo not adequately respect the integrityof diverse religious and cultural groupsand which manifest inadequate respectfor personhood." This "marks the firsttime that a Southern Baptist groupjoined in a resolution repudiatingproselytism of other groups, includingews.Then EP reports that the Rev. PaulTreat II, of Amherst UnitarianUniversalist Church in Buffalo, N.Y.,says that behind this "grind of holinessand apartness" there is implied animmunity to questions the public wouldlike to ask the President. Mr. Treat saysAmerica has its "exodus from the landof Pharaoh," that is, the AmericanRevolution, its 'Torah," the Constitution,and its "sacraments,"Thanksgiving, Memorial Day.Christmas. We consider ourselves achosen people. "As our power increasedso did our sense of selfrighteousness."He urges Americans to"seek after the truth," even if we stirup the anger of the gods.Again Christianity Today remindsus that "Lenin damned Capitalism forits 'rottenness, mendacitv, andhypocrisy,' and for housing 'ademocracy that is curtailed, wretched,false.' ' Also, they quote AlexanderTyler, writing 200 years ago, "Ademocracy can only exist until thevoters discover that they can votethemselves largesse from the publictreasury." And CT adds, "Marxismand Utopianism have been indigenized,and the attack both on democracy andthe economic structure is even moredeadly from within than from without.""REVOLUTION" BOOKSREVIEWEDThe lead book review (perhapsitshould be "books" since it is a multiplereview of 3 books) in the current issue ofChristianity Today is contributed by theRev. John White, Dean of ReligiousServices of Geneva College. The twoformer books, comments Mr. White,actually reconstruct, or misconstruct,the data we have about Jesus, while the3rd book rejects the fitting of Jesus"into the mold of a militant Jewishmilitant." Mr. White finds that thisthird author, George R. Edwards,however, also gives a distorted pictureof Jesus because he writes from theperspective "the higher critical view ofbiblical evidence held by the writerswhom he criticizes.'' Mr. White gives aclear statement of the correct approachto Scriptural evidence, while he calls usto recognize the real "counter-culturalnature of Christianity." No doubt herefers to that quality of Christianwitness which in the first Century,caused people to regard Christianmissionaries as those "who turned theworld upside down."THE ONE ROOM SCHOOLPerhaps the one room is not theanswer to public secular education, butapparently the Amish of certaincounties in northern Ohio find it thelesser of what is undesirable. Accordingto the Cleveland Plain Dealer (sent meby a reader) this Amish community has744 enrolled in grades 1 through 8.They have 16 schools, some of themtwo room, and they need two more bynext year. The recent Supreme Courtdecision has encouraged the communityin their plans for the future. The firstcourt case in Ohio regarding nonattendanceat public schools, was in1911. The court decided in favor of theAmish, and that is as far as that casewent.12 COVENANTER WITNESS

Am, *djn,Kjjt'u> JWMI, JJO do-fa 4- Jitrv^U JO M~-^O jtytL- /OJ&yr& JfiJurrrjkjL, AAA J^UfL^rmJUtoJU JLrvt, JjhA Jud^L -^v£ XJUJfAjrwtAjiA. MA, AMXTUACU **- w V .Climbing, climbing, climbing,Alwavs with a reason.Climbing, climbing, climbing.No matter what the season.Climbing, climbing, climbing,Alwavs with the rope.Climbing, climbing, climbing,Ne\er losing hope.Lvdia Nickerson.Ur l.t>ok\Dogs Bark.And I hear a LarkIn a tree.Singing happily.IANUARY 31. IT3Animal SoundsBethany NickersonMy name is Bethany and I have reel hair andbrown eves.Butif there is another girl named Bethany withred hair and brown eves, she wouldn't be likeme.Betham Nickerson1 3

What Is YourEvangelism Board Doing?It's been some time since you'veheard from Synod's Board ofEvangelism. You may not have beenaware that there was an evangelismboard. It is our hope that this article willhelp to reacquaint you with the Board ofEvangelism, its purpose and its activities.The purpose of the Board is outlinedin its constitution as follows: "We willassume assigned responsibility, thecontinuing development of long rangepolicies and programs in the work ofevangelism throughout the ReformedPresbyterian Church at large.""Toward that end we will be diligent inour effort to determine evangelismneeds and opportunities on personal,congregational, presbytery, and synodlevels and then bring before Synod suchpolicy and program recommendations asare necessary to stimulate, encourage,and instruct the Church in meetingthose needs or fulfilling those opportunities."The Board does not operate independentlyof other boards andcommittees of Synod, however. Thework of foreign missions, homemissions, church extension, andChristian education all involveevangelism. Thus, our Board does nothave an exclusive claim on evangelism.It has the responsibility for workingwith other boards and committees andhelping them to coordinate theirevangelistic plans and emphases.Responsibility for discussing questionsrelating to evangelism and helping toformulate general policy and practicealso falls on the evangelism board.HOW DOES THE BOARDDO ITS WORK?The Board is presently divided intothree major committees. The Committeeon Materials, Publication andPromotion has the responsibility todevelop and handle a tape ministrywhich will make available a variety oftapes on evangelism and related subjects.It is also responsible to discover,promote or produce theologically soundtracts and related evangelistic materials;to organize articles for publication onevangelistic subjects, and to organizedisplays on evangelism when requested.The Committee on Theology andMethods of Evangelism is responsible tostudy and promote all legitimatemethods by which the Gospel isproclaimed and to survey eachpresbytery concerning evangelisticpractice.The Committee on Long RangeGoals and Training Programs has theresponsibility to promote means bywhich the church is prepared for faithfulevangelistic work and review thepolicies of the Boards.WHAT ARE SOME OF THEBOARD'S RECENT ACTIVITIES?For a long time, the Board has beenfinding out and evaluating what otherpeople are doing in evangelism. When anew man came onto the Board, he wasusually given a training program inwhich he was sent to receive instructionin evangelism techniques and methodsbeing used by other individuals orDEAN R. SMITHgroups. This had the advantage ofbroadening our experience, but oftentimes the methods were such that theycould only be used in certain situations.In addition, it was often difficult to findevangelistic methods which wereconsistent with the Reformed faith.Some of the evangelistic methods whichare most popular today are based uponArminian theology which does notreally acknowledge man's inability tosave himself, or to even cooperate in hisown salvation apart from God's grace.The concept of God's sovereignty insalvation is rejected by many who arethe most outspoken in evangelism.One of the most recent activities ofthe Board was the sponsoring of a Pre-Synodic Conference on Evangelism. Thespecial speaker for the occasion was Rev.Albert N. Martin, a Reformed Baptistpastor from New Jersey. Dr. James D.Carson also gave an address on"Christian Fellowship as a Base forEvangelism" which will appear in theWitness in the near future. The conferencewas an encouragement and achallenge to all of the ministers andelders who were present. Tentativeplans are being made for a similarprogram in 1974 at our NationalConference.14 COVENANTER WITNESS

The fall meeting ot the Board washeld at Geneva College to coincide withthe visit of Dr. Francis Schaeffer. TheBoard met with Dr. Schaeffer to discussevangelism and related subjects. Again,we were seeing the importance ofdoctrine and theology as it relates toevangelism. Dr. Schaeffer challenged usto have compassion for a lost individualand try to determine where he is in histhinking and present Christ in responseto his needs and understanding. Thesame presentation can not be given to allmen for men are different. We see thistype of evangelism in the different waysChrist approached Nicodemus, areligious Pharisee; and the woman atthe well, who had an immoralbackground. Dr. Schaeffer warned aboutkeeping the content in the Gospel.Phrases like "love Jesus", "turn on toJesus", "trust Christ" and manyothers are readily accepted by manypeople who have no concept of whoJesus is and what is involved insalvation.Over the last few years, the Boardhas become aware that the primaryvalue of the training experiencesreceived by Board members was limitedto the Board and perhaps a few others,while the church at large has notbenefitted. In addition, the Board doesnot feel that it has been as helpful topresbyteries and congregations as itmight. A new program has been approvedthat after men receive trainingthey will be made available topresbyteries and congregations and seekopportunities to visit and helpcongregations in their evangelism.During 1973, the Board hopes to beable to regularly present differentaspects of evangelism in the Witness. Inaddition, evangelistic tapes will befeatured during the year and pastors andcongregations will be encouraged tomake use of them.The Evangelism Board desires to beof help in any way to encourage andsupport evangelism throughout thechurch. Requests for help or informationcan be directed to thePresident of the Board: Rev. RobertMcFarland, 711 Gove Street. Quinter.Kansas 67752.REPENTENCE (From page 2)andJL.04P&."God near us is the whole pir-ose of the Christian life. Withouta sincere self-examination and repentance there can be no faceto-facefellowship with our God. An unrepentant heart reveals aproud, cold, self-satisfied person or denomination. James tellsus God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble, (Jas.4:6).Scripture commands us to repent as believing men andalso to preach upon the subject, "that repentance and theforgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nationsbeginning at Jerusalem," (Luke 24:47). The only acceptablesacrifice to God is a broken spirit in an individual or as in theeditoral by the corporate church in public.Discipline is a word that connotes training, control,punishing with firmness and yet love in a sincere way. It is to beexercised by all believers and most certainly by the Church. Yetsadly, it would appear our Church, laymen and elders are guiltyof permitting a little leaven to ruin the whole lump. We havefailed to preach enough on repentance and to fully exercise thisdiscipline urged by Paul in II Corinthians 7.One might suggest the reason our Church has had adifficult time wrestling with important beliefs, i.e. communion,Christian liberty is because we refuse to accept the Bible'sdirective on authority and exercising discipline which I feelrightly includes repentance. Again we are prone to take man'saverage as God's average.Simply because a tradition or belief is changed does notnecessarily mean we have sold out or are headed for ruin.However, if we keep accepting the average of the world andrefuse to repent first as individual believers and as a Church wewill be like "hollow men." Unless we rid ourselves of the deepseatedtendency to pretend we are all right and turn to sincererepentance we will be on the path to ruin and chastisement.The Covenant of 1871 which we affirm is binding uponus and basically solid in its contents. But unless we bind ourselvesto its confession of sin, we will keep man's norm asGod's norm. What we need is to stop treating sin in a laissez/aire fashion and view it as radically opposite the ways andpurposes of a merciful God. When repentance comes, public orprivate, then and only then will our Church move forward.Only when a radical transformation occurs in Christ will any ofus be able to say that repentance is certainly not out of date!The time has arrived for us to become indignant over this policyof drift, uneasy compromise and lack of corporate repentance.The time is at hand for each one to draw near to our God andHe to us: to accept God's average as the believer's average.Ronald GoodEd. Note: The writer is a member of the Elkins Park Ch. and astudent attending Westminster Seminary under care ot theN.Y. presbvterv.JANUARY 31, 197 3

Summer Work in Home Missionsahead...It's not too soon to start making plansfor the coming summer. For those of youwho are seminary students or of collegeage there may very well be a place for youto minister this summer. If you are acommitted Christian and dedicated to thetask of enlarging God's kingdom, perhapsyou should be thinking about a way thatyou can serve this summer. If you triedpreviously to get summer "secular" workwith no success, it could be that God isdirecting you into some kind of churchrelatedservice. Give it serious thoughtand much prayer as one possible way tospend your summer months. On the otherhand, pastors, you need to be thinkingabout ways you could use some youngpeople to help in your ministry. It mightbe that you've had a vision of some workthat couldn't be carried out for want ofmanpower. If you were aware of youngpeople willing to serve, you might be ledinto a whole new area of service.Last spring the Home Mission Boarddecided, too late, to get such a projectworking. Young people volunteered, butmost pastors already had made theirsummer plans and weren't able to usethese young people. We were encouragedby the young people's response and wouldlike to try it again; so this article is beingwritten in part to get everyone that mightbe involved in such a program to startthinking about it early. Only the Lordknows what He has in store for thissummer; so we must be open to whateverHis will is in this area.Lest any of you young people readingthis get the wrong idea, this is not amoney making job. Your reward willcome from the experience in serving yourLord. A small bonorarium, room andboard, and some arrangements on travelexpenses are as much as the HomeMission Board can hope to work out witheach individual.In light of what has already been saidwe thought it would be encouraging toshare with the rest of the Church what wasdone last summer with pastors and youngpeople. I do not have a complete reportfrom every work that was carried out, butI have extensive reports from some andverbal reports from others about theirexperiences.Martha McMillan and Jean Mc-Conaughy, both of Beaver Falls, had theprivilege of going to Camp Covemakoi andministering to junior high girls. Theystayed in the dormitory with the girlswhich gave them good opportunity toknow them personally and minister tothem. They enjoyed the friendly spirit ofthe camp as well as getting acquaintedwith many new people in our Church.They also felt that they received a spiritualblessing not only from the meetings butalso from their service.Steve Price was part of a team ministryin Newburgh this past summer whichcentered their efforts in a children's workcalled "The Summer Club." The clubfunctioned every Monday, Wednesdayand Friday morning for an eight weekCOVENANTER WITNESS

period from mid-June to mid-August. Theschedule was fairly flexible, however, andsome days they met for the entire day. Forone week most of the children attended avacation Bible school held jointly with theBroomall and Elkins Park congregations atWhite Lake. A total of 35 to 40 childrenwere involved but never more than 25 atany one time. Besides some of their owncovenant children, most of those involvedin this program were Blacks fromNewburgh's inner city. The ministry tooka variety of forms: trips to an airport, statepark, or dairy farm, hiking, swimming,picnics, crafts, games, films, personalhygiene, catechizing, Psalm singing andthe V.B.S. week of more intense study.The idea was to make the ministry wideand try to meet the children's needs. Thestaff also tried to include the children intotheir own family activities. The totalpicture here was to eventually make thesechildren and their families a part ofChrist's body even though this may be along and difficult job. Reverend RobertMilliken felt encouraged by the summerwork and already the Newburgh congregationhas made plans to continuethis ministry on a year-round basis. Weshould praise the Lord that the Newburghcongregation saw these needs in their owncommunity, did not run from them, buttried to minister to these people and theirproblems. Perhaps your Church has asimilar situation, and you too can makesome effort such as this one.Paul Copeland and George Huber aretwo more young people that were involvedin a summer program, this time inSyracuse, New York. The woodshop hasbeen operating now for three years inSyracuse and is a good way to makecontacts with the neighborhood boys, anda Bible study is held after the work hoursonly for those who want to stay. This workwas continued during the past summer.Some other new ideas were tried. One planwas a work program which meant doingodd jobs around the Church for about fiftycents an hour. This work began enthusiasticallybut eventually resulted insome difficult discipline problems; so theywere forced to discontinue the plan. Thisexperience is related in order to show thatnot every venture is successful and thatfailure is a way of learning too. Failureshows us that we may be wasting ourenergies in one particular area and shouldtry something else. Another experimentwas to take small groups of boys oncampouts. They enjoyed the beauty of theoutdoors while doing such things assailing, swimming and boating. It isdifficult to measure the success of aprogram like this, but these children wereexposed to friendship and the gospelmessage. Who can tell them what goodmay come from this? The third idea triedin Syracuse was to show a movie everyother Friday. The movies selected werethose with a theme that could be used as atake off point for a lesson from Scripture.These movies were well attended, and wetrust some spiritual truths made as deep animpression as the movies themselves.George finishes his report by saying,"there is a vast field of opportunity herewhich Paul and I only caught glimpses ofthis past summer. I pray God would sendout more workers next summer, for theharvest is plenty but the workers few."Finally, I would like to relate to youthe experiences of John Rug as he laboredwith the Lawrence Fellowship lastsummer. For John this was a mostrewarding experience, and one rich inspiritual blessings. John tells us how thework among the students has grown inLawrence. Christian groups such as Inter-Varsity, Campus Crusade and theNavigators have all discovered LawrenceFellowship and are seeking them out. Theelders made plans last summer to run aschool bus through the Kansas UniversityCampus to provide transportation to theChurch services. John saw the Lordworking in the hearts of students and alsoin the hearts of families as he andReverend Marion McFarland calledtogether. John was spiritually enriched ashe observed the great interest the elders inthis congregation showed in their people.Though John went to this group tominister he felt that he learned a great dealfrom them.There were others that labored insimilar ways: for example, the Larry Falksin Quinter, Kansas, and Bruce Martin inSanta Ana, California, but I was unable toget first hand reports from them. Theremay be others who were involved insimilar projects that I am unaware of.Sometimes a change of environment isexciting and rewarding. You might findthat God has a place reserved for you thissummer if you spend time seeking His willnow and using the opportunities available.The Home Mission Board is willing tohelp get the young people and the needstogether; so if you have a God directeddesire to serve the Church in this way or avision of a task to be done, contact one ofthe following people on the Summer WorkCommittee: Reverend Renwick Wright,Mrs. Norman Carson, Reverend WayneDuffield or Mr. Lee Bittner.JANUARY 31. 1973

THE CHRISTIAN READER'S GUIDE TO THE OLDTESTAMENT. David W. Yohn. Eerdmans, 1972. 200 pp. $3.45The theology of Walther Eichrodt provides the base andframework for this treatment of the covenant in the OldTestament. The book is in the form of sermons and litanies.Alas, any who trust this "guide" are likely to become lost in amaze of modernistic platitudes and moralisms. Expensivekindling.GORDON KEDDIEWHY NOT CREATION? Walter E. Lammerts, ed. Presbyterian& Reformed Publ. Co., 1970. 388 pp. $7.50 (hb).This fabulous book provides persuasive, scholarly, ANDBIBLICAL answers to refute current evolutionary theories.Everything from your own DNA molecules to the wayevolutionary doctrine effects encroaching political Marxism inNorth America is examined. Two Canadians are among thecontributors — Arthur C. Custance and Harold Armstrong.The last sentence of the articles concludes. "Only withHis (Christ's) help can man be lifted to heights above supposedsalvation through crass evolutionary humanism, whichproponents offer as a 'new' religion in place of worship of theGod of the Trinity." (p. 384).ROBERT MORE, JR.FROM CHRIST TO CONSTANTINE. M. A. Smith. Inter-Varsity Press. 1971. 208 pp. $2.95.Some knowledge of past experience is helpful, if thecontemporary Christian is to appreciate the Church's struggleto maintain a faithful witness to God's revealed truth in ahostile world. This brief history ushers the reader into thethought and life of Christians during the formative period of theChurch.A highly selective choice of materials enables the authorto cover the complex tension that endangered the Church,external threats, (persecutions) and internal dissensions(heresies) — in a manner that helps the reader identify withsome of the problems confronting the Church today. Theemphasis is on people and their response to Christ as Lord,"The new generation" (Chapter 2) describes the problemsfaced bv the church after the last of the Apostles died.Christians were faced by a totalitarian state. "Render toCaesar" (Chapter 5) vividly describes some of their responses.An intellectual conflict developed. How do you maintain theintegrity of the Christian's faith in the God revealed in Christand transmitted in the written Scriptures in the face of agrowing syncretism with paganism?For those who have read little,if any, ' 'Church History"this little book (166 pages of text) should be an excellent icebreaker.A brief "time-chart" helps keep the sequence ofpeople and events in order.S. BRUCE WILLSONDEVOTIONS FOR THE FAMILY. I, II, III. Ruth I. Johnson.Moody Press. Each book is 127 pp., $.50.Each book contains 60 planned devotions of songs,Scripture reading, illustrative stories, and questions with theprimary aim to teach family members some practical situationsin which Bible truths must be "lived.'' However the aim of thisseries can be a liability, because the "practical stories" oftenhave a forced application and they are given pre-eminence overthe Word of God.EILEEN FALKTHE BOY JESUS. Elsie B. Mills. Purnell and Sons Ltd.(Distributed by Scripture Press Publ. Inc.). 1969.10 pp. $.98.With the pop-up pages in this book, pre-school throughsecond grade children will delight in the story of Jesus. Thestory records the time from Joseph and Mary arriving inBethlehem to Jesus working in the carpenter shop.There are no Scripture references printed in this book,which I personally feel are important for an older child or adultwho would want to read the Scripture passage.(Ed. note: Our stand as a denomination does not endorsethe use of visual representations of Christ.)BETTY FINLEYA SHEPHERD LOOKS AT PSALM 23. Phillip Keller.Zondervan Publ. House. 1970. 142 pp. $3.95 (hb).Former sheep rancher and lay speaker, Phillip Kellershares his "shepherd insights" on Psalm 23. Although thisshepherd-author meditates upon the content of each phrase, hegives more than mere content analysis; he interweaves hispersonal life as a shepherd with his life as a lamb before theGood Shepherd, Jesus Christ.For the reader who knows little about sheep, Kellerindicates the needs, habits, and behavior of sheep. Much moresignificant, however, the author communicates the relationshipto, the responsibility of, and the importance of the shepherd tothe sheep. The emphasis upon the Shepherd enables the readerto emerge with a new delight and understanding in praisingGod, the Good Shepherd, through Psalm 23.EILEEN FALKTHE NEW SUPER-SPIRITUALITY.IVP. 1972. 30 pp. $.75.Francis A. Schaeffer.This over-priced little pamphlet addresses itself to the"new pentecostalism" and other quasi-Christian movementsappearing among the youth of the "drug-culture." Thetreatment is interesting but not overweighted with hard information.Disturbing is the evidence of Schaeffer's continuinginability to grasp the radical nature of the antithesis between theChristian world-and-life view and those of the unbelievingworld. Says he, the "longing for community" at Woodstockwas "right" — only the path taken was wrong. How canSchaeffer separate the "longing for community" from thenotion of community which the Woodstockians held? The kindof "community" they were looking for is different radicallyfrom that in which God's children are placed by sovereigngrace. When Schaeffer reduces "community" like this to amere abstraction, he weakens the Gospel claim upon his readersthat they confess that all their thinking outside of the Biblicalboundaries revealed by God is apostate and to be repented of andradically reformed.There is much good sense in this little work, but, alas, inplace of the New Super-spirituality, Schaeffer offers us his NewRationalism. GORDON KEDDIE18 COVENANTER WITNESS

LOS ANGELES, CALIF.(Bruce C. Stewart, Pastor)Our September 30 family night dinnerturned into a surprise party honoringKathryn Marshall's birthday and also heruntiring work in the church.Our fall communion services wereNovember 3-5 with E. Ray Hemphillassisting. Mr. and Mrs. Neal Elliott werereceived as members of the congregation.Mr. Stewart preached for our annualthanksgiving service. The offering ofSI20.00 is to be sent to the R. P.Churches in Northern Ireland.Our congregation hosted a PsalmFestival November 24. Groups came fromFresno, Santa Ana, Walnut, and SanDiego. Representatives from each groupled the congregational singing.At a recent family night, Mrs. Tom(Sue) Hutcheson told of her experienceswhile visiting Tom's parents in Cyprus;she used slides to illustrate her talk. Theannual thankoffering was also that sameevening.Geneva Dean Electedas NPRF SecretaryRev. John White, Dean of ReligiousServices at Geneva College, has beenelected secretary of the NationalPresbyterian and Reformed Fellowship.Membership in this Fellowship comprisesministers and elders from ten Reformedand Presbyterian denominations, involvingmen committed to the infallibilityof the Scriptures and seeking cooperationon the basis of Reformed doctrine andPresbyterian church doctrine.Rev. White has been active in themovement since its inception two yearsdl±0.GREELEY, COLO.(E. R. Hemphill, Pastor)About fifteen couples from theWestminster fellowship and the GreeleyChurch were entertained at an eveningdinner party in the home of Mr. and Mrs.G. E. Alexander at Cheyenne, WyomingNovember 3. The occasion was a farewellparty for Bruce and Lois Alexander whohave moved to Wheaton, 111. A small giftof appreciation was presented to Bruce forhis services in leading the singing in theGreeley Church. After dinner many of theguests viewed the extensive rock andlapidary collection which GilfordAlexander has created over the years.Rev. and Mrs. Hemphill were inCalifornia for two weeks. While there heassisted with communion services at SantaAna and Los Angeles.The Men's fellowship consisting ofabout thirty fathers and sons gathered atthe Phil Kennedy farm for a weiner roastand an evening of softball, fellowship anddevotions. Tbose present enjoyed theadded bonus of a gorgeous RockyMountain sunset.Indonesia came alive when Mrs.Geneva Elliott showed pictures and artifactsas she described the country whereher daughter, Marcia, is doing missionarywork. Mrs. Elliott and daughter Gwenspent part of their summer there.Greelev communion services wereheld Nov. 19 with the Rev. June McElroyassisting. Tammy Renee Bailey and KerryLane Beaver were received into thecommunicant membership. In attendanceat the Sabbath morning service was oursenior member. Mrs. Eva Bole, whocelebrated her 95 birthday last February.The Jr. High fellowship decorated theJunior Dept. Christmas Tree and had anevening of fun and games at the churchthe evening ot Dec. 1.JAMES M. COPELANDIn the infinitely wise plan and theprovidence of Almighty God whereby Hedoes all things for His own glory and forthe good of those who love Him, JamesMerlvn Copeland was born July 16,1929, and died October 21. 1972."at theage of 43.There are several things which stoodout in Jim's mind as significant events bywhich God formed his character and thepattern of his life. His family moved toCalifornia when he was 7, and had a veryclose association with the ReformedPresbyterian Church in Fresno. Jimbecame a member of that church byprofession of faith in Jesus Christ at theage of 11. In 1953 he attended a ChurchConference near Tacoma, Wash., whichby Jim's own testimony was a landmarkexperience in his life because his faith inJesus Christ came to have a much clearermeaning for his life and the way in whichhe lived. In 1956 Jim was ordained aDeacon in the church, and since 1965 heserved as an Elder. Jim served many yearsin the Lord's service as Bible Schoolteacher, bus driver, young peoples'sponsor, and as congregational treasurer.In 1951 Jim joined the Army andfought for his country in the Korean War.He was twice wounded in action and spentmore than a year recovering in hospitals inJapan and in the San Francisco Bay area.On September 25, 1954 Jim wasmarried to Virginia Ross. They made theirhome in Fresno and had four children.During most of their married life Jimworked as a mail-carrier for the UnitedStates Postal System.Jim was preceded in death bv twosisters, and by one of his own children,Laurie Ann. He is survived by his fatherand mother, Mr. and Mrs. H. MCopeland; by three sisters: Lois andNadyne Copeland, both of Fresno, andLorena Keys of Santa Ana; bv his brother.Bill Copeland of Sanger, Calif.; bv hiswife. Virginia, and by three children:Dan, Susan, and Tammy, all living athome.Services in his memory were conductedon October 2 i bv his pastor, BruceHemphill, and assisted bv his formerpastor. D. Ray McCracken. Interment wasin Fresno Memorial Gardens."Nevertheless the foundation ofGod stands sure having this seal,the Lord knows them that areHis. and let every one that namesthe name of Christ depart frominiquity." (II Tim. 2:19)lANL'ARV 31. 1973 19

Our Worship"Let all that seek Thee joy.And glad in Thee abide.Who Thy Salvation love say still.Let God be magnified."The above prayer is the third stanzaof Psalm 70, page t69, in THE BOOKOF PSALMS. This gem, given by inspirationof God, comes out of thestruggles of that sweet singer of Israel andforms a part of a larger prayer. Thestruggle over the sovereignty of God in thehearts and lives of men must lead them toa realization that all they think and domust issue in glory to God our SaviorLord. The conflict is so constant in ourlives that God sawfit to give this Psalm asecond time in the closing stanzas ofPsalm Forty with a few minor changes.When I come into the presence ofGod, in that official worship of His highand glorious Name, how shall I come?The real question is, "What is acceptablebefore God that will magnify the God ofour salvation?" The prayer at the head ofthis paper gives a clue to the answer to thismost important question. Note that itstresses the fact that God is the One Whotakes the initiative; He must "let" us, ifwe are to praise Him acceptably. Thispoints to the fact that we must obey theprecept that what is not commanded isforbidden in the worship of God. It is easyto give lip service to this principle, and yetworship in our own way. He must rule inall including our worship.Would you have a new joy inreading God's infallible Word, the Bible?Read it, looking for what He has to sayabout worship — official, public, private,and national. It will bring a new joy tovour soul. The old Psalms will trulybecome "New Songs" of praise to ourGod. Each new experience with our Lordand Savior will make the Psalms newagain.This year we are all to be studyingthe Biblical Doctrine of Worship asit isrelated to the exclusive use of the Psalmsin Worship. Those of you who havespecial assignments for the Symposium(June 7-9, 1973, at Gene^a College) onj Worship Symposium j| Due March 1, 1973 — a thorough| outline of your presentation for the' Symposium on Worship.!Your presentation is to be givenorally at the Symposium. Arrangements [!for publication of the manuscripts will jbe handled < after the Sympoisum. jOutlines for each presentation at the j. Symposium will be duplicated, bound, J! and distributed to each member of the !I Symposium. Therefore, it is very i1 important that they be submitted by jj March 1st. Mail to: Rev. Edward!j Robson, 312 Goodrich Ave., Syracuse, j|N. Y. 13210.fNew Major in DataProcessing at GenevaGeneva College will offer a new majorin Data Processing under the degree ofBachelor of Science in Business Administration,according to Dr. William H.Russell, Dean of the College. This willprovide opportunity for careers related tothe utilization of computer technology inbusiness and educational fields.The goal of the program is to provide acomprehensive background in business,accounting and computer applicationswithin the framework of a Christian liberalarts education. In addition to the majorand general education requirements, atleast twenty-two elective hours areavailable for the student to pursue culturalsubjects as well as additional work in suchareas as accounting, business research,statistics, and economics.A key aspect of the business dataprocessing program is the practical experienceavailable to students. Studentshave been participating in the operation ofthe computer system, and the developmentof the programming for the collegein such areas as business operations,student records, registration, admissionsthe Biblical — Theological, Exegetical, records, and alumni records.and Historical — treatment of this most The new major has been established asimportant subject do not forget that youare to prepare your paper to the glory ofMessiah tbe Prince. You also are to meeta further effort to express the foundationalconcepts of the college as stated: "Thecurriculum should lead a person to graspthe following target dates: March 1, 1973 the foundations of learning so that he can— an outline of your study. The outline live a life glorifying to God, confrontingmav be slightly modified,if necessary, by honestly and confidently the problems andJune 7-9, but the outline should present challenges of new knowledge, and contributingto the welfare of society underthe basic structure of vour presentation.' Philip W.Martin God.")countoun ^0days \BIRTHSBACKENSTO, Benjamin Bruce to Bruceand Dee Backensto on December 13, 1972.(Sterling)FELKER, Jeffrey William, born Dec. 11,1968, adopted by Donald and EvelynFelker on Nov. 13. (West Lafayette)HEMPHILL, Shannon Nicol to David andKathy (Pasarilla) Hemphill on December 3.(Geneva)JOSEPH, Rebecca Alice to Raymond andAlice Joseph on Oct. 23. (West Lafayette)NICKERSON, Rachel Catherine to Ronaldand Lorna Nickerson on Dec. 24.(Covenant Fellowship)STEGALL, Christina to Ronald and KathyStegall on Dec. 20. (Covenant Fellowship)MARRIAGESNANDALL, Sharon to METHENY, DavidGregg on December 2 at Trinity U. P.Church, Beaver Falls.WILKEY, Mary Margaret (Peg) andCONDRAY, Jettie at the Sterling R. P.Church, Nov. 11, 1972. Mr. BruceBackensto officiated. Couple is residing atMiltonvale, Kansas.ANNIVERSARYNEELY, Clarence and Naomi (Union)celebrated 25th anniversary, November 12.4 children and 3 grandchildren.DEATHSGARROWAY, Ethel on Dec. 8. Residentof R. P. Home; member of Eighth U. P.Church, Pittsburgh.KELLY, Anna I. on Dec. 9. Resident of R.P. Home; member of Eighth U. P. Church,Pittsburgh.ADDRESS CHANGEFLEMING, Joseph, 906 E. John St., Apt.609, Seattle, Wash. 98102.NOTICE OF CALLOn December 10, 1972, I moderated a caby the Chicago congregation upon the Rev.David Armstrong to be their pastor.Raymond P. Joseph20COVENANTER WITNESS

COVENANTER//February 14, 1973The Millennium(See page 4.)Dun-r Ihe four lK>iMnun ,

WDR7BE MY VALENTINECandy hearts and flowers are the order of the day forthose who wish to express their affection for one another.(My good wife assures me that I shouldn't expect the formerbecause of my poor arithmetic in calorie counting. And sinceI don't like cut flowers, it looks like I'll be left out on bothcounts.)Presumably, we are being conditioned on this holidayto think that we can somehow buy affection, because thenewspapers are suggesting more elaborate gift items eachyear. It's a little close to Christmas, and pocketbooks are stillflat, so the push can't be too hard. But the point is still beingmade.As Christians we naturally resent any thought thatlove is a commodity to be bought in a store. Gifts show loveonly if there is genuine affection already in the attitude of thesender.Add to this the fact that the Bible commandsChristians to love one another. Now you can see a realproblem we all face: How can we show love unless we havein us the love to give? A common answer among Christiansis toprofess love for everybody and at the same time not loveanybody to any real depth. You know what I mean: Toexpress glib interest. To promise to pray for someonewithout any intention of keeping that promise. To be nice toeverybody, but not really giving of oneself.Love is always costly. Love gives without a desire totake in return. To think that we can love all men this way isthe sheerest folly. Jesus says that greater love has no manthan the one who is willing to lay down his life for hisfriends. Too often Christians go through the formality offooling themselves into thinking that their acquaintances arefriends. We hub-bub together at church socials and feelgenerally kind toward the group. But we shy away fromthose deeper one-to-one encounters that form genuine interpersonalrelationships.What if Jesus had acted this way toward us? What ifour Mediator only scratched the surface of human needs andtemptations and sufferings? What if he merely promised usthe Big Rock Candy Mountain instead of an inheritance,eternal, incorruptible, and undefiled, purchased by the bloodof one who literally laid down his life for his friends? Christ'slove is always particular; suited to meet the heart-needs ofhis own. He never feigned affection or interest to "buy" agood image. He even turned some away, rather than giveless than the full measure of love to them. Can we say thatwe are as careful in evaluating the depth of the relationshipswith those whom we claim to love in Christ?R.W.N.2• Editor:The article on "The Gift ofTongues for Today?" wasworthy and I agree with manythougbts.A couple of further pointsmight be of interest to yourreaders.1. Every true Christian isCharismatic. Rom. 6:23 statesthat "the charisma (spiritualgift) of God is life eternal inChrist Jesus our Lord."2. Every EvangelicalChurch is Charismatic. Rom.1:11,12; II Cor. 1:11.3. Every Language isCharismatic. Either it must benaturally a human faculty andpower in source (denyingGod's Creatorship) or else itmust be supernaturally God'screation. Either Jesus is the"Word" for all of creation —Jn. 1:1,3 — or else language,words, must be a humanability. This charisma explainswhy the Spirit's gift oflanguage in Acts 2:4 iscarefully defined in vss. 9-11 asknown, earthly, tongues.4. The FIRST propheticword of the Spirit for everyman is Scripture —1:18,19a,20,21.5. Paul was multi-lingual(I Cor. 14:18) and spoke inknown tongues (vs. 19).Scripture nowhere reveals anunknown utterance from him.And Jesus was given the Spiritwithout measure (Jn. 3:34)but no revelation of Scripturedeclares He spoke in utteranceof tongues. Rather His multilingualismwas in knownlanguages (Hebrew, Matt.27:46; Aramaic, Mk. 15:34;Greek, in all the NewTestament speeches, as Matt.28:18; Latin, Mt. 5:15,41;and others).Robert More, Jr.Almonte, Canada•Editor:May I first congratulateyou on the improved "Witness"with the addition ofcolour and illustration. Youare to be commended for this.With reference to thearticle 'The Gift of Tonguesfor Today?' I wish to make afew comments. Mr. Elliott hasCUU& JL.04P&.a clear picture in his mind ofPentecostals and neo-Pentecostals. Pentecostals doaccept fundamental teachingsof the Bible concerning JesusChrist and the Holy Spiritindeed. We do regard the"Baptism of the Holy Spirit"as subsequent to regenerationand apart from sanctification.We do not believe that theevidence of the same is thereceiving of "one or more ofthe gifts of the Spirit." This isa common error made by manywho attempt to discuss thesubject. The 'speaking withtongues' which is the evidenceof the Baptism is not one of thegifts listed in I Cor. 12. AllChristians may speak intongues as Paul did and as he'would that ye all.' Very fewPentecostals receive the "Giftof Tongues" which is a giftgiven to the church as are allthe gifts for the edification ofthe body in public worship.Paul is dealing with the abusesof "tongues" in public. ItII Pet.cannot be argued therefore thatwe emphasize a lesser gift (ifany gift of God to the church islesser). God gives these giftsseverally as He wills. Much ofMr. Elliott's remarksthereafter are invalid becauseof this oversight or misunderstanding.His widespreadconclusions cannot be drawnfrom any evidence presentedbut from a personal verdictoutside the article.In conclusion may I saythat few who try to take aposition on the subject of'tongues' such as Mr. Elliotthas taken have received the"Baptism of the Spirit." Let aPresbyterian who has receivedwrite an article please. If thereare none to be found whenGod's Spirit is being outpouredin such a gracious measure, inmost church communions,you have cause to be concerned.God is not a respectorof persons or of generations.(Pastor) Leslie GrantListowel (Ontario)Pentecostal ChurchCOVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePaderson Press, Winchester, Kansas.VOLUME LXXXIXNO. 4FEBRUARY 14, 1973ARTICLES:The MillenniumPractical Prayer ProceduresSurvival and Sense.The Subtleties of SuperstitionFEATURES:A Word Due."In Truth and Love"Hey Lookit!.Distaff Deductions.Glimpses."Bring the Books""Count Her Towers""Count Our Days"CONTENTS.8101622131415181920SUBSCRIPTIONINFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;S8.50, 2 years; British Isles, £ 2, 1 year;£3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 738 RebeccaAvenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.Second class postage paid atWinchester, Kansas 66097.MEMBER ^EVANGELICAL PRESS ASSOCIATIONPlain Mr. KnoxPlain Mr. KnoxIn observance ot the 400thanniversary of the birth of JohnKnox, the Scottish ReformationSociety is making available thistimely, exciting biography of JohnKnox.A limited number of copies areavailable through the Board otEducation and Publication at SI.25postpaid. Send orders to:Board ot Education and Public ation738 Rebecca Ave.Pittsburgh. Pa. 15221FEBRUARY 14. 19"3

Alhreihi Durer I m AnKel hurls Draj-on into abyss, .mother .m^el shows John the New Jerusalen

The MillenniumINTRODUCTIONRev. 20The twentieth chapter of the book of Revelationfalls into four natural divisions: the binding of Satan (20:1-3), the reign of the saints (20:4-6), the loosing of Satan(20:7-10), and the judgment (20:11-15). Two of thesesubdivisions, the binding of Satan and the reign of thesaints, occur during the millennial period. After themillennium is over, Satan is released for "a little season"(20:3), and following this last great apostasy, the deadstand before God's judgment seat. Thus the chronologicalsequence is: the millennium (20:1-6), followed by Satan'srebellion (20:7-10), followed in turn by the judgment(20:11-15). The central question that must be answered ina study of Revelation twenty is the time of the millennium:is it future, as certain postmillennialists and allpremillennialists maintain, or is it already present, asmany postmillennialists and all amillennialists believe?The above terms describe the second coming ofChrist in relation to the millennial period. The wordmillennium is based on the Latin translation of the termsrendered "thousand years" in English Bibles.Representatives of all three views regard the words assymbolic of a long period of time, thousand representinggreatness. Many premillennialists, however, would viewthe time as meaning exactly one thousand years. Apremillennialist believes that the return of Christ willpreceed the millennium, while a postmillennialist believesthat lesus will return after the millennium. Amillennialismliterally means "no millennium" and is perhaps amisleading term in as much as amillennialists do believe inthe millennial period, but they believe that it has alreadybegun. Perhaps a better term than amillennialism wouldbe the term "Realised Millennialism," popularized byProfessor Jay Adams.The term amillennialism serves to distinguish thosewho do not believe in a future millennium from those whodo. Both amillennialists and postmillennialists believe thatJesus will return bodily from heaven after the millennialperiod to judge the quick and the dead. The greatestdifference between them lies in their beliefs concerninggood and evil. The amillennialist believes good and evilexist side by side during the millennium, whereas thepostmillennialist believes that good will triumph over evilbefore the return of Christ.The author of this study, Robert Vincent, is anative of South Carolina. While attending WestminsterSeminary, he and his wife Sandra became convinced ofthe Covenanter position and united with the church atElkins Park. He has since been licensed by New YorkPresbvterv and is in his senior year at the R. P Seminary.FEBRUARY It, 1973THE BINDING OF SATAN(20:1-3)The time of the millennium is tied to the time ofSatan's binding and the reign of the saints according toRevelation 20:1-6. It must be noted at the outset thai thisbinding of Satan is not said to be a total captivity. It is onlyin reference to the deceiving of the nations that he isbound; nothing else is said concerning the effect of thebinding of this spiritual being than this in Revelationtwenty. Does the Word of God have anything to say onthis subject elsewhere? In Matthew 12:29 Christ speaks ofthe binding of Satan. In order to ascertain the time of thisevent, the whole passage must be considered (Matthew12:22-32). It contains the account of Jesus' healing ademon-possessed man. Being freed from his bondage toSatan, this formerly blind and dumb man now both sawand spoke. This wonderful sign had eschatological (havingto do with the last days or the end time) significance to theJewish people, who responded in amazement by saying,"Is not this the Son of David?" (Matthew 12:23) Realizingthe effect of the healing on the people, the Phariseessought to undermine the power of Jesus by saying that hecast out demons by the power of the prince of demons,Satan (Beelzebub).Jesus refutes the Pharisees' charge and then pressesthe point of what the people had been saying about theDavidic kingdom: "But if I cast out devils by the Spirit ofGod, then the kingdom of God is come unto you."(Matthew 12:28) The force of this passage must not bemissed, for the Lord Jesus here proclaims that theMessianic age has already begun. He speaks of the arrivalof the kingdom of God not in a future tense but in a pasttense. The presence of the kingdom of God means thatSatan's kingdom will now be plundered, but this plunderingis not possible without the previous binding ofSatan: "Or else how can one enter into a strong man'shouse, and spoil his good, except he first bind the strongman? and then he will spoil his house." (Matthew 12:29)But what is the healing of the demon-possessed man butthe plundering of the Devil's kingdom? And this meansthat Christ had to bind the Devil prior to this healing. Thehealing was thus irrefutable evidence to the Jewish peoplethat the Kingdom of God had come and that Jesus wasnone other than the Messiah who, having bound Satan,would now spoil his house.The writer of Hebrews gives the reason why Jesuscame to earth: "Since then the children share in flesh andblood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, thatthrough death He might render powerless him who hadthe power of death, that is, the Devil; and might deliverthose who through fear of death were subject to slavery alltheir lives." (Hebrews 2:14,15 NASV) What did Jesus'death accomplish? It bound Satan, so that his captivescould be freed from his tyrannical kingdom and transplantedinto the kingdom of grace. Jesus' death results inthe Devil's being cast out and his former slaves beingdrawn to Christ. (John 12:31-33) Thus the beginning ofJesus' earthly ministry marks the beginning of the end forSatan; and Jesus' blood seals the Devil's doom.(Continued on next page.!i

THE REIGN OF THE SAINTS(20:4-6)In light of his coming death, Jesus sent out hisdisciples, "and gave them power and authority over alldemons, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preachthe kingdom of God, and to heal the sick." (Luke 9:1,2)The disciples met with success, for when the seventyreturned to Christ, they reported "with joy, saying, Lord,even the demons are subject unto us through thy name."(Luke 10:17) Jesus responds by saying, "I beheld Satan aslightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you powerto tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the powerof the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you."(Luke 10:18,19)This promise sheds light on the great commission.Because the Lord Jesus has bound Satan, the Churchwould have success. Where she preached, the nationswould be won to the Savior, for Satan was bound "that heshould deceive the nations no more, till the thousandyears should be fulfilled." (Revelation 20:3) Thus the earlyChristians were called kings because they shared in theresurrection reign of Christ. John writes to the sevenchurches of Asia and informs them that they have alreadybeen made kings and priests through Christ. (Revelation1:6) And this reigning with Christ results in furtherplundering of Satan's house.6THE FIRST RESURRECTION(20:4-6)The saints themselves are rescued from Satan'sbondage by the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration,and Christ calls regeneration life from the dead. This is themeaning of the first resurrection in Revelation 20:6. Thereis no evidence at all in the passage that this is a physicalresurrection. Who is better to consult on the meaning ofthe two resurrections than the Apostle John himself?Turning to the fifth chapter of John's Gospel one finds adescription of the two resurrections: the first resurrectionmentioned there is the new birth. This does not happen toall men: "The Son quickeneth (makes alive) whom hewill." (John 5:21) Only those who hear and believe have"passed from death unto life." (John 5:24) On them "thesecond death (eternal punishment) hath no power"(Revelation 20:6); they have "everlasting life, and shall notcome into condemnation." (John 5:24) True believers arethose who "were dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians2:1), but they have heard the voice of the Son of God, andthey therefore now live. (John 5:25) The words "now is"are found in John 5:25, but not in John 5:28. Theresurrection of dead sinners occurs today when men areborn again through the foolishness of preaching (I Peter1:23-25).This first resurrection brings the King of heaven intothe heart of the believer. And because believers are "inChrist," they are "blessed with all Spiritual blessings inheavenly places in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3) Such is theglorious fulness of being "in Christ," that the believer issaid to sit with Christ even now on the throne of his glory(Ephesians 2:6). This Spiritual resurrection makes theChristian really and truly a citizen of heaven. This is whyPaul urges believers to seek heavenly things, because theyalready have been resurrected with Christ. (Colossians3:1,2) The Church even now has "come unto Mount Zion,and unto the city of the living God, the heavenlyJerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, tothe general assembly and church of the firstborn, whichare written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and tothe spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus themediator of the new covenant, and to the blood ofsprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel."(Hebrews 12:22-24) The grammatical force of this passageand of Ephesians 2:6 cannot be destroyed: the believerisnow seated with Christ in heaven; the communion of thesaints is between the saints of all times, dead and living;and this is all tied to the resurrection that the Holy Spiritproduces in the heart of every child of God. To be "inChrist" is to be reigning with him even now in heaven.Now, is this not that of which John writes inRevelation 20:4-6? Does not the writer to the Hebrewsspeak of a communion between the living saints and thedeparted martyrs in the above passage? The souls of thedeparted are in heaven, and they share in his reign there.But the exile church here on earth shares, in a measure, inthat blessed heavenly communion, too. Because they havethe marks of heavenly grace in their hearts, the earthlysaints will not worship the beast, nor receive his mark.COVENANTER WITNESS

(Revelation 20:4) Surely then the man is truly blessed whohas been born again, for he has been born into a heavenlykingdom. He is with Christ, and Christ is with him. On himthe second death shall have no power, for he alreadypossesses eternal life.THE SECOND RESURRECTIONAND THE JUDGMENT(20:11-15)The second resurrection comes after the millennium;it is described in Revelation 20:11-15. Here, Johnsees all men stand before God, both the small and thegreat. Not only the grave, but even the sea yields up thebodies of its dead. Unlike the first resurrection, whichhappens only to the church, the second resurrection is forall men. When one turns back to John 5 and consultsverses 28 and 29, he finds that the Lord is speaking now ofthe physical resurrection. The words "and now is" whichare found in John 5:25 concerning the resurrection of thesoul are not found here in John 5:28 for this resurrectionhas not yet happened.The second resurrection of John five is still futurefor it concerns "all that are in the graves." (vs. 28) They,both saved and lost, shall stand in resurrected bodiesbefore the Lord. Then the books shall be opened; then thesins of all men shall be made open to all; then even thesaints should perish for their sins, were there not foranother book, the book of life. All whose names are in itwill be saved, but "whosoever was not found written in thebook of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation20:15) Thus it can be seen that John 5 speaks of tworesurrections: the first is the resurrection of the soul, andthe second is the resurrection of the body. There is onlyone physical resurrection, and it occurs at the last day. Anexamination of the passages that deal with the judgmentwill verify this: e.g. Matthew 13:36-43, 47-50; 25:31-46;John 5:28,29; Revelation 11:18; 20:11-15. And from thosepassages that deal specifically with the physicalresurrection of believers there is no evidence that thistakes place on a separate day from the resurrection ofunbelievers, (e.g. I Thessalonians 4:13-18)THE LOOSING OF SATAN(20:7-10)At the end of the millennium, but before the secondresurrection, the great apostasy occurs; this is recorded inRevelation 20:7-9. The present age in which the churchfinds herself will not continue for ever; the Millennial agehas continued now almost two thousand years. "One day iswith the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years asone day." (II Peter 3:9) "The Lord is not slack concerninghis promise." (II Peter 3:10)The time is delayed; the Millennium is prolongedout of the mere mercy and long suffering of God, that menshould be saved. (II Peter 3:10) But before the Lordreturns, there must first be a falling away, "and that manof sin be revealed, the son of perdition." (II Thessalonians2:3) The gospel has already triumphed over Satan aroundthe world. Once the Kingdom was confined to a littlecountry in Palestine; now people from every kindred, andtongue, and people, and nation have been released fromSatan's prison house and have become part of thatheavenlv kingdom of priests. (Revelation 5:9,10; I Peter2:9.10)."Christians tend to forget the tremendous triumphs ofChrist s kingdom over the kingdom of the now boundSatan. Not only have countless millions been saved fromhell, but even over the lost the gospel has reigned.Christian principles of philosophy, science, and governmenthave had a tremendous effect in restrainingwickedness during this era. Has the Church yet experiencedthat time of triumph when as the prophets said,"The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, asthe waters cover the sea?" (Isaiah 11:9) In a measure, yes.Does further revival and a great sweeping of peopleinto the kingdom lie ahead? The Church can only praythat such will be the case. But whether it does or not, onething is certain — these blessed conditions shall cease fora season, and that season may be near. It will be a time ofterrible persecution for Christians, a time when thenominally Christian world will remove its mask and rejectevery semblance of Christian thinking. Satan will run wildwith the world. In the midst of this persecution thetrumpet will sound, and all believers from all times will becaught up to join the returning Lord; then all shall standbefore God and time shall be no more.SUMMARYIn summary, Revelation twenty deals with thepresent Christian era and those things that shall follow it.Verses one through six paint a graphic picture of thepositive and negative aspects of that era. It is a time whenthose who have been born again reign with Christ. It is atime when the great foe who was defeated at Calvary hashis kingdom plundered — multitudes are won fromSatan's kingdom in order to be united with the ascendedLord in heaven. But this gospel era comes to an end. Satanis released for a little season to once again deceive thenations. In Verses seven through ten this rejection of thegospel and of all Christian law and order is described.Finally the Lord Jesus returns; his saints are physicallyresurrected to meet him in the air. But the Lord does notpause or retreat back to heaven with his saints. He presseson towards the judgment, and all men, in one greatjudgment, stand before the Triune God. Those who arenot elect find their everlasting doom in hell fire, justlvpunished for their sins recorded in the books. Truebelievers, however, survive this judgment, solely becauseof electing grace.ROBERT BENN VINCENTBIBLIOGRAPHYCox VS ilium F- Bihlnat Studies in Final Thin^t Philadelphia Presb\ lenan amiReformed Publishing Co , l%7Hendriksen. W \/..*, Than Conquerors An interpretation ot the Bo,,!, otRevelation. Grand Rapids. Baker. 14-10Hoeksema. Herman. Beh"id He Cometh ' \n Ixposttion of ihe B -I Rt-^-iatio.Grand Rapids Reformed Free Publishing Association. hJt.-JKik J. Mareellus An fuhatoloty >-' \tetor\ Philadelphia I'lc^i'.-run .. tReformed Publishing Co WIFEBRUARY 14, 1973

TacticaliayeirtbceduiesFREDERICK T. CRETORS(Elder, Indianapolis R. P. C.)If you could listen to me as I pray insecret, you would penetrate my soul andcome to know me. Even by writing ofmy life in prayer, I cannot keep fromrevealing myself to you. I wonder whatyou will think of me as you read, but itdoesn't matter. I am talking to Godwhen I pray and He is my Judge. Shouldyou find some of my conversations withHim useful, then Amen. If not, it maybe because every man must tell his ownstory to the Lord Jesus.My prayer life is first an attitudebefore it can be a practice. I must be inconstant touch with Him on everyaspect of life. Every thought, everybreath, every act, every consequence,depends on Him. All of life is a prayer.He is listening, so I must pray.' 'Because He hath inclined His ear untome, therefore will I call upon Him aslong as I live." To me the prayerfulattitude fulfills the commandment to"pray without ceasing."I pray as soon as I wake to a new day.I pray as I walk to work from the parkinglot in the morning. I pray as He revealsHimself in some event of the day. I prayas I prepare to eat. And as I review theday that God gave me, I talk to Himagain.The glory of Jesus Christ ispreeminent. To pray in His name is toglorify Him. "Glory ye in His holyname . . . seek His face evermore." Icannot help but pay tribute to the gloryof the Lord as I pray. So this glory comesfirst.From there, thanksgiving is the everpresent and foundational ingredient. AsI walk to work, I express my thanks forall the elements that make my day ofwork possible. Thanks for the rest andrestoration of the night, Lord. Thanksfor the apartment, Lord. (Once Icouldn't pay the rent. Now I can.) Andthe car, Lord. (There were days when Iwasn't sure I could keep it running.)Thanks for the office, Lord. (Howbeautiful and efficient it is now com-COVENANTER WITNESS

pared to the hole in the wall with whichI started.) And the business housed inthe office, Lord. (I live by faith. Haveyou ever been in the investmentbusiness? Or maybe you have problemstoo.) And so on down the list. Simplethings, yes, but I couldn't well dowithout them, and I am grateful.At night, I review each event of theday and give thanks for it. Sometimes anevent doesn't appear to be a cause forthanksgiving, but I find that's no excuse."In every thing give thanks: forthis is the will of God in Christ Jesusconcerning you." (I Thess. 5:18) Thetruly thankful man has a hard timestaying out of the will of God for long.When I pray for other persons I oftenhave a hard time getting going. It's notthat I don't want to pray for them. I do. Ilove them and I'm concerned. I hatemyself when I am arduously andmechanically ploughing through myprayer list through a mere sense of duty.But then I am just as unhappy when Isimply recite a memorized prayer andbabble on without any truly consciousparticipation in it. I want all of me andall of God to be in it. "I will pray withthe spirit, and I will pray with theunderstanding also." (I Cor. 14:15) Iwant my praying to be ardent not arduous.God desires fervency. "Theeffectual fervent prayer of a righteousman availeth much." (Ja. 5:16)But even when I want to befervent my mind wanders. I must call itback. I must slowly and deliberatelyphrase each petition as I move down thelist. Gradually my mind grows moreattentive. My mind and my spirit andHis Spirit get in gear. But it takesawhile. Our "seasons" of prayer cannotbe hastily undertaken and disposed of asthough we were flipping through aBuddhist prayer wheel. It takes memaybe fifteen minutes to cultivate aprayerful spirit. Then I am reluctant toquit. An hour or an hour and a half is alltoo fleeting to lift up the beloved beforethe Lord. I hate to waste such a beautifulcommunion by quitting too soon. Butbeautiful as these seasons of prayer forothers can become, I am even moremoved by the words of one of God'sservants: "as for me, God forbid, that Ishould sin against the Lord in ceasing topray for vou." (I Sam. 12:23)In contrast to the times when I findpraying difficult, there are those timeswhen I am so moved as to crash thegates of heaven with my pleas. Perhapsmy own situation or that of another is sodesperate and so immediately menacingas to irresistibly drive me to prayer. Isuppose I ought to be ashamed that Iseek the Lord so readily when I am introuble. But I am not ashamed (unless Ihave been ignoring Him when thingsare going well.) Fortunately, God hasgiven us ample illustrations in His Wordof saints who went to the Lord in prayerin every kind of anguish imaginable."Let us therefore come boldly unto thethrone of grace, that we may obtainmercy, and find grace to help in time ofneed." (Heb. 4:16)I will fling myself on the bed or onthe floor. I'll cry out loud and perhapsbeat my fists. In endless ways I may askfor the same thing over and over. Vainrepetition? I don't think so. One nightin a particularly distressing situation inmy family, I twisted and tossed for whatseemed hours. I implored God foranswers. I made no effort to restrain myemotions nor my movements. Suddenly,my spirit spoke to me. My heartsaid: "If you cannot trust God foreverything, then you cannot trust Himfor anything." Instantly I knew Godwas meeting me at the point of faith andrevealing Himself. "Then shalt thoucall, and the Lord shall answer; thoushalt cry, and He shall say, Here I am."(Isaiah 58:9) I sank into the bed andwent to sleep at once.Occasionally I have been bitteragainst God. Or maybe I have simplybeen bewildered at His treatment of me.How do you face God at such a time,when you know you are wrong in yourattitude toward Him? I abandon mymask of piety and the words I know Iought to utter. I tell Him how I reallyfeel, what I really think. Notdisrespectfully, not blasphemously, justfrankly. I strip myself of any pretenseand am honest with God. Job did itthrough 37 chapters. Why shouldn't I?Even Jesus it seems to me, portrayedhis human anguish in the garden as Hebesought the Father to take away thecup of death for sin, if it might be done.He knew it couldn't and He knew itwouldn't, but He asked. He was willingto be denied his plea. That's the hardpart for me. Nevertheless, in the end Iam given the grace to pray as He did.Not my will.Of all the praying, though, confessionof sin comes the hardest. No, it'snot that. It's asking for the power toforsake it that's the most difficult. Butno, it's not even that. It's just saying: Iwill forsake it.I've been praying along, telling Godwhat He already knows about my sinfulthoughts and acts and asking forforgiveness. Naturally, because we aretold we may do so. Of course I may nothave repented and turned away, yet Iwant forgiveness. Then one day I hearmyself saying — and I really didn't planto — Lord, take it off my back; give methe power to obey Your Word. It almosttakes my spiritual breath away. Did Ireally mean it? I find I can say it againafter that. And one day I can say, Lord,I'm done with it. Victory, release,peace. "He that covereth his sins shallnot prosper: but whoso confesseth andforsaketh them shall have mercy."(Prov. 28:13)I end my regular prayer sessionswith a sort of doxology garnered fromthe Word:Lord, give me knowledgewith wisdom and understandingtoday.Lord, give me power withhumility today.Lord, give me love withoutlust today.Lord, give me Thy strengthmade perfect in my weaknesstoday.Lord, plant my feet whereYou want them to go today,and direct my steps and makethem sure.And Lord:Keep me faithful in prayer,and in the study of Thy Word,and in obedience thereto. Keepme faithful in witnessing toothers of the good news ofChrist. Keep me faithful in thefellowship of the saints, and inthe worship of Thee in themidst of the congregation. Ipray it all in the precious andholy name of Jesus, Amen.FEBRUARY 14, 1973 9

$m®DrugsTobaccoAlcoholR. PAUL WRIGHTAbout the author: Dr. Wright is a practicingphysician in the Kansas City area. He is an elder in the R.P congregation there and chairman of Synod's TemperanceCommittee.Christianity is the system of survival "par excellence,"with guarantees, spiritual and material, unmatchedby any other system. In God's Word, the physicaland the spiritual are inseparably fused together. From thevery first, righteousness is presented in terms of its benefitsto the individual, the family and the nation; andunrighteousness in terms of disaster — personal, family, andgroup.God, the Maker of heaven and earth, has laid downcertain rules and facts that should not be ignored. One ofthese is, that our bodies are the residences of His HolySpirit, and as such, should be given tender, loving care andcontinuous guardian maintenance. For example, we shouldhearken and heed when we are told on good authority thatalcohol, tobacco, marihuana and drug abuse are harmful tothese bodies; that no good comes of them; that any"comfort" is a false comfort, loaded with the danger ofbodily harm, the danger of addiction with all its miseries,and the ultimate shortening of useful life and comfortableexistence.So thought our Covenanter ancestors, and they laiddown a rather firm rule against the use of alcoholic beveragesand habit-forming narcotics for us, their spiritual descendants,to follow.10 COVENANTER WITNESS

In an attempt to separate fact from furor, your writerattended a symposium on alcoholism and drug abuse, heldNovember 3, 1972, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester,Minnesota. The following is a brief report on what was saidat this conference.Alcohol is the Number One drug problem in theUnited States; other drugs follow a close second, and anydrug for "comfort" is a danger. An alcoholic does notrealize or recognize his problem, so the voluntary seeking forhelp is an almost unknown thing, — the alcoholic must beliterally forced into treatment by his desperate family orothers. Anyone who feels the "need of a drink" for ANYreason is facing alcoholic dependence.Ministers in denominations that use fermented winefor Communion run a rather high risk of becomingalcoholics, as shown by the Mayo Clinic records. Doctorswho drink are also high risk, with addiction a very difficultproblem to treat.-AND IT IS TERRIBLE!National VoiceThe cost to "dry out" an alcoholic is S75.00 a day,for at least twenty-one days, preferably twice as long; thismeans from SI575.00 to S3150.00 — and this is not a"cure." When dismissed, the alcoholic has a very high rateof relapse, of return to drinking. The desire to drink lasts atleast two years; an ex-alcoholic on the Mayo staff said to us,"I've been 'drv' for six years; it's a continuous struggle tostay that wav ; I'm not sure of myself yet! " (And that fromone who has "been there").It takes from six to twelve months after the last drinkbefore mental acuity returns. This is especiallv noticeable inthe "brainy" professions: research, teachers, etc. Thedrinker's family must be tough — kindness and cover-up area worthless dis-service; the drinker must be forced "backinto responsibility" to himself, to his family and to his job.He must be convinced that he has a problem, and that onlyhe can solve it — with help, of course, but it is HIS problem."Temperate drinking is dangerous, very dangerous!" Thiswas the flat statement of the head of the Department,chairman of the seminar.So it would seem the part of wisdom and selfpreservationfor the Christian to avoid TOTALLY the use ofalcohol, and to take ANY drug only under skilled supervisionand for a definite purpose.TOBACCO —IS IT ALL THAT BAD?Since there is no specific mention of tobacco in theBible, we must consider Biblical principles in terms of otherinformation for which God's Common Grace gives a basis.In 1968, the United States Government, havingbecome quite concerned over the obvious health hazards ofcigarette smoking, published in a very thick book, its findingsof years of study. This book takes human ills, item byitem, and shows how the smoker has more of them, hasthem more frequently, and has them worse, than does thenon-smoker. The millions of man-hours lost by thesetobacco-aggravated illnesses is stated. The millions of dollarslost to productive work, plus the greater medical costs of thelonger illnesses to the sick one and the families of these ailingones, all this is documented. The shortened life, theshortened income-producing life span, the increased invalidism,the damage to health and family income, — it's allright there. Tedious reading, to be sure; but provingstatistically what has been stated by Covenanters for years —that it is best not to use the stuff.Then, this fall, at the Mayo Clinical Reviews, — a"crash review" program on what's new in the health field,— it was amazing how many times, under the M A N Ysubjects being discussed, that the harmful effects of tobaccowere mentioned, and mentioned emphatically, — andmentioned in a manner as if everyone should know thisalready. Heart trouble, lung trouble, stomach ulcers,blindness, hardening of the arteries, sudden death in heartattack cases that should have "made it", — these all weredocumented, with condemnation of tobacco as a majorfactor.So it would seem the part of wisdom and selfpreservationfor the Christian to abstain totally fromtobacco, — for the sake of his own health, present andfuture, for the sake of his bank account, for his general senseof well-being. It is a common statement by those who havesuccessfully "kicked" the smoking habit, "My. I'dforgotten how good I could feel!"(Continued on next paye.)FEBRUARY 11. l l >^ 11

MSWamiL (Prompt >1.>7 Brutality toward one's own children;divorce and desertion of loved ones.8. Misjudgment of time and speed anddistance, which makes driving dangerous to one'sself and to others, — and this hangs on for monthsafter stopping the use of marihuana.The alarming thing is the long-range effect afterstopping the stuff. The mental and psychological changesthat have occurred seem to hang on and on. In fact, the twoinvestigating doctors raise the question whether or not thedamage to brain and personality isn't a permanent damage.So it would seem the part of wisdom and selfpreservationfor the Christian to abstain totally from any useof marihuana. As one insurance company says, "One ofthree that 'tries-out for kicks' gets 'hooked'."MARIHUANA — WHAT IS THE REAL STORY?therapeutic for various reasons and 12 spontaneous: half ofUntil October 2, 1972, when the copy of the Journalthese were in early pregnancy. Four of 14 embryos fromof the American Medical Association arrived, the onlytherapeutic abortions showed gross abnormalities, — onethird.Four of the 8 "second" pregnancies resulted inanswer to the above question was a rather indefinite, "It'snot good.'' But in that volume of the J. A.M. A. came a coldfactsreport entitled, "Toxic Effects of Chronic Marihuanadefective embryos or infants. Eight of 12 women have beenUse", by Dr. Harold Kolansky and Dr. William T. Moore,unable to conceive again. The use of other illicit drugs,infections, and malnutrition increased the reproductive risk— the third study they had done on the drug.Their report was far from the often-heard, "Oh, wellwith LSD.—" attitude, suggesting that this alarm over the use ofmarihuana was "much ado about nothing." Not so, theysay, and say it with figures. Thirteen cases are documented,SENSE AND CONCERNon the long-range study basis. For those of you who wish toread the actual case histories of these thirteen unfortunates,get the details by borrowing the October 2, 1972 copy of theJAMA from your friendly family physician.The stories aren't pretty:1. Personality changes — from friendly,likeable, respected, decent persons into suspicious,unreasonable, abusive, sarcastic, fearful, withdrawn"loners."2. Loss of moral values, leading to repeatedbouts with V. D. in a tom-cat type of living.3. Personal filthiness in body and dress andbehavior and speech.4. Errors in business judgment, leading torepeated severe financial losses.5. Confusion of thought, rambling incoherenceand memory difficulty.6. Loss of ambition to succeed; loss of a senseof responsibility, loss of vim, vigor and vitality.LSD AND HUMAN REPRODUCTIONCecil B. Jacobson, M.D. and Cheston M. BerM.D. make the following report in the December 11, 1972issue of the JAMA:One hundred forty women and their consorts who hadused LSD prior to or during pregnancy were observedthrough 148 pregnancies. Of this number, only 83 gavebirth to living babies (55 per cent). Of these 83 babies, 8were deformed (10 per cent). There were 65 abortions; 53Since "children are God's heritage and offspring Hisreward", it is our Christian duty and responsibility toproduce nothing but the best, as far as we are able.Now, all these remarks on alcohol, tobacco,marihuana and drugs, — all are made with this thought inmind: namely, life is rough enough without deliberatelyadding to its roughness. Scripture and science both emphasizeour responsibility to ourselves to take good care ofthe "temple" God has given us.Life is competition. Christian ideals of behavior givethe best chance to succeed: a clear mind at its best, unfoggedinto useless peacefulness by alcohol and drugs: a bodyunpoisoned by the cellular starvation caused by nicotine:strength, abilities, judgment, keen wits all at their best —this is what it takes to succeed! And this is the kindly, lovingconcern behind our Church's rule against any use of"alcoholic beverages and habit-forming narcotics!"12 COVENANTER WITNESS•

m§0God sent His son Jesus to earth to explain to us howmuch God loves us and wants us to be his children. Jesuslived a perfect life, but He gave His life to pay for our sins.Just before He returned to Heaven Jesus told His followersthat they must go everywhere to tell this Good News to allpeople. Because they did this and because many people sincethen have done it, we also know the Good News. This wasGod's plan.Dear Kids,In Pittsburgh where I live, we have had twobabies born into the congregation recently and tonightwe are waiting for the third to be born. These two girlbabies certainly did not get the unkind and ungratefultreatment that Jeanette Li got as a young baby andchild. I'm sure these will be loved and cared for as theygrow up learning about God in their families.Someone was loving and caring for Jeanette,too, and that Someone was her Heavenly Father,whom she came to know and love.Aren't you thankful when you think of theloving parents God has given you? Aren't you glad foropportunities to know and serve the God of Jeanette Liand other fine Christians you know, perhaps in vourchurch?Fondly,Mrs. A.Dressed up for the NewYearWhen this century began China was a land very differentfrom what it is today and very different from theUnited States. Few people had even heard of Jesus, the onetrue God. Some Americans believed that God was waitingfor them to take the message to China so they and theirchurch started a mission in South China. One day a very sicklittle girl was brought to the hospital they were running. Hermother was afraid to take her there because some people saidthe Americans poked out the eyes of little children. Arelative who knew this was not true took the little girl therewhen her mother was not looking. At the hospital theAmericans were kind to little Jeanette (her English name)and made her well, but she cried and cried. She had beencrying for a long time because so many sad things hadhappened to her.When she was born some of her relatives were sodisappointed not to get a boy baby that they wanted to giveher away. But her father loved her and kept her and she lovedhim. She was about six when he suddenly died. Her wholeworld changed. Her father had borrowed some money; nowpeople came and demanded that her mother sell her babysister to pay the debt. She refused, but they dragged the littlegirl from her arms. There was no one to help her. Jeanetteand her mother were alone in tears. She was locked alone inthe house while her mother went to work. All day she criedfor her mother and father.At the hospital the doctor explained to her about aHeavenly Father who loved her. Little Jeanette was eager tohear. The doctor told her more and taught her to pray. Sheprayed, "Make me a clean new person and receive me asvour child, for Jesus' sake. Amen." After this she prayedoften and her crying stopped. She had more sad times, butnow she had God and He used her as a missionary to take theGood News to others. Be sure to read the book, Jeanette l.iwhich tells the story ot this famous Covenanter missionary.FEBRUARY1 i, 1^313

dEdWitNTER IIN ThE VAIIEY of TIHEThe sun was shining, and this set thetone for the whole vacation. It was theseason of light, with much attention beingfocused on our Saviour, the Light of theworld. A wide, bright ribbon of roadstretched before us among the low FlintHills, as we traveled westward.First, there was the light ofFELLOWSHIP. In the back seat, and alsohelping with the driving, were the girls;college girls they are, full of laughter andintimate talk with each other on which wewere, by virtue of our nearness, allowed toeavesdrop. And we lifted thankful heartsto God for the love in the Lord whichyoung people have who are boundtogether by rebirth in Him. As wetraveled together we gained true insightinto their aspirations, and now can praymore understandingly for them.Many of you understand the lightnessof heart with which you arrive at the homeof your grown-up children, and arewelcomed. Gone are the days of stressfulgeneration-gap, if they once existed. Allrejoice in being together again, maturityadds appreciation and forbearance, and thebriefness of the encounter lends its ownfreedom from apprehension. What a thrillit is to see the holiday turkey thawing inits pan while stuffing is being broken into alarge bowl; and all so magically beingaccomplished by this "child" whom youwere urging on to domestic chores soshort a time ago!And then the fellowship with friendsin the Lord — former parishioners withwhom we discover new joys of loving andbeing loved, acquaintances with whom wenow spend a few hours becoming betteracquainted, and learning the personalitiesthat have made the previous chancemeetings so pleasant.And with these friends seeing thewonders of an Arizona winter in Phoenix;14diSTAFFUCTIONSSUMthe delight of .veighing with them thechoices of retirement: a trailerthere in winter, an apartment complexwith all needs foreseen and sunshine andlittle gardens in every corner, a smallhome near the church with a citrus fruittree supplying bounty and health in thegarden behind, employing the creative giftGod has given in full measure by makingcrafts that delight the eye.Then there was the light of REST. Hewho was the Light of the world said,"Come to me, all who are weary andheavy laden, and I will give you rest."There are various meanings to the word,light, and in this case it is the opposite of"heavy." Sometimes our spirits areheavy, as Psalm 38 expresses it, "I groanbecause of the agitation of my heart." Butthe Lord has tbe answer for this in Hiswords, and in His loving forgiveness ofour sins.And even the weight of responsibilitycarried without a complete enough trust inHim, gains a proper perspective duringvacation. As Elizabetb Goudge has it,"Journeys can be a respite from living.The problems left behind by the traveller,and the problems that will confront himwhen he arrives, fall away in a strangelydreamlike manner. They will link up whenhe arrives but while he is on the wing theyare almost non-existent." And so thevacation days were without pressures; westayed up to talk at night, but could sleepour fill when we got to bed; we observedothers at their responsibilities gainingfresh inspiration for the future carrying ofour own; pleasurable thoughtfulnesses,like postcards to friends, could be accomplishedat leisure, not crowded outand never done. "Leaning back," so tospeak, we saw soul-resting sunsets over adesert scene of saguaro and sagebrush, saton a sun-warmed patio on a restful Sabbathafternoon, and looked at the city ofPhoenix through our binoculars from amountain top where, after a difficultclimb, one felt bone-tired but nerverelaxed.And a greater light of UN­DERSTANDING broke through. I havealready hinted at this. One's horizons arebroadened, and with it is gained a little ofGod's view. "My ways are higher thanyour ways, and My thoughts than yourthoughts," says tbe Lord, yet He alsosays in another place, ' 'We have the mindof Christ."The Southwest is so largely filled withMexican influence. The Navaho orMexican faces teach a new love andconcern to one only surrounded by whiteor black — the smiling faces of thesechildren in the Phoenix Sabbath Schoolclasses helped me. I asked my Spanishacquaintedhusband to pronounce for menames of towns, people, historical sites,and plants.What does the Lord want us to do withour retirement years? This also waspondered. They're not quite here, butifHe continues us in the Land of Hope, wewill face this question. We met those whodo not now earn a living with their dailywork, but who serve by it still in manyvolunteer activities. And those who, stillearning, do it in an atmosphere differentfrom ours with, perhaps, health as a happyby-product. In a small but growingCovenanter church in the Valley of theSun, there are, as one member, put it,"more jobs than people," so what anopportunity to serve the Lord and bearfruit for Him.And finally the Lord dealt with justme. I had time to gain perspective. I saw, ifeven dimly, a right attitude of heart tocultivate and for which to pray.Dropping down the mountain fromFlagstaff to Phoenix, on arrival, our viewhad been confined to the sweep of ourheadlights. But the beautiful drive wouldbe clearly seen on the morning we left, Ithought. However, we left after a night ofrainfall, with a heavy fog obscuring all butthe white line a few yards ahead, and thesnow-covered or marshy forest flooralongside the road. I firmly decided, so asnot to be cheated, that it had a mistybeauty. Just out of Flagstaff, as we lookedback, the sun came out, and spanning themountaintops hung a lovely rainbow ofpromise — light diffused, if you will. Sowe must take the Light of Jesus Christ andby His grace diffuse it in our myriad tasksof daily living.Winifred ElliottCOVENANTER WITNESS

KUITERT AND GENESIS 2 AND 3The 5 Dec. 1972 issue of the RESNews Exchange states that the"Reformed Churches in theNetherlands (the GKN) Decide KuitertIssue." Prof. Kuitert was in essence,given a clean bill of theological health inregard to his views on the historicity ofGenesis 2 and 3. However, one memberof "an ad hoc committee of the Synod''still had some questions: "What answershall we now give to those who hadobjections and asked concrete questionson specific passages in the books andarticles of Professor Kuitert?" Accordingto the RES News Exchange,"Some delegates called the consensusstatement (giving synodical approval toProf. Kuitert's teaching) a 'curtain ofsmoke.'"TENTATIVE DRAFT" OF A"PROPOSED NEW CONFESSION"In other words, it is decidedlyprovisional, exploratory — this "newconfession" of the southernPresbyterian Church (PCUS). This is abooklet of 23 pages, short sentences,with short lines, not closely set print.There are 9 chapters: God, God andHis People, God and the World, God inChrist, The Spirit of God, The Word ofGod, The Church of God, The Missionof God's Church, and God and theFuture. There is a 3-page "evaluation"sheet, "To be submitted by December15, 1972," with questions as to theopinion of the reader regarding reactionto the "confession." Is it Biblical,understandable, relevant, useful inteaching, in public worship?My first impression is that thereseems to be a purpose for change,whether the change is improvement ornot being of secondary importance.There is less precision of statement,with more emphasis on trying to applyour confession as Christians to currentsocial problems. If the action of thenorthern church in its adoption of the"Confession of 1967" is any indicationof what will take place, changes will bein details, with the general outline andformat left largely unchanged.Such a document, that has had agreat deal of work, discussion andcommittee composition, should becarefully studied before being judged,but a preliminary — and personal —observation, is that the Committee haslargely abandoned a rational andreasoned handling of the data of God'sWord, in fa\or of an emotional andimp^edIRev.Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010JL IV \\1*\\vafS\ Vfffimpressionisticapproach. There doesn'tseem to be much help in guiding thoseto whom the witness is given, to a rightdecision regarding Jesus Christ, or eventoward making more clear and vividwhat the choice is.Jesus' witness concerning Himselfcomes through clearly on the pages ofScripture. Once understood, peopleproceed to act in accord with what theyunderstand the witness to be, in otherwords to apply it to their life situation.Has this not been the purpose of a"confession," rather than to detail aprogram of action?NO COMPULSORY CHAPELATTENDANCEIt's now official. The Supreme Courthas ruled that the military officertraining academies may not require thecadets to attend chapel services ofworship.The alternative to "American civilreligion" (see the last Glimpsescolumn), in the eyes of many, seems tobe neutrality toward all religion.Possibly that is the view of the highCourt itself in this decision. In myjudgment, this is not a bad decision,though there was doubtless a sprinklingof leaders in academy worship serviceswho sought faithfully to proclaim theGospel. But one cannot be compelled toworship, and this requirement seemedto take that approach. But this decisionwon't go far in purging ourselves fromour false civil religion.We have to find the way to confessJesus Christ as King of kings and Lordof lords, while leaving the individual toexercise his free agency in receiving andobeying the gospel.THE AMSTERDAM PHILOSOPHYThe name of Prof. HermannDooveweerd of the Free University ofAmsterdam is acknowledged as theleading theoretician of the Amsterdamphilosophy. Its chief Americanpromoter is the Toronto Institute forChristian Studies, with which areassociated in one wav or another, anumber of scholars working in otherinstitutions.The vigor with which many writerswho exemplify the tenets of the Amsterdamphilosophy, have delineated theshortcomings and vagaries of ourculture, has attracted the interest ofmany of God's people.Prof. John Frame of WestminsterSeminary and the Rev. Leonard J.Coppes, OPC minister, have preparedwhat they call "a preliminary critique''of the movement, (61 pp., $1.00,Harmony Press, R.D. 2, Phillipsburg,N.J. 08865) which anyone interestedshould have.NEWS COMMENTATOR PAULHARVEYI note that this well known radionewscaster received baptism in the FirstBaptist (Conservative) Church ofSunnyslope, Phoenix, Arizona about ayear ago.ANTI ABORTION LEGISLATIONProposals to legalize abortion ondemand were defeated by popular votein North Dakota and Michigan.Educational publicity by interestedpeople, according to CT, had much todo with the outcome of the vote,especially in Michigan. In Pennsylvaniathe Governor vetoed a measure passedby the legislature, which would havebanned abortion except where necessaryto save the life of the mother."BOYS TOWN"With their posters and "Christmasstickers" Boys Town has had a goodthing going with their phrase, "Heain't heavy. He's my brother." But theOmaha Sun Newspapers, according toEP. has shown that their annual take (in1971 at least) comes to \ times the costof caring for the boys. The SunNewspapers have been honored for theirinvestigation by the Universities otNebraska and ot Missouri. Wire andnews services comment that what hasbeen uncovered thus tar mav well beonk the top .4 an iceberg ot scandal.FEBRUARY 11. 1973 15

The Subtleties of SuperstitionThe Seven Gods of Luck {Japanese)Christian people are infected with the diseases of ourtimes. It is undeniable that many Christians now shrink fromfamiliar Bible stories which they as children received asDivinely inspired facts. The sickness of modern Christendomresults to a great degree from 20th century skepticism.Irrationalism has swept the Western world as FrancisSchaeffer has taught us. The Barthian and Bultmann schoolsof thought have ' 'released'' modern man from accepting thesupernatural events written in God's Word, but assured himthat the kernel of truth in those old myths remains as true asbefore.Japan too is a land of hard-core skepticism mixed withromantic superstition and fantasy. A Japanese scholareducated in America was once chided by an American friendfor teaching in Japanese schools (prior to the end of WorldWar II) the legends of the Kojiki, Japan's mythical history.This intellectual answered, "We know those stories are nottrue, but we believe them."Japan remains sentimentally fond of the "unreal'' andthe "mysterious", and the powerful world of magic. Thissuperstition runs all through television, especially inchildren's shows. The following quotation from a newspapercolumn, T-V Highlights, reveals something of the escapistmentality of the television audience here in Japan:"In ancient times the people of Japan dreamedabout their own imaginative flying objects in thesky. They were not cold mechanical devices such asflying saucers or space rockets, but warm-hearted'inhabitants of heaven' called Ten-nin. It is interestingto note that none of the Ten-nin is a male."Once upon a time, as a Japanese legendgoes, there was a beautiful Ten-nin who once cameback to the beach of Miho (now Shizuoka Prefecture),with beautiful Mt. Fuji near at hand. She wentup to heaven after a brief rest in spite of a fisherman'spleas," fading into the misty blue sky abovethe pine forest until she disappeared far above Mt.Fuji.Kids' TelevisionFL'kL'ROKUJIN —Prophecy and MiraclesThese vague, beautiful legends of Japan take on a newviolent form in children's programs on T-V. One seriesresembles the American television programs Superman orBatman, yet remains thoroughly Japanese in format andcontents. Three heroic supermen who enthrall the youngerfry are an elderly samurai (knight), a handsome youngsamurai and a ten year old lad who is skilled at roping in the"bad guys" with his magic rope. The young samurai ismasked, the other two are not. These three rove the countryrescuing innocent victims in most gallant and unbelievableexploits.16COVENANTERWITNESS

One favorite trick — which my son assures me is donewith a hidden trampoline — is for the hero to leap straightinto the air, slowly turning a flip as he goes and comingdown astride the highway ready for battle.Other weapons are electronic gadgets with magicdeath rays or forked lightning streaming out of theirfingertips, eyes or a belt buckle. These characters are alwaysusing hand gestures to put a magic "hex" on their opponents.Since coming back to Japan we have found out thatsome Japanese students who were close to a Christianprofession ten years ago have drifted into unbelief againbecause of this conditioning to believe and to not believe atthe same time. One very intelligent young man, who wasstudying for baptism in a Tokyo Church two or three yearsago does not now attend church. He said to me, "After theend of the Pacific War we Japanese wanted to try everythingAmerican. We have looked at these new things, such asChristianity and we are contented now to forget them. Wehave seen the 'inside' and they have nothing for us."The Antidote to Modern SuperstitionBold and defiant Scriptural preaching and personalwitnessing are the only weapons we have from God to fightthese modern fantasies.Paul has diagnosed 20th century scientism and intellectualunbelief, in I Corinthians 2:14, "But the naturalman perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for theyare foolishness unto him: neither can he know them,because they are spiritually discerned. '' In Romans 1:22 hedescribes the human mind in its raw state, "Professingthemselves to be wise, they became fools. And changed theglory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like tocorruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, andcreeping things. '' The style on children's programs of T-Vin Japan often runs to monsters. Department stores sellpaper models, masks and various kinds of garments featuringthese ugly monsters.The astrology rage of the West is here also, on newsstands in railway stations. In so "enlightened" an age asours, man's sinful lust for magic, good luck, peace, happiness,eternal life is being exploited commercially to make acynical appeal to man's inborn hunger for God and eternity.It is a day indeed for preaching Christ and we are determinednot to present anything to perishing men in this Space Agebut Jesus Christ and him crucified. ' 'Because the foolishnessof God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God isstronger than men.". .1 am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it isthe power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. '' Romans 1:16.HOTEI—WisdomI1ENTEN —Art and LiteratureJUROJ1N-LongcvityFEBRUARY li. 197 317

LIFE IN CHRIST. Norman Pittenger. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publ.Co., 1972. 128 pp. $1.95.After a lifetime as student and teacher of theology,Norman Pittenger desires "to communicate to the ordinaryman or woman, not the professional scholar, what means mostto him" —namely "life in Christ" (p. 5). To accomplish this,Pittenger waters down and omits the truth regarding the natureof that life in Christ. He identifies the "foundation of the life inChrist" as the "event of Christ" but it remains a vague term.The author fails to present the Biblical truths defining anddescribing the nature of the union of Christ and the Christian.Without the authoritative use of and the exegesis of theBible, geared to the "layman's level," Life in Christ becomesanother book filled with many lofty platitudes about the externalsof Christianity. Unless the Christian grasps the truths ofunion with Christ, in his death and the power of hisresurrection, he cannot base his external life on the facts of thatunion; he will not have the motivation to carry out the imperativesof that life in Christ. This "slight" omission inPittenger's book becomes a glaring weakness in the total impactof the book. The reader might better substitute John Murray'sPrinciples of Conduct, chapter 9, and the Westminster LargerCatechism, questions 65, 66, 69 for much of this new book Lifein Christ.Eileen FalkHEALING AND WHOLENESS. D. Wayne Montgomery, ed.John Knox Press, 1971. 240 pp. $7.50."In a society that fragments persons and relationships, itis imperative that the healers get together. The whole manneeds to be treated . . and that calls for a firm, cordial workingrelationship between physician and clergyman." This introductorypreface serves as the theme for this collection ofthirty-four articles and essays. Topics for discussion not onlyinclude the necessity of doctor-clergy teamwork, butprovocative and timely treatises on the ethical and moralquestions involved with the sexual revolution, telling theterminal patient the truth, prolonging life versus prolongingdeath, and organ transplants.The essays, the majority of which have been authored bydoctors, are well-written and can be of considerable value to thepastor when confronted with counseling and cooperating withpatients, family, and physician. The most serious omission ofthis collection of articles is the total absence of any attempt toarticulate a thoroughly biblical view of life, death, disease, andthe healing of man in our present age between the Resurrectionand the Parousia. One must also askif such a distinctivelyChristian and biblical approach to men and medicine would notgo a long way to foster a concern on the part of physician,psychiatrist, and pastor for each "patient" as a total personcreated uniquely in God's image instead of merely "a case ofLee P. Bittner, IIILAMPS ARE FOR LIGHTING. Louise A. Catton. Wm. B.Eerdmans Publ. Co.. 1972. 123 pp. $2.45 (paperback)."Some people light lamps which send a glow beyond theirown lives." This Mrs. Helen Barrett Montgomery and Mrs.Lucv Waterbury Peabody did in their unceasing efforts for theWomen's Baptist Foreign Missionary Society. These twotalented, courageous, adventuresome women, dedicated"without reserve to God's service," met for the first time asspeakers at a Baptist County Associational Meeting. To besure, neither of them had a major part on the program; thatresponsibility belonged to the men. But both of these womenspoke at the "women's hour" at noon. They informed thepeople of the needs in missions around the world, and theirwork spread around the world with interdenominationalcooperation.The earliest contribution women made to missions was insupport of the men's efforts. As missionary wives saw the needsand opportunities of education for women and children and ofmedical care, they shared their concern with those left at home.The women at home, led by Mrs. Montgomery and Mrs.Peabody, began to respond. Single women offered to gooverseas. Women began to organize societies to send them.To read this book one is inspired, yet almost overcome,bv the great accomplishment of these women through God'sprovidential guidance to meet the needs of missions. One is alsoimpressed with the attitude of Mr. Montgomery; he didn'tclaim exclusive rights to his remarkable wife, but recognizingher gifts and abilities, he generously and sympathetically sharedher with the churches and the world in need.Ruth FarisTHE REFORMATION OF JOURNALISM: A CHRISTIANAPPROACH TO MASS MEDIA. Jon R. Kennedy. The CraigPress, 1972. 144 pp. $2.95 (paperback).In order to introduce the subject of the reformation injournalism, the author spends a good third of the bookpresenting the Dooyeweerdian philosophical scheme as the onlypossible basis for what he terms "radical Christian journalism."He speaks of the need to discover the "built-in God-givenlaws of the universe" for linguistic and journalistic activity.The thoroughly disappointing feature, however, is thatKennedy never once scratches the surface in telling us whatthese "laws" are and how to apply them.I appreciated his critique of tbe secular journalistic world.I enjoyed reading the historical material about AbrahamKuyper's Christian journalistic achievement, but I still did notcome away with a positive definition of the nature and scope ofChristian journalism. The quotes from Richard Forbescritiquing current evangelical journalism and also his ideasabout Christian communalism excite the reader with theircreative insights. But Kennedy leaves these ideas hanging andwoefully underdeveloped. I came away from this book feelingthat it bordered on tbe ethereal. We need the kind of radicalChristian journalism Kennedy pleads for, but this work tells uslittle of what it is or how to go about it in terms of concreteScriptural directives. In essence we have an interesting themefit for a college term paper, pumped up with verbosity, particularlyToronto jargon, to make it look like a full length book.We're waiting, Jon. Maybe next time you'll be the firstof the Cosmonomic Law people to touch down in our secular,humanist circle and show us the specifics of our Christianmandate in journalism.Ronald W. Nickerson18 COVENANTER WITNESS

CountHerTowers...??BELLE CENTER, OHIO(Robert Morrow, Pastor)Four young people joined our churchat fall communion. They were MaryMorrow, daughter of Rev. and Mrs.Morrow, Jim Keys, son of Mr. and Mrs.Howard Keys, and two young sisters fromthe community, Charlotte and DeniseDavis. Our preparatory messages werepreached by Rev. Keith Copeland on thebook of Ruth. Out-of-bounds membersattending were Mrs. Edith McClure andMisses Grace and Clara Wagner.Rev. and Mrs. J. P. Wilson wereguests for an evening of fellowship withmembers of the congregation at the homeof Mr. and Mrs. Howard Keys inNovember. A thankoffering was taken thefollowing Sabbath by the MissionarySociety.Two carloads of young people attendedthe winter conferette held in Bloomingtonover the Christmas holiday. The annualholiday dinner was held December 30 atthe church.ALMONTE, ONT.(Robert More, Pastor)Miss Mary Bowes celebrated her100th birthday on September 21 by attendingboth worship services. The pastorpreached on one of her favourite psalmswhile others were sung in the services.A social was likewise held on theprevious Thursday in her honour. At alater date she appeared on a local televisionprogramme. She also received personalcongratulations from the Queen, PrimeMinister. Premier, and many others.The annual congregational dinner wasenjoyed (as always) as well as TalentNight. Lisbon people also participated inthe latter.Peter Cutter was honoured at theCarleton Place High School commencementfor scholastic achievement.Dr. Alvin Smith assisted at our fallFEBRUARY 11, 1973communion. We were glad both he andMrs. Smith visited us before moving toCalifornia.Rev. and Mrs. Paul Wilson spent anevening giving us first-hand informationabout current work in Cyprus.CALLS DECLINEDRev. Luther McFarland has declinedthe call to Clarinda, Iowa.Rev. David Armstrong has declinedthe call to Chicago, 111.Rev. Marion McFarland has declinedthe call to Walton, N.Y.CORRECTIONIn your 1972 Minutes of Synod, pleasecorrect the phone number of RaymondJoseph. West Lafavette, Ind. to 317-463-4260.LISBON, N. Y.(Paul E. Faris, Pastor)Mrs. Florence Prosser, mother-in-lawof our pastor, now resides in Lisbon in thelittle home she purchased beside the R. P.Manse. Four days after she arrived inLisbon she was stricken with illness andhospitalized twice before she was on theroad to recovery. She is much improvednow.Mr. James Smith recently underwentsurgerv and is now recovering at the homeof his nephew Dale Smith.A joint Thanksgiving service was heldat the Reformed Presbyterian Church withthe Orthodox Presbyterian congregationin attendance. Rev. Eugene Grilli gave themessage.Our Thankoffering supper was heldNov. 24 with Bruce Spear, son of Rev.Gene Spear, missionary in Japan, giving atalk on '"What it's like to be amissionary's son."Miss Gertrude Smith is a patient atHepburn Hospital with a broken leg.resulting from a fall in her home.Dr. Wilcox Retires;22 Years at GenevaDr. D. Raymond Wilcox, Bibleprofessor at Geneva for the past 22 years,has retired from active teaching. He andMrs. Wilcox were honored by the facultyat a special reception on Thursday.Dr. Wilcox graduated from Geneva in1928 and the Reformed PresbyterianSeminary in 1931. He received his Masterof Arts at Colorado State and has studiedat the University of Pittsburgh. Hereceived his honorary Doctor of Divinityfrom Geneva in 1955. He joined theGeneva faculty in 1950, where he servedas Dean of the College and has taughtPolitical Science, History, and Greek inaddition to his primary subject of Bible.COLLEGE HILL(Dean Smith, Pastor)The year 1972 found the College HillReformed Presbyterian Church growing inmanv respects. Our new members byprofession of faith are Harry Anastasiou,Theodora Fantousi Anastasiou, HelenGordecki Cummings, James Doyle,Lorraine Doyle. Bobette Edwards, HarryS. Fink, Steve Garber, Kenneth Hartman,Dee Hartman and Robert Miller. Joiningour congregation from other Covenanterchurches are Carl Henning, Jean DillHenning, Paul Kilpatrick, ShirleyKilpatrick, Jan Stewart, Joseph Worsham.From other denominations joiningour congregation are Jayne Cable, JaniceJohnson Eells, and Donna Worsham. Inaccordance with a plan approved by Synodour Session has assumed oversight for four"assigned members" while they are awayfrom home. They are Ron Graham(Quinter). Don McCrory (Sterling).David Maine (Wichita). John Rug(Lawrence).The Congregation observed a Midwinterseason of Communion January 1 IJanuary 21 2 I the five ReformedPrcslnterian churches

Rev. Albert Martin as the guest minister.Services will be held in the College Hillchurch.CAMBRIDGE(Waldo Mitchel, Pastor)Visiting in the home of Rev. and Mrs.Waldo Mitchel, during the holidays, wereMr. and Mrs. Robert Mitchel and sonDavid. While in Cambridge, Mrs. RobertMitchel made her public profession offaith in Christ, and was received into themembership of the Cambridgecongregation. On Sabbath, December31st, Mrs. Robert Mitchel and son Dayidwere baptized. Robert is a member of theWalton R. P. church.GENEVA CONG.(J. Renwick Wright, Pastor)The meeting of the Lillian McCrackenW.M.S. was highlighted with Mrs.Wright's review of Born Out of Conflict.Mrs. Wendell Hemphill was electedpresident of the W.M.S.The newly elected superintendent ofthe adult department is David Willson.Youth department superintendents areMrs. Wendell Hemphill, Mrs. TomPrice. Mrs. Merrill Robb, and Miss AnnLathom, each of whom will serve foronequarter.Pastor and Mrs. Wright and familyspent the holidays with their family inIreland.Miss Rachel Carlson, a senior atGeneva College, was received intomembership on profession of faith andacceptance of our terms of communion.Annual MeetingWoman's AssociationThe members of the ReformedPresbyterian Woman's Associationhaving charge of the ReformedPresbyterian Home are called to meet inannual session at the First ReformedPresbyterian Church, 209 DarlingtonRoad, Patterson Heights, Beaver Falls,Pa. on Wednesday, February 28, 1973at 10 A.M. Bring sandwiches with you— salad and beverage will be providedby our hostesses, the women of the FirstBeaver Falls congregation. It is importantthat you keep in touch with thework of our Churcb Home.208 Covenanters at GenevaListed in Who's WhoEight Covenanter students at GenevaCollege have been elected to "Who'sWho Among Students in AmericanUniversities and Colleges." They areamong 22 seniors honored by the facultyand Student Senate for excellence inscholarship, leadership and participationin co-curricular activities, service to thecollege and community, and promise forthe future. Their biographies will appearin the 1972-73 edition among the nation'soutstanding campus leaders.CATHERINE BRAUN, (Eastvale)the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. LouisBraun, Beaver Falls, Pa., is an accountingmajor. She was secretary of the AccountingClub in 1971-72, and has hadvarious work experiences in accountingand data processing.RACHEL CARLSON, (Geneva) anEnglish major, is the daughter of Mr. andMrs. Orville C. Carlson, Banglil,Thailand. She was born in Chiengmai,Thailand where her parents weremissionaries with the China InlandMission, now the Overseas MissionaryFellowship.RHONDA COAST, (Eastvale) thedaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Coast,Beaver Falls, Pa., is a Spanish major andplans to teach. She has been president andvice president of the Spanish Club,secretary of the French Club, and hasplayed in the Concert Band and StageBand.BETH MATHEWS, (Old Bethel) thedaughter of Mr. and Mrs. RalphMathews, Baldwin, Illinois, is anelementary education major. She plans toteach. Beth is vice president of both theWomen's Athletic Association and theEnglish Club.THOMAS PRICE, JR., (Newburgh)the son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Price,Sr., Wappingers Falls, New York, is aBiblical Literature major. He plans to be apastor. Tom is president of the StudentSenate, and served as its treasurer as asophomore. He was president of the classof 1973 in his junior year. He wasawarded the Eliza Sloan MemorialScholarship.CAROL SPEAR is the daughter ofRev. and Mrs. Gene W. Spear of Kobe,Japan. She is a math major and plans toenter the field of medicine. She has beenan active member of the Christian StudentFellowship, serving as publicity chairmanand singing in the choir. She has beenpresident of McKee Hall. Carol has beenhonored as one of four recipients of theTrustee Scholarship. This year she wasthe computer programmer for the firstGeneva registration to use dataprocessing.WILLIAM WEIR, (New York City)the son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Weir,Bronxville, New York, is a businessadministration major. He plans a career inhospital administration. He is on theStudent Senate, and is business managerof the Christian Student Fellowship choir.He was co-captain of the varsity soccerteam and also was in varsity cross countryone year and basketball manager twoyears. Bill is a resident assistant in GenevaArms.CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT,(Geneva) a chemistry major, is the son ofDr. and Mrs. J. Renwick Wright, BeaverFalls, Pa. He plans to go into research inchemistry. Chris is president of ChristianStudent Fellowship and has participated inthe CSF choir. He has played varsitysoccer and participated in track.countOUT2 ^0da

February 28, 1973Giving(See pp. 4, 10)f 7 ,' '^ \]fl£Li W. '•• -fflwHHHiWr'*\%r vf'(ft.

WQRI7"WHEN YOU GIVE ALMS"At one point when Jesus upbraided his disciples formisinterpreting an act of devotion by Mary, He made theremark, "the poor ye always have with you." To listen tosome Christians today, one would assume that they knowmore than our Lord on this subject. We are frequently toldthat with the massive welfare system in our country and thevast amount of foreign aid doled out by our government thatthere is no real need for Christian charity because thegovernment has taken it all over and ruled out a role for thechurch.How interesting. The same people who are so adamantabout our government's inability to do other things maintainthat she outdoes herself in helping the needy and even manywho have no genuine need. I must confess that I used to givecredence to this argument. It's not easy to think otherwisewhen you go to the supermarket and see that person who haschecked out in front of you pay for his purchase in foodstampsand then load the groceries into a late model Cadillac.But a friend of mine here recently from the more socialisticBritish Isles commented on the very evident extremes ofwealth and poverty that he saw in the U.S. but not in GreatBritain. This sets me thinking. Just how wide open are oureyes to the real poverty and distress in our own country?And beyond that? What principle of Scripture says weare to watch out for fellow Americans only and forget thedistress and poverty of other nations? If Christ ministered tothe physical needs of many who rejected him, are we free toignore poverty until it lands at our own back door? Are thetheological liberals the only ones to get excited about Biafraand other disaster areas? Are we always guilty of workssalvation when we seek to meet the needs of oppressedpeoples? Could it be that we are distorting our Calvinisminto a presumptuous fatalism that reasons that those in wantare worthless to God and perhaps even being judged byHim?This issue of the Witness contains three significantarticles on the way Christians are to give their alms in thename of Christ. The article by Lester DeKoster sets a newperspective on giving that all Christians need to consider.Finally, John McMillan's thought-provoking "How toGive to Missions" gives us some valid pointers on what eggsbelong in what baskets. The "WHY" of Christian charityand the "HOW" are equally important so that "WHEN"we give alms we may do so in a way that honors Christ'scommand. After you read these articles, let's hear too fromyou on how you feel about the subject of charity.R.W.N.• Editor:I would like to know if andwhere I can secure a copy of anold poem that begins"In a dream of the night Iwas wafted awayTo the morelands of mistwhere the martyrs layWhere the Cameronssword and his Bible are seenEngraved on the stonewhere the heather growsgreen."Thanking you in hopefulanticipation,Albert Blair32 Jasper Ave.Smith Falls, Ont. Canada• Editor:I read the article in theCovenanter Witness concerningthe new Psalter. I readabout the time and effort putinto the renewing of thePsalter. I agree we need arevision of the Psalter. It seemsas though much emphasis isput on the advancement of thePsalter and the Psalmsthroughout the body of Christ.It is not only in this particulararticle I find this, but throughthe entire Covenanter Church.My question is why don't Isee much more emphasis puton advancing Christ'sKingdom throughout the bodyof Christ? Why? It wouldappear we may not be able todo this without the Psalms.Would advancing the Psalmsand Psalter be more importantthan advancing Christ'sKingdom through Him andnot the Psalter?Lynne TurkLower Burrell, Pa.Editor's note: We can't agree.In "advancing" the Psalmswe are advancing the Word ofGod which is the only means ofsalvation for lost man. SurelyOHA Jlo

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.OVENANTERVOLUME LXXXIXNO. 5FEBRUARY 28, 1973CONTENTSARTICLES:Charitv: Index to the Soul.The Role of Women in the Church."Standing Upon This HillHow to Give to Missions.Evangelism and God's Election.The Christian Wedding CeremonvFEATURES:A Word Due."In Truth and Love"Hev Lookit!Glimpses."Bring the Books""Count Our Days"4.6.8.10.14.17.22.12192020SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, r year;S8.50, 2 years; British Isles, t 2, 1 year;£3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1>ear; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 738 RebeccaAvenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.Second class postage paid atWinchester, Kansas 66097.MEMBER VLo the ^lOcinen c{ tlie (^Ixurclx:As the president of the Auxiliary to the Board of Directorsof our Reformed Presbyterian Home, I am asking vou toprayerfully consider joining the Auxiliary. Our sole purpose, asstated in the by-laws, is "to aid and supplement the work of theBoard of Directors in the care and comfort of the HomeFamily."While it may not be practical for you who live at a distanceto carry out much of the work, you may become inactivemembers by the payment of annual dues of SI.50. These arepayable in April to Mrs. James Beattv. R.D. 1, Derrv Road,New Alexandria, Pa.. 15670.Your dues will be used to bring comfort and pleasure to theHome members. Won't you join the Auxiliary?Eleanor C. RobbEVANGELICAL PRESS ASSOCIATIONFEBRUARY 28. 19"'3 3

Charity:IndextotheSoulLESTER DeKOSTERWe find ourselves thinking, afterThanksgiving and Christmas, aboutgifts — God's to us and ours toothers.God's gifts to us take starklymaterial forms often, most vividlywith the gift of His Son in the verysubstance of our flesh. Christmaterializes Love. He is given, not asspirit or idea or principle, but as live,squirming, gurgling Baby. And thegifts of the Wise Men, about which somuch has been speculated andspiritualized, probably paid for thetrip to, and sojourn in, Egypt.It is true that love can be expressedin many ways, not all of themtangible, but it is striking how oftenthe Bible requires love's expression inthe gift of things to eat, to drink, andto wear. One has but to reflect on theLord's parable of the Last Judgment.It is acutely Christian, therefore,as observed here before, tomemorialize Thanksgiving byfeasting, matched with sharingthrough baskets of food. Things canbe vehicles of love.Similarly, then, the Christmas giftis appropriately something whichembodies our love — just as the loveof God appeared in very real and livingflesh at Bethlehem.It is always mistaken to equateChristianity with an exclusive concernfor the soul. Archbishop WilliamTemple could not remind us too oftenthat, in his words, "Christianity isthe most materialistic of allreligions."Something about the growinghustle and bustle of Christmas maytempt us to want somehow tospiritualize the whole business, butthere is nothing authenticallyChristian in pretending to rise abovethe physical. Those boxes of candyand round, glowing oranges that usedto grace our children's Christmasprograms — do they still? — are"right on."And therefore "sharing Christ,"as the common phrase goes, who infact never belongs to us, can be nosubstitute for sharing our goods,which do. Indeed, the degree to whichwe are Christ's — not He ours — isbiblically gauged by the dimension (interms of what we hold back) of ourmaterial charities. "And so, I tellyou," Jesus says of the woman whoperfumed His feet with love embodiedin costly ointment, "her great loveproves that her many sins have beenforgiven; where little has beenforgiven, little love is shown." Astartling measure to apply to our owncharities — a measure, brethren inthe pulpit, you are biblically obligatedto fasten on all our consciences!For there is something judgmentalabout this matter of giving.Something that sets us uncomfortablyat the end of time — call it, in modernjargon, an eschatological dimension— and something almost the reverseof what we are apt to take for granted.We might, in fact, and probablyoften do, suppose that becauseChristianity does take seriously thingsCOVENANTER WITNESS

CHARITY ISDIVINELY COMMANDEDFOR OUR BENEFIT,THAT IS.THE BENEFIT OF THE GIVER —FOR THAT OF THE RECIPIENT.NOT BECAUSEIN CHARITYWE EARN VIRTUE:WE SIMPLY DISPLAYTHE REALIZATIONOF OUR HAVING BEENFORGIVEN.like food, and drink, and clothing,therefore Christians are mandated togive for the benefit of the needy. Loverequires giving, we naturally suppose,so that the hungry may be fed, thenaked clothed, and the homelesssheltered.And, thinking this way, we arelikely to resist the biblical mandateswith disputation about what the poordeserve, why the diligent shouldendow the less successful with goods,whether the lazy should share at all,and if the diaconate may attend tophysical needs outside thecongregation. All because we supposethat charity comes to focus on therecipient.Let me say, only in passing, thatindeed the Bible has a concern for theneedy. This concern is expressed inrequiring the state — called the"king" or the "magistrate" — topursue relentlessly for all men, andespecially for the poor and the weak,justice and equity — that is,protection against theft, exploitation,and greed (justice) plus participationin the common good (equity). Thefocus here is on material need, and theelimination of its causes and consequences— the primary task,biblically viewed, of the state. Apply,for example, Psalm 82 to anygovernmental body. And, also inpassing, the status of public welfare,which agonizes us so much and sorightly, really reflects how well thestate is achieving justice and equity.But this is another matter.Whenit comes to giving — food,clothing, shelter — the spotlight falls,biblically, not first of all upon therecipient but upon the giver.Consider that "certain man" whowas beaten into a ditch on the JerichoRoad. He received first aid, ambulanceservice, and paid-upmedicaid. But all this vanishes withthe recipient through the inn door,lost in the shadow of the blinding lightfocused upon the giver! It is theparable of the Good Samaritan, not ofthe robbed traveler. The man's needwas but the touchstone, a kind ofspiritual Geiger counter, whichprobed and visualized for all to see thestate of soul in two hypocrites and oneneighbor.Charity is divinely commanded forour benefit, that is, the benefit of thegiver — not for that of the recipient.Not because in charity we earnvirtue; we simply display therealization of our having beenforgiven.The poor are, the church has longtaught, God's peculiar and searchinggift to the rich — and He has, in ourtime, given us some two-thirds of aworld of such probing, testing"gifts." More than enough. Couldnot He, otherwise, who feeds ravensand lavishly clothes lilies, have longago "redistributed the wealth"?Charity searches the "haves" farmore significantly than it suffices the"have-nots."Dives' rejection of the testdivinelv posed by Lazarus — call it the"opportunity" presented by Lazarus— cost the beggar food, but cost thatrich fool his soul.And this is the paradox inChristian "materialism." Poverty ingoods is always temporal, whilepoverty of soul indexed by refusal toshare goods is eternal.Christianity looks upon materialgifts as so significant, not becausefood and clothing loom so large inChristian doctrine — they belongindeed to the rudiments of life — butbecause love is incarnate in thingswhen they are given away — first byGod to us; and then in pale andstumbling imitation, by us to others.Therewith we become the neighbor.Let us not, in enacting Christiancharity, try to shift the focus fromourselves to the merit or demerit ofthe needy; let us not, either,spiritualize what God has madematerial.Let us rather, when admonishedto giving, discern in such admonitiona divine love — and testing — of oursouls.By permission of The BannerFEBRUARY 28, 1973

TheRole ofWomen in the ChurchShould we have women preachers? In spite of trendstoday, the majority of Christian churches maintain thehistoric practice of limiting this position to men. TheReformed Presbyterian Church has stood with themajority opinion. This text in I Timothy 2:8-15 will help usunderstand why.Paul's concern in this pastoral epistle centers onbehavior in the house of God, the church. (3:14,15).Timothy needs this counsel as a younger man getting ataste of the ministry firsthand. Not only were there thenormal challenges of such a ministry, but Paul recognizesmany had left the purpose of their instruction (l:5f) andgone off into vain talking. What can be more disturbing tothe life of the church than empty talking from self-styledpreachers! So the letter bristles with exhortations to shoreup the preaching-teaching ministry.It is into this context that Paul inserts these wordsabout women in the church. This text is no isolatedoutburst from a patronizing male. It is the solemn word ofan apostle, chosen and appointed by God to preach andteach the Gospel (2:7), making clear to a colleague God'swill for His Church.The passage would seem to refer essentially tocorporate worship, although it is difficult to isolate entirelyfrom the context the New Testament idea of theI Tim. 2:8-15church community. But we must remember Paul's concernfor the right and proper oversight of the preachingteachingministry. He not only states who must not teach,in this case women, but he clearly defines in chapter 3: Iffthe qualifications of those men who will assume thisposition under God's call. (The reference is to "overseers,"including both ruling and teaching elders.) Being aman does not ipso facto qualify one as a teacher in thechurch. God has standards. And these standards must atall times be our point of reference regardless.First Paul instructs about prayer in 2:8. Much couldbe said in this context about the role of men in the church;for if we will be consistent, the biblical standards must befollowed for both sexes. Women have the right to expectthis from the church. If men are to do the praying, and inthe corporate worship this seems Paul's intent, then byallmeans let them do so. Let them not be silent! And, theymust pray in holiness, without wrath nor doubting.6 COVENANTER WITNESS

DRESS IN WORSHIP PLACE IN CREATIONTurning now to the women, Paul tells Timothyabout their behavior. He first mentions their appearance.It should be modest (Greek says "orderly") suggestingneatness without flare. Clothing, including the hair-do,really does not figure in the worship of God. Now at firstthat sounds like an overstatement; but her outward appearance,though a matter of decency and decorum, mustnot figure in her worship of God. Shouldit be stated thatshe should be considered, but not her apparel? Herclothing should blend in with her setting: the worship ofGod. Certainly God cares about beauty, but in worshipone's dress should be in terms of modesty, not ostentation.It almost sounds pietistic in our culture to say it, butthe ornamentation of "good works" God notices withpleasure. "Godliness" can be translated "reverence" (v.10), andit again suggests about a woman entering into theworship of God must concern herself about her acceptabilitywith Him. A woman after all, while different insome ways, still must, like men, come to God in Hischosen way. Here God specifically tells her to adornherself with good works. Now good works are a matter ofthe heart, not essentially external activity. She sweeps thefloor; butif she does not doit as to the Lord,it is not agood work. This heart attitude, in I Peter 3 called a "meekand quiet spirit," delights the Lord. And why does she livethis way? Because to a godly woman, this is living her lifeto God.Now it is significant here that Paul does not at firstdraw attention to the curse placed upon woman at the fall.This is very important! For there are those who wouldreadily agree that with the fall of mankind into sin, Godunmistakeably said woman would be in subjection to herhusband and he would "rule over" her (Gen. 3:16).However, they argue that since in Christ "there is neithermale nor female," this arrangement is now removed. Theargument, though logical, misses the point.Paul's point builds upon God's creation order, thewayit was before the fall. Probably one reason so manychurches are wishy-washy on the role of women todaystems directly from their discrediting of the historic natureof Genesis 1-11, particularly chapters 1-3. If this part ofthe Bible is only myth "with religious value, but no historiccredibility," then women really have lost their way. But sohave men. So has society. In which case Paul's argumenthere is nonsense. No, Genesis is history. God did createAdam first, and then Eve. And this order of things,coupled with the Genesis description of woman's positionbeside man as his helper — man is not by creationessentially to be woman's helper, though to love andcherish her — regulates our approach to worship. Womenshould not smart under this. This is sin. To rebel againstGod's order of things as His creature is never right, nevercute, and never tolerable. Perhaps the sharpest rebukecan be found in Numbers 12 where Miriam, irked for somereason by Moses' Egyptian wife, began to assumeauthority not hers and became leprous. Women must bowthankfully to God, and be submissive in their roles, evenas men are to be submissive to Him in theirs.LEARNING IN WORSHIPSo while it may sound incongruous in our permissivesociety, yet Scripture says in God's house she should learnin silence (v. 11) with all subjection. Is she inferior? Not atall. But God only accepts her worship in this way. That iswhy the expression "with all subjection" is significant. It isnot worship to sit silently, and to chafe inwardly. To resistthis tendency becomes doubly hard when a woman hasbeen gifted with a good mind and an education. It is worsewhen the teaching is inferior and weak. Women have theright to expect the preaching and teaching of the churchto be biblically acceptable.Under no circumstances, however, does the apostleswerve from his premise forbidding a woman to assumethe teaching role. The obvious setting is a mixed company,as the worship of the church does include women andchildren now. It was really not such a problem to Jewishassemblies where men customarily represented the familyin publie worship, and assumed right and properleadership in instructing in the home. But even though theNew Testament gave new and refreshing cognizance towoman (see not only Jesus' practice, but also Paul'sreference in Gal. 3:28),it never suggested a reversal of theGenesis order of things. That is, there is in God's createdorder something incongruous about a woman teachingmen in the church of God . . . and perhaps elsewhere.EFFECTS OF THE FALLPaul's argument goes on. Woman was deceived inthe Garden of Eden; man was not. There have been manydeductions from this passage (v. 14) suggesting all kinds ofthings about woman's psychological make-up. Paul reallydoes not say these things. And one is really at a loss to findother supporting Scripture for such deductions. Womanmay have a different psychological make-up, but thispassage does not say so. It simply says Eve was deceived.Adam was not. So Adam really shares the bulk of theblame, and Scripture givesit to him. It would seem thatPaul is implying that even in the temptation, womanshould have gone to her husband and asked his advice,rather than take upon herself the responsibility. But shewas tricked. Adam was not. God still holds the manresponsible. It is God's order of things.Having said this, we recognize woman's share in thecurse. Verse 15 is a problem, with a multiplicity of interpretations."Notwithstanding she shall be sa\ed inchildbearing.if they continue in faith and charity andholiness with sobriety." The actual curse can be found in(Continued on pane 9.)FEBRUARY 28, 1973 7

pfoXXR-ri^C^^JwC"Standing upon this hill,.Mtfcou^t lo*v ver M -fcJhoun.K(u£ G*Uc\ OAV\ «!Uo «v.\i*lt o^ond. og sto*x

ICWomen in the Church (from P. 7.)LordLord, when you toldmephysically in giving birth —there would be somethingto give upI feltunstabledin my relationship withyou.So I waited and putthings offuntil I was tryingso hard to beyour childwithout letting you bemy Father.It's sadthatit took meso very long to find theabundant lifethat you promisedSUMMARYwhich was worthgiving up everything(which wasn't anything anyway)to have.demonstrated in His making AdamPhase IIthe log cabinwe were going to build ourselvesburned downX last night. HalfIof the chimney still remains andwhen I walked throughthe ruinsthis morninga little bit of smoke, or maybe dust.XroseXwith my footsteps.KENNETH G. SMITH*»c »c 30C :x>c ^*c D*K: ^0CGenesis 3:16. Certainly the pain and sorrow involvechildbirth, not to mention the multiplying of conception,are a direct result. The most obvious interpretation as wehave approached it would say that woman would not diesome biological species doexpire with reproduction, but woman isstill woman — andtherefore God has given hope where otherwise would bedespair. The curse for breaking the Adamic covenant isnot as bad as it might have been, and furthermore throughthe seed of the woman the covenant Redeemer wouldcome. There is no support for the idea that she would besaved "by" childbirth. Rather, she would be saved throughit, rather than perish.The singular "she" with the plural "they" bears note.Some suggest the plural simply reflects woman's collectivebehavior. But could this not again refer to her in relationto her husband? Even through childbirth, woman does notin God's plan experienceit alone. They are one flesh, andeven here "they" are to be together. Her life is with him,and his with her. The curse of sin rests on them both, yetin Christ they are heirs together of the grace of life. (IPeter 3:7). Men should also note this exhortation then to"continue in faith and love and sanctity with selfrestraint."Now of course much may still be said about thewoman's role in the church. She does have a basis fordoing some kinds of teaching — never in mixed companyand never in the corporate worship of the church — butthat must be studied out in Titus 2. There is also much inlater portions of I Timothy about the single woman, butthat too deserves separate study.This passage hangs together thus: God has by virtueof His creation order established man, as opposed towoman, responsible for the teaching conducted in thechurch. His reason? That is God's sovereign choice. It isfirst. It is alsodemonstrated in that even in the fall into sin, God holdsman as responsible. Woman was tricked. And even inchildbearing where woman experiences some aspects ofthe curse of sin, even there they, husband and wifetogether, must walk in holiness. God has an order ofthings, and these must be followed. And they must befollowed in the church where the teaching ministry is socritical. God is jealous about this. We must obey Him, andnot try to draw conclusions built upon psychologicalspeculations.So the woman's role in the church. . .? She is aworshiper who concerns herself with good works. She hasthe right to expect her worship to be led by men who meetGod's standards. But under no circumstances do her goodworks include this teaching ministry.(For additional reading, try Donald Macleod's "Theof Women in the Church," a pamphlet published bv theBanner of Truth Trust.)FEBRUARY 28. 1973 9

H ow TOCi IVE"A declining and confused church, which has to beconstantly at work trying to survive in America,cannot hope to plant growing and strong churchesabroad.""Money is the god, and the Lord's work has to bereduced to the available budget share. In such asituation, why kid ourselves . . . ?"These actual statements, which were made privatelyduring the past year, reflect the frustration which somepeople are feeling as they contemplate our church's future inthe area of foreign missions. The Reformed PresbyterianChurch began in 1972 with a deficit of over $20,000 in itsForeign Missions current account. This was not the result ofoverspending, but primarily of miscalculation as to expectedincome during 1971.We were immediately faced with the devaluation of thedollar, and its drastic effect on the spending power of ourmissionaries. A Pittsburgh bank assisted our treasurer incalculating in exact terms the hundreds of dollars that eachmissionary was "out of pocket" as a consequence of theinternational monetary crisis. After months of deliberationthe Board voted in May to increase missionary income by 10per cent of the base salary. At the same time it voted to askthe church for $76,000 (in addition to income from bequestsand investments) to carry on our Foreign Mission work.When the Synod, meeting in June, decided to holdback at this time an appeal for a worker among the Chinesein the Far East, the Board reduced its request by $7,500.10 COVENANTER WITNESS

The Synod then reduced the amount by $8,500 more.Coincidentally, the amount of this reduction was far morethan the Board had planned in May to spend to increase thesalaries of our missionaries. The salary increases will stillstand, but the Board must find some way to reduce itsbudget, or face another large deficit.This article does not speak in any official way for theBoard of Foreign Missions. This writer does serve, however,as one member of its Finance Committee, and he asks you tocarefully consider how you intend to give to missions.DO NOT BY-PASS THE CHURCHWhen the office of deacon was first established, thechurch was directed to choose men who were "full of theSpirit" and "full of wisdom." Stephen, who was the firstdeacon to be named, is also described as being "full offaith." If our congregations are not to be numbed bydiscouragement, in the face of demands made upon theirresources, they need officers of this sort to guide them to avivid and balanced view of the church's whole task, and to atruly wise distribution of funds. Both elders and deaconsmust be involved in this work.UNDERSTAND THE LONG-RANGEGOALS IN FOREIGN MISSIONSYou may possibly have a Christian friend who has In the Missionary Manual of the Board of Foreiwritten to you or come in person to tell of his plans to serveas a "faith" missionary. If he is to go to the field it is hisresponsibility to secure a sufficient number of pledges fromcongregations or individuals to provide for his support. He isasking you, for Christ's sake, to make such a pledge. Thereis a directness and urgency to such an appeal which yourown church's method of supporting its missionaries mayseem to lack.I charge you, however, on the basis of the teaching ofScripture, not to disregard the visible church as God'sappointed instrument for the sending out and supporting ofHis missionaries. The church sent Barnabas from Jerusalemto Antioch to encourage and teach the Gentile Christiansthere. The church at Antioch, directed by the Holy Spirit,ordained Barnabas and Paul for the work of ForeignMissions. And while Paul, as a pioneer missionary, chose tosupport himself by the trade of tentmaking, he insisted uponthe principle that the laborer is worthy of his hire. (ITimothy 5:18) For Christ's sake the church must not be bypassedin the carrying on of this vital part of its ministry.STRIVE TO SEE THE CHURCH'SWORK IN ITS TOTALITYbe concerned that what we have to give to people of otherThe average Reformed Presbyterian congregation has countries, in the name of Christ, be of genuine help to themsixty-two communicant members.It has a direct responsibilityin their spiritual life and development.to support its own pastor, to keep up its property, andIn conclusion — aim to know and love theto care for the poor. It has a shared commitment to support missionaries who represent you and a growing number ofits foreign missionaries, its Seminary professors, the national Christians. Grasp and make use of your opportunitiesministers who are engaged in the opening of new work, andthe men who serve in the fields of Christian Education andPublication. (This list is not exhaustive.) Inflation hastouched all areas in which our church is at work. Therefore,for entertaining, for correspondence, for travel,for being thoroughly informed of the work that is beingdone; and your daily opportunities for intercessory prayer.Have a deep love for the elect of God out of every culture,when pastor's salaries, fringe benefits, and retirement and give for the elects' sake.pensions increase as they should, the cost of supportingthese other servants of the Lord must increase accordingly.The term, "Synod's Budget", is rather vague andmechanical, and does not have very much to commend it.Back of such terminology, however, is the valid concept ofthe church uniting to support certain areas of its work. Ofthe money that is contributed to the 1973 Budget of Synod,a little more than one dollar out of every four will go toForeign Missions.FEBRUARY 28 19"3Missions we read, "Congregations which are established onforeign mission fields should be encouraged from the start inthe grace of stewardship as a means of their own support.They should be encouraged to be self-propagating by sharingwith their own countrymen the faith that has set them free.They should also be mission minded with respect to thoseregions beyond their own borders. . . . Eventually thechurches on the mission fields should cease to be daughtersand should become sisters of the Church in NorthAmerica." (p. 3)If a wealthy Covenanter in New York offered to erect ahouse of worship for a new church in Japan, that generousgift would be declined with thanks. (There would of coursebe some positive suggestions as to how the mission could besupported.) Mission Boards generally are more restrictivetoday than they were in the past, in the matter of gifts tomission work. Such restrictions, particularly in regard to aidto overseas churches, have been the result of sad lessons inthe history of missions. Generous gifts in buildings andmoney from the "foreign church" in America have oftenserved, unconsciously, to encourage weakness anddependancy on the part of the national church, and thefulfillment of missionary goals has been hindered. We mustJOHN M. McMILLAN(R. P. Pastor, Coldenham, New York)

•4T?'(But what i{you can't see?)May I introduce you to a friend of mine who serves Godin a way that may be unusual to you?After having children of their own, she and her husbanddecided to take foster children into their home. Some they raiseduntil the children left their home to marry and form homes oftheir own. But there were exceptions. I remember Pam and heryoung brother, both, under four years old. They looked sohealtby and happy when they were brought to church. Pam'scheeks glowed. But she became very ill one night and diedsuddenly. She, along with another child who died earlier, left anempty place in my friend's life. But with the emptiness therewas also a reservoir of love.She decided it would be wise not to take in more fosterchildren so she took a job instead that was very hard work. Herhusband was not well and it seemed that things were verydifficult for them.God heard the prayers of my friend and gave her and herhusband a new job together. Their new job had many sidebenefits which took care of their needs. So they moved from thecountry to the city and became house parents for children at theWestern Pennsylvania School for the blind. An exciting adventurebegan for them. My friend's name is Matilda Erath andher husband is Bill.12If you were to talk with my friend and her husband thismight be what you would hear:"Our boys are in grades 4-6 and they're real boys.""We are strict with the children. Like sighted childrenthey need discipline and they respond well to it.''"We love the kids and they love us."'They are just kids like the ones we had."' 'Sometimes I give them extra privileges, let them stay uplate or have a party in my apartment.""They played a trick on me the other night. What a senseof humor."'The blind child has a great sensitivity of touch.''"It is hardest for the ones who have some sight and aregradually losing it.""They are very dependent on others for advice andhelp."While I visited with Matilda, Cory, a 16-year-old withpartial sight, came in to talk; I met him, and here are some ofhis remarks:"I was raised in Lancaster, Pa., of Pennsylvania Dutchheritage. My grandmother is very Dutch. She and my auntmake the best shoo-fly pie. I like Pennsylvania Dutch food.Pig's stomach is really good."COVENANTER WITNESS

f\Why do I share these things with you? First, I want youto meet this friend of mine and see how God provided for herand her husband and gave them a big adventure, besides.Second, I hope you now understand the blind person a littlebetter and deeply appreciate sight as a gift from God.You may also wish to do something kind for a specialperson you know like an elderly, sick or blind person.These remarks came from a discussion about what Corylikes to do when a Pitt student comes to take him out on thetown. Eating was important. The zoo was good because hecould both see and hear the animals and besides if he weresighted he would like to study animals under a microscope. Themuseum is good. The blind are permitted to touch dinosaursand other sturdy things. They have an advantage there.I ask him about classes, and like sighted children, hecomplains a little about his classes and wishes for a change.Painting and leather work he enjoys along with guitar.He tells us a suspicious tale about 20 or was it 40 kidswho tried to beat him up, all of them wrestlers. We never heardwhat provoked that!I ask Cory, "How can children who have sight appreciateGod's gift? He explains how children can practice observingtheir surroundings and then be ready to describe them to a blindperson. Quite a challenge? How would you describe a tree or ahillside, in the fall or a group of people of all ages? Of course, headds, there are many things along the street that are ugly. Hethinks there is some advantage being blind in the city. He canimagine things of more beauty.HBRUARY 28. 197 3

Evangelism andGod's ElectionDENNIS E. JOHNSONThis article was prepared for distribution at abooth manned by representatives of WestminsterSeminary at Campus Crusade's "Explo '72" inDallas. It speaks to one of the chief errors in the"Four Spiritual Laws, " the one that says that"God loves you, and has a wonderful plan for yourlife, '' together with the one thatsuggestsGod 's planwill be frustrated unless you ' 'individually receiveJesus Christ. " Since failure to understand themeaning and significance of election in relation toevangelism is not restricted to Campus Crusade, weare glad to publish this article."Why should anyone who believes in predestinationtry to spread the gospel? If God has planned for all eternity tosave certain people and to let others go to hell, there isn'tany need for a gospel. The 'chosen ones,' the 'elect,' will besaved whether they believe the gospel or not. And those whoaren' t chosen can' t be saved no matter what they do!"This statement fairly well summarizes what a lot ofpeople think when they hear the words "predestination"and "election" (that is, God's choosing of certain people tobe his forever). It may express what you think about thosewords. That's the way I thought for a long time.But when we come to the Bible, we find thatChristianity's greatest defender of predestination andelection (in Romans 8, 9 and Ephesians 1) was also its mostactive evangelist! How could the Apostle Paul teachpredestination and preach the grace of God in Christ toeveryone who believes? To uncover the answer to thisquestion, we have to dig into what God has revealed abouthis election, and our evangelism. When we do, we find twobasic Scripture principles:I. GOD'S ELECTION DEMANDS OURUNIVERSAL EVANGELISMThe belief that ' 'election, if it were true, would makeevangelism unnecessary" is very plausible — until wcrealize that it is based not on the Bible's teaching aboutGod's rule, but on pagan notions of Fate. According to theGreek poet, it was Fate that caused Oedipus to kill his fatherand marry his mother, despite every human effort to avoidthat tragedy. But when the Bible says that God rules hiscreation, it is not saying that man is junk, a helpless victimwho cannot make a meaningful choice about the future.God rules his creation not by violating man's power tochoose, but by directing our every decision to his own ends.Now that may sound like double-talk to you, but it is simplya way of summarizing what the Bible says about God'ssovereign rule and our responsible choice. It is the foundationthat underlies Peter's statement at Pentecost: "Thisone (Jesus), delivered up by the predetermined plan andforeknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands ofgodless men and put him to death" (Acts 2:23). And that isthe root of the Bible's whole view of history.God's rule, man's responsibilityWhen we come to election — God's choice of a peoplefor himself — we find the same principle of God's rule andman's responsibility. When God elected the members of hischurch for salvation, his abundant love set in motion a wholegreat process of redemption — a process that includes the lifeand redeeming death of Christ, his resurrection for ourjustification, and the gift of the Holy Spirit who re-createsGod's people and gives them the faith by which they areunited to Christ.This is the focus of Ephesians 1:3-14 and Romans8:28-39. These scriptures do not say that God planned tosave certain people whether or not they believe in Christ.Nor do they say that he planned simply to provide a way ofsalvation for anyone who might be interested. What we findis that God has planned to save his people through theirunion with Christ. God chose us in Christ before thefoundation of the world and predestined us to be adopted ashis children through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:4,5). Asmany as the Father foreknew (a word that refers to intimateknowledge or love, as in Exodus 33:17, Amos 3:2,14 COVENANTER WITNESS

Galatians 4:9), he predestined to bear the image of the Son,and as many as he predestined, he called through the gospelproclamation, justified through faith, and glorified — bothin the past by union with the glorified Christ, and in thefuture when we shall all be raised (Romans 8:29,30).The point is that the faith of those whom God haschosen is an essential part of God's plan for their salvation.Election demands the faith of the elect — which is to say,election demands that the elect hear the gospel — which is tosay, election demands evangelism.If you or I decide that since God elects people we don'thave to evangelize, we are not only disobeying our Lord'sclear command; we are also disqualifying ourselves from theprivilege of being instruments in his gracious plan to save hispeople. The fact that God chooses his people for salvationthrough faith in Christ demands that we evangelize!Election and universal evangelismNow, this first principle includes the word"universal." God's election demands our universalevangelism. Especially in this age, the age of the triumph ofChrist's kingdom through the gospel, our evangelism mustbe universal with respect to races and classes of men. Andthis is simply because God's election crosses all racial andclass barriers, extending both to the despised Gentiles and tothe poor and weak of the world.The most significant racial barrier in the perspective ofthe Bible is the wall between Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2).This is because, for all practical purposes, before the deathand resurrection of Jesus that wall marked the line betweenthose within the community of God's gracious covenant —the Old Testament church — and those outside. Now, it hasonly been recently that we have seen very many Jews, racialdescendants of Abraham, come to know Jesus the Messiah.So it is that we often forget that election, God's choice, firstfocused on the nation of Israel. To this people Moses said,"The Lord has chosen you to be a people for his ownpossession out of all the peoples who are on the face of theearth" (Deuteronomy 14:2).But with the dawn of the New Covenant period at theresurrection of Christ, Paul can write to the Gentiles atEphesus that the wall is broken down (Ephesians 2:14), thatthe distinction between "we Jews" inside and "youGentiles" outside no longer holds (see Ephesians 2:1-7).The people who are chosen in Christ as God's own peoplenow include Jew and Gentile (verses 3-5,13,14). Petermakes the same point: Those who were once "not apeople" (being outside God's covenant love) are now the' 'people of God,'' "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holynation, a people for God's own possession" (I Peter2:9,10).It is not by accident that Peter used the word"elected" or "chose" when speaking of the first gospelproclamation to the Gentiles: "Brethren, you know that inthe early davs God elected (chose, made a choice) amongyou, that bv my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word ofthe gospel and believe" (Acts 15:7). The great Commission.Peter's Pentecost sermon, the inclusion of Cornelius'uncircumcised Gentile household into the church.and the lifework of Paul (Acts 9:15: 13:48), are all foundedon a historical shift in the focus of God's gracious election.As God's gracious choice has extended to people of everynation, so must our evangelism — the instrument of hiselection — go to every nation under heaven.Evangelism to every classGod's election extends to every class as well. In ICorinthians 1:26-31, Paul impresses on the believers atCorinth the fact that God's choice did not rest simply (oreven mainly) on the Athenean philosopher or the Romanemperor or the aristocrat. God chose the foolish, the weak,the despised things of this world in order to nullify humanpride and to demonstrate that it is God himself who saves.Notice that Paul is not saying (as a modern Marxist would)that it is only the poor, lower classes who have their valuesstraight — who are humble, kind, and loving — and sodeserve God's grace. Rather, he is saying that God'schoosing from these despised classes demonstrates that noone is worthy of his choice — that no flesh can boast beforehim (I Corinthians 1:29).James has to remind his readers: "Listen, my belovedbrethren; did not God choose the poor of this world to berich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he promised tothose who love him?" (James 2:5). The writer paints thepicture of would-be evangelists fawning over the wealthy"inquirer" in their midst, polishing his shoes and showinghim the best seat. But the poor man who comes to aChristian meeting, the sort of man God chooses to give faithto (and with faith the inheritance promised to the faithful), isdespised and ill-treated by the "evangelists."The sin James is condemning here is human election.His point is, God has chosen, therefore we must not choose.When we try to pick out the elect by any external standard,we have become "judges of evil reasonings" (verse 4). Godhas not revealed to us who his elect are, and human criteriacannot be used. So we must present the good news of Christto everyone who will hear, regardless of his respectability orthe likelihood of his response in faith.This last point says something about the way weevangelize too. Are we honoring God when we make a bigdeal about the campus leader, the football hero, the operastar, the pro baseball player, the folk-rock star who hasaccepted Jesus? What about the taxicab driver in New York,the dropout in Los Angeles, the housewife in Omaha? If weare listening to God's Word, we should rejoice that God'sgrace is shown all the more vividly by his salvation of somany unexceptional people. To be awed by big names maybe thoroughly American; but it is anti-Christian, and itshould have no place in our evangelism.II. GOD'S ELECTION GUARANTEES SUCCESSThe tact is that unless God had chosen some persons to(Continued on next page.)FEBRUARY 28. 1973 15

Evangelism (from page 15)receive faith (and by that faith salvation), no one would everrespond to the gospel. The Bible says we are all dead in oursins and violation of God's law (Ephesians 2:1,5). We arehaters of God, willing to serve even stupid idols rather thanbow to him (Romans 1:18-25,30). It is contrary to all weare as fallen sinners to believe and obey God.That is why the Bible says that while we were stilldead, God made us alive (Ephesians 2:5). But who did Godmake alive? The thought of Ephesians 2 flows fromEphesians 1, and that chapter traces all of God's blessingsfor his people to God's electing love. God has chosen certainpeople in Christ, forgiven them through his blood, giventhem the gift of the Holy Spirit — and in that gift has madethem alive together with Christ! Successful evangelismrequires God's election just as much as God's electiondemands evangelism.And God has chosen manyWe notice that the unbreakable chain of eventsrecorded in Romans 8:29,30 — God's prior love,predestination to conformity to the image of Christ, callingthrough the gospel, justification by faith, and glorification— all this was a great encouragement to Paul the apostleevangelistin his own ministry. When he was at Corinth, theLord appeared to him in a vision, encouraging him: "Donot be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for Iam with you, and no man will attack you in order to harmyou, for I have many people in this city '' (Acts 18:9,10).God had already laid claim to many people in Corinth.The success of Paul's evangelistic preaching was thereforeassured. All whom God had chosen would respond to thegospel. Jesus had assured the apostles of that: "All that theFather gives to me will come to me; and one who comes tome I will certainly not cast out" (John 6:39). And nowthere were many of God's chosen ones in Corinth.Ah, but you may be thinking of Jesus' statement inMatthew 22:14: "Many are called, but few are chosen."And you may have concluded that Jesus was teaching thatonly a few people are chosen for salvation — that God hasreally predestined almost everybody to condemnation.But I think that if you look at the context in Matthew22, especially the parable that precedes this statement, youwill find that Jesus was referring to a very particularhistorical situation. He is not delivering an axiom true forthe whole of history; he is telling the truth about thegeneration to which he came as Messiah. He came invitingIsrael to the feast, the kingdom of God. But Israel refused tocome. So he opened the feast to all the beggars and bums —the poor and the Gentiles come streaming in. Many in Israelwere being called by Christ; but few showed themselves tobe chosen by responding to the banquet invitation.So then, we should not be surprised to find that Godhas chosen many in Corinth to be saved, and that Paul canlook forward to a rich ministry there. When God's final,comprehensive plan is a whole new creation beginning withhis adopted children (Romans 8:18-25), it is not surprisingthat he has elected many to become his children — and thatthe success of our evangelism should therefore be guaranteed16by God himself.Assurance in our evangelismGod makes good his promises and his purposes. Hedoesn't cheat and he doesn't fail. Luke indicated that whenhe recorded the results of Paul's preaching in Asian Antioch:"And when the Gentiles heard this, they beganrejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many ashad been appointed to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48).Here is the ultimate in evangelistic effectiveness. Here isevangelism that perfectly fulfills God's purpose forevangelism — the gathering in of those whom he has appointedfor eternal life. Here is the historical outworking ofJesus' promise in John 6:37: "All that the Father gives tome will come to me."If we read that verse in Acts 13 and then think, "It'stoo bad a few extra people didn't respond as well, a fewpeople whom God hadn't chosen," then we show that wehaven't understood God's purpose for evangelism. WhenPaul says that he is an apostle "for the faith of those chosenof God" (Titus 1:1), he is not wishing that he could havebeen an apostle for the faith of every single human being.There is no higher calling than to be a servant to the peopleon whom God has set his love!Now Paul's ministry did have an effect on those whomGod hasn't chosen for life: it was a savor of death to deathfor them (II Corinthians 2:6). But the joy of Paul's servicecomes from the confidence he has from the Master, that hispreaching will be used to call God's chosen ones to faith. Ifour purpose in evangelism is the same as God's purpose inelection, we save ourselves a lot of disappointment over whatwe think God should have done; and we move ourselves alittle further from the temptation to water down our gospel(see II Corinthians 2:17) in order to gain a few moredecisions. The success of our evangelism is grounded ineternity, in the very character and plan of God. Whomshould we fear?There is one final aspect of election that should moveus to more eagerness in spreading the gospel. That is the factthat evangelism is part of the purpose for which we havebeen chosen. "You are a chosen race . . . that you mayproclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out ofdarkness into his marvellous light" (I Peter 2:9).We have been chosen, not so we can sit back smuglywith an eternal life insurance policy in our back pocket, butrather so we can announce to the world the goodness andgrace of the God who set his love on us and called us to life inJesus Christ. God's choice of us, like the rest of God's planof redemption, finally results in the magnification of hisglory. And "the praise of the glory of his grace'' (Ephesians1:6,12,14) begins not simply at the return of Christ, buthere and now as Christ's redeemed people announce far andwide the excellencies of their Savior!By permission ofThe Presbyterian GuardianDennis Johnson is a Californian, graduate ofWestmont College, and a senior at WestminsterSeminary.COVENANTER WITNESS

WeChristianWeddingCeremonyThe traditional wedding ceremony has come underattack during the last decade mainly by non-Christians. Theyhave claimed to desire change from the ritual, archaiclanguage, and other aspects of that ceremony. It seems thatas a result, Christians also are deviating more and more fromthis ceremony, wondering whether or not it is fully acceptable.Are we wrong? Is our desire for change the same asthat of the non-Christian? We must first note that God hasnot given us a prescribed pattern for marriage ceremonies.We Christians desire to depart from the traditional so that wecan, in our diversity, individually glorify God, whereas thenon-Christian deviates because he simply desires to rebelagainst the establishment. Our weddings should allowspontaneous response and no two couples will ever respondidentically.The question we must then ask is, ' 'Where do we getan idea of what a wedding should be?" This can only comefrom an understanding of what marriage is. We must^voidemphasizing the ceremony and taking it out of its obviousbiblical perspective, that of being a public declaration of acouple's desire to leave father and mother and cleave to eachother.Our understanding of marriage is summed up inGenesis 2:24 when God said, "... the two shall becomeone flesh." This shows that the marriage relationship isbegun and continually nourished by physical intercourse.Recognizing the validity of such interdependence, we cometogether before God and His people to make our intentionsknown and to pledge our troth publicly. As Christians we donot live in isolation. We are a body, so we should naturallydesire to vow publicly and also share this joyous experiencewith our brethern. Thus we see that a wedding comes aboutbecause of our desire to become "one flesh" and the need tomake this known.Dr. Ruth Schmidt asks, "How Christian are ourweddings?," in her article by the same name in the June1972 issue of Eternity magazine. She maintains that ourwedding customs are neither in harmony with Christianpriorities nor with biblical teaching about marriage. Shestates that the great expenditure of energy and money(gowns, flowers, gifts, and extensive refreshments) reflectthe materialism in the Christian church. According to herwe also maintain wedding customs which romanticize loveand marriage by treating the ceremony as a climactic experience,instead of emphasizing it as the beginning of a newrelationship. She holds that doing away with the gross excessesand staying within one's income is not enough. Wemust take more drastic measures.She suggests that our weddings be made part of ourregular church services, treating them much the same as wedo baptisms and joining the church. The couple would comeforward, attendedif they wish, without need for flowers andextra clothes. Her main concern here is that we keep ourweddings within the context of the Body of Christ. For thoseof vou who wonder where you would put the guests from\bout the author. Tom is a Gene: u *en. t .t rccentlUcted member of Who's Who tram \ uhw.;li \V His recent bride is the tot met V; t \L n'.w mBe a', i Falls.FEBRUARY 2S, 1973

outside the congregation, she suggests having the ceremonyduring a less attended service, Lord's Day evening or midweekperhaps.Dr. Schmidt goes on to cite some advantages. Sheclaims that weddings rehearsals would be simplified byelimination of the training of ushers and attendants. Shehopes that the need for special clothes would be ended.Money would be saved which could be put toward the newhome. There would no longer be the obligation to givewedding gifts, and receptions would be left to the discretionof the couple.The saying of wedding vows during worship serviceswould eliminate secular wedding music. Dr. Schmidt hopesthat we Protestants would follow the example of the Vaticanwhich advised her priests to prohibit Mendelssohn'swedding march and Wagner's "Lohengrin" because theyhave no Christian content or context. She states that thehymns provide the best context for the establishment of anew Christian home.Dr. Schmidt further suggests that we abandon thecustom of the bride's father paying all. This is a hold-overfrom the days of the dowry. Both parents should share theexpenses equally unless one is more able.1"It must be Love. It can't be physical attraction!"JOne of the unfortunate aspects of our weddingcustoms, according to Dr. Schmidt, is that a girl is encouragedto look forward to tbe wedding as the high point inher life, never to be matched by subsequent events. Fortunately,tbe groom has not been encouraged this way.To remedy this, Dr. Schmidt says that we have tostress the equal significance of the bride and groom, so thatthe wedding and marriage will be equally significant to each.Any onesided view is both unfortunate and unbiblical.I agree with Dr. Schmidt's basic concern. However,she has failed to point out that one of the reasons why wewrongly emphasize the ceremony is that we incorrectly seethe ceremony as that which binds. The ceremony is only the18couple's public expression of their desire to become "oneflesh." It is in becoming one flesh through physical union,that the marriage is consummated. Remembering this helpsus keep a proper perspective.I am also disturbed by her implication that by beingstrictly biblical no room is left for celebration. She impliesthat because the wedding day is only one day out of the restof our lives, celebration overemphasizes the occasion. Imaintain that we Christians do not partake in enough joyouscelebration, (cf. Jn. 2:1-12.)To begin the joyous wedding day perhaps we do needto wear ' 'special clothes" that express our joy. When we feelwe need to spend $100 for a gown and $30 to rent a tux,perhaps we need to ask God's forgiveness. Clothing,however, does express the joy that is within, and theRevelation account of the Marriage of the Lamb (19:6-9)seems to imply that joyous dress naturally accompanies awedding, especially a Christian wedding.Flowers, as part of God's Creation, can also play acentral role in making the heart merry, but we must keep inmind the wrong of gross expenditure. Why should anyonesuggest completely doing away with the beauty of flowers?Our wedding celebrations must be centered around theWord of God. Many of us have desired to celebrate in thecontext of worshipping God as a congregation. This meansparticipation by both the bride and groom and thecongregation. If we are going to worship corporately, and Ifeel it is very desirable and perhaps necessary, we need topray, read God's Word, sing God's Word (the Psalms!) andhear God's Word preached. What greater joy can be derivedfrom doing anything else?When it comes to the vows of troth, it is extremelygratifying to sit down and work them through in terms ofGod's Word. Fortunately, the Scriptures are not limited inpassages from which vows may be formulated. The vowsshould obviously contain the responsibilities of husband andwife and should not neglect the implications of the loverelationship.I must also differ with Dr. Schmidt in her seemingcondemnation of the reception and the giving of gifts. Itseems to me that an appropriate reception is an essential partof the joyous festivities. This is a time of beautiful fellowshipfor the bride and groom with their Christian friends andloved ones. As for the gifts, they are nice to receive, butmore importantly they are part of our obligation asChristians to meet one another's needs.As was said before, we must not let our celebrationcause us to lose sight of what we are celebrating, a lifetimerelationship of being one flesh. Instilling this idea starts inthe home, becomes clearer during premarital counseling andpersonal study, and continues when we choose Scripture tobe read and Psalms to be sung which speak of marriage andthe home.Although I felt Dr. Schmidt's ideas were somewhatoverstated, I do agree with her that we need to emphasize thespiritual rather than the material and stress the life togetherrather than the ceremony. We can do this, however, and stillenjoy a distinctly Christian celebration.•COVENANTER WITNESS

JL ^4v6kn1\\>\1SV'KEY '73We will no doubt be hearing thesewords often during the year before us —of a loosely organized effort of some 150denominations and religiousorganizations which have agreed to seekto confront everyone or every home inthe U.S.A. with the gospel in 1973.There was the ringing of bells andsounding of sirens at noon, to remindthose concerned, to pray at the noonhour, for the two-week period followingChristmas. The coordinating center forpublicizing the project through the massmedia, is under the supervision of Dr.Ben Armstrong, Executive Secretary ofNational Religious Broadcasting.Billboards, radio spots, newspaper ads.posters, bumper stickers and everymeans are to be used. The participatinggroups are to handle their efforts as theysee fit. However, identification officiallywith Key '73, would be an associationthat many denominations do not wish toassume. This publicity, if we accept thechallenge, should force us to articulatewhat the gospel is. The fact that muchpresentation is faulty should furnish uswith the opportunity to tell the" truth asit is in Christ, and as that truth is madeplain in the written Word."THE CHURCH OF EX-PERIMENT"A request for organization as acongregation of the Christian ReformedChurch is shortly to be discussed byClassis Grand Rapids East, which theeditor of De Wachter suggests would be"the church of experiment." Hisarticle included in full a copy of theproposal, and the general goals soughtin the request. In this latter portion ofthe document 10 goals are listed, themajority of them generally such as theChristian churcn traditionally hasdevoted itself to, fellowship, education,compassion to the needy. However, thedocument states that "It is our hopeand intent that the structure of theimp6eiRev.Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010church will be more in accord withcontemporary needs and sensibilitiesthan is customary; . . ," whichsuggests some departure from thetraditional. Women are to "play anessential role in the structure of thechurch," and "children will play asignificant role in the worship service."De Wachter argues against theorganization of a CRC congregation onsuch a basis. Permission to have thearticle reproduced in the Banner, officialCRC publication, was requestedand granted.SUICIDE TO BE MADE RESPECT­ABLE?The Rev. Warren Briggs, Methodistpastor of the Chapel of the ValleyChurch in El Cajon, has suggested, at a3-day suicide conference which includedpastors, social workers and others, thatclinics be established for those who wantto die and cannot be dissuaded, so theycan "die with dignity."That suicide is a seriously growingproblem, we cannot deny. That wemust dignify it we cannot concede."TV CONSCIENCE"This is the name given to Mrs.Mary Whitehouse of Birmingham,England, founder of National Viewersand Listeners Assn. She states thatacceptance of ' 'coarseness" of languageand the treatment of sex scenes on TVin the U.S.A. is about 9 years behindBritain. In the early 1960s. Sir HughCarleton Greene, then director-generalof the British Broadcasting Corp..announced that his philosophy was "topush back the bounds of acceptability."Mrs. Whitehouse. who thinks thatthe BBC gives a very "one-sided"presentation of the "human condition,"tells how the change wasaccomplished in Britain. It was bv "aprocess ot introducing certain words andcertain types of programs late at night.There would be an uproar about them,but no notice would be taken of it. Theywould be done again and there would beless uproar; done again, no uproar:then accepted.""CREATION THEORY"TEACHING REJECTEDMembers of the California Board ofEducation have rejected the proposal toplace in textbooks instruction as to"Creation alongside the evolutiontheorv." 19 Nobel laureates in scienceissued a letter to the State Superintendentof Public Instruction and to theBoard, opposing such teaching. EPreports that in their letter, they"asserted that evolution is the'generally accepted' explanation for theorigins of mankind, and thereforeshould be the only theory discussed in apublic school textbook."Such scientists are speaking outsidetheir field, however, when they speak oforigins, for such are matters fortheology and philosophy. This is butone illustration of the reasons for thegrowing disaffection of many of ourcitizens with the product of our Ph.D.mills, so that many institutions oflearning are being set up which bypassand ignore establishment academicdegrees and titles. The "laureates"mav be the last to discover that theirprestige is no longer prestigious.I doubt if we have heard the last ofthis matter, though for the present, itmust be: "It is known that life began inthe seas," instead of the proposedrevision: "Most scientists believe thatlife may have begun in the seas."Christianity Today says "sciencejoins religion in ranks of prejudice."(Perhaps they should have said, "somescientists" instead of "science," forscience is an orderly arrangement offacts, then scientists say what theythink the facts say and mean.) Thearticle ot the above title, however, is anexcellent answer to those who chargethat the "creation theory" is unscientific.Says the author of the CTarticle. Prof. Arlie J. Hoover, ofPepperdine U.. "When ProfessorMelvin Calvin ot UC Berkeley.speaking for the National Academy ofSciences, complained that the creationtheory wasn't subject to tests, he shouldhave pointed out. in all fairness, thatevolution has the same problem."FEBRUARY 2S, 1973 19

THE GOD WHO UNDERSTANDS ME.15 Studies in the sermon on the Mount.Gladys M. Hunt. Harold Shaw Publ., 1971.87 pp. $1.25 (pb).Designed for people experienced ininductive Bible Study, Tbe God WhoUnderstands Me intentionally causes aperson "to get the facts" from Matthew5-7 and also to "observe that the whole ofScripture expands Jesus' sermon." Theauthor, by her own study and her use ofMartyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on theMount, very perceptively asks questionsabout how various passages from both theOld and New Testaments develop clausesand words in Christ's sermon. The any time.emphasis on a person grasping the contentof Scripture before applyingit is refreshingin an over-emphasized application era.ROMANS: A LETTER TO NON­CONFORMISTS. Robert H. Baylis. IVP,1972. 72 pp. $1.25 (pb).In addition to a glossary and threereview sections, this study guide containsthe Scripture text and questions for eachlesson. With inductive questions like,Another book attempting to presentthe basic truths of Christianity through 6simple and short Bible studies, with manypages of how-to-proceed tips. Anotherbook which talks about God loving manand giving Christ to him before itdiscusses sin: another book that does notdeal with man's inability to respond toGod: another book that talks aboutbelieving Jesus before it discusses theperson and work of Christ. AnotherArminian book.THIS MORNING WITH GOD. CarolAdeney, ed. Vol. MIL IVP, 1968-71. 120-130 pp. each. $1.50 each (pb).Taking the devotional guidespreviously published in His, CarolAdeney has edited a four-volume series ofdaily devotional guides. When the fourthvolume is published, the series will coverthe whole Bible in a five year reading plan.(The books are not arrangedchronologically.) For each Scripturepassage there are inductive studyquestions and a minimal number of applicationquestions. The undated studymakesit possible tor one to begin the studyDAVIS DICTIONARY OF THE BIBLE. I.D. Davis. 4th rev. ed. Baker Book House.Distributed by Fleming Revell, 1972. 888 +pp. $8.95 (hb).If you are interested in reviewingbooks for the Covenanter Witness,please write to: Book Review Editor,Covenanter Witness, 738 RebeccaAve., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221. Indicatein your letter the topical areas of booksthat you would like to review. Moreinformation and the current booklistwill be sent to those who respond.BIRTHSBAUMGARTNER, Marcy Jo to Robertand Barbara (Stewart) Baumgartner onDec. 25. (College Hill R. P.)CHRISTOPHER, Kimberly Marie toJames and Marianne Christopher on Dec.11. (College Hill R. P.)STODDARD, Matthew Aaron to Danaand Donna (Baumgartner) Stoddard onDec. 13. (College Hill R. P.)TEMPLETON, Brooke Elizabeth to Boband Lyn Templeton on Dec. 8. (Indianapolis)WILKEY, Steven Scott to Van and MarySue Wilkey on Dec. 17. (Sterling)MARRIAGESCARLSON, Rachael to CRAWFORD,This improved edition of Davis' John on Dec. 27 at the Elkins Park R. P.conservative scholarship provides enlarged Church. Dr. Richard Gray officiated.readable type and new illustrations and Rachael is a member of the Genevamaps. The addition of modern scholarship Congregation; John, a member of thedoes not destroy the original author's Coldenham Congregation. Both are"Whv is death referred to as 'wages'commitment to the authoritative, infallibleWord of God.GORDECKI, Helen to CUMMINGS,students at Geneva.while eternal life is a 'free gift'?" peopleare encouraged to think on the contentDavid on Nov. 24 at Heinz Memorialand meaning of Romans. The booklet doesChapel in Pittsburgh. Helen is a member ofTHE STRUCTURAL PRINCIPLES OFnot include a study of Romans 9-11. Thisthe College Hill Congregation; David is aTHE BIBLE: or How to Study the Word ofstudy is structured for possible use wheremember of the Sharon Congregation.God. F. E. Marsh. Kregel Publ., 1969. 442people do not prepare in advance, becauseJOHNSON, Janice to EELLS, Robert onpp. $5.95 (hb).Dec. 9 at College Hill R. P. Church withit allows for 15-20 minutes of individualstudy and then about 30 minutes of group Although the author is very John H. White officiating.discussion.systematic, explicit, and coherent in style, WAGNER, Norma Jean and ADAMS,ONE TO ONE: 15-minute Bible studies toshare with a friend. William E. York, Jr.IVP, 1972. 64 pp. $.95 (pb).people of the Reformed faith will differwith the dispensational principles of interpretationpropounded in this work.Renwick Bruce on Dec. 23 at Fresno R. P.Church. Bruce Hemphill officiated. Theywill be living in New Jersey where thegroom is stationed in the service.DEATHSCONWAY, Leatha on Nov. 8. (Walton)MacNAUGHTON, Esther on Nov. 22.(Walton)PAUGH, Mrs. Helen McLean. (Walton)!RAMSEY, Mrs. Wm. S. Sr. (Alice), 79, on'Jan. 3. (Cambridge) Life-long member ofCambridge R.P.C. Immediate family:William S. Jr., Mrs. Aughtra George,Charles E. Ramsey.WYLIE, Homer, 80, on Dec. 2. (CollegeHill)20COVENANTER WITNESS

COVENANTERMarch 14, 1973Topics

WDRI7TO TEST OR NOT TO TESTWhether we like it or not, the psychologist is wellentrenched as a highly trained professional who seeks tomake a significant contribution to our way of life. Whilesome of us feel that we don't need a half hour on a couch at$25.00 a "nap," there are numerous Christians who havebeen significantly helped by the psychological profession.Even on the grade school level, there is a cry for moreprofessional counselors to deal with mental stress and theproblems of decision-making in the young years.Surely the need for Christians to become competentleaders in the field of psychology is obvious. Who has moreto offer than the one who speaks of the liberty that is inChrist? Who has a better answer for guilt-ridden man thanthe one who can speak of forgiveness and cleansing throughthe blood of Jesus Christ?In this issue we are privileged to have articles by twoChristians who have gained significant position in counselingand psychology. They speak to us on an importantissue — the value of psychological testing. The first articlebrings out the usefulness of such testing. The second, a moretechnical work, points out specific weaknesses and dangersinvolved in the testing process. Our hope is that you willread both articles with an open ear and give us yourresponse.R.W.N.I and JL04P&.Editor's Note: A word ofapology. Somewhere along theline, a writer's credit has goneastray. The article, "TheSubtleties of Superstition," inthe February 14 Witness, isby Samuel E. Boyle. Wesuspect that you have guessedit. anyhow.•Editor:please permit my commenton "Warning:Scripture memory may bedangerous to your spiritualhealth" (Nov. 8, 72). Icertainly agree with theauthor's thesis, viz., that->Scripture should only bememorized in context. It isagain unfortunate, however,that this point cannot be madewithout erroneously assumingthat every person whomemorizes Bible verses isdoing so out of context. We ofthe Reformed persuasion haveexcellent opportunities toencourage younger Christiansto memorize Scripture, at thesame time to teach the systemof doctrine which isadequately represented by theWestminster Standards.Raymond P. JosephWest Lafayette, Ind.• Editor:Gordon Keddie's review of Schaeffer's Genesis in Time andSpace made me angry. It was an unjust review.In his first paragraph Mr. Keddie begins his review: "Thissketchy treatment of the first eleven chapters of Gen. addsnothing to the already overloaded library shelves devoted to thistopic." There is a good reason why this book adds nothing tothe library shelves; it is not meant for libraries. Schaeffer iswriting for people, ordinary people. He is not writing forSeminarv professors and students, a book to give them onemore learned opinion on difficult, controversial matters.In his second paragraph Mr. Keddie notes that Schaeffer'sbook lacks the comprehensiveness and precision of two otherbooks; he laments that Schaeffer will have "a wider audiencethan these excellent writers can hope for." There is a goodreason why Schaeffer will have a wide audience; he writes for awide audience, and this wide audience trusts Schaeffer as a man.In his life and work at L'Abri God has demonstrated His powerand love through Francis Schaeffer. There is no "personalitycult," a term which suggests that the publishing world hassomehow created Schaeffer. There is instead a respect fromordinary, educated Christians for a man who has demonstratedin his life what he preaches, a man who has earned the right to awide audience. Schaeffer and his family have lived an open life:"his manner of life" (II Tim. 3:10), including his foibles andfaults, is well known to all who have been to L'Abri."What is worse is that Schaeffer is good on noncontroversialmatters but silent" on the difficult questions ofGen. 1-11. Worse?! Has Mr. Keddie never read that Christiansmust first have milk and then meat? Why "worse?" Howwonderful that Schaeffer exposits well non-controversialmatters ("non-controversial" only in Evangelical seminaries:all of Gen. 1-11 is controversial in our world) so that ordinaryChristians can use these chapters in their lives, apply them,answer the unbelief of their friends and neighbors with them,maybe even go on later and read some of the books sitting onlibrary shelves that do deal with the controversial questions.Jesus taught his disciples "as they were able to hear it." (Mark4: 33) Preachers ought to do the same. Schaeffer does. He is apreacher talking to people.Finally, Keddies criticizes Schaeffer for ' 'only'' writing that"the image of God" in man "differentiates man from nonman."He adds sarcastically that Schaeffer's treatment "doesnot even rise to the level of the answer to Q. 10 of the ShorterCatechism." No, I reply, Schaeffer is not being feeble-minded.He is answering from the Scriptures the question that mentoday are actually asking: "Am I a machine? Do I have value?Is 'man' anybody?" Non-Christians and most Christians todayare not wondering about exactly how to describe the image ofGod in man. They are wrestling with our world's challenge toman's being in the image of God at all. This is where the battleis. I note: true feeble-mindedness for the Church is answeringquestions that hardly anyone asks. True feeble-mindedness forthe Church is to count valuable only what deals with the meat ofthe Word. God is using Schaeffer to give Christians the milk ofthe Word in the right formula for our day. Praise God.Reviewers should evaluate books in terms of a book spurpose and the audience for which the author intends it. Mr.Keddie reviews Schaeffer's book as though it were intended forseminaries. It is not. It is meant for thinking Christians andnon-Christians living in today's world. For these people,Schaeffer's book is a good book worth reading.Bill EdgarCyprusCOVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.ENANXERVOLUME LXXXIXNO. 6MARCH 14, 1973ITNECONTENTSARTICLES:Psychological Testing: A Useful Tool.Psychological Testing: A Potential Risk.Around the World in Thirty-Nine Days.479Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.FEATURES:Glimpses.Adult Study Topics.W.M.S. Topics."Count Her Towers""Count Our Days".10.11.172020SUBSCRIPTIONINFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, t year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, £2, 1 year;£3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 738 RebeccaAvenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.Second class postage paid atWinchester, Kansas 66097.MEMBER

A Useful ToolWILLIAM L. SECOR, JR.About the author: Mr. William Secore, a memberof the Reformed Church in America, holds a master'sdegree in psychology. He has previously worked with thei\arramore Foundation, and is now Director of Counselingat Youth Guidance, Incorporated in Pittsburgh.Hardly a month goes by without my receiving an advertisementor an announcement from a test publishingcompany describing the virtues of a test which has beendeveloped to assess a new aspect of personality or ability. If it isnot new it may be an up-dating of an old test which had fallenbehind our changing society in it's vocabulary or culture.Testing is widely recognized as a way of life in our day eventhough many professional journals and popular magazines havearticles critical of its use. Although differences of opinions havelong existed, counselors continue to use tests and find themvaluable for helping and understanding the individuals comingfor assistance.Various forms of testing exist in our culture today for thepurpose of measuring some aspect of human functioning. Theaverage person, with his exposure to the popularization ofpsychiatry on television and the do-it-yourself psychology andtests presented in many monthly magazines, tends to lump alltesting together and classify it with mental hospitals andpsychiatry. Actually we are exposed to testing in variousforms as we go through life and never give it a second thought.Starting with the tests we receive in grade school we encounterthem as we grow up, to obtain a drivers license, apply for jobs,seek professional certification or job promotion; even theapplication tor credit card approval is a form of testing.We are familiar with the objections of some in EvangelicalChristianity regarding psychological testing but this is notintended to be an apologetic. It is felt that many would be helpedby an understanding of the basic areas of emphasis within thegeneral field of testing. Our frame of reference is from theprofession of psychological counseling and its natural involvementwith personality tests although all of the typesdescribed are utilized at one time or another in our ministry.4 COVENANTER WITNESS

ControlTests are controlled by their availability to counselors andin the method of administration. Most test publishers requiresome evidence of training in testing and a degree in one of thefields of education or behavioral sciences as minimalrequirements to purchase tests. Large test publishing companieshave specific requirements for tests which are often categorizedaccording to the level of training necessary to administer andinterpret the results. Psychologists and counselors are requiredto agree to use the tests according to the standards set by thepublisher.A different kind of control is attempted by the methodsused in administration. This is to insure, as much as possible,the fairness of testing by having all subjects follow the samedirections and approximate the same conditions as the originalgroup used in developing the test. It is the responsibility of theauthors to determine that their original group adequatelyrepresents the total population for the future subjects to bemeasured.Educational TestingMuch research and study has been invested in the area ofeducational testing. Achievement and intelligence are thefactors emphasized in their field. When you wish to determinehow well a class is doing in reference to other classes of the sameage and grade level you use an achievement test. They areadministered in a classroom setting and often are scored bycomputers where other statistical information beside the pupil'sindividual score may be determined.The class may be compared with another in the school,within the grade level of the district or with the grade levelconsidered average for test subjects in the population used tostandardize the test. Results may also be considered an indicatorof the teacher's effectiveness. For example, if the class fallsbelow the school's norms or the test's norms it could be thelevel of instruction. Alert administrators will determine whythe material is not getting across and what is necessary tocorrect it.They also keep aware of the individual student's progressfrom year to year. When there is an abrupt change in score rankfrom one testing to another an alert school counselor will lookfor reasons. It may point out some personal crisis or disruptionin the home. This may be the beginning of an investigationwhich will lead to a referral to the school psychologist or a socialagency for further help.Since the turn of the century when Binet, a Frenchpsychologist, became interested in the study of intelligence andindividual differences in children, people have manifested acuriosity about their intelligence level. This probably stemsfrom the fact that numerical scores are often given as ameasurement called the Intelligence Quotient. They assumethat the score is a constant identifying trait and, of course, ifhigh it becomes a status symbol. In testing, no other informationis more sought after by parents than their child's I.Q.The I.Q. score is not to be thought of as static throughoutlife nor is a score in itself to be defined as a point. Mostpsvchologists will report I.Q.'s in the terms of a range whendiscussing the child with the parents. The I.Q. can change withmaturity, motivation or education. We are acquainted with apsychologist's holding a doctorate who reports that he scored inthe low average range in elementary school testing. Also knownare several who are in the superior and gifted range holdingMARCH It. 1973average jobs without post-high school education. It would seemthat I.Q. alone is not an indicator of success but personalityfactors also influence achievement.Intelligence tests are comparative in their nature becausethey measure the performance of a child against the performanceof other children within a specified age group. Theygo beyond the achievement type because non-academic factorsare introduced. Cultural appropriation, the abilityto useknowledge in a practical manner, the extent an individual canthink in abstract terms and various factors associated withperformance of motor tasks are included in the content of thebetter testing instruments.Two different approaches are used in the administrationto the subject. Some use a paper-pencil variety which can begiven individually or in a group. Others are designed to beadministered by a psychologist on a face to face basis. This givesan added advantage of the observations of the psychologist as herecords the responses of the subject. Many personalitycharacteristics can be noted by an experienced examiner whichwould not be noticed in a group situation. Face to face testingalso negates reading difficulties which handicaps some brightchildren.Achievement and intellegence tests have been used byChristian counselors in their work with returning missionaries.Many of these families, having their children raised andeducated in mostly a foreign culture, are made aware of thedevelopmental level of the children as it relates to our society inboth the educational and social spheres. The NarramoreFoundation, in Rosemead, California, often works withmissionaries from various countries and eases their re-entry tothe American culture. The parents utilize the information forgrade placement and even school choice while they are in thiscountry.Vocational GuidanceManv seek counseling because they desire informationabout their vocational future. They often have an interview ortwo and then take a battery of tests which will later be discussedwith them. Interest and aptitude tests are included in thebattery. Others are administered these tests in personnel officeswhere companies are looking to fill specific needs within theirorganization. It is the practice of many high schools to give atleast one interest evaluation to a student during his time insenior high.A person who takes an interest test can expect to bereturned some information describing his preferences invocational choices. The results can serve as a "directional fix"for one who is searching for objective evidence in picking amajor in college or general career-planning. The results indicatethat his interests match either interests of those successful andhappy in the designated vocations or correlate with interestsassociated with those occupations specified. At least one ofthese instruments has indicated a high level of predictivesuccess over a period of years as shown by follow up studies.Talent mav be another term to describe what an aptitudetest measures. As individuals differ, some find it easy to pick upand apply information in one area while another may find it easyin a totally unrelated area. The ease which a person adapts to acertain type ol work probably plays a part in his choice of futurevocation. Certain tests measure various strengths within theindividual and gives information on which are the strong andweak subject areas. Other tests are geared to specific vocationsand are seeking aptitudes deemed necessan tor success in thatjob.(Continued on next page.)5

(Continued from page 5.)Personality TestsMany who request counseling are concerned about theirpersonality and it probably is one of the factors by which man isknown best. As an individual's personality is his own privatepossession and his own business, it is not strange that many fearpersonality testing. A complete picture of this area ofpsychological assessment can not be covered in a short article asthis. Nevertheless, many ask questions concerning personalitytesting which are similar in nature and can be covered.Most counseling centers take great care to protect theprivacy of their client's files and test results. These are keptlocked and only a few responsible persons are allowed access tothem. Every center has its own "ground rules" but at YouthGuidance Inc., it is the practice to destroy test results and filesthree years after the date of termination of counseling. Othersmay do the same after five years.Most personality tests are paper and pencil questionnairesin which a person responds to statements of human emotion orexperiences as to whether or not they apply to him. There aremany tests in this field and they may be described as measuringbehavior, traits, temperament, or social interaction. Bv the useof the several types of tests discussed, along with personalitytests, a good picture of a person's personality can be gathered.This would be considered a test battery.Items checked in a personality test are not necessarilyinterpreted by each individual response but are arranged incomposite groupings which have been found to be descriptive ofbehavior or emotional attitudes. Most tests have been developedto discern from six to twelve different patterns encompassing abroad range of the human personality. As an author creates andrefines his test, scores considered average emerge from theresearch and are called the normative group or "test norms."When an individual completes a test, the scores are profiled torepresent the degree of relationship or non-relationship with thenormative sample.The value of the results to a counselor are manifold.Testing is an economical use of time, for although much of theinformation could be elicited over the course of many counselingsessions, testing, in a relatively short span, produces arevealing picture of the personality dynamics. Time is alsosaved if the necessity of transferring counselors comes becauseof moving. Upon the receipt of a release of information formmost psychologists will either transfer the results or write areport of his observations to the new counselor.A knowledge of the various levels of functioning in anobjective way is helpful in counteracting the "halo" effect. Weare all susceptible to our cultural hang ups and tend to viewlikeable people in a positive way and the opposite in a negativeway. This "halo" phenomenon can cause counselors to favorone side in marriage counseling or situations where a valuejudgment is made on the basis of external appearance. This isone reason lawyers often counsel their clients to dress "conservatively"for court appearances. The knowledge of resultsprovides insurance of objectivity.It is very rare that a single personality trait will be theonly indicator of a problem. More than likely, the tests will beinterpreted to consider intra-personalitv factors. If a scaleshowing a high level of anger is noted, other scales will give thecounselor clues as to how the anger is affecting the total personality.A more complete picture develops as scores arecompared with scores and patterns of interpersonal and socialattitudes become evident.6Marriage CounselingThere are tests which are especially beneficial in marriageand pre-marriage counseling. One of these instruments is usedfor a basic temperament evaluation of each subject and later it isadministered again with the instructions for the subject todescribe his spouse or fiance. The results can show how anindividual appears to self and how a person outside but closeemotionally describes the same subject. Two of many questionsare: if there is a difference in scores, is it because of a lack incommunicating feelings or is it a lack of sensitivity to a partner?If a couple see one another in a fairly valid way, there still maybe suggestions offered where deeper understanding would behelpful to the relationship. There are pastors who are trained touse this type test and find it a valuable addition to theirministry.MorInCourtesy True Experience"Nice to see you again, Mrs. Adams. Hello, stinker!"EvaluationMany who take personality tests score mostly within thenormal range. Does this mean the information is useless? Notreally, for scores in the ranges considered normal still haveprominent individualistic features and may be helpful in leadinga client to know himself better. We have counseled couples whohave scored within normal or acceptable ranges and yet werehaving conflict. The discussion of the results helped them to seethat certain behavior, not wrong in itself, could have negativeeffects on their particular partner. We feel that a goal ofcounseling should lead to a more accepting attitude of differentbut valid personalities.Psychological testing is not a mysterious hocus-pocus buta reading back to an individual a composite of the responses herecorded m answering a prepared form. He may learn what hisstrengths and weaknesses are, what his interests and aptitudesare and his level of achievement and intelligence as comparedwith a normative sample of our nation's population. Useless tothose without the need or desire for its answers, valuable to oneseeking help and guidance are these resultsICOVENANTER WITNESS

A Potential RiskJOHN F. BETTLER"Personality X-Rays or Peeping Toms"This Washington Post headline touches the dilemma ofpsychological testing.(l) Do personality tests penetrateproblem behavior patterns and facilitate meaningful changes ordo they simply provide a personal, often sensational but seldomhelpful peek into someones private life?Testing is under fire by those inside and outsideprofessional psychology. Karl U. Smith, a professor ofpsychology at the University of Wisconsin, bitterly opposespsychological tests since they are scientifically groundless andtheir results often interpreted in dangerously misleading ways."The field of personality testing is a hodge podge ofimprecise psychopathalogical terminology, of limited and biasedprocedures and of poorly construed test situations. " Heconcludes, "If I were put in charge of a school or community,the first thing that would go out the window would bepsychological tests."(2)His outspoken opposition prompted a Congressionalinvestigation into psychological testing to determine if testingviolated the Constitutional rights to privacy. In response to thisinquiry the American Psychological Association admitted theneed for belt-tightening '' .to establish standards for tests andtesting and to observe and report on criticism. ."(3)Even the venerable and previously unassailable Rorschach(inkblot) test is currently under siege. Dr. Arthur R. Jensen,psychologist at the University of California joins a long list ofattackers ". .the concensus of qualified judgment is that theRorschach is a very poor test and has no practical worth"(DOn the other hand testing remains popular and attractsmany supporters. It is defended as a necessary tool for thepsychologist and counselor and an important safeguard for theemployer. If nothing else statistics alone support the importanceof testing. It is estimated that approximately 1,000,000 peopletake the Rorschach test alone each year at a cost of almost525,000,000.(5) It would seem that testing is here to stay iffor no other reason than, as one wag put it. ' 'Even bad testingis better than no testing at all."On which side does the Evangelical Christian stand in thisdilemma? Something tells him that testing draws swords withhis Christian commitment and could prove harmful. On theother hand the increasing popularity of counseling within theChristian community makes testing more readily available as anoften-recommended step in problem solution. M\ ownpresbytery has recently debated whether all candidates for theministry should undergo testing and, as a member of ourdenomination's committee on ministerial training, I hear othervoices in our church demanding psychological testing tor allseminary students. And there are other presbyteries wheretestinghas been a tense and often-dividing issue. So. theChristian is often confronted with the question : "To test or notto test?"About the author: While a pastor in Hatboro.Penna . Mr. Bettler worked a\ a antithetic counselor incoinii-Ction with Dr. Jay Adams, tin founder of th LChristian Counseling and Educational Foundation Atpn stilt. Mr Bitlhr is pastor ol the OrthodoxPi\\bytt.rian Church in Wheaton. Illi Continued on next page )MARCH 14. 1973

(Continued from page 7.)Although the baby might be squirming in the bath-water,it seems to me that there are several factors which limit thevalue of psychological testing for Christians. It is not mypurpose to critically evaluate the field of testing, nor to suggestthat it is alwavs wrong for a Christian to undergo testing. But Iwill attempt to draw attention to factors which the Christianmust consider if testing is to be meaningful.Who has the right answer?A test determines if what you know or do is right orwrong. Or, more precisely, whether it is normal or abnormal,healtby or unhealthy, helpful or harmful. Now, who decides?Who has the right answers? Who determines if your responsesare indicative of stability or serious behavioral maladjustment?What is the standard?For the non-Christian the standard is whatever is normalfor the specific segment of the population with which the persontested is identified. " .the test must be standardized on agroup that is a representative sample of the total population forwhich it is intended. Each test must be constructed by actuallysampling the performance or responses of an adequate groupthat is typical of its population."(6)In other words if most people don't believe in a personalGod and you do, you're in trouble. And if you think that youcan talk to that God, you're really in trouble. Wherever yourChristianity clashes with what most tested people believe itcould be a mark against you. It might even be interpreted as asymptom of a deeper problem with which the psychologist mustdeal(7) or considered serious enough to keep you from gettingthat job or promotion.The standard against which the Christian must testhimself is not the norm of society but Scripture. The Christian.walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in theway of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful, but hisdelight is in the law of the Lord." (Psalm 1:1,2). What is rightis what God says is right and what is normal is what God says isnormal.Dr. Jay Adams has aptly observed: "It is questionablewhether psychological tests ought to be devised againstpopulations of sinful men, even if they are Christians. It isconceivable that instead tests may be construed from Scripturalprinciples. "(8)Who does the grading?The American Psychological Association goes to greatlengths to insure objectivity in testing.(9) These safeguardsmake it reasonably certain that if (against the norm of a samplingof the population) a person is aggressive, withdrawn orhas exaggerated anxiety about his health, etc. these traits will berevealed. But what does the tester or interpreter do with theseresults? Here, objectivity is thrown out of the window.One counselor might interpret shyness as stemming froma very early fixation upon a sexual organ. Another will see it asthe early child's fear of his parents. Another as the simpleaccumulation of responses to stimuli. Yet another as a basic lackof identity or selfworth.But not only will the interpretations differ, so will thesuggested treatments. In-depth therapy lasting 2-5 years, grouptherapy with other fearful "children," long series of'clientcenteredinterviews or structured relearning might all besuggested as possible "cures."8It is not suggested that all of these treatments are equallybad but they do reveal how the pre-suppositions of the counselorcolor his interpretation of the "facts." In a very real sense, atest is only as good as the interpreter. For this reason, if aChristian were to agree to testing, he must never leave theinterpretation of the test results exclusively with a non-Christian psychologist or testing center. Presbyteries thatdemand testing for ministerial candidates must never surrendertheir responsibility for the candidate to test interpreters outsidethe pale of Christianity in general and ministerial authority inparticular. It is imperative that test results be judged by thenorm of Scripture to determine if a problem really does exist andthat whatever problems are uncovered be handled from aBiblical perspective.Who sees the "report card?"The Congressional investigation into testing as a possibleviolation of the right to privacy ought not to be dismissed as afoolish political exercise. Suppose your test results were interpretedto indicate a serious or even pathological disorder.And suppose your records were kept in a hospital or personneloffice file. Since the medical model views behavioral maladjustmentsas sicknesses to be diagnosed and healed, you arelabeled. You are a "sick" person in need of treatment. Sinceyour medical and employment records are often transferable,that file could come back to haunt you. The availability of yourresults is especially critical when it is remembered that your"problem" could be no problem at all but simply a point atwhich your Christianity clashes with society norms.Whenever you take a psychological test, you must knowwho will see the test results. Knowledge of the results must belimited to those who are directly involved in the solution ofwhatever problems or portions of problems the test uncovers.These would be the counselor, significant others affected by theproblem, or others to whom you choose to reveal the problemfor help. In cases of personality tests taken as part of employmentapplications, some understanding ought to be reachedthat the file will be destroyed after the application is processedor that results can be released only over your signature.Before you decide to test or not to test, ask thesequestions: "Who has the right answers?" "Who does thegrading?" and "Who sees the report card?" Only when youare certain that your Christianity will not be marked againstyou, that uncovered problems will be handled from a Biblicalperspective and that only significantly important people will seethe results should you agree to testing.(1) Testing in this article means tests designed to measure a person's personalitytraits rather than his intelligence, aptitude, etc. Personality tests are usually of two types:Non-projective tests (such as the popular Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory)which usually pose direct questions which can be answered simply and projective tests(such as the Rorschach "Inkblot" test) which assign vague tasks into which the subjectmust "project" his personality to accomplish (eg. when given an inkblot he is asked"What does this remind you of?")(2) Amerium Psychologist, November 1965, p. 866 and 862M) Ibid, p. 857.( i) Scteiic- Digest. October 1971, p, Vi(5) Ibid, p 53(6) Theory ami Practice of Psychological Testing, Frank S. Freeman, p. 49.(7) For example, a particular type of schizophrenia has as one of its symptons, ". •preoccupation with religious issues," I knew a Christian girl who was so "diagnosed" andadvised by her counselor thatit would be therapeutic for her to abandon her Christianconvictions. This is an extreme example, I know, but it illustrates how a person's( hnstianitv mav be viewed as indicative of a deeper maladjustment.(8) Southehc Confrontation, Spring 1972. Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 2.(9) cf. "Technical Recommendations for Psychological Tests and Diagnosticlechmques." Tests In Print. Oscar K. Buros, Ed., Gryphon Press, Highland Park, NJ.•COVENANTER WITNESS

cfAtoxind the "Worldill G Thirty m Ni I lP^aysTrips are wonderful experiences. Theyare even better when you can share themwith others. Since you are paying my way,you should hear about it. What am Italking about? As Executive Secretary ofthe Board of Foreign Missions I am to visitour mission fields this spring.We have been talking about myvisiting Japan, since we have not sent adeputation out for several years. We havebeen considering work among the Chinesepeople and our cooperation with theReformation Translation Fellowship.Then Cyprus loomed strong on tbehorizon as the Lord provided us with newministers, who are to lead in the programsof training and church organization. Itseemed that there was more to considerthan just Japan and by checking fares welearned that it would cost less than $300more for travel around the world than togo to Japan and back with possibly a sidetrip needed to Taiwan.After this decision was made,Singapore opened up as a possible field forwork among the Cbinese and the work ofthe Reformation Translation Fellowship.This was amazing to me because it couldbe included without extra cost or travel.The Lord has worked out other detailsas well. Since this is my third trip for theBoard, one of my concerns was theministry to my congregation while I wasaway. It has worked out so that the Rev.and Mrs. J. Paul Wilson can be with theOakdale Congregation for six Sabbaths.We will hold our communion the Sabbathbefore I leave and then Mr. Wilson willcarry on the work while I am away. Mr.Wilson and I have traveled together oneach of the other trips but he is contributingto the work in a different waythis time.ROBERT A. HENNING(Exec. Sec, Foreign Mission Board)We have always sent out two menbefore, but with a tight budget and withconsideration of what other Boards doregularly, we decided to try my goingalone this time. It will mean greaterresponsibility resting on me but I amassured of the guidance of the Board and ofyour prayers as I travel. I thank God forthis knowledge.The Board has already given guidancein many ways. I will go with a list of itemsthat I will discuss, observe or examine ateach stop. I will plan on meeting Dr.Samuel Boyle and Rev. Charles Chao inSingapore for consultation. They plan tobe there a few days ahead of my ai rival tolook at the situation and then we willdiscuss the possibilities together.A part of the plan is to meet with theBoard of the Scottish and Irish Churches.Since they have a missionary from ourChurch and we have one from theirCourtesy ParadeChurch, it is important that we have anunderstanding and an opportunity to talkover our work and plans. We pray that thiswill be mutually helpful to us.I would like to share my schedule withyou. There may be some slight changes asI go along, but it is as follows:Leave St. Louis March 26 and arrive inBelfast March 27Leave Belfast March 29 to arrive inAthens the same day for a visit with theDonnellys.Leave Athens March 30 for Nicosiaand be in Cyprus until April 9.Leave Nicosia April 9 to arrive inBeirut the same day and it is my hope tomeet with some of our people from Syria.Leave Beirut April 10 and go toSingapore, arriving April 11.Leave Singapore April 13 for a visit toHong Kong where we plan to meet withsome of the Christians who have come outof China and are living there.Leave Hong Kong April 16 forTaiwan.Leave Taiwan April 17 for Japanwhere I will be until April 30.Leave Japan on April 30 for Portland,Oregon to attend the meetings of theNational Association of Evangelicalswhich includes meetings of theEvangelical Foreign Missions Association.Leave Portland for St. Louis and homeMay 3.Our main goal in all of this is to keepour work unified and to gain first handinformation of what is going on at the"front lines." I hope to be able to sharewith the Church the things that I havelearned so that not only the Board willprofit from this traveling. Thank vou inadvance for vour prayers and support. •MARCH 14, 19 7 3•;

SERGEI KOURDAKOVHis story is a tragic one, whateverbe the facts. Reports in EP, ChristianityToday and other news media, carry thewords, "apparently," "reportedly,""reports of the incident were unclear,""rumours that Kourdakov had committedsuicide," "mystery persists,""the young man had told of threats tohis life," reports that his death was asuicide were "totally discounted."The 21 year old Russian youthdeserted his Russian trawler off thecoast of British Columbia in 1971, andwas found unconscious on the Canadianshore. He defected to Canada in Septemberand later was converted to theChristian faith and worked with UndergroundEvangelism, speaking of hisrole as cruel persecutor of Christians inRussia as a young police officer. UE hasbeen publishing bis writing in theirmonthly magazine. He was found deadNew Year's Day 1973 in a rented cabinnear Running Springs, Calif., with a .38caliber revolver in his hand.There are numerous reports ofinformation, among which is one to theeffect that he was a plant by Communistauthorities, but when he came incontact with Christians he found thetruth of Christianity so plausible, thathe was caught between two allegiances.He was baptized by an Orthodox priestin Canada and later by a Russianspeaking Pentacostal preacher, G. B.Derkatch, in Toronto. He had worshippedin the Fourth PresbyterianChurch in Washington, D. C, underthe pastor, the Rev. Richard C.Halverson, who was to lead a memorialservice for him. He was buried in acemetery plot reserved for Russianpeople, by a Russian Orthodoxcongregation in Washington, whomuch appreciated him — "love at firstsight" on both sides, according to areport.The County Coroner disagreed withthe sheriff's deputies that Kourdakov'sdeath was an "apparent suicide."10imp£>e£I Rev. Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010Kourdakov had warned his friends manytimes, especially after a threat on hislife, made in Toronto, that his life wasin danger, and that it would look like anaccident or suicide. Reports were circulatedalmost immediately after hisdeath, that it was a suicide, that he didnot believe in God and that he wasinvolved in a scandal with a girl, allwhich are vigorously denied by UE.Particularly the last charge, they insistthat "concrete evidence in the hands ofauthorities fully disprove these accusations.Official sources completelyrule out any misconduct in relation to agirl."Conflicting evaluations are certainto continue to be published, in a case sointertwined with the dramatic, thetragic, the emotional and all with abackground of possible internationalintrigue. Such are the baffling situationsthat face God's people, as they seek tominister to the stranger and the persecuted,in a revolutionary age."EVOLUTION" TO BE RULEDOUT TOO?Next phase of the "creationevolution"battle in the Californiaschool system, is a suggestion that theevolution theory should also be removedfrom textbooks. (The "creationtheory" was ruled out by the Boardpreviously. Glimpses 28 Feb. 73) Adecision on this suggestion is to be madeat the March meeting, after a committeereports back to the StateEducation Board.LONG TIME EFFECTS OFMARIJUANA USEAt a meeting of California trialjudges, Dr. Harvey Powelson, M.D.,chief psychiatrist from the University ofCalifornia at Berkeley, gave an accountof his experiences with marijuana users.He is in a position to observe such, overa period of several years. The followingare excerpts from this talk. He states byway of background that 5 years ago,when his experience was limited to whathe learned from student users he talkedwith, he stated that it seemed to him"that there was no proof of long termharmful effects from marijuana." This,he says, met with the approval of moststudents and his professional colleagues.Recently, when he was asked if hisopinions had changed in the interveningyears, he stated that they had. Says Dr.Powelson, "It is an interesting fact thatquestioning the claims of marijuanausers leads to much more anger,vilification, and character assassinationthan does the opposite stance."The psychiatric clinic at theUniversity sees "roughly 3000 newstudents per year." Dr. Powelsonpersonally interviews about 100 a year,some of them many times, and, he says,"I hear about hundreds more in thecourse of a year." He speaks particularlyof one patient, giving somedetails of his observations of him as thepatient regularly used marajuana, and ofone occasion when "he'd had particularlygood 'grass.' " This patientgrew "more suspicious," and "wasmore adept at fooling himself aboutwhat he was up to, whilesimultaneously maintaining how'aware,' 'in touch,' and 'loving' hewas." He "suffered a fatal accident (asa result of an error in judgment) beforehis therapy actually terminated."Some further quotations: ' 'Studentswho had 'dropped out' and were intothe drug scene are attempting to returnand (are) finding it difficult if not impossible."They seem to find that they"can't think clearly . . (and) seem tobe aware that they've lost their willsomeplace. . The irony here is thatthey have now achieved the freedomthey sought. They need an externaldirector."A patient may say, "I can writepapers for example, but all of a suddenI'm lost." Or "I just can't seem to getmy feet on the ground." Dr. Powelsonsays, "From these people I've comesuspect that there are lasting damagesfrom cannabis." He says further, "Inmy judgment, the uses of other drugs inthis population has now become minor,at least for the past 3-4 years."While this material cannot be usedto establish scientifically that marijuanadoes a person permanent damage, stillifa Christian is sincerely interested in thefaithful stewardship of his body andhealth, and not merely in seeking tojustify self indulgence, the opinions andexperience of such an individual shouldgive him pause.COVENANTER WITNESS

Adult Topics: Second Quarterviewpoint. But his own conclusion in-3 dicates uncertainty as to whether heshould even be writing the article. Heconcludes:§i*Christthe KingOur study topics for this quarter have been prepared byMr. Philip Beard of the Christian Government Movement.They are recommended for your use in various contexts suchas the Sabbath School and the mid-week Prayer Meeting.The matters discussed are deep ones, and we urge you toread them ahead of time and pray for the ability to makepractical application to your own situation.R.W.N.LIVING UNDER THEKINGSHIP OF JESUS CHRISTAs Christians we are concerned withthe world in which we live. This is seen inthe topics of the last quarter. Butsometimes we do not know just how weare related to the world.This quarter's topics are intended as asuggested overview of what Scripture saysconcerning the relationship of Christ'sChurch to the world in which it lives. Inorder to understand the Church'srelationship to the world, we must understandChrist's relationship to theworld. Therefore, the emphasis in thetopics will be upon how Christ is related tothe world. In that light, perhaps theChurch can be more faithful to its Head.The topics follow an inductive Biblestudy format which will require somestudy previous to the meeting. They arepresented in several sections but seek topresent a whole picture. Therefore, reviewof earlier topics will be helpful for study oflater topics. Psalms and prayer should berelated to the topic being studied.Most, if not all. Christians agree thatChrist is King. Reformed Christians particularlyconfess that Christ is Prophet,Priest, and King. But what exactly do wemean when we say that Christ is King? IsChrist King right now or will He becomeKing at some future time? How does Heexercise His Kingship? Over what is HeKing? What is the relationship of believersto Him? How do believers submit to HisKingship? These are some of thequestions which arise when we try todetermine what we mean when we callChrist King.These topics will seek to show thatChrist is ruling as King right now, thatHis rule is over the whole world in whichwe live, and that as believers we are integrallybound up with this world, thiscreation of God. They will seek to showthe responsibility and position believershave as a result of their union with Christ.These topics will seek to help to clear upthe uncertainty many believers have abouttheir relationship to the world.To show more clearly the problemthese topics are seeking to counteract,here is an illustration of the problem froman article in Christianity Today (KennethG. Elzinga, "The Demise of Capitalismand the Christian's Response." July 7,1972).The author, a Christian and anassociate professor of economics, spendsalmost four pages evaluating currentdevelopments in the U.S. economicsystem. He seeks to look at the U.S.economic structure from a ChristianBut we must not tarry toolong at the grave (of capitalism)because our Lord tells us ofanother battle. Unlike battlesabout economic issues, this onehas truly enormous stakes; unlikebattles about economics, this onecan unite Christians; unlikebattles about economics, thisbattlefield extends beyond thehalls of debate and the ballot boxto include the hospitals and warzones, the ghettos and countryclubs, the universities and factories,the homes and the streets.Our Lord specifically orders usinto this one. This paramountbattle is, of course, the battle formen's souls.What the author seems to be saying isthat economics has nothing to do withmen's souls. He seems to be saying that inthe concern to save men's souls — certainlya priority for every Christian — theeconomic factors involved in hospitals,war zones, ghettos, country clubs, etc. areinsignificant. Beyond that, he seems to besaying that there is nothing really valuablein what a doctor does in a hospital exceptwhen he brings souls to Christ, there isnothing admirable about a soldier fightingto defend a just cause except when it helpssave lost souls, there is nothing producingin factory except if it helps win souls, andso on.The question to ask the author is this:If you really believe what your conclusionsuggests, why don 4 you quit teaching andwriting about economics and go learn howto win men's souls? If that is theparamount battle, aren't you wasting yourtime teaching economics?We should not be harsh with thisfellow Christian because surely he sees hisjob as significant, which it is. But he hasplaced his job on questionable ground withhis very own statements. Perhaps theauthor would not agree with all theconclusions his own writing suggests, butthe conclusions are there.The uncertainty underlying thisauthor's article is common to manyChristians in the world today. It is hopedthat these topics will help in at least ageneral way to reduce this uncertainty Instudyingthe Scriptural doctrine ofChrist's Kingship.Philip BeardMARCH 1 t. 1973 11

Study No. 1THE POSITION ANDTASK OF JESUS CHRISTIn order to be able to live moreobediently under Christ's kingship, wemust understand the origin and thepurpose of that kingship. Subjects areusually more faithful to tbeir kingif theyknow his background and the work he isdoing. Scripture gives the background ofChrist's kingship in three places inparticular: Heb. 1:1-3, John 1:1-3, andCol. 1:15-17. In this study, we want todetermine two things: when Christassumed His kingly office, and what workthat kingly office involves.Heb. 1:2-3a describes the eternalnature and work of the Son of God. Inverse two, in what two ways is the Sondescribed? What is indicated in the factthat God appointed His Son heir? What isan heir? To what is the Son heir? To whatdoes "all things" refer? (See crossreferences, Matt. 11:27; Jn. 3:35;13:3; 17:2; Col. 1:16; Heb. 2:8,9 withPs. 8 and I Cor. 15 :27) What part did theSon play in the act of creation? When doesverse two indicate that the Son was appointedheir of all things?John 1:1-3 also reveals the eternalnature and work of the Son of God. Whatparallel statements and ideas do you seebetween Heb. 1:1-3 and John 1:1-3?What is the significance of Heb. 1: 3asaying that the Son is ' 'the radiance of His(God's) glory and the exact representationof His nature" and John describing theSon as the "Word of God"?Read Col. 1:15-16. These two verses(except the first phrase of verse 15) alsodescribe the eternal nature and work ofJesus Christ. The phrase "the firstborn ofall creation" describes Jesus Christ, but isnot saying that He is created. What doesthis phrase indicate about the nature of theposition of Jesus Christ? What does itindicate about His relationship to the restof creation? Verse 16 helps to explain this.Paul says that "in Him," "throughHim", and "for Him" all things werecreated. How does each of theseprepositional phrases describe therelationship of Jesus Christ to the createdworld? Where are these ideas expressed inHeb. 1 and John 1 ? What things does Col.1:16 say were created in, through, andfor Jesus Christ? What is the relationshipbetween calling the Son "heir" in Heb. 1and calling Him "firstborn" in Col. 1?12Now consider what the three passageswe are studying say about the work whichChrist was and is doing? How do the threepassages we are studying describe theSon's role in the act of creation?Not only was the Son involved in theact of creation. Read Heb. 1:3. This versesays that, of the three persons of theGodhead, it is the Son who is upholdingall things by the word of His power.' 'Uphold" means more than just standingstill and holding an object, perhaps as areferee holds a football in a football game.The meaning in Heb. 1:3 is that Christnot only bears all up but that He bears allthings along to an end, to a goal, just as ahalfback carries the football toward a goal.What does Rom. 11:36 say that the goalof all things is? What does Col. 1:16 saythat the goal of all things is? Does "ailthings" refer to the same thing in boththese passages?Read Eph. 1:8-10. What does Paul saythat God's ultimate purpose is? What doeshe mean? What things are involved in thispurpose? How is this related to Rom.11:36 and Col. 1:16?Discussion:1. When did Christ, the Son of God,become King?2. How did He reach this position?3. In light of this study, discuss theimportance of the created world. Discussthe significance of God calling the creation"good" in Gen. 1.4. Discuss what it means to ' 'glorify"God. How do animals, plants, andinanimate creation glorify God?Study No. 2MAN AND JESUS CHRISTLast week we considered the origin ofChrist's kingly office and the work ofthat office. You may want to summarizewhat you learned from that study.This week we want to study the agencyby which Jesus Christ was to carry out hiswork as King. Our study will center onGenesis 1 and 2. Read Gen. 1:26-30.What aspects are unique about God'screation of man? What is man's positionwith relation to the rest of the createdworld? (See also Psalm 8) What is thesignificance of that fact that men, bothmale and female, are created in the imageof God? From these verses, what does itmean that man is created in the image ofGod?After God had created man, He spokeHis word to man to direct his life. Whatsort of word did God speak to man ? Whatsort of relationship did this word establishbetween God and man?Gen. 2 tells us that God created aspecific man (v. 8), and placed him in thegarden of Eden. What tasks did God giveAdam in the garden? How are these tasksrelated to the general commands of Gen.1? Why did God create woman? Whatdoes this indicate about generic man's taskin the world? What is the first recordedtask of Adam? How was this carryingout of the commands of Gen. 1?The specific test of whether Adamwould listen to God's direction came inthe command not to eat of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil (2:17). Godtold Adam thatif he ate of it he would die.What is the implied reward in this test ofGod? How is the tree of life related tothis? (See Gen. 3:22; look up NewTestament references to the tree of life.)Read Rom. 5:12-21. Here Paul indicatesthat Adam was not just an individualman before God. He was therepresentative of mankind. In him,mankind was to live or die. To whom,then, were God's commands in Gen. 1and 2 addressed?Discussion:1. Discuss some of the implications ofGod's commands in Gen. 1 for life today.Why was man to multiply andfill theearth?2. Do God's commands to man inGen. 1 still hold today? Why? Why not? Ifso, how are we obeying them?3. What do God's commands tell usabout our understanding of work?4. In light of Heb. 1:3 and NewTestament references to the tree of life andthe water of life, who was directing Adamin the garden? To what end was Hedirecting him?5. Are unbelievers under obligation toobey God's commands of Gen. 1? If so,can they obey properly?Study No. 3THE FALL AND JESUS CHRISTReview the first two weeks. Last weekwe studied man (Adam) in the garden andthe place he had in the work of JesusChrist in directing creation to its goal ofglorifying God. This week we want to seehow man's sin threatened that goal andhow God sovereignly overruled man'srebellion.COVENANTER WITNESS

Gen. 3 is the record of man's sin. Theserpent, another part of God's creation,comes to man and questions what God hassaid. In chapters 1 and 2 we have seen thatman is to be directed by the word of God.What is the serpent suggesting in hisquestion in Gen. 3:1?God had said that in the day they ate ofthe tree of the knowledge of good and evilthey would die. What actions indicate thatAdam and Eve are really dead? What isdeath? What does this say about thejustice of God?In Gen. 3:14-19 God expresses Hisresponse to man's sin. This section isespecially important because it showsGod's complete sovereignty in being ableto carry out His plan for His creation. Inverses 14 and 15 God addresses theserpent. In verse 15, what sort ofrelationship does God establish betweenman and the serpent? Whom does theserpent represent? How does God do this?What promise is given?Many commentators write that"seed" in Gen. 3:15 is a collective nounand that here it means one body of persons,not just one person (it is used in thisway in Gen. 15: 5 of Abraham's children).The Hebrew word for "seed" is acollective noun. It may refer to oneperson, or to one body of people. In thislight, many commentators (e.g. H. C.Leupold, E. J. Young) write that her"seed" in Gen. 3:15 refers not to the oneseed, Jesus Christ, but to the collectiveseed, the human race. At the same time,this promise of God is fulfilled in JesusChrist, the Second Adam. If "her seed"refers to mankind, who is it that defeatsSatan? Who is the seed of the serpent?In verse 16, God speaks to the woman.He tells her she will bear children and Hetells her that her husband will rule overher. What creation commands (Gen. 1 and2) are these two statements based on?How does sin affect man's response toGod's creation commands?In verses 17-19, God speaks to Adam.What creation ordinance is restated byGod? How does sin affect it? What is thecurse for? What does verse 23 show aboutthis creation ordinance? What is thesignificance of Adam calling his wife'sname Eve after their sin and after God'swords to them? What does this indicatethat God has done for Adam and Eve?Many commentators see God'sclothing of Adam and Eve with animalskins as the first act of mediation throughsacrifice. What is God teaching man inthis act? What is significant about God'splacing of the cherubim and the flamingsword to guard the way to the tree of life(3:24)?What do all God's statements in Gen.3:14-19 indicate about His sovereignty?about His plan for creation? What placedoes sacrifice now hold in God's plan?Discussion:1. Referring to chapter and verse,parallel as specifically as possible thecreation relationships restated in Gen.3:14-19 with the creation relationshipsoriginally established in Gen. 1 and 2.2. Discuss the significance of the factthat God's creation order is not destroyedby man's sin.3. Discuss how man's sin has affectedthe creation order. Can believers relievethe curse on the ground to some extent?4. What is our congregation'sresponsibility in relation to God's creationordinances? as far as our formal worship(preaching, prayer, offering, praise) isconcerned? as far as our various jobs areconcerned? as far as our witness to thesurrounding community is concerned?Study No. 4THE OLD TESTAMENTECONOMY ANDJESUS CHRISTReview may again be a good idea sinceeach of these lessons is part of a whole.Last week we studied man's sin and God'soverruling. We briefly discussed theintroduction of sacrifice as the way bywhich man was to be restored tofellowship with God. This week we wantto cover a lot of Scripture, from Genesis 4to the end of the Old Testament. Obviouslythis can only be done in a generalway. But we want to see that by sacrificeGod's plan for creation through the workof man is still in the process of beingcarried out. The Son is still bearing allthings along to their divinely appointedend. Now, however, He begins with achosen few, from Seth to Noah toAbraham.Skim over Gen. 4, noting that at thisearly stage in post-fall history, men cameto God through sacrifice. Note also thatthere were improper ways of approachingGod. Evidently He had already prescribedthe wav He was to be approached.Read Gen. 5 : 29. What does the nameNoah mean? What promise of God wasLamech reflecting trust in? Whatknowledge did he have of Gen. 3:15-19?Read Gen. 8:20-9:7. Note God'sresponse to Noah's sacrifice. Whatcreation commands are repeated here?Read Gen. 9:8-17 What is God'srelationship to creation at this point?Read Gen. 12:1-3: 15:5; 18-21;17:1-7: and 22:16-18. What creationcommands do these promises to Abrahamreflect? In 22:16-18, what is the relationof the sacrifice of Isaac and the substitutionof the ram to these promises?The next major development in God'scovenant plan is the exodus. Read Exodus4:22,23. Note that Israel is an entity, nota collection of individuals (RememberGen. 3:15). Why is God demanding thefreedom of Israel? In light of our study ofCol. 1:15 and Heb. 1:2, what is thesignificance of God calling Israel His son,His firstborn?In Exodus 12 we read of the Passoverwhich brought Israel out of Egypt. Aftercrossing the Red Sea, Israel enters thedesert and comes to Sinai. In Ex. 19:5-6,God tells the Israelites the place whichthey occupy in His earth. They are Hispossession, a kingdom of priests and a holynation. After the giving of the law (Ex. 20-23), God constitutes the nation incovenant ceremony (Ex. 24). He instructsMoses to offer sacrifice. Moses sprinklesthe blood on the altar and on the people,calling it the blood of the covenant. Onthis basis Israel enters into the presence ofGod (Ex. 24:10,11).The rest of Exodus and Leviticus aredevoted to God's requirements for enteringinto fellowship with Himselfthrough sacrifice at the tabernacle.Numbers records the people's unfaithfulnessand God's judgment.Deuteronomy is God's address throughMoses concerning the covenant life Israelis to lead when it enters the land God haspromised to give it. Read Deut. 4:1;6:3; 7:13: 8:1,1111; 11:8-12;30:9,16,19. Discuss the similaritybetween these statements and the creationcommands of God. What is indicated inthis similarity?The rest of the Old Testament concernsthe establishment of Israel in theland, its rise to strength under David andSolomon (cf. Gen. 15:18-21; Deut.1:7,8; 11:24,25: I Kings 4:21), and itsdecline because of unfaithfulness to God.The kingdom of Israel in the OldTestament is the visible kingdom of God.Through sacrifice, men come intofellowship with God and serve Him in Hiskingdom under the direction of His word.Under Moses the people reach the landand under David and Solomon God blessesthe people with the rest which Hepromised at the fall (cf. Deut. 3:20;12:10; II Sam. 7:1). In this we see man,the seed of the woman, conquering God'senemies, the seed ot the serpent, underMARCH 14. 1973 13

the direction of the kings, as he lives bythe word which God has given. Yet weknow that Israel rebelled, indicatingman's inability and lack of desire to ruleperfectly as God desires him to rule.Discussion:(Discuss the ideas presented in thisparagraph.)1. How would you summarize thisstudy?2. What points are most important?3. In what ways is God being faithfulto His plan at creation?4. We have not mentioned Christ inthis. What part is He playing?5. How is God expanding His rule inthe creation?6. If Israel is God's Kingdom in theworld, why is Israel so rebellious?Study No. 5THE COMING OF JESUS CHRISTReview what you have studied andconsider how Scripture is building up itsteaching of the kingship of Jesus Christ.This week we want to study the coming ofJesus Christ as the fulfillment of God'spromises to which the Old Testamentpointed. This study will help us to understandand appreciate more fully thepurpose for the incarnation of the Son ofGod.Read Rom. 5:12-21 again. Also read ICor. 15:21,22,45-47 What do thesepassages say about the relation betweenChrist and Adam?How is Matt. 1:1 related to God'spromises in the Old Testament?Read Mk. 1:9-11, Matt. 3:13-17,and Lk. 3:21,22. Why was Jesus baptized?What does this indicate about Hisrelationship to His people?Read Mk. 1:12,13, Matt. 4:1-11,and Lk. 4:1-12. What is the significancein the fact that the Spirit led Jesus into thewilderness to be tested? What is therelation between this event and the testingof Adam by Satan in the garden? Whatcontrast is there between tbe way Adamresponded and the way Christ responded?Read Phil. 2:5-11 and suggest how thispassage is related to Christ's testing.Read Heb. 2:5-9. What Psalm isquoted here? What is this Psalm speakingof in its Old Testament context? To whomis it applied in Heb. 2?Read I Cor. 15:27 What Psalm isquoted here? What is the differencebetween the way it is used here and thewav it is used in Heb. 2?Read Eph. 1:22. What Psalm is quotedhere? How is it used here in relation to itsusage in Heb. 2 and I Cor. 15? What is thecontext in which it is used in Ephesians?Discussion:1. In light of this study, what is thesignificance of the Son of God becoming aman?2. What is the significance of the useof Psalm 8 in the New Testament?3. At this point, how is God beingfaithful to His original plan for thecreation?Study No. 6THE ENTHRONEMENTOF JESUS CHRISTSome review may be helpful. Last weekwe saw how the Son of God came as man,as the Second Adam, in order to restoreHis people in their ability to carry outtheir task in the world properly. This weekwe will be studying Christ's completion ofthat work of restoration in His enthronementat God's right hand. We willbe looking at several aspects of Christ'senthronement: the rule this positioninvolves, when Christ achieved thisposition, on what basis He achieved it,and for what purpose He achieved it.Read Acts 2:33 and 5:31, and Heb.1:3; 8:1; 10:12; and 12:2. What is thesignificance of describing the position ofChrist as being at the right hand of God?Read Matt. 28:18, Eph. 1:20-21, andPhil. 2:9-11 in relation to this. Over whatdoes Christ rule? Consider the samequestion in relation to Heb. 2:8,9 and ICor. 15:27. According to Matt. 28:18,Eph. 1:20-21, and Phil. 2:9-11, fromwhom does Christ receive His position?When was the position given to Christ?According to these passages and Heb. 1:3and 2:9, what is the basis on which Christwas enthroned?Read Matt. 28:18-20; Eph. 1:20-23;Phil. 2:9-11; and I Cor. 15:24,25. Whatdoes each of these passages say is thepurpose of Christ's position at God's righthand?Read Col. 1:15-20. We have alreadylooked at vs. 15-17, seeing there thedescription of the eternal nature and workof the Son of God (See Topics 1 and 2).What is Paul describing in vs. 18-20?What is the relationship between Christ'snature and work as described in vs. 15-17and that described in vs. 18-20? Why doesPaul call Christ the "firstborn" in bothsections? What is the relation betweenChrist's being called firstborn and Israel'sbeing called firstborn (Ex. 4:22,23)? Invs. 18 and 19, what reasons does Paul givefor the Son's becoming the head of theChurch? In these verses, whatrelationship between the Father and theSon is presented? Read Eph. 1:8-10.What similarities are there in this passagewith Col. 1:15-20 concerning God'sultimate purpose? concerning the Sonwho is involved in that ultimate purpose?concerning the creation which is involvedin that ultimate purpose? According toCol. 1:20 and Eph. 1:8-10, what thingsare involved in Christ's reconciling workon the cross?Discussion:1. Summarize this study.2. Is Christ enthroned as God or asGod-man? What is significant for us inthis?3. Is there a conflict between saying,as Col. 1:20 does, that Christ's bloodreconciles all things to God, and sayingthat Christ died only for the elect? Why?Why not?4. What is the relation between Col.1:20 — Christ reconciles all things — andHeb. 1:2 — the Son is Heir of all things?5. What implications are suggested inthe fact that Christ now rules over allthings? How shouldbelievers do?FELLOWSHIPStudy No. 7this affect whatPlan to have a family night supper thisweek. Or, as an alternative have a specifictime to pray about the study of the last sixweeks and its implications for the life youare now living as a congregation seeking towitness to Christ's Kingship over all oflife. Such prayer would includethanksgiving to God for His gift of His Sonto His people, praise for His plan for Hisworld, confession of failure to follow Hisplan, and petition for insight and power ofthe Holy Spirit to be more faithful inobeying Christ's kingly leadership. Prayershould be specific concerning personalconcerns and congregational concerns. Itshould be that the church may bestrengthened as a result of these studiesand that in renewed strength it may be amore vital witness to Christ's claims.A third alternative is to spend time insinging Psalms which witness to Christ srule, and in sharing how Christ's rule hasblessed you, and how you see it beingmade visible in the world.14 COVENANTER WITNESS

Study No. 8REDEMPTION IN JESUS CHRISTReview if time permits. We have beenstudying how man was to live under thekingship of Jesus Christ but failed both atthe fall and throughout the Old Testamenteconomy. We have seen that Christ'skingship began before creation and that itcontinued in history both before the falland after it. We have seen that Godcreated man to be directed by His Word,the Son. We have seen that man was tobring creation to glorify God by imagingGod as he ruled over creation. Two weeksago we studied Christ's coming as a man,the Word made flesh, and beginning Hisfinal work of restoring man, embodied inHis people, to his proper position increation. By coming as the Second Adam,confronting Satan, and defeating him onthe cross, Christ atoned for the sins of Hispeople and set them free to submit anew toHis Kingship. Last week we studiedChrist's completion of that work in Hisbeing enthroned over all creation as Godman.This week we want to study brieflywhat redemption in Jesus Christ involves,particularly as it is explained in thedoctrine of union with Christ. We want tosee the relationship which God establishesbetween Christ and His people. (Be sure toread the article referred to in this study.)Read Gal. 2:20. How does Pauldescribe his relationship to Christ? Howcan he say that he himself was crucified?(See also II Cor. 5:17; Eph. 4:22-24;Col. 3:1-4)Read Rom. 5:12-21, especially vs. 19.What is Adam's relationship to us? Whatis Christ's relationship to us?Recognizing that Paul from Romans 5to Romans 6 is continuing to develop theway God saves men, read Rom. 6:3-6.Wbat three aspects of Christ's work doesPaul say believers have been made part of?When were believers made a part of thiswork? Note the relation between Rom.6:6 and Gal. 2:20. Note the tense of theverbs in both places. Note Paul's conclusionin Rom. 6:11. What has Christ'sredemptive work done to the old man inbelievers? See also Col. 2:10-13. (Forinsight into this matter, see the article byE. Clark Copeland, "Old Man: Dead orDying?" in the Nov. 22, 1972 issue ofthe Covenanter Witness.)Sanctification is part of Christ'sredemptive work for believers. It is theprocess by which believers are perfected.How does Paul describe this process in IICor. 3:18? What is the end result, accordingto Phil. 3: 21 and I Jn. 3: 2? Howis this result accomplished, according toPhil. 3:21? According to Rom. 8:29,when was this goal established? by whom?for what purpose? What is the significanceof Paul's use of the term "firstborn" inRom. 8:29?Another significant aspect of Christ'sredemptive work for believers is revealedin Eph. 2:6. Note the similarity betweenPaul's description here and that in Gal.2:20, Rom. 6:3-6, and Col. 2:10-13.Note the tense of the verbs and the implicationsof it. What specific aspect of thebeliever's union with Christ does Paul addhere? What is the significance of Paul'swriting in Eph. 1:20,21 that Christ isseated at God's right hand in the heavenlyplaces above all other rulers, and hiswriting in Eph. 2:6 that believers areseated with Christ in the heavenly places?What sort of position do believers have?Read Rom. 8:19-23. Here Paul writesof the intimate relationship betweenbelievers and the rest of creation. Howdoes Paul describe the sanctification ofbelievers in this passage? What is the endresult of this process? How is creationaffected by this process? How is God beingfaithful to His original plan at this point?Read II Pet. 3:10-13. How is thisdescription of the final consummationrelated to the description of Rom. 8:19-23? What is the significance of calling theresulting order the "new heavens and newearth"? (Read I Cor. 3:11-15 in relationto this.)Discussion:1. What does Paul's description of therelationship between Christ and believers(Gal. 2:20, Rom. 6:3-6, Col. 2:10-13)indicate about the idea that Christ wassimply an example for men to follow?2. What does Paul's teaching aboutthe death of the old man say about ideas ofa second blessing? the idea that there are"carnal Christians"?3. What implications do you see inPaul's writing that believers are enthronedwith Jesus Christ? for your job?for teaching your children about theirpurpose in the world? Write down specificways in which your job can be seen asChrist's calling to reign over His creation.4. What is the significance of Paul'sdescribing believers as renewed in theimage of Christ and God's originallycreating man in His image?5. If the old man is dead, why dobelievers still sin?6. How does the continuing presenceof sin in believers' lives affect theirposition at God's right hand?Study No. 9THE CHURCHAND JESUS CHRISTLast week we studied how Godestablishes His relationship to believersthrough the work of His Son, JesusChrist. We studied how believers areunited with Christ in His life, death,resurrection, ascension, and present reignat the right hand of God. This week wewant to see the corporateness of thisaction. In our day we are influenced byextreme individualism, even in ourChristian belief. This influence has led to atruncated view that the Christian lifeconcerns only my personal relationship toGod. However, the stress in Scripture isupon the corporate nature of salvation,although not denying that each personmust personally respond to Christ. Thisstudy will seek to help believers realizemore fully their union with one anotherand the implications this union has forliving more faithfully under the kingshipof Jesus Christ.Review Rom. 5:12-21 again. Whatdoes this say about the unity of mankind?Review the comments made in StudyNo. 3 on the meaning of "seed" in Gen.3:15. Read Gal. 3:16. Here Paul says that"seed" in Gen. 17:8 refers to Christ.Read Gal. 3:27-29. How does Paul usethe word "seed" in v. 29? Is he contradictingwhat he has just written in vs.16? What do these verses indicate aboutthe unity of all believers? Look at Eph.2:11-22.Read Ex. 4:22,23. What is God'sview of the unity of His people? In light ofGal. 3:29, what can all believers becalled?Read Ex. 19:5,6. How does Godcharacterize the unity of Israel at thispoint? Look up cross references to theseverses to see in what other contexts theyare used.Review Numbers 14, the incident inwhich the people were afraid to enter theland of promise? Were all afraid? Towhom did God's judgment extend? Wereall individually guilty?Review Joshua 7 How many peoplecaused the defeat of Israel? Whom doesthe Lord say is guilty.-' How many peopledoes God's judgment fall upon?Read Eph. 1:1-16. The "you's" in11 are plural pronouns, but the"calling" or "vacation" is a singularnoun. How does Paul describe this unityin verses 4 and 12 and 16? How does hedescribeit in vs. 13? What dcx's he mean?MARCH li. 1973 15

Read Phil. 1:3-6. The "you's" inthese verses are plural, but the"fellowship" or "participation" in thegospel is singular and the "good work"which God has begun is singular. What dothis passage and the one in Ephesiansindicate about the unity of believers?about God's work for believers? Howshould we read the letters of Paul?Discussion:1. Mention various figures whichScripture uses to describe the unity ofGod's people. Is the church a building? Isit an activity — "church work"? Suggesta definition of what the "church" is.2. What does this study indicate aboutthe denominationalism of our day?3. What does it indicate about theproblem of exclusivism within manyChristian groups?4. What does this study indicate aboutour relationship to the otherdenominations in our town? What stepscan we take to improve relations?5. Review Rom. 12 and I Cor. 12.What do these passages indicate about therelation of believers to each other?6. When did disunity begin? Whatcan our congregation do to improve ourown unity as part of Christ's body? ourpresbytery? our denomination?7. If God punished Israel corporatelyfor the sins of a few Israelites, what doesthis indicate about sins in the churchtoday?8. How does church discipline relateto this study?Study No. 10be obedient to their masters, and they areto respect the humanity of their slaves.Paul's final instruction is to be strong inthe Lord.In Eph. 6:12, Paul gives the purposefor doing all these things and explainsGod's purpose in uniting His people as abody. It is so that they may fight againstSatan's forces. This sounds like a hardbattle to win. But Scripture assuresbelievers of their victory because Christhas already won the victory (See Jn.16:33; II Tim. 1:10).Read Gen. 3:15. What kind of battle isdescribed here? Who does God promisewill win?Read Eph. 1:19-23. The Greek wordsfor rulers, authority, power and dominionare the same words used in Eph. 6:12.Who assures believers of victory?Read Eph. 1:18,19. Paul prays thatbelievers may know three things. Whatare they? According to verses 19-23, howare these things brought about? How doesthis section describe the power whichbelievers have? In light of study of Eph.2:6 as it relates to Eph. 1:19-22, what isthe position of believers in relation to theSatanic forces described in Eph. 6:12?What does Rom. 16: 20 have to say aboutthis?Discussion:1. Summarize this study.2. Read II Cor. 6:14-21. What doesthis passage say about the position ofbelievers? What is God's purpose inputting believers in this position?3. According to Eph. 4:17-6:20,where may Satan seek to overcome God'speople?4. Where do you see the battle withSatan going on most clearly today? DoesSatan seem to be winning tbe battle? Howcan God's people become more effective?How may our congregation become moreeffective?THE BATTLE AND JESUS CHRIST5. Discuss the implications of theLast week we studied the unity of Scriptural teaching that Christ has alreadyGod's people with one another. We saw defeated Satan, but that the battle is stillthat Scripture is full of emphasis on the going on.corporate nature of man and that it shouldbe read with that in mind. God has unitedHis people for a purpose. This week wewant to see what that purpose is.Read over Eph. 4:17-6:20. ThisStudy No. 11entire section is instruction concerninghow God's people are to live as God's WORSHIP AND JESUS CHRISTpeople in the world. Believers are to speakthe truth, they are to labor honestly, they Last week we studied briefly whatare to approach marriage with understandingof its meaning, they are to are in, which expresses itself in visibleScripture says about the spiritual battle weobey their parents in the Lord, they are to ways. We saw that in Christ believers willtrain their children in the Lord, they are to win the battle.16For the next two weeks of this quarterwe want to look at two ways by whichbelievers can make progress in defeatingSatan and his forces. This week we willstudy the matter of formal worship. Nextweek we will study the matter of work.In this study, we are primarily concernedwith the Sabbath as the day ordainedby God to be set apart for worship(Ex. 20:8-11), the formal gathering ofGod's people. What reason is given in thefourth commandment for God's people toobserve one day in seven? What relationdoes this have to the fact that man iscreated in God's image? Did Adam anticipateentering into God's rest at somefuture time? What evidence for this isthere in Genesis 2?According to Genesis 2:2,3; Ex.20:11, and Ex. 31:12-17, the Sabbath isto be a day of rest (Sabbath in Hebrewmeans rest). Read Heb. 3:7-11. Usingcross references, what is the writerdescribing as "rest"? What does Heb.4:8 suggest about this?Read II Sam. 7:1. Here the writerdescribes the state of David when hisenemies had been subdued as the Lordgiving him "rest." What is thesignificance of this statement in light ofHeb. 3:11 and 4:8?Read Heb. 4:3. How do men enterGod's rest? What does "rest" mean inlight of these passages? Read Heb. 4:9.What does the present Sabbath day thatbelievers observe point to? What does thisindicate about Adam's anticipation in thegarden?Read Heb. 10:24,25. What reasonsare given for assembling together? Whatday is referred to? What does this indicateabout the purpose of the Sabbath? How isthis helpful in frustrating Satan's efforts?Discussion:1. Does "rest" mean inactivity?Does it mean not doing things you do onthe other six days?2. Suggest at least two basic purposesof the Sabbath.3. How is the Sabbath a means forfrustrating and defeating Satan's schemes?How does Satan seek to use this aspect ofGod's blessing on His people to hindertheir work?4. Is the Sabbath in our congregationobserved in anticipation of Christ'scoming?5. How does our Sabbath observancehelp or hinder our life during the other sixdays?6. How can our Sabbath observancebe improved?COVENANTER WITNESS

Study No. 12WORK AND JESUS CHRISTLast week we studied the meaning andpurpose of formal worship and the Sabbathas one way to frustrate Satan's purposes.We saw tbat the Sabbath is a day whenGod's people gather to prepare themselvesfor serving God in the world and to looktoward Christ's return. In this last week ofthe quarter we want to see how the workwhich we do is significant in honoringChrist. We want to evaluate the purposeour work as teachers, farmers,businessmen, housewives, etc. has asmembers of the church, the body ofChrist.Read Heb. 13:15,16. Whatrelationship is indicated between worshipand work? Can the two be separated? Isone more important than the other?Read Eph. 2:10. Here Paul has beenwriting of the marvelous way in whichGod has saved His rebellious people. In2:10, what is the purpose for which Godhas saved His people? Suggest specificdetails of God's overall purpose.Since God created His people for goodworks, of what importance are Hiscommands to Adam in the garden (Gen.1:26-30; 2:15)?Ephesians is about the nature of thechurch. In it, Paul tells of the election,calling, and redemption of the church. Inch. 4-6, he becomes very specific in whatthe church is to do as a result of what Godhas done for it. Read Eph. 4-6 and namesome of the specific actions God's peopleare to perform. In 5:1, Paul says toimitate God. How does this commandrelate to God's revelation in Gen. 1?In Eph. 5:22-6:9, Paul writes aboutsome basic human relationships. We donot always consider the husband-wifeand parent-child relationships as part ofour work as Christians? Are they? Whyare the husband-wife, parent-child, andmaster-slave relationships of such greatimportance? How are these relationshipsdealt with in Gen. 1-2? Why were theyimportant at that time? Are theserelationships involved in the battle againstSatan?Discussion:1. Share with each other how you seeyour job at this time being used of God tohring glory to His name.2. How is vour job bringing about thedefeat of Satan?3. What is the relationship betweenthe worship service which I attend and thework which I am doing?4. In light of God's commands to man suggested activities. A further alternativein Gen. 1, what is the significance of the at this time would be to review thisw'ork I am now doing? Are there any quarter's topics, seeking to tie loose endsaspects of my work which I should together. Perhaps the overall scope of thechange? Are there any things which Ishould stop doing? begin to do?5. In light of Gen. 1, what should bethe Christian attitude toward moon shots?drilling for oil in Alaska? Christians beingactively involved in politics? in business?topics could be presented. New insightscould be shared. New questions could bediscussed. Most importantly, discussionshould consider what response God wouldhave the congregation and each personmake in light of the kingly rule of JesusChrist. Discussion could consider thecongregation's overall vision and specificStudy No. 13programs to achieve that vision. It couldconsider how various aspects of theFELLOWSHIPSabbath observance should contribute tomaking Christ's rule visible. It couldFor the last week of the quarter, plan consider a how the talents of members of thetime of fellowship. See Study No. 7 for congregation can honor Christ as King.ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssApril, 1973Job, who was afflicted emotionally.financially, and physically, believed thatAND GOD HEARD THEhe was being purified through these trials(Job 23:10), even as metal is purified orCRY OF AFFLICTIONrefined.Mrs. W. G. SmithHebrews 11:25-26 tells us thatMoses chose to suffer affliction with God'sColdenham, N.Y.people, because he believed this to beThroughout God's Word, there is greater and better than the privileges andevidence that He hears the cry of affliction.We can begin with Genesis 16:11 that in the end, the reward would bepleasures of Pharaoh's court. He knewand Genesis 21:17 and read of God's greater, even as Paul pointed out in IIdealing with Hagar when He sent an angel Corinthians 1:15, "this light affliction.to tell her that He had heard her affliction worketh far more exceeding and eternaland again that He had heard the cry of her weight of glory." If we think of afflictionson Ishmael when they were in the desert or tribulation as chastening or discipliningwithout water. In Jonah 2:1-2, we read by the Lord, we see that affliction can be athat Jonah cried to God from the belly of blessing in disguise. How many times wethe whale and was heard. In Isaiah 65 :24, have had to repeat Romans 8:28, tothere is a wonderful promise, "Before ourselves as well as to others!they call, I will answer; and while they are In Romans 5:3-5, Paul pointed outvet speaking I will hear."the result of affliction. Through ourtribulations and experiences, we can growin knowledge, wisdom, and strength. Thisgrowth can help us in our relationshipswith others who are suffering affliction.I. Our development under affliction:There is a purpose behind our afflictions,our trials and tribulations. InPsalm 119:67,71. the Psalmist said thathe went his own way before he was afflicted,but that through affliction, helearned God's statutes or will. In Psalm116:12-14, the Psalmist says he will takethe cup of salvation after experiencingaffliction. The Holy Spirit can use afflictionto help a person come to aknowledge of God's will and a knowledgeof salvation.II. Our duty to the afflicted:Do we. as Christians, have a duty tothose who are afflicted? Job 6:1 la saysthat we should show pity tor someone whois afflicted. In Romans 12:15b Paul tellsus that we should "weep with them thatweep." James 1:27 tells us we should"visit the widows and the orphans in theiraffliction." A friendly visit can do muchMARCH 1 I. 1973r

to lighten the burden of loneliness whenuse these experiences to help others whoone has lost a beloved spouse, parent or are afflicted.child.We do not have to search very far orAs we read these verses, we see whatvery long to find those who need help orthe Lord would have us do for those whocomfort or encouragement. There may beare afflicted. Anyone who has experienceda family near by who has lost a loved onethe sympathy of a brother or sister inthrough illness or accident or militaryChrist during a time of trial can testify thatservice — a young family, perhaps, or anthis has helped to bear bereavement or elderly person who has lost his life'sillness or the stresses and tensions of life. partner. Perhaps there is someone whoPerhaps we ourselves have been afflicted needs help in overcoming a handicap or inso that we can better sympathize or learning a new skill. Sometimes, materialempathize with those who are undergoing help is needed; sometimes, a personalthe same type of affliction. In II Corinthians1:3-6, Paul wrote that his required; and always, prayer is needed tointerest, a friendly interest is all that istribulation and affliction was for the undergird and support the help that isconsolation and salvation of others. given.Do we have a duty to those who areoutside the Christian church during a time Suggested Psalms:of affliction? A follower of Christ canhardly stand by, watching someone sufferand struggle without trying to help. Ouractions can testify to God's love andconcern working through us. Christianconcern, expressed in words and deeds,can be used by the Spirit to bring sometroubled person to a saving faith in ChristJesus.Ps. 124, page 318:1,2,3,5 — God'sdeliverance of the afflicted.Ps. 107. page 266:13-16 — Prayer inaffliction and thanks to God fordeliverance.For discussion:1. Define "affliction" in modernterms. May all our "troubles" rightly beconsidered "afflictions?" Is every cry forIII. Our dependence on God in affliction: help born of affliction?There are many references in the 2. Read II Cor. 4:7-10. What was thePsalms telling of God's ability to carry usthrough affliction. Psalm 107:29-30 tellsus that He calms the storm and brings usto our desired haven. In Psalm 116:8, weread that God can deliver us from deathApostle Paul's attitude toward affliction?What personal application can we make?3. Read Gal. 6:2,10. What do theseverses say about our duty to others, includingthe afflicted?and keep our feet from falling. From Psalm 4. A familiar jingle says: "Though147:3 we learn that He binds up ourwounds. In that well-loved Twenty-thirdPsalm, we are assured that He is with ustroubles help to make me strong everytime they come, I find it hard to think ofthis when I am having some." Give somein the valley of the shadow of death. Avery comforting promise is found in Psalm91 :15, "I will be with him in trouble."Many of us have experienced trials orpractical suggestions for dealingpresent afflictions.withaffliction requiring strength beyond our May, 1973own resources. At such a time, the onlything we can do is to rest in the Lord, GOD HEARD THE CHURCHdepending fully on His strength. Isaiah10:28-31 expresses this thought, ".He giveth power to the faint; and to themthat have no might he increaseth strengthTribulation or affliction, be itMrs. Lowell J. SmithLisbon, N.Y."The Church is the body of Christ,which He has redeemed with His ownphysical or emotional, can be very blood, to be a Chosen people untowearying. As Christians, we can becertain that when God allows us to sufferaffliction, He will also supply the strengthHimself." (Form of Church Government)The members of this Church were chosenby God before the foundation of the worldto help us bear it; moreover, He will be (Eph. 1:4). In His plan also were thewith us to encourage and support us. provisions by which the Chosen wereWe have the promise that God will redeemed. Through the ages, as thehear our cry of affliction. In our dependenceupon Him in our time of affliction. earthly tasks. God has not only beenChurch members have performed theirwe will develop as stronger, better within a prayer's length, but has listenedChristians. "For in due season we shall to all their communications and commitments.reapif we faint not." We can, and should,I. God heard prayer for the Church.I Kings 8:29 and 9:3 show that Godheard and answered Solomon's prayer.Wise Solomon prayed, and God, theSource of his wisdom, listened andhallowed the temple. Imagine each of uspraying with such fervor for His perpetualpresence in our religious gatherings. Arewe ready and willing to be answered?We should be aware of the needs of ourchurch members. Acts 12:5 records theprayers of the church for Peter in prison;verses 6 to 17 tell how God answered theprayers of the fellowship of believers.James 5:13,14,15 advises prayer forindividuals, and especially directs theelders of the church to pray for the sick.Verse 16 continues, "And pray one foranother." We should be so acquaintedwith the needs of others that our prayer forthem may continue without ceasing. Arewe fulfilling our obligation in this matter?II. God heard the works of the Church.Rev. 2:1-6 tells of the good works andthe evil works of the church at Ephesus.Notice that John does well in publicrelations — he gives the good points first.The good points of labor and patiencealmost lull one into thinking how great theEphesian Christians were doing;however, in their desire for doctrinalpurity, they had neglected their love foreach other and perhaps for God.Those who bave much good in themmay also have much sin in them, and ourLord Jesus, as an impartial Master andJudge, takes notice of both. He is ready tocommend the good, yet also sees what isamiss, and faithfully reproves His peoplefor it. The Christians at Ephesus were notreproved for overt misdeeds, but for a"cooling off" of their affection for Christand His Church. As God "hears ourworks", what is He Hearing? Are wefaithfully proclaiming the whole counsel ofGod?III. God heard the mission effort of theChurch.In Matt. 9:36-38, Christ tells us thatwe are to pray for missionaries to go out toharvest souls for the Kingdom; there aremany souls ripe to harvest, but fewlaborers are available.In Rom. 15 : 30,31, the Apostle Paul,the first missionary, asked for the prayersof the brethren, that he might not suffer atthe hands of unbelievers, and that hispreaching might be accepted by the saintsat Jerusalem.Paul, writing to the church atCorinth, (II Cor. 1:8-12) thanks them fortheir prayers in his behalf, prayers for18COVENANTER WITNESS

deliverance from trouble which came tohim in Asia. (Verse 8)These three passages indicate thatmissionary work is no easy task, and thatmuch prayer is needed to undergird thework. Are we praying regularly for thosewho work in the formal capacity of tellingothers the Good News? And does God"hear our own mission effort" in ourhomes, along our streets, and in ourtowns?Christ "has given the Holy Spirit toabide in the Church, and in the hearts ofHis people, to guide them into all truthand to inspire their worship." (Form ofChurch Government) What a wonderfulgift, the Holy Spirit, which helps theChurch as it prays, works, and tells othersof Christ!Suggested Psalms:Pralm 67, page 161:1-3-Psalm 126, page 321:1-4.For discussion:1. Can the weakness or failure of somemissionary efforts be attributed to lack ofprayer support among church members?2. Since God is omnipotent and theChurch is His, why do we need to pray forit?3. To what extent should Christiansgo in setting forth explicit needs for whichthey desire the prayers of the brethren? Isit necessary to have all the details of theproblem "so that we can pray intelligently?"June, 1973AND GOD HEARD —VOWSMrs. Jessie MortonAlmonte, Ont.God heard the vows made to him inthe past and hears the vows that we maketoday.A vow, in biblical usage, may be avoluntary promise to God either (a) toperform some service or (b) to abstainfrom an act in return for God's favor, or(c) as an expression of zeal or (d) as an actof devotion towards God. (a. Gen. 28:20-22; b. Ps. 132:2-5; c. Num. 21:1-3; d.Ps. 22:25) In the Old Testament vowsfigure significantly. If made, presumablyuttered, thev were considered as sacredlybinding as an oath (Deut. 23: 21-23VGod hears vows made to him by individuals.In the Old Testament wc havemany examples of individual people takingvows. The first recorded vow was bv Jacobafter his dream, found in Gen. 28:20-22.Others include Jephthah. Judges 11:30and 31: Hannah. I Sam. 1:11; andAbsalom, II Sam. 15:8. We can see bythese examples and Eccl. 5:4 that a vowwas not to be lightly made. In the NewTestament Jesus refers to vows only tocondemn the abuse of them, such as thereligionist's vow of Corban (Matt. 15:4-6and Mark 7:10-13).Today, sometimes in a moment ofexcitement — perhaps under the glow of areligious meeting — a sacrifice has beenpledged to God; and, the impulse havingsubsided, inquiry is made as to how thebond may be retracted (Prov. 20: 25). Weshould take care to know before we vowwhat we vow. When we think of vowstoday, two come to mind, marriage vowsand baptismal vows. The marriage vowsmay be found in the Constitution, TheDirectory for Worship, Chapter 6, Part10c and could be read as a reminder ofthese important promises. Also, yourminister may have a copy of a marriageceremony which could be read. The vowsrequired of parents at the time of baptismare in two parts. The first part, theirprofession of faith, is a renewal of faith inChrist and acknowledgement of belief inand adherence to the Terms of Communion.The second part, their vows inrelation to their child, consists of fourimportant promises. After the taking ofthese vows the minister says, "Rememberthat the vows of God are upon you and forthe same you shall answer at the last GreatDay." These baptismal vows may befound in The Directory for Worship,Chapter 3, Part 5.God bears rows made by nation. In Ex.19:5-8 the children of Israel " answeredtogether, and said, All that theLord hath spoken we will do." We prayfor such a day in our nations. Today, weshould support the Christian GovernmentMovement which has as its goal "acontinuing study of the Biblical teachingabout government: continued attempts toapply that teaching in practical ways toour culture: and a search tor the mosteffective wavs to present 'the mediatorialkingship of Jesus Christ."God hears rows made by the church.David in Psalm 116, had experiencedGod's goodness to him in answer to prayerand asks what he should render unto Godfor all his benefits (vs. 12). Vs. 13 answershis own question — "I will take the cup ofsalvation, and call upon the name of theLord." Those whose hearts are trulythankful will express it in thankofferings,giving ourselves to God as "a livingsacrifice" (Rom. 12:1). In verses 14 and18 he promises to pay his vows now andpublicly. He will not huddle up his praisesin a corner, but what service he does forGod will be done "in the presence of allhis people." He is not ashamed of theservice of God, and others may be invitedto join with him. God hears us today as wejoin together for praise and prayer and aswe make our vows before Him.Suggested Psalms:Ps. 76, Page 184:5.Ps. 61, Page 151:3,4.Discussion questions:1. In Numbers 30 we read the statutesgiven by the Lord and spoken bv Mosesconcerning the keeping of vows and seehow important this was. How important isa man's word today? Do we still live bvthe maxim "A man's word is as good ashis bond."? (See The Confession of Faith,Chapter 22, Part 5)2. To whom are vows to be madetoday and what type are we to avoid? Referto ( onfession of Faith, Chapter 22. Parts6 and 1Preparation for PrayerWh.it is prayer? A sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out otthe soul to God through Christ, in the strength and assistance ot theSpirit, for such things as God hath promised.The best pravers have often more groans than words.Alas, how few there be in the world whose heart and mouth inprayer shall go together. Dost thou, when thou askest for the Spirit.or faith, or love to God. to holiness, to saints to the word, and thelike, ask for them with love to them, desire of them, hungering afterthem? Oh. this is a mighty thing; and yet pra\er is no more beforeGod than asit is seasoned with these blessed qualifications.Selections from theu rmngs otJohn BunvanMARCH It. 19 7 .^10

CountHerTowers..." fii iPHOENIX(Paul M. Martin, Pastor)Our fall Thankoffering service wasNovember 19 with Miss Carolyn Noblesshowing slides and speaking of her work inTaiwan.Seventeen attended our Thanksgivingday dinner at the church, enjoyingChristian fellowship and devotions led byMr. Martin.Six adults and seventeen childrenenjoyed a picnic day at the zoo onDecember 16.Five homes were open to ourprogressive dinner on December 30 with18 attending.SHARON(G. M. Robb, Pastor)Sabbath morning, December 31st anordination and installation service washeld during morning worship. Mr. JohnSmith was ordained and installed as anelder. Joe Baird and Ted McDonald wereordained and installed as deacons. Messrs.Robert Baird, Everett Cummings andMilford Hays were installed as elders andMessrs. Ernest McElhinney and RalphMcDonald were installed as deacons.The Sabbath School adopted the planof elective studies for the adult classes.Studies being offered are International S.S. Lessons, Family Life, and ChurchDoctrine.In November our congregationparticipated with the other churches in thecommunity in a religious census.Mrs. Martin McElhinney waswelcomed into membership during October.On Dec. 18 the annual Christmasdinner and program was held in thebasement of the church.Our W.M.S. is grateful for the opportunityof hearing Rev. and Mrs. PaulWilson at the annual Thankofferingservice. A recent report from Cyprus with20i iiipictures to clarify and explain the work,encouraged prayers for individuals.John Baird, son of Mr. and Mrs.Robert Baird, and a senior in MorningSun High School, was honored by beingchosen outstanding Young Man of theDes Moines County 4H Clubs.Mr. and Mrs. Alan Halket,Melbourne, Australia were recent visitorsat our evening services.OLD BETHEL(Ralph Joseph, Pastor)William Wilson has completed hisservice in the Air Force and is now employedby the Ford Motor Company. Mr.and Mrs. Wilson live in Taylor, Michiganand worship with the Southfieldcongregation.Captain James Mathews and family areliving near Birmingham, Alabama forthree months. Mr. Mathews is takingtraining to advance him from a copilot to apilot in the Air Force.New President of ChristianLiterary OrganizationDr. Norman Carson, Chairman of theDepartment of English at Geneva College,has been elected President of the Conferenceon Christianity and Literature, afellowship for Christian teachers ofEnglish. He will serve a two year term,leading a fellowship which is interestedprimarily in discussing the relationship ofhistoric Christianity with the field ofliterature.Dr. Carson presided at the annualconference on December 28 in New YorkCity. The Conference on Christianity andLiterature, begun in 1956, has beenrecently incorporated as a non-profitorganization. They have struggled withsuch basic questions as "Is there aChristian Aesthetic?" and "What are thestandards of excellence for Christianliterature?"THANK YOU,OLATHEWe wish to express our thankspublicly to the people of the OlatheCongregation for the beautiful silver teaand coffee service given to us atretirement. We realize that this was justanother of the many ways their love andkindness have been shown in the fiveyears we have served here. We alsoremember with gratitude their prayers,concern, and helpfulness, especiallywhen problems of health were involved.Cloyd and Frances CaskeycountOUR ^TJda

March 28, 1973Youth in Missions, .p. 15Reaching Out. . .p. 16• 4HEAVEN,ETERNAL HOMEOF THEREDEEMEDP. 4

iffifrMl!GROWTH IN DOCTRINECan a believer ever have absorbed too much theologyfor his own good? Is not the goal of a truly Reformed Churchto see that each member is as deeply knowledgeable of thewhole counsel of God as possible?Even among the liberals today there is a renewedinterest in theological issues. Much of this is speculative andfar from any commitment to the Scripture, but nonethelessthere is a search for answers. (Of course, the broadlyevangelical groups, who always seem to be about ten yearsbehind the times, are caught up in a wave of social actionwhich many liberals have already abandoned as fruitless.) Atthe same time, the truly Reformed groups have continued tobe consistent in their desire to produce doctrinally wellgroundedmen and women. In our own R. P Church thereappears to be a continuing growth of interest in doctrinestudy. In some cases at least there appears to be a revival ofinterest in such matters, after periods of attention to themore subjective side of personal Christianity.Those of us who tend to be analytical and perhapssomewhat critical in our expression of Christian commitmentshould certainly be encouraged to see many beginto take a serious look at the contents of their faith. And,indeed, I think we are encouraged. A consistent life in Christalways needs sound doctrine as its basis. More and more ofour people are able to articulate their commitment toReformed faith. This to me is personally exciting and a causefor thanksgiving. If I go away from meetings not agreeingwith my brother on all that has been decided, I go awayencouraged, nonetheless, that our churches make decisionsonly after careful study of the Scripture. This is cause forrejoicing in Zion.There is, however, one danger that can possibly arisein the current theological "revival." It is altogether possiblethat we may become so highly trained in analyzing thetheology of what someone has to say that we become pridefuland fail to apply the simplicity of the Gospel to our ownhearts. The Scripture is clear in saying that we have toreceive the Word. Sometimes analytical skills aid us in doingthis, other times they do not. I have been in discussiongroups following presentations of the preached Word.Sometimes I feel it would have been spiritually better for menot to have been there. Instead of humbling my life to theauthoritative proclamation of God's message, I have beentoo interested in the messenger's style of presentation or theinvestigation of side details from the message. It is definitelyworthwhile for believers to get together and share theirreactions to God's Word. But there are times when itbecomes too easy to show off one's theological acumenrather than respond in faith to God's Word. Not alliREACTION is necessarily the true RESPONSE God wants.If our increasing theological skills stand in the way ofbelieving reception of the Word, we need to rethink ourspiritual condition. If we enjoy argumentative discussion butleave little time for direct application to our own hearts, weare spiritually starved in spite of all our knowledge. We don'tneed "spiritual gourmets" who go around tasting to see ifwhat they hear agrees with their palette; we need men ofGod who will take into their hearts even the simplest faithfulproclamation of God's truth.R.W.N.• Editor:The support expressedthrough your appeal forprayer for us in the Jan. 17issue is deeply appreciated.The other day when Floy andI were driving along in ourFrench car, we talked ofCyprus culture. We were onour way to a British armyschool where Greg and Peterattend. Our other son attendsAmerican Academy Ourhome is owned bv an Armenian.Each day we hear thenews from Jerusalem in clearAmerican accent, includingthe weather for Beersheba.And of course Mr. Fantes isteaching us Greek. Thecleaning lady for thedownstairs apartment is Turk.Did we experience cultureshock? Not at all. ModernCyprus is modern. I eatShredded Wheat for breakfast,have peanut butter on mytoast, and drink mv perkedcoffee black. Cyprus is different,but not quite whatmight be inferred from Dr.Soltau.Cordially,Ken SmithCyprus•Editor:Paul Martin is clearlycorrect in affirming thatCovenanter history is not tobe the principle source ofsermonic material. He is not.caul JL(W&.of course, denying theillustrative value of that orany other history in makingpoints from the Word of God.I would, however, like toadd a positive suggestion, notdealt with in Mr. Martin'sarticle, and that is to encourageCovenanters to read,not so much about themartyrs etc. but the workssome of them wrote. In theirday they were concerned withthe Gospel, not with storiesabout the heroes of a pastgeneration. May I suggestWilliam Guthrie's TheChristian 's Great Interest(Banner of Truth), a shortreprint of a great soulsearchingclassic written by aCovenanter and one of thebest known books of its time.John Owen, one of the mostprofound theologians in theEnglish language, said healwavs carried it with him.We need to remindourselves the value ofCovenanter history is (1) thedoctrine of men who knew theScriptures and the power ofGod and (2) the flow of theProvidence of God as Heworks out His purposes — Heshows us that all is in subjectionto Him in no uncertainterms. We need to learn fromthat as we seek to be consistentin living after theBiblical pattern.DiogenesIICOVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, £2, 1 year;C3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 738 RebeccaAvenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.VOLUME LXXXIXNO. 7MARCH 28, 1973CONTENTSARTICLES:Heaven. Eternal Home of the Redeemed.To the Young Widow.A Pastor Views the Ch ristian FuneralOn the Death of a Cov enant ChildYouth in Missions.Reaching OutFEATURES:A Word Due."In Truth and Love"Glimpses. .Hev I ookit'Distaff Deductions."Bring the Books"From the DESK"Count Her Towers""Count Our Davs"• \6s111516iiPn.141818.191931st Annual ConventionNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EVANGELICALSMay 1-3-THE PORTLAND HILTON • PORTLAND, OREGONRepresenting more than 36,000 evangelical churches in North America that are . ommitted to God's WontFEATURESNAE's 31st Annual Convention will be a unique gathering of evangelicalleaders from across the country National leaders will address publicmeetings and workshops Commission and affiliate sessions will oilersomething for everyone Thtrse will cover Evangelism. Higher EducatioSunday Schools. Christian Day Schools. Missions. Church Extension.Laymen's Work, Social Concern, Radio and Television. Chaplaincy WorldRelief. Youth and Stewardship Eighty two exhibits ot a broad spectrumof Christian ministries will also be featuredCONVENTIONTHEMESPEAKERSLLOYD T ANDERSONPJ-' >r 3ef.. iy B-IP'-.I ChiV..",l Cov.I.J Cull ii.i„MYRON F BOYD= .,->,d-ni NAE „i d B'--. JM-M' >d.ii ChL,rrDAVE BREESE.-. nSecond class postage paid atWinchester, Kansas 66097.MEMBER »EVANGELICAL PRESS ASSOCIATIONFor reg

eeAbout the author: Dr. Vos is wellknown as the editor of Blue BannerFaith and Life and the chairman ofthe Bible Department at GenevaCollege, Beaver Falls, Pa.In The Problem of Pain C. S. Lewiswrote: "All your life an unattainableecstasy has hovered just beyond the graspof your consciousness. The day is comingwhen you will wake to find, beyond allhope, that you have attained it, or else,that it was within your reach and you havelost it forever." Fie adds that while somepeople think it improper to wish forheaven, it may be that in the depths of ourbeing it is the only thing that we reallywish for. Our more or less pagan, mancenteredage tends to think of this presentlife as the main thing, and any idea of lifebeyond death as a vague possibility. Theancient Greeks, as portrayed in Homer'sOdyssey, thought of life beyOnd death as ashadow existence, in which people werecalled "shades" — a very poor substitutefor the bright and solid life of this presentworld.People today seem to give littlethought to heaven; they are more concernedwith their comforts, activities andambitions here and now. The Communistworld ridicules Christian belief aboutheaven as mere wishful thinking — a hopefor "pie in the sky."Christianity, however, emphasizes thereality and importance of the eternal orderof things. Life in this world is only apreparation for the life eternal, whichScripture calls "the life that is life indeed."Heaven is the true destiny of God'speople, that for which they were created.It will be more, not less, real andsatisfying than this present life. It is thepresent life that is thin and shadow-like. Inthe life of heaven we will attain the realpotential of our personality in fellowshipwith God. It will mean a joy andsatisfaction that we cannot know now andcannot even really imagine. Now turn to4COVENANTER WITNESS

Eternal Home of the RedeemedJ. G. VOSyour Bible and read Romans 8:18-25.The period between death and theresurrection is called the IntermediateState. In this interval the souls of theredeemed will be at rest with Christ butthey will not enjoy their ultimate destiny,which can come only with theresurrection of their bodies at the Consummationor the Last Day. This isbrought out in II Cor. 5:1-10. For theredeemed the Intermediate State is acondition of rest, peace, enjoyment of thepresence of the Lord, and waiting, as wesee in Rev. 6:911-Scripture never places the mainemphasis on the Intermediate State, noron what is sometimes called "the immortalityof the soul." The IntermediateState is incomplete and temporary. TheBible always represents the life of theresurrection as the true object of Christianhope and the ultimate fulfillment of theChristian's destiny. Read I Corinthians 15and note how the whole emphasis is placedon the bodily resurrection as thefulfillment of Christian hope and destiny.Heaven will be in some sense a place,though not necessarily a place that islocatable in terms of present astronomy.Jesus' words in John 14:2 prove thatheaven will be in some sense local andspatial, though doubtless in a differentdimension of reality than we can nowimagine or understand. Similarly theteaching of Scripture on the bodilyresurrection proves that heaven will belocal and spatial. Bodies require an environment— they cannot simply exist;they have to exist somewhere. But wherewillit be? Our curiosity naturally raisesquestions which the Word of God does notanswer for us. But we may say with fullconfidence that heaven will be that placein the created universe (not necessarily thepresent physical universe) where theglorified Christ lives in His human nature.And after all, it will be the direct presenceof Christ that will make heaven heaven.If the Bible were to describe heaven asit really is, we would not be able, with ourpresent limitations, to grasp the meaning.So the Bible portrays heaven for us, firstnegatively, and then figuratively.Negatively, there will be in heaven no evilof any kind — neither physical nor moralevil. No sin, no pain, no death, nosorrow, no crying, no tears (Rev. 21:4).On the positive side, the Bible describesheaven in metaphors. These are not to beunderstood literally, but they teach truthabout our eternal home. Gates of pearl,streets paved with gold like transparentglass, foundations of most precious jewels(Rev. 21:18-21) — all this and muchmore like it proves that heaven will bemore lovelv, more beautiful, moresatisfying, more wonderful than the mostprecious and desirable that we know inthis present life.Heaven will be a life of intense activity(Rev. 22 : 3). It will also be a life of perfectrest. It is only in this sin-blighted life thatwe now live that activity and rest areopposites and have to be alternated. In thelife that is without sin there will be nofatigue, no weariness, no weakness, and ifactivity is alternated with inactivity, it willnot be because of the need for bodilyrecuperation or relief from mental stress."His servants shall serve him'" — butwhat the service will be is among God'ssecrets; we must wait to experience itbefore we can really know what it will be.We mav be sure, however, that the activityof the redeemed in heaven will behonoring to God and satisfying to thesaints in a way beyond our wildest fantasiesin this world. For heaven is therealm of absolutes, as this life is marked bythe partial, imperfect and incomplete(First Corinthians 13:9-12). Heaven isthe absolute and ideal fulfillment ofreligion; it is the final perfection of whathuman life is really for. It is the ecstasywhich in our deepest being we long for,but when we come to it, hope will havegiven way to fulfillment.It will be a wonderful life, and it will beforever. But not everyone can reach it.Those who continue in sin unrepentantand unbelieving will go to hell, not toheaven. Heaven is a life of purity andholiness where those who enjoy wallowingin the filth of sin can never enter, andwhere thev would never fit. ReadRevelation 21:27; 22:14,15.The popular modern notion thateveryone will go to heaven is contrary tothe plain teaching of the Bible. The ideathat a God of love would never condemnanyone to eternal damnation in hell is asentimental notion which is not derivedfrom the Bible. Rather,it comes from thecommon unbalanced emphasis on love asthe sum-total of God's attributes. God islove, the Bible affirms, but it does not s.ivthat love is God. or that God is only love.God is also a God ot absoluterighteousness who cannot let sin gounpunished. The Bible teaches the eternalpunishment of the wicked as it teaches theeternal blessedness of the redeemed.There is only one \va\ to yet toheaven, and that is through Christ (John1 '{:(•>). And now is the time to believe onHim._MARCH 28. 1973 5

The shock of vour circumstances is over. No more condolences poui: ini;vour famdv has returned to its routine. By now you know your husband is NOTyour family nas r e c u N 0 T • t it across the table from yougoing to turn the kev in the lock, tie is iwigumg ^nvinrpH vnuagain The seconds, minutes, and hours of silence around you have convmced youhe "'NOT there. When I became convinced of the reality of my wifwhoodjexperienced some difficult evenings and days. Thus, I want to share wi h you smof mv experiences. I had a desire to hear from widows about their experencs. OftenI wondered, "Am I unique in my thoughts and feelings or do other widows expenence similar trials?" To preface my remarks, I want to emphasize that you areunique. No other human being will ever experience exactly what you havethere are many things I have experienced that you will also experience. I write toyou then, praying that you might find within my letter something that assures you/^understand.*!& tU& IjOtUUf WU&OUPYetEmotionally, you have experienced great sorrow. Youmust learn to release your emotions. I say ' 'learn" for this issomething I personally had to work hard at doing. When aflood of loneliness came roaring unexpectedly upon me, Isoon realized I had two alternatives: self-pity or involvement.Self-pity is actionless. It is wallowing (whichtends to go deeper and deeper in self). Involvement is relatingto God and to others, or doing something active. God oftendirected me to cry out to Him, to talk over my feelings withHim, or to meditate on His Word. At times, He provided afriend for me to talk with, or gave me the desire to call up afriend. Just several weeks ago, I called a young couple andasked: "May I come over for an hour? I'm all alone justnow and desperately need to be with someone." Theyresponded in Christian love and said, "Surely, come rightaway!" Sometimes,if no one was available to talk with, Iwrote down my thoughts and feelings. It helped to somehowget thoughts "outside of myself." Often, I drove to afavorite spot to meditate, or went for a walk. Sitting aloneand enjoying my loneliness was only indulging in self-pity!Weeping is another way to release emotions. Someonereminded me of Jesus and how He wept at the tomb of hisfriend, Lazarus. Jesus was God and had God's viewpoint ondeath, vet He wept (John 11:35). David also wept overAbsalom, his son (II Sam. 18:33). OUR KING JESUS andKing David wept. Don't be afraid to weep!MRS. RONALD HOMAGod's CareOur Lord never intended us as Christians to bear ourburdens alone. "And whether one member suffer, all themembers suffer with it; or one member be honored, all themembers rejoice with it" (I Cor. 12:26). As you are sufferingthe loss of your husband, I suffer with you — prayingfor the adjustments which are to come. How often acts orwords of kindness have been directed toward me and havebrought great comfort. How often too has God's Wordcomforted me. God showed me early in my widowhood thepromise upon which I frequently rely: "When my anxiousthoughts multiply within me, thy consolations delight mysoul" (Ps. 94:19).6 COVENANTER WITNESS

Be assured that God cares for you and for your circumstancesas a widow. Widows are mentioned in numerouspassages in the scriptures. Often orphans are mentioned inthe same passage. For example, in Ps. 68:5 God is describedas a "Father of the fatherless" and as a "Judge of thewidows." The circumstances of these two groups of peopleare considered desolate. Widows and orphans (deprived of aprotector and provider) have special needs. Scripture makesclear that God meets these needs. He is a God who acts forthose who are in need of divine action. He delights in kindlyworks for the needy. Sometimes His acts of Providence aredirect and almost miraculous. At other times he worksthrough the means of stirring up believers to care for oneanother.Interpersonal RelationshipsBesides loneliness, I also struggled at first with myidentity in my relationship to other people. When I wasmarried, my husband and I often mixed with other couples.Suddenly I was not a couple anymore and I was not a singleeither. I was a widow. I hesitated to entertain couples thathad been "our friends." It seemed unfair to the man not tohave another man to talk to as he did before. Yet, thesecouples were still "my friends." When I related to singles Iwas aware that they were without a partner. This realizationaccentuated my widowhood and I wanted to avoid them also.Then too, I have known responsibilities, joys, and completenessthat they have never known. So at times, relatingto singles was difficult. I questioned: ' 'Who am I like, then?With whom do I associate?" I have come to realize beforeGod that I am a widow. I am in a different category and mycircumstances are uniquely mine. Now, it is easier to relateto all groups of people. Time and prayer in each new encounterhave helped tremendously.For a time, you will perhaps be preoccupied with yourown circumstances. The greatness of your loss will notdiminish quickly. Although others will soon stop speaking ofyour husband, you will not soon forget him. I notice thatfriends often avoid the subject of my husband, his death, ormv widowhood. They conclude that I do not need more hurt.Yet, it hurts more not to openly talk about him, as thoughhe never lived! However, I realize they intend to act kindlytoward me so they don't mention the past. I decided myselfthat I would bring up the subject. I relate a memorableoccasion or share a funny incident with my friends. Then.they respond more freely because I have initiated conversationabout the past. Admittedly, there are still times Ihesitate to express my thoughts and memories. There isalways a fear of my own reaction or the response of myfriend. Mv own reaction may be fresh tears, a quivering lip,or extreme nostalgia. I am not ashamed of these reactions. Iexpect them. Yet, it might make my friend feel uncomfortableand somewhat helpless. An experience comesvividly to mind. One time, while sharing a memorableoccasion, mv friend himself started to weep. He felt embarrassed.I felt responsible. Yet, I'm convinced I must notsuppress the thoughts and memories I have. They areprecious to me, and to bottle them up means I am notdealing adequately with them. (Besides, bearing oneanother's burden mav just mean weeping publicly togetherover a memory!)Just recently. I visited a good friend in the hospital. AsI was walking down the corridor with his wife, manymemories flashed through mv mind of other hospitalcorridors / had walked down. So I just said to my friend,"This brings back many memories . . some of them quiteunpleasant." "I know", she answered, and the subjectneeded to go no further. The memory had surfaced and hadbeen verbalized. I was then ready for the reality of themoment — entering her husband's hospital room.Return to NormalcyThere may be a period of time before you desire toenter the usual patterns of living. Within a week after myhusband's death. I attended a gathering of thirty Christianyoung people. I found myself uncomfortable in the midst ofsuch gaiety and laughter. Having been for months intenselyoccupied with the issue of life and death, I found the group"foreign" to me. The group was not at fault. I was just notreadv to enter into something like this. Previous to myhusband's death, a group meeting such as this would havebeen one we would have entered into eagerly. Three monthslater I attended a similar gathering and was able to enter intothe fun of the evening. Each widow must allow herself "aperiod of time" to adjust again to the patterns of life thatpreviously were hers.There will come a time to once again enter the usualpatterns of living. At this point, there are ways to implementhealing. I found it healing to intentionally subject myself toold familiar patterns. The tendency is to avoid memorableplaces and activities. The first time I returned to the collegecampus where we met was most difficult. My walk across thecampus was a tearful one. The second time it was easier.Intentionally returning to places WE had been, shopping instores WE had shopped in, eating a fish dinner once again atHoward Johnson's on a Wednesday night as WE had oftendone, have been painful experiences. However, they havecaused me to enter back into the usual patterns of living.I have not suggested any "length of time" and for averv important reason. People are sometimes insistent thatthere is a proper time of waiting before remarriage (a vear!)or a proper amount of time to act bereaved by action anddress. This is quite unfair to the individual. Each widow isunique in the circumstances she has been through, andGod's timing for her must be determined between her andher Creator.Looking BackThere will come a joyful moment when you can lookback and verbalize adjustments you have made. When Iarrived at this point. I was thankful to God for Flis faithfulnessin going through these adjustments with me. Before Iclose. I want to capitalize on how important thankfulness- is.(Continued on p. 10)MARCH 28. 1973

A'PastorUiewstheChristianFuneral"The souls of believers are attheir death made perfect in holiness, anddo immediately pass into glory; andtheir bodies, being still united to Christ,do rest in their graves until theresurrection." When I quote thiscatechism (No. 37) at the grave, I amsumming up the most significant thingsthe Bible tells us about the death of theChristian. Scriptural truth should be thebasis for a Christian funeral.THE REALITY OF DEATHThe Christian faces death as a fact.From the day that the penalty of sin waspronounced upon Adam and Eve untilChrist comes again, all men will beconfronted with death. As the ApostlePaul wrote in Romans 5:12, "deathBRUCE STEWARTpassed upon all men, for that all havesinned." It is expected that men will tryto prolong life, but to try to ignore ordeny the reality of death is both paganand neurotic.A Christian funeral demonstratesthat death has indeed taken place. Theremay be times when a memorial servicewithout a casket would be necessary,but if possible, the casket should beevident. In either case, there should beno attempt to conceal the fact that aloved one has died. We should not fearto use the word "death." We live in aculture where "cosmetic restoration,'"slumber rooms," "gardens'" and"parks" somehow seek to preserve theillusion of continuing physical life. Sincemost people die in the hospital, theaverage person seldom witnesses theprocess of death. Some people,deliberately, will never attend a funeral.Others who do attend are so loaded withtranquilizers that they are still avoidingreality. A Christian funeral should8 COVENANTER WITNESS

ecognize the fact of death; not only does this reinforce ourneed for a Savior who conquered death, but it also alerts usto the adjustments that the deceased's family is facing. Thelanguage of the funeral service and the intent of itssurroundings need to be evaluated carefully to see that theydo not attempt to disguise the fact that death has come.HOPE IN CHRISTIn Romans 6:23, we read, "For the wages of sin isdeath, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christour Lord." While we recognize the reality of death, themain emphasis of the Christian funeral will be on the realityof eternal life.This is not expressed as a pious wish or platitude, butthrough the presentation of the infallible Word of God."God so loved the world that He gave His only begottenSon, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, buthave everlasting life" (John 3:16). What a wonderfulassurance this is — that in the presence of death, we canhave confidence in life! While we have come to the servicebecause someone has died, we give a message of life for theliving.This sets the tone of a Christian funeral. It is atestimony that Christ is risen. It is an expression of faith in aliving Savior. It is a witness to all that through Christ theChristian has also won the victory over sin and death.Therefore, the funeral service will exalt Jesus Christ.It will proclaim God's Word of assurance of eternal life forthe child of God. It will seek to direct the attention of theworshipers to God's exceeding great and precious promises.Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life: he thatbelieveth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: andwhosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die" (John11:25,26). Paul wrote, "When this corruptible shall haveput on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put onimmortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that iswritten, Death is swallowed up in victory . . thanks be toGod, who giveth us the victory through our Lord JesusChrist" (I Cor. 15:54,57).Not only in the reading of Scripture and the funeralsermon but also in prayer do we claim the promises of God;we express our faith in Christ who "is risen again, who iseven at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercessionfor us" (Romans 8:34). It is a living Christ to whom wepray, and we express our faith that our loved ones who diedin Christ are still living with Christ in glory.The Psalms that we sing also give expression to thathope: "Yet evermore I am with Thee: Thou holdest me bymy right hand. And Thou, ev'n Thou, my guide shalt be;Thy counsel shall my way command; And afterward inglory bright shalt Thou receive me to Thy sight" (Psalm73). In Psalm 23 we express confidence that in the presenceof death we do not fear because God is with us; neither do westay in the valley — we walk through the valley — there islife at the other end.For this reason I recommend that a Christian funeralbegin after the casket has been closed. Opportunity has beengiven before the service for people to view the body, but. ifthe service is to assure us of the promise of eternal life andthe joy which the child of God already has in heaven, itseems somewhat incongruous for us again to walk by ortouch the body. (It may still be the custom in some areas forpeople to file past the open casket after the service, but if theminister or the family feel that a change would be moreconsistent with their expression of the Christian faith, theycan request a change.)This is not to suggest that the body after death is eithersinful or worthless. We respect the body which was the homeof our loved-one, but even more we respect the body becauseit is still united to Christ, and will be reunited with theperson at the Resurrection. While the person (the soul) ishappy in heaven, his redemption is not fully completewithout the body (See II Cor. 5:1-4). Our redemption inChrist will be complete only when our bodies are raised withus (I Thess. 4:14) when Jesus comes again.SUPPORT FOR THE BEREAVEDThe Christian funeral is an opportunity to bring hto the family of the one who has died. This support is givenin two directions: first, we help those who mourn to appropriatethe grace of God. The reading of Scripture, theprayers, the praise, the sermon — all are a means of God'sgrace to bring comfort and hope and direction to thebereaved.This is one reason that I recommend that the funeralservice be held in the church building. The funeral service isa worship service, and worship is experienced with lessdistractions in the regular place of worship. When theservice is in the church sanctuary, there is a greaterrealization that the congregation has come together corporatelyto affirm its common faith and hope. In the churchthere are the regular services of worship; the sacraments ofbaptism and the Lord's Supper are observed; marriages areperformed; to have the funeral service in the church bringsthis service into focus as an observance where we areprepared to be aware of God's presence and to partake of Hissovereign grace. It may also be that the family who havefound comfort and hope at the funeral service in the sanctuarywill have greater anticipation to come to worship eachLord's Day.Secondly, we help those who mourn not only to appropriatethe grace of God, but also to receive the support ofChristian friends. This is the reason the funeral should be apublic worship service.At the service I usually give a word of welcome tothose who have come, thanking them that they would wantto come to express their love, to share in the promises ofGod's Word, and to pray with and for the family and lovedones.This is what the church is all about. It is not onlv abody living in a vertical relationship with Christ, the Head,but also a body living in a horizontal relationship with otherChristians. When one part ot the body hurts, the other partsare aware of it, and rally to support and help the woundedpart.(Continued on next page.)MARCH 28. 1973 9

£?he Christian Funeral (from P. 9)This is one reason I encourage the use of a shortmemorial obituary. Without eulogizing, it is fitting topresent some pertinent facts such as members of the family,dates of birth, marriage, ordination, arrival in community,etc. It is also a helpful testimony to tell when he professed hisfaith in Christ, and to give evidences of the fruit of thatrelationship. This is not to exalt the person, but Christ. As itwas said of Abel, " He being dead yet speaketh.''I believe also that the prayers should remember thebereaved family by name claiming God's promises in eachunique circumstance. The love of God and the love whichexists between God's people should be evident.So as Christians we will want to attend the funeralservices of our fellow Christians, that we may show thosewho mourn that we are standing by them — that we care!This is another reason I encourage having the service in thechurch. Those who come are not just spectators; they canparticipate in singing. From a practical standpoint, it is reallythe only place where congregational singing can be a part ofthe funeral service. While it should not stop at that, ourcorporate worship is a means of expressing our concern andsupport for those who mourn. Our corporate fellowship willlead us to seek other ways to express our love.Death brings a sense of loss; and it should. TheChristian must realize that life will not be just the same aftera loved one has died. There will be adjustments to make,and, as fellow Christians, we may be able to help thebereaved to make those adjustments.Death brings grief to our hearts. This is natural, evenfor the Christian. Paul did not say, "We weep not." Rather,he said, "We sorrow not, as others, who have no hope" (IThess. 4:13). Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazerus. If we havelost a parent or a child, a husband or a wife, a brother or asister, a loved one or a friend, we dare not deny that we willmiss him. Our tears are a God-given outlet and expression ofgrief. Our grief is for ourselves because we miss the one whohas died, not because he has gone to be with Christ.Therefore, as part of the body of Christ, we can acknowledgegrief. We can talk about the one who has died. We can helploved ones to talk about him. We can listen. We can try notto be embarrassed even if the tears keep flowing. As we helpthem to express grief, we can also help them to go beyondgrief, counselling them as Paul wrote, "Therefore, mybeloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, alwaysabounding in the work of the Lord: forasmuch as ye knowthat your labor is not in vain in the Lord." (I Cor. 15:58)Funeral customs change. We do not use the sameceremony the patriarchs used at the cave of Machpelah oreven that used 100 years ago. Yet mere change is not ourobjective. We are concerned for Scriptural practices that wemay glorify God.Bruce Stewart is currently the pastor of the LosAngeles R. P. Congregation. He is under appointmentby Synod to the chair of Professor of Pastoral Theologyat the R. P. Seminary as of September 1973.10%• tltes yOtUVCf WL&Q4AP (from p. 7)About six months after I became a widow, a close friendasked: "Carolyn, have you come to the place yet where youhave thanked God that you are a widow?" At that point, Iwondered if she were going to remain a close friend. ' 'ThankGod for widowhood?" I asked; "No!" Yet that questionstimulated my thinking and I began to wonder — why notthank God for allowing me to be a widow. If He is God andifHe has allowed this in His plan, then I must be thankful. Sixmonths after that I found this prayer rushing forth from myheart and across my lips as God had just allowed me towitness for Him about some of my past circumstances."Thank you Lord for making me a widow — and forteaching me to serve you as a widow."Once you have gone through some of the adjustmentsand God has caused you to accept your position, you willdesire to serve God in your new role. You will find a built-incompassionfor others who have had to sever relations withloved ones. Whether it be in the loss of a child, a brokenengagement, or a broken family relationship, you will beable to identify with compassion. You will find that God hasallowed you to understand others better and thus serve Himmore effectively. You may find you have more time than youpreviously did. What is God's plan for your time now? Seekhis direction.God may show you new aspects of who He is as youhave struggled with who you are. As I mentioned earlier,this was one of my first questions. I cried out many times,"God, WHO AM I?" Then several months later I realizedGod was showing me my answer by making me aware ofHim. WHO HE IS . . . What HIS PURPOSES are! He isGod who has the right to do what He wishes with what isHis own. (Matt. 20:15) He has done whatever He has doneso that men will fear Him. Your husband's death was not apurposeless event! I pray you may be able to say: "I knowthat everything God does will remain forever; there isnothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, forGod has so worked that men should fear Him. (Eccl. 3:14)It is important that we remember as we pass throughgrief that we must do just that: pass through it. Not remainin it. And in passing through it, we are not alone. OurHeavenly Father cares more than any human being can care.Yet, I care for you, and want to help bear your burden. Thisis why I have written to you — so that we might havefellowship together in our sufferings. Remember the truth ofa very familiar verse, I Cor. 10:13: "There hath notemptation taken you but such as is common to manOthers have been along similar pathways and do understand.You and I have experienced something in common. As yourfriend in Christ I felt urged to write and say, "I understand."This is one aspect of sharing one another'sburden.Mrs. Homa is the widow of Ronald Homa,Licentiate of the R. P. Church, who was called to hisLord at age 28, on September 6, 1971. Carolyn is nowteaching at the Western Pennsylvania School for theDeaf in Wilkinsburg, Pa.COVENANTERWITNESS

The way God in His providence provided this letter seems to beworth sharing. One day as the Witness staff stopped for lunch.seminarian Larry Falk came into the office to bring his wife, Eileen, aletter from her father, the Rev. Paul E. Faris, R. P. pastor at Lisbon, NewYork. After looking at the first paragraph or two, Eileen began to readhis words aloud to us, since the subject of the letter was knownus. Tears filled our eyes as we learned of the sudden death of MarcSnyder, age 12, son of Dr. and Mrs. Dale Snyder. Dr. Snyder is theto most ofprofessor of Bible at Sterling College. He and his family have been faithfulfriends of the Sterling R. P. Congregation. Mr. Faris consented to ourprinting his letter to Larry and Eileen because we felt that the Christianperspective would not only pay tribute to this covenant child, now withJesus, but also aid others who may have been called of God or yet may becalled of God to pass through similar deep waters.R.W.N.On the Deathof aCovenant ChildDear L. and E.,Yesterday afternoon we were just ready to leavethe house when the phone rang and it was a longdistance call from Mary H. She quietly, but concernedly,told us that yesterday morning, Friday,young Marc S's parents had found him in bed, dead.They were 98 per cent sure that it was a quick form ofmeningitis, for the night before his parents had gone toa play in Hutchinson, and Marc was still awake whenthey returned about 10; they talked and played withhim. But Friday morning when they went into hisroom, he was gone.Mary called because we thought a lot of Marc.It has brought back a lot of memories in the last24 hours for it was just that as I write now.I think of how, when folks in Hutchinson startedan OP church there, his parents, on occasion, went toHutchinson in the evening. Marc said that our churchwas his church and he would come for Juniors andremain for the worship service sitting in the pew allalone. On several evenings when he would come out ofthe service he would speak about something in thesermon that he liked. And it would not be a children'ssermon especially.He always had a twinkle in his eye — and shookhands like a little man. He would sit in church with noprops — never do I remember him reading a paper orbook or just looking around at people.I guess I always admired him because he was mykind of boy in that he liked to play ball. We saw himplaying over in their backyard from our kitchenwindow. Especially do I recall the Sabbath afternoonswhen his father would play with him for a while afterdinner.I recall those evenings when he would come topractice on the piano until they got one for himyour Mother recalls how he said he was going topractice a lot and become a great concert pianist. Thiswas typical of his energetic and enthusiastic ways ineverything he did.You know I have thought of Marc — as he sat allalone in the pew at times — now up in heaven all alonebut then remember his grandfather died within themonth and how surprised he would be to see Marc. SoMarc would be sitting there by his grandfather as Iused to see him sitting with his Daddy at the SilverBowl games in Sterling College stadium — oh soexcited about what was going on — I can imagine thetime he is having with Grandpa in heaven.Then again remember how he told us about thelittle brother that they left over in Europe — when hisDaddy was studying in Amsterdam — so Marc wouldnot be just sitting with Grandpa but would be allexcited as the brother who from Europe already knewhis wav around and would be taking Marc to scenes ofglory that would far out surpass the action of evenSilver Bowls.So Marc is even now the great musician he hadhoped to become — giving praise and glory to theSavior.I think of him as being like Jesus who, when onearth, surprised people with his knowledge. Marcseemed beyond his age — as when he spoke of thesermons and his impressions. It was always beyond theothers when on review days he told of the part of thequarter's lessons that he was to relate — he did it withmore than the mere recitation of words.Mv life is richer for having been a neighbor and aminister to this young boy, now so suddenly taken.His parents find hope because of the Covenant —Marc had a rare opportunity to live with them in aCovenant home where the things of the Lord were partof conversation, conduct, and character.With love.DaddvL.MARCH 28 197 3

CIVIL STRIFE IN N. IRELANDIt is only in recent days that thestrife in Ulster has been referred to innews reports as "civil war." The RESNewsletter reports that two N. Irelandchurches have sent representatives toconfer with Mr. William Whitelaw.They assured the governmentrepresentative that they condemn"lawlessness from whatever quarters itmight come." The leaders from the twochurches, the Reformed PresbyterianChurch and the EvangelicalPresbyterian Church, expressed theirstrong objections to making a deal withrevolutionaries.It is still true that the press, and theradio and TV news reports carry manymisrepresentations and exaggerations,according to W. J. Grier of theEvangelical Presbyterian Church.THE SMOKE DOESN'T GO AWAYThe apparently low-key yet verypervasive appeal in much of the "objective"news of the wire services, hasbeen for many months, to regard"religious persecution" stories ascoming from sincere but misinformedsources. We are reminded of the difficultyof getting reliable information, ofthe danger of falling a victim of cold warpropaganda and of differences betweencountries where "the church" is stillstrong as "in Poland, Rumania andEast Germany." and where it isn't as"in Hungary, Czechoslovakia,Bulgaria and the Soviet Union."Yet Richard Wurmbrand is anarticulate survivor of persecution whocannot be dismissed as misinformed orundependable. UndergroundEvangelism dramatizes the problem andclaims to have continuing contactswithin Communist countries. TheCentre for the Study of Religion andCommunism, headquartered inChislehurst. Kent, England, accordingto Human Events, is receiving firsthandinformation — "a thick bundle ofletters and documents and photographswhich had just arrived by specifically12imp^ediRev.Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010organized means from the Baptistcommunity in Russia. Included (were)names, dates, locations, offensesand length of prison terms."This source went on to say that"the optimistic side is that more andmore young people in the Soviet Unionare turning to the Christian religion.This is reflected in the ages of thosereceiving sentences for attemptedmissionary work — 18, 19 and many intheir early 20s. The fact is bestcorroborated, says the Rev. Bordeaux,not by going to the religious but to theatheists — the Soviet press, whereyoung people are held up to ridicule,their characters blackened for religiousactivity.""Where there's smoke — "The WCC says they can best work"behind the scenes," rather than bychallenging governments.And Christianity Today reminds usthat "The world should be kept awareof atrocities, but excessive repetitioninstills hatred. This is an immoralantidote that perpetuates the originalevil by extending it to innocentpeople.DR. OSWALD T. ALLISDr Oswald T. Allis, retiredprofessor of Old Testament, also afounder, at Westminster Seminary, diedJan. 12th at the age of 92. Dr. Allis wasa faithful supporter of the ReformationTranslation Fellowship.CHRISTIAN IRRESPONSIBILITYRex Humbard, Akron preacher atthe Cathedral of Tomorrow, and head ofa mushrooming business empire, is introuble with the Ohio state law. He hasbeen selling "securities" not accordingto Ohio requirements, though heargues, according to ChristianityToday, "that his investors see theirinvestment as a donation and are notworried about their money so long as itis used to spread the Gospel." Hisweekly TV show has been aired over360 stations. He is building a 705 ft.TV tower (construction has beenstopped), operates "a commercial officecomplex in downtown Akron" at areported $25,000 a month loss, and acollege on Mackinac Island with 136students, a "far below a break-evenenrollment." He owns "a New Yorkgirdle factory and other properties."Nine mortgage transactions have beenrecorded at the Akron courthouse in 16months, several of them in the 6-figurebracket. They report that many contributorsare increasing their donationsto take up the slack in income, due tocurrent difficulties with regard tosecurity sales.Another gospel zealous businessthat is in trouble, in bankruptcy, infact, is the Religious Book DiscountHouse of Grand Rapids, Mich., headedby Jay Green. There were discountstores in several other cities also. Debtsand claims run into the millions.Such irresponsible enterprises asthese bring great dishonor on theGospel.SUBDUED GRATITUDEChristian people are deeply gratefulto Almighty God for the beginning ofthe return of Prisoners of War. Circumstancesof the end of the war (wehope it is the end of the war) are notsuch as to excite tumultuouscelebrations. There is no early word ofthe Christian and Missionary Alliancemissionaries who were taken prisoner,Dr. Eleanor Vietti and the Rev. ArchieMitchell, along with Daniel Gerber ofthe Mennonite Central Committee.However, C&MA officials have notgiven up hope that information concerningthe missing missionaries will begained and they hope for their safereturn.Another — twenty year — veteranC&MA missionary from Vietnam, theRev. W. Eugene Evans (he has a son anddaughter in Geneva College), says hedoubts "there can be real peace"iftroops from North Vietnam are toremain in South Vietnam. He feels thatthe autonomous South VietnameseChurch founded by the C&MA ishealthy and "will be able to withstand aCommunist onslaught even thoughitmay have to suffer some." Whiledeploring the U.S. bombing because hehates "killing of any kind," Mr. Evansdoes not feel the casualties of Americanbombing compared with such incidentsas what he called the deliberate murderof more than 5,000 South Vietnameseby Communists in Hue.COVENANTER WITNESS

Dear Kids,We know we have some readers out there becauseeither you have written, entered a contest, or mentionedHey Lookit to me. Now we want you to "stand up and giveyour name."Now you can be part of a special club with other HeyLookit readers. So read the information below and send yourentry to:Covenanter Witness — Hey Lookit738 Rebecca Ave.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221Your friend,Mrs. A.yeffMO*.'HowCan You Join the Hey Lookit Club?As a member of the Hey Lookit Club here is what youare entitled to:1. Special membership card.2. Special contest open only to members of the club.3. Special certificates for junior groups with 100 percent membership in the club.4. Special coded messages for club members. (Onlyvou get the decoders.)5. Special space on the Hey Lookit page for clubmembers to write messages to Mrs. A. and to othermembers.MARCH 28. 19731. Be a boy or girl aged 5 13.2. Be a regular reader of the Witness.3. Send in something about yourself. Choose one ofthe four ways below:Write a 75 to 100 word description of yourselforDraw a picture of yourselforSend a recent photo of yourself and identifyitorWrite out your favorite Bible verse along with vourname, grade in school, address, and hobbies.4. Send in vour choice ot the above on a ' 2 sheet ot8' : x 11 white paper.5. Use black ink. magic marker, or dark pencil.6. Have entrv to us bv Mav 1. 19"31 3

What gives?Thereused to be an expression,popularized in a song that went,"something's gotta give!" I pose thequestion, "If something's gotta give,then what gives?" And this I ask of eachwife and mother who works outside herhome at a paying job.According to recent United StatesDepartment of Labor statistics, nearly 33million women are in our country's laborforce today. Other figures in the samereport would lead to the deduction that, ofthese, 25.8 million are married women.Further it shows that while 7.4 million ofthe latter had husbands with incomes ofless than 17,000 per year, the rest musthave added their earnings to an income ofmore than that figure.Expansion of industry has opened newdoors for women in business, theprofessions, and in the production ofgoods and services. Tbe Women'sLiberation movement has brought attentionto the fairness of equal pay forwomen for work equal to that done bymale workers. The decision of marriedwomen to seek work outside the home isusually based on economic reasons: toraise the family standard of living; to meetrising costs of food, education for theirchildren or medical care. Andpsychological gratification is often soughtfrom a congenial paying job.The Department of Labor is notcompiling statistics on what gives when awife and mother goes to work, as far as Iknow. Once the decision is made and thewoman of the home goes to work, anadjustment is made of sorts and the job isthereafter taken for granted as a necessityot lite, as far as most American familiesare concerned. But for the Christianfamily, there is an earnest intention anddesire to honor Christ in all of life. Adecision of this kind must be thought overfrom time to time as self-examination ismade in the light of our commitment tolesus Christ.LidiSTAFFUCTIONS"Should I be working at this job?"Mother asks herself and God.In comparison with life before I wentoutside the home to work, is somethingimportant not being done or experiencedin our Christian family life, that was doneor experienced before I worked? Or, inother words, has something had to give?Here are some of the things that may give.It will be different for every job-holdinghomemaker, yet may spark your ownexamination of your family life in the lightof your job and your commitment to JesusChrist.There is one's personal relationshipwith the Lord. Do you have that dailyquiet time of Bible reading and prayer soessential to spiritual growth and nourishmentin the Christian life? Do youregularly seek the means of grace helpfulto both yourself and your family; familyworship, regular attendance at the servicesof the church from Sabbath morningworship to meetings of prayer or topromote evangelism? Are the things ofGod being intentionally cultivated withlove and ardor?We all need times of relaxation, timesof quiet conversation in the family,games, hobbies and excursions. Husbandand wife are happier when they may haveuninterrupted talks, planning times,times of intimate love, and evenings outoccasionally. Children that have alwaysgone on excursions are less likely to lookdown on family fun in their teens. Where aparent has always been ready to listen tothe recounting of events and problemssince earliest childhood, young people stillshare their aspirations with parents.A Christian home must, uniquely,provide a type of education for its children.In a day of secular schooling andassociations, the home helps children andyoung people to see all that is learned inthe light of Christian principles. Notalwavs easy, the parents who take thisseriously need to spend much time withtheir children reading stories, studyingthe Bible, and taking an active interest,observed by their children, in the activitiespromoting the Kingdom of Christon earth.Order and beauty in the home areimportant to the well-being of its occupants.Habits of clean, efficient livingare established in the well-regulated,peaceful, and attractive home. There isthe keeping of a house clean andhousehold duties carried out on schedule;and there is the atmosphere of peace,music, love, and beauty that lifts the soul.Who is looking to the fulfillment of theseneeds?Little things are worth a big place inthe program of a wife and mother. Treatsand remembrances for her husband andchildren mean a great deal. Unhurriedfriendliness to others is important, fromwhich her children can learn to befriendly; a letter to a friend, a call on anelderly neighbor, or lonely students fordinner.We hear a lot about the traditionalassignment of life's work to women —that of homemaking or housekeeping.That it "ain't necessarily so!" Thoughthe Bible seems to bear this out by alsoassuming that women will be in this role,there is even stronger evidence inScripture that women may be successful inbusiness. Couples that can, in a prayerfulspirit, lay before God their inclinationsand talents and work out together theirvarious responsibilities in and for thewelfare of their home may certainly mixup traditional roles. I know of few familieswhere roles are conspicuously reversed,but with perfect agreement and an understandingof the man's position ofauthority and responsibility in the family,I think it could be done.When "something gives" it may be agood thing. Undisciplined days, weightaddingsnacks, hours of worry or self-pity,or of nagging, fretful conversation mayneed outside interests to be crowded out ofa woman's life. Better moneymanagement and wise buying can resultfrom earning a pay check rather thanbeing on the receiving end of a flow ofmoney for household needs the limitationsof which are not understood, or caredabout.Inevitably something will give withinthe home and family when mother takes ajob. Don't let the pressure of activitiespush out of life the things of the Spirit.Take time to formulate a method forbalancing roles. Let's have our eyes openas to what is giving, and whether it is agood thing!W.E.COVENANTER WITNESS

YouthBiblical GuidelinesAlissionsThe Bible says Jesus Christ, God'sSon, came into the world: "to give Hislife a ransom for many," "to seek and tosave that which was lost," "that theworld through Him might be saved," and"that they might have life and have itmore abundantly."Christ testified to His Father in John17:4, "I have glorified thee on the earth:I have finished the work which thou gavestme to do."The Apostle Paul summarized thiswork in his statement in I Corinthians15:3,4 — "Christ died for our sins accordingto the Scriptures; and that he wasburied, and that he rose again the thirdday according to the Scriptures."When leaving the earth Christ gaveHis commission to His church, saying inMatt. 28:18-20, "All authority has beengiven to me in heaven and on earth. Gotherefore and make disciples of all thenations teaching them to observe allthat I commanded you . ." We understandthat this includes the official andpersonal proclamation of the Gospel ofJesus Christ, the only way of salvation.The Apostles were empowered by theSpirit to give out the message and Acts2:47 says, "And the Lord added to thechurch dailv such as should be saved."These apostles were all mature mentrained as disciples by Christ.Other disciples were persecuted fortheir faith and as we are told in Acts 8:-l,"They that were scattered abroad wentevervwhere preaching the Word." Theseundoubtedlv included believers ot all agegroups. The apostles were sent by thechurch to encourage and confirm thesewitnessing disciples. Peter and John weresent from Jerusalem to Samaria to assistPhilip. (Acts 8:14ff). Peter went onitinerant missions to encourage believers(9:32 13; Gal. 2:llff). Barnabas, whohad introduced Saul after his conversion tothe church in Jerusalem, was sent by thechurch at Jerusalem "as far as Antioch"(Acts 11 :22). indicating the mission waswider than that city. He eventuallybrought Saul from Tarsus to join in theministry at Antioch, their teachingministrv continuing for an entire year (vs.25,26). Thus Barnabas was the firstperson other than an Apostle to be sentout (exapostello) by the church. He wasrecognized as a mature man of business(Acts 4:36.37), dedicated to the Lord,gifted with spiritual insight.Saul of Tarsus is called a "youngman" when first mentioned in Acts 7 • 58But with his training and position ofleadership it is generally agreed that hemust have been 25 or 30 years old at thetime of his conversion shortly thereafter.According to the data of Galatians 2 andActs 9-12, it was likely more than 15years later that the Spirit directed thechurch at Antioch to "separate" Barnabasand Paul for "the work to which Ihave called them." The church did so by"laving hands on them" — they departed[apelusan) being sent forth \tkpempo).Thus the missionary movement to theGentiles got under way.John Mark was the young man whowent along with Barnabas and Paul ontheir first foreign missionary journey as a"servant," "helper" or "assistant." Ifhe is the one mentioned, though not byname,in his own gospel (Mark 14:51) asa "certain young man" at the time ofChrist's trial, then some 18 years laterwhen Barnabas and Paul went forth hewould have been over 30 years of age.Silas, who joined Paul on his secondtour, is first mentioned in Acts 15:22 as a"leading man among the brethren" atJerusalem. He was sent as one of tworepresentatives by the Jerusalem councilto take the council's decision to theGentile brethren at Antioch andsurrounding cities. He is also described asa "prophet" (v. 32) whose ministrv onthis occasion was a great encouragementto the church (v. 31). When he left withPaul to visit the churches in Svria andCilicia on their way to Galatia. nothing issaid ot his being sent by the church morethan that they were "committed by thebrethren to tbe grace of the Lord" (vs.id. 11). Silas was therefore a man otconsiderable maturity, experienced as aleader, and recognized as a prophet beforehe participated in the mission to theGentiles abroad.Timothy is the "certain disciple" firstmentioned in Acts 16:1, who traveledmuch with Paul. Here again we are notgiven am age. but a number of referencesindicate that he was perhaps the youngestot these missionaries. Hendricksenestimates his age on the second missionaryjourney to be 22-27 When Paul wrote- tohim. "Let no man despise thy youth" (1Tim1:12). he bad been with Paul someContinued on next page.)MARCH 28. 1973 15

Youth in Missions(from p. 15)15 years, had been ordained, and wasserving as pastor of the church in Ephesus.He must then have been quite youngwhen he joined Paul. Even then he had areputation as a believer in Iconium as wellas his native Lystra, though his father wasa Gentile.Thus in the Acts we have only twoexamples of "young men" participatingin the missionary activity of the church,John Mark and Timothy. John Mark wasclearly in a subordinate position as a"servant, helper, or assistant" to Barnabasand Saul. Acts 16:3 says ofTimothy simply that "Paul wanted thisman to go with him." Nothing is said ofthe extent to which he participated in theyvork of spreading the Gospel, or thecapacity of his work. Before he acts in anyindependent capacity as far as the recordgoes, he was ordained by Paul and theelders, when or where we do not know.All of the evidence in the New Testamentis that leadership in the local congregationis undertaken by men set apart as deacons(Acts 6:1; I Timothy 3:8-13) or elders(Acts 1 1:23; 20:17; I Timothy 3:1-7;Titus 1:5-9). The apostles were preparedfor their task by the call of Jesus and bybeing with Him, and by being sent forth atHis command. It would seem, therefore,that the Bible does not set a chronologicalage for leadership, but those who holdpositions of leadership are to be men ofexperience who have shown themselves topossess qualities of spiritual growth and tobe men of the Spirit of God. Thus there isa place for youth to participate in thechurch's mission as "disciples," as"going with one who is commissioned,"as "assisting" those who are commissioned.But before any are given individualresponsibility for leadership orcounsel or proclamation, it would seemthat they must have met the qualificationsof elders.This article was prepared by theForeign Mission Board in order toshare with the church its understandingof Biblical principlesregarding the role of young people inmissionary activity Further studiesthat will spell out specific ways thatyouth may he involved indenominational missions are now beniifearned outExtension Ministry at Hays, KansasLet me begin by outlining the presentlevel of ministry in Hays, Kansas. Fromthat point I will attempt to go back to tracesome of the developments that have led upto this point.The Hays Commission of MidwestPresbytery reports that there are threeweekly gatherings in Hays. Each Mondayevening a women's Bible study is led byMrs. Joe Copeland; Tuesday evening acouples' study is led by the Quinter pastorand Sabbath evening elder Joe Copelandreturns from morning worship at Quinterto lead a Sabbath evening study for thecollegiate age youth attending the nearbyuniversity.The vision for seeking out this type ofinvolvement in Hays has grown out of the80 year old Quinter, Kansascongregation. In 1970 the joint board ofElders and Deacons were requested toinvestigate Hays and other areas to attemptoutreach work. When the Hays areawas selected, the ministry had the advantageof local leadership and a meetingplace. The Blue Banner Bookstore islocated in the Joe Copeland home in Hays.The Quinter congregation approvedthe proposed plan submitted by the tenmen on the joint boards, which involved a1971 Hays Bible study combining all agegroups. It was found more fruitful to formtwo groups; adults and college age. Thisplan is still followed.A three month program of releasingthe Quinter Pastor on Sabbath evening tolead the outreach study was implementedin March, April and May of 1972. Thesession members of Quinter willinglyassumed the responsibility for their ownSabbath evening services.In the summer of 1972, a seminarycouple, Larry and Eileen Falk, wasbrought into the work. During the fall andwinter months the Irish Foreign MissionBoard authorized sending one of theirmissionary couples to receive training andassist in the outreach work. Early in 1972one of the elders from the Minneola,Kansas congregation purchased a businessin Lacrosse, Kansas, about a 20 minutedrive from Hays. He and his wife havebeen faithful supporters of the outreacheffort.The Quinter congregation continuesto invest manpower and funds in thisexperimental outreach labor. If presentactivity' continues, expenses by the end ofthe year 1973 will total over $2500.00.This includes the cost of the programsince 1971.The future of the work in the Hays,Kansas area is not ours to speculate. Thecity itself is growing— 15,107 populationin 1972. This represents a growth of 33per cent in 12 years. In addition to this theFt. Hays State College has an enrollmentof 5200 students. In comparison to manycities, Havs is not large. In comparison tomany congregations, the dozen or so thatgather each week in the couples study isnot large. The fact does remain that Haysis void of a Reformed witness of the Wordof God. The field is open for the buildingot homes into the faith.Your prayers are requested as we seekout the direction for future investment ofour energy and finances. Synod's Board ofHome Missions and Church Extensionissending a team to assist the congregationin future decisions. Prav for the gift ofteaching as we seek to set forth the wholecounsel of God in our study of the Epistles.Robert McFarland16COVENANTER WITNESS

OUT"U e ot the Coi t nanter Church hart long done a splendidjob or preserving the truth, nou we must begin the job ofsharing it." With these uonh. an elder m one of ourcongregations closed his report from Synod last warThis past November members of the Board of HomeMissions and Church Extension left the meeting with an air otencouragement. While no official decisions had been made.there had been news of several areas where Covenanters wereexpressing the desire to reach out and to begin to share thetruth. In some cases they already have opened their homes tothis end and in other instances they are willing to do so.W 'e share two of these areas with you, one a report of a workalready begun — the other of a vision of a work that could beestablished.Dot tie McKissockProspects in Easton, Pa.The John Allisons are members of theReformed Presbyterian Church, officiallyas part of the North Hills congregation inPittsburgh. Sabbath evenings we attendservices by way of tape recorder, for welive in Easton, Pennsylvania, about 300miles from Pittsburgh. The nearest R. P.congregation to us is in Philadelphia, adrive of almost two hours.As a family we are facing the problemof being out of bounds members of achurch in whose standards we sincerelybelieve. The decision to become membersliving far from the door of the church wasdifficult. When it became evident that thejob that John had held in Washington, Pa.was soon to include him no more, hebegan applying for jobs in the Pittsburgharea. We trusted that we would be evencloser to the church than our hour's drivefrom Washington. The single job offerarrived from Easton.The Lord led us to Easton. The verse,"The earth is the Lord's and the fulnessthereof," took on new meaning. God hadtaken us from a nucleus — perhaps for apurpose. Last fall after much prayer wepetitioned the New York Presbytery toinvestigate our area for the commencing ofa work in Easton.As one drives into Easton. a billboardread, "A community of 100,000 happypeople." Happy? Perhaps. But certainlyEaston is a growing community open tothe Reformed presentation of the gospeland the love which flows from it.Before introducing anotherdenomination into a new area, one shouldseriously question the incomingdenomination's raison d'etre in the light•it those churches already serving theJohn and Barbara Allisonwith daughter Lianecommunity. In Easton's case there is notonlv the usual fundamental, independentchurch to be numbered with those holdingto our historic Christian faith, but also theevangelical congregations of one or twodenominations and a congregation of aReformed denomination about 10 milesdistant.In the face of such a diverserepresentation, does the ReformedPresbyterian Church have anything tooffer to the citizens of the Lehigh Valley?A God-centered and God-directed ,\pproach to worship is one alternative I feelconstrained to proclaim. Those ot you whohave worshipped with anv regularityoutside ot Covenanter circles mav havenoticed how tar worship in the typicalevangelical church has deviated from whatwe believe to be the Biblical norm; thereading and exposition ot the Scripturesand the singing of the Psalms.Perhaps the mood ot our age is ripe forthe throwing off of the tattered and wornadditions that have been made to trueworship. This may be the time torReformed Presbyterians to aggressivelychallenge society with our "meaningfulalternative." At any rate, we have a modeot worship which is "superior" to that ofour bretbern because its author is God.We have indeed let the Word ot God dwellin us richly and have not succumbed to thetemptation of letting the words of mendisplace the Word of God in our worshipexperience.Does this faithfulness make us holierthan our brethern? No. yve are still unprofitableservants. We should howeverlook forward to those blessings yve singabout. If yve are truly faithful yve can lookto Christ infusing our denomination withnew life and causing her to grow andextend like grass. We can throw thebushels oft our heads and proclaim to bothour brethern and to the unbeliever therichness of God's promises.Is there a need in Easton tor aReformed Presbyterian Church? We thinkso. Ihe matter of worship alone- givessufficient justification for our presenceMy prayer is that God won't leayc theAllisons, the church, and this ioniniunit\hanging. .My prayer is that He will y\,,rk agreat work here, tor only | k- u m do itJohn AllisonMARCH 28. 1973

irector of: ducationalervicesTHE PASTORAL MINISTRY OF CHURCH OFFICERS.Charlie VV. Shedd. John Knox Press, 1971. 71 pp. S1.50 paper.Charlie W. Shedd's twenty plus years of experience intraining church officers have given him the necessarybackground to write The Pastoral Ministry of Church Officers.Although Shedd writes with an eye to the layman, hesimultaneously gives helpful advice to pastors. The content issimply and plainly presented. Shedd provides the reader withsome basic principles for the lay ministry and some guidelinesfor organizing that ministry. He includes helpful practicalsuggestions on various kinds of calls and visits, ranging fromhospital calls to calls on the mentally ill. At times however helimits the sovereignty of God by inferring that God's work inlives depends upon our letting Him work, which is contrary toBiblical teaching.Larry FalkTHE CHRISTIAN MESSAGE IN A NON-CHRISTIANWORLD. Hendrik Kraemer. Kregel Publ., 1969. 455 pp. $5.95cloth.Those who bear the message of the Gospel to the world inthe twentieth century face a situation that is unlike any otherperiod of history. "Never before in human history has the worldand mankind been such a close unity, and never before has itbeen such a discordant disunity."These two seemingly contradictory facts characterize Dr.Kraemer's very thorough study of the twentieth century worldthroughout the world. The study surveys the great types of non-Christian religions in their present condition in the changingworld, and considers what the attitude of missionaries and youngchurches should be toward them.The present volume is a reprint of the 1956 revision of awork first published in 1938. In spite of our rapidly changingworld most of the material is very relevant to the present worldsituation. Due to the length and technical nature of the materialthis work is not intended for those with only a casual interest inthe work of missions, butit is recommended for serious studentsof world missions.William SterrettTWO FROM GALILEE. Marjorie Holmes. Fleming H. RevellCo., 1972. 223 pp. $5.95 cloth.Some ask, "What could be the merit of fiction based onBiblical data?" Granted, there are inherent dangers such aspossible confusion between the Scriptural account and theauthor's speculation, but with careful reading such books as TwoFrom Galilee: A Love Story of Mary and Joseph, can be bothhelpful and enjoyable.The real value of this book is its fostering an appreciationfor the humanness of Joseph and Mary, the earthly parents ofJesus. The author's purpose is to "breathe some life" into theparticipants of this great drama. "If the Bible story is not just apretty myth but a reality, then they did live and dream and longand hope and suffer," she says.Marjorie Holmes has fulfilled her purpose as she hasplaced the incarnation into the Jewish culture of that day. Thereality of each step in the marvelous unfolding of one particularand very significant period in God's redemption of His people isvivid to the reader.The discreet reader will note some minor historicaldiscrepancies and theological inaccuracies. Janet ArmstrongISUSING CASSETTESThe electronic age is upon us in Christian education.Student sermons at Covenant Seminary are recorded on videotape. The student can then sit down and watch and listen to hisown sermon on television. (He also hears the voice of ProfessorRobert Rayburn telling him what he is doing right and wrong.)Christian school students in Sparta, Illinois, interact withteachers and students at Cono Christian School in Walker,Iowa, bv way of an electronic chalkboard and earphones. Instructionby this means is available to the students both live andon tape. College students at Sterling R. P. hear the voice of R. C.Sproul in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, by means of cassette tapes.And video tapes are on the way! (Video cassette systemsbecame available for home use in 1972 for about $1500. In1973 the price is expected to come down to S700 and by 1976 Iexpect to see them in Reformed Presbyterian homes. By thenthey should be sold extensively for less than $500.)What does all this mean for Christian education in thelocal church? I doubt that it will revolutionize our churches inthis decade. However, it does mean that we have some additionalaids for our teaching, and increased flexibility withregard to tbe settings in which learning takes place. Of the newaids mentioned above, audio cassettes are the most useful to usright now.The most obvious use of cassettes is for guest lectures inadult Sabbath School classes. By this means you can hearoutstanding Christians from around the world. Nevertheless, Isuggest that you use this method sparingly. It is hard to sit andlisten to a tape in a group setting. Such listening needs to besupplemented with group discussion, or overhead transparencies,or with ideas being written on a chalkboard. Usetaped lectures but don't abuse them! (As an alternative, circulatesuch cassettes among your people. Housewives can listenwhile they iron, and commuters can absorb Francis Schaefferwhile they wait for the traffic jam to break up.)Teachers can make good use ot cassettes by playing briefsegments to their students. Such excerpts can provideillustrations or discussion starters or attention-getters. Cassettelistening assignments can be made either for advance work orfor review purposes.Cassettes are now being produced by the thousands. Afuture column will deal with sources for borrowing or purchasingcassettes that would be useful to our congregations.David R. ArmstrongCOVENANTER WITNESS

quiet, faithful witness to the Gospel wascharacterized bv a focus on his commitmentto Christ and His Word.It is theintention of the Seminary Faculty to usethis gift in the purchase of the libraryresourcesto aid others in their preparationfor the ministry in Christ's kingdom.The Seminary community takes thisopportunity to thank Airs. Evalyn Hays,Philip. Norma. Judy and Bert, and assurethem of the gratitude of the church for thismemorial gift.IOWA PRESBYTERIALWednesday, April 13, 19739:10A.M.R.P. Church in Marion, IowaTheme — Daughters of the KingSing PraisesSpeaker — Dr. Claude C. BrownOLATHE, KS.Rev. Cloyd E. Caskey resigned as thepastor of the Olathe congregation, effectiveDec. 31; this marked hisretirement from the active pastorate. Mr.and Mrs. Caskey will continue to live inOlathe. The pulpit was declared vacantJanuary 21 by Rev. David R. Patterson.MRS. R. LLOYD BROWNThe Women's Missionary Society ofthe New Alexandria ReformedPresbyterian Church desires to express itsappreciation for the life and Christiancharacter of Mrs. R. Lloyd Brown (MaryBrinker).Mrs. Brown entered into rest Sabbath,September 17, 1972, just twenty-fivedays after her husband was taken to hisHeavenly Home.We remember Mrs. Brown (Mary, tomost of us) for her ability to give a cordialwelcome as a hostess. For many years sheserved her church through service as amember of the Board of Directors of theReformed Pesbyterian Home, Pittsburgh,Pa.To her nieces and nephews, we extendour deepest sympathy. The Lord blessedher and her husband with a full life of overa score more than the allotted three scoreand ten.We pav tribute to them for their manyyears of faithfulness."Blessed are the pure in heart; forthey shall see God" Matthew 5:8.The New Alexandria Women'sMissionary Society.UCAL FARISIn the passing of Ucal Faris onDecember 9th, 1972, the BloomingtonCongregation lost its senior elder. He wasborn on Feb. 8th, 1886, into a familydescended from pioneer Covenanters inIndiana. His father before him served for30 years as an elder in the BloomingtonCongregation. Ucal united with theChurch on August 24th. 1901. and waselected an elder on December 29th, 1925,and was ordained January 12, 1926. Hewas noted for his regularity in attendanceat the worship services, and at themeetings of Session, until prevented inrecent months by the disabilities of oldage. In his service as elder he wasespecially diligent in visiting the sick andafflicted. His staunch loyalty toCovenanter doctrines and practices madehim a stout defender of "the faith whichwas once delivered to the saints," and ledhim to frown upon any efforts to changeeven the wording of the long-upheldstandards of the Church. As one committedto his Lord, his Church, and hisfamily, he could well say, I have keptthe faith: Henceforth there is laid up forme a crown."Bloomington R. P. SessionSEMINARYACKNOWLEDGESMEMORIAL GIFTThe family of the late Rev. HerbertHavs. D.D. has designated gifts theyreceived in memory of Mr. Hays, as amemorial gift to the Seminary Library.Contributions amounted to Nine Hundredand Fifteen Dollars (S915.00) to which anadditional SI00. has been added, bringingthe memorial gift to a total of S 1.015.Mr. Havs' ministrv in the missionfield in Syria and in pastorates in thiscountry endeared him to many people. HisBIRTHHILL, Trevor Frank to Robert and Martha(Buchholz) Hill on Dec. 3, 1972 (Syracuse).DEATHSHAROOTUNIAN, Giragos (102), on Dec.24 (Los Angeles). Charter member of theLos Angeles R. P. Congregation.WENTE, Dr. A. A. (89), on Jan. 21 (LosAngeles).MARRIAGESELY, Margaret and HUEBER, George onDec. 1 at the Syracuse R. P Church. Rev.John Moris and Rev. Edward Robsonofficiated at the ceremony.KOSTIV, Patricia Ann and MAYCOCK,Steven Earl on Dec. 30 at the Los AngelesR. P. Church. Rev. Bruce Stewart officiated.Couple is residing in Germanyyvhere Steve is stationed with the I' S.Army.SZAMREY, Alicia and BESSELL, Larryon Feb. 10 at the Rose Point R. P Church.Officiating minister, Re\. Joseph M.Caskey.ADDRESS CHANGEDr. and Mrs. Alvin W. Smith5720 E. Siverlv LaneFresno, Calif. 9.r2 7NOTICE OF CALLSOn Februrary 7, I moderated a call forthe New Alexandria congregation whichresulted in the election of Robert B.Vincent to be their pastor.David R. ArmstrongOn February 14. I moderated a call forthe Walton R. P. Church upon Re\. RobertMcCracken to be their pastor.Edward RobsonMARCH 28, 1973 19

2057 FEATURES ... 8 GREAT DEPARTMENTS MAKE—THE NEW CHAIN-REFERENCE BIBLEFOURTH IMPROVED EDITIONTruly a Bible PLUS a Biblical Library in ONE VolumeEDITED BY REV. F. C. THOMPSON, D.D., Ph.D.READ WHAT OTHERS SAY.Justice Glenn Terrell. Former Chief Justice of theSupreme Court of Florida: "The inscription over theentrance to the Graduate School BldR-. of the FloridaState University in Tallahassee, Florida is:'The Half of Knowledge is to Know Where to Find Knowledge/The New Chain Reference Bible is the 'Where' to findthe fullest spiritual truths and to (rain the most completeknowledge of the Bible in the easiest way." Dr. Edw.L. R. Elson, Pastor, National Presbyterian Church,Washington, D.C.: "For twenty-five years, I have usedthe New Chain Reference Bible as my study and devotionalBible. For the preacher, teacher and student ofthe Bible, it is unsurpassed." Dr. Charles E. Fuller,Director, Old Fashioned Revival Hour Broadcast: "Twish every preacher and teacher of the Word had a copyof this most usable and logical reference work." Dr.Harold J. Ockenga, President, Gordon Collefre: "TheNew Chain Reference Bible is splendid. Tt is trulv aBible that should be in every home " Dr. William WardAyer, Evangelist, Bible Teacher, National Radio Broadraster:"I have recently owned and studied the remarkableNew Chain Reference Bible. While I have usedother reference Bibles through the years, I now regretthat this unique volume was not in my study from thebeginning." Dr. Duke K. McCall, President, SouthernBaptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky.: "The NewChain Reference Bible not only provides a wealth of usefulhelps in Bible study, but also provides them in aform which makes them accessible to the user. For themost usable and time saving helps, I suggest that onecarefully examine this Bible before buying any other."Rapidly Replacing Other Bibles—Has So Many More New Helps!1. Unique chart showing Origin and Growth of theEnglish Bible.2. The Outline Studies of Bible Periods, comparingBiblical History with Contemporary Secular History.3. The Analysis of the Bible as a Whole.4. The Analysis of each of the 66 Books of the Bible.5 The Analysis of every Chapter of the New Testament.6. The Analysis of the Verses of the entire Bible.7. The Numerical Chain Reference System.8. Special Analysis of the Important Bible Characters.9. Contrast between the Old and New Testaments.10. The Topical Treasury. New Topics for PrayerMeetings, Men's. Women's. Young People's Meetings, etc.11. Special Bible Readings for private devotions andpublic services. New and different subjects.12. Bible Harmonies of the Lives of Moses and Paul.13, Special Portraits of Jesus.14. Chart of the Messianic Stars.15. Chart showing cause of the Babylonian Captivity.16. Chart of the Temple of Truth, illustrating theSermon on the Mount.17. Chart of Jesus' Hours on the Cross.18. The Christian Workers' Outfit. Of Special value tosoul winners.19. All Prominent Bible Characters Classified, listingthe Patriarchs. Leaders in Earlv Hebrew History etc20. Golden Chapters of the Bible.21. A Complete General Index of over seven thousandtopics, names, and places.22. Special Memory Verses selected from each Book ofthe Bible.23. Chart showing Seven Editions of Divine Law.24. Graph of the Prodigal Son.25. Bible Mnemonics, or how to memorize.26. The Principles and Best Methods of Bible study.27. Pictorial niustration of the River of Inspiration.28. Bible Markings, Explaining best methods of markingone's Bible.29. Concordance.30. Atlas of 12 colored maps with index.Other Features in Text Cyclopedia31. Topical Study of the Bible. Correlated Scripturesprinted out in full under 2467 topics and sub-topics.Three times as many as in any other Bible.32. Contrast Study of Great Truths of the Bible. Enablesyou to study the Constructive and DestructiveForces of Life with the Bible verses printed out in full33 Life studies, such as Business Life. Home Life, etc34. Bible Slories for Children. A list of 56 stories tohe ri'ad from the Bible itself.35. Miracles of both the Old and New Testaments.36. Parables of the Old Testament. Parables of theNew Testament, each Gospel.37. Titles and names of Christ; of the Holy Spirit; ofGod the Father; and of Satan.38. General Bible Prophecies.39. A list of the I'rophets of the Bible.40 List of the Judges of Israel and Judah.41 List of the Notable Women of the Rible.42. Mountains and Hills referred to in Bible.43. Dictionary Material.44. Tables of Time. Money. Weights and Measures.More Unusual Features in the Helps45. The Historical Bridge, covering interval betweenthe Old and New Testaments.46. Chart showing the History of the Apostles.47. Harmony of the Gospels, citing references in differentGospels where events are given.48. Calendar of the Christian Era.49. The Post-Resurrection Appearances of Jesus, illustratedwith well-known paintings.50. Chart of the Seven Churches of Asia, described byJohn.51. An Outline History of the Evangelistic and MissionaryWork of the Early Church.52. The Prophecies Concerning Jesus and their Fulfillment,arranged Chronologically, with principal versesprinted out in full.53. Map Showing Approximate Distances from Jerasalemto Various Historical Points.54. Chart Showing the Interior Arrangement of theTemple at Jerusalem.55 Nineteen Special Hlustrated Maps Showing theJourneys of Abraham. Children of Israel, Joshua. GideonSamuel. Saul. David, Solomon, Jesus, Paul and PeterThese are separate maps, mind you—not several crowdedtogether on one page.56. Places of Religious Worship, Hebrew Times Festivalsand Religious Officials.New in the Fourth Improved Edition57. Archaeological Supplement. Over 100 Illustratedaccounts of discoveries in Bible lands linked by numberwith the Bible text.THIRTEEN DISTINCTIVE BINDING STYLES REASONABLY PRICED $16.35 to $37.35'k/wideDEPT. W 783 P.O. BOX 606INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 46206The Revised Version is given inthe wide margin opposite the verses,wherever an important difference inmeaning occurs.Be Fair to Yourself!See this special Bible with its unequaledpractical helps before youbuy any Bible—or you may regretl,V\.'I-JB:lWiabout it. No other Bible is so highlypraised by so many renownedBible Students.B. B. KIRKBRIDE BIBLE CO.. INC.Dept. \Y TSJS P.O. Box 606Indianapolis, Indiana 46206D Without cost or obligation tosend a _ copy of the _.„ Die illustrated be..."A New Bible for a New Day," and fullparticulars _ concerning = the Fourth Improved Edition of your New Chain Reference Bible.special terms to Repre-• Send yoursentativea.Name __Address_City_COVENANTER WITNESS

Ed. note: Backlog of significant letters has convinced me todelete the editorial feature, "A Word Due," for this issue.R.W.N.• Editor:I am a Presbyterian who has been Baptized by the HolySpirit, therefore, possibly qualified to respond to Pastor LeslieGrant's interesting letter. Acts 2:38, records that Peter said tothe crowd, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in thename of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shallreceive the gift of the Holy Spirit."This, in a large measure, describes what has happened inmy life; repentance, remission, water baptism as an infant andnow as an adult believer receiving the ' 'gift of the Holy Spirit."This is the same gift of the Holy Spirit in the outpouring of theSpirit upon the Church. Furthermore, I would agree withPastor Grant that \t appears that the "speaking in tongues" inActs and I Cor. are two different things; it is difficult to proveeither way. However, it makes no difference because neither ofthe two types of "tongues" was universal (experienced by allbelievers) nor permanent to the normal Christian Church.The passage in I Cor. 12:10 clearly sets forth that the"Corinthian tongues" was not universal. This brings us to theActs passages wherein I see no evidence that speaking intongues was universal. The first passage is Acts 2, where wewitness those in the upper room speaking in tongues, but we seeno evidence that the 3000 people of Acts 2:41 spoke intongues. Furthermore, Peter promised these same people thatthey would, after repentence and water baptism, "receive thegift of the Holy Spirit." I am sure that the Lord kept His Wordto these people; however, they did not speak in tongues asevidence. I am also sure that I have been given the Holy Spirit.He has been poured out upon me and has filled me. But I donot, nor have I ever, spoken in tongues as evidence. Thepromise from God's Word is enough evidence for me. I walk byfaith and not by tongues.Moreover, I have no desire to speak in tongues because Isee such statements as: 1) Speaking in tongues is the least of thegifts and we are to ' 'earnestly desire the greater gifts. And ... astill more excellent way" (I Cor. 12:30,31), the "more excellentway" being love as described in I Cor. 13. 2) Paul, in ICor., writes about the partial being done away (I Cor. 13:10).This is after the "perfect" (complete) comes. In other passages' 'perfect'' describes the Word of God (James 1:25; Psa. 19:7;119:15). Hence, when the Scripture was completed (madeperfect), then the miraculous verification (partial) ceased.The only conclusion which can be drawn from Scriptureis that, since the perfect-completed Word of God has come, thepartial or temporal miraculous gifts of the Spirit have ceased.Therefore, I have no desire to seek something (tongues) whichis less excellent than love and which I am convinced ceasedwhen Scripture was completed. But I do rejoice in the baptismof the church by the Holy Spirit and in my own personal fillingof the Spirit.M. L. McFarlandLawrence, Ks.•Editor:What has become of themissionary letters like we usedto read in the CovenanterWitness t David Wilkerson'sgrandfather said, "To havepower in prayer, we must bespecific." How can we prayspecifically for ourmissionaries, if we do notknow their problems andneeds?S.W.M.Belle Center, OhioEd. note: Thank you for yourconcern. May I point out thatwhen the Witness waschanged to a bi-weekly, theBoard voted to provide homeand foreign mission news ineach issue. Up to four pages inevery issue is held open formission work. Not allmissionaries are able tocontribute regularly. Also theletter-from-the-field hassometimes been replaced byarticles on mission work forin-depth prayer. A quicksurvey of sample quarters ofthe weekly and bi-weeklyWitness shows that theformer devoted 11 pages tomissions while under the newformat 15 were provided.Thus more mission coverageoccurs now than previously,even though the Witnesscomes out only every twoweeks.R.W.N.•Editor:Your editorial on thevalue of life is indeedreflecting the current attitudein society. The current attitudeseems so short-sighted,seen only by man in this life,very humanistic.As we view capitalpunishment in the light ofScripture, we see that it is notjust the punishment that isemphasized but Scriptureincreases the responsibility,especially in the home, to"train up a child in the wayhe should go." I believe PaulFaris did his homework wellon the subject from the Wordof God.I suppose that with increasingtechnology theeuthanasia question is agrowing problem. Jim Wrightsurely faced the issuehonestly. The fact is that Godmade us and gave us HisWord to guide us in life. Jim'sconclusions seem sound to meand could possibly be moredependable than the personalemotion of one most intimatelyinvolved.It's good to consider theseissues from a Scripturalviewpoint.Junior BlackwoodDenison, Ks.• Editor:May I be permitted toreply through your columnsto the letters of Rev. RayJoseph (Feb. 28) and Mr. BillEdgar (Mar. 14) which takeme to task for leveling somecriticism at two recentproducts of Francis Schaeffer'sprolific pen?Of course I am aware thatSchaeffer is a populariser,with all that that involves forstyle and content. When Ireview a book, I read it,analytically and critically,always attempting to do sofrom a thoroughly Reformedstandpoint. To do anythingless is not to review butmerely to rubber-stamp.As to criticisms leveled atme, I appeal to the readers atlarge and ask whether yourtwo correspondents dealt withthe subject-matter underreview. I cited instances fromboth of Schaeffer's pieces, yetamidst the barrage of criticismfrom Messrs. Joseph andEdgar, there is not theslightest attempt to refute asingle point.All that said, it is hearteningto discover the continuingand lively interestshown by your correspondentsin the contents of theWitness. In this case we aresure that Dr. Schaeffer will beglad to note that hispopularity has not shrunk tozero in the R.P.C.N.A. (Infact, I was helped considerablyby his two earlier books, TheGod Who is There and Escapfrom Reason.)Gordon J. Keddie2 COVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;S8.50, 2 years? British Isles, £2, 1 year;£3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 738 RebeccaAvenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.Second class postage paid atWinchester, Kansas 66097.MEMBER CUS^**EVANGELICAL PRESS ASSOCIATIONVOLUME LXXXIXNO. 7.APRIL 11, 1973ETNECONTENTSARTICLES:The Man Who Wouldn't Run on the Lord's DavYear of Tears.Introducing New York Bible Society International.Doodlings and Dabblings in DooyeweerdianismThe Weakened Conscience.COVER PHOTO: Courtesy of Union Pacific RailroadFEATURES:"In Truth and Love"Glimpses.Hey Lookit!.Distaff Deductions.Bring the Books."Count Her Towers""Count Our Days". . 4.61014162.1213.18.1920.20FOREIGN MISSION BOARDSPECIAL NOTICEThe Board of Foreign Missions of the Reformed Presbyterian Church ofNorth America decided at its February 26,27 meeting in Pittsburgh to proceedtoward transferring the control of its two academies on the Island of Cyprusinto the hands of local people. The action is preliminary, and will be presentedto the Church's Synod to meet in June; but the plan does represent a newpolicy for administrating the Academies.For many years the Board has operated these secondary schools inNicosia and Larnaca as mission schools. With this action, the future of theschools will be determined by Cypriots.Several options for such a plan were considered. It was the decision of theBoard that persons represented by the Academies' Alumni and friends inCyprus were in the best position to continue the schools. Such plans willrequire detailed study, but negotiations could probably be completed tofacilitate the changeover by September 1974. Provision is also being made tomeet the financial and vocational needs of any American missionaries whomight not be involved in the Cyprus Mission, due to the changeover ot theacademies.While nothing final can be concluded prior to the meeting ot theChurch's Synod, exploratory negotiations will be initiated promptly.R. A. HenningExecutive SecretaryAPRIL 11, 197 3

The ManWhoWouldn'tRunon theLord's PayEric Liddell winning the 4 x 440 yards relay race for the British Empire vs.the U.S.A., Stamford Bridge, London, 19 July 1924, having overtaken theU.S. Champion, Horatio Fitch, on the final leg.JOHN W. KEDDIEJohn W. Keddie, a native ofEdinburgh, Scotland, is accountantto the Lord's Day ObservanceSociety, London, England. He is anathlete himself, having representedScotland as a quarter-miler. He wasled to a Christian profession partlythrough the influence of Liddell'sOlympic testimony, althoughLiddell had been dead for twodecades at that time. Fie lives withbis wife, Jean, and baby daughterRuth in Morden, Surrey, and is amember of the London congregationof the Free Church of Scotland. Hisolder brother, Gordon, is a senior inthe RP Theological Seminary,Pittsburgh.In the history of track and fieldathletics, it is uncommon to find a regardfor Christian principles regulative of anapproach to the sport. Particularly is thistrue of the highest level of competition.An illustrious example of one athlete whowas so motivated by Christian principlesin the pursuit of the sport is here related.In drawing attention to this episode in thehistory of track athletics, it is hoped that itwill be found of interest and profit toreaders, particularly as illustrative of thematter of principle regarding the dueobservance of the Lord's day, or ChristianSabbath.The date is July 1924 and the place,Paris, France. The occasion is the seventhOlympic Games. Just before the final ofthe 400 metres race one young finalistunfolded a small piece of paper which hehad been given earlier in the day by hismasseur. The note read as follows: "Inthe old book it says, 'He that honours meI will honour.' Wishing you the best ofsuccess always."(1) Thereafter, in whatwas regarded by many at the time as one ofthe finest 400 metre races ever run, thatyoung competitor ran away from theopposition to score a convincing win by awide margin in a world record time. AsACOVENANTER WITNESS

the crowd ' 'erupted'' with applause at the the Weihsien Internment camp, lingers in his native Scotland, and, weresult, the victor "with every haste took where he was in charge of all may be sure, further afield too. And it ishis leave of the cheering multitude." sports and athletics, he refused to true that he is still largely remembered asBehind this result lies a story which, be responsible for planning the man who wouldn't run on a Sabbath asthough somewhat eroded with the years, Sunday sports.(3)much as the man who "shocked" thehas become almost legendary. One writer With this change of circumstances athletic world in 1924 with his unexpectedOlympic success.summed it up thus: "Eric Liddell is not Eric set his mind and training during theremembered for this achievement but as winter towards the 400 metres (and The present writer can testify that itthe man who would not run on the Lord's 200m.), though he had up to that time was largely through reading about thisDay."run in only four races of any significance man — his balanced and wholesomeHerein lies our interest in this episode. over the distance! The result is now a attitude to recreational activities and hisThe details are as follows: Eric Henry matter of history. In July 1924 Eric gained stand as a reverent upholder of God's law,Liddell was born in 1902 in China, the that truly magnificent victory in the 400m especially regarding the Christian Sabbathsecond son of a Scottish Congregational (described briefly above) and came a good — that brought the first apparent movingsminister who was serving there as a third in the 200m. In the 400m race he of conviction of sin — the sin of Sabbathbreaking— which, by the unspeakablemissionary of the London Missionary revolutionized 400m. running. In view ofSociety. No doubt from his earliest days he his inexperience at the distance he should grace and mercy of God, eventually led towas solidly instructed in the Christian never have been able to achieve what he the Saviour (Gal. 3 :24), the Lord even ofFaith and in particular encouraged to love did and, humanly speaking, it is very the Sabbath day (Luke 6:5).and honour the Lord's Day. It seems that difficult if not impossible to account for May this short account of the life ofthroughout his early years he was a adequately.(4) In some narratives we find Eric Liddell be an encouragement toserious-minded lad who manifested a such phrases as: "Liddell's success still others to take a stand against presentgracious disposition of heart. On making reads like a fairy story." and "He ran like encroachments upon the Lord's Day byan open profession of Christ in his early a man inspired." Perhaps the note handed sports. In conclusion let us hear the wordsyears at Edinburgh University, whence he to Liddell before the final comes nearer the of John Calvin:matriculated in 1920, he thereafter mark!If we use the Lord's Day to beengaged wholeheartedly in evangelistic Apart altogether from the acclaim frivolous, TO PARTICIPATEwork, particularly under the auspices of a which naturally surrounded him as an IN SPORT, to take part in gamesstudent evangelistic union.Olympic Champion, for our present and pastimes, shall God beIn these years too he came to greatprominence on the sports field, earningpurpose, it is of more than passing interestto note that he also made a profoundhonored in all this? Is it not amockery? Is it not a desecration ofhimself Scottish Rugby "caps" and also impression by his stand on principle for His Name? (Sermon on(and especially) outstanding success on the the sanctity of the Sabbath and that the Deuteronomy 5)running track. Between 1921 and 1923 he Lord's Day should be kept free from sports John Calvin opposed Sunday sport in hisswept all before him in the sprint races altogether. He made this position clear at a day. The Westminster Confession opposed(100 and 220 yards), gaining University later date by proposing a motion at a Sunday sports in its day (see Chapterand National Championships, includingthe British 100 and 220 yard titles in1923, the former in a record time of 9.7meeting of the Lord's Day Association ofScotland as follows:That the meeting is of the21.8). Eric Liddell was known as "theman who would not run on a Sunday "andopposed Sabbath sports in his day. Willsees. These performances marked him out opinion that the increasing use of you oppose Sunday sports in theseas a strong favorite for the British 100metres team for the Olympic Games of thefollowing year. However, in the winterbefore the Games the program of eventswas published. These revealed that thethe Lord's Day for games andrecreations, however harmless inthemselves, is detrimental to thehighest interest of the youth of thecountry, as well as adding to the1970\s? May it be so for the honor ofGod's name and the benefit of your ownsoul.Notes100m. and Relay Races heats were to be amount of unnecessary labour of( 1) The text is I Samuel 2: 30 and r^ads "... them thatrun on a Sunday — in true "Continental" other people; calls on all younghonour Me I will honour" (KJV) Cited in D. P. Thomsonfashion, informed largely by the apostate people's organizations to give fulltrie Lid Jell — Athlete anJ .llmwiun (Crieff. Perthsl.re,.1971, casebound edition), pages 55-5(> This is the standardRomanist Sabbath doctrine that the consideration to this aspect of theBiography of Eric Liddell and also is available in a paperbackmorning be reserved for worship, question.(5)form It is recommended to any who wish to become moreacquainted with the life ot a great 20th Centurv Christian. Itwhereafter the day is indistinguishable Liddell became an ordained minister ofmay be obtained (in either form) from the author. Dr D. I'from any other week-day.(2) On hearing the Congregational Union of Scotland Thomson. Barnoak. CRIEFF. Perthshire, Scotland(21 It may be of interest to note in passing that thethis news Eric Liddell quietly and firmly and, from 1925 until his death in aUnited St.His track team was withdrawn during the Olympicmade his position clear. "I'm not running."Japanese Prisoner of War camp in China Games ol 19(1(1, held also in Paris, when it was found by theNo amount of persuasion — and in 1945, labored first as an educational U S team officials that certain events, postponed on a weekday because of inclement weather, had been re scheduled lorthere were endeavours to persuade him missionary and later in evangelistic work a Sunday!and even severe criticism emanated from in the country regions of North China. i3) Thomson. Op Cit , pages K-\ i5Ii I.iddell is reported as saying: "The secret ol mysome quarters — would change his mind. Liddell was survived by his wife and threesuccess over the tOO metres is that I run the hrst 2(H) metresAs his biographer. Dr. Thomson, states: young girls, the youngest of whom he had as hard as I can. Then, for the second 2(Ki metres, anhCoJ'shelp. I run harder." (Emphasis mine - JK)CitedmThat decision there was no never seen. Though nearly thirty yearsThomson. Op Cit., page 55.hope of changing. It was based on since departing this life to enjoy, we may 5 i Thomson. Op. Cit., page 119principles from which he never trust, the eternal Sabbath rest of God'sdeviated a hair's breadth. Even in people (Heb. 4:9), Liddell's memory stillAPRIL 11, 1973 5

Conditions inNorthern IrelandThepeopl(re cryingPeople in all walks of life ^. r'^iyic.! i>v A S Mast -unm• i < v> if . • 11 builc.j, la-' >'ilv.appealed al a Belfast open-air. rallyTERRORITHROUGHTHE DAYUlster experienced one of its •worst days ofterror on Saturday. The following is a timetableot events:9.50 a.m.44 ° nn1 'HUGH WRIGHT(R. P. minister,Belfast, N. I.)«6 COVENANTER WITNESS

f Ulster'V.i.s. t .-iiii'd .O6.1I.MI ,,_•, ' in.i'jr !•••-.11 |v '••.'• ."".."" ; ' l q hy \\-,o \vc,v..j:POUCF-MESSAGESTREETSCLOSEDA-> a result of la it1. l rr 'i iIVndmdlicrt:ec'.'i;i\ ,;-, ' • c ..nvii'.-ir \ • 1..BOMBERSCAUSEHAVOCINContinued DERRYfrom Page IMuch can happen in a year so it is In an attempt to reduce the tension,not surprising that the Editor should askme if there has been any change inNorthern Ireland during the past year.Events have been changing, but therehas not been much change as regardsreal progress towards peace. People aremen who, before direct rule, had beeninterned by the Stormont Governmentas being dangerous to the communitywere released over a period. Some ofthem immediately recommenced theirviolent activities. There was a sense oftired of the violence, bloodshed and relief in many quarters whendestruction. All they want is to see law "Operation Motorman" was carriedand order restored, to know the violence out and the security forces moved intois ended, and to be able to live together the "no-go' 1 areas in Belfast andin peace and harmony as most of them Londonderry, imposing a certaindid before 1969.amount of control over the terroriststhere who until then had done veryDIRECT RULEmuch as they liked.In March 1972 the BritishGovernment at Westminster proroguedthe Northern Ireland (Stormont)Parliament and appointed Mr. WilliamWhitelaw as Secretary of State forNorthern Ireland with three Ministersof State to assist him. Thus direct rulefrom Westminster became operative.All the policies from Westminster sincethen have not met with support fromthe different parties to the conflict here.ROBOT TELEPHONESRecently robot telephones have beeninstalled in several towns. This enablesmembers of the public to give confidentialinformation which would helpto bring to justice persons responsiblefor murder, explosions or other seriouscrimes. Callers are automatically answeredbv a machine, thus safeguardingtheir identity, while their message isrecorded. The security forces havereceived much helpful information inthis way which they would not havereceived otherwise due to fear for theirsafety by the informants.SELECTIVE SEARCHESSelective searches are still beingmade from time to time in both Loyalistand Republican areas, resulting in thefinding of arms and explosives and thedetaining of the persons involved. Theregulations made under the SpecialPowers Act, N.I., relating to internmentand detention, have beensucceeded by the Detention ofTerrorists Order. No one can now bedetained for more than 28 days unlesshis case has been referred to independentjudicial commissioners. If thecase is not referred within that periodthen release is automatic. If the case isreferred to the commissioners, theperson remains in legal custody untilsuch time as his case is heard, whichmay be longer than 28 days from hisdetention. Various safeguards areprovided for the detainee. For instance,he must be told three clear days beforehis hearing what allegations are beingbrought against him. He has the right tobe legally represented, and, if detainedby the commissioners, he may appeal toan independent appeals tribunal. Quite anumber of men and two women arebeing "held" in this way. Many of themen are of high rank in the ProvisionalI.R.A. As a consequence there has beena decrease in the number of bombexplosions as men expert in setting thebombs have been put out of the way.This has resulted in a number of caseswhere members of the I.R.A. haveblown themselves up when gettingbombs ready for use.SECURITY PRECAUTIONSSecurity precautions in the mainbusiness areas of many cities and townshave been extended. These areas havebeen sealed off to motor traffic in anattempt to defeat the car bombers.Though a hardship to motorists, thishas proved a boon to pedestrians whoenjoy the freedom of the pedestrianprecincts so formed. If and when theviolence comes to an end, it may well bethat such precincts will still be maintained.But the pedestrian has his ownproblems arising out of securityprecautions. Parcels. handbags.suitcases, etc. have to be opened andexamined by soldiers before their(Continued on next page.)APRIL 11, 1973

IRELAND from p. 7.owners are admitted to the precincts,and everyone is "frisked" for arms. Atthe doors of the stores, members of staffalso examine handbags etc., thoughthey do not always "frisk." Thepurpose, of course, is to detect anybomb material or weapons that arebeing carried. Women and children, aswell as men, play their part in plantingbombs.ASSASSINATIONSThe most recent distressing featureof the turmoil has been the increase inthe number of assassinations, many ofwhich appear to be indiscriminate. Notall of them appear to be politicallymotivated. In 1972, 81 RomanCatholics and 40 Protestants wereassassinated, while 3418 people wereinjured. Since 1969 over 700 peoplehave been killed, more than 180 beingmembers of the security forces, and 34being policemen. There have been over2630 explosions, and last year therewere 1663 armed robberies in whichover $750,000 was stolen. Thesefigures speak for themselves and tellsomething of the misery.PRESSURE GROUPSThe fact that the Secretary of Stateand the security forces did not seem tobe doing enough to restore law andorder led to the formation of variousgroups seeking to defend themselvesagainst the terrorists and to advancetheir own particular political viewpoint.Differences between Unionists becameevident and groups such as U.D.A.(Ulster Defence Association),Vanguard, L.A.W. (LoyalistAssociation of Workers) and U.V.F.(Ulster Volunteer Force), (an illegalorganisation) arose.How much support there is for thesebodies throughout the country is hard toassess. They may not have as much asthey would like, or as they would claim;but they do make themselves felt in thecommunity. "Intimidation" is a nastyword, but there is much of it both byRepublicans and Loyalists. RecentlyVanguard and the other groups called aone-day strike, and claimed aresounding success for it. But manypeople kept their businesses closed, notbecause they were in sympathy with theaction being taken, but because theywere afraid to open or because they ortheir staff could not get to work. Theywere told what would happen to them if29 PUBLIC NOTICfS 29 PUBUC NOTICES 29 PUBLIC NOTICES 29 PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICESNDrthern Irelandi HI: BORDERPOJJIf your name is on the 1973 NORTHERN IRELANDPARLIAMENTARY ELECTORAL REGISTER youwill be entitled to vote in the Border Poll onThursday, 8th March, 1973.The QuestionsVoters will be asked to mark the Ballot Paper with an 'X' opposite one onlyof the two following questions-:—1 Do you want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom ?A Do you want Northern Ireland to le joined with the Republic- of Ireland, outthe United Kingdom?Voting in PersonYou may vote in person at your Polling Station on 8th MARCH, 1973.POLLING STATIONS WILL BE OPEN FROM 8.00 a.m.—8.00 p.m.they opened. So a great deal of supportclaimed may be discounted. Talk ofU.D.I, for Northern Ireland, put forwardby some, would be utterfoolishness. The country's prosperitydepends on the link with Britain beingmaintained.While the people suffer and endureand long for more action to defeat theterrorists, whoever they may be, thepoliticians talk, talk, talk, wheneverthey have an opportunity to air theirviews. Some refuse to talk, however,when it is a case of getting together withthose who disagree with them to see if asolution to the difficulties could behammered out. While people are beingkilled and maimed and the livelihood ofothers is being taken away, the talkinggoes on. Priorities do not seem to beright. First should come the stampingout of violence, the clamping down onthe gun-men. Then will follow the timeto talk. Why can Westminster not seethis?BORDER POLLThe Westminster Government hasarranged for a Referendum and BorderPoll to be held in Northern Ireland onMarch 8, when the people here will beasked to make clear whether they wishNorthern Ireland to remain part of theUnited Kingdom or whether they wishit to be joined with the Republic ofIreland outside the United Kingdom.Politicians have made many claims, oneway or another, about this. Now thepeople, Protestants and RomanCatholics alike, will be able to showwhat they really wish.Ed. note. The Roman Catholic boycottof this poll resulted in a landslidemajority (90-1) going on record in favorof remaining part of the U.K.8 COVENANTER WITNESS

At present the WestminsterGovernment is also engaged in drawingup a White Paper in which they will laydown the action they propose to take toheal the differences between thecommunities here and settle once andfor all the problems of the Irish. Thiswill likely be published shortly after theReferendum. The wisdom of Solomonwill be needed!The attitude of the Government ofthe Republic of Ireland has recentlychanged somewhat towards the I.R.A.and its activities. At long last they havetightened up on it somewhat, a factwhich has been welcomed in the North.Several explosions have taken placesouth of the Border, the perpetratorsbeing unknown. They could have beencaused either by loyalists from theNorth, or by members of theProvisional I.R.A. thus registering theirdisapproval of the Government's actionagainst them.Bad as the situation in NorthernIreland has been and still is, it has notall been gloom. There have beencheering things as well as depressingones. The Irish sense of humour showsitself in many ways and has often helpedpeople when sadness and sorrowweighed them down.One cheering feature is with regardto the economy of the country. If theintention of the terrorists was to disruptthis they have signally failed. Manyindividual firms and businesses havesuffered because of terrorist action, butthe economy of the country as a whole is"Set Fair" and improves. TheFinancial Times of January 22 headlinesan article on the economy of N.I. withthe words "A Better Position thanCommonly Thought." The Economyhas not collapsed. Indeed the damagedone to it has been minimal. Customersare prepared to express their faith in thefuture of the Province in tangible terms.Terrorists are not breaking its will tosurvive — and to thrive. Industrialistsabroad are coming to a new realisationthat it really is in business — for morebusiness.R. P. CHURCH LIFER. P Church life and activities stillgo on much as they were doing a yearago. However, people's habits generallyhave been changing. In the trouble areasthey now tend to stay at home in theevenings unless they really must go out.The terrorists may strike anywhere atany time, so there is no point in runningAPRIL 11. 197 ^into danger, if one does not have to doso. This affects church and othermeetings. Where held, attendances tendto be smaller than before. Weeknightmeetings are often held in the homesrather than in the church building,especially if it is down-town. Thischange has brought its own blessing. Inthe trouble-free parts of the country,meetings go on as formerly.Grosvenor Road, a Belfast downtowncongregation, has suffered mostthis past year. Five heavy explosions inthe vicinity of the church building badlydamaged it and rendered it unusable. Atpresent the congregation is worshippingwith the Dublin Road congregation.The members are considering whetherto rebuild or to move to another districtand erect a new building there. It wouldtake about $125,000 to repair thedamaged building. No suitable site for abuilding in another district has yet beenfound, even for consideration.The Larne congregation hopes thatit will not be much longer until theyhave completed the repairs necessitatedby the bomb damage sustained by theirchurch building some time ago.A few members of the Church inBelfast and Newry have suffered damageto their business premises, while thebusinesses of others have been adverselyaffected due to loss of trade because ofthe troubles. The Church here is mostgrateful for the money forwarded by theTreasurer of the American Church tobe used to help any who have speciallysuffered in the church here. Some of thishas already been distributed andinquiries have been instituted to ascertainif there are other persons whoshould be encouraged by such practicalsympathy from our brothers and sistersin America.SPIRITUAL SIGNPOSTSNeedless to say the troubles affectpeople. Individuals, both RomanCatholics and Protestants, are praying,seeking the good of the country, seekingpeace, seeking forgiveness of sin. Butthe terrible events daily taking place donot seem to be producing in the peopleas a whole signs of penitence or ofhumbling themselves before God andseeking that He would heal our land.Thev do not yet appear to be ready forthe working of the Holy Spirit andrevival. There is more interest in theforthcoming White Paper, on the part ofmany, than in God's Word as a meansof resolving the country's problems.One saddening effect is seen in thatpeople have come to accept the presentsituation as being normal. They arebecoming somewhat callous, indifferent,unaffected by events. Asoldier's or a policeman's death byterrorists is just another statistic, onemore figure to be chalked up, instead ofbeing looked on as another life brutallytaken. Also giving cause for concern isthe effect conditions are having on thechildren who are now growing up. Whatkind of men and women will they bewhen adults, due to their being rearedin a time when violence and disregard oflaw and authority are accepted thingsand when they themselves have takenpart in them? Apart from the grace ofGod it will take years to overcome theeffects upon them.Spiritually the signs may seemdepressing. Will the people notrecognise their need and turn to God?Only the Spirit of God can break downthe hardness of heart and indifference tospiritual realities. There is need formuch prayer that those engaged interrorist activities, whether Loyalist orRepublican, may come to see the futilityof their present actions and to recognisetheir need of Jesus Christ as theirSaviour and Lord. There is need forprayer too that God's people may berevived and rededicate themselves fullyto his service.Strange as it may seem, sometimeswe have wondered if our salvation as aprovince may yet come throughSouthern Ireland. There are signs theretoday of the Spirit's working. More andmore people, both young and old,priests and nuns as well, are reading andstudying God's Word and are eager tobe taught the truth. Two of our youngministers, Revs. Knox Hyndman andDrew Gregg, have been set apart for atleast a year to go to the Cork area, thereto do something to meet this need, andto encourage and edify those who havecome to know their Lord that they maybebetter able to witness to Him. Mr.Hyndman is already in Cork and Mr.Gregg and his family expect to go in afew weeks time. A door of opportunityis open in Southern Ireland such as hasnot previously been known in our time.Pray that our Church may be blessed aswith others she seeks to grasp thisopportunity. Pray that there may be amighty revival like that of 1849, arevival which shall sweep the wholecountry. North and South, and thatGod will heal our land.9

Ii\tfbducingNEW YORKBIBLE SOCIETYIt occupies a 5-story Victorianbuilding 200 feet off bustling FifthAvenue in the heart of New YorkCity . . . and daily exerts an influencein the remotest jungles onearth.It is 163 years old ... yet is asstaunchly and vigorouslyevangelistic as the day of itsfounding in 1809.Its 40-man staff makes it a Davidamong Manhattan's Goliath-likebusiness firms . . . but its influenceis greater and more lastingthan organizations 20 times itssize.Its product is a 2000-year-oldBook, the Bible . . . which it putsinto wrappings as contemporaryas underground newspaperformat.This amalgam of seeming contradictionsis New York Bible SocietyInternational, a publishing anddistribution agency that stands uniqueamong the world's Bible societies. Formeda scant 5 years after the prototype Britishand Foreign Bible Society (1804), NYBSIhas evolved into a multi-faceted ministrywith almost as many fingers in Gospel piesas there are Gospel pies.The Society began in 1809 on thedocks of New York, giving out Scriptureto gruff seamen who were importingworldly ways as well as bales of merchandise.The cleansing power of theWord stemmed the immoral flow from thewaterfront, and the Society managerslooked to other needy areas. Time and theconstraining love of Christ eventuallyadded new ministries to hotels, hospitalsand nursing homes, the blind, detentionhouses, subways, immigrants, foreignlanguageand ethnic groups. TodayNYBSI's outreach runs the gamut fromINTERNATIONALprisons to penthouses and touches everysocial layer in between with the lifetransformingGood News.Other Bible societies publish Scripture;NYBSI starts with publication andkeeps going through distribution, personalcounseling and Bible class instruction. Itsfield staff of trained workers:. . . board ships in New York-New Jersey harbors andsystematically distribute freeScripture volumes to crewmembers. . . regularly visit more than125 metropolitan hospitals andnursing homes. . have the exclusive right ofplacing Bibles in the city's 600hotels and motels. . contact multitudes at fairsand expositions. . . minister to thousands ofinmates of detention houses andprisons. . . provide an inspirationalreading from the Bible 24 hours aday on PLaza 5-5500. . . furnish Braille Scriptures,Talking Book records, and individualcounseling to the blind. . . coordinate churchvolunteers in neighborhoodScripture saturation campaigns. . . channel Gospel literature toMiami, Florida, and the Texas-Southwest region through NYBSIoutlets.About the time of the Civil WarNYBSI decided to focus its energies on"the world's greatest mission field" —New York City. In 1969 the Society\L,r~" ,, " ,. -•*NYBSI missionary affiliate prints Bible manuscripts by Wyeliffe Translatorsfor use among primitive tribes.10 COVENANTER WITNESS

everted to its original global status when,in light of the vast need of Scriptureworldwide, all artificial geographicalrestraints were set aside. "The field is theworld" (Matthew 13:38a) became a textto live by when NYBSI linked arms withThe World Home Bible League (Chicago)in a new publishing venture calledScriptures Unlimited. Founded to "putthe Bible on the front lines of today'srevolutionary struggle," ScripturesUnlimited immediately went on the offensiveon scores of mission frontsthroughout Central and South America.The Society added "International" to itsname and co-sponsored massive aid to the1971-72 "Evangelism-In-Depth"campaign in Mexico. (EID received over10 million Bibles, New Testaments, andGospel portions from ScripturesUnlimited over the two-year period.) Halfa world away, ties were formed with"Brother Andrew" and his intrepid bandof missionaries and Bible smugglers.New vistas rapidly opened up for thefledgling group. When Wyeliffe BibleTranslators expressed the need ofpublishing assistance, ScripturesUnlimited answered the call. Agreementswere worked out which put NYBSI on thefrontiers of tribal translation, underwritingthe printing of new Wycliftemanuscripts in 15 countries, includingPeru, Brazil, India, New Guinea,Philippines, Indonesia, and Viet Nam.Since 1970 hundreds of first-time-evertitles have rolled off the press. Thesemissionary editions have a double objective;at stake is nothing less thanfulfillment of the Great Commission itself- the Gospel of Christ in every language- in our time. Although over 2000undeciphered tongues and dialects still barthe way, each new printing makes historyand brings the goal of world evangelizationone step nearer reality.Still expanding, NYBSI envisions1973 as its brightest, most promising yearyet. A year-long crusade in that hotbed ofrevival -- Indonesia — will saturate thecity of Djakarta, Indonesia's capital, with1 million Gospels of John. ScripturesI 'n/imitctl is sponsoring the Djakartacampaign (which will emphasize house-tohousevisitation) while The PocketTestament League conducts a parallelmission throughout Java and nearbyislands.Spain long a seat of Romanistdomination and oppression has experienceda heartening turnabout in recentyears. Evangelicals now enjoy unprecedentedliberty to worship, preach,witness opportunities which NYBSINYBSI chaplains serve 11 penal institutionswith the Scriptures, classes,worship programs, and counseling.has lost no time in "buying up." Gospelmaterial by the hundreds of thousands hasgone to key distributors, some of it printedon Spanish presses. Surprisingly,American Christians have barelyawakened to the lifting of the "lacecurtain" in Spain as if Protestantfreedom in the land of the Inquisition wastoo good to be true!Later this year, a 6-year project ofmonumental scope will come to fruitionwhen the New International Bible NewTestament is published in the autumn. Acompletely fresh translation from theoriginal languages, NIB has engaged thebest scholarly talents in theEnglish-speaking world in an all-out driveto find a satisfactory replacement for theobsolescent King James Version.Sponsored by the Society, the task hasbeen long, arduous, and costly, involvingthousands of man-hours by over onehundred top Bible experts and numerousconsultants, stylists, and lay readers.While the scholars safeguarded thetranslation's accuracy, manuscripts weretested in the field to ensure NIB's contemporaneity.Professional men, laborers,housewives and even gang members madesuggestions which the 15-man Committeeon Bible Translation (NIB's supervisorybody) incorporated into the final version.A special committee in England undertookthe "anglicizing" of NIB toconform to British spelling, grammar, andidiomatic expression.Work on the Old Testament continuesas four-man teams in Canada, GreatBritain, Australia. New Zealand and theUnited States push to complete NIB bv1976.Scarcely three years have passed sinceNYBSI's re-entry into the world arena -a step made none too soon for millions allover the globe starving for the Bread ofLife. Population explosion is tar outdistancingthe capacity of all Biblesocieties to keep up with the spiralingdemand for Scripture. The reality of aworld in jeopardy added to theoverriding injunction of Mark 16:15 —has motivated NYBSI to take giant leapsof faith into an uncertain future.Has it been worth the risks? Considerthe spin-offs thus far: total Scripturepublication rose from 3.1 million in 1969to 9.3 million in 1972 (includingScriptures I 'nlimited) . . a 300 per centjump. Tribespeople are reading the Gospelof Christ in their own tongue for the firsttime . thanks to NYBSI-financedprintings. Scripture literature bearingNYBSI's imprint is turning up in diverseplaces on 5 continents . . and helpingturn many to Jesus Christ. Soon theEnglish-speaking world will have the besttranslation that evangelical scholarshipcan produce . . . one worthy to succeed therevered Authorized Version.States the Reverend Y. R. Kindberg,Executive Director of the Society: "Thefuture belongs to those who dare to trustGod and take Him at I lis Word. Thecommandto 'go into all the world' isinescapable . . . we risk nothing by obeyingit, but stand to lose everything by ignoringit. Global evangelism is God's program;those who enter it are promised Hisabiding presence and enabling power."For over 16 decades New York BibleSociety International has stood for theWord of God. Now this truly uniqueorganization is standing, as never beforein its history, on the Word of God:"Whoever wants to save his lite will loseit" fsaid Christ), "but whoever loses hislite tor me will find it" (Matthew 16:25.MB).William R. de Plata(Dir. of Public Relations)Editor's Note: For further information concerning this genuinelyevangelical work, write to: New YorkBible Society International. 5 East iSthSt.. New York. N.Y. 10017. Its purposeand work are not to be contused with theAmerican Bible Society which drawsmuch support from the large modernismdenominations in our countr.APRIL 11. 19^3 I 1

"GOLDEN TRIANGLE" HEROINAccording to a recent NationalObserver article, the Golden Triangle(not of the downtown Point in Pittsburgh,but) of the Upper MekongRiver, where Burma, Laos andThailand come together, is about topour a flood of heroin on the worldmarket, finding its way to its mostlucrative outlet, the U.S.A. WithTurkey promising to stop growingopium poppies this year, the Far Eastfield is upping its production. Then the' 'colorful dangerous melange of armedtribesmen, rebel armies, and Chinesewar lords, who live in the mountainsand depend on opium for their powerand livelihoods," will bargain for thetop dollar. "I'm not a murderer,"explains a Lao police officer, whenquestioned about halting the flow ofopium. "Opium is the Lao dollar,'' saidanother officer, and another: "I can'tunderstand you Americans. Aren't allyour soldiers high-school graduates?Why do they do that (refine opium andstick it in their arms with a needle)?Everybody knows iCsyafin, (medicine)that you take it for your stomach or togo to sleep at night."FREE VERSEChristianity Today has permitted areader to toss some gibes at some of its"poetry," by printing the reader'scontribution. Here are just a few lines ofit:It's often just some commonproseThat's staggered-out in jaggedrows.The formula is quickly noted;If followed well you may bequoted.A fractured phrase can makethree lines,A splintered sentence, strangedesigns;Lest these too readily makesense.Transpose the verbs and splitthe tense.Dear Ed, to boost yourimp^ediRev.Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010magazineLet fewer free-verse poems beseen.Of heresy we've had enough;Let's have more lesspretentiousstuff.SUPREME COURT ON ABORTIONThe high court's decision whichallows a woman in consultation with herphysician to choose an abortion withinthe first three months of pregnancy, hascalled forth reaction, sharply dividedand in some measure, predictible. TheRoman Catholic church's leaders appearto be overwhelmingly against thedecision, as are Orthodox Jews. ManyProtestant leaders have been stronglycritical. Surprisingly, the Rev. W. A.Criswell, former president of theSouthern Baptist Convention, andpastor of the First Baptist Church ofDallas, said, according to ChristianityToday, "I have always felt that it wasonly after a child was born and had a lifeseparate from its mother that it becamean individual person, and it has always,therefore, seemed to me that what isbest for the mother and for the futureshould be allowed." The plaintiff in thecase before the high court is a Baptistfrom Dallas.As would be expected, John G.Bennett, president-emeritus of UnionSeminary in New York, applauded thedecision.The Rev. W. R. McEwen, ReformedPresbyterian pastor in Melbourne,Australia, preached a sermon on thesubject, long before the U. S. Court'sdecision was headlined. After tracing aScriptural study of relevant passages,Mr. McEwen summarizes, "Truly it(human life) is sacred from the momentof conception and must be diligentlypreserved and protected."While there are times when nodoubt a medical decision must be madebetween the life of the mother and thefetus, which cannot be reduced to aneasy maxim, victims are being sacrificedto this modern Molech by the hundredsof thousands each year.EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENTWhile some 22 states have approvedthis amendment to our nationalConstitution, the pace of state approvalshas slowed, and we are told that strongmoves are under way in two stateswhere approval has been given, toreconsider.One woman who hopes it will notbecome "the law of the land," is Mrs.Trudy Camping, a Christian ArizonaState senator, a widow and mother of sixchildren. She says that laws are alreadyon the books to protect women fromdiscrimination, also, that many of thesewould be wiped out by trying to makewomen "equal." She says we don'tneed this "atomic bomb" to take careof a few mice.DRUGS BY FILM CANNISTERChristianity Today reports thatFederal agents ignored warning labels of"unexposed film" which should not beopened, and found inside some 44pounds of semi-processed opium. Thecannisters carried mailing labels of TheEvangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM),a highly respected and reputable missionagency. Mission officials have expressedconfidence in the Chicago film editor, towhom they were addressed. He has beenarrested and charged, but is free on$20,000 bail. He asks if someone inSoutheast Asia is trying to discreditevangelical missions.RTF TRAVELIt seems highly likely that theReformation Translation Fellowshipmay find it necessary to relocatesomeplace in the Far East, in order tominister efficiently to Chinese speakingpeoples. Dr. S. E. Boyle expects to gowith the Rev. Robert Henning,Secretary of the Foreign Mission Board,in April, to SE Asia, to confer with theRev. Charles Chao on this matter, andin the continuing search for openings bywhich the Church may resume missionwork directly with the Chinese people.Friends of the RTF have receivednotice of the hope that funds may beavailable for Mr. Chao to meet Dr.Boyle and Mr. Henning in Hong Kong,from whence they hope to proceed toSingapore, where speaking openingshave been provided for them.Also, notice was given of the newTreasurer, and new address to whichcontributions are to be sent: Mr. RobertCatloth, P O. Drawer G, Winchester,Kan. 6609712 COVENANTER WITNESS

00Dear Kids,I'm packing to move so my mind is mostly on' 'Where does this go in the new house'' and ' 'What can Iwrap this in to keep it from breaking."I've been thinking how God has brought us "thisway" before. In her letter to you, Carol, tells about a newchoice she had to make and new choices are hard. We hadsome choices to make, too, in buying a house for the veryfirst time. But, in our case, I especially think of how Godhas helped us before when we have moved. We think wehave set some kind of record, moving 8 times in 13V2years. (Maybe you can top that!) Sometimes it's hardbecause we leave friends; this time it's easy because wedon't have to say "good-by." In fact, we will be livingcloser to some of our friends.It's neat to grow in the Lord and to say "Thankyou,Lord, for helping us when you brought us 'this way'before.And thank-you, Carol and Joe, for your helpfularticles.Your friend,Mrs. A.P.S. Remember the Hey Lookit Club!Dear Kids.If the Brady Bunch and the Partridge Family were on atthe same time, which would you pick? Or, if you were atGrandma's house and she had banana cream pie and apple piefor dessert and you could only have one kind, what would youdo? You'd probably be in a pickle, like Picky, the crow. He wasjust hopping along one road, going for a walk, when he bumpedright into a fork in the road! Now, Picky had never seen a forkin the road before, and didn't know what to do. "They'remaking everything too complicated these days." he mumbledas he looked hard at both roads. Picky's feet got impatient anddecided to take the situation into their own hands. His left footwent left, and right foot went . yes, you guessed it! What amess! Picky ended up flat spread out on the ground, goingnowhere!I had a hard choice to make last week too. I'm going to bea doctor and being a doctor takes lots of studying at a school fordoctors. So, I had to decide where I was going to study. It wasbetween the University of Pittsburgh and the University ofKansas. Part of me, just like Picky's left foot, wanted to go toPittsburgh and part of me wanted to go to Kansas. But I didn'tend up like Picky, because I have Someone to ask about thingslike that. I prayed to God and asked Him what to do. He showedme what things to think about, and He sent certain people totalk to me and even phone me and write me letters! Hegradually made me sure that He wanted me at Kansas, so now Iam going down the right road with both feet on the ground!When you have to decide something, even if neitherchoice is wrong, God knows which is best for Him and for you.Just ask Him and He'll show you what He wants you to bedoing — where He can use your hands, your smile, your eyes,your feet and even your empty tummy!Love,Carol SpearFighting for office is not such an easy thing. If you don'tsay what's right people don't like you. The men that arefighting must know what there doing, some make it and mostdon't. For example, Wallace, some guy didn't like him anddecided to kill him, he was parilized from the waist down andhad to quit running for office. Govener Wallace is working likemad to get his legs back when most people just give up.Its like working for Christ. Some realy work hard to bringpeople to Christ when others drop out when something goeswrong. You must keep on fighting even when something biggoes wrong like Wallace and you will be rewarded greatly inheaven tor what you did on earth.Joe McElroyTopeka. KansasAPRIL 11. 197 313

o5^*dRM ftT< otfALSdLg.Is it time to sell out?As I look back on it now, I probablyshould be "blamed" for introducingthe Dooyeweerdian school of Christianphilosophy into Covenanter Churchcircles, first by way of the WitnessCommittee, and then later by a directcirculation of literature in Synod. Aboutfifteen years ago I purchased throughthe Covenanter Book Room in Kobe, allfour volumes of the English translationof A New Critique of TheoreticalThought, by Herman Dooyeweerd. Ifinally presented my set to the ReformedPresbyterian Theological SeminaryLibrary.With all this introduction, I amembarrassed to confess that the more Itry to read Dooyeweerd the less I understandhim. and from what his NorthAmerican Dooyeweerdians write out ofToronto my dim comprehension is evenmore confused. Now this should neverbe taken as a criticism of the brilliantscholarship of this Calvinist movement.When I went to school, some sixty yearsago in Quinter, Kansas, the schoolchildren of America did not have I.Q.'s.They were handed out much later. ThusI lack the mental equipment for understandingprofound philosophicalbooks. I have tried to use Zenmeditation on Volume III of theCritique, sitting on a pillow on thestraw floor of our Japanese home here inKobe, Japan, but unfortunately I getcramps in my feet and can never last outa normal Buddhist meditation. As I seeit, some self-styled Dooyeweerdians feelthat we Nature-Grace Covenanters arehopelessly behind the times, naive pretheoreticalun-philosophicaltraditionalists. We have blindly followedour fathers in a synthesis betweenChristianity and pagan thought. WeSAMUEL E. BOYLE(R.P Missionary to Far East)must therefore purge our thinking ofthat Nature-Grace Dualism. We mustovercome the dichotomy.What happens then? After we havepurged away all the evil traces of accommodationwith Aristotelian,Scholastic, Hegelian. Kantian,Kierkegaurdian, Marcusian, Maoist;or Goldwaterist, Nixonian synthetiticpollution, where do we go then?As I dimly catch the teaching of thisphilosophy, we are to think exclusivelyin terms of Scripture. Ah, I think, that14 COVENANTER WITNESS

is good. Here we are back to theWestminster Confession of Faith, a realorthodox book. "No, no, no . Nopropositional, moralistic and theologicalabstractions can be allowed." As I getit. the Westminster Assembly also fellunder the medieval spell of Aristotleand Scholastic thinking. They went tothe Bible, faithfully indeed, but they cutout proof texts as men go into the forestand fell trees. They they dragged thesetrees out and reconstructed, mind you,the isolated proof texts into a fortress ofman-made logic and rationalisticconclusions. It was again a humansynthesis, and we cannot allow suchhumanized logical systems to comebetween the believer and the dynamicWord."But . . but . . . What kind of aunifying string can I have to understandthe Bible? The Bible is a big book, and acomplex book, so I feel the need of astring to hold all the little beads of truthtogether"Oh, no, never," the guru cries."Just the Word of God in its dynamic,immediate revelation. No man-madestrings . ."What we must do, rather, is to pickout of Genesis the Creation motif. Startthere. God's Word in creation leads youto understand the meaning of lawspheres and all that dazzling system ofGod's progressive sovereignty throughtime and eternity. Adam failed. Christ isthe Second Adam. In Christ the SecondAdam God the Creator is now restoringCreation by His redemptive power. TheChristians must join together inKingdom Toil to bring Creation byChrist into the grand Shalom.I ask, "Is your movement postmillennialor amillennial?"Mv informant frowns and stirs hiscoffee vigorously: "You ask thedumbest questions." "We must notlinger over those stale and unfruitfultheological quibblings. We are towitness dynamically. No more of thishistorical immanent type of socialgospel dreaming. We must keepdynamic resurrectional faith and not fallback into the old Nature-Grace dualism.I asked, "But vou have Christianschools. Christian labor unions andChristian political parties ororganizations. How does this differ fromSocial Gospel linear action? When youtalk of 'total Christian culture' what doyou mean?"+ + + +Total Christian Culture: How firm a foundation?By this time my head was achingand I was so confused that I returnedhome and looked up the WestminsterConfession of Faith. It was comfortingto read its solid, unassuming conclusionsdrawn from prayerful study ofthe Word of God, uncluttered by thefancy new vocabulary of Dooyeweerdianmysteries.It may be that I am still defiled byunconscious synthetic relations to non-Christian philosophies. I appreciate theexcellent critical analysis byDooyeweerd of human thought.Perhaps in another century of evolutions]ATUR£-6RACEthe Covenanter Church may produceministers who cannot only understandCosmonomic Philosophy, but, a morerare thing, even make it plain andsimple to the ignorant. When that daycomes I won't be here, and the oldCovenanter Church will be safelyburied.Until then, however, I feel no greatneed of premature funeral arrangementsfor the Reformed Presbyterian Church'ssocial theory and historic practice of thedoctrine of Christ's mediatorialKingship over the nations. "ForChrist's Crown and Covenant." •()i t reaming the DichotomyAPRIL 11. i c r3 15

DONALD WEILERSBACHER(R. P. Pastor, San Diego, Calif.)The WeakenedConscience In GeneralIn answering the question, "What is conscience?,"one lad is said to have replied, "It is that little voice in myhead that tells me when I've done right or when I've donewrong." According to the Word of God, the devout Jew orthe person raised in a Christian home is not the only personwith a conscience. Even the pagan unbeliever, who hasnever heard the Gospel, has a conscience which eitherapproves or condemns his behavior. (Rom. 2:15).How can this be so? The Bible teaches that JesusChrist is "the true Light, which lighteth every man thatcometh into the world" (John 1:9). When the Son of Godcreated all things, He gave to man the capacity to reason,making him a morally accountable individual. Moreover, byrevealing Himself in Creation, God gave to man certain factswhich enabled him to know that he owed an absoluteallegiance to the One who had made him. Therefore, sinceall men do have a conscience, no one has a legitimate excusefor his sin (Rom. 1:18-21; 2:1).Butif all men have a conscience, why then do they notall agree as to what is morally right and wrong? The problemis that man's conscience, his power to reason, has beenseverely damaged by the fall into sin. Having rejected thetrue knowledge of God, he now has a vain imagination, adarkened heart, a reprobate (twisted) mind (Rom. 1:21,28).Thus one's conscience today is not an infallible guide toright and wrong. Before his conversion, Paul persecuted theChurch of Jesus Christ. This he did in all good conscience,being ignorant of the truth of the Gospel. Conscience ismerely our consciousness of what we think or believe to beright and wrong. If we don't have all the facts or if we reasonimproperly and draw the wrong conclusions, then we willhave an erring conscience. It simply will not operateproperly. Rather, it will be like a compass that does not pointtrue North due to some nearby magnetic disturbance.Having considered the nature of the conscience ingeneral, let us now attempt to restrict our study to what theBible reveals to us about a weak conscience. But in doing so,we ought to remind ourselves that we are not just talkingabout the problem of the man in the other pew. For at sometime or other we all fall into the classification of the manwith a weak conscience.What is a weak conscience? It is one which fails tooperate properly. It is like an old fashioned radio with a badtube, through which sometimes the programs come in loudand clear and on other occasions they are garbled by all sortsof interference.WeakenedCauses of Weak ConscienceWeakenedWeakenedWeakenedWhat are the causes of a weak conscience? Sinfulignorance is the primary cause — from having rejected thetruth, neglected the study of the whole counsel of God,improperly interpreted the Scriptures, or failed to reason outthe implications of a truth to its proper conclusion andapplication.A double standard is a secondary cause of a weakconscience. This occurs when we either add something tothe Word of God or take something away, making this newconglomeration to be our criterion for determining right andwrong. We all see the error of combining the Bible and theBook of Mormon, the Bible and The Key to Science and theScriptures, etc. But what about the Bible and tradition?Because a certain Psalm was not sung at the communiontable, one Reformed Presbyterian elder complained, "It justwasn't real communion!" The same problem arises whenwe combine the Bible and science. Now whatever God hasrevealed in nature and in grace are not incompatible. Truthis universal. However, it is possible to misinterpret the factsof scientific investigation as well as to misinterpret theScriptures. Furthermore, the presuppositions of science areessentially axioms of faith, and hence, must be tested by thecriterion of faith, the divine Word of God. Likewise, a doublestandard occurs if we ignore either the Old Testament orcertain select passages which are hard to reconcile with aspecific system of doctrine.16 COVENANTER WITNESS

ConscienceSymptomsof Weak ConscienceWhat then are the symptoms of a weak conscience?First, a lack of conviction concerning the evil and guilt ofsome particular transgression. A man's conscience may behardened through resisting the truth and thereforeinoperative (I Tim. 4:2). On the other hand, the samesymptom appears among those who are frankly ignorant ofthe truth. One will need real discernment in making theproper diagnosis in such cases. As an example of a man witha weak conscience, one might consider an illustration usedby Paul Little in his pamphlet "Affirming The Will OfGod." It seems that a certain Christian man borrowedmoney from Mr. Little. Although several years have passed,the gentleman is still praying about whether he should pay itback. The Scriptures make it perfectly clear that we are toowe no man anything (Rom. 13:8). But apparently thisman's conscience is very weak and inoperative at that point.Secondly, a doubtful frame of mind that causes us towaver back and forth in making a moral decision is anothersign of a weak conscience. Vibrations in the front end of a carmay indicate the need for an alignment. Likewise, awavering and doubtful conscience usually indicates that weare not seeing things straight in their spiritual perspective. Inthe apostle Paul's day, many Jewish converts to Christ musthave wondered how much longer, if at all, they shouldcontinue to practice the ceremonial law. It must have been areal problem until the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D.when such an observance became impossible to continue.Thirdly, a false sense of guilt is an additional symptomof a weak conscience. Notice that the emphasis is upon thefact that this feeling of guilt is not substantiated by the Wordof God. Non-Christian psychiatrists have done a greatdisservice to their clients by transforming legitimate guiltinto mere guilt feelings. This we utterly deplore. Never -APRIL 11. 197 3theless. there are Christians whose conscience is severelytroubled due to the fact that they are trying to make a moraldecision out of an amoral situation. One will try in vain todiscover what color suit the Lord wants him to purchase.The Scriptures are silent on that particular question, sodon't bother consulting them or praying for divinerevelation.The Weaker BrotherWhat then is our responsibility to the brother with aweak conscience? As individuals we must have the compassionto accept one another as brethren without condoningany particular error of conscience (Rom. 14:1). It is ourmoral responsibility to avoid being a stumblingblock to theweaker brother (Rom. 14:13). Living just for ourselves andignoring the needs of this brother (Rom. 15:1). ridiculingthe reticence of his tender conscience to do or not to dosomething (Rom. 14:1), boasting of one's liberty andpracticing it in front of the weaker brother (Rom. 14:21) —all these evil things must be cast away. Instead, as individuals,we should do all that is within our power tosupport him: by being patient (I Thess. 5:14) and byvoluntarily giving up the right to exercise our own Christianliberty (I Cor. 8:13).Moreover, as a church we have a corporate responsibilityas well. We ought never to assume that any brother'sproblem is hopeless, so that any effort to help him would bewasted energy. "With God all things are possible" (Matt.19:26). Instead of turning away in despair, we ought toengage in a positive long range therapeutic program tostrengthen the conscience of our weaker brother. This can beaccomplished through preaching, teaching, counseling,personal Bible study, and prayer. The time may come whenthis brother may be able to help those who are wrestling withthe same questions with which he had to struggle.The church can and should bind the conscience andthe practice of its members to all things taught in the Wordof God: either explicitly or by good and necessary deduction(Jude 3, I Tim. 4:2). The church may also stronglyrecommend or exhort that a person who has no conscientiousscrupple in a matter give up voluntarily hisChristian liberty for the sake of a weaker brother (Acts15:28,29; I Cor. 8:7-13). However, the church must notbind the conscience of a person against his beliefs nor ought aperson to seek membership in such a denomination. Heought rather to unite with that branch of the church visiblewhich most closely conforms to the Scriptural standards.By God's grace we can go a long wav in removing thefriction that exists between the weak and the strong.Nevertheless, we confess that the tension between these twoviewpoints is inevitable and will never be completelyresolved in this life. The church has, does, and will continueto err in making a distinction between what it may. should,and must not do in binding the conscience. That is understandablebecause it is still composed of sinners whoseconscience is not completely sanctified in all things. Theknowledge of this truth ought therefore to humble us andcause us to pray. "Come quickly. Lord Jesus." •17

In the mornings Margaret looked overthe shoulder of another nurse as shetreated, referred on to a doctor, ordescribed to Margaret the type of problemshe was seeing. After dinner, there wasthe rest time until two o'clock. ThenMargaret assisted her husband in surgery,and marveled at the variety of serious eyetroubles caused by poor nutrition andVitamin A deficiency. She told me thatthe people have just "discovered"carrots, and the carrot peddlars walkaround with huge gourds atop their heads,piled high with the orange vegetable thatJWarcfaret J\dc£lroif'- JWissionarcan bring better health to the people.Flying into the International AirportAnd the Good News of the Gospel ofat Kano (Kauno), Nigeria at noon, aJesus Christ is given daily! Before theyoung American doctor and his wife weresurprised to find the whole place quitedeserted. Being resourceful, Dr. Wilbur J.McElroy and his wife soon found a taxiclinic begins in the morning a nativepastor presents a Gospel message to thepatients in a large general waiting room.Before every operation, the doctor praysdriver willing to take them to thewith the patient. The McElroys weremissionary compound of the Sudan Interiorimpressed by the spiritual understandingMission in Kano, where theirof the pastors, and the Scriptural sermons,destination was the Kano Eye Hospital,self-discipline, and missionary outreach ofthe place of their brief healing andthe indigenous church there, theevangelistic mission of four weeks. FiveEvangelical Church of West Africaweeks later, I talked about the experience(ECWA). Each Lord's Day there was anto Margaret in the setting of their ownearly service in the Hausa languageliving room in Topeka, Kansas.family is a concern to help others, followed by two English services. There isBefore their arrival in Kano, Bill and especially those in need, in the name of fellowship after the evening service in theMargaret had visited Athens, and DembiDolo, Ethiopia, where, understanding^enough, former colleagues of Bill's twinJesus Christ. This is why they decided togo on this six-week missionary junket toAfrica. The decision was made throughGuest House for all who wish to come, aprayer time each Wednesday afternoon,and a Friday night dinner for the entirebrother, Bob, thought Dr. Bob had information gained from the Medical mission staff in the Guest House.returned. Then on to visit Africa Inland Assistance Program (MAP) at a conferenceMost of the mission converts areMission hospital and mission outposts inin Wheaton, 111. The Kano Eye former pagans — very few are convertedKenya before arriving at their goal where Hospital, the largest Eye Hospital in from the Moslem religion. And paganDr. Bill would work in his field of Africa, was chosen because it has only two practices are still present in Africa. A boxophthamology.At the mission compound they weregreeted by the staff and settled in theirophthamologists who care for a multitudeof patients with eye diseases.The first day of their stay, which lastedfound on the street containing a skull,painted feathers, and claws; a womanabducted from her home and thought to beroom of the Guest House where, later that from Jan. 14 to Feb. 13, 1973, Bill and taken for sacrifice; a magazine articleevening, they enjoyed a fellowship time Margaret were shown the compound indicating that human sacrifice has takenwith the entire mission staff. It was which would be their home and place of place — all of these events remind theplanned that evening as a send-off for the work. It was a Nigerian holiday and so missionary of the great spiritual needmissionary children, from first graders on their hosts were free to show them the around him.up, who were going next morning to a Language School for missionaries learning One day at church the SIM Bookshopsecond term of school about 300 miles the Hausa language of northern Nigeria, Manager's wife, a nurse, said toaway. Margaret, then absent from home the Translation Department, the Mission Margaret, "My little girl is sick." Hertwo weeks, was already missing her three; Eye Clinic, the School for the Blind, the daughter is about Mary McElroy's age,Joe, Danny, and Mary left home in Optical shop, the SIM Christian and Margaret replied in her sympatheticTopeka with their grandparents. Bookshop, and a Dispensary operated by way, "Oh, I'm sorry!" And then theLet me introduce you to Margaret. She the Nigerian church.mother revealed the diagnosis, "sickleis a beautiful and friendly young woman Next day, Bill and Margaret plunged cell anemia," a form of leukemia. Howwith wavy dark hair — always ready with into the work of the hospital. For the frightening and sad, when multiplied bya warm smile for stranger as well as friend. doctor it was seeing patients and treating all the diseases suffered in that land whereShe sings well, is a registered nurse, and is them in the clinic in the morning, with the Eye Hospital with its 135-150an artistic homemaker who serves a most surgery in the afternoon. Cataract capacity is always overflowing to 200 inpatients,besides the clinical work.appetizing buffet at parties. As the mother removals, eye eviscerations, a correctionof three, she goes camping with her boys of retinal injuries and diseases like As Dr. Bill McElroy says, "Whatupon occasion and shopping with her trachoma were to be performed. Bill did Jesus did in a moment of time, I can dofashion-conscious little daughter, aged over one hundred cataract removals only partially, with some skill, lots offive. But important in the hearts of this during his brief stay.worry, and time for healing."W.E.18COVENANTER WITNESS

MARK'S SKETCHBOOK OF CHRIST: A Workbook on theGospel of Mark. Helen Tenney. Banner of Truth Trust, 1971.128pp. $2.50.Realizing the need for material to help young people studythe Scriptures, Helen Tenney has written this workbook,focusing on the person of Christ as revealed in Mark. Thequestions (with blanks for written answers) are asked with theintent of guiding the student in "reading the facts" of the Word.Questions of interpretation and personal application are notincluded, but, according to the author, are "left in the hands ofthe teacher." This excellent tool in teaching youth how to readthe content of Scripture is worthy of recommendation for use invarious situations — personal study, small group studies, V.B.S.,S.S. and camp programs.Eileen FalkTHE LATE GREAT PLANET EARTH. Hal Lindsey with C. C.Carlson. Zondervan Publ. House, 1970.192 pp. $1.95 paper.The thesis of Lindsey's book rests on the idea that theestablishment of the modern nation of Israel insures that Christwill return within one "generation" of that 1948 event. This isbased on Lindsey's interpretation of Matt. 24:34. I would notdeny that Christ may return soon, but, among other seriousdeficiencies, Lindsey has not guarded himself against a chargewhich he brings against other "Bible students in recent years," of"unscriptural attempts at calculating datesOne of the many instances of Lindsey's bending ofScripture to suit his thesis is his treatment of Zech. 10-12. He listssix points as "an outline of these crucial chapters," all of themassigned by Lindsey to the end times of Christ's "secondcoming." All of the six items could refer to Christ's first coming,and one of them almost certainly refers to the crucifixion, Zech.13:1. If there is any uncertainty about this verse referring toChrist's first coming, we are told specifically in Matt. 26:31 thatZech. 13:7 found fulfillment in that occasion. Lindsay passesover this verse without comment. He has apparently made themistake of thinking that Scriptural is intended to make prophetsout of us.Lester KilpatrickPLAIN MR. KNOX. Elisabeth Whitley. Scottish ReformationSociety, 1972. 238 pp. $1.25.This paperback edition of John Knox's biography is areprint of the 1960 book issued in commemoration of the 400thanniversary of the establishment of the Church of Scotland. Thespirit of those Reformation times, times in which Knox made soglorious a name for himself in the cause of the Gospel, breathesthrough these pages of history — the hopes, the disappointments,the deprivations, the hard-won victories, thethankless vigilance, the battles (on the field and in the spirit) forChrist's honor. That such things were done and suffered andaccomplished seems almost incredible to our generation — andindeed is a stinging rebuke to our own age of spiritual inertia.Perhaps by taking such histories more to heart we might recovera proper humility and might glimpse again the greatness ofChrist's lordship.So then, as good solid popular history the book succeedsadmirably — although year-dates were unfortunately infrequentenough to be a nuisance. Yet the book never dragged, nor didthe author take unfair advantage of her clear partisanship.Nevertheless there is a serious flaw in this volume — oneperhaps only to be expected from an author who is married to aprominent minister in the present State Church of Scotland.That flaw is this: that democracy is confused with and takesprecedence over the Gospel of grace. John Knox is valued inlarge measure because "his" Gospel appealed to and gave voiceto the "democratic soul" of the Scottish nation. For a statechurch to base itself upon this kind of nationalistic and inclusivistappeal however naturalit may be is a departure intohumanism and away from Christ.Christ declared his Gospel to be unique and exclusive, notsecular and inclusivist; such is the nature of grace. Without thisrealization of God's sovereignty in election there would be verylittle principle by which to distinguish a Scottish reformer of oldfrom a present-day American radical. The Gospel must behonored in its own proper character, and not merely appealed toin a spirit of national and historical romanticism. Otherwise youdo very little honor to the Gospel, or to the memory of Knox'sheroic times.Duncan LoweJOHN CALVIN VERSUS THE WESTMINSTER CON­FESSION. Holmes Rolston III. John Knox Press, 1972. 124 pp.$2.95 (paperback).The thesis of the book is that Calvin's thought begins with aGod of grace who then unfolds law to bring man to see his needof grace. The Westminster Confession, on the other hand, beginswith law (the Covenant of Works) and introduces grace (theCovenant of Grace) as an afterthought when man could notperform the works of law himself.Positively, the author has exposed the chief weaknesses ofthe Confession and classical Reformed theology, namely a returnto a pre-Reformation emphasis on "works" as the most accuratemeasurement of genuine faith, an importance which Calvinhimself never assigned to good deeds. In addition, whereas onlyone aspect of sin is defined by the Confession as "any want ofconformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God," Calvinturns to the very heart of the matter in explicating sin in terms ofman's proclaiming himself equal to (or superior to) God.Negatively, the author seems to be more concerned withthe connotative (legal) impact of the Westminster Confessionwhile overlooking the details of its contents. In a similar vein, hereads Cabin in those passages of the Reformer's writings whichbest suit the author's "special pleading." For example, Rolstondeclares that there is no such thing in Calvin's system as a"Covenant of Works" which was later codified into the writtenLaw of Sinai. He overlooks the fact that for Calvin the "inwardlaw" of natural endowment is equated with the Ten Commandments(Institutes, 2:8:1,2). Later Reformed federaltheology substituted "Covenant of Works" for Calvin's "inwardlaw" (Westminster Confession 19:1,2). His treatment of the "lightof nature" in Calvin is far too superficial an analysis; the authorcompletely ignores Calvin's place for the important role ofScripture (Institutes 1:6:1-4) in the dilemma of man's culpability.He therefore does not note how the Confession closely follows inthe footsteps of the Reformer on this point.This book presents a stimulating challenge for the studentof Calvin and his legacy to the "Calvinists" — a bequest ofsimilarities as well as differences. The ultimate weakness of thebook is Rolston's refusal to grapple with the theological andphilosophical presuppositions with which Calvin and theWestminster divines came to the Bible, to compare and contrastthem, and to finally demonstrate, in scholarly honesty, the gulfbetween the method of the reformers and his Barthianpreconceptions.LeeP Bittner, IIIAPRIL 11. 1973 19

STERLING, KS.(Bruce Backensto, Pastor)Messrs. James Humphreys, HarryWilkey and Don Reed were installed asruling elders of the congregation.Rev. David Armstrong held an all daywork shop for teachers, January 27. OnSabbath he assisted in the communion,and he also baptized Benjamin BruceBackensto.GENEVA CONG.(J. Renwick Wright, Pastor)At the annual congregational dinnerand meeting the following officers wereelected: Chairman, Stewart McCready;Secretary, Bee Dodds. David Bell waselected trustee for a one year period andWendell Hemphill and Ray Vos wereelected trustees for a period of two years.At the same time, the congregationexpressed its appreciation to Dr. Wrightfor his care and guidance of thecongregation and also pledged its continuedcooperation with and prayer forhim.ROSE POINT, PA.(Joseph Caskey, Pastor)Members of the congregation sentletters to the Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration to express appreciationand support of the astronauts' decision toread the Bible.Prof. John Mitchell of Geneva Collegepresented an informative talk on churchfinances to our deacons, elders and interestedmembers of the congregation onJan. 9.A new intermediate group, for thosein grades 6 through 9, meetssimultaneously with the other groups onSabbath evening. Mr. and Mrs. DonaldPeffer are the sponsors for the intermediates.Contributions from the missionarysocieties, totaling S255. were sent for theN.A.E. World Relief Fund for Pakistanianorphanages.The Bible Club, which discontinuedduring winter months, began March 7.ID AN A, KS.(Luther McFarland, Pastor)Rev. Luther McFarland has recoveredfrom his recent surgery and is nowcontinuing his ministry to thecongregation.At their February meeting, 23members of the Clay Center WCTUexpressed their thanks to the Kansaslegislature who recently voted down theproposed bills to legalize bingo and liquorby the drink. Mrs. Luther McFarland isthe local WCTUpresident and Mrs.James Hatfield, the state president.Newly elected officers for 1973 include:Chairman, Clyde Goodin; S.S.Supt., Wilson McMahan. Steve Mc­Mahan, junior high school science teacherin Chapman, Ks. and Eugene Copeland,music instructor in the Randolph schools,are serving their home congregation;Steve teaches the Young People's Bibleclass and Eugene is using the first part ofthe S.S. hour to help us improve oursinging of the Psalms.SYRACUSE, N.Y.(Edward A. Robson, Pastor)A neighborhood rummage sale andbake sale was held on March 3 to providegood clothing and baked goods at nominalcost for folks in the church area. Theproceeds enabled us to buy two new tablesfor the fellowship dinners, which thecongregation occasionally has after themorning worship.Bob Pinkerton was inducted to theservice in late January; his first assignmentwas at Fort Dix, N.J.The congregation terminated theSabbath evening study groups and it nowmeets for evening worship at 7 p.m.Two young adult groups continue tomeet weekly; another adult Bible studybegan in January, at the request of severalmembers and friends of the congregation.HOT SPRINGS, N.M.(Boyd White, Stated Supply)The Rev. and Mrs. J. P. Wilsonpresented an outstanding evening of slidesand narrative from our Cyprus Mission onJanuary 24.The Rev. and Mrs. Ray McCrackenand their twin daughters were with usJanuary 24-30 for our communion season.Also the Gene Stevenson family fromAlbuquerque and the Elton Yellowfishfamily from Las Cruces joined us. OnMonday, Mr. McCracken led children inrecreation at the park, followed by asupper and Psalm sing at the church.On February 14, Mr. F. G. Naeher, aChristian Hebrew, showed slides of theHoly Land and gave his life testimony.Following this program, the congregationsurprised Mr. Boyd White with adecorated cake and a money gift in honorof his birthday. He is 89 years old and stillgathering up the S.S. children, preaching,and carrying forward the work of theministry!BIRTHSCULP, Cathie Anna to Forrest and Eileen(Nimick) Culp, on Jan. 10 (Broomall).EDGAR, John David to William andGretchen Edgar on Feb. 18 in Nicosia,Cyprus (Broomall).REED, Shawn Ryan to Don and LindaReed, on Feb. 18 (Sterling).DEATHMILLIGAN, Mrs. Ida Montgomery (94),widow of Sam Milligan, on Feb. 3. Lifetimemember of R. P. Church (Sterling).BAPTISMSTWEED, James Boyd, son of Dr. and Mrs.Robert Tweed (Geneva), by his uncle, Rev.John Tweed.HEMPHILL, Shannon Nicol, daughter ofMr. and Mrs. David Hemphill, by herI pastor, Rev. J. Renwick Wright. (Geneva20 COVENANTER WITNESS

COVENANTERWITNESS3

ORDWHAT IS HOLINESS?The task of every Christian is expressed in Ephesians 1:4,"We should be holy " The difficulty arises in how thisholiness is to be effected.Holiness movements have distorted the Scripture to putforth the misconception of a second blessing of total sanctificationreserved for a special class of Christians. Others whomisguidedly think we still have an old nature are not abovefostering a form of antinomianism whereby we can excuse oursins on the basis of blaming ' 'the old man.Between these two extremes lie many other interpretationsof holiness. All of them are put forward by sincerebelievers. But common to most of them is an emphasis onexternals or on system. In order to measure sanctification, thereis a natural tendency to try to set up exacting, legalistic standards.Thus one group of Christians looks down on another thatdoes not share the same list of prescribed "holy" actions,methods, and life-style.Somehow we assume that because we need and profitfrom certain aids that we have set up for our own spiritual lives,all believers must keep these same rules the way we do. Now,while it is true that we are all spiritual invalids who needcrutches, is it true that one crutch fits all? Hardly so. Holinessis a matter of the heart being right before God in full submissionto the Scriptures. There may be many guidelines to spiritualgrowth, but we must not judge our brother's spirituality or lackof it by how his personality responds to those aids which help usmost.Consistency of life in response to the commands ofScripture can never be replaced by self-aggrandizing conformityto outward systems of piety. It is not enough to know a systemof spirituality which enables us to say the right thing, we musthave the filling of the Spirit of God to be holy. All holinessresides in the righteousness of Christ which is imputed to us byfaith. He alone is holy and only as we are in Him as His Spiritsanctifies our natures can we have a claim to holiness. Ourconformity must be to Christ, not to the pietistic life-style ofcertain groups of Christians with whom we have a natural,psychological affinity. Nor can we simply write off as"ungodly" those whose personality traits give them a differentspiritual temperament. The body of Christ needs to be holy,but each member must find that true holiness which characterizeshis God-given personality.R.W.N.Ed. note: In our March 14 issue, we gave a falsedenominational identification to Mr. William Secor. He is amember of the Evangelical Free Church of America.R.W.N.2•Editor:I just wanted to share afew lines from a History ofTougaloo College by ClariceT. Campbell, Professor ofHistory in Rust College (bothschools in Mississippi).Concerning the trends in the1880's, the author says:"One religious society of'inestimable' worth was theCovenanters. Without formalmeetings, each memberpledged himself to be preparedto take part in the regularWednesday evening prayerservice. The Covenantersassured lively and interestingmeetings."Tougaloo was establishedprimarily for Blacks by theAmerican MissionaryAssociation. The historyfrequently uses Sabbath.Arthur W. CalhounSt. Petersburg, Fla.•Editor:This is just a short notefrom an outsider. I cannotbegin to tell you what animprovement has been madein the Covenanter Witnesssince I first obtained a copy in1968. Its articles are true toCovenanter distinctives, butare presented in such a way asto appeal to the large family ofReformed friends that readyour publication.I can only hope that themagazine will expand andbecome a monthly periodicalwith more color and creativeuse of art and pictures. Acolumn in every issue onChristian Education(methods, evaluation ofpublications, reviews of RPpublications available) wouldbe most helpful. God bless . . .Richard M. SmileyHighland, Michigan•Editor:The article "Charity: Index to the Soul" strikes home.The Bible supports Mr. DeKoster's contention that need ismore a test of the haves than of the have-nots. One obviouspassage, in addition to those he cited, is Acts 20:35, "It ismore blessed to give than to receive."A less quoted verse is Ephesians 4:28, "Let him thatstole steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with hishands at the thing which is good, that he may have to give tohim that needeth." So to the young person who asks, "Whyshould I work, if the Church will keep me?" our answer mustbe something different than an exasperated explosion. The Biblesays, ' 'So you will have to give to the needy." Mr. DeKoster'sarticle helps explain this. It is true of everyone who has — youhave to give to the needy. The end of hard work is not to befinancial independence, nor possessions, nor security in old age.The end of the commandment is charity.When we are proud that we do not steal, that we workhard and do good work and that we have abundance, we are selfworshippersand idolators. But when we rejoice that we have inorder that we may give, there has been a break-through in ourrelation to God.Richard HutchesonHolton, Ks.(More letters are found on page 17.)COVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockIndividual: U.S., Canada. $5.00, 1 year;S8.50, 2 years; British Isles, ( 2, 1 year;€3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. i 5221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 738 RebeccaAvenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.VOLUME LXXXIXNO. 9APRIL 25, 1973CONTENTSMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithARTICLES:The Office of a Deacon.Deacons at Work.Render Unto Caesar.Official Publication of the Reformed The Laying on of Hands.Deaconess Deductions.Presbyterian Church of N. A.Rules for a Profitable Sabbath.FEATURES:A Word Due. ...Printed bi-weekly under the"In Truth and Love"Open for Opinion.supervision of the Board ofGlimpses. .Hey Lookit!.Education and Publication by theFrom the Desk.Bring the Books.Patterson Press, Winchester, Kansas. Poets Corner"Count Her Towers . ."Count Our Days"SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATIONSecond class postage paid atWinchester, Kansas 66097.MfMBtR C^£5^>"rEVANGELICAL PRESS ASSOCIATIONj4e\e4.68.1416.19By May 1 the Board of Education and Publication expects to be in itsnew headquarters. The new location will provide office space that is betterdesigned to meet the needs of our work. We will be sharing the second storyof an office building in Wilkinsburg with the Christian GovernmentMovement. All correspondence should be addressed as of May 1 to:Board of Education and Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221ii.1112131718192020IAPRIL 25. 1973 \

• \WILLIAM J. STERRETTGhe Office of a DeaconAmong the offices of the Christian Church, that of thedeacon is usually considered to be the least important. Mostchurch members seem to regard the teaching elder(minister) as the highest officer, followed by the ruling elder,who is usually placed on a lower level of respect. Belowthese, the deacon usually commands the least respect. In factthe deacon is often considered of such little importance thatmany congregations do not even have ordained deacons.Even in congregations that have them, the deacons are oftenthought to be responsible only for the counting of theSabbath offering, paying the pastor's salary, and seeing thatthe light and heat bills of the church building are paid.The New Testament Scriptures present a far differentpicture of the office of deacon than that which is common inthe church today. In the early church the deacons wereleaders in both the physical matters and the spiritual affairsof the church's life. Paul considered the deacons of suchimportance that when he wrote to the church at Philippi hedid not simply address his letter to the session, but he addressedboth the elders and the deacons. The office of thedeacon is so important that the Holy Spirit directed Paul toset forth the special qualifications of a deacon in his firstletter to Timothy. The office of deacon in Scriptures is one ofhonor and respect as is the office of elder.In order that we might understand the proper positionof the deacon as an ordained officer of the church, we shallexamine the Scriptures to see what they teach. We shallconsider first of all what the Scriptures have to say concerningthe purpose of the office, and second of all what theScriptural qualifications of a deacon are.In the book of Acts we are told of the origin of theoffice of deacon. It arose out of a particular need in the earlychurch. In Acts 2:44,45, we see that the early Christiansvoluntarily had all things in common. Many members wouldsell their property and possessions, and share with every onewho had need. We are told in Acts 4:36,37, that a mannamed Joseph, also called Barnabas, a Levite from Cyprus,owned a piece of land. Barnabas sold his tract of land, andbrought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. It isapparent from this that the apostles were responsible for thedistribution of these gifts to those who were in need. Thiswas even the case in the deceitful offering of Ananias andSapphira, who laid their money at the feet of the apostles.In Acts chapter 6, a problem arises in the dailydistribution of these gifts to the poor. The number ofbelievers was constantly increasing, and because of this thetask of distributing gifts to the poor became more and moredifficult. The apostles were already busy with theirresponsibility to preach the Word, and they were no longerable to adequately handle the distribution to those in need.At this time a complaint arose on the part of theHellenistic Jews. These were Greek speaking Jews, many ofwhom were natives of the Greco-Roman lands. Theircomplaint was against the native Hebrews, most of whomwere natives of Palestine and spoke Aramaic. The complaintof the Greek speaking Jews was that their widows were beingneglected in the daily distribution. To deal with thisproblem, the apostles called the congregation together andsaid, "It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God toserve tables. But select from among you seven men of goodreputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we may putin charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayerand to the ministry of the word."The account goes on to tell us that this suggestion metwith the approval of the entire congregation, and they choseseven men, Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon,Parmenas, and Nicolas. They brought these men to theapostles, who laid their hands on them after praying.About the author: William Sterrett is a senior at theReformed Presbyterian Seminary. He is a graduate ofGeneva College and has served as a CCC worker inCyprus. His wife is the former Pitsa Zingas from Cyprus.COVENANTER WITNESS

For they that have used theoffice of a deacon well purchaseto themselves a gooddegree, and great boldness inthe faith which is in ChristJesus.I Tim. 3 13zs2ssssess3&ee£222es83£sesseesse2eeess^^SSSS8SS8SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS^The seven men in Acts 6 are not called deacons in thepassage. However, the verb "diakonein," from which theword for deacon is derived, is used to show that these menwere "to serve." They served so that the apostles could givethemselves to the "diakonia" (ministry) of the Word. Thesuccessors of these seven men are called deacons by Paulwhen he addresses the officers of the church at Philippi andwhen he writes the qualifications of the office of deacon in ITimothy.From the account in Acts 6, the purpose of the officeof deacon is very clear. It is primarily to take care of thephysical aspects of the work of the church in order that thosewho have the responsibility of preaching the Word may giveof their time fully to their primary task. When the seven menwere appointed, the apostles were freed from the task of"serving tables" and were able to devote themselves toprayer and to the ministry of the Word.The purpose of deacons should be the same in ourchurch today. The deacons do their work so that theministers of the word may devote themselves to their work.By faithfully carrying out their task the deacons free theelders so that they may devote themselves to their task ofoverseeing the people of the church. Besides freeing theelders from the physical cares of the church, the deaconscarry out a very real ministry of their own, which is notinferior to the task of the elders. Their ministry is one of loveand concern for the people of the church.Those who would place the deacons on a level ofrespect lower than that of the elders often do so because theyconsider the physical aspects of life to be unimportant. Thisidea, however, is foreign to the Scriptures. The Scripturesteach the importance of the physical as well as the nonphysical.The salvation of one of God's people is not simplythe salvation of some spiritual part of the man. It is thesalvation of the whole man. Scripture teaches that our bodieswill be raised again in the new heavens and the new earth.APRIL 25, 1973The Lord Jesus has a great interest in the physical ortemporal needs of His people. So important are the physicalneeds of His people that He considers what is done to one ofHis brothers, even to the least of them, to be done to Him.He will say to those who have ministered to His people: "Iwas hungry, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger andyou invited me in; naked and you clothed me; I was sick,and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me."When the deacons carry out their work of ministering to thephysical needs of the people of Christ, their service is toChrist Himself.From the account in Scripture it is clear that thedeacon is not simply to see that the Sabbath offering iscounted and that the bills of the church are paid. The deaconis to be constantly concerned with the physical well being ofthe people of Christ. He should try to be aware of anymembers of his congregation who are in need of help. Theform of help may be financial or it may take on other forms;such as, praying with those who are in some sort of distress,or lending a helping hand whenever necessary. The deaconis to represent Christ as an officer of His mercy to Hispeople. It should also be noted that the first deacons did notlimit themselves to the distribution of gifts to the poor. Twoof them, Philip and Stephen, are known for their boldwitness of Christ to the world around them.As we consider what the purpose of the office ofdeacon is, it is obvious that a man must have certainqualifications in order to carrv out the work of this office.Some of the qualifications of the deacon are found in thepassage in Acts that we have been considering. The sevenmen who were chosen were to be men of good reputation.and they were to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. Thesequalifications are absolutely necessary for those who are torepresent Christ as the officers of His mercy.(Continued on page 15.)5

About five years ago a deacon benchturned up mysteriously at the door of theNorth Hills Church. It was to be sometime before a deacon sat in it because therewas none at North Hills. When ourdeacon board was elected and installedabout a year later, the congregation hadnot had deacons in many years and none ofus had ever served as deacons before. Thiscircumstance is probably one of thereasons why the deacon board at NorthHills has been reasonably effective in itswork — we had to start from scratch, andwe also had to start right then. Mostdeacon boards will not have the advantageof a clean start, but some of our experiencesmay be instructive.We studied the Scriptural basis of theoffice. For the first two or three years westudied The Ministry of Mercy for Todayby Peter Y. De Jong (Baker Book House,1952) at our monthly meetings. This bookis a detailed Scriptural, historical andpractical study of the office of thediaconate. De Jong gave us considerablymore to think about than the list of dutiesdiscussed in the Blue Book. We were firstsurprised, and later, challenged that DeJong discussed the function of thediaconate exclusively in terms of theministry of mercy. We had thought of thedeacon's work as principally making surethe roof didn't leak, the checkbookbalanced, and the minister was paid eachmonth, not necessarily in that order. Westill do a considerable amount of thesethings, but we have come to see our job asinvolving the caring for the physical needsof persons both inside and outside of ourlocal congregation.We are subordinate to the session andtry to assist the session in thecongregation 's work. The model for thediaconate should be the role of a servant.We try to make policy only within thegeneral oversight of the session. This isnot an easy line to draw, but it is our job totake care of the day-to-day matters thatwould be a burden to the session. Whetherone takes the election of the Seven in thesixth chapter of Acts to mark the origin ofthe diaconate or not, this passage still mayserve as a model for our role in relation tothe session.DONALD McBURNEYAbout the author: Donald H Mc­Burney, PhD is Associate Professor ofPsychology at the University of Pittsburghand a deacon of the North Hillscongregation.6 COVENANTER WITNESS

* * )How does the session exercise itssupervision? We generally hold ourmeetings on the same evening as thesession and there are periodic consultationsbetween the groups. Sometimeswe meet together with the session for ourdevotional study and for part of ourbusiness meeting when there are mattersof joint concern or when we are discussingsomething that we feel requires session'sadvice and approval. Each year at budgettime we meet with the session, after wehave done our homework, and go over theproposed budget in detail.We take an activist view of the office.The diaconate is a spiritual office, so thatif we just see to it that the roof doesn'tleak, etc., we are not properly exercisingthe function of the diaconate. We noticedthat we had practically no children whowent home after Sabbath School anddecided that the Sabbath School offeringwas serving no function and eliminated itin favor of teaching the children to give tothe offering in the worship service.Perhaps our most audacious action hasbeen to paint the sanctuary without askingthe opinion of the members of the churchas to color! (We seem to have got awaywith it!)The following more mundaneexamples may be more instructive. Thechairman of the deacon board meets withthe pastor each year before the budget isworked up and discusses his workingconditions with him and where we canbest improve such things as basic salary.housing, fringe benefits, secretarialassistance. We discuss what plans thesession may have for the coming year thatwill have budget implications. Then, afterthe meeting with the session mentionedearlier, we are ready to go into thecongregational meeting with a detailedplan for how we would like to use theresources at our disposal in the comingyear. The budget that gets adoptedrepresents the will of the congregation,but this way more thought can go into theconsideration of our priorities. If thesewere left up to the vagaries of spontaneousmotions from the floor of a meeting, somebizarre allocations of congregational effortcould result. This way we have avoidedlong discussions of whether we shouldpave the parking lot or give the pastor araise, install air conditioning or give toSynod's budget. (We have neither a pavedparking lot or air-conditioning althoughthe deacons have considered both.) Thisprocedure also makes the matter of votingon the pastor's salary and benefits easier.These potentially sensitive and-ortechnical matters can best be worked outin smaller committees where they canreceive the attention they deserve withoutpressure of time or embarrassment.We seek to deal with budgetarymatters by a "Three Level" approach.This is our attempt to plan for the yearahead without limiting too much whatGod might do in providing funds. Insteadof one budget, we adopt three at once!The first one, Level I, covers only ourlocal ministry: pastor's salary, utilities,etc. This level will just keep the doorsopen. Level II includes all of Level I inaddition to some other things that wewould like to do at the local level and alsosome giving to Synod's budget, NationalReform, etc. Level II is set at about thegiving level of the previous year. Level IIIincludes Levels I and II and also providesmore for Synod's budget and also GenevaCollege. We set Level III at about theamount we would receiveif every membergave a tithe to the congregation'streasury, based upon a "guesstimate" ofthe total earnings of families of ourcongregation. In this way thecongregation can give with the confidencein what we will do with the money asitcomes in at any particular rate. If they givesacrificially. it won't go toward a pavedparking lot. We have examined manyforms of "fund raising" and feel that thisone is scriptural.The establishment of a Mercy Fund isof utmost importance Briefly, from ourstudy of the office of the deacon, we foundthat the mercy fund was a vital, continuingfunction of the church. We havetried to bring this concept before thecongregation by announcements beforethe worship service, in the bulletin, thenewsletter, and by posters. We encourageregular giving to the Mercy Fund andhave recently instituted special MercyFund offering on a semi-monthly basis.We have tried to coordinate these withoccasions such as Thanksgiving,Christmas, and communion. Theoperation of the Mercy Fund is confidentialand only the amounts that aresent to agencies outside of the localcongregation are identified. Otherwise,only the total activity in the mercy fund isannounced. We also found from our studythat the mercy offering should bevoluntary and above and beyond theregular giving. For this reason the MercyFund is separate from the budget of thecongregation and only designated offeringsare used for mercy activities.Basically we try to communicate ouractivities to the congregation and enlist itssupport in the deacon work. In addition tothe methods of communication mentionedearlier, we ask the pastor to preachperiodically on the matter of stewardship.We have recently had a series of SabbathSchool lessons on stewardship, especiallyas it relates to family finances taught byDr. Stewart Lee of Geneva College. Wehave had poster contests to advertise someof the organizations and causes that ourmoney goes toward. We have asked forand received help from a wide segment ofthe congregation on our work days andother projects.In reading over what I have written, Irealize that I have failed to convey much ofthe situation that has contributed to thework of the North Hills deacon board. Wehave been blessed with deacons who taketheir office seriously and a congregationthat supports us in our work. Many ot thethings I have described are no doubt beingdone by many other deacon boards and nodoubt other congregations have otherways ot doing things that are equally validand effective Perhaps some ot our experiences will give you some ideas for vourdeacon board.•APRIL 25, 1973

RENCJER UNTO CAESARTAXESANDCHRISTIANEDUCATIONREX DOWNIEThe historic Christian confession has been that Christis Lord, yet only recently has that Lordship been perceivedby evangelicals to reach the formal educational process. Whywas this vision so long in coming? Why were we contentwith state-controlled education? Have we but recently readthe Biblical injunction that our children be raised in "thenurture and admonition of the Lord?"Our contentment with public education began in thiscountry because the majority of our population wasChristian in traditions and beliefs. Christianity was largely,and uncritically, accepted as the national faith. The contentof McGuffy's readers, the founding charters of Harvard,Yale, Princeton all bear testimony to our "Christianheritage.'' But we must understand at least two things aboutthis heritage. First, it was held uncritically, so that it wasdefenseless when Darwinism and Higher-Criticism reddoggedthe faith of many. And this defenselessness existedbecause, secondly, our Christian forebearers had alreadyadmitted in one way or another that the "natural sciences"were neutral, factual, "objective," Christians believed thisto be true because of "common grace" and were thuscontent to leave the explanation of the meaning of God'screation to pagans. Notice that the major corruptions ofmodern times have sprung out of this 'neutral' groundwhich we surrendered to the unbelievers. Our "Christianheritage" considered only specifically theological mattersand excluded a world-and-life-view. And here is the root ofthe private-public albatross now around our necks. Thosethings which were "scientific," were considered reasonable— all men could agree to them, hence they were public.While those unscientific things, such as Revelation andReligion could not be proven, so were unscientific, and onecouldn't — andshouldn 't expect all men to agree on them.Hence these things are "private." Much more needs to besaid to elaborate this point, but for now we must see how weconspired to perpetuate this false dichotomy by agreeing thatscience is neutral. We never asked questions as; What are"facts"? — Who decides what facts are significant? Andwho interprets the "facts" as to their meaning for culture?And we have reaped the whirlwind because our culture isnow dominated by pagans.COVENANTER WITNESS

narrowed vision of Orthodox Protestantism — that theChristian faith consisted in prayer and bible reading — wasexpressed in the public school, we could regard it as ' 'ours"without qualm, insist that it was public, and go our merrywaywithout concern for justice."Our" school, the Little Red Schoolhouse, has beencaptured by the secular forces of Satan, whose teachingseffectually close the doors of such schools to our littleones.(l) They can successfully conceal their secularismand atheism behind the shield of neutrality and tW publicprivatelie; a shield which we have helped to forge!We must now see how we and our forefathers sinnedby allowing God's creation to be called "Nature'' and thennature to be called ' 'laws of science,'' and science "facts,''and facts "data" and data meaningless! Nothing in thecreation is meaningless or just a fact! Would God create athing to be meaningless, or not related to the rest of Hiscreation? Why would He create without purpose? Nor canwe overemphasize that the sense of despair and meaninglessthat is the earmark of our day in God's righteous judgmentupon men who impugn the worth of God's creation and HisRedeemer by denying the purpose of God for His creation.Now that we see how the notion of neutral sciencebecame the thin edge of the wedge used by Satan to driveman further from Christ and the Scripture, we should see theurgency of Christian education! Thus we can answer thequestion raised at the outset; we have never had a trulyChristian education in the Little Red Schoolhouse! Nor didwe ever have a Christian nation! Our children should alwaysbe raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; neverentrusted to unbelievers for their education.To summarize to this point:Our "Christian heritage" was hostile to Catholicismbecause of the conflicts of the Reformation. And whenCatholics came to our shores in large numbers, and theirhierarchy began to build parochial schools, we fell into thetrap — Satan's trap — of using the public-private fog to denythe Catholics a share of the tax dollar while still forcing themto pay for "our" "neutral" schools. And, of course, if"they" didn't like McGuffy, 10 verses of Scripture, and theLord's Prayer, that was then "private" choice, and theyhad the "freedom" to pay for that choice. And because theAbout the author: Rex Downie, a graduate of TempleUniversity Law School, is an attorney at law in BeaverFalls, Pa. He is a member of the College Hill R. PCongregation and of the Geneva College Board ofTrustees.(1) The public schools are not Christian; norare they "neutral", but are effectively anti-Christian.(2) Christian education cannot stand merelyas a reaction to the decay of the State schools butmust return to the roots of Biblical authority for allareas of the curriculum, goals, and methods.(3) Thus Christian education should stand,and should always have stood on its own Biblicalfoundation — with the nurture and admonition ofthe Lord structuring the whole educational process.With this admittedly brief overview of educationaldevelopments,(2) we at least have a basis for understandingwhy the public schools are becoming less andless acceptable to Christians, and the historical reason for thegrowth of the Christian school movement.And now the dilemma arises. The 30 to 40 millionevangelicals in the nation have participated in the financingof, for the past 150 years, a state school system that becomesincreasingly unacceptable. During the developmentsoutlined above we have diligently paid our taxes to run thestate school system. And the rule has developed; and we arestuck with it; we pay for "ours." let "them pay for theirs."(Continued on next page.)APRIL 25, 1973 9

REINCJER UNTO CAESAR (from page 9.)Only now we have joined "them" in efforts to express ourdeepest beliefs throughout the educational process. And nowwe pay for "ours" and theirs too! Ours now being theChristian school and theirs being the temple of man. What isthe impact of this on Christian education? The answerbecomes obvious when we realize thatit costs on an average$900.00 to educate a child for one year, and the averagefamily will pay a minimum of $400.00 school tax on its realproperty alone, aside from other varieties of taxes-foreducation.The raw truth is that many children are deniedChristian education becauseit costs too much!But should it? Need it? Must we always accept thisanswer? I think not.First, the state school systems have spent vast sums ofmoney, butit now appears that effective education is notdependent on unlimited budgets or exotic plants. The effectiveeconomic monopoly enjoyed by the state schoolssystems has propelled them to follow Parkinson's law;"Expenditures Rise to Meet Income." More and morepeople are coming to realize that educational economicmanagement is out of control, and must be brought undercontrol.Second, we can see that since education cannot beneutral, it will follow the "beliefs" of the educator,whatever they may be; education has a religious root — theworld view of the educator, be it humanist or Christian.Therefore, the state cannot with justice continue to pretendthat "public" education is neutral over against a "sectarian,'' private education. Christians should lead the way inshowing publicly that all education should be subsidizedequally without imposition of a religious test on therecipient. To bring about the adoption of a voucher systemwould be in the best interests of the nation as a whole. Firstitwould bring the life-giving character of Christian Educationmore fully upon the scene and provide more easy access totruly meaningful education. Secondit would bring a helpfulcompetition to bear upon the state system, by allowing thegeneral public a freedom of choice heretofore denied. Suchpressure would keep the public educational establishmenthonest with its clientele, the taxpayer.An avenue for such relief is presently opening up. TheCommonwealth of Pennsylvania has adopted a voucher plancalling for payment of $150 per year to each high schoolstudent and $75.00 per year to each elementary student inprivate schools. While the amount is only a small fraction ofactual cost, the recognition of the principal of reimbursementdirectly to the parent-citizen, rather than to theschool — is significant for it avoids the pitfalls of the"entanglement — with religion" facade behind which manyso-called civil libertarians have successfully concealed theirprejudices in the past. This legislation has been held unconstitutionalby a 3 judge Federal Panel in Philadelphia.But the United States Supreme Court agreed on January 22,1973, to hear argument on this case. The outcome of thiscase is vital to the prospects for tax justice in the area ofeducation.However, irrespective of the outcome of the pendinglitigation, a test case is conceived of which would go to theroot of the matter by claiming that the state itself hasestablished the religion of humanism in its own schools. TheU. S. Supreme Court has recognized humanism as religion inthe following language:"Among religions in this country which donot teach what would generally be considered abelief in the existence of God are Buddism, Taoism,Ethical Culture, Secular Humanism, and others."Torcaso v. Wat kins367 U.S. 488 p. 495 N. 11(1961)At the same time our Supreme Court has upheld theprovisions of the First Amendment by clearly stating thatgovernment cannot be anti-religious, cannot prevent the freeexercise of religion,(3) nor canit impose a religious test asa qualification for receipt of public welfare funds. Thelitigation now planned will focus these legal principals on theeducational dilemma facing Christian parents by showinghow the present school tax monopoly:(1) Bars Christians from its benefitsBECAUSE THEY EXERCISE THEIR RELIGIONIN THE CLASSROOM.(2) Hampers Christians by placing themunder the burdens of supporting two educationalsystems.(3) Forces Christians to pay a tax whichdirectly supports the teaching of anti-Christianhumanism, i.e. violates their freedom of religion.On this basis a request will be made to have the schooltax budget divided equally over all students receivingeducation wherever they attend school.For Christians, this would provide an open road to reartheir children under the "nurture and admonition of theLord,'' and all parents would receive the justice due them bypermitting a freedom of choice as to what kind of educationtheir children will receive.FOOTNOTES(1) This article assumes Christian Education as a command of God to the Bodyof Christ Many Christians feel no need for Christian Schools and believe that homeinstructions and Church training can 'offset' whatever is taught in the state school.These Christians should re-examine their position in light of Christ's words "butwhoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it is better forhim that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in thedepth of the sea" Matt. 18:6. When vou sen J your child to school, and he is deceived.is to who made the world he lives in bv the false gods of science and fact now erected inthe state schools, haven't you caused him to stumble?(2) The length of this article prevents documentation of the matters presented.However, the reader mav consult CRISIS IN THE CLASSROOM — SILVERMAN;MESSIANIC NATURE OF AMERICAN EDUCATION - RUSHDOONY;FUTURE SHOCK (ch. 1H) Toffler; Coleman Report; J. S. Coleman. Report ofNYC Schools John Hopkins University (1965-1966).(3) The U. S. Supreme Court has stated that the state cannot "hinder.'"handicap" or "hamper" the citizen in his exercise of the freedom of religionguaranteed under the First and Fourteenth Amendment See FIRST AMENDMENTAND CHRISTIAN EDUCATION, CHRISTIAN LAWYER Winter. 1970, c/oCHRISTIAN LEGAL SOCIETY. Box 363, Chicago, Illinois. 60690.10 COVENANTER WITNESS

HonoraryDegreesWe regard literary honors, as now conferred onclergymen, as a thing which might well be dispensed with.Were they confined to the very venerable, the verylearned, and the very distinguished, there might be lessobjection, because the class referred to would be verysmall, and the evil would be neither so apparent or real.Even in reference to this class, however, the honorary titlewould be of no available use, as it would make itsrecipients not one whit more venerable, learned, ordistinguished, than they were before. As the case actuallyexists, there are no such limitations. Our numerouscolleges vie with each other in the lavish manner inwhich their honors are bestowed. Neither venerable age,profound learning, nor long continued and distinguishedservices are required as qualifications. Without going intothe subject at large, we will state in brief our objections tothe custom.1. Christian ministers should be humble and selfdeniedmen, not coveting the honors which come from theworld. The grace of humility is the one of most difficultcultivation, and whatever obstructs its growth should becarefully shunned. We verily believe that a title whichgives to any one a pretended superiority over his brethren,is an element of pride which it is not easy to counteract. 2.In accordance with this fact are the teachings of our Lord,forbidding his ministers to seek after such distinctions; thehonor coming from men. and wordly popularity not beingtheir object, as members of a kingdom not of this world,and as soldiers of the cross called to endure hardness. 3.The Presbyterian form of government, based on the officialparity of the clergy, is virtually assailed by theadoption of permanent titles which imply officialsuperiority and inferiority. This argument is not invalidatedby the alleged fact that superior talents andattainments will necessarily make their possessor superiorto his fellow, less richly endowed, inasmuch as this iswholly different from a semi-official recognition of anartificial distinction such as Presbyterianism whollyrepudiates. 4. The literary title creates a factitiousdistinction between men, when no such distinction iswarranted by the facts in the case, it very frequentlyhappening that the less is preferred to the greater, andmere pretension is advanced above solid merit. 5. As aresult of this, men of inferior attainments receive therespect of the unthinking multitude, who take it forgranted that the Doctor must be superior to the Mister.Nothing should be countenanced which would naturallylead people into so great an error. The very same error,too, enters into our Church judicatories, where mattersshould be better estimated, and the titled are generallyplaced at the head of all important business. 6. Hence itbecomes a very serious question, whether the Churchshould give its approbation to a proceeding in which asmall band of trustees, managing a literary institution inany part of the country, exercises a power of interferingwith an ecclesiastical body in creating artificial distinctionsin it which its constitution does not recognize.Reformed PresbyterianApril 1904Editor's note: From time to time, it is our intentioto reprint statements of opinion that have appeared inother periodicals. These will be items of interest thatshould call forth an expression of opinion from ourreaders. In no sense are we saying that the Witness endorsesthe articles printed, but we are simply printing oneopinion in order to get the reaction of our readers. Oursubjects for discussion will not include areas of doctrinecontrary to the law and order of the church, but simpler,everyday matters about which Christians have varyingopinions. We invite you to share your reaction to thearticle above. Your comments should be addressed toCovenanter Witness, Open for Opinion, H00 Wood St.,Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221. Please limit your opinions to nomore than 50 words. All writers should identify themselves,but may request that a pen name be used or thattheir name be withheld. Your response should be mailedno later than one week following the cover date of theWitness in which vou read Open for Opinion.APRIL 25. 19^

ANTI-SEMITISM IN REVERSE?B'nai Shalom, a slick paper, fullcolor Jewish magazine, privatelypublished by Peace Publishers and Co.,is one which indicates that Jewishleaders are disturbed by Christianevangelism. The January issue includedan insert leaflet: "ATTENTION!B 'nai Shalom Has No Connection WithBeth Sar Shalom, which is only one ofthe weary, warmed over missionaryorganizations, sponsored by the Baptistchurches. B 'nai Shalom is glad toannounce that it DOES NOT endorsethese opportunists, their doctrines, andwants no part of their tactics to 'convert'the Jewish people.'' In addition, B 'nai Shalom issues asolemn warning to JEWISH PEOPLENOT TO BECOME INVOLVED INANY WAY IN THE 'KEY '73'PROGRAM. Its core is a salesorganization designed to add membersto an embarrassed Christendom whoserolls are suffering badly. The systematicpressure tactics to achieve 'conversions'are necessary because they are selling apoor product. 'Convert' indeed! Willthey 'convert' Jews to their legacy offairy tale beliefs, hate, distrust and thedivision which is the standard ofCatholicism and all her 'protestant'daughters? With this announcement wedeclare that B 'nai Shalom rejects andopposes organized Christendom!""SEX EDUCATION BELONGS INTHE HOME"With this engaging headline SISIMS(Say It So It Makes Sense) introduces its1973 winter quarterly. The 16 pagesheet, however, promotes materials and"standards" (if situation ethics can besaid to involve standards) which havebeen propagated the past 20 years,urging public school sex education incompetition to the home. Apparentlythey feel that their "education"program has proceeded far enough now,that they can get many parents to teachthe ideas that defy Biblical morality, andso their pitch is toward the home. Their12imp^e^IRev. Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010five "morals" guidelines are aimed atnot transgressing the wishes of others,but pleasing yourself. Playboy isrecommended, also Siecus materials.Also, there is a patronizing bow to"religion" with brief selectedquotations from several religioussources.WISCONSIN LEGISLATION ONTEACHING CREATIONA bill has been introduced into theWisconsin legislature that wouldrequire "balanced instruction"wherever evolution is taught in thepublic schools. The bill states thatinstruction "shall stress that thetheories are not established facts andshall accord proper treatment in timeemphasis and attitude to protect therights of all students."PRESBYTERIAN UNIONA joint committee of the northernand southern Presbyterian Churches,according to EP, has provided a plan forunion in 1974, though denominationwide vote could not be taken till 1975.BILLY JAMES HARGIS — NCC —CARL McINTIREThese three "institutions" are allseeking a hearing before the SupremeCourt, the NCC as a "friend of thecourt" in the appeal of Billy JamesHargis, while Carl Mclntire is appealingthe denial of a license renewalfor Radio Station WXUR by the FCC.Income tax exemption for contributionsto Christian Crusade wascancelled by the IRS. An appeal to theFederal Court in Tulsa brought arestoration of the exemption right, butthe U. S. Circuit Court in Denverreversed the lower court decision, andMr. Hargis is seeking to take his case tothe Supreme Court. The NCC, thoughan acrimonious antagonist of Hargis,has recognized that if Hargis loses thiscase, the IRS could move against themnext. Carl Mclntire also offered tosupport Hargis in Court, but his offerwas not accepted, and the NCC has notoffered Mclntire "friend of the court"aid.Mclntire says he has already spent$200,000 in reaching the place where arequest for a hearing can be presented tothe Supreme Court. It seems likely thatthere are two reasons that he must fightthe battle alone. One is Dr. Mclntire'shistory of being "a one manoperation," having separated fromseveral capable and godly leaders in thepast; the other is that his thrust ismilitantly religious, secondarilypolitical, and his religious testimonythreatens the NCC's very basis, andpossibly is somewhat embarrassing toHargis.CHRISTIAN LITERATURE FORCHINAThe Worldwide Evangelist,missionary magazine of the LutheranChurch, reports some observations ofrecent visitors to mainland China,especially with respect to the place ofliterature in getting the gospel out "in alanguage which with the exception ofEnglish is used by more people than anyother."During a month-long stay in Chinaone Christian visitor reported "seeingno outward evidence of the Christianfaith, and that included any book orperiodical related to the Christianmessage." Still, the writer says, "Wedare not equate it (lack of Bibles andChristian literature) with a wide-spreadhunger or seeking for such books. Intalking with recent arrivals frommainland China one very seldom meetsanyone who has ever seen a Bible oreven knows about such a book. Havingbeen brought up in an educationalsystem dominated by dialecticalmaterialistic thought, there appears tobe no 'god concept' in the minds of thepeople."Another observation made is thatthe present stock and even kind ofChristian publications in Chinese, areby and large not suited for use on themainland. An effort is being made toprepare materials geared to the Communist-taughtChinese youngergeneration, such as "a pictorial tract infull color which uses the theme ofChina's good earth and discreetly introducesthe question of the Creator,'or a New Testament "printed in thesimplified characters now in usethroughout China." It is reported that3,542 characters have been simplifiedand that this involves about one fourthof the words in the Bible.COVENANTER WITNESS

WHAT I CALL HOMEWhen I get older and get married, I would likemy home to be warm and friendly. I would like mychildren to get along well with each other instead offighting with each other- I would want my family tohave fun at whatever they are doing whether it is workor play. And most important I.would like my home tohave a good Christian foundation.1Amy SpearGibsonia,Pa.Dear Kids.The last time I wrote to you we were in the movingprocess with very unsettled surroundings. If you haveever moved you will likely remember the boxes and boxesand boxes! What used to be home seemed more like awarehouse, not very friendly or cozy.Now as I write we are enjoying a neat home withfew boxes sitting around. Each day,it seems, we arediscovering some new thing, sometimes a gift we didn'tknow we had with our new home. This morning it was aring-necked pheasant in ou r backyard. This afternoon itwas blooming crocus and other signs of spring.I wonder how many of God's gifts we discover dayby day and how many we misslWith the coming of spring we can have a new senseof awareness of God and His gifts to us. Of course some ofHis greatest gifts we cannot see; yet others we can. Andas we notice some sky or flower or other gift we can say,"Thank you, Lord," and know that God is pleased witha grateful heart.Some of our Junior writers speak about nature andsome have written on other important subjects. Thankyou Juniors.Your friend,Mrs. A.I like our science class this year. I've learned agreat deal. We had to do reports on a certain type ofanimal andit was very interesting. Karen had to doProtozoa, and she brought in specimens which welooked at under a microscope. I had never seenanything like that before, it was really interesting. Wehad specimens instead of just reading about them in abook — we saw them!Alison DownieGrade 7Dear Mrs. A, 1The following letter is for "Hey Lookit!" It issomething about nature.THE WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHNuthatches can climb down a tree head first. Thisnuthatch is the most'widespread of the four NorthAmerican nuthatches. It is known by its black cap andbeady eye on its white face. It is a companion of thechickadees and downy woodpeckers. They travel inlittle foraging* bands. The White-Breasted Nuthatchis familiar to everyone who puts out suet and sunflowerseeds. We have them in our woods and birdfeeder.They are tame if fed frequently.Clyde BrownGibsonia. Pa.* Foraging means searching for food.APRIL 25, 197^You're a Good Boy, JenniferWe have a cat named Yankey that is alwayshaving kittens. The first time she had three. One wasnamed Jennifer. She had striped spots. We kept herbecause she was ugliest and no one wanted her. And sowe gave away the others. When she was too old to giveaway, we found out he was a boy cat named Jennifer.And we can't change his name because we called himJennifer too long. Now everyone laughs at him.Elaine McBurneyNorth Hill'sP.S. Anyone want a kitten?1 ,

The Laying on ofI Tim. 4:14The passage for study, I Timothy 4:14, affords asplendid starting point from which to study the act of thelaying on of hands. Paul admonishes Timothy not toneglect the gift (charisma) given him through theprophet speaking and the laying on of hands. WhenPaul recalls to Timothy's mind his ordination service, hementions the laying on of hands. Now this act was notsomething that originated with Paul, nor for that matterthe New Testament Church, but as most practices of theChristian community, it is grounded in the Word of God inthe Old Testament. Therefore, to begin to understandTimothy's thoughts as Paul intended them to be, theprinciple of the laying on of hands must be studied fromthe Old Testament through to the New.God gives the sons of Israel, his covenant people,instructions concerning the offering of sacrifices in thebook of Leviticus. In the first chapter and the fourth verseMoses is instructed to tell the person for whom thesacrificial animal is being offered to lay his hands upon theanimal, "that it may be accepted for him to makeatonement on his behalf." When God has Moses separatethe Levites from the sons of Israel, He calls them — theLevites — to lay their hands on the bulls' heads, "to makeatonement for the Levites" (Num. 8:12). On the Day ofAtonement Aaron was to lay his hands on a second goatand confess all the sins of the people over him and releasehim io wander far from the camp into the wilderness (Lev.16). Thus, from the sacrificial system, laying on of handsmeant the transferring of sin, that is "the liability to deathpunishment on the part of the offerer,"(l) upon theanimal.By studying through more passages of the OldTestament the idea of one person transferring somethingon to another is again and again confirmed. A parent orgrandparent pronounces God's covenant word unto hischildren as he laid his hand upon their head. Israel blessedhis grandchildren, Manasseh and Ephraim, as he laid hishands upon their heads and pronounced Jehovah'sprophetic word to them concerning their relationship toGod and each other (Gen. 48:14). When God pronounced14the judicial code, He stated that when one has cursed, heis to be taken outside the camp and all who heard him areto lay their hands upon his head and he is then to bestoned (Lev. 24:14). Moses laid his hands on Joshua, asJehovah commanded, and commissioned him the nextleader of Israel. As Moses did this the Spirit of wisdomfilled Joshua (Num. 27:23; Deut. 34:7). The entirecongregation of Israel was to lay their hands on theLevites as they were separated from the sons of Israel(Num. 8:10). In each case cited, one party or person laidhis hands upon a second party or person symbolizing thetransferring of something unto that second person.As the principle of the laying on of hands is carriedinto the New Testament it appears to represent basicallythe same idea, that of showing the transfer of somethingfrom one person to another. It appears to be used in fourgeneral cases. Our Lord, upon occasion, pronouncedblessings upon children and others along with the act oflaying his hands upon them (Mk. 10:16). As people werehealed of diseases, hands were laid upon them (Mk. 16:18;Acts 28:8). When extraordinary gifts were bestowed uponmen by the Spirit, hands were laid upon the recipient(Acts 8:17, 19:6). And hands were laid upon the personswho were to receive an office in the visible church (Acts6:6 — deacon; Acts 13:3 — missionary; I Tim. 4:14 —elder).Having traced the background of the event of whichPaul reminds Timothy, that of the laying on of hands,itistime to study directly the fourth aspect of the act of thelaying on of hands, that of the ordaining of one to anoffice. In Timothy's case, it seems to have been the officeof elder or possibly a missionary of Paul's stature. Timothytraveled quite extensively with Paul and received manycommissions as Paul traveled on alone at times. It appearsthat Timothy arrived at Ephesus with the task of dealingwith false teachers and supervising the worship, and alsobeing commissioned to seek to ordain church officersthere.(2) With respect to the latter duty of Timothy atEphesus, Paul spells out specific requirements orqualifications for the office of elder and deacon, the twoCOVENANTER WITNESS

offices Timothy must fill with qualified men. At one pointPaul tells Timothy to look for men who themselves desirethe office of elder for that is good (I Tim. 3:1). Yet Paulsharply warns Timothy not to be too hasty in laying handsupon someone (I Tim. 5:22). Apparently office bearers,that is elders and deacons, were ordained by having handslaid upon them as the warning would indicate.Just what takes place as hands are laid upon anofficer-elect of a congregation as he is ordained by thelaying on of hands? Paul speaks of a "spiritual gift" orcharisma being imparted through prophecy and laying onof hands. This charisma appears to be the "imposition" ofthe abilities to carry out the duty of the office. Of course,as Paul shows in I Corinthians, this charisma is the resultof the Holy Spirit's working in a person's heart. And uponfurther study, it appears that Paul really isn't implying thatpeople are simply chosen for an office and then throughsome mystical "happening" as hands are laid upon thatperson, suddenly, he receives the gifts necessary for theoffice. This may have been possible through the apostlesor the Lord Himself; but today it seems the gifts aregranted to believers in general (Rom. 12:6). It thenbecomes the responsibility of the people of God, whenseeking officers for the congregation, to observe the giftsthe Holy Spirit has given the members, each particularmember. And responding to the Spirit's working, thosepeople on the basis of the qualifications from Scripturethe officers are elected. Then, the presbyters or the eldersof the local congregation lay their hands upon the officerelectto confirm the inward and outward call of God uponthat particular person. That is to say, no gift is bestowedtoday by the elders present as they lay their hands uponthe person elected; it is just the recognition of the pastworking of the Spirit who has given the gifts already.As for the aspect of prophecy, it seems Paul isreferring to the proclamation of the gospel by which one isled to repent and believe. As one embraces the Lord JesusChrist the Spirit of God fills him (Eph. 1:12,13) andenables him to grow unto good works (Eph. 2:10). It isthrough the proclamation of God's revelation concerningHimself and man that the Spirit falls upon a person andfills him with those gifts necessary to fulfill his calling.Unto some the gifts of the office of elder or deacon aregiven. It is up to the congregation to elect (by the showingof hands, Acts 14:23) those in whom God's Spirit hasplaced the gifts necessary to fill that office. Then thepresbyters are to lay their hands upon that person confirmingwhat the Spirit has done.All elders should receive the laying on of handssince Scripture shows that the office of elder is one officewith two functions; the preaching elder chosen fromamong the elders of the congregation for a special task.illt; \»v llihlical //..,,/..ei. Gram! Rapids. Win. B Eerdmans I'ubl. Co..,2, j. I) Douglas led.I. Ihe V» llthle Dictionary W m. B. Eerdmans I uhl.Co. i%2. p. i:sn"BRUCE BACKENSTO(R. PPastor, Sterling. Ks.)Office of a 'Deacon (trom rJ« t . 5.)In I Timothy 3. Paul sets forth the qualifications ofelders and deacons. Some of the qualifications of the deaconare the same as those of the elder, but the deacon also hassome special qualifications that are particularly necessary forthose who are dealing with the physical affairs of the church.Deacons are to be men of dignity. They are not to be doubletongued.This word "double-tongued" could mean atalebearer, or a gossiper. It would be very easy for one whoholds the office of deacon to be a gossiper, since the deacon isoften involved in some personal matters in tl.j lives ofchurch members. The tendency to be a gossiper would bevery damaging for one who holds the office of deacon.Therefore, the deacon must be one who is beyond thistendency. The word "double-tongued" might also meansaying one thing to one person and something different toanother. The deacon should not be "double-tongued" ineither sense of the word.The deacon is not to be addicted to much wine or fondof sordid gain. Both of these qualifications suggest that thedeacon is not to be a man with unsatiable appetites. Thehandling of church funds would place a great temptation infront of a man who was given to these excesses.The deacon is also to be one who "holds to themystery of the faith with a clear conscience." He is to be aman who accepts by faith the body of doctrine that is setforth in the Scriptures. Even though the deacon is to beprimarily concerned with temporal matters, it is verynecessary that he be a man of sound doctrine, as therepresentative of Christ. The concern with physical thingsdoes not in any way make the deacon less Spiritual than theelders.Paul says that deacons are to be tested first, then onlyif they are above reproach are they to be allowed to serve asdeacons. This means that a great care is to be taken in theselection of men to become deacons. We are not to take menwho do not seem "spiritual" enough to be elders and letthem be deacons. The deacons as well as the elders are to beabove reproach. Perhaps a more careful scrutiny of candidatesfor the office of deacon would help to eliminate fromthe church the tendency to place the deacon on a lower levelof respect.Paul goes on to say that deacons should be the husbandof only one wife, should be good managers of their childrenand their households. Those who are to be managers in thechurch must show themselves to be good managers in theirown households, with well disciplined children.At the close of his instructions to Timothv. concerningthe qualifications of the office of the deacon (ITimothy 3:13). Paul states a reason for setting such highstandards for the office. He says, "For those who haveserved well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standingand great confidence in the faith that is in Jesus Christ."The office ot deacon is very important to the church that isgoing to carry out its work in a way that will bring glor\ toGod. For those deacons who serve well, we should havegreat respect, since thev have obtained a high standing in theChurch ot Christ.•APRIL 25.19^15

fdlSTAFfdEdudioNsDeaconess DeductionsIn Romans 16 we read, "I commendto you our sister, Phoebe, who is a servant(deaconess) of the church which is atCenchrea." This is the clue that has ledthe church to believe that, while womenare evidently not to be in authority overmen, as in the case of ruling elders, theymay, Scripturally, be ordained to thedeaconate which is primarily the handlingof practical affairs, and an example ofspiritual persons in the church.Since this is so, it was interesting tome to ask several women of different ageswho have served the church in thiscapacity what the experience has meant tothem.All mentioned the challenge of thequalifications for the deaconship putbefore them in the Bible. It is interestingto note that those who are older now lookback upon their lack of boldness in thefaith — a reticence to speak out abouttheir faith; while those involved in familylife as mothers felt that being honest andopen — not double-tongued — in communicationwith others, and winninggood cooperation in their families hadbeen their lack. Finally, those of thepresent youthful generation covet a lifefilled with the Spirit and wisdom. Perhapsthere is no basic difference in the heartyearnings of these three, but today'syoung person thinks primarily of thewhole of life in relationship to Christ,while we were led in earlier days to assumethis and look to the specifics.The women who have beendeaconesses all spoke of their feeling thattheir most useful contribution to theDeacon Board was in the areas of churchremodeling, and decor, in church kitchenimprovements, and in drawing up abudget for the church year. Naturallythese are areas where there is a strongcarry-over into the traditional domain andinterests of women. In the home, womensometimes are the bookkeepers. In thehousekeeping they have had to makeallotted funds stretch to cover expenseslike household equipment, and furnishings.I also believe that women have afeeling for details. In the budgeting andspending of money this must be taken intoconsideration. Personal mission projects,specific needs of members of the homecongregation or in its outreach, are morelikely, in general, to be perceived bywomen.During Synodical in 1972 there was adiscussion of the function and purpose ofthe Women's Missionary Society in thechurch. The thought was voiced that itmight better be abandoned for unitedmissionary effort and meetings with thetotal membership. While not wishing todiscuss this, it suggests the thought that ifthe women had no distinctive groupwithin the church, then theirrepresentation on Deacon Boards wouldbe one way in which they might voicetheir point of view in contributing tomission work. And it also will bring thispoint of view to the attention of the menwho are elders, and, especially, deacons asto specific mission needs.A board which has a deaconess isfortunate in having efficient secretarialhelp. Not that she would necessarily havesecretarial training, but her attention todetail has been valuable in producingmemos of the time and place of monthlymeeting, and reminders of duties thathave been assigned. She may also writegood minutes of the meetings, as well asmen.It is interesting to note that emphasisin Christian circles does follow the "signsof the times." For instance, with thegreater vocal and visual emphasis on thepleasures of the world there has come the"Jesus Revolution" among youth, andemphasis in every Christian church on aministry to youth. With the renewed trendof emphasis on "women's liberation" hascome a reaction of emphasis in the conservativechurches on the "place" ofwomen in the body of Christ. One, andpossibly the only one, trouble with this isthat the pendulum often swings too far fora while in the opposite direction instead ofbeing balanced. I believe this is true tosome extent in the picture of just howwomen are to live and serve the Lord,glorifying Him in their lives.The position of the deaconess, in aScripturally founded church organization,is one in which the women may give adistinctly feminine contribution and pointof view, while at the same time beingrecognized as being one in Christ withChristian men.All deaconesses to whom I talked feltthat serving in this position had deepenedtheir spiritual life, and I believe from myown observations that this is true. God'sgifts of ability to serve were deeply appreciated.The experience of taking vowsbefore God to serve Him in His churchwas recognized as serious and giving highresponsibility to one's Christian witness.The strengthening of faith upon seeingGod's provision for the needs of Hispeople was cherished. Also an appreciationis developed for the heartfeltbeliefs and dependence upon God of fellowboard members in this close andresponsible fellowship under the sameordination vows."The vows of God are upon you.""Kindle afresh the gift of God which isin vou through the laying on of myhands." (II Timothy 1:6)These phrases are weighted withmeaning, and thrill the heart of the trueChristian. Some of us never experience thesecond one in our Reformed churcheswhere this is rightly reserved for veryspecial commitments. That women maypartake of this blessing may be an encouragementto all.W.E.16COVENANTER WITNESS

"/// Oyilth HflC- Lo\C (from page 2)NEWCASSETTESCassettes can be a useful tool, or they can be a poorsubstitute for a warm and alert teacher who has adequatelyprepared for his class. A year ago our office distributed apublications catalog which included cassettes that we lend toyou (handling charge — one dollar). All of the tapes which werelisted in 1972 are still available (as are additional copies of thecatalog). A number of new cassettes have been added during thepast year.Charles G. Schauffele* is the coordinator of a new seriesof teacher-training cassettes produced by David C. CookPublishing Company. "Eight Successful Teachers Tell YouHow" contains cassettes plus a study guide. The cassettes canbe used individually or in small groups. Our office purchased aset as soon as they became available last fall. Some of thespeakers appeal to me more than others, but I think the series isworth listening to by our church school teachers.A similar series for the instruction of youth sponsors hasbeen prepared by Success With Youth. However, it does notuse a lecture format. An individual who listens straight throughthe tapes will gain some insight, but the materials are designedfor use in small groups. Such interaction can be very helpful(caution: you don't have to agree with everything that is saidon the tapes).Ethel Barrett tells Bible stories on two cassettes fromGospel Light. Both adults and children are normally delightedby the efforts of this famed story-teller. The United Church ofCanada (one of the most liberal denominations in NorthAmerica) has an extended series of plays based on Biblenarratives. These are useful teaching devices so long as it isunderstood that the material is largely imaginative. Our officehas three cassettes in the series; one on the early life of Jesus,and two on the life of Paul.It was mv privilege last summer to attend Forest Park andhear G. I. Williamson's lecture series on the five points ofCalvinism. These have now been reproduced on three cassettes.They will be helpful primarily to older youth and adults.In the field of evangelism, Paul Little's book How ToGive Away Your Faith has been popular among ReformedPresbyterians. We have now secured a set of four cassettes byLittle on the same subject. The material is similar but notidentical to that which is in the book.The American Bible Society has released its moderntranslation of the New Testament (Good News for ModernMan) on fifteen cassettes. It is read by the late Bud Collyer. Thisseries was designed particularly for blind persons, but I havealso enjoved listening to some of the tapes.* Schauffele is\in Orthodox Presbyterian minister whoserves as professor tit Christian education at Gordon-ConwellDninitv School near Boston. He recently conducted a week-endseminar for our North Hills congregation.David R. Armstrong•Editor:I found Ken Smith's warm insights to I Timothy 2:8-15helpful at several points.He also bothered me in a couple of respects.1. Where in I Timothy 2 does Scripture state that thetreatment is of the church's public worship? I Corinthians It.yes. I Timothy 2. no! That is a presumed intrusion whichupsets Paul's magnificent system of discussing the Christian'srelationship to the divine institutions of state (2:1-8). family(2:9-15), and then church at the last (3:1-16).2. How can the summary statement that women maynever teach "in mixed company and never in the corporateworship of the church" be justified before Colossians 3:16which explicitly requires women indicatively to be "teaching"each other in psalm-singing, evidently in both mixed companyand certainly in the church's corporate worship?Robert More, Jr.Almonte, Ont., Canada• Editor:Dr. Kenneth G. Smith's article on "The Role Of WomenIn The Church" and Dr. Donald Macleod's pamphlet "ThePlace Of Women In The Church" gave us much food forthought, but not a completely balanced meal. We might do wellto consider the following:In Acts 18:26 Priscilla a woman, as well as Aquila herhusband, taught Apollos — "an eloquent man and mighty inthe Scriptures."In Acts 1:41 we note that women were included in the120 at Pentecost who were filled with the Spirit and declaredthe truth, mostly to men.In Acts 2: 17,18 we learn that women were included inJoel's prophecy, whereit was declared that daughters as well assons would prophecy in the New Testament dispensation.In I Timothy 2:12 Paul states, "I suffer not a woman toteach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be insilence." The word "teach" (Greek word "didaskein") hasthe connotation of delivering an authoritative or doctrinaldiscourse. A woman is not to be put in the place of authority inthe church such as the office of elder would be. She is not toformulate and declare authoritative statements of doctrine suchas we expect to find in the preaching of the Word.But to state that the command of the Word of God towoman is "Shut up whenever men are present" is to over-statethe case.G. M. RobbSharon, Iowa• Editor:Thank you for the continuing improvement of the qualityof the Covenanter Witness. I am heartened by the articlesdiscussing current problems and happenings in the world today.1 was also pleased by the issue about the Christian farmer. Manvof our congregations are mainly farm people, but to m\knowledge at least, no mention or notice of their particularproblems has ever been made.I am gratified to read the adult topics bv Philip Beard. Iam looking forward to studying them. Thev seem to be realScriptural studies instead of the usual shallow '"proof text"tvpe ot studies.Aria DownieBeaver falls. PaAPRIL 25. 19 _ r

THE CHRISTIAN WAY OF DEATH. Gladys Hunt. ZondervanPubl. House, 1971. 117 pp. $3.50.How does the Christian face an encounter with death?Biblical principles and many practical suggestions are set forthby the author. Whether the person be recently bereaved orinterested in bearing the burden of a close friend, he will want toread this book. The author's perceptivity is especially evidencedin the chapters "Death of a Friend," "Grief," "Sympathy,""Children" and "Funerals."Carolyn HomaTHE WOMAN AT THE WELL by Dale Evans Rogers. FlemingH. Revell, 1970. 239 pp. $.95.In a most refreshing and moving manner, Mrs. Rogersrelates the story of her life. It's almost asif you had invited her infor morning coffee, and she was chatting casually about thehardships and victories of her experience.However, caution is advised when considering herphilosophy. She puts great store in visible signs of the HolySpirit's presence. (About one experience, ". . .there was a bluishhaze gathered aroundit (the light) that gradually filled the wholeroom. . .the Holy Spirit had come to comfort me.") Mrs. Rogersfirmly believes that God directly inspired the writing of herbooks about each of her three children who died (". . .my handwas moved, guided."). She is also a zealous patriot, defending thebelief that America was founded on Christian principles.Perhaps one reason for Mrs. Rogers' hodge-podge of doctrine isthe fact that the Rogers family have been active members inseveral churches of very different confessions (Baptist,Episcopal, Assembly of God, Presbyterian). She says, "As longas a church fellowship has the seal of the cross, I am completelyat home there."I believe that Mrs. Rogers is a sincere Christian, but herfaith seems to be more emotional than objectively grounded inBiblical principles.Carol LoweTHE TRAINING OF THE TWELVE. A. B. Bruce. Kregel Publ.,1971 reprint from 1894. 550 pp. $6.95.This nineteenth century "classic" deals chronologicallywith passages in the Gospels where Christ instructs His disciples.The treatment is full and the style mellifluous. But while "thereading is easy," some of the content is not a little unsatisfactory.A good example is found on p. 6: "The penetrating glance ofChrist discerned in this disciple (Peter) latent capacities of faithand devotion, the rudiments of ultimate strength and power." SoChrist merely chose His men well! But did He not choose theweak to confound the mighty? And does He notstill do so? Andis this not the implanting of abilities by sovereign grace at everystage in the development of that elect sinner who will be Hisservant? Elsewhere, on Matt. 13 (vv. 13-15) Bruce assiduouslyavoids the Saviour's teaching on reprobation (pp. 41ff.) For allthat, there is a vast amount of useful material — but do not lookfor Reformed doctrine, forit is not there.To add an historical note, Bruce was a leading light in theliberal (quasi-evangelical) majority in the Free Church ofScotland which in 1900 entered into union with the U. P Churchthat was to further weaken the cause of Calvinism in Scotland.Mildly recommended to ministers as a source of homileticmaterial.Gordon KeddieTHE COVENANTAL SABBATH. Francis Negel Lee. Lord'sDay Observance Society. 343 pp. L2.With The Covenantal Sabbath, Dr. Lee has made a keycontribution to Reformed literature on the Sabbath, and hisbook will no doubt become a classic. In this work, the authordeals with two main questions: "Is the Sabbath of perpetualobligation?" and "Was the historical change of the Sabbath-dayfrom Saturday to Sunday Scriptural or not?" He takes greateffort to provide substantial evidence from Scripture that both ofthese questions can be answered affirmatively. The structure ofthe thesis is to trace the topic of the Sabbath through all ofBiblical history and then through church history until theReformation. He constantly shows the close relationship betweenthe Sabbath and the covenant of God.The content of the book was presented for the degree ofDoctor of Theology at the University of Stellenbosch, SouthAfrica. Being a thesis, the text is very scholarly, sometimes hardand deep reading; the most readable chapter is the conclusion.With his 2064 footnotes in 6 chapters and a conclusion, Dr. Leehas provided a valuable resource book. The book could perhapshave wider circulationifit were cast into the form of a popularstudy on the Sabbath, but that is not to say laymen cannot profitfrom it because they certainly can.Larry R. FalkTOWARD A CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE: A Chalcedon Study.Elizabeth Fellerson, ed. Pres. and Reformed Publ. Co., 1972. 43pp. $1.00.This booklet is a collection of articles. Two articles byRousas J. Rushdoony, entitled "The Doctrine of Man" and "TheDoctrine of Marriage," are based upon the second chapter ofGenesis 2. Mr. Rushdoony shows that all non-Christian thoughtsees man's origin in chaos, man's nature as essentially nonrational,and man's need as rebellion against responsibility inorder to be happy. Over against this he states that, "The Biblicalconception is submission through the grace of God in JesusChrist to the law of God."In his article on marriage, Mr. Rushdoony is most interestingand provocative. He contends that the basic unit ofsociety is the family and not the individual; that the womaniscreated to help the man in his work; and that man's responsibilityis broader. One problem for the reader in reading thesearticles is to determine when the author speaks of man as raceand when of man as male. I suspect that he meant to blur thedistinction,if not eliminate it. Mr. Rushdooney is the moststimulating contributor; he will stimulate some "moderns," notjust women, "right up the wall." I believe his views deserve ourstudy.Lawrence R. Eyres' first article concerns wives andmothers;it was conceived as a Mother's Day sermon and itsuffers from Mother's Day sentimentality. The second article byEyres is based upon Psalm 78:1-8. It urges upon Christian parentsthe often neglected duty to teach their children the history of theChurch and to make them feel the weight of the covenantheritage. Mr. Eyres seems somewhat platitudinous.An article by Joel H. Nederhood discusses the impact ofthe doctrine of evolution on the modern world, particularly onman's view of himself. He advises that within the Church wemust understand the issues and we must bring our message ofGod's creation to the world, particularly the doctrine of man'screation as the image bearer of God. The article is a bitdisjointed.Harold B. Harrington18COVENANTER WITNESS

Rules for aProfitable SabbathIn the first place, watch and pray, as you value yoursouls, against a spirit of carelessness and indifference inreligion. Remember that the life of a Christian is a life of selfdenial.It is a race, a pilgrimage, a warfare; its exercises aredescribed by wrestling, striving, watching, and the like. TheScriptures probably contain no expression of displeasure moreimpressive than that which is addressed to the Laodiceans onthis very subject: — "So, then, because thou art lukewarm,and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth."Yet it is astonishing how soon we may be beguiled into such aframe of mind. And few greater evidences can be afforded ofitthan the neglecting of the worship of God in his sanctuary, orcarelessly trifling with the morning of a Lord's day.Secondly. Rise early. Your enjoyment of the Sabbath, andyour attendance of the worship of God in the morning of it,greatly depend upon this. If you have much to do before you canunite with God's people in his house, the time of your risingmust be arranged accordingly. A lazy, sluggish professor, whocan satisfy himself with consuming the best part of the morningin bed, is but ill-prepared for the service of his Maker in thecourse of it. The conduct of the wicked, who can rise at anytime to unite in a party of pleasure; the conduct of heathens,who are waiting the rising of the sun, in order to pay the earliestadorations to him as soon as he makes his appearance; in aword, the conduct of even Satan himself, who is always on thealert to destroy,if possible, the comforts and souls of men, is asufficient reproof to such individuals.Thirdly. Endeavor to enjoy a good Saturday evening. Itwas a custom with the Jews to have a season of preparationprevious to the duties of the Sabbath. Their Sabbath began at sixin the evening, and at three in the afternoon began thepreparation. God grant us that anxiety for the enjoyment of theSabbath which will lead to a preparation forit as far as we areable; and a good frame of mind on a Saturday evening willseldom lull a person to sleep, or make him indifferent about theworship of God on a Sabbath morning.Fourthly and lastly. Think of the rapid approach of death,and endeavor to realize yourselves the views and feelings youwill then have of what you have been, and what you have done,and what you have left undone, when you are just going to givein your account unto God. "Ah!" says one on a death-bed,"that I had been more actively engaged in the service of God!""O!" cries another, in the anguish of his soul, "that I couldbut live my time over again 1 What a different person would I be!0! the sins I have committed; the duties I have neglected: theSabbaths I have murdered!" Butit is in vain! He is just on theborders of eternity; and all the wealth of worlds can neitherpurchase him a respite from death, nor afford him an opportunityof retrieving his condition forever! "O. that theywere wise, that they understood this, that they would considertheir latter end!"Reformed PresbyterianSeptember 1853POETS CORNERk 'The Society ,,Ruling Elder George Elder, formerly of Queensville.N.B.When Covenant ministers were rareAnd we their preaching could not share.Then met for reading, praise and prayerMen of true piety;The name these meetings used to bearWas "The Society."The Covenanter still the same,Regarded neither praise nor blame.He never courted earthly fameOr notoriety;But every Sabbath day he cameTo the Society.What was it that they used to do?They read a Godly sermon through,They sang the psalms to tunes not newWith grave sobrietyThey said the Catechism too,In the Society.Our fathers now beneath the sod,By faith their earthly journey trod;No higher critic from abroadCould shake their piety.The Scriptures were the Word of GodIn their Society.I've been where anthems rose and fellWith organ's rich melodious swell,And where the chiming vesper bellProduced variety;But nothing ever broke the spellOf that Society.And now that I am growing gray,If I am in the narrow wayThat leads to the eternal dayOf Heaven's satiety,I oweit mostly. I can say.To that Society.And when I reach that happy land,And see the saints in glory stand,With crowns on heads and harp in handWith all propriety:I know I'll see a chosen bandFrom "The Society."Julv 1. 1903. Passekeag. New BrunswickAPRIL 25. 1973 19

f fCountHerTowers..." jfijiNOMINATIONS DUEAll Synodic Boards and permanentcommittees (see Minutes, p. 119)should send, by May 15, a list ofmembers whose terms expire this year,along with any suggested nominationsto:Robert More, Jr.Box 771Almonte, Ontario KOA 1AONOTICE OF CALLSOn March 3, 1973 I moderated a callfor the Wichita congregation whichresulted in the election of Robert B.Vincent to be their pastor.Bruce BackenstoOn March 12, 1973 I moderated a callfor the Clarinda, Iowa congregation whichresulted in the election of David R.Patterson to be their pastor.Kenneth McBurneyHETHERTON, MICH.(Lee Bittner, Pastor)Dr. Robert Tweed assisted our Springcommunion on March 11. At that timeMrs. Gertrude Thorpe was received intomembership.SOUTHFIELD, MICH.(John Edgar, Pastor)A written history of the SouthfieldCongregation, dating from 1834-1973,has been completed by Dr. Edgar. Variousmembers of the congregation assisted intyping and assembling the booklets.The Men's Fellowship met at thechurch for a pancake supper. The mealwas followed by a Bible study and aplanning session for the coming year.A decision has been made to begin aprogram of church extension. Following afamily night supper Dr. Roy Blackwoodspoke regarding the work in Indianapolis.SEMINARYCOMMENCEMENTThe following change in dates forSeminary closing services has been announcedby the Seminary Board ExecutiveCommittee. There will be one servicesubstituted for the Baccalaureate-Commencement services. The Commencementservice will be held May 21,1973, Monday evening 7:30 p.m. at theChapel of the ReformedPresbyterianSeminary. This will take the place ofservices previously listed in the SeminaryCalendar.MRS. T. M. SLATEROn February 20 our Lord called Homethe oldest member of our congregation.Mrs. T. M. Slater (nee Anna IsabelHunter) was born September 7, 1872 andwas taken Home to be with her LordFebruary 20, 1973. For twenty-four yearsshe and her husband labored in thiscongregation as pastor and wife. She isfondly remembered by the people of thiscongregation for her labors of love duringthose years and since, until she was nolonger able to take an active part in thechurch life. While she was in the NursingHome, her interest in the members of thecongregation and their activities neverwaned. We sorrow the loss of this child ofChrist from our midst but rejoice greatlythat she has been received into the glory ofher Lord. May the comfort and the joy ofthe Holy Spirit be with her son, JohnHunter Slater, her daughter, Mrs. MarySlater Carpenter, their children andgrandchildren. "Precious in the sight ofthe Lord is the death of His godly ones."Psalm 116:15. Mrs. Slater is alsoremembered as the organizer and firstpresident of the New York Presbyterial, aspresident of the Women's SynodicalMissionary Society, and for her manygracious acts of kindness throughout thechurch. —Montclair R. P. CongregationThe Official Board of theWOMEN'S SYNODICALMISSIONARY SOCIETYof theREFORMED PRESBYTERIANCHURCHis called to meetat Geneva CollegeJune 12, 1973(Time and place to be announced later)Mrs. Philip W. MartinSynodical PresidentFIFTIETH ANNUALCONVENTIONof theNEW YORK PRESBYTERIALWOMEN'S MISSIONARYSOCIETIESof theREFORMED PRESBYTERIANCHURCHMay 9 and 10, 1973Keswick Conference GroundsWhiting, N. J.Registration begins at 4:00 p.m. May9.The executive committee is called tomeet at 4:00 p.m., May 9, 1973.Anniversary dinner — 5:30 p.m.,May 9, 1973.Conference Theme: LET US PRESSON TO KNOW THE LORD, Hosea6:3.Conference Psalm: Psalm 84:4-6,page 205.countOUT2 ^pdaysBIRTH *HAGADORN, Kevin Paul to Dave andTerry (Roby) Hagadorn on Feb. 15(Hetherton).GRADUATIONSHOUSEHOLDER, Connie from UnitedHospital School of Nursing (Geneva).DEATHSLATER, Mrs. T. M. (Anna) Hunter, 100,on Feb. 20 (Montclair).20 COVENANTER WITNESS

4COVENANTERMAY 9. 1973WITNESS_m^MTowardReformedChurchArchitecture(Sec page 4)FacingUp toRelocationSec page 1 Oi

ORDCGM: A NEW LOOKConflicting commitments kept me from the annualmeeting of the Christian Government Movement, but Irecently had the opportunity to attend one of their regionalconferences.The speaker, Prof. James Skillen of Messiah College,sought in two lectures followed by discussions to develop aperspective for a Christian political philosophy. While he wasnot able to give as many specific answers as some in theaudience would have liked, he nonetheless set us to seriousthinking and held a worthwhile vision before us. He even admittedthat he was lacking in certain answers, and thisfrankness was indicative of the free and open spirit thatprevailed. For my own liking, there was a bit too much uncriticalacceptance of at least the terminology of theDooyeweerdian philosophy. But at the same time, other viewscould be heard and were obviously respected. This willingnessto learn together made the conference exciting and profitable toany with open minds.Perhaps the most exciting thing was to note the shift inthe average age of the audience. At least half of those presentwere under 40 and were there for a serious purpose. Theemphasis was clearly on developing a thoroughly Christian viewof political life. No time was wasted on social chit-chat orbanqueting. If anything, the younger participants displayed amore serious concern than their fathers.Where is CGM going? Our leaders are frank to say thatthey don't know. They have significant proposals if God'speople in the R. P. Church will lend their support. Their desireto serve Christ's kingdom and to testify for Him in the politicalsphere shows much hard labor and commitment on their part.But we must not expect them to do the work for us. Now is thetime for us to come to real grips with how we may labor withthem to give Christ His rightful place in civil government.R.W.N.71973 SYNODmeetsJune 9-17Pray and Plan NowRegistration information will be in May 23 Witness.••:••>•:••>•Editor:This is to show mv hearty thanks and appreciation to Dr.Vos' article, "Under Attack: The Authority of Scripture"(Jan. 17, 1973). It is certainly my desire that articles in thisnature ought to be carried in Covenanter Witness as often aspossible.As editor of The Reformed Faith and Life, a Chinesequarterly journal of the R.T.F., I would like to ask your permissionof translating Dr. Vos' article into Chinese.Charles H. ChaoTaipei, Taiwan•Editor:This article by "Tom" on "The Christian WeddingCeremony" (Feb. 28 issue) betrays a sophomoric level ofcogitation. "Tom" doubtless meant well and intended to clearup a few things but instead he added to the general confusion.Is our "understanding of marriage" "summed up" inGen. 2:24? Is sex the summary, or qualifying function, ofmarriage? The other two texts quoted by ' 'Tom" are also usedin an inadequate manner. John 2:1-12 teaches us nothingabout joyous celebration as such, nor even about how a"Biblical" wedding is to be conducted. The principle teachingof the passage concerns the attestation by miracle of theMessiahship of Jesus Christ. "Tom" engages in grossallegorization of Rev. 19:6-9. The "fine linen" of the saints isa symbol of their righteous deeds'' (v. 8). In this context of theconsummation, I ask you, do we find some kind of anti-type forwhich the human wedding is the type?Let me say in conclusion that "Tom" is to be commendedfor even attempting this subject. However one needs toremember that there is no Biblical teaching directly bearing onthe wedding ceremony. It can be validly conducted by a J.P. atmidnight on the top of the Empire State Building with properwitnesses.The wedding ceremony is not an appointed service ofpublic worship, even though worship is involved, e.g. in thesinging of the Psalms. It seems appropriate, although notmandatory, to exclude all elements incongruent with theworship context (regular services) in which the law and order ofthe church applies.In formulating vows it is safer to keep to simple forms andavoid the wresting of the Scriptures that often takes place in thename of devotion to the Word. (e.g., using the Song of Solomonas a source for vows takes the words and experience of a marriedman and puts them into a premature context — that of twomarried lovers).Underlying all of this, of course, is the necessity for abalanced and Biblical view of what marriage is. Sex mayhomologate a marriage but it is not the marriage itself. Themarriage in the Lord is made at the taking of the vows,however much the later absence of sexual union negates it.Diogenes IICOVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, i 2, 1 year;£3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication738 Rebecca AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 738 RebeccaAvenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.Second class postage paid atWinchester, Kansas 66097.VOLUMENO. 10MAY 9, 1973CONTENTSARTICLES:Toward Reformed Church Architecture.Using Your Home for Christ. ...Facing Up to Relocation. ..."Buddy, can you spare a dime?"Making the Most of Your Church Library.Psalmody Workshop at Geneva.Because Missionaries Came to Cyprus.What Kind of Mother ami?.. . . . .FEATURES:A Word in Due Season."In Truth and Love"Glimpses.Hey Lookit. ...."Count Her Towers . "Count Our Davs

R. O. BROEKHUIZENChurch Architecture...Toward a Reformed ViewCOVENANTER WITNESS

In his Christology, Hengstenbergwrites, in connection with Ezekiel'svision, that "to give directions forbuilding the Temple formed no part ofthe prophet's vocation." It forms nopart of this Pastor's vocation, either. Ihave little to contribute concerningtechnical or architectural details. Iwill try to show in this article how wetried to give architectural expressionto some of our Reformed concepts.In the desire to have a "place ofour own," we were tempted to veeraway from the spiritual nature ofChrist's Church. We were buildingthe Church here years before we laidthe first brick. Christ didn't shed Hisblood for cinder-block and cement.When Paul wrote to Timothy aboutbehavior in the house of God, (ITimothy 3:15) he was not giving himsome words about "churchetiquette." The word "church" isnot used in Scripture to refer to abuilding.Calvin said, "Not churchbuildings but we ourselves are templesof God," and we "must guardagainst either taking (churchbuildings) to be God's proper dwellingplaces, whence He may more nearlyincline His ear to us — as they beganto be regarded some centuries ago —or feigning for them some secretholiness or other, which would renderprayer more sacred before God. Forsince we ourselves are God's truetemples, if we would call upon God inHis holy temple, we must pray withinourselves" (Institutes, III, xx, 30).The building is a practical, notspiritual, necessity for the people ofGod. Once the decision is made tobuild, then care must be taken withthe basic design. If we are interested inproclaiming the Gospel, we must alsobe interested in architecture. Thedesign of our building proclaims amessage that either adds to thepreached message or detracts from it.The Tabernacle and the Temple bothdemonstrate that a building can be anaid in proclaiming God's message. Weshould build theologically in additionto stylistically.But here we must also note thatwe are not going to build either theTabernacle or the Temple. These OldTestament buildings served in an erathat came to a close at Calvary whenthe curtain in the Temple was rippeddown the middle through the victoryof Christ. Our fellowship with theFather has been restored through theSon. It is now an accomplished factwhich need not be merely symbolizedthrough a building. The fellowship ofbelievers with God is direct.So we would do well to questionwhat we mean when we call ourbuilding, "God's house," etc. Thusthe frequently used call to worship,"The Lord is in His holy Temple; letall the earth keep silence beforeHim," might be misleading. Calvinsays that we are not building God ahouse and should leave that"stupidity" to the pagans.(Continued on next page.)

In this connection, we might alsowant to examine the word "sanctuary"as we commonly use it. Whatdo we mean by that word?I personally like the phrase,"meeting house." In our building letus express the truth that God and manmeet together around His Word. Theword is both written and visual, i.e.,the sacraments. The meeting is bothvertical and horizontal.Erecting a building for a meetingplace, of course, will limit us. Anybuilding could serve us. Or none, ifthe weather is good, the pollution lowand the noise minimal. Indeed, thepractical applications of our faithmight show a noticeable increase if wewere to hold weekend services in alocal factory, for example, then on thefarm, followed by another weekendservice in the park or at the library orin the grandstands or someone'skitchen. This would inhibit ourtendency to identify the service of Godwith a certain place or a certain form.So the building must express theway God and man meet. That meetingis effected through His Word. Calvinsays the Church is born of the Word ofGod. Luther calls the Scripture thewomb from which are born the divinetruth and the Church. So God's Wordwritten down must have central placein our meeting places in order for usto express most clearly that His Wordis absolutely essential to our life. Itmust be clear in the building that theWord of God is the source and goal ofour faith. It is the adherence to God'sWord that gives us the name"Reformed."But remember that there is avisible Word as well as an audibleWord of God. That is, "we have inthe sacraments another aid to ourfaith related to the preaching of thegospel" (Calvin). And he also states"Therefore let it be regarded as asettled principle that the sacramentshave the same office as the Word ofGod: to offer and set forth Christ tous, and in Him the treasures ofheavenly grace."Thus God's visible Word mustaccompany His written Word in ourcentral place, to express to us theironeness. Never to appear therewithout the Word; never to standabove it; but always in its importanceto stand with the Word written. Somewould prefer to speak of the "indispensibility"of the Word written,rather than the "primacy."And we would do well to take heedthat we do have two sacraments, bothof equal importance and validity.Many lovely Reformed "Churches"might have a lovely pulpit, and animpressive communion table, whilehaving a small glass bowl for baptism,which is set in view "when it isneeded." That would seem to be aweak reminder to us all that (in thewords of our form) "holy baptismwitnesses and seals unto us thewashing away of our sins throughJesus Christ," and calls for "thedaily renewing of our lives."There is also a beautiful horizontalrelationship taking place at worship.Those who already "sit together inheavenly places in Christ Jesus," alsosit together from week to week toworship Him. Do the buildings weerect reflect this cardinal truth, thecommunion of saints?And is it remembered that wemeet together as a community ofpriests? Just what is meant by atowering platform, or a heavy railaround the platform? ShouldReformed congregations be comfortablewith the concept of"chancel?"One difficulty we faced in designand never did get to solve it, is theexpression of the truth that ourreception of the Word and ourfellowship together is always throughthe Holy Spirit. How can this beexpressed in a living motif? How oftenin our buildings are we remindedanew of the necessity of the work ofthe Holy Spirit?And then there is also themissionary challenge of the Church.How can we express the fact that weare on the move? "Go quickly andtell," is urgent, but our "comfortablepews" don't seem to expressthat urgency.So, there are many considerationsat the stage of building design. Thatis, if you want to say something withyour building. There will be the usualrequests: anything, just so there aretall white pillars; anything, just sothere is a center aisle for weddings;6 COVENANTER WITNESS

etc. Most people want the building to"look like a Church." Could youdefine that, other than by the one youused to attend?What are you trying to say? Wetried to say something like this: Godand man are meeting together aroundHis written and visible Word. This isour basic concept. From this will flowthe design of the building.It now becomes our joyous andresponsible opportunity to translatethis concept into meaningful expression.We must guard against allalien spirits. Beginning where wehave, it is agreed that the inside of ourbuilding will determine what theoutside will be like. This means thatwe must rid ourselves of such alienexpressions as, "Gothic," or"Colonial American," amongothers. This is not, of course, to saythat the encounter which we seekcannot be found in a building of acertain style. He has (perhaps) beenworshiped in far worse. But in attemptingto be re-formed in our architecturalthinking, we will not startwith a "style" into which we will' 'fit'' our concept of worship. Rather,we will begin with a concept and thatwill be for us the "worship center."Then the "worship center" willdetermine the building.We will, therefore, at the mostadvantageous position on theproperty, place that which representsthe center of our worship. Aroundand over and under that center we willconstruct such covering as isnecessary and suitable. But nothingshould detract from our worshipcenter. Sometimes buildings can be socluttered that it is hard to determinewhat the central object is.What is our worship center?Christ communicates with us throughWord and sacrament. We mustproclaim the centrality of the Wordthrough preaching and sacraments.Thus to have anything else than theWord at the center would betray ourreformed insights into that Word.In our building the pulpit iscentral. The focal point is the pulpitwith a Bible big enough to be seen.The top of the pulpit swivels 180degrees so that the Word faces thecongregation as they enter, andean beMAY 9, 1973seen from the street all during theweek. The pulpit is not a reading desk.It is a simple, authoritative repositoryfor the copy of the written Word.Historically, there need be nohesitation to have the pulpit as thecenter of the building.The actual location of the pulpit,and the height of the platform, arelocal decisions. In one "church" Ivisited, the three steps to the pulpitwere pointed out as representing theTrinity! But since then I have been inmeeting places with four, five, six andeven thirteen steps. God's messengerascending into the pulpit by means ofstairs gives a certain urgency to themessage. Yet there is the very realdanger of disguising that universalpriesthood, which can be so easilyoverlooked as we meet together. Oursolution was a low platform, ofminimal noticeability, to maintain thebond between Pastor and worshippers,and a pulpit substantialenough to declare the authority of theWord.As regarding the sacraments, wemust first of all exert ourselves toovercome the unfortunate tendency ofthe symbolic neglect of baptism. Thefont should stand emphatically beforethe congregation, in a design commensuratewith its importance. Thecommunion table should by all meansbe recognizable as a table. "He hastherefore given us a table at which tofeast; not an altar upon which to offera victim" (Calvin). Place settingswould be desireable. The pulpit will beplaced, of course, behind the table,with the sacraments easily available toboth ordained and non-ordainedworshipers. The table should not beused for collection plates, flowers,extra hymn books, lost and found,etc.Around this worship center aregathered the priesthood of believingmen, women and children. Themeeting house should be designed toemphasize the meeting. Our benchesare open-ended, and semi-circulararound the worship center, ratherthan endless rows of straight pewsextending ever farther back from thepulpit, and giving the impression thatthe worshipers are really only an"audience."There are other matters toconsider. Care should be taken withthe use of the cross. Use, not overuse,should be the rule. Our choir islocated in the rear, to overcome thetendency to entertain rather thanassist. The choir sits with thecongregation, to assist while at thesame time to partake in the worship.Thought should be given to the placeof the offering and the location of theoffering plates.Of course, concepts and interpretationsdiffer. What ismeaningful for one congregationmight not be for another. I have notattempted to set forth the only way,here. There is great merit in eachcongregation discussing what it isattempting to say with its building andhow it will be said. Because when all issaid and done, we know that "He isLord of heaven and earth and dwellethnot in temples made with hands,'' butthat "your body is the temple of theHoly Spirit Who is in you." •About the author: Mr Broekhuizen, agraduate of Calvin College andWestminster Seminary, has shared thevision ot his congregation as they builtat Christian Reformed Church inWashington. Pennsylvania Pictures inthe article illustrate how this buildingcarries out the ideas expressed h\ theauthor

Have you seen the official NationalFootball League catalog? It lists avariety of items from wrist watches totee-shirts and from card tables to lamps.Tableware, games, wall decorations.. . .Without much difficulty at all one couldcreate a football fan's environment. Avisitor would have no trouble at allrecognizing the owner's enthusiasmand probably his favorite team as well.OK, that one is easy. But whatabout a Christian environment in aChristian home? What can I do to myhome, my apartment, my room to showmy enthusiasm for Jesus? Well,religious supply houses have catalogs,too, and there is probably a Christianbookstore not too far away. Christianposters, plaques, knick-nacks, bumperstickers and even books are available in avariety of subject matter, doctrinalstands and color schemes; but thevariety of "official" furnishing forChristians has a way to go to catch upwith the NFL when it comes to furnishingyour home.What, then, makes a home aChristian home? There were devoutJews who took seriously and literally thecommand of God to write the words ofGod on their doorposts and on theirgates (Deut. 6:9). God meant for Hisword to show in our homes, butwhether or not there is a Scripturalinscription predominantly displayedarchitecturally, He does expect Hisword to show in and through us. "Youare a letter of Christ. . written not withink, but with the Spirit of the LivingGod, not on tablets of stone, but ontablets of human hearts" (II Cor. 3:3).What makes a home Christian is theSpirit that makes a person Christ'sperson, for a home is the extension ofthe person or family living there. Wecan no more make a home Christian bythe ' 'things" we put into it than we canmake any one person Christian byexternal trappings or actions. Wecannot depend on a home's furnishings,artifacts, music or food to make itChrist's; however, all of these thingsmay assist in our careful use of a home.The question remains, "How do I makemy home a place that shows my enthusiasmfor my Lord?"It is at the heart of a home — in thehearts of its men and women — thatGod is looking and God is working. Butman is still looking at the outside, andmuch of the time that's the best he cando. It is the task of us as Christians toget what God has done in our hearts outto where it can be a witness — on our8faces, on our tongues, in our actions, inour homes.What a guest in my home sees as heshares the place where I dwell is theresult of my style, my taste, my budget,and the influence of my priorities oneach of these factors. It is often difficultto separate styles, tastes and budgets asthey affect one another, for they worktogether and often result in a commonstatement in my home.Style is more than deciding betweenTraditional, Contemporary and OrangeCrate furniture. Style is how we live,the way we do things. My personal stylecan no more be selected from the pagesof Better Homes and Gardens than therhythm of my heart beat can be selectedat will from a medical journal, for mystyle is myself, where I am, living outGod's plan. If the way I do things andthe way I live show in a very personalway the reality of God within me, then Iwill know the joy of seeing the results ofGod's word written on my " doorpost.''If there is any distinctive trait of"Christian Style" that applies to eachone of God's children, it is caring. Forreal caring is Love — love for God andlove for my neighbor — a love thatshows. When my guest steps throughmy door he sees how I care. When I sayto my guest that in the love of Christ Icare for him, will it be obvious to Himthat I am a caring person? My prioritiesas I learn to submit to the will of Godwill have a substantial impact on howmy caring shows in my home. God hasgiven us different gifts and differentmissions, and He will give us verydifferent ways of showing our care. Onehome may show a settled, comfortableatmosphere and exhibit the acceptanceof a long term commitment. Anothermay look make-shift by comparison butbe indicative of a man-or woman-onthe-moveand responsive to the will ofGod as He leads from place to place.Using Your HomeFor ChristEach can show a predominantlyChristian style, an obvious care, anessential love. Caring can be a goodmeal, a well ordered household, a goodplace to talk, a place to take a need, agood get-together; but seldom all ofthese. Our God-given abilities andopportunities will be the deciding factorfor the specific course of our care. Themore I care, the more it shows. Themore it shows, the more opportunity Ihave to let show on the outside whatGod is doing on the inside. A well caredfor home will say more than just a"mint condition" Bible on the coffeetable, for caring says love and that is astyle that is distinctive!Taste is a very personal statement.Where I have a choice and make adecision, I show my taste and to somedegree I show myself. A very real part ofmy Christian witness involves mychoices that others can see. One of thejoys of living in Christ is knowing thatGod, working through the uniquenessof my individuality, can show Himself.As God is in me expressing Himselfthrough me, so I, as I express my tasteand personality in my home, can honorChrist in the very personal choices Imake. It is therefore important that Imake choices with which, as a child ofGod, I feel comfortable — choices thatare "I" or "we."Taste is the freedom to make thosepersonal choices confident that God canand will use my uniquely personaldecisions to show Himself. Wheneverpossible, our Christian homes shouldshow the freedom and personality madepossible by being a child of God.Priorities here are very critical to aChristian expression of taste. For thereality of the living God in our liveselevates our decisions far above the fogof arbitrary decision. We have a reasonfor our choices, and Christian tasteshows our confidence in that reason.COVENANTER WITNESS

OPENHOUSEHOWARD R. HUIZINGBudget isn't something that eitherenables or prevents us from making ourhomes Christ's. But it is one way wherewe can show our trust in God's plan forour lives. Paul learned "to be content inwhatever circumstances . . . how to getalong with humble means and also howto live in prosperity. . ." (Phil. 4:11-13). He was eager to be Christ's man ina palace or in a jail. Your home probablyfalls somewhere in between, andwherever that is God offers contentment.Am I truly content with thehome in which God has allowed me todwell? Either a little embarrassment ora little too much pride probably indicatesa need to take Him up on Hisoffer. Mv home can help show that Godis in my life or it can get in the way.That result is not necessarily a factor ofmv easy chair (or my lack of one), but atrue contentment with what God hasallowed me to have and use is an excellentbarometer of where my trust andconfidence lie. While our societycontinues to extoll the possession of allmanner of things bright, shiney andnew, the inner longings of men cry outfor the all too often rare experience ofcontentment and peace. There is nobetter place than our homes to be ashowplace more of contentment than of"things." Contentment never deniesthe value of hoping, planning anddreaming. Though my hopes, plans anddreams are things I do now. they areconcerned with the future. My sphere isnow. By trusting my future to God,they can be kept from getting in the wayand I can be content -- now.Take a long, serious, prayerful lookat where you live. Is it a place thatshows care? Is there a confident expressionof the person who lives there?Are you content? Does the God on theinside show on the outside? Qualities oflife like caring, confidence in ourselvesas unique creations and contentment arenot easily acquired. Thank God that hehas given us places to live which canalso be proving grounds for suchqualities and places to share the fruit ofthem with others.About tbe author: HowardHuizing, who holds a Bachelor ofProfessional Arts Degree from ArtCenter College of Design, is employed as an interior designer hyDesign West, Inc. in Irvine, CalifHis major efforts are in commercialinteriors He is a deacon in the LosAngeles R. P. congregation.Illustration by tbe authorMAY 9, 1973

JAMES D. CARSONR. P. pastor, North Hills, Pa.Facing Up to RelocationLast Saturday I saw again the pastorof a church that had been located a fewblocks from our former church buildingon the North Side of Pittsburgh. Hischurch and ours were forced to movefrom the area at about the same timebecause of an urban renewal project inthe city. Reflecting on what had happened,my friend said, "I'm glad wedidn't fight to stay."Why didn't we fight to stay? Shouldwe have made another decision tenyears ago? Have we sensed God'sleading in the move? These are thequestions that almost automaticallycome to mind when my friend says,"I'm glad we didn't fight to stay."When asked to write this article, Iresisted. Our experience is now gettingto be old history. Times are changing.Our situation was unique and is notfaced by other congregations in exactlythe same way. But maybe our experiencescan be of help to others whoface the problem of when to move —and perhaps the more basic question asto whether one ought to move.In Acts 16, there is the account of aportion of Paul's missionary journey. Inverses 6-10, one finds phrases such as,"having been forbidden by the HolySpirit," "the Spirit of Jesus did notpermit them," and "concluding thatGod had called us."F. F. Bruce, commenting on theseverses, says, "The missionary journeysof Paul exhibit an extraordinarycombination of strategic planning andkeen sensitiveness to the guidance of theSpirit of GodThis, I believe, is the combinationnecessary in the making of a decisionabout the removal of a congregation ofGod's people from one location toanother. There must be, on the onehand, strategic planning that will takeinto account every factor that can beconsidered; and on the other, a sensitivityto the will of God, and to thecourse of action that He may bedirecting.10In our case, we attempted to considerfrom the human standpoint whatwould be involved in moving. Ofcourse, some things were alreadydecided for us; the Urban RenewalAuthority had, by the right of eminentdomain, informed us that we wouldhave to move. They also gave a fairfinancial compensation for the propertythat was being vacated. But they didnot, of course, tell us where to go orwhat to do. Two basic choices faced us:either to rebuild in the same generalarea, or to move out some distance.To decide that question requiredconsideration of many factors. Weinvestigated carefully the cost ofrelocation in the same area; we wouldneed four times the land area to provideoff street parking. We interviewedplanning personnel on several governmentallevels; they gave us noassurance that if we rebuilt in the areawe would not have to move again in 10years. We discussed plans with localbusiness leaders; many of their anticipationshave not materialized. Wetried to evaluate what differences achanging community would have on thechurch; there seemed to be no questionbut that at least a 10 year interval ofdisruption would be involved. Oneleader told us that if we could simplyhang on as we were for 10 years thingsmight improve. Ten years have passedand the area has not yet been stabilized.We had to face realistically the presentliving location of members of thecongregation; can a family that hasmoved to the suburbs argue effectivelythat the church ought to remain whereit is when they will be too far out to be ofvaluable service? There had to be anevaluation of what had been happeningto the congregation and its membershipand outreach in the previous decade —and longer. As one looked at the unfulfilledredevelopment plans that wereto be completed within 10 years, therehad to be consideration as to whetherthe church could minister effectively inwhat was being planned as largely a"transient" living area with high riseapartments and townhouses.At the same time, another set ofquestions had to be considered withrespect to moving out of the area. Coulda location be found that was not alreadyover-churched — a location that wouldbe easy for our members to get to?Could we build without incurring agreat indebtedness? What arrangementscould be made for those persons livingclose to the old location? Would therebe opportunities for witness in the newarea insofar as those could be assessed?One of my treasured possessions is atwo volume scrapbook of a runningaccount of meetings and surveys anddecisions and discussions, together withprogress reports from the newspapersand snapshots.But this kind of planning andthinking and discussing alone will notgive the final answer. There must bethat sensitivity to the leading anddirecting of God — that through all ofthese things God will make His willknown. This is a difficult area, becauseone cannot assume that he had infallibleguidance from God. And here I feel isone of the strengths of our Presbyteriansystem of government. If there areofficers of the church and members ofresponsible committees of the churchwho are spiritual leaders — persons whoin their own lives give demonstration ofa godly life — then as these personscome together to pray and review thefacts and seek the Lord's face, I amconvinced that there will then come in aclear and unmistakable fashion, thedesire of the Lord. This is not to say thatat the outset there will not be differencesof opinion, but it is to say that throughthe common mind there can come thatleading of God that can be acted on withassurance — and without later regrets.Decisions on such a matter have away of getting all cluttered up withmany factors — some of which areimportant, and some of which areCOVENANTER WITNESS

A 1930's photo of the CentralPittsburgh R. P Church during thepastorate of Delbert H. Elliott.A• ••mi rsprtWiii i L* . . •'* 41v*.—**t.irrelevant. There can be an unhealthyclinging to the old, to the "place whereI was baptized and married;" to the"building that my grandfather helped toerect;" perhaps a kind of defeatistattitude and skepticism of ever stoppinga decline in membership.On the other hand, there are idealsthat may be hoped for in moving thatare not realistic. The problem of interpersonalrelationships that exist amongmembers are not going to be solved by anew structure, or by moving ten milesdown the road. In fact, these tensions.».will probably increase, apart from thehealing of the Holy Spirit. A newlocation is not automatically going tochange the personality of thecongregation from a "satisfied"situation into one of live evangelisticfervor. Nor will a new building, in andof itself, draw the community. Norshould a change of location be seen asevading the problem presently found inthe community.Should vour church move.-' Andwhen is the right time? There is no easyformula to answer that question. EvervThe present North Hills R. PChurch as it was under constructionin 1963.situation is unique and must be faced onthe basis of the merits (and demerits) inthe individual circumstances. PerhapsBruce's words are the best - - seek acombination of strategic planning andthe sensitivity to the leading of God'sHoly Spirit.When mv friend the other day said."I'm glad we didn't fight to stay," ]had to respond in the light of all utGod's providences during ten vears."I'm glad we didn't either."MAY 9. 19~M

N. Y. HIGH SCHOOL PRAYERSRESUMEIn New York, where the currentSupreme Court phase of the publicschool prayers controversy began manyyears ago, "voluntary student prayersessions at Mohonasen High School,"are to go unchallenged by the StateEducation Commissioner, according toEP Actually, the State prescribedprayer, that was declared unconstitutionalby the Supreme Court,should have been as unacceptable toevangelical Christians as to Madalyn,but the idea of having prayer in publicschools at all, seems to have intrudedand occupied center stage in the publicmind.The Supreme Court has lost considerableprestige in this whole encounter,and its attempts at legislatingare proving abortive. Of course, it hasset itself an impossible task, of maintainingthe neutrality of a governmentalsystem against the claims of the King ofkings and Lord of lords.EVOLUTIONARY FUNDAMENTALISM"It is interesting to note thereaction of many scientists committedto the evolutionary position. They insistthat the evolutionary explanation beconsidered as proven fact, that objectionsto its validity not be taught inthe classroom and that no alternativetheories be heard. They are as adamantin their obscurantist position as anyreligious fundamentalist ever was, orcould ever hope to be." So the RESnewsletter reports an article fromChurch Herald.The article continues. "It is apparentfrom the strong oppositions ofsome science educators that for themevolutionary naturalism is not so mucha proven scientific fact as it is a sacredreligious doctrine."SWEDEN'S MIDDLE WAYThe middle way, between a rulingdictator and democracy, has become12lmp^>e^I Rev. Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010"totalitarian," according to theLondon Observer. The Freeman alsoreviews the book, The NewTotalitarians, about which the Observerwas commenting.The book, so the reviewer says,reminds one of Huxley, in Brave NewWorld: "A really efficient totalitarianstate would be the one in which the allpowerfulexecutive of political bossesand their army of managers control apopulation of slaves who do not have tobe coerced, because they love theirservitude."We are told that in Sweden thecontent of university lectures is decidedby ecclesiastical and state officials.Parents ' 'may not be present at the civilservice boards which discuss theremoval of children from their homes,"and about one child per 350 inhabitantsis removed from the custody of itsparents. Both the education system andthe theatre are considered instrumentsfor forming the new society. Thepurpose is to ' 'turn out the correct kindof person . . . ."Crime has doubled in the decade ofthe '60s, "rape increased by 65.2 percent between 1963 and 1967.""Sweden has matured; those whowalked the road to serfdom have finallyarrived."WURMBRAND ON KOURDIAKOV(Glimpses, March 14, 1973)Richard Wurmbrand and "UndergroundEvangelism" are seeking tominister to Christians behind the ironcurtain, in efforts that somewhatparallel each other. The observations ofJoe Bass, President of UE, after thetragic death of Sergei Kourdiakov whichwas ruled by a coroner's jury as accidental,indicated some backtrackingby Bass from early declarations Bassmade, of confidence in Kourdiakov. Hisname as a "Christian martyr" has ingreat measure dropped out of UE'spublicity.Wurmbrand, being often asked forhis assessment of the matter, statedflatly that "The assertions thatKOURDIAKOV had been the son of ageneral killed by KRUSHCHEV, thathe raided 150 churches, and that he hadbeen a leader of the Communist youth ofKAMTSHATKA are not true. Let ushope that at least some little thing wastrue in the story of his conversion andthat he had been a weak Christian whosuccumbed to temptations." He saysfurther, "The normal course of eventsfor a young convert is to be allowed togrow in grace and knowledge, to studythe Bible, and to become a preacheronly after a number of years, assuminghe gets the vocation. UE contacted himonly a few weeks after his conversionand led him from place to place as a'preacher.' On the public platform hewas exposed to pride, greed for money,and the attraction of girls . . .He wascorrupted by money."JAPAN'S MODERN PROBLEMSNow that the U.S.A. has made amove toward acceptance of Red China asa respected fellow nation, Japan hasstepped up its move in that direction onmany fronts. News clippings fromJapanese papers show that those leadersin Japan who favor that approach totheir political and economic life, nowfind place in newspapers for expressingtheir cause. And problems of pollutionand city crowding are even more acutethan in the cities of the U.S.A. In Japanland is at a premium, and so investorsare found buying up real estate in Texasand Alaska. "Japan's city people,whose problems have long been ignored(by the ruling party), now are voting leftin increasing numbers." East is East—.Will the gospel of Jesus Christ draw ustogether in our generation?ARIZONA ECUMENICALCOUNCIL IN NEEDThe liberal Arizona Council ofChurches was phased out a few yearsago, so that the new organization whichwould include Roman Catholics, couldbe formed. In 1957 and for some yearsafter, the Council of Churches kept afull time secretary, but apparently theorganization lacked wide support, andnow apparently the new expedient is introuble for lack of funds.PLAIN PEOPLE GO WESTEP reports that rising land prices —and no doubt, taxes — are forcing manyof the Amish and Mennonite farmers ofLancaster County, Penna., to movewest, many of them going to Missouri.COVENANTER WITNESS

Dear Kids,I was happy to receive your firstapplication for the Hey Lookit Club.The office in Pittsburgh is busy workingon your materials so please hurry andsend in your application. We think youcan satisfy one of the four requirements,as is explained in the March 28 Witness.Before you know it, May 1 will behere so don't delay!Carolyn Homa, who teaches thedeaf in Pittsburgh, writes about the deafstudent.I recently learned that "signs" canbe used as gestures for our singing.Wouldn't you like to try it with thePsalms?Sincerely,Mrs. A.loves sports, picnics, and treasurehunts. He laughs often and plays sillypranks on others. Yet, there are someways the deaf child is different. He mustalways wear a hearing aid. (Even thenhe can't hear words clearly). Usually,the deaf child has to live at school. (Howwould you like that?) Only on weekendscan he live with his family. Hestruggles to learn how to talk and howto read. After he has learned to talk, hisvoice still sounds "different."The deaf boy or girl must learn toread other's lips. Try to figure outwhich sound the man in the picture ismaking. It is hard to read one soundmade on the lips. Think how hard awhole sentence would be! (The answeris on the lower right corner of the page.)Another way the deaf talk to eachother is with their hands. Sometimesthey spell out words like p-l-a-y. (See thealphabet.) Or. to go faster, they "sign"a word. (The sign for play is made bymaking a y with your fingers andshaking your hand from side to side.If you can hear, God has given you aspecial "gift." Your world is not silent.Learning at school is not as difficult.You can live at home too. People understandwhat you say when you talk.God has been good to you. Thank Himfor ears that work right. Take good careof them, too! And one more thing . ifyou see a small child wearing a hearingaid, smile and say "Hello." You canhelp in your own way to make his day alittle happier.LET'S TALK!If you couldn't hear. .a bird singing.your alarm clock.music. . .running water.ice cream wagons.fire sirensand. .puppiesYour world would be silent.Many boys and girls live in a silentworld. These children are "deaf."Some children are born deaf. Some hearfor a vear or two and then lose theirhearing. Accidents, childhood illnessesor heredity cause children to becomedeaf. God, who is in control of allthings, has allowed some children to bedeaf. You ask, "Why?" God doesn'ttell the children, parents, or friends"why" but Fie does have reasons.Deaf children arc not much differentthan hearing children. The deaf childMAY 9, 1971^This is the one-handed alphabet used in theUnited States. In some schools the teachers do useit inthe classroom. More often, children learnit from eachother in the playroom, or in the dormitory._ I,, si J.IIPI .)q iM

ARVILLA COPELAND**Buddy, can you spare a dime? f$Here comes our friendly "mail man." He's the onewho stopped at our door shortly after we moved into our newhome, to invite us to attend his church which is in ourneighborhood. Almost daily he leaves a handful of mail inour box. There are "family letters" from near and far.There are letters reminding us of our financial status andfiscal responsibilities. And yesterday there were actually tenletters asking for financial support.Our mail box is stuffed almost daily with appeals tosupport this or that humanitarian effort. Many of thesesolicitations are for ' 'good causes." Most of them are deeplytouching in their emotional appeal to help the orphans, thedestitute, the underprivileged, the victims of war, thehopelessly ill, minority groups, the handicapped, and manyother unfortunates.As Christians we are to love others as ourselves.Therefore we must be concerned about the needs of our lessfortunate fellowmen. Scripture exhorts us to give to the poorand to support the weak. ' 'For the poor shall never cease outof the land; therefore, I command thee saying, Thou shaltopen thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and tothy needy, in thy land" (Deut. 15:11). "Withhold not goodfrom them to whom it is due, when it is in the power ofthine hand to do it" (Prov. 3:37). "I have showed you allthings, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak,and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said,Itis more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). In asense the government takes over some of that responsibilitywhen it collects taxes, a portion of which is spent forhumanitarian causes. However, payment of our taxes doesnot fulfill our obligation. Neither do we fulfill it when wesimply "shell out" in response to every solicitation.Mrs. Copeland's versatile pen explores the facts andfantasies behind the many appeals that pour into ourmailboxes. Arvilla is the wife of Wilbur Copeland and amember of the Kansas City R. P. congregation.14 COVENANTER WITNESS

As Christians we are stewards of everything wepossess, not of the tithe only. Paul tells the Corinthianchurch, "Moreover it is required in stewards that a man befound faithful" (I Cor. 4:2). God expects and requirescareful stewardship of all that He has entrusted to us.One of the regular appeals for funds comes in the mailfrom Boys Town, Nebraska, a refuge for homeless boys.Approximately 34 million letters go out each year, atChristmas and Easter, with a simple poverty pitch appeal:"Your small contribution can bring happiness to otherhomeless and unwanted boys." "He ain't heavy, Father;he's my brother."In 1970, donations to Boys Town totaled $17.7million. Expenses totaled $9 million, more than a third ofwhich was spent on raising more funds. The Home cost lessthan $6 million to operate. According to Time Magazineinterest from its endowments is now approximately $6million a year. According to a news item in the May 2,1972, issue of Cappers Weekly, Topeka, Kansas, thischaritable home for boys has been raising about $25 milliona year from donations and investment income.Boys Town has been a legendary success story, evenbeyond the fondest dreams of its founder, Father Flanagan.Its endowment stock includes a portfolio of stocks and bondsmanaged by Morgan Guaranty Trust and estimated worth$2 million. That amounts to about $286,000 for each boy.The University with the highest endowment-student ratio isCal Tech, at a mere $96,000 {Time).Boys Town owns a 1300 acre campus, estimated to beworth $8 million. It owns another 120 acres nearby thecampus, an office building in downtown Omaha, a summercamp in Iowa, and ranch land in Wyoming. Boys Townended 1970 with total assets of roughly $192 million{Time). J. Gallin, business journalist, reports, again inTime, that the worth of the Roman Catholic church at largeis estimated at $70 billion, mostly in tax-exempt real estate.Information on its financial status became availablewhen the tax reform act of 1969 was passed, requiring thetax-exempt Boys Town to file a public statement of itsfinancial condition for the first time.Boys Town was originally set up by its founder toaccept only physically and mentally sound boys. Its presentmanager. Father Wegner, refuses to alter that policy. Explainingthe continuing appeal, he says, "No business everstops trying to save for unknown contingencies. If we go intothe retarded business we'll need the money." Undoubtedlythousands of individual donors have mistakenly believed thattheir contributions did indeed furnish a home for orphansand unwanted children when in fact a sizable percentage ofthem actually went into tax-exempt real estate owned by theRoman Catholic Church.Recently an article entitled ' 'What You Should KnowBefore Giving to a Charity" appeared in GoodHousekeeping. The writer points out that "most philanthropicorganizations receiving money are legitimate andperform essential work in health, education and religion."A small number are run so inefficiently that they spendmost of their income in administrative costs, rather than thepurpose for which the donors gave.'' He gives some practicalsuggestions for helping to decide where contributions shouldbe made. (1) Plan ahead so that a decision will not be madeunder pressure; perhaps it would be wise to set aside anamount for door-to-door appeals. (2) Check with the BetterBusiness Bureau. (3) Observe solicitation methods. "Noone, under any circumstances, should contribute to anycharity as the result of a phone call from a stranger", saysJohn J. Schwartz, president of the American Association ofFund-Raising Counsel, Inc. Avoid payment for unorderedmerchandise. It is unethical to play upon a person's guiltfeelings. Furthermore, 80 to 90 per cent of what is taken inmust go to pay costs. Therefore the actual benefit from thecontribution is negligible. (4) Realize the importance of yourindividual contribution. Individual donors last year gavemore than $15 billion, or more than 70 per cent of allcontributions to philanthropic organizations. Approximately30 per cent came from industry, corporations and foundations."Since the individual gift is important, he (thedonor) must select carefully, and not lose sight of the placethe money eventually goes." We must be sure it goes to aplace where it will honor God, to whom it all belongs. Noteven all gifts to "religious" causes do that.The Christian concept must go beyond legitimacy. Wemust be guided by God's directives such as this in Col.3:23,24 "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to theLord, and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord ye shallreceive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the LordChrist."In Luke 6:38 we are given a directive and a promise."Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure,pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shallmen give into your bosom. For with the some measure thatye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." Prov.22:9 also promises a blessing. "He that hath a bountiful eyeshall be blessed, for he giveth of his bread to the poor."Mark 9:31 tells of reward for helping the needy. "Forwhosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in myname, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, heshall not lose his reward." Hebrews 6:10 mentionsspecifically "ministering to the saints." "For God is notunrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which yehave showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered tothe saints, and do minister." Prov. 19:17 suggests thatwhen we give, we are lending to the Lord, and promises thathe will pay us again.In the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14 30) theunprofitable servant was the one who had put his lord'smoney in the wrong place! It should be a matter of seriousconcern for us to decide the recipients of our contributions.We must not support inefficiently managed operations, orthose whose major expenses are administrative. We mustbeware of contributing to any "charity," religious orotherwise, which promulgates an ideology contrary toScriptural principles. The responsibilitv for right choices isours. Rom. 14:12 "So then every one shall give account ofhimself unto God." Each of us is accountable unto God foruse of all that He has given us. How will you use yours? •MAY 9. 1971 15

MARIBEL McKELVY, M.D.(North Hills R. P. Church)Makingj the Mostof YourChurchLibraryIn a recent article about church libraries Robert Floodcalls attention to the continuing research into the problem of"why Johnny can't read. The fact is, today many ofJohnny's parents are poor in their reading habits also. Andso, too, are most church congregations." Gladys Hunt, inHoney for a Child's Heart, quotes Dr. Frank E. Gaebelein."Few things are more important for a child than to discoverthe joy of reading. Give him a love of reading and you havegiven him, not only the most satisfying and useful ofrecreations, but, also the key to true learning. The home isstill the greatest educational force and parents who makereading attractive contribute immeasureably to theirchildren's intellectual, emotional and spiritual development.Forty-one years as a headmaster have convinced me that agenuinely educated person is one who knows how to readand who keeps on reading throughout his life."Dr. Francis Schaeffer, in Back to Freedom andDignity, points out that many of us who read much may yetread poorly. "Perhaps if people today were to take goodreading courses they would be better off. Americans don'tread enough (that's true), and Americans read too much(that's true too). What I mean is that many don't readenough material to be really informed, and yet they read toomuch because what they do read they often do not stop toassimilate and think through. They whiz through it and getwhat I call a first-order experience, a sort of mystical feeling,not a genuine understanding. I urge you, with all my soul, insuch a day as ours to really, truly learn to read." Thisparagraph follows Dr. Schaeffer's citing a stalement by Dr.Francis Crick in which he attributes to evolutionary naturalselection "cleverness" and the ability to "think." "Inother words he personalizes what by definition is impersonalaccording to his own system. . We must be careful to suchtricky use of language."These quotations show something of the vital importanceof Christian literature and the church library to theChristian today and, at the same time, the frustration ofmaintaining a facility which is seldom used. Our library atNorth Hills dates back twenty years to an assortment ofbooks which had gradually accrued from the missionarysociety and gifts from individuals. The majority weremission and devotional books so, when we came toorganizing the library formally, we needed to round out thesubject coverage considerably. During one of those earlyyears our pastor preached on various points of doctrine sothis was the first area to get attention. We have continued toadd as funds were available from the Sabbath School andcongregational budget.One of the most tedious jobs was sorting through thevolumes that had collected and eliminating those that wereunsuitable. Some were out of date or in poor condition andothers were doctrinally unsound. We have always had agroup of willing readers able to judge value and assist in bookselection. It is a help to the librarian to be able to refer booksto the committee for approval if anyone offers them as a gift.Over the years we have built up a fairly broad selection ofbooks which pretty well covers one wall in our library. Wehave classified these according to our own system includingHistory, Doctrine, Devotional, Fiction, Biography,Missions, Christian Education, Cults, Christian Living, andChildren's Books. We have set up a color code for each typeof book and grouped related titles together in a numbersystem but it is difficult to anticipate how each section isgoing to expand in time.Children's books are the hardest to keep adequatelystocked. An avid young reader can get through our entiresupply in a few months and come begging for more. Thereare few really good books for school-age youngsters. Theytend to be stereotyped in plot and characterization. This alsois the case with adult Christian fiction which, for the mostpart, supports romantic human interest rather than what weconsider to be vital Christian testimony or even truelifeexperience. Exceptions to this general rule are the Narniabooks and other works of C. S. Lewis — not orthodox inevery detail, to be sure, but giving a refreshing view oflifeand supernaturalism. The Jungle Doctor books by Dr. PaulWhite and the Sugar Creek series are perennial favorites ofthe children. The Princess and Curdle and The Princess andthe Goblin by George MacDonald are delightful tales offancy. Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt can give anew librarian ideas for basic selections. It is easier to findbooks for the pre-school age. The Arch books are colorfuland enjoyable for parents too.In the adult field we have found the works of IsobelKuhn to be engaging reading about missions. By Searching(Kuhn) and her biography One Vision Only by DorothyCanfield reveal the depth of Mrs. Kuhn's Christian ex-16 COVENANTER WITNESS

perience. Out of the recent adult fiction the trilogy byEugenia Price comes to mind. Another biography Servant ofSlaves is a gripping story of the conversion of John Newton. Ihave always relied on the book reviews in the Blue BannerFaith and Life for guidance in selecting doctrinal volumes. Inrecent years Inter-Varsity Press has been releasing a numberof good books covering current social and religious issues. Ofthe modern devotional literature I lean toward that of a Biblestudy nature such as the works of Martyn Lloyd-Jones andJohn Stott. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, SpiritualDepression, Its Causes and Cure, and Faith on Trial aremeat for an adult's heart. These books offer detailedScriptural commentary and touch intimately on theChristian life in application. We have not included generalfiction or secular books in our library. Christian periodicalsand records or cassette tapes we have considered but notdeveloped for regular library use. An energetic programcould well include these. We had originally intended tointroduce only hardbacks into the library because paperbackshold up so poorly. Some books are available only in paperback,however, and actually many of them — after a oncearound reading — have served their purpose. A book that islikely to be of interest only briefly, such as much of thecurrent social commentary, is probably more economicallypurchased in paper.We housed our library on inexpensive metal shelves inthe back of a classroom at first. Now we have new shelves ina larger room but still have to share it for a classroom.Probably the library could be more fully utilized if it wereopen to individuals and classes without other interference,but I can not speak out of any experience with that type ofprogram. Our present staff is made up of adult librarian andassistant librarian and several children who attend to thesign-out table before and after the morning and eveningworship services. Considerable time has to be spent to getbooks ready for circulation after purchase and children'sbooks are in a constant state of disrepair.Now to the frustration of it all as I mentioned in thebeginning. After the exhaustion of the organization thelibrarian is not free to sit back and stamp books in and outwithout maintaining a high level of advertising. Books, oncepopular, fall into anonymity and new ones are added.Children come readily but adults, somewhat removed fromschool and the library habit, have to be constantly encouraged.We have, over the years, used posters, readingcontests, puppets and notices in the congregationalnewsletter. Our latest move has been a "Book Coffee" towhich neighborhood women were invited. We are alsoopening the library to the community on Friday mornings.One outgrowth or perhaps parallel growth with ourlibrary has been the church bookstore which is handledseparately by the church secretary. The bookstore offersChristian books of current interest at an attractive discount.Probably some of the adults not using the library are readingnevertheless, but reading their own books.Note: Additional information to help with church libraries mav he obtainedIrom Ga\ lord Brothers Inc.. Box 61. Syracuse. N.Y. 1 O H or fromthe 1 ihrar\ Series Journal, published bv the S S Board ot the SouthernBaptist ConventionM \Y 9. l c )7^psaLmodryuootzhshopatgenevaJune 18.23To promote congregational use of the Psalms in worshipand to provide special introduction to the 1973 edition of THEBOOK OF PSALMS FOR SINGING, the Witness Committeeis sponsoring a five day Workshop in Reformed PresbyterianChurch Music June 18-23 at Geneva College.Instructors will be Mr. and Mrs. Robert Copeland ofPrairie Village, Kansas, both of whom are members of Synod'sPsalter Revision Committee.Participants may be sponsored by a congregation, a choir,or other interested worshippers, or they may register as individualsseeking personal enrichment or special preparation forleadership in Psalm-singing. They will pay a registration fee ofSI5.75 to cover cost of materials, and both room and board areavailable at regular college-student rates of $34.25 for the fulltime of the workshop.Geneva College is offering a semester hour of collegecredit for all those who complete the course successfully.Participants desiring this credit will take a final examination andpay the regular tuition fee of S59.00.The workshop will feature practical experience in singingand leading from the 1973 edition of THE BOOK OF PSALMSFOR SINGING. It will also include study of the role of theprecentor in congregational singing, the use of Psalms inChristian worship, and the effective training of a Covenanterchoir.Robert M. Copeland, principal instructor in theworkshop, is Assistant Professor of Music at Mid-AmericaNazarene College and candidate for the Ph.D. from College-Conservatory of Music, University ot Cincinnati. Both he andhis wife and assistant. Louise, earned their B.S. degrees fromGeneva College and their Master's degrees in music from theCollege-Conservatory where Robert is now pursuing hisdoctorate.Charles McBurney, chairman of the Psalter RevisionCommittee, will assist the Copelands in arrangements tor theworkshop, and other guest lecturers and panelists will also beinvited to supplement their instruction.Additional information and pre-registration forms arebeing mailed to Reformed Presbyterian pastors and precentors.and thev mav also be obtained by writing directly to CharlesMcBurnev. Geneva College. Beaver Falls. Penna.. 15010.I /

BECAUSE MissioNARiEsCAME TO CypRusWhen I first entered the AmericanAcademy in Nicosia there were manyreasons why I did not like it and themissionaries. I was too far from home andI had to stay in the boarding house whilemany of the other girls were able to gohome on weekends and on short holidays.I went home during Christmas and Eastervacations and if my parents managed tomake arrangements for me, I went homefor Thanksgiving too. Riding a village busthat stopped in every little village was nojoy ride, either, all ten hours of it. Thestrict rules of the boarding house wereanother reason why I did not like theAcademy. My main complaint was notbeing allowed to be out enjoying thesunshine. We spent most of the timeindoors, which was foreign to our nature.We could sit on the front porch only if ateacher was out with us.The dissatisfaction increased when thepressure of the Bible classes began withthe coming of a new teacher who wasteaching for more than just the grades.Mr. Sanderson started teaching my classwhen I was a sophomore. His teaching wasso foreign to our culture that we referredto him as the "fanatic" in school. Hespent hours in class trying to explainsalvation to us and what exactly it meantto be a Christian. He spent hours inprivate conversation with different girls,and I was one of them. A struggle beganinside me then. I realized that I neededChrist the way Mr. Sanderson explainedit, but I was in no way ready to commitmy life to Him or change my religion. Yousee, I thought that to be a Christian youhad to be a Reformed Presbyterian andthat was heresy in Cyprus. Why,everybody knew that Greek Orthodoxpeople were "Christians" because theywere baptized, and only the Moslems werenot "Christians" because they were notbaptized when they were infants. That wascommon knowledge — if you were Greekyou were Greek Orthodox and if youchanged your religion you were an outcast.About this time, two other newteachers had come to the Academy andthey, too, tried to explain things to me.The struggle came to a head when I attendeda youth conference held at theschool and I met other Christians whowere not Reformed Presbyterians. Intalking with one of these, he asked mewhy I had not committed my life to Christsince I so much wanted to, and I explainedmy dilemma to him. He assured me thatsuch was not the case, that I could becomea Christian and stay in the Greek OrthodoxChurch. That made things easierthen and right then I committed my life toJesus Christ.That night I told my roommates(seven of them) that I had become aChristian and we talked for hours endingwith reading the Word of God and prayer.The next day the news was broadcasted inschool that I had become a "Christian" (astigma) and the ridicule started. It did notreally matter, though, because the innerjoy I experienced was too great to bedisturbed by that. Before too long, theLord used me in leading two of my friendsto Him and that helped in strengtheningme and giving me Christian fellowshipwith people of my own age.Farewell for Sterretts inCyprus restaurant. At table:T. Edgar, M. Sanderson,Pitsa and Bill Sterrett.Life continued in the Academy andwith the patient help of Miss Reade andMr. Sanderson I continued to grow in myChristian life. They spent hours listeningto my problems, giving me advice andteaching me how to study the Scriptures.The dissatisfaction of living in theboarding house was replaced by contentment.My two missionary friendshelped me enter Geneva College. In 1968,following my graduation, I returned toCyprus to join the missionaries inreaching Cypriots for Jesus Christ.Later the Lord helped me make adefinite break from the Greek OrthodoxChurch and join the ReformedPresbyterian Church.Last of all, but not least of all, becausemissionaries came to Cyprus, the Lordblessed me with a wonderful"missionary" husband. As Bill approachesthe completion of his seminarytraining, we are ready again to go serveGod as ' 'missionaries" wherever He leadsus.PITSA STERRETT18 COVENANTER WITNESS

SANTA ANA, CALIF.(Glenn McFarland, Pastor)Our Spring Thankoffering Meeting onFeb. 2 included a carry-in dinner. Thespeakers, the Rev. and Mrs. Paul Wilson,told of the work in Cyprus.Our congregation took 25 tickets tothe Billy Graham movie, "Time toRun," which was shown here on March11 to 17.Letters were written to our State Boardof Education to protest the teaching ofevolution as a fact in our schools. Theyhave already ruled out the teaching of theScriptural concept of creation, even as atheory.WESTMINSTER, COLO.(J. Paul McCracken, Pastor)The Westminster Fellowship becamean organized congregation of theReformed Presbyterian Church on March31, 1973, Denver, Colorado.During the past five months, interestedmembers of the Fellowship havebeen undertaking a study in the book"Understanding Biblical Doctrine" byRev. Ronald Nickerson. Several men ofthe Fellowship were involved in a study ofthe ordained offices of the church. Thesemen used the book "A Manual forElders" edited by Mr. Nickerson.In September of 1972, the WestminsterCommission appointed an AdministrativeCommittee, made up of allactive men of the Fellowship, to direct theFellowship in its organizational plans.The Westminster Commissionmembers, Neeland Siebring, RayHemphill, Bill Lowe, June McElroy, andHarold Thompson held conferences withall interested members and prospectivemembers of the Church on March 10,l c ) 7 3. This time of preparation and studyhas been one of spiritual growth andenjoyment for the members of theFellowship.EASTVALE. PA.(Kermit Edgar, Pastor)Eastvale congregation was host to ourfive area congregations on the World Dayof Prayer. We adapted the program of theNAE to our worship.Officers of our congregation for thisyear are: Isabelle Murphy, chairman;Ruth Knight, secretary. Jean Daniels,treasurer.Eastvale men hosted the Eastvale-Geneva Men's Club in March. Guests forthe evening were the members and fathersof our inter-church basketball team.Featured was a lecture and demonstrationon atomic energy, presented by MelAdams, one of our recent Geneva CollegeScience graduates.The churches of the Beaver Falls areaheard the sixty-voice Christian StudentFellowship choir present the newprogram, "An Everlasting Covenant"OHIO-ILL. PRESBYTERYThe regular spring meeting of theOhio-Illinois Presbytery was held onFriday and Saturday, March 9 and 10 inthe Bethel and Old Bethel Congregationsat Sparta, Illinois. Representatives were onhand from all but two of the twelvecongregations within the presbytery.The Rev. James Wright, pastor of theOrlando congregation was elected as themoderator of the presbytery. Ralph Josephwas reelected clerk and Donald Mullinnixtreasurer. Robert Morrow was electedassistant clerk.The presbytery heard with great interestthe report of the work of C. C.Brown in Selma and took appropriateaction to keep his salary on the leveladopted bv synod as being the minimum.The presbytery also heard from andcounselled with the Rev. Richard Smiley.a congregational minister, who has expressedinterest in coming into thefellowship ot the R. P Church.In an effort to excercise greateroversight of the various congregations andto implement the recommendations of thesynod relative to minister's expenses, thecongregations, in making their reportsnext year, are to include more completefinancial records.The presbytery also expressed concernover the influence of the Amsterdam-Toronto philosophy in both GenevaCollege and the R. P Seminary and appropriateresolution were adopted to besent to these institutions.The presbytery adjourned to meet nextspring in the Orlando Church on March 8and 9.Ralph Joseph, ClerkFOUR MILE, PA.ORDAINS OFFICERSGlen Detwiler, Fred Nahas and John Barclav.Last July the Four Mile R. P storyexpressed the desire for God to raise upmen to take places of congregationalleadership (July 5 Witness). God hasanswered that desire and on February 25,three men were ordained and installed intoleadership offices.Fred Nahas, previously ordained as acharter deacon in the Four Milecongregation, was ordained and installedto the office of elder. He thereby joins DaleCarothers and Jim Dobbs as ruling elders.Fred, who has a Syrian Orthodoxbackground, has used his abilities,especially his dramatic ones, in teachingyouth and in telling Bible stories. Fred andhis wife Virginia operate a grocery,furniture, and appliance store in Vamport.Pa.Ordained and installed as deacons wereGlen Detwiler and John Barclay. John hasdemonstrated managerial responsibilitiesin his home and his vocation (he worksin management at a local mill). Hiscommitment to sound doctrine hasenabled him to assist with the adult class.He and his wife united with thecongregation last year. Glen Detwiler,who with his wife joined the R.P Churchtwo vears ago. has served as acongregational trustee. He holds asupervisory position in a china and pottervplant in Midland.MAY 9. 19 7 319

FOREIGN MISSIONBOARD'S RECENTSIGNIFICANT ACTIONSAt its February meeting the FMBvoted to pursue a possible transfer of thetwo academies in Cyprus to alumnicontrol. The desire of William Edgar andDonald Piper for ordination as rulingelders to serve in Cyprus was endorsed bythe Board; it was understood that thesemen would make requests of theirrespective sessions for ordination.The Board also extended a call to Mr.James Pennington to return to Japan withhis new bride as of September 1, 1973 andprovision was offered to him to completehis thesis for a Master's Degree inMissions. Arrangements for Mr.Masunaga's graduate study in the U.S.were made. The Board also anticipates thecall of another minister to Japan at its Maymeeting.The Executive Secretary, RobertHenning, left on deputation to Cyprus andthe Far East on March 26.Receipt of Synodical funds of $12,700was reported by the Treasurer.BIRTHSPARNELL, Stephen Curry to Darrell andEsther Parnell on Feb. 22 (Topeka).SCHAEFER, Mark Stephen to John andLois Schaefer on Dec. 20 (First BeaverFalls).SMITH, Leslie Marie to Dean and NancySmith on Mar. 16 (College Hill).MARRIAGEKELLOGG, Candace Ann and PRICE,Alan on Mar. 17 (Santa Ana). GlennMcFarland officiated. While the groom isstationed with the Navy, the couple isresiding in Garden Grove, Calif.DEATHMcCLURKIN, Mrs. Walter (Morna), 89,on Mar. 20 (Geneva). J. Renwick Wrightofficiated at funeral. Survivors: Dr. WalterMcClurkin, daughter Eunice.2V-IVfiat Jtinl ojJUother %n I?'' My mother is something that works all day and that is all.''Is this how your child would describe you? Or would it be more like this"My mother is loving kind cheefull (cheerful) dear."Both of these definitions came from my second-grade class last year theFriday before Mother's Day when I asked them to finish this sentence: "Mymother is ."I told them they would not have to take their papers home andthey did not have to worry about spelling. I felt the definitions would be morespontaneous and uninhibited.When the day was over and the children had gone skipping merrily homewith their hand-made Mother's Day cards, I sat down in the quiet classroom toread their attempts to describe their mothers. I planned only to skim quicklythrough the papers before I rushed home to prepare dinner. A very importantSunday School committee meeting was set for 7 p.m.The more I read, the slower I read. These children weren't saying what Ithought they would say at all. They wrote as though they were describingmaids who come in to clean and cook."My mother is a wife. My mother cleans house. My mother is a big girl.My mother is a person who feeds us our meals and washes and dries our clothesand takes care of us. My mother is a woman who has children. My motherdrives a bus to make money. My mother helps us get ratea (ready) for school."I discovered more than half of the answers omitted any tender feelings ofany kind. I wondered what their moderately well-to-do mother, with theirhigher-than average interest in the school, the P.T.A., their church work, andcommunity affairs, would say if they could read these definitions. Were theyspending too much time on the do-good activities and not enough time withtheir children?As I sat back in my chair, thinking this, a fly buzzed closer, insistently,like the thought in the back of my mind. Then the thought broke through, andI sat up straight. Other mothers — what about my own three children at home!Is this how they thought of me? Wasn't it true that even tonight I was going toleave them to go to a committee meeting? When was the last time we had satdown together for family worship time?Wasn't it just last night that I brushed aside my ten-year-old daughter'sidea that we try a far-out recipe on the cereal box because I had to hurry andwhip up a batch of cookies for the church women's tea? When was the last timeI had helped her bake cookies anyway?With sudden clarity, I realized that the most important thing we mothershave to give is ourselves and our time. Even if we have to work, there are hoursin the day when our children must be more important than any outside cause.In that time we can give each child his needs and a reassurance of love, both inword and deed.Mary Lu NelsonToday 's Christian MotherCOVENANTER WITNESS

.-s^sCOVENANTERMAY 23. 1973FEATURESm:.mI

ORDMOVINGAs we are in the throes of moving the offices of theBoard of Education and Publication to a new and betterlocation, I am reflecting on two passages of Scripture:Hebrews 11:13, " We have here no continuing city," and IPeter 1:17, "Pass the time of your sojourning here infear."In a special sense God's people are to be constantly onthe move because we are called to be pilgrims and sojournersas far as our relationships to the kingdoms of this world. Weare passing through toward that city "whose builder andmaker is God."But what does this imply when we are told at the sametime that we are to be a light to the world and a salting influence?I think it boils down to this: we are to be movingtoward a goal, the ultimate glorification of God in everyaspect of life. We are not to take roots and settle as Lot did inthe cities of the wicked. We are looking for the heavenlyJerusalem and moving toward its coming.But our days here are not unimportant; we have a callto build the kingdom in preparation for that great consummationof all things in Christ. His eternal kingdom willbe built upon what he has already accomplished in thisworld. I do not believe, as some Christians do, that we canredeem the structure of present day society. I feel that thenew heaven and new earth of II Peter 3:13 will come aboutonly after the ultimate and total disintegration of this worldwe now know. But at the same time I believe the Scriptureteaches a continuity of Christ's kingdom so that the laborswe accomplish now in his name are for the full and finalestablishment of the kingdom of God on earth.We are not to be ' 'other-worldly'' pilgrims who refuseto be dirtied by the problems of this life. Jesus directly involvedhimself with all the existing institutions of family,church, state in his day. So are we as Christians to make fulltestimony for Christ in these areas of life today.But at the same time we must not forget that we arestill pilgrims. We are not shiftless movers who are trying toescape the complexities and pressures of the world. We areambassadors of Christ with a mission to represent him in aforeign land, namely, the society around us. We can'tidentify with the world around us. We must return to ourLord to account for how we have represented his kingdom.IT IS HOW WE SOJOURN HERE THAT COUNTS.R.W.N.i•Editor:Some weeks ago I sent out 50 airmail letters toCovenanter congregations asking prayer for our specialevangelistic meetings at the Tarumi center on March 30, 31.I wish to ask you to thank the people who did pray for ourmeetings and to give glory to God for a most encouragingresponse. We did not have public altar calls so I cannot reportcards signed or even hands lifted to represent "decisions."What made us so thankful was the obvious breakthrough in theimmediate neighborhood by which a number of neighborwomen and children came to our meetings. One family inparticular have never, to my knowledge, been inside ourchurch, though they live but three doors away. In early days thegrandmother was rather hostile to us. Her little grandson, wholost one hand in some accident, has been faithful at SabbathSchool. When the children sang a psalm before the evangelisticmeeting, the grandmother, mother and an elder sister all came.They heard the Gospel presented clearly and with sustainedinterest. Pastor Shigeru Masaki of the Lutheran Hour on radiowas the evangelist.We could name other equally specific answers to prayer.What we are seeing is the slow warming of neighborhoodfriendship and removal of some prejudice against us and theSavior. Keep praying now for actual signs of God's powerfulgrace in human hearts to bring conversion and new life inChrist.Our chapel was nearly filled both Friday and Saturdaynights for these meetings. Half of these or more wereChristians. The Higashi Suma Church young people and MaryJane and Joyce Spear came to help in the singing.We had the great pleasure of entertaining the Rev. andMrs. Calvin Cummings of Covenant Orthodox PresbyterianChurch in Wilkinsburg in our home Friday night, March 30.The Cummings are on a tour of Asia given to them by membersof their congregation. They visited their daughter, Mrs. NoelWeeks and her family in Australia, and Mrs. Cumming'sbrother, Rev. and Mrs. Bruce Hunt in Korea, stopping also inTaiwan en route where they called on Rev. and Mrs. CharlesChao at the R.T.F office.God willing, when you read this, I will have flown onApril 3 to Taiwan where Charles Chao boards the same plane tocontinue the flight to Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Singapore. InSingapore I have three speaking engagements in a ChineseChurch. Mr. Henning is to arrive in Singapore on April 11. Onthe 13th we three expect to fly to Hong Kong to spend Sabbaththe 15th with Chinese Christians from our former mission inKwangtung. On Monday the 16th we fly to Taipei to stop onenight with the Chaos. Mr. Henning and I are to arrive in Osaka,Japan the night of the 17th, when his visit to Japan begins.We appreciate the prayers of the church, for we often feelas did Paul the Apostle that we, too, are "pressed out ofmeasure. . " „ n uSam BoyleCOVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;S8.50, 2 years; British Isles, I 2, 1 year;£3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 51221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12KnutsfordDrive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 800 Wood St.,Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.Known office of publication: Box K,Winchester, Kansas 66097. Secondclass postage paid at Winchester,Kansas 66097.M1MB1R (j^ JL^>T[VANGCUCAL PRESS ASSOCIATIONVOLUMENO. 11MAY 23, 1973Cm TENTSARTICLES:Homes of the Brave.Does God Want the Temple Rebuilt?What Others Are Saving About IsraelPowerful Psalmodv.Will the Jews Be Saved?FEATURESA Word Due"In Truth and Love"Glimpses.Hev Lookit Club.Distaff Deductions. .From the DESKBring the Books"Count Her Towers"Count Our DavsSynod Informationi12H1617IS191920MAY

HomesoftheBraveMARY C.McCRORYIsraelTodayCOVENANTER WITNESS

All I know or am ever apt to discover about the nationof modern Israel is contained on 20 pages of newsprint calledHADASSAH NEWSLETTER and folded half the size of anewspaper. It is dated 1958 and celebrates Israel's 10thAnniversary."We extend our hand to all neighbouringstates and their peoples in an offer of peace and goodneighbourliness, and appeal to them to establishbonds of cooperation and mutual help with thesovereign Jewish people settled in its own land."Placing our trust in the Almighty, we affixour signatures to this proclamation at this session ofthe Provisional Council of State, on the soil of theHomeland, in the city of Tel-Aviv, on this SabbathEve, the 5th day of Iyar, 5708 (14 May, 1948)."This is an excerpt from the proclamation of Independenceof the State of Israel. The pages, published bythe Women's Zionist Organization of America, recently fellout of my file and I decided to throw the NEWSLETTERaway. But — I should read it first.The paper is brittle, yellow. As I first unfold it, I readthe ads. Next I notice that the center page is full of photosand is titled "Israel's Valorous Decade." Here are parts ofthe captions on some of them:1948 — David Ben-Gurion proclaims libertythroughout the land and leads an heroic struggle forliberation.1949 — Below first President of Israel ChaimWeizmann are seated members of the cabinet.1950 — Immigration was to continue affullspate until the end of 1951, by which time 600,000had come in.1951 — Homecoming. The doors of Iraq andYemen are open.1952 — Brotherhood. Here the Presidentgreets heads of five of Israel's Christian communities.1953 — First the tents, then the tin huts,finally solid walls. Today, new immigrants gostraight to permanent dwellings.1954 — Border Tragedy. A group ofmourners at the graveside of a watchman slain byinfiltrators.1955 — The great fertilizer and chemicalplant at Haifa utilizes phosphates mined in theNegev, Israel's rich storehouse of mineral wealth.1956 -- The 'Hundred Hours' War' bringsIsrael's Defense Army within sight of the SuezCanal.1957 — Port of Eilat — Israel's windowlooking out on Asia and Africa.About the author: Mary (McConaugby) McCrory. aGeneva College graduate, makes her home in Marsballtoun.Iowa. Her interest in genealogy and historyprompted her to submit this timely article on the 25thanniversary of Israel's statehood.MAY 23, 1973The article topics vary from "The Day the State wasBorn" to "Israel Among the Nations." As could be expectedin a paper of this date it is on the back page that thehousewife articles appear. It may be least political and mostrevealing to quote from Mollv Bar-David's "Diarv of anIsrael Housewife," p. 20 HADASSAH NEWSLETTER,(April 1958), and so we do that, using about half of hermaterial."In the morning it was still, except for the loudpounding of our hearts. For it was May 14, 1948, the daythat the British would leave and we would declare theexistence of our State of Israel. We rose at dawn. Thismorning we were happy for this was the day for which wehad waited and yearned and prayed and wandered andsuffered for 2000 years. No one made speeches about it, buteveryone's face glowed, everyone's eyes reflected thegratitude to God.'The children were hungry. The thistles and the wildmallow that had nourished us for weeks had dried up withthe first hot wind sweeping over the fields, so that now all wehad to eat were the four slices of heavy black bread wereceived each day, supplemented about once a week by ahandful of beans and a few smears of hard fat."Varda was then just six but I took her by the handthrough the dangers of the streets to hear the school principalread the Proclamation of Independence. No one dreamtof denving his children this great historic privilege."Jaapi could not be with us. He had to cut down alltne back fences in Talbieh in case families had to flee fromhouse to house in the hand-to-hand fighting which weanticipated before the day was out. Later that day the fightingtook place at the David Building when our men drove theArabs off and Talbieh ceased to be frontline.Continued on paye 9]5

T)ocsGodIDantthetemple^Rebuilt?ROBERT B. VINCENTThe famous wailing wall of the second templeIs the temple to be rebuilt by divineappointment? There are some evangelicalChristians who tell us that it will berebuilt, and that this will mark a gloriouspoint in the history of the people of God.But will it? What does the Bible say?Before looking for the answer, we mustnotice the last phrase of the question, ' 'bydivine appointment." No one can safelypredict what a group of Jews may decide todo in Jerusalem in the coming years. Theymay build a temple and offer animalsacrifices on its altar, but will this be bydivine appointment? That is the question.The Unity of the Templeand the TabernacleThe tabernacle pitched in thewilderness was not a clever invention ofMoses; it was divinely appointed for theworship of God right down to the smallestdetail. God told Moses, "According to allthat I show thee, after the pattern of thetabernacle, and the pattern of the instrumentsthereof, even so shall ye makeitAnd look thou that thou make themafter their pattern, which was showed theein the mount" (Ex. 25:9,40). Everydetail had to be perfect, and thus the HolySpirit imparted Spiritual skill to Bezaleeland Aholiab (Ex. 31:1-11).6 COVENANTER WITNESS

The worship of the tabernaclecentered around the ark of the covenant.The reason for this can be seen in anexamination of Exodus 25:22: "Andthere I will meet with thee, and I willcommune with thee from between the twocherubim which are upon the ark of thetestimony, of all things which I will givethee in commandment unto the childrenof Israel." Here in the Holy of holies Godcame to dwell upon the mercy seat, atopthe ark of the covenant, and the twogolden cherubim symbolize the heavenlycherubim who ever protect man frompresumptuously encountering the Holy.And thus it was atop this ark that theblood of the atonement was sprinkled, andthis occurred but once a year, for it wasonly on the day of atonement that anyonecould enter this sanctuary within thesanctuary. Thus one can readily see thatthe tabernacle worship occurred where theark was, and could not occur anywhereelse, for the worship centered in theLORD, and he promised to meet Israelupon this ark.Did the tabernacle worship ceasewhen Solomon built the temple? No, forthe worship in the temple is a continuationof the tabernacle worship. As long asGod's people lived in tents, he lived in atent (I Chron. 17:5,6), but once Godpermanently planted his people (I Chron.17:9), he also planted a permanent placefor his own worship (I Chron. 17:12). Allof this worship connected with the templemay be said to be a continuation of thetabernacle worship, except on a granderscale — a scale, it must be noticed, that isby divine warrant alone. King David gaveto his son Solomon the plans for thetemple, "the pattern of all that he had bythe Spirit." "All this, said David, theLORD made me understand in writing byhis hand upon me even all the works ofthis pattern" (I Chron. 28:11-13,19).All of the tabernacle worship is here in thetemple and thus what was said of it, maybe said of the temple. Both were patternedafter a revealed model, a model shown toMoses, and normative also for David.This model constituted the whole of thecontents of each.which the Lord pitched and not man."The true tabernacle is thus heavenly, andthe one built under Moses is a type of it;Moses' tabernacle is therefore called a"worldly sanctuary" in Hebrews 9:1,and it "was a figure (literally: parable) forthe time then present . imposed untilthe time of reformation" (Heb. 9:9,10).But of what was it a shadow?Jesus ChristThe real significance of the tabernacleis Jesus Christ, whose body is the true(^^^^^M^Mi&MiM^£fr**fe ^mw**< Htabernacle; "Jesus answered and saidunto them. Destroy this temple and inthree days I will raise it up . But hespake of the temple of his body" (Jn.2:19.21). How can Jesus be said to fulfillthe temple worship?John proclaims Jesus as the Word ofGod, coequal with the Father, very God ofvery God (Jn. 1:1-3). This Word, saysJohn, "was made flesh, and dwelt(literally: tabernacled) among us" (Jn.1:14). Truly Jesus is Immanuel, Godwith us (Mt. 1:23). Now in a fuller way(Continued on next page)Temple SymbolismWhy was exactness in the templeworship so important to God? The book ofHebrews provides the answer. In Hebrews8:1,2 Jesus Christ is proclaimed as thegreat high priest of his people who reignsin heaven. He is called "a minister of thesanctuarv. and of the true tabernacleTHE ARKLENGTH 21 CUBITS BREADTH 1' CUBITS HE'GHT 1< CUBITS THE CHERUBIM ARE DRAWN FROMDESCRIPTIONS OF THE Li'.'NC CREATURES GIVEN 'N EZE- I WMICH E2E" to '5 20 1OENT1F1ESWITH THE CHERUB"•» *•-€ otco«*'o-« >s »•>"« >-< i_r»r >i.o*i» *-c -"u" c --i ».-o-oMAY 23, 1973

'GetTipte (from page 7)than God tabernacled among his people bymeans of the tabernacle and the temple, hehas come in the flesh and united himself tohis people in their conditions. Jesus is fullyGod; Jesus is fully man; yet there are nottwo persons, but the one person, Jesus. Sofull and complete is the incarnation, thatthe unity of God with his people in thetabernacle must fade into insignificancealongside it. This is why the tabernacleworship is called a "shadow of heavenlythings" (Heb. 8:5). Once Christ thesubstance came, what place was there forthe shadowy worship of the temple? Aslong as the Jewish temple stood, ittestified that the incarnation was yet tocome.Nowhere is this brought out morefully than in an examination of the animalsacrifices. As long as the blood of bulls andgoats was shed, by divine appointment,God's people were told that perfectredemption had not yet come (Heb. 10:1-4). But when Christ, the real sacrificecame, the shadowy sacrifices had to losetheir meaning for they testified that fuliredemption had not yet been made. Aslong as the animal sacrifices continued,the Holy Spirit signified "that the wayinto the holiest of all was not yet mademanifest, while the first tabernacle was yetstanding: which was a figure for the timethen present imposed until the time ofreformation" (Heb. 9:8-10). But whenthe time of reformation came, Christ "byhis own blood . . . entered in once into theholy place, having obtained eternalredemption for us" (Heb. 9:12).A rebuilding of the temple involves thereinstating of the temple worship, whichcenters in the animal sacrifices. But thesesacrifices deny the work of Christ on thecross. No one can read the book ofHebrews, especially the passages above,and come to any other conclusion. But theOld Testament did predict the rebuildingof the temple (e.g. Ezekiel 40 ff.); whatcan be said to this?The New TempleWhat can be said to this is what theapostles said to this, namely, they interpretedthe rebuilding of the temple asthe gathering of all nations into thechurch.After Christ died and rose again fromthe dead, he ascended into heaven, fromwhere he sent the Holy Spirit to indwellhis people. The Holy Spirit unitesbelievers to Christ in all his offices asprophet, priest, and king. In the same waythat God indwelt the tabernacle and thetemple, he now indwells the people ofGod. No longer does God indwell thephysical building of stones; now he dwellsin the hearts of his people.This is brought out clearly in anumber of passages. In I Corinthians3:16, Paul retorts, '' Know ye not that yeare the temple of God, and that the Spiritof God dwelleth in youV The NewTemple is built on the foundation of JesusChrist (I Cor. 3:11). When Paulpreached, and God added people to thechurch, Paul saw this as the building ofthe temple (I Cor. 3:10). That is whyChristians are to be holy, because they areGod's holy temple, indwelt by Godhimself (I Cor. 3:16,17).Nor is this a peculiarly Paulineconcept. Peter calls the people of God"lively stones . . built up a spiritualhouse" (I Pet. 2:5). It is because heconceived of the people of God as therestored temple that the apostle Jamescould apply Amos 9:11,12 to the conversionof the Gentiles at the Jerusalemsynod; "Simeon hath declared how Godat the first did visit the Gentiles, to takeout of them a people for his name. And tothis agree the words of the prophets; as itis written, After this I will return, andwill build again the tabernacle of Davidwhich is fallen down; and I will buildagain the ruins thereof, and I will set itup: That the residue of men might seekafter the Lord, and all the Gentiles, uponwhom my name is called, saith the Lord,who doeth all these things'' (Acts 15:14-17). If one were to interpret Amos9:11,12 without this apostolic understanding,he would probably concludethat a physical temple would be rebuilt andthe Gentiles would enter into this physicaltemple to worship. But into what templedid Cornelius the Gentile enter? Heentered the spiritual temple that the Spiritof God is building, namely, the church.One Temple — One PeopleIn Ephesians 2, Paul tells the GentileChristians that they are now united to thetrue nation of Israel through the personand work of Christ (vs. 12, 18, 19). Thereare not two peoples of God, but one, forChrist "hath made both one, and hathbroken down the middle wall of partitionbetween us; having abolished in his fleshthe enmity, even the law of commandmentscontained in ordinances; forto make in himself of twain one new manNow therefore ye are no morestrangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of thehousehold of god . " (vs. 14, 15, 19).As there is only one people of God, withidentifical promises, destiny andsalvation, so also the new temple is onebuilding. Jewish and Gentile believers areunited to form God's house, "built uponthe foundation of the apostles andprophets, Jesus Christ himself being thechief corner stone; in whom all thebuilding fitly framed together growethunto an holy temple in the Lord; in whomye also are builded together for anhabitation of God through the Spirit" (vs.20-22).What could be plainer than this? InChrist, the Holy Spirit takes elect Jewsand elect Gentiles and builds the truetemple of God, the church. If the worldlytabernacle were to be rebuilt by divineappointment, then the work of Christ inuniting Jews and Gentiles would bedeclared null and void.ConclusionNo one can predict what a group ofunbelieving Jews may build in Jerusalemin the future. But no matter what menmay call it, it will not be the Temple ofGod. Every ethnic Jew who is truly a Jewin the eyes of God worships in the NewTemple which the Holy Spirit has builtand continues to build, that is the church,the people of God. The hope of ethnicIsrael is the same as the hope of theGentile — Jesus Christ, who fulfilled thetemple worship. That is why it is absolutelyimpossible for passages likeEzekiel 40 to mean anything else but thebuilding of Christ's church. Are the bloodsacrifices offered for sin in Ezekiel 43-46to be taken literally? If so, then Jesus wassymbolically an insufficient Savior. Butifthese passages point to Christ's once forall sacrifice, then they are to be understoodin a spiritual sense. The questionfinally is this, did Christ fulfill the OldTestament worship as the apostles alltestify, or was the work of Christ insufficient?About the author: Robert Vincent,a transfer student from WestminsterTheological Seminary, is now completinghis senior year at the R. P-Seminary. He is the pastor-elect of theWichita Park City R. P Congregation.8COVENANTER WITNESS

Homes of the Brave (from page 5)"I, too, had a duty that morning. It was vital that wetake over the British military hospital in Talbieh which wasbeing evacuated of personnel, but with equipment left prettymuch intact. I was to go there early on pretext of watchingthe evacuation; engage the guards in conversation, since Ispoke English, and at the same time get friendly with theArab left in charge, so that the hospital could be enteredwithout bloodshed."After the reading of the Proclamation I could not getmy child back home through our exposed street where onereturning youngster had already been shot. I managed, byducking and running and crawling and shielding her with mybody, to get my little girl safely to Aunt Jeannette's whereshe stayed for four days, as an unceasing rain of death fellupon us from the Old City."For the next month the mothers had to go to fetchthe water which the brave drivers never failed to bring us.Our bread distributing shop was next to the HadassahHospital and there trucks and ambulances would come,unloading the wounded. At night we could not sleep for thenoise, and out of the thunder one heard a bell-like tinklewhich would have been pleasant if it did not mean that ahome had been hit so that the windows crashed."Strangely, the general mood was good, for we werekept abreast of happenings and knew of our military successes.We got the news daily through the stencilledJerusalem Post which received its information over a batteryradio. Israel was advancing on all fronts, repelling sevenArab armies — a real David versus Goliath battle. Meanwhile,our people had forged the Burma Road, that impossibleaccomplishment, and we were to be hungry nomore.' 'We wept at the sight of tomatoes as we stood in lineto receive all the tomatoes we wanted. We wept at the sightof Jerusalem in such ruin. We wept when we got lettersmonths old."Israel tore the doorposts off its gates to widen theentrance so that our people from the north country and thesouth country and the ends of the earth could come and beingathered into Israel. Let my people come. That was thetheme of our lives. Before we knew it, there was no sugar forthree months. You could not buy a head of cabbage, get apair of shoes repaired. But we felt clean and right in bringingin the immigrants as our population swelled daily."The years went by. People smiled again because thehurdles were taken. My children grow. They go to school.take music lessons, join clubs, help with the baby. It soundsso simple. It is so important that life be simple. For Jaapi, myex-soldier, for me, and for our children, there can be noliving outside of Israel. What we make of this home of ourpeople for now and for ever depends on all of us."Here, in Israel, I had known fear: the fear of losingmy freedom."On this 25th anniversary of the Independent State ofIsrael I toss the NEWSLETTER away. In my mind it will notYellow.•What Others Are SayingAbout Israel' 'Israel is the only nation in the world that speaks thesame tongue, upholds the same faith and inhabits the sameland as it did three thousand years ago. Its language unifiesthe nation on two levels. It links Jews all over the world to acommon legacy; and it joins all of them to the Israel ofantiquity, whose bequest to mankind was primarily in theform of a literary heritage.Abba Eban, Israel's Minister for Foreign AffairsUnited Evangelical Action"Twenty-five years after May 14. 1948, Israel canpoint with pride to a number of achievements. She has beenable to provide a homeland for every Jew wanting to returnand secure employment. And yet, Israel is no longer animmigrant society Of the Jews in Israel today sixty percenthave been born on its soil. The number of Jews in Israel hasrisen from 650,000 in 1948 to 2,632,000 in 1972. Wemust also add the 9,000 to 10,000 Jewish students fromabroad in any given year.Arnold T. OlsonUnited Evangelical Action''The religious freedoms promised in theProclamation are not necessarily granted to her own people.The National Religious Party, though holding only 12 of the120 seats in the Knesset, holds the balance of power. Of the1 7 ministers in the cabinet, three are from the NRP TheOrthodox, representing only 30 percent of the Jews inIsrael, exercise control over the entire population. There alimitations on Israelis who may be Reformed, Conservativeor atheistic. Certain religious laws of the Orthodox must bobserved by all. While the Christian communities havefreedom within their own circles, there is strong oppositionto evangelism. There is almost an obsession againstproselytizing — which may be interpreted as a sign of insecurity.Arnold T. OlsonUnited Evangelical Action"I questioned the mayor about the growth of the city.'Our desire, ' he said, 'is not to expand this city withoutlimits. There is a spiritual atmosphere here and our aim is tobuild in accordance with this. ' He does not want to see thecity grow beyond one half million. Nor does he want heavyindustry — only enough light industry to keep peopleemployed 'Jerusalem, ' he explained, 'should he a place fstudy, for prayer, for a quest of understanding . a city ofpeace where men can find the fullest aspirations ot theihopes and dreams.Teddy Kuliek to Louis GoldbergMoodv MonthlyMAV 23. 1973 9

Powerful PsalmodyA Highland Congregation Singing, J. E. MillaisA thoughtful writer who has investigated ReformedPresbyterian worship practices has written:It is a strange inconsistency that we who holdtenaciously to the exclusive use of the inspired Psalmsare so regardless of the repeated exhortations, in thesePsalms, to the skillful performance of this part of publicworship.That sentence might well summarize an investigation ofpraise in many Covenanter congregations in 1973. The fact thatit was published over sixty years ago, in R. J. George's Lecturesin Pastoral Theology, suggests that the quality ofcongregational singing in our denomination has not changedmuch during the 20th century.In fact, of all the aspects of public worship, perhaps onlythe midweek prayer meeting is generally regarded as moreineffective than our singing. One of the most important activitieswhich God gave to arouse our enthusiasm and inflameour devotion all too often quenches that flame instead. Whatshould be a joyous and unifying response to God's workingserves instead to make us uneasy and half-embarrassed.These remarks, of course, are generalizations to whichmany individuals and some congregations are exceptions. Manypeople across the church cultivate thoughtful Psalm-singing infamily and social groups. Some sessions and pastors takeseriously their responsibility to see that the singing is effective.In a few congregations some sort of musical training is provided.Most precentors are conscientious and diligent. All of thesedeserve commendation.On the other hand, those opening generalizations arevalid in most quarters. In too many congregations, music is thelast consideration to receive attention, and the first to causeembarrassment in the unlikely event of a visitor. Worshipperssing mindlessly, not knowing musically or spiritually what theyare doing. The listless expression on their faces (and in theirhearts, perhaps?) produces a listless and lifeless tone. Theextent to which they sing together is more a function of individualfear of embarrassment than the expression of unitedpraise. The singing of a Psalm is regarded as a little diversionfrom the tedium of the service, an opportunity for people to lookaround and for the minister to review his sermon notes. Themost recent effort at musical improvement was probably asinging-school in the winter of 1924. Few if any of the memberscan read music, and the majority display their ignorance like abadge of honor. Even fewer sing Psalms as part of familyworship.Robert M. Copeland is a graduate of GenevaCollege and of the College-Conservatory of Music,University of Cincinnati. He has been precentor or musicconsultant in several Covenanter congregations, and wasmusic director of the 1970 National Conference. He iscurrently precentor of the Kansas City R. P. Church andAssistant Professor of Music at Mid-America NazareneCollege.10 COVENANTER WITNESS

The precentor in many congregations is a pitiablecreature. His is a position without thanks and without honor.Probably he is the only one who considers his task important inthe work of the church. Young people — and young men inparticular — do not seek the position and will not preparethemselves for it. Many Psalm leaders know that "broiledprecentor" will be served as a conversational side-dish to"roast preacher" over Sabbath dinner.Sometimes the incumbent holds his position more bydefault than by merit — the responsibility was thrust upon himat some time in the past; his occasional efforts to resign or retirehave been declined because "there's nobody else who can doit." Often the precentor is capable and conscientious, but doesnot have the technical training to plan and execute programs ofcongregational improvement. Furthermore, he is dead certain(and probably with good cause) that such a program "mightwork some places, but not here."The choir — if there is one at all — amounts simply toseating the CYF group at the front to lend moral support to theprecentor. The choir does not rehearse; nor does it includeadults, who feel that choir membership is rather beneath theirstation in life.The pastor, like his congregation, often is rather proud ofhis ignorance of music. A few ministers rely on ten or fifteenselections well-known to the group; these are sung month inand month out with little regard to appropriateness. Many, onthe other hand, choose Psalms for the appropriateness of thetext, but without considering the congregation's knowledge ofthe tunes. Since the congregation never practices singingoutside the Sabbath services, they must sing unfamiliar tunes atsight, a task for which they are singularly unprepared.The session typically takes little official notice of theconduct of music in public worship. In many congregations thesession either has never actually appointed a precentor or hasassumed that the appointment involved tenure for life. Thesession probably never evaluates the congregational singing —for that matter, any other part of the worship service (exceptperhaps the sermons). In examining session minutes fromseveral defunct congregations over long periods of time, wehave found no record of sessions' taking any actions about thesinging. The precentors are not named, nor have any Psalmsings,singing-schools, or other musical activities received theofficial attention of the congregational government.Since there is no organ to maintain, it is assumed thatneither planning nor expenditure of funds is ever necessary forthe congregation's musical efforts. In short, while many otheraspects of public worship are carefully prepared and conscientiouslyattended to, music is generally left to fend for itself."Brethren, these things ought not so to be."Our Directory for Worship (II, 2) declares:All the people are under obligation to praise Godand to sing thoughtfully, reverently, fervently, withgrace in the heart, as becometh the worship of the Highand Holy One. A knowledge of music should becultivated, and the congregation should be trained insinging. None should be chosen to lead the singing inpublic worship who are not of recognized Christiancharacter.Primary emphasis is quite properly placed upon the heartattitudes underlying praise. The Scriptural bases for this emphasisare numerous, and include Colossians 3:16 ("with«race in vour hearts"), Ephesians 5:19 ("singing and makingmelodv in vour heart"), and I Corinthians 14:15 ("I will singwith the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also"). Insome cases, unfortunately, lack-luster Psalm-singing is theresult of weak or feigned Christian experiences.In its mention of musical training, moreover, theDirectory acknowledges the implications of I Peter 2:5 ("offerup spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through JesusChrist"). Congregational singing, a public offering of spiritualsacrifices, needs to be, like the lambs and bullocks of the OldCovenant, "without spot or blemish." A perfect and omnipotentGod is not honored by slipshod singing and perfunctorypraise.And who bears the responsibility for seeing that thesinging is done acceptably? The session {Directory, II, 3). Theimplications are numerous in light of the Scriptural norms.After serious thought, the session must appoint a precentorwho is spiritually and musically qualified, and must provideboth money and encouragement for the musical training ofpresent and prospective precentors. Session must arrange forPsalm practice and music-reading lessons for the congregation,and must encourage musical and spiritual excellence in praise,both by precept and by example. Finally, they must periodicallyevaluate the congregation's praise and the program of improvement.The pastor, moreover, must view the perfecting ofcongregational praise as an important part of his ministry. Sincehe sets the tone of the public worship of the church, his skill inchoosing and explaining Psalms and in encouraging musicalexcellence is usually decisive in the success or failure of this partof the service.The one who obviously leads the congregation's singingis also decisive in the effectiveness of Psalmody. The moralreputation of our precentors is high, as it must be; many aredeeply spiritual men and women. Some have had musicaltraining, but perhaps a majority have not.Musical deficiencies in the precentor, however, can becorrected. People realize today that education does not stop atage 17 or age 21, any more than ability and usefulness cease atage 65. Learning is a lifetime process. The precentor withdifficulties should learn — how to read music, how to direct,how better to use his voice, or whatever his needs are.For this purpose, and to help all precentors becomefamiliar with the 1973 Psalter, the Psalter Revision Committeeplans to sponsor a conference for precentors (and others interestedin improving the praise of God) during the week ofJune 18-22. All aspects of congregational singing, includingthe roles of the congregation, pastor, session, choir, andprecentor, will receive attention; precentors can share witheach other the problems and triumphs of their work. Everycongregation is urged to send a representative. (Yes, that meanspaying his way!) The Committee hopes that this conference willsignal the beginning of a reformation in Reformed Presbyterianworship music.The goal toward which our efforts must be directed is thefull musical and spiritual participation of every person in thcongregational singing, to the glory of God and the spiritualbenefit of the worshippers. Since God Himself put music intothe worship service, we know that he desires singing and thathe expects it to be done right. We know, too, that he does notcommand without providing the basic capacity with which toobey. Surely a serious effort to sing correctly is not too taxingfor the redeemed bride of Christ.(Continued on page 15)MAY 23, 1973 11

AT THE WASHINGTON PRAYERBREAKFASTThe life long labors of the lateAbraham Vereide have come to fruitremarkably in the prayer breakfastmovement among political leadersacross our country. Newsweek dates thesignificance of the movement from thefirst presidential prayer breakfast of thelate Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953,but it was in motion long before thatamong Christian senators and othergovernment leaders — before that inSeattle where Mr. Vereide had earlyresponse to his efforts.Inevitably, perhaps, when such amovement gathers influential support,it will also attract those who see it assomething to be "used." "I was in themass production of prayer breakfasts,"says one Fellowship staffer whoorganized 104 Washington sessions,' 'and we found people who exploited themeetings for personal gain."Not only can the breakfasts beexploited, but high-minded publicservants who know nothing of thesaving work of Christ can see thesemeetings as an instrument for the unityand welfare of the country; and theyseek to reduce the religion and prayeraspect to a common denominator thathas nothing distinctively Christianabout it. Although there was usually aclosing prayer in the name of JesusChrist in those that I attended —"Governor's Prayer Breakfast" inPhoenix — they seemed primarily civicpromotion affairs.Senator Mark Hatfield of Oregon atthis year's National Prayer Breakfast inWashington, declared this warning' 'loud and clear: " ' 'Events such as thisprayer breakfast contain the real dangerof misplaced allegiance, if notdownright idolatry. .. If we as leadersappeal to the God of an American civilreligion, our faith is in a small andexclusive deity."The RES News Exchange reportsthat Hatfield also spoke at a conferenceon Christianity and Politics at Hope12imp^edI Rev. Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010College, Holland, Mich., and reportshim as "emphasizing that we do owerespect to the State, but that its power ispotential for good or for evil, and thatour ultimate allegiance is to Christ. Wemust pray for the State, witness to itthat Christ is sovereign over all, and liveby the law of love. ... He rejected theidea that our culture is Christian,calling it secular instead. The key to astrong America is 'a confessing church. . which seeks to honor the claims ofits discipleship.' "These are strong and encouragingwords. Does Senator Hatfield see that aswell as a confessing church that seeks tohonor the claims of its discipleship, theState also must bow to the King of kingsand Lord of lords?'' POSITIVE ALTERNATIVES ?''Attempts to proclaim a Christiantestimony to our nation (must we call itan "alternative?"), it is charged, havebeen characterized by "a bitingcritique," laying bare the "hypocrisyof the establishment,'' and exposing thedepravity of our society. A letter toPolitikon charges, "All I have seen iscriticism of the past and of institutions."Perhaps we who are concerned forChristian political behavior havewarranted such a rebuke — but I thinkit is not true of the Christian GovernmentMovement and of some others,including NACPA which publishesPolitikon. It is easy, in our day,however, to absorb the spirit of secularprotest and methodology, as we try tocounter the secular political establishment.Pray for Bob Eells and Phil Beardand Bob Willson, especially this quarterwhen our midweek studies are on' 'Christ the King,'' as well as for otherswho are involved in working for anunderstanding and for the practice of theBiblical design for civil government."THE ARCHIE BUNKER SYN­DROME"EP tells us that Congress, the biweeklyofficial organ of the AmericanJewish Congress, under the above title,has challenged the idea that TV's"Archie Bunker makes people moretolerant." (I agree with Congress. L.K.)A "CONTINUING" SOUTHERNPRESBYTERIAN CHURCHIt seems certain nowJthat a"continuing" church will beestablished in the south, with historicroots in the Westminster Confession.Contact of Presbyterian ChurchmenUnited (PCU) reports many such itemsas: "Twenty churches in TuscaloosaPresbytery (Ala.) have been dismissedwith their property. The churches,most of them small, and five ministers,have formed Warrior Presbytery andplan to be a part of the continuingchurch when it is constituted." "Twochurches in North Alabama Presbyterywere dismissed with their property.Churches in at least five Synods aremaking plans to withdraw as soon aspossible."Moderator L. Nelson Bell of thePCUS General Assembly, along withothers, usually considered"moderates," through The OpenLetter, published by the CovenantFellowship of Presbyterians (CFP), isseeking manfully to hold those who aredissatisfied, in the organization. Thislatter also publishes articles severelycritical of the proposed new confessionof the PCUS, but the time seems longpast when those of the "SteeringCommittee for a Continuing Church"can be mollified by such efforts, since intheir judgment it is plain in God'sprovidence that loyalty to God's Worddoes not permit them to continue in anorganization that "has already beentested and the results are clear. TheChurch is found wanting!"One thing that has spurred themovement is that in the plan of unionnow being proposed for the UPUSA-PCUS marriage, the "escape clause,"by which, under certain circumstances,a congregation that wished, might havewithdrawn from the organization andtaken its property with it, has beendropped. (They would, of course, leavebehind their stake in denominationalproperty.) The Moderator of theUPUSA Church, is indignant that thecommittee of the two churches workingon the plan of union has dropped the"escape clause," though he was opposedto it personally. Still, he felt thatafter having adopted it, the committeehad betrayed its trust in later droppingit.COVENANTER WITNESS

sabbo^thSchool dflsj*r« tMr$. c,M fir. Spear-Or* of tKe jtore,$X3£ep. 1 ^ |oii ^Dear Kids,Since we don't want anybody left out of the HeyLookit Club, we are extending the deadline to June 1,1973. Please be sure to join your friends who have alreadyapplied by reading the March 28 Witness and choosinghow you will enter.Four important topics have been written for thispage. They are by Craig and Amy Cunningham and Ritaand Ruth Russell. It is good to hear about your SabbathSchool as well as your junior society.Hearing about camp makes me eager for thissummer's camp! How about you?Thank you, writers.Sincerely,Mrs. A7° firvot ,t.TAe .skeepOvtf ^©t | os t v~- a .s ababy one.' Love A, my.c*W ^Vx o W Suitors. ^counselors

Will the Jews be Sav*RomansIILEEP. BITTNER, IIIThere is a story told of an airline pilot who, whileflying over the Pacific Ocean, found that his navigationequipment was out of order and the radio similarlydefunct. Retaining his composure, he spoke softly, yetfrankly, to the passengers through the intercom: "Ladiesand gentlemen, both our radio and navigation instrumentsare out of order. We do not know exactly where we aregoing, but all is not lost, for we have picked up a twentymile-an-hour tail-wind." Such a debacle brings to mind ananswer one might expect if he were to ask the "averageman on the street:" "Where is history taking us?" Theanswerer might reply: "I dunno, but we're sure on ourway!Chapters 9-11 of Paul's Roman epistle are intendedto tell us just where history is going, and that this"somewhere" is not "anybody's guess" but determined bythe God who, as the ruler of the ages, has laid open in theGospel of Jesus Christ before all nations the "mystery" solong kept "secret." There is progression in the concretehistory from Adam to Moses to Christ (Rom. 5:12ff). Theera from Adam to Moses was not so much one of "innocence"as it was one of "ignorance." There wasknowledge of right and wrong before Sinai, but thecodified Law was a more powerful discipline to preparethe way for Christ. Running parallel to this pattern ofprogressive and historical redemption and revelationthroughout Scripture, is the purpose which God gives toall history — divine election. The end of election is twofold:the completion and the "filling up" of the MessianicKingdom and the exhibition of divine mercy. Yet in this"big picture" of history which Paul sets before theChristian Church there is still the "haunting spectre" of the"wandering Jew." The Jews serve to remind us — whetherwe be 1st or 20th century heirs of Christ's Crown and14Covenant — of the'continued existence of a unique raceof people who remain as witnesses to a remote, yetredemptive-historical, past which is, nevertheless, intimatelyconnected to the present by the Christian faith.As they tenaciously cling to the Old Testament Scriptures,the Jews become a living witness to the very truth whichthey reject. So it is that in Romans 11 the Apostle turns tothe question: What does God have in store for these OldCovenant "blessed possessors"?Has God forsaken Israel — "His people"? (v. 1). "Noindeed", says Paul, for how can God forsake any of thosefor whom He has chosen eternal life? Throughout thehistory of Israel (vv. 2-4), the nation was chastised forunfaithfulness, but a "remnant" (v. 5) was alwayspreserved. Just as in Elijah's time, so now (in Paul's time)the mass of Israel have rejected the divine call. But as inevery ethnic group of people, so in Israel, there is a"remnant" whom God has eternally selected and willpreserve (vv. 5-7). The "election of grace" and the"election" (vv. 5-7) refer to the particular election ofindividuals in distinction from the "election" of Israel (Hispeople in v. 1) as a theocratic state.So God has not completely cast off His chosenpeople, Israel. Now Paul proceeds to explain how therejection of Israel by God is not final. Israel as a peoplestumbled, fell, and sinned (v. 11). Their loss was theGentiles' gain — as if God took their Kingdom andhanded it to the "nations" of the world (i.e., "Gentiles").And yet, just as Israel was marked for unbelief and loss, sothey are also marked, characterized by the term "fulness,"for restoration and blessing by God as a people (v. 12). Ifthe Gentiles enjoyed great blessings because of Israel'sdisbelief, how much greater blessing will accrue to themthrough a large-scale conversion of the full number ofelect Jews, whenever it may come (v. 12). The scale ofCOVENANTER WITNESS

conversion is thus commensurate with the factor of thedivine election of all men — Jew and Gentile alike.In verses 17-24, Paul turns to a favorite teachingdevice of the rabbis, not to mention Jesus Himself — theparable. The point of the metaphor is that if God has thepower to graft wild olive branches (the Gentiles) onto theoriginal branches (the Jews), how much more will Herestore the original branches (the Jews) to the root fromwhich both Jew and Gentile alike receive nourishment —the original patriarchal root (remnant?) of Abraham,Isaac, and Jacob which continues to impress itscovenantal character upon redemptive history (vv. 28-29).It is not that it will be "easier" for God to graft the Jews tothe stock than it was to graft the Gentiles, but in order thatthe grace and mercy of God might be unfolded in history,the Jew, with his unique spiritual ties to the Patriarchs, willbe enlisted for the cause of Christ rather than his ownblind instincts (vv. 23-24).Paul now comes to the conclusion of his argument(vv. 25-36). He introduces a "mystery" as a great truthwhich is not only a "revelation", but sublime knowledgewhich is almost inexpressible. By the "full number" ofelect Gentiles, Israel is restored (v. 25); and, through therestoration of Israel (v. 12), the Gentiles are blessed. The"mystery" (v. 25) is that "all Israel will be saved" (v. 26).The hardening of Israel is to terminate (v. 25) and thenation will be restored (cf. vv. 12,15,23,24). There is noother interpretation which may be given to verse 26 thanthe full restoration of "all Israel." The important considerationin the Apostle's mind is not that "every" Jewwill be saved, but that the "whole" nation (cf. I Kings 12:1;II Chron. 12:1; Daniel 9:11) will become partakers of theNew Covenant. Just as there was always a remnant inIsrael, just as their hardening was only "in part,"i.e. not all were hardened (v. 25), so salvation andrestoration need not include "every" Israelite. To be sure,there is a "universalistic" future envisioned by the Apostlein verse 26, but it is a representative, rather than an individualistic,universalism. In other words, Paul sees in thedevelopment of historical progression a representativeacceptance of the Gospel by the various ethnic groups andcultures of the world. The kingdoms of the Gentiles andthe people of Israel will one day be united in the Church ofGod.Two final considerations need to be stressed. First,Paul's view of history does not lend itself to a "time-table"predictableness which may be chronologically graphedand lineally charted. While the unfolding of divine mercyis gradual, it may also break through as a "thief in thenight." Human speculation must be surrogated topreparedness and faith. Secondly, this perspective ofhistorical development and consummation which Paulsets before us in Romans 11 permits no "prophetic perception"into the twentieth century phenomenon of anational Jewish state. Paul does not contemplate therestoration of an earthly Davidic kingdom, nor does herationalize about a national reinstatement and expressionof the Jews in the land of Palestine. What the Apostleenvisions for those Old Covenant people who stand underthe divine election of God in history is something infinitelybetter.Powerful Psalmody (from P ageii)Four specific characteristics define superiorcongregational singing:First, the congregation sings with understanding andwith enthusiasm. They know what thev are singing and howthey are doing it. They think the words as they sing, so that thePsalms serve as a personal expression of their faith.Second, the congregation sings musically. Attacks andreleases are precise and the rhythm is accurate. Everyoneproceeds at the same tempo (rate of speed), which varies accordingto the mood of the text and the music. People know howto use their voices as the Lord designed them, and as a result thesinging tone is alive and sustained. (More specifically, goodposture, an open mouth, and a smiling face tend to producegood tone quality.) Notes and syllables are sung distinctly.without slides, slurs, or drawls from one to the next. All ofthese skills are within the capacity of any crowd of averageadults.Moreover, everyone sings pitches as accurately as he can— recognizing that whether the Lord has given him a "goodear" or not, he must use all of the ability that he has. Primarymusical emphasis is upon the melody; if part-singing distractsfrom the act of worship, individuals should by all means singthe melody.Third, everyone in the congregation sings. Singing isboth a responsibility and a privilege. It is a responsibilitybecause God ordains it. It is a privilege because through singingthe Psalms we can "sing God's own thoughts after him" (toparaphrase Calvin). "The principal object for which holyassemblies are convened, is to afford the worshippers of God anopportunity of presenting to him sacrifices of praise.(Calvin. Commentary on Psalm 111:1). This being the case, assomeone has pointed out somewhere, "No one except God hasa right to listen to the congregational singing."Fourth, the congregation sings a wide variety of Psalms.Not every congregation will find every tune or selection in thePsalter equally gratifying, but they will not fear to try. Theylearn new selections outside the regular services of worship and,having practiced, are prepared to sing them well in the services.They maintain an open and expectant attitude toward learningunfamiliar Psalms. They sing Psalms in family worship, whiletravelling together, in social groups, and when alone, and thusdevelop familiarity with many Psalms.There is no reason why every Reformed Presbyteriancongregation should not meet these criteria. If every individual,voung and old, every ruling and teaching elder, every precentoracross the denomination, were to accept his responsibility anddevelop his God-given potential, we have every right to expectthat God would bless the effort. Psalm-singing would become apowerful tool in Christian growth and evangelism, a vital andconstructive part of our witness. Then, like the redeemedchildren of God of old, we could truthfully sing, "Then ourmouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with singing.Then the heathen said, 'The Lord has done wonderful thingsfor them.' " (Ps. 126:2)ROBERT COPELANDMAY 23. 1973 15

IndividualityorThere has not been much controversyin the pages of The Covenanter Witnessabout women's clothing. I think this isgood. It shows that most all readers are onthe side of modesty. Even when it comesto wearing or not wearing hats in church,we choose to refrain from comment on aseemingly undecided issue, in keepingwith the Biblical admonition to wear the"ornament of a meek and quiet spirit."This subject of clothing is one thatmost women's columns touch uponoccasionally, though, and I have beenlaying aside articles on this for some time,thinking that I would come to it too!Today I got them out, and have beenreading them over. Some rant and rave,others have a redeeming touch of humor,still others are a sincere effort to provideScriptural and common sense light on thesubject of women's fashions.I was handed some time ago a Biblestudy which young women in one of ourcongregations had done on the subject ofwomen's dress, with a request to writeabout this in "Distaff Deductions." m themeantime an issue of this paper centeredon this subject (Nov. 8, 1972). It seemsan appropriate subject for women todiscuss. So here goes!Clothes have been worn almost fromthe beginning of time to cover the nakedbody which, due to our sinful natures,provokes us to shame or sin, except when,by God's grace, we relate to each otheraccording to our need for love, mercy, andcare for another, in a special, Godsanctioned,and even legal relationship.The husband and wife, parent and child,ud E ddiSTAfFUCTIONSA LA MODE"doctor or nurse and patient are allrelationships in which this shame isdissolved in the prevailing need foranother in distinct ways, and thusrecognized by all.The Bible seems to take for grantedthat clothing may be beautiful,significant, and yet secondary to the spiritwithin the heart, although often a symbolof that spirit. There are verses that speakof wearing sackcloth in time of grief orpenitence, the attire of a harlot, and thegorgeous, richly decorated dress of a brideat the king's wedding. This seems toadmit to the whole gamut of types of dressfrom highly ornamental to provocative,and rags to rich quality material. Otherverses lead us to see what God approves ofin dress.Christ came to fulfill the law. Thematter of clothing may well be significantas touching on several of the commandments,the fifth (dressing to pleasefather and mother); the seventh (dressingto avoid provoking to lust); the tenth(dressing to keep up with the coveted styleof another); and perhaps others. In Christ,our lives are not our own any more. Weare familiar with the New Testament idealof going beyond the actual, literalobedience to the commandments to aloving spirit of compliance with the spiritof each of them — the spirit, not merelythe letter of the law. Yet the NewTestament is filled with admonitions, tohelp us grow in that loving spirit. We donot "sin, that grace may abound'' as Paulsaid. I Timothy 2:9,10 speaks of properdress, modest and discreet, symbolic, asmentioned in I Peter 3 :3,4 of a gentle andquiet spirit, precious in the sight of God.I know that some expect the writer onthis subject to speak to the current trendsin style. Surely there has always been atrend in human dress toward stylesprovocative to sin. If we believe thecostuming in movies of Biblical times, wesee this, and yet God's Word lays downguiding principles, not specifics. Whystick one's neck out, or, in this case, leg,and say how many inches below the kneewomen's skirts ought to come, whensomeone else will reply that that's notnearly long enough? I sense a reluctanceon the part of godly men to condemn thisor that detail in women's styles, perhapsfeeling that this is an admission of theirown vulnerability to temptation, or evenfearing it from the human side. AsChristian men, they may resist throughChrist's strength, but do not wish to go onrecord as against a certain style. If webelieve in women's equal standing withmen before the Lord, and I do — then ourdress is our responsibility. Before God Ibelieve men and women are entrustedwith different roles in society, and mostmen evidently feel that this is ourdepartment!But I will hazard one observation!During the past ten years we have seen ametamorphasis in styles in our society. Ithas been called part of a revolution, andwe even seem to be coming out now on theother side of it to some degree. As part ofthis revolution, generally, has come a newstandard for society — that of "situationethics" where there is no distinct right orwrong. We see the insidious influence of apost-Christian culture.In the matter of styles, both men's andwomen's have been revolutionized. Andout of it seems to be emerging a widerrange of choice. True, there is a tendencyto what I may call immodest dress for girlsand women. But there is also the revival ofstyles from other eras and places. TheChristian has a choice without compromisingher modesty, nor dishonoringher Lord, nor appearing to look odd orqueer — perish the thought! No, really,would the latter be the worst? In this oldworld, we Christians are undoubtedlyintended by God to bear the persecutionsof Christ to some extent. And we are torejoice if this becomes necessary becauseitmakes us more one with Him."Let us pray that our hearts wouldbreak with love for the Master; that thislove would overflow into our closets; thatwe might desire to dress to please theliving God."W.E.16 COVENANTER WITNESS

irector ofducationalervicesSome months ago when I preached for our North Hillscongregation it was my privilege to sit in on an adult class led byW W. Weir. In preparation for his course, Dr. Weir had maileda questionnaire to eleven congregations of variousdenominations around the country. The churches were quizzedconcerning their ministry to various groups (shut-ins, singleadults, etc.).From the information that was collected, Dr. Weir led theadults in a consideration of expanded ministry by theircongregation. At my request he then submitted a summary ofthe discussions. fathe hope that it will provide ideas for othercongregations, the summary is reproduced here.D.R.A.I. SHUT-INS1. Spend time with them.2. Get to know who they are.3. Suggest some work for them to do such as makingaudio visual aid material.4. Have an area fellowship meeting occasionally in thehome.II. THOSE LIVING TOO FAR AWAY TO ATTENDCHURCH1. They want to be remembered; they want to know weare interested in them — news letters.2. Help and encourage them to serve other Christiansaround them.3. Send them tapes of the sermon each Sabbath.4. Visit them whenever we are in their area.5. Pray that another family may go to live in the samearea, and that new work may be started resulting in a newcongregation.6. Send the weekly church bulletin (assist our pastor andwife in doing this).7 Write to them; perhaps a Round Robin could bestarted and include them all. Photographs could be added.III. SINGLE ADULTS1. Fellowship such as in the Women's MissionarySociety.2. Families invite them into their homes.3. Establish a dating agency — prepare an availability listincluding names of single adults from other evangelicaldenominations in the area.4. Have "Men's" parties.5. Have adult fellowship with other churches in the area.6. Have adult parties (no children) in our churchsometimes.IV WIDOWS1. Invite to church functions, and provide transportation.2. Provide work (visiting the sick, teaching, etc.)3. Provide financial help where needed.1. Help them become involved as others are.5. Invite them to our homes.MAY 23. 19 7^6. Enable them to meet possible husbands.7 Help them to feel needed.V COLLEGE STUDENTS1. Special classes — A.M.. P.M.2. International Students, Inc.3. Newsletter from congregation.4. HIS magazine.5. COVENANTER WITNESS.6. Care packages.7 Letters.8. Encourage to attend local church.9. Presbytery Conference — special group.10. Think especially of students in secular schools.11. Vacation activities.12. Use them in panel discussions.13. Each student at Geneva should identify as closely aspossible with a particular congregation.VI. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS1. Sabbath School and evening groups.2. Social program (congregation and Presbytery).3. Weekly recreation program (especially in summer).4. Serve as teachers or assistants in DVBS and SS.5. Young men to preside at worship services, andliftoffering.6. Serving Thanksgiving Dinner to shut-ins.7 Project such as car-wash to earn money.8. Sports teams.9. Outreach — such as bringing others to meetings.10. Community youth programs in homes.11. Camping.12. Youth Choir.13. Help backward children (reading, an example).14. Sharing Christ with their peers.VII. COMMUNITY OUTREACH — THE NO CHURCHPEOPLE1. When visiting friends in hospitals, witness to others inthe room.2. Daily Vacation Bible School.3. Take the church service out-doors in the eveningwhere people may drive in.4. Conduct a church survey in the area of our church.5. Erect road signs to direct people to our church.6. Conduct Bible study groups for women in homesduring the week.7. Bring neighbors into our area Bible studies Wednesdayevenings.8. Show personal love to persons in one's neighborhood.9. Study how to witness in the framework of ourdenomination.VIII. THOSE IN HOSPITALS1. Visit, take flowers, report worship service.2. Keep the congregation informed as to who are inhospitals.3. Delegate responsibility among members of thecongregation.i. Visit one after he returns home.5. Young people visit, sing, and give testimonies.6. Urge members of congregation to inform pastor as towho are in hospitals.7Make phone calls to those in hospital.S. Cultivate the concept: helping people in need is a partot Christian fellowship.9. Provide instruction on how to meet needs of people inhospital. W. W Weirr

The verse-by-verse development is more than a devotionalreading.Larry R. FalkBEHOLD A PALE HORSE by loe Musser. Zondervan (1970)140 pp. $3.50 (cloth).Describing his book as a "prophetic novel," Musser offersus his speculations as to how the end of the world will comeabout. Involvement in the Middle East brings America and RedChina into full-scale nuclear war — at which time the Raptureopportunely occurs. The plot is trite, the literature poor, and thetheology terrible.Carol LoweLAST WORDS OF SAINTS AND SINNERS. Herbert Lockyear.Kregel Publ., 1969. 230 pp. $4.95 (cloth).What do men express when they contemplate or facedeath? Dr. Lockyer compiles such statements from men wholoved God and men who hated God. Of interest to Covenantersis the chapter on Scottish Covenanter martyrs. The book is asourcebook for any one speaking or writing on death.CHRISTIAN LIVING IN THE HOME. Jay E. Adams.Presbyterian and Reformed Publ., Co. 1972. 143 pp. $2.50(paper).How can a family function in harmony in the Lord? Doesitmean that the husband, "the head", is the dictator and wife andchildren obey all his whims? How can a Christian woman findtrue freedom, especially during this popular "Women's Lib" era?How about the children?What does Ephesians 5 really mean? The author of thiswell-written exposition of Ephesians 5 shows how the husband isthe best "manager" of his household when he puts into use thetalents of his wife and of his children instead of suppressingthem.I found this book very specific, practical, and extremelyhelpful in my understanding of my role as a woman, a "helpmeet"to my husband. Mr. Adam's personal style of writing isvery easy to follow and the book can be read at one sitting.This book is not for people who are looking for sympathyand excuses for not living according to the Word of God. It's forthose who mean business. He doesn't make excuses for failures.He sees the failures as a result of sin which must be forsaken andtruly repented of.Pitsa SterrettHEBREWS: A Digest of Reformed Comment. Geoffrey Wilson.Banner of Truth, 1970. 192 pp. $1.45.I CORINTHIANS: A Digest of Reformed Comment. GeoffreyWilson. 1971. 254 pp. $1.45.These two paperbacks are a layman's dream. Using thecommentaries of Reformed scholars (such as Warfield, Owen,Calvin, Murray and Vos), Mr. Wilson provides excerpts fromtheir commentaries to briefly state the focus of the passage.These two "Digests" permit a person to dig deep into the thoughtof the Scriptures without a great expenditure of time and effort.REVOLUTION IN ROME. David F. Wells. IVP., 1972. 145 pp.$4.95 (cloth).Perhaps Vatican-watching has become a somewhat lessexciting occupation for the amateur since the hey-day of expectationsurrounding the council sessions of the early 1960's.The gigantic Roman Catholic structure of doctrine and authorityis finally in motion, and thus the last surviving medieval orrenaissance monarchy of the West has acknowledged the waysof the democratic, statist, and revolutionary modern world. Yetit cannot be described as a wholehearted or altogether willingcourse of change which Rome is embarked upon. Nor isit acourse which a conservative and evangelical Protestant can viewwith unmixed hope. Nevertheless, whatever its outcome, theprocesses of change are now quite irreversible.Such is the very convincing account given us by Mr. Wells,an observer who seems well qualified to make such judgmentsand who documents them in a sound and quite readable manner.The tone and organization of the book, which went beyond thelimits of old-line Protestant-Catholic polemics, were quite appropriateto the picture presented — not the picture of amonolithic absolutism, but rather that of an uncertain giantheading down the way that much of Protestantism has unfortunatelygone, the way of "progressivism" and liberalism, theway that makes the Church merely an echo-chamber to reinforcethe voice of secular thought.Those who read and profit by this book will find no shinyopportunistic vistas set before them, but they may come toappreciate more easily the meaning of current Roman Catholicdiscussion and to grasp more acutely the trend of these times inthe midst of which the authority of Christ's Gospel must be setforth in clarity and power.Duncan LoweTHE CHURCH IN SEARCH OF ITSELF. Robert S. Paul.William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972. 384 pp. $7.95.In essence, the present crisis facing society and the Churchbecomes the crisis of this — authority. Can we use this term orgive any absolute quality toit now that "man has come of age?"According to this book, all of the "church types" of the past —Historical Continuity (e.g., Roman Catholicism), BiblicalRestorationism (e.g., Presbyterian), Evangelical Pragmatism(e.g., Pentecostalism) are obsolete because, in trying to preservethe past, they have either become historical legalists or Biblicalliteralists. Dr. Paul argues that "a genuinely ecumenical doctrineof the Church is the only sound basis for seeking to change theexisting form of the churches . . to make the Church a moreauthentic and a more effective instrument for Christ's will in theworld" (p. 36).Many aspects of this book are praiseworthy. The authorisan accomplished scholar in modern church history. The objectiveof the work is noble and Biblical in its desire to present toa sick society the church as the demonstration of Christ Himselfas Servant and Prophet. Any pastor who reads it will bechallenged to think hard and long about his own objectiveswithin Christ's Body. But, at the same time, the "Achilles' heel"of the book's thesis resides in the problem of authority. In whatsense is the Bible the "Word of God" (p. 221)? If Jesus reallyisthe ultimate authority (p. 359), how do we know this? Whatis"biblicism" (p. 269)? These are crucial questions for which theauthor can give no clear answer. This may be because he fails tocome to grips with the penultimate "hermeneutical crisis" as the"spawning ground" for the ultimate "authority crisis" which hassent the Church in search of itself.Lee P. Bittner II18 COVENANTER WITNESS

"Count /IHer A /ITowers..." (441HETHERTON, MICH.(Lee Bittner, Pastor)Newly elected officers for 1973 include:Congregational Chairman, EdRoby; Secretary, Marie Harrington;Sabbath School Supt., Roy Leino. A newSabbath School class has been started byRoy Leino for young marrieds.MIDWEST PRESBYTERYThe Ad Interim Commission ofMidwest Presbytery, in its meetingMarch 24, 1973, took action to declarethat Albuquerque is no longer a MissionStation of the Reformed PresbyterianChurch. The Rev. Verd V. Dunn isavailable to the denomination as a candidate.W. A. McElroy, ModeratorJ. H. Tweed, ClerkQUINTER, KS.(Robert McFarland, Pastor)Capt. Neal Mann, who is stationed inThailand, spent two weeks here with hiswife and family the last of February andthe first of March.Megan Joan, six month old daughterof Capt. and Mrs. Neal Mann, andKimberly Sue, three month old daughterof Mr. and Mrs. Garry Roberts, werebaptized March 4.Rev. Jerrold Milroy and family werehere March 16 to 19 as our springcommunion assistant.SHARON, IOWA(G. M. Robb, Pastor)Our congregation participated in a sixweek series of Bible study and prayermeetings, sponsored by the localchurches.On March 5, the congregation held areception for the newly ordained officersand the retired officers. The newly ordainedmen are John Smith, elder, and JoeBaird and Ted McDonald, deacons. Biblesand mementos were given to the retiringA>A^Baird for 46 years asmen, Rodmandeacon, Robert McClure, 38 years asdeacon, and Bruce Baird and WylieKilpatrick, each 22 years as elder.Dr. James C. Carson, assistant at thespring communion on March 25, usedRevelation for his sermons.Bruce McClure, a junior in MorningSun High School, placed second in theIowa State Wrestling Tournament.GREELEY, COLO.(Ray Hemphill, Pastor)The teachers in the Junior Departmentof the church school are involved ina teacher training class taught by Mrs.Hemphill. Their substitutes are teachingthe six younger classes.Recent speakers have been Rev. andMrs. Paul Wilson, Mr. Darrel Henneseeof the Gideon Worldwide Outreach, Mr.and Mrs. Tony McKeeman, missionariesfrom Northern Ireland, and Rev. PaulMcCracken.Some of the social activities haveincluded an evening of fun at the home ofDr. and Mrs. Arlan Ramsey, a familynight when slides of Palestine were shownby George Alles and a S.S. skating party.LAWRENCE, KS.(M. L. McFarland, Stated Supply)The annual business meeting was heldin January. The new officers are:Chairman, Harold Milligan; Secretary,Carol Frye; Treasurer, MarthaMcKinney.A new schedule was set up forWednesday evenings at the beginning ofthe vear. The first Wednesday of eachmonth is a prayer meeting, on the secondthe women have WMS while the menhave a Bible study, the third is spent inrecreation at a school gym with a shortpraver time, on the fourth the men meetfor a Bible study, andif the month has fiveWednesdays the fifth is used for a familynight.In the middle of February the HaroldMilligan family heid a "Happy Hearts"party for the high school, college, andyoung married members of theFellowship.GENEVA STUDENTSPRESENTCHRISTIAN EDUCATIONA group of Geneva College studentsshared their impressions of Christianhigher education with several Kansascongregations during their spring break,March 6-12. Involved in the presentationwere Dawn Newingham and BethMathews, seniors; Jim Braum and JohnRug. juniors; and Don McCrory and RonGraham, sophomores. The group used arented car to visit congregations atTopeka, Sterling and Quinter.The program consisted of individualpresentations about the goals of Christianeducation and how Geneva is trying torealize these goals in its faculty,curriculum and philosphy of education.Also on the program was an audio-visualpresentation of the college. Specific prayerrequests were also mentioned. A time ofdiscussion was held for students and theirparents to learn more about Geneva.WANTED: High School: Principal;full-time music; German combination.Elem.: Teacher-Principal. ReformedChristian philosophy in varied churchcommunity near Phila. Write Wm.Viss, Phila. Mont. Chr. Acad.;Jarrettown Rd., Dresher, Pa. 19025.couraf|||g2?OUT2 "°(^^^PBIRTHSHOOD, Linda Kay to Kenneth andDorothy Hood on Mar 13 (OakdaleI.JOINER. Michael David to Phil and Diane(N'eely) Joiner on Feb. 13 (Union).SCHl CHERT, Jeremy Robert to Jamesand Elizabeth (Mitchell) Schuchert on Feb.2b (I'nioni.MAY 23. 1973 19

MARRIAGESMark on Mar. 17, Nashville, 111. (Oakdale).Couple is residing in Clinton, Iowa.LEINO, Patty and DIXON, Jim on Mar. 24at Hetherton R. P. Church. Lee Bittner IIIofficiated. The couple will make home inEast Detroit.ANNIVERSARYHARSH, Frank and Luella of Oakdale onMar. 3 (50th). Children: Mrs. Preston(Jane) Carson and Rev. Theodore Harsh.DEATHSHUTCHESON, Mrs. Maurice (lone) onFeb. 3 (Sharon).SAYLOR, Willa Mae, 78, on Aug. 11(Santa Ana). Children: Marjorie Waites,Robert Woodside.SMITH, Mrs. Luther (Jennie), 79, on Mar.26 (Lisbon). Family: husband, Luther, andsons, Dale and Lowell.THOMPSON, Corra Torrens, 91, on July25 (Santa Ana). Son, James Torrens.THOMPSON, Harriet, 81, on Mar. 26(Greeley). The widow of the late Rev.Owen F. Thompson. Children: DorothyO'Neill and Harold Thompson.TIPPIN, Mary M., 86, on July 31 (SantaAna). Son, Ralph S. Tippin.GRADUATIONRICE, David from USDESEA Prep HighSchool in Aschaffenburg, Germany onMar. 5 (Sharon).SYNOD INFORMATIONGeneva CollegeJune 917, 1973Beaver Falls, PA. 15010 Phone: 412-846-5100Ext. 219NOTICE OF CALLSOn April 11,1 moderated a call for theNew Alexandria congregation whichresulted in the election of Bruce Martin tobe their pastor.David R. ArmstrongOn April 4, I moderated a call for theChicago congregation which resulted inthe election of David R. Armstrong to betheir pastor.Raymond JosephCALLS ACCEPTEDRobert B. McCracken to Walton, N.Y.David R. Patterson to Clarinda, Iowa.Robert B. Vincent to Park City, Ks. (uponcompletion of his seminary training).FLY TO PITTSBURGHDelegates will be met at the Greater PittsburghAirport in the waiting area adjacent to the Lobby of themain concourse.ROOM AND BOARD INFORMATIONPRE-SYNODIC CONFERENCEThursday, June 7—Saturday, June 9Saturday evening supper through Friday eveningsupperROOM AND BOARD — $45.00Conference Theme: "The Biblical Doctrine ofWorship"Cost per meal:Thursday supper — Saturday LunchBreakfast — .70PRE-SYNODIC ROOM AND BOARD — $16.00Lunch — 1.40There will be an additional expense for conferenceSupper — 2.10materials.REGISTRATIONBLANKSend registration to Rev. Dean Smith, c/o Geneva College, Beaver Falls, PA. 15010before June 1.Name—COBLENTZ, Barbara Ann and MIT­CHELL, James R. on Feb. 16 in the homeof Dr. Robert Tweed who officiated(Union).EVANS, Sherri and McMILLEN, Thomason Feb. 22 at the Greeley R. P. Church. E.Ray Hemphill officiated (Greeley).HASSLER, Shireen and RICHARDS,Address-Time & Date of arrivalif you need to be metAirline-FlightAttending:-Pre-Synodic -Full time Synod -Part time Synod20COVENANTER WITNESS

TopicsJUNE 6. 1973-CCP Ei / ;; "-ft"NA/][lfS-^Q*-!??''•• •'jra•'•'• 9 - ,•* 1'.*'.fl-Kl':-"--; 1 -" 1 ''*&;$•>••M

ORDANTICIPATING SYNOD 1973Anyone who has ever had the privilege to attend asynod of the R. P. Church will realize that the conscientiousdelegate faces an arduous task. A synod is not simply anannual meeting of a business organization in which progressreports are heard and future strategies discussed. Instead thisis a court of God's house which is called upon to apply theinfallible precepts of the Word of God to the problems of bothindividuals and the church as a corporate body.The need for dependence upon the Holy Spirit is aforegone conclusion. The problem of human fallibility islikewise inescapable. As the Confession of Faith warns us,' 'Synods and Councils do err.'' Both matters of doctrine andof practice have to come under Synod's scrutiny.By "good and necessary consequence" she mustmake procedural decisions and recommendations for theorderly life of the church. Such decisions have no claim toBiblical infallibility, but at the same time we must realizethat the church maintains just authority in such mattersbecause she acts as an official body for the good of the wholechurch. Her recommendations in these areas should becarefully weighed and cheerfully obeyed unless there isstrong reason to believe that her decisions on practical andprocedural matters are without Biblical warrant. Even thennone of us is free to ignore his brothers, and we must seekorderly change through the courts.In the most serious area of Synod's ruling on mattersof doctrinal interpretation, I feel that the words of Hilary ofPoitiers, a 4th century church father, are extremelysignificant:The errors of heretics and blasphemers force us todeal with unlawful matters, to scale perilousheights, to speak unutterable words, to trespass onforbidden ground. Faith ought in silence to fulfil thecommandments, worshipping the Father,reverencing with Him the Son, abounding in theHoly Spirit, but we strain the poor resources of ourlanguage to express thoughts too great for words.The error of others compels us to embody in humanterms truth which ought to be hidden in the silentveneration of the heart.We must never run from doctrinal disputes, but wemust govern ourselves with godly humility to the mutualedification of the whole Body. May God give us such a spiritof humility and truth for Synod '73.R.W.N.•Editor:Having read in the Witness of Jan. 31a dissenting letterto Lois Gross' article, "When Your Child Asks About Sex. " (Nov. 22, 72). I would like to say that I agree with Mrs.Gross in her observations about sex education in the Christianhome. So many erroneous impressions have been left withchildren about sex, and all because of parents' fear to answer ina straightforward manner the questions children ask with asimple desire to learn. Thereafter, they fear to ask their parents,having sensed their embarrassment and confusion, and acquirean all-consuming curiosity to find out in any way possible.For parents who feel inadequate to the task, due to therepressions of their own childhood experience, there are booksexplaining Christian approaches to questions children ask aboutsex. I know of one church library that has these books availablefor parents upon request, by recommendation of the Session.Many years ago our family doctor's wife recommended tome a little book, "Growing Up", by de Schweintz, which weread to our children, as they had read it to theirs. But in additionchildren's natural questions about birth, nearly alwaysstated differently according to their individual thinking, mustnot be ignored or side-stepped with untruth.In love,Winifred C. Elliott•Editor:I am very disappointed by the way the church news is nowhandled in the Witness. There is no need for the formality andcoldness with which the news items are handled. We shouldtake advantage of the closeness possible as long as ourdenomination is so small and this is one place where this can bedone. I was prompted to write this letter after I found by talkingto other people I am not alone in these feelings. I don't imagineyou will print this letter, but at least you now know how someof your readers feel.Ron RobyHetherton, Mich.Ed. note: We appreciate your concern and are sympathetic tothe problem. The "coldness" is produced by trying to relaterecent happenings in our sixty-odd congregations fairly andpromptly. With the rising printing cost, we now spend over$1000 a year to give church news the limited space that we do.Also we face the problem of printing and mailing which meansthat all "news" is two to three months old by the time theWitness reader receives it. Perhaps the personal touch could beadded by each congregation publishing its own monthlynewsletter and mailing it by first class mail to those outside thecongregation whom they know would be interested. Severalcongregations do this already and are pleased with the results.We wish we could do better but we honestly don't know how.2 COVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.SUBSCRIPTIONINFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, 1 2, 1 year;13.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 51221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 800 Wood St.,Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.Known office of publication: Box K,Winchester, Kansas 66097. Secondclass postage paid at Winchester,Kansas 66097.MCMBIR

A vitally essential but rarely recognized part of Geneva College is ourBoard of Trustees. This body of 31 men and women has contributed muchto the viability of the institution through decisions on policy, personnel,and program, and counsel to the president and other administrative officers.Their vision for Geneva as a college which honors Jesus Christ wasexpressed in ' 'Foundational Concepts of Christian Education ' 'adopted inOctober 1967. Each meeting of the Trustees begins with devotions by oneof the members. We share with you recent presentations by two Trustees oftheir vision and burden for Geneva."BigflayersWe have recently been made awareof the seriousness of Geneva's reducedenrollment, and the consequentfinancial problems.I would like to present the topic ofBig Prayers to an Almighty God as amost basic and powerful solution toGeneva's problems. These problems weall recognize as "big," as "serious,"as "threatening the very existence ofGeneva." In recent years we asTrustees have felt a very strong conviction, that we must state clearly for allto know, our Goals and ChristianCommittment to provide students witha strongly Christian orientated highereducation. By our very motto, we arepledged "For Christ and Country."Geneva's beginning, its very existence;all that it is today and all that we hopeitto be is dedicated to the Lord. Weacknowledge it to be the work of theLord through dedicated Christians andto God's own Glory. Thus we do have aBig Prayer to pray to an Almighty God!I would like to direct your attentionto Psalm 81:10— "I am the Lord thyGod, which brought thee out of theLand of Egypt: OPEN THY MOUTHWIDE, and I will Fill it,'' and Jer. 33:3- "Call unto me, and I will answerthee, and show thee Great and MightyThings, which thou knowest not."The infinite and Almighty God isable to give great answers to prayer —we know how wonderfully God createdthe heavens and earth and how hesustains all things that he has created.Photo:Back Row: Elwood Woods, Kermit Edgar, David Armstrong, James Bowers, Howard Elliott, RoyBlackwood, Robert Heimburger, D. W. Kelso, Paul Wright, Laurence Coon, Wendell McBurney,Bruce Willson, William Metcalfe, Donald Felker.Front Row: Mrs. Arthur Hoenstine, Ralph Smith, Sidney Lockley (Treasurer), Mrs. WillardHemphill (Secretary), Merrill Robb (Chairman), Robert Greenlee (Vice Chairman), John Sawyer,Rex Downie, Mrs. Robert Park.COVENANTER WITNESS

Thusit would be foolish to feel that Godcould not answer prayers, and to anyextent the answer would be right.God has not only the power toanswer prayers, He has the dispositionto do so. God delights in prayer for bigthings, because He is not only infiniteand Almighty, but the loving Father ofchildren. If creation proves His power,then the giving of His Son to save lostmen proves his love and eagerness tobless!How little our unbelieving heartsknow about God's willingness to answerprayers wonderfully and mightily to HisOwn glory! Many times we prayapologetically to the Lord placing a limitby asking for so little. In Matt. 13:58we are told that even Jesus in Nazareth"did not many mighty works therebecause of their unbelief."We are warned in Scriptures not topray to be seen of men, not to ask forsomething to consume it upon our ownlusts, we are warned of not being unforgiving,covetous, disobedient, orunbelieving. But not once doesScripture hint that any man ever askedtoo much of God!One of our greatest sins aboutpraying is that we do not ask for enough.We do not give God opportunity toprove His love and power and in sodoing to glorify Himself before men."I am the Lord thy God, whichbrought thee out of the land of Egypt:open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.''In one sentence God recalls all themiracles he performed for His people:the crossing of the Red Sea, the mannaand water in the wilderness, thecrossing of the Jordan, and the falling ofthe walls of Jericho.God says to Jeremiah: "Behold Iam the Lord, the God of all flesh: isthere anything too hard for me?" AndJeremiah answered God, "Behold thouhast made heaven and the earth by thygreat power and stretched out arm, andthere is nothing too hard for thee!"Then God tells Jeremiah ' 'Call unto meand I will answer thee, and show theegreat and mighty things, which thouknowest not."How anxious God is to prove hismighty power! Only as God's peoplecall upon Him for great and mightythings will God give beyond ourimagination. God is anxious for us totest Him and to show His own Glory inso doing.James 4:2 says "Ye have notbecause ye ask not." Jesus said in Mark11:2-1 "Whatsoever things ve desirewhen ve prav. believe that ye receivethem and ve shall have them."Ephesians 3:20-21 "Now unto himthat is able to do exceeding abundantlyabove all that we ask or think, accordingto the power that worketh in us, untoHim be glory in the church by ChristJesus throughout all ages world withoutend."Thus by those examples from God'sWord, I would encourage us all inGeneva's family take heart, and to showGod our unwavering belief in Him, toask for those big blessings He is eager togive us, to test Him and allow him toshow His Glorv to the Beaver Yallev.J. LAURENCE COON, D.D.S.Beaver Falls, Pa.JUNE n. 1973i

The term "heart" is used in theBible to refer to behavior. Modernscience considers the "brain" to be thecontroller of behavior but the Bible doesnot mention "brain" even thoughconsiderable was known about it even inearly Biblical times. The meaning of' 'heart" in the Bible is much more thanbehavior or the conscience, moralsense, or inner most being that are thecommonly used synonyms. Matthew15:10-21, and the same thoughtrepeated in Mark 7:14-23, providessome insight into what the Bible meansby "heart."To condense the meaning fromthese passages I would use Matthew15:18b-19a, "Whatsoever things fromwithout entering into the man, itcannot defile him; because it enterethnot into his heart." This indicates tome that the term "heart" is used tomean man 's total response. One humancannot communicate with anotherunless both respond. These passagesindicate that the heart governs man'sresponse, or his reaction to any externalor internal stimulus, whether it reachesconscious thought or not.Responses are derived from themany capabilities that we recognize asbeing functions of the brain. Eachresponse takes into considerationmemory of past similar circumstances.Our brains store hundreds of millions ofmemory bits, many thousands of whichcould be pertinent to a particular circumstance.There must be a system forretrieval of the appropriate memory bitsfor each particular circumstance. Achoice must be made regarding which ofthe memory bits to use in carrying outeach response. Some memory bits areclose to the surface, and constitute alarge part of what governs response.Other bits are less easily retrieved, andeffort must be expended to bring themto the level of response. The term' 'response" here does not mean just theability to recall a name or a circumstance,but the whole course ofaction, facial expression, gesturing, aswell as words; all the ways that onehuman uses to communicate withanother. Both conscious and unconsciouscommunications are involved.Although there is only superficialcomparison between the human brainand computers, computer terminologyhas become so common place that ithelps to convey the meaning. Computersare "programmed" to providecertain types of responses when givenspecific stimuli from the outside. So theBible passages quoted suggest that eachman's responses are "programmed" bywhat is in his heart. Each experienceleaves one or more memory bits, andretrievability is determined by thefrequency with which it is used. Iffrequently used, the Bible passages saythat it has been "programmed" in theheart. If infrequently used, it has poorretrievability.Educational institutions are heartprogrammers. The Bible gives manyclear directions for heart programmingbut the ones I think most pertinent totoday's problems are found in Ephesians6:6 "Not with eye service as menpleasers;but as the servants of Christ,doing the will of God from the heart,"and the 101st Psalm. As educators,arewe teaching the will of God from ourhearts? The majority of colleges of theUnited States do not seek the will of Godin their teachings. Students leavecollege doubting the relevance of theBible. Many believe that Christianity isresponsible for wars and hatred.Rejecting the presence of God, they canonly look to man for the solution toman's problems. They hold that man'signorance rather than his rejection ofGod is the source of all problems. Thelogical conclusion is that man must begoverned by the intellectual class forwhich a college education has provided.Because some nations seem unwilling tochange and fit their idealistic schemethey advocate socialism and communismbecause these forms ofgovernment promise to change thesystem they feel has failed. The conceptof God's complete wisdom and ability tocontrol perfectly, when man turns toHis Son, Jesus Christ, has been lost inman's struggle to perfect himself whilehe rejects God.Christian colleges seek God's willthrough a knowledge of the Bible andChrist's perfect example. Whether ornot you agree with this analysis of theheart programming that most collegegraduates receive, you can find God'sinstructions for "heart programming"in the 101st Psalm. Compare it to thephilosophy of modern education. •ROBERTHEIMBURGERIndianapolis, Ind.COVENANTER WITNESS

GenevaEducationRecognizing that Geneva faces a seriouschallenge in view of current crises in HigherEducation, we invited Dr. R. Paul Wright, anesteemed Trustee for many years, to communicate hisoutlook with readers of the Covenanter Witness. It isour conviction that the truly Christian college has thebest prospect for continued vitality, both because of itsworthy purpose and its dependence upon God.We are pleased to share Dr. Wright's view ofGeneva — present and future, encouraging you topray and work with and for us. It is our desire to seeGeneva become a demonstration of God's providenceand power through continued development of adistinctively Christian education and growth instudent enrollment.Dr. J. Merrill RobbChairman, Board of TrusteesATrustee'sVisionIn our modern world, characterized by danger anddespair, Christianity is the system of survival par excellence.It provides hope not only for the "hereafter", but for thepresent. This is the implication of the words of Jesus, theSon of God: "I came that ye might have life, and that yemight have it more abundantly." The Apostle Paul spoke ofChristian education as "of value in every way, havingpromise not onlv of this life, but of the life to come'' (I Tim.4:7,8).When vou are eighteen, one of your most pressingquestions is: "How am I going to make it through the nextfiftv-two vears?" We older folks — Trustees, Corporators,Administration, Faculty — know how distressing thiscoping-with-the-future can be. Our ambition at GenevaCollege is to prepare you for those fifty-two years — equipyou scholastically, technologically, emotionally andspiritually. It's the ideals from within that give the externalresults, and this is the most vital contribution of a Christiancollege in a cruel, impersonal world.And then there's the "Hereafter" to think about, andit is God's view of Eternity as a continuity for the Christianwhich makes a Christian education so valuable for a person'sfuture.But back to the present. There's that "Tall, Dark andHandsome" and that "Awfully Nice Girl in An AwfullyNice Package." There again, we old-timers know that agood place to look for such "desirables" is in the gatheringplacesof good Christian kids from good Christian homes. Dowe dare suggest that this is a "plus" offered by GenevaCollege?Now to the Dads and Mothers of our young friends.You have put in eighteen years in raising your belovedoffspring. Dreams, hopes, ambitions— you name it, we'vebeen there! Twice! And we know how your hearts beat highwith hope for their future successes, scholastically, socially,financially, spiritually.And that's where we think Geneva College can help.Scholastically, we know we're sound. Socially, we try toassure the good and discourage the evil. Health-wise, we tryto furnish wholesome food and living conditions, with a newinfirmary for the "temporarily indisposed." Spiritually, weemphasize God's sovereign love in all His wonders. We takeseriously His Word that He receives those who worship Himin spirit and in truth. Thus we seek to guide our youngfriends to follow the instruction of the Apostle Paul to,"Despise not prophetic utterances, but prove all things andcleave to that which is good."Now, as to cost:Sorry, it does cost, and at present, we have no massiveendowments to minimize the load. We're working on it, andthere are various kinds of financial aid, but it still requiresvour investment. We are developing the total College tomake it worth the time and the treasure you will invest.Things aren't perfect at Geneva — don't be misled! But weare committed to achieving excellence in all phases of thecollege so that our efforts will be well pleasing to our Lordand receive His "well done!"In closing, we invite the Christian families who readthis to give Geneva College strong consideration for whatyou may contribute as well as receive. And we ask the wholeChristian community everywhere for your encouragement,your financial support and especially for your prayers that wemav fulfill our vision of excellence in all phases of Christianliving — of teaching "survival" according to God's will.Christ's Word and works, and the continuing guidance otthe Holy Spirit for those who would worship God in spiritand in truth, in their daily living.R. PAUL WRIGHT, M.D.Overland Park. KansasJUNE 6. 1973 7

How many of our congregations can say they have a 91year old member who is actively traveling about town teachingthe Bible in homes? The Park City congregation has such amember.When MisS Mary Adams was a young seventy, theForeign Mission Board told her retirement time had come. Theword "retirement" wasn't to be found in Mary's dictionaryand isn't to this day. Her love and interest in China began whenshe was a teenager. At that time our church published amissionary paper called Olive Trees. An appeal came throughthe paper for missionaries to go to China. Mary's heart wastouched. Mary said, "I went up to my bedroom and got downon my knees and told the Lord I was willing to go." Dr.Carithers visited their home shortly after this and asked Mary ifshe would like to go to the Indian Mission. Mary accepted theirinvitation and wbile working there, Dr. Ida Scott and KateMcBurney asked her to go to China. "I want to finish collegefirst," Mary said. After completing college, she went to Chinaand served faithfully. Although she was forced to leave China bythe Communists, her concern and interest for the Chinesepeople has never waned.What prompted her to settle in Wichita? ' T was studyingLuke at the time," Mary said, "and the verse in Matt. 4:19(Follow me and I will make you fishers of men) came to havespecial meaning to me. I felt since there were many Chinese inWichita who spoke Cantonese I could work with them. First Iwould go to the restaurants run by Chinese and talk to them.Then they began inviting me into their homes." One of thedifficulties Mary faces in her teaching is getting the parents totake the responsibility of teaching the Bible to their children.Father and mother often work and frequently cannot readEnglish, while the children read English but not Chinese.Consequently, no effort is put forth in giving the children theBible.A fruit of Mary's labor is a girl named Linda Wong.When Miss Adams began visiting their home Linda admittedshe resented the Gospel message. Yet through the patientteaching and interest of Mary, she now has a degree in journalismand is an active worker for her Lord in Los Angeles. Sheis meeting Jews and Blacks and having wonderful opportunitiesfor witnessing. Her brother, Steve, a student at Wichita StateUniversity, is taking an active role in the evangelism programof a Baptist church. He makes calls and contacts nearly everyday, and often picks up people to take them to church on theLord's Day. He is hoping to be a preacher eventually. Maryfeels our own denomination is not as enthused about evangelismas it should be.Despite the handicaps of old age, Mary maintains contactwith twenty homes, visiting them on a regular basis. Herbiggest concern is not getting around to as many homes as shewould like, for the Chinese are getting so scattered. Betweenwalking, riding the bus and being picked up by passersby, shemanages to make her weekly rounds. The city bus drivers willoften go out of their way to see she is safely deposited near homeafter a long day. Truly, through the many experiences she hashad, one can see how the Lord is watching over her. Every lifethat has ever been touched by her, whether policeman, busdriver, grocery clerk, or a stranger that picks her up, will neverbe the same, for she never misses an opportunity to witness andtell them of her Lord whom she loves so dearly.EtSdl'SMiss Adams has been living in her present home nearlyfifteen years. Her landlady has nothing but the highest of praisefor her when she says, "Mary returned physically from theland of China, but is always there in spirit. As an outlet for herdesire to spread the gospel, she has been privileged to teach theChinese here in the city. In all of the years I have known her,she has missed very few days of daily ministering to these peoplewho are so dear to her.Miss Helen Kruse, who is presently sharing the residenceat 2518 E. 1st St. with Mary, gives the following witness,"After Mary's many years of service as a foreign missionaryitwould be quite natural for her to expect to spend her remainingyears resting from her labors, looking back in retrospect overthe many fruitful years of service the Lord has given her. Butnot Mary! She sees work still to be done, souls to be fed,nourished and won, and so she presses onward and forward."Though shriveled, stooped, hard of hearing, and almostblind, she doesn't consider herself too handicapped to makerounds of Chinese homes via city bus every day after school andall day Saturday instructing children in God's Word andsharing Christ as Lord and Savior with these families. It is notuncommon for some kind person, finding her lost and wanderingin the streets to pick her up and bring her home. TheLord's promises are sure to those who trust Him, 'and even inyour old age I am Ele; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you'(Is. 46:4). She's so thin she looks like the wind could blow heraway any minute, but she insists on going out every day zerodegrees or one hundred degrees — rain, snow or shine. Then ontop of this she insists on doing her own laundry, cooking, etc.,though it takes her half the night to prepare a meal and she'susually eating dinner at eleven or twelve midnight, about timeI'm retiring for the night. But perhaps that's how the Lordkeeps her active and alert. And what a wonderful example Godconveys through her tremendous determination, faith,courage, and boldness. Truly she is proof positive that Hemeans it when He says, 'Fear thou not; for I am with thee: benot dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee, yea, Iwill uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness' (Is.41:10). A remarkable lady! A beautiful Christian! A life wellspent."Mary's former pastor, G. I. Williamson, says, "DespiteMary's difficulties of hearing and failing eyesight, never oncedid she ever complain. Her attendance upon the means of gracewas something to behold. She was always there. After specialmeans were installed to enable her to hear the sermons, shealways spoke of the benefit she derived and never failed to exaltthe Lord for His greatness and goodness. Truly, her examplewas the greatest sermon ever preached in the Park CityChurch."8 COVENANTER WITNESS

W©p>hY"Those that be planted inthe house of the Lord shallflourish . they shall bringforth fruit in old age."'•'O^lT'iT* * M" »Her quiet witness has reached far and wide. Surely thereshall be many stars in her crown. Her humble spirit shines forthas she gives God only the glory for any souls which have beenbrought into the kingdom through her efforts. She never dwellson what she has done, but what God is doing in the lives ofpeople.About the author: Mrs. Robert Maine of the ParkCity-Wichita congregation graciously agreed to write thisd, fel> of Miss Adams. Besides being a busy homemaker,Mrs Mai/h enjoys working with junior young people.She is the daughter of Rev and Mrs M W DoughertyWhat a fitting tribute G. I. Williamson paid her in hisfinal sermon to the congregation. He used Eccl. 12:1 as his textaddressing the youth particularly. He said. "I have never met amore unforgetable character than Miss Marv Adams. Youknow 1 have been in rest homes where there are old people whodon't have anything to live for. I have visited old people wholive in the past, who are always talking about what thev didthirty or forty years ago. Mary took the text 1 am preaching tovou to heart when she was a young person. Have you ever heardher living in the past? No. Have you ever seen her at tin L; as itlife were not worth living; that she had no reason to go on?Don't vou see. if you do remember your Creator now in thedays ot your youth, even if you live to be one hundred, life willonly get better and better. The best will always be that whichawaits vou in Jesus Christ and His glorious kingdom."I.IBBY MAIM:JUNE 6. 1973{ )

CRWRCWhatis it7mFor ten years now the ChristianReformed World Relief Committee(CRWRC) has been carrying on theChristian Reformed Church's work ofmercy in places too far off or in projectstoo large for local diaconates to handle.In these ten years we have learned manythings, but two stand out particularly.We knew from the beginning thatwe did not have the resources to solve allthe world's problems by ourselves. Howthen to begin?In ten years we have come to believethat in foreign work the best use of purlimited resources is to set up a project,get it running, train Christian nationalsto take over the work, and try to getenough local interest so the project caneventually become self-supporting. Wedo not envision ourselves spendingtwenty years in a country; we envisionourselves spending five to ten years (orless) in a country, and then moving onto another program elsewhere.We aim, then, to help people to helpthemselves, not to be a source of helpindefinitely.The best example of this so far is theChildren's Adoption Program of Koreato(CAPOK). We started the program, wetrained people to run it, and we nowhave a staff member there whose job isto encourage financial support from theKorean government and the Koreanchurches. In a few years, we hope, theentire program will be the responsibilityof Korean Christians.Elvinah Spoelstra, who was largelyresponsible for the original program.said upon her return to the States that ifthere were one thing she could do over,it would be to start even earlier andwork even harder at nationalizing theprogram as soon as possible.A commitment to this procedurecauses some difficult decisions. WhenMiss Spoelstra first went to Korea, herobject — and the one that seemed themost desirable to everyone at the time— was to place as many babies aspossible in good adoptive homes, assoon as possible. Training Korean staffseemed a secondary goal. To decide todo things the other way, to worry lessabout placing babies and more aboutgetting a national Christian stafftogether to run the program, is, at first,heartbreaking. There are all thosechildren needing homes. But after thefirst few years, the wisdom of such aplan becomes evident as there are morestaff to place more children and to givemore competent counseling.Thus CRWRC's first lesson hasbeen: Aim at a program that after a fewyears can be run and supported byChristian nationals.Closely related to that goal is therealization that programs must begeared not to what Westerners think thepeople of the country need, but to whatthe people themselves think they need.Westerners may come in with all kindsof good ideas — sewer projects andbetter sanitation and what have you —but if the people themselves don't seethe value, and can't be made to see thevalue after a few years of work, theproject is doomed to failure.Some education must go on, ofcourse; we must make the attempt toshow them that our medicine is betterthan witch doctors, that better landusemakes better crops, that certain feed forchickens produces bigger and better andmore eggs; but any program that doesnot soon make itself seem important tothe recipients will be able to do verylittle toward giving them better lives.Particularly in the attempt to gain localfinancial support for a program, it isvery important that the program be onethat the people value.As a result, the most effective plansfor helping people are not those drawnup by boards or committees sitting inGrand Rapids, but rather are thosedevised by staff members in the field, inresponse to needs expressed by thepeople themselves. Ignoring thisprinciple of meeting "felt needs" is icostly and makes for endless frustration.The biggest problem CRWRC facesin all its work, except perhaps disasterrelief, is to convince its supporters thatthe demand to build the kingdom ofChrist includes the demand to helppeople live better lives.Material relief in any form generallybrings the question, "Why are youdoing this for us?" and that questionisa natural opportunity for introducingthe love of Jesus Christ. In that guise wehave had material relief projects foryears, particularly in medicine, projectsdesigned to offer something that wouldfacilitate contact with the people wewere trying to reach. And that is certainlyone worthwhile approach.COVENANTER WITNESS

Furthermore, material relief oftenestablishes a relationship of trust betweengiver and recipient, a willingnessto share concerns and fears. And thatrelationship is often an opening forbringing the gospel message.But CRWRC believes that materialrelief in itself is demanded of Christ'speople. Matthew 25 is the classicstatement of this belief and CRWRCtries to follow it. If you give food,clothing, fellowship, guidance to othersin the name of Christ, you are doing itfor Him. Christ does not say that thevalue of your giving will be measured byhow many of the recipients eventuallyturn to Him; He says simply, "As youdid it to one of the least of these mybrethren, vou did it to me."Bcvond the giving of material gifts.self-help projects bring less tangiblerewards to their recipients: the dignityof being able to support their families;the jov of being able to help somebodyelse, to give instead of always receiving:a greater sense of responsibility for thepoor and disinherited in their societies.Again. CAPOK is CRWRC's bestexample. Through counseling adoptiveparents and unwed mothers, we havemany opportunities to present thegospel; but in making it possible forJUNE 6. 19"Mchildren to receive love and for parentsto give love to children who wereformerly outcasts, we are doing theLord's work as much as when we areactually presenting the gospel. TheLord's work includes encouraging theKorean government to pass moreprotective child-welfare laws, andencouraging Korean Christians to feelmore responsibility for orphans. As welabor in this phase of God's greatkingdom we know that only eternity willreveal those who have been saved. Weare confident that among them will besome who were drawn by the Lord of theHarvest through the planting of a smallseed — an act of mercy.CRWRC's commitment to theseprinciples sometimes causes difficulties.The bringing of material help and thebringing of the gospel go hand in handin CRWRC's programs. But sometimesthe nationals involved in a program areable to take over one part of the programmore quickly than the other parts. Theymay have manv fine evangelists beforethey have people trained in agricultureor social service work, or they may havemany trained service people long beforethey have nationals capable of carryingon the evangelization programs.Furthermore, they may haveenough trained personnel long beforethev have the financial support theyneed to carry on the program. That putsWesterners in a position they dislike:subsidizing a program over which theyhave only partial control. In eachsituation CRWRC struggles to work outan arrangement that will result in asmuch national control as possible whilemaintaining the quality and goals of theprograms.Is the world any better after tenvears of effort by CRWRC? Only theLord, in whose name we work, knowsthe answer to that question. It isestimated that two out of every threepeople in the world still go to bedhungry. In many nations in Asia thepopulation is increasing faster than theability to produce food. Eighty percentnf the world's wealth is owned bytwenty percent of the people. Certainlythis is not a promising picture.CRWRC's task is obviously unfinished.As it faces a new decade, itsgoal of serving the needy in Christ'sname is unchanged. Expressing thanksto God must continue to be the reasonfor Christian service, along with theproclamation of the crucified and risenChrist. CRWRC will not forget thelessons it has learned; it is pledged tomore years of service worthy of beingcalled "Christian."We believe that our denominationwould profit from learning how asister Reformed denomination isactively ministering in world relief.We are indebted to Mr. Louis VanEss. Executive Director of CRWRC,and The Banner for this account.• •: - - /> -\,, >, rf

A ^\wf.:\\UNION PROGRESS, RPCES-OPCThe joint committee of theReformed Presbyterian Church,Evangelical Synod, and of the OrthodoxPresbyterian Church, met in St. Louisin April to proceed with work on the"Proposed Basis of Union" which wasapproved by the respective nationaljudicatories in 1972. (Threerepresentatives of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N.A. InterchurchCorrespondence Committeewere also present as invited observers,and were accorded the courtesies of thefloor, and, it might be added, everyother courtesy as well.)It seemed obvious that therepresentatives from both churcheswere working on the assumption thatthe Union is to be consummated,though there was evidence of caution onboth sides lest the carefully worked outplan of union be understood differentlyby the two Churches.One of the difficulties is the differentapproaches the denominations maketoward educational institutions. Independent— but OPC oriented —Westminster Theological Seminary,and denominationally controlledCovenant College and CovenantTheological Seminary of the RPCES,are to be left as matters to be handledafter the union is completed.The name of the new church is aproblem, with the rather obviouspreference being for "ReformedPresbyterian," if it were possible toescape confusion in some way, in thepublic mind and legally.Another area of difference has beenin regard to what has become an ambiguousdesignation, of "ChristianLiberty." However, Par. (17) of the"Proposed Plan" seems to have gonefar toward a common understanding. Itreads:"In uniting their witness,these churches would seek togrow in love and new obedienceto Christ, finding in thatobedience the remedy for both12imp6e6iRev.Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010legalism and antinomianism.We dare not build a hedgearound God's law, adding to itthe burdensome traditions ofmen. Neither may we evercease to hear in the law thevoice of the living God, whosewill and nature are revealed inHis commandments. Yetrespect for the liberty of thesons of God must not dampenour pastoral zeal to warn thosein our charge against particularsins and against those practicesin contemporary life thatbecome frequent occasions ofsin. When the mass mediapander to unlawful sexualappetites, the Saviour'swarning about the lustful lookmust be part of the church'sinstruction. When respect forhuman life is cheapened byrevolutionary violence andsocially sanctioned murder, thechurch must declare that man ismade in the image of God, andapply the commandment"Thou shalt not kill" not onlyto the murdering hand but tothe murderous heart. When theproper function of the body isimpaired through the vainpursuit of pleasure and escapeby the use of narcotics,stimulants, depressants, andhallucinogenic drugs, thechurch must teach that ourbodies are for the Lord; it mustwarn not only the drunkard andthe addict of his sin, but alsocaution all those who wouldbegin in their desires to rebelagainst God's ordinances forsober and responsible humanlife; and it must charge allChristians to obey the law oflove in every situation wherethe exercise of their own libertyunder the gospel might offer anoccasion to sin to another, orimpede the service of Christ'schurch. When lusts and abusesof every kind are exploited forgain and power, the propheticwarnings against men whoprofit by pandering to vice mustbe heard in the preaching ofGod's Word. Apart from thecourageous application ofScripture to individual andsocial sins in the context ofmodern life, the church cannotfulfill the whole ministry of theWord of God. As the occasiondemands, such applicationmust be made not only bypastors and sessions, but also bypresbyteries, synods, andgeneral assemblies according tothe principles of Chapter 31 ofthe Confession of Faith ("OfSynods and Councils"), whichare based upon the council ofJerusalem (Acts 15). Theforming of Christian consciencesto prove the things thatdiffer is most necessary so thatthe church shall not be conformedto the lawlessness of anunbelieving world."The Committees of the twoChurches are recommending to theirrespective judicatories that the plan besent out to the congregations for studythis year, with action for union to takeplace at the 1974 meetings.ABORTION DECISIONQUESTIONEDThe State of Connecticut is askingthat the Supreme Court review itsdecision of January 1973, in whichstates are forbidden to deny a woman aright to an abortion up through the firstthree months of a pregnancy. Accordingto Wm. Buckley, fourteen other stateshave joined Connecticut as "friends ofthe court."Buckley says, "The Supreme Courtwould do well to recognize that there isa quite general soul-sickness in Americaabout its abortion decision, the implicationsof which are altogetherstaggering. Critics of the decision havethus far mostly insisted that the decisionwas bad law and bad philosophy.Connecticut and fourteen other statesare now saying that it is bad science,that the factual basis of it was incorrect."It is on the unsatisfactorybasis of the factual evidence cited in thedecision, that this appeal is made.Hopefully the time will come whenitwill be politic to point out that thisdecision is also bad practice becauseit isdisobedience of God's law.COVENANTER WITNESS

Dear Kids,Your letters for membership in the Hey LookitClub piled up while I was on vacation. So today I had funreading all the ones that came from Kansas, Iowa, andPennsylvania. Keep them coming before the June 1deadline.Haven't we had an unusual spring as one dayviolets spring up purple from a carpet of green and thenext day they are peeping out from a blanket of snow?Only God could give us such a variety of hail andrain and sunny skies as we had while traveling in theMidwest. He is a great Creator!Teresa Preston tells us about the awe of God'screation as she observes it in Portland, Oregon.Teresa, her husband John, and young daughter,Jessica, have many friends in Pittsburgh, where theyattended Covenant Fellowship R. P. Church.Thanks, Teresa, for your neat description.Your friend,Mrs. A.P.S. We are glad for the writings on Spring from BeaverCounty Christian School.SpringSpring is when the flowers bloom.Spring is when I sweep my room.Spring is when I ride my horse,Spring is when I'm in a chorus.Beckie HammerleGrade 2A bunny tsspring time.-:o:/ ISpringSpring is hereThe air is clearThe sun is brightSpring is hereAnd all is right!Steve GivlerGrade 3Springhopping in the yard. I fly a kite atDonald MoffettGrade 1SpringSpring is when the bees stingSpring is like a diamond ring.Spring is when the birds singSpring is when the children swing.Spring is when the flowers bloomAnd caterpillers come out of their cacoons.Valerie DownieGrade 3SpringI know a bird that sings all day. Spring is a timewhen the rabbits come out. Spring is a time when theleaves turn green. Spring is a time when you fall in thecreek!Danny WhalenGrade 2Spring CalvesThey are smaller than their mother. They drinkmilk from their mother.Joy BouwersGrade 1I remember the first time I saw the ocean. What excitementI felt, watching to catch just a glimpse from the road.Journeys to new places, where things are not familiar, havealways made me look closer and longer than the same sights athome. How much more of the earth and sky I seem to notice.Here in Oregon, the ocean waves crash against themountains. In some places only the jagged tips of the huge rocksstick out of the water, which swirls angrily against the coast.tossing whole tree trunks on the beach like toy logs. At timeswhen we stop the car to look, it is hard to imagine that millionsof creatures live under the waves. I find myself wanting to knowtheir names, where they live and how they get their food. Iwonder what makes the tides and where the big logs come from.This new sight is like a very special gift that must be opened andused. After all, the world in which we live is something madejust for you and me by God,Listening to the waves, a very small thing moves on a bigrock just a little way from shore — almost the size of a bird, orso it seems. After a closer look. I realize that the tiny thing isnot a bird, but a man. He is fun to watch, but the longer I lookthe more I begin to understand how great God's gift of creationis. Why so beautiful a present for someone so tiny in comparisonto it?I know God's love. I can see it all around. He wants me toenjov this present and learn all I can about it. but sometimesI'm too lazy to even notice.From now on Em going to remember to say ' 'Hey Lookit" to mvself. I'll use my eyes and ears and nose to enjoy what'saround me. where -ever I am. and then I'll use my mouth to say"Thank vou. God tor sharing all this with me."JUNE 6. 19731 ^

SURVIVAL ON THE CAMPUS: A Handbook for ChristianStudents. William Proctor. Fleming H. Revell Co., 1972. 157 pp.$1.95 (paper).Most students know that they will meet people with differentbeliefs and actions in college. Mr. Proctor writes of thoseexpected situations, and some unexpected ones; he also suggestsways to meet people of different persuasion. Not all thoughtsreflect a Reformed position, but they provide helpful reading fora new collegian.Estella NussFEED MY SHEEP. Harold Camping. Presbyterian & ReformedPubl. Co., (n.d.). 83 pp. $1.95 (paper).Without using either term, Mr. Camping discusses the areainvolving the "Great Commission" and the "cultural mandate."This is all to the good for it is evidently his purpose to search theScriptures, let the chips fall where they may and let any error berefuted by the power of the Word.In examining Genesis 1:28, a study of the word kabash(subdue) is presented to show that the command to Adam tosubdue the earth is inextricably bound up with the state of innocency.Since the Fall with the curse of God upon man and theearth, the mandate to man is totill (abad) the ground. Instead ofpossessing the creation of God, man now serves that creation(the Hebrew words for till and serve are one and the same —abad). The restoration of man's lordship only comes with the endof the present earth and the establishment of the new heavensand the new earth. Meanwhile, believers and unbelievers stilllive in a creation that "groans and travails;" the ground is still tobe tilled and the same conditions apply to all. The natural manserves the creature and the believer the Creator, so there is adifference in the way the task is done. The principle task of manin Christ is summed up the Great Commission.This should beg enough questions to whet the appetite formore of this book. This reviewer found it stimulating reading andgenerally in line with his own thinking on the subject. There are,nevertheless, areas where more careful work needs to be done.Camping's understanding of the relationship between body andsoul needs clarification (p. 55). One is not at all convinced thatSatan's fall took place around the same time as that of Adam andEve (pp. 20ff).Gordon J. KeddieYOUR MIND MATTERS. John R. W. Stott. IVP, 1972. 64 pp.$.95 (paper).To a world controlled by subjective thought andemotionalism, John Stott pointedly presents the need for a"devotion set on fire by truth." He sets forth the Biblical teachingon the mind and intellect and then he clearly discusses theproper impact of the mind upon the whole of life. Thoughtfuland practical.B.R.E.WHAT'S WRONG WITH PREACHING TODAY? A. N.Martin. Banner of Truth Trust. 24 pp. $.25 (paper).Originally presented as a sermon to the Ministers' Conferenceof the O.P. Church, this booklet is designed to providepastors with "hints to improve contemporary preaching."Throughout the booklet, Mr. Martin develops one of his earlystatements — that the failure of preaching is basically the failureof the preacher or of the message, and these two factors cannotreally be separated. His use of Scripture and his preaching experiencecombine to make this little volume priceless.Larry R. FalkSPRINGS IN THE VALLEY. Mrs. Charles E. Cowman. ZondervanPubl. House, 1968 reprint. 366 pp. $3.95 (cloth).As a devotional book, SPRINGS IN THE VALLEY may beof considerable help. Thoughts and verses are arrangedtopically. Care should be exercised in using it, however, so thatitdoes not substitute in-depth Bible study.Cathy BittnerNIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES. Hugh Stevens. G-L RegalBooks, 1972. 118 pp. $1.25 (paper).This book is not as gruesome as the title suggests. Insteaditis a collection of adventurous and often delightful stories ofMexican and South American children and of the children ofWyeliffe missionaries who are growing to know, love and trust inthe Lord. I have read some of these stories to the children'sprayer group and they like the book.Ruth FarisI MARRIED YOU. Walter Trobisch. Harper & Row Publ., 1971.135 pp. $4.95 (cloth).A European pastor speaking to an African congregationabout Biblical principles of marriage — this circumstance, with adetailed record of the sermons and counseling sessions, formsthe content of I Married You. What emerges for the Americanreader is the realization that God's principles about marriageand family are universal and transcend cultural boundaries.Highly recommended.B.R.E.MS MEANS MYSELF. Gladys Hunt. Zondervan, 1972. 145 pp.$1.95 (paper).To women "in an uneasy world," Gladys Hunt writes that"equality is not what women need, but the right to develop to ourfullest potential to be what God wants us to be." Thisnecessitates that each woman must "know whose she is and(then) proceed to find out who she is as a unique person." Thesetwo quotations summarize the thrust of Mrs. Hunt's book.Although I would approach the individual's worth from a differentperspective, I find the style captivating, the examplesspecific and vivid, and the focus provocative.Eileen FalkTHE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Octavius Winslow.Banner of Truth, 1972.Today there are many religious groups which place a greatdeal of emphasis on the person and work of the Holy Spirit,sometimes creating an imbalance in their thinking about theGodhead. With this pressure we have a greater need than usualto be aware of the Holy Spirit and His work. Although Winslowwrote this volume 125 years ago, it is a valuable tool for ourunderstanding of the Holy Spirit.Winslow's style is characteristic of the Puritans. Heconstantly refers to his reader, pleading for the unbeliever toturn in faith to Jesus Christ and urging for the believer to greaterdevotion for His Savior. Winslow does not delve into the matterof spiritual gifts, probably because that was not an issue ofdebate in his time.J. Bruce Martin14 COVENANTER WITNESS

REPENTANCE: The Joy-Filled Life. Mother Basilea Schlink.Zondervan, 1968. 63 pp. $1.50 (paper).While communicating the need for faith and repentance,Mother Basilea places great emphasis on God's frustration andanxious waiting on man. This is evident in such statements as"God and the world are waiting . . .," "Jesus is going now tochurches . . . knocking . . . waiting," "God waits . . . but He waitsin vain . . . ."Contrary to Mother Basilea's writings, the Scriptures teachthat the sinner repents and believes only because God has givenhim a new nature. The Scriptures speak of faith and repentancebeing the gift of God (Acts 1:8; Eph. 2:8). The Christian receivesfrom God a new nature which makes it possible for him to repentand believe. Mother Basilea reverses this order and claims aperson dead in trespasses and sins can revitalize himself bybringing upon himself repentance.This book is not recommended as being consistent with theleaching of the Scriptures.Georgia McFarlandP.S. Mother Basilea is the founder of the Evangelical Sisterhoodof Mary, headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany.Because I Wentto Cyprus...It has been almost three years since I returned to theUnited States from a two year term in Cyprus. Even thoughmany of the memories are no longer fresh in my mind, I can seemany ways in which my two years in Cyprus have had a markedinfluence on my thinking. In particular, as I look forward tograduation from seminary, my Cyprus work has greatly affectedthe way that I look toward the future.CHRISTIAN LETTERS TO A POST-CHRISTIAN WORLD byDorothy L. Sayers, edited by Roderick Jellema. Eerdmans(1969), 236 pp. $3.95 (paper).In a series of essays written during the forties and earlyfifties. Miss Sayers seeks to lay bare the sickness of Westerncivilization. The religious apostasy and indifferentism of theWest have cheapened its culture, blunted its sensibilities, andtrivialized its imagination. Though she accuses society of beingunimaginative, she certainly demonstrates imagination in herwriting. Creatively, humorously, but plainly, Miss Sayersexamines and lays bare the structure and philosophy of Westernculture.Carol LoweA SONG AND A PRAYER: Devotional Thoughts from L'Abri.Betty Carlson. Baker Book House, 1970. 100 pp. $1.95 (paper).Sensing the "reality of the Christian faith" and "the factthat God is near," Betty Carlson carefully weaves Scripturaltruth with daily episodes. The combination of the author'senergetic style and her spiritual insight produces an exceptionaldevotional book.B R ECOMMENTARY ON ROMANS. Charles Hodge. Reprint byBanner of Truth Trust. 457 pp. $5.95 (cloth).For more than one hundred years, students of the book ofRomans have looked to Charles Hodge for instruction. NowBanner of Truth Trust has provided a new edition of the finalAmerican edition which was published in 1864.This new edition is more than a reprint. Improvementshave been made. Two useful indexes have been added andreferences to Scripture and to Winer's Greek Grammar havebeen corrected and updated. The Hodge's method is to divideIhe text of Romans into logical parts. Each part is then analyzedand followed with a phrase by phrase commentary. After thecommentary is a listing of the doctrines which are taught in thepassage. Nor is this the end. After the listing of doctrines, Hodgeoffers what he calls remarks. These are like pastoral exhortationspressing home the practical applications of Christian doctrine toIhe hearts of believers.This commentary is thorough. It reflects the ReformedTheology of Princeton Theological Seminary where Hodgeserved from 1822 to 1878. Superficial students of Scripturewill find Hodge fatiguing. Others will profit from the use ofIhis commentary.H. B. HarringtonJUNE 6. 197 3One aspect of my experience that has broadened myvision is that of living in another culture and adapting to thatculture. This involved even trying to learn another language. Ifound that this came very easily to me, and I greatly enjoyedtrying many new things and conversing with others in theirown language. I enjoyed living with the Cypriot people so muchthat I even married one of them. Because of my experience inliving in another culture and being part of a family which isinternational, as I look forward to what work the Lord mightcall me into, my vision is not limited to only one part of theworld. Wherever the Lord may call me to serve Him I can gowith confidence knowing that the Lord will help me to adjust towhatever cultural situation I may be put into, and that He willhelp me to learn whatever language that I might need to learn. 1know this because I have seen Him do it before.Perhaps even greater than this personal experience, ofseeing God's work in helping me to adapt to a new culture, isthe experience of seeing the work of God in the lives of others.While I was in Cyprus, I saw more people come to Christ thanat any other time of my life. There were times when it seemedlike a day wouldn't go by without our hearing about somebodynew committing his life to Christ. I had seen God work in thelives of people before I went to Cyprus, but I had never seenHim work so greatly in so many lives before. My experience inCyprus did much to increase my taith in God.Having seen Him work in my life as well as in the lives olothers. I am confident that He is able- to work in the same waywherever or to whomever He sends me.n

ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssthen we are in deeper trouble and are moresinful than we perhaps realize. We areJuly, 1973AND GOD HEARD— COMPLAINING PEOPLEMrs. H. T. HunterAn executive, when approached by anemployee complaining of inequities inworking conditions, replied "The wheelthat squeaks the loudest gets the mostgrease." Thus the act of complaining isgiven tacit approval as one method ofaccomplishing results. This may bejustified sometimes as a means ofremedying human situations.However, the complaints which ourstudy for this month deals with can not allbe classified as legitimate ones. Our firstBible reference (Psalm 106:24-26) clearlystates that the Israelites despised thepleasant land and they believed not God'sword. Dissatisfaction with the goodprovided by God is bad enough, but notbelieving God's word is tantamount tocalling Him a liar. It is no wonder that theLord lifted up His hand against them tooverthrow them in the wilderness.When the discontent of His people isjustified, God does not censure them butmakes provision for their hunger bysending manna from heaven (Exodus16:4-8). God is a "spirit, infinite, . injustice (and) goodness." He hearscomplaints, judges their merits and actsaccordingly.But He hears! Yes, He hears evenmurmurs which are half-suppressedcomplaints. His ears are attuned to ourvery thoughts and, when these halfarticulateddiscontents come to His ears,God is displeased. In Numbers 14:26-29,we read of the punishment meted to thoseof His chosen people in response to theircomplainings: all over 20 years of ageshall not live to enter the Promised Land.Should this not be taken as a warning to ustoday? Are we not risking far more thanwe know by displeasing God by complaining?To complain is "to make a formalaccusation; to make a charge.'' If this isimplicit in our murmuring against God,disregarding the divine presence andkindling the wrath of God because, likethe Israelites (Psalm 78:19-22), we"believed not in God and trusted not inhis salvation."How do these various warnings againstcomplaining apply to us? Do we usedissatisfactions, great and small, in ourdaily activities, to criticize God and Hisplan for our lives? Do we complain aboutailments, about the weather, aboutothers, about our leaders, about allmanner of personal problems? Let us takeheed of the probable results of thesemurmurings which certainly come toGod's ears."Wherefore doth a living mancomplain for the punishment of his sins?"asks Jeremiah. Jude writes in verses 14-16"Behold the Lord cometh with tenthousands of his saints to executejudgment upon all these are themurmurers, complainers, walking aftertheir own lusts."Suggested Psalms:Ps. 55 page 138:1-5Ps. 12 page 21:1-3 and 5,6Ps. 40 page 103:9-12For discussion:1. Scan Numbers 11. Then relate thestory told there, and review the complaintsof the Israelites, the answer to theircomplaints, and their punishment.2. It has been suggested that there arebenefits to be derived from "complaining."Cite current examples in thenews (marches, strikes, hold-outs againstfederal officers, etc.). Discuss theirpurposes and their effectiveness. How dothese exemplify God's directives forresolving unsatisfactory situations? If not,what is a Biblical solution?3. Are all complaints to be consideredas "complaints against God?"4. Is there anything to be gained fromcomplaining? The Israelites complainedthat they wanted a king, as their neighborshad. God heard their complaints andgranted their request. In I Samuel 8:18,what did God say their punishment wouldbe?August, 1973GOD HEARD— BOASTFUL WORDSMrs. Thomas A. Price, Sr.Boastful words are used to extol orelevate oneself. We behave boastfullywhen we possess or display ourpossessions with pride. Bragging aboutoneself or his possessions is an offense tothe Lord, who supplies all our needs.Boasting is sometimes a symptom ofinsecurity. It helps a person feel important.It is a temporary palliative and provides nolasting satisfaction.Sometimes our boasting is broughtabout by false pride. It may be amanifestation of our inability to acceptourselves and our circumstances as theyreally are. We need to develop an appreciationof our worth as individuals, aprocess for which God can give us thegrace. We need to learn to be satisfied withthe body temple that the Lord has providedfor our earthly years. The Apostle Paulsays, ' T have learned in whatsoever state Iam, therewith to be content."It is a truism that our virtues cansometimes become vices. Even humilitycan be an occasion for boasting. When thePharisee prayed in the temple, he thankedGod that he was not as other men are, andproceeded to tell God how good he was.The tax collector prayed, in all humility,"God, be merciful to me, a sinner." InLuke 18:14, Jesus says, "Every one thatexalteth himself shall be abased; and hethat humbleth himself shall be exalted."It is easy for us to feel that we are morehumble than others. Our false humilitymay be self-righteousness. The story istold of the man who boasted, "I'm thehumblest man in my church, and proud ofit." Confrontation with God is the onlything that produces true humility, whichmakes men free. When God guides ourlives there is no need for boasting, exceptin Christ./. God hears and deals with the words ofthe Christian.In Numbers 12:1-14 God dealt veryfirmly and powerfully when Miriam andAaron spoke against Moses because of hismarriage to the Cushite woman. Theybragged that the Lord could have spokenthrough them as well. The Lord met themin a cloud. His anger burned against them.When the cloud lifted, Miriam wasleprous. Only because of Moses' pleadingdid God withdraw a measure of the16 COVENANTER WITNESS

punishment. Miriam was leprous andbanished for only seven days, rather thanpermanently.Before Peter became a great leader inthe church he had much ' 'growing up" todo. He was a braggart. Mark 14:27-31shows his boastful nature. He says, (vs.29) "Even though all fall away, yet I willnot." In vs. 31, "Even if I have to diewith you, I will not deny you." Only ashort time later the Master found himwith the other disciples — asleep.James 3:5,6 warns us that that smallpart of the body, the tongue, boasts ofgreat things. It can set on fire the course ofnature and defile the whole body.James 4:16,17 says it is evil to rejoicein boasting. If we know the right thing todo and do not do it, it is sin.Proverbs 25:14 says that the man whoboasts of a false gift "is like clouds andwind without rain."//. God hears and deals with the boastfulwords of a nation.In Ezekiel 35:11-14 God threatensEdom with destruction. He says, (vs. 31),"Thus with your mouth ye have boastedagainst me, and have multiplied yourwords against me: I have heard them."Inverse 9, He says, "I will make youperpetual desolations, and thy cities shallnot return: and ye shall know that I amthe Lord." In this instance the Lord dealtharshly with a nation who boasted.Our humanistic society boasts of itsmany accomplishments, giving man thecredit for his achievements. The successfulmoon missions performed by ourcountry and by Russia have occasionedmuch boasting. A Russian cosmonautconcluded that there is no God because hedid not see Him in outer space.But God is still supreme. We praise theLord that His Word has been read inspace. We are thankful that many of ourastronauts honor Christ. Yet there ismuch boasting and self-praise about ourwhole space program.Our day is characterized by a consistenteffort to rid society of everyreference to the name of God. In 1962 theUnited States Supreme Court bannedschool prayer; in 1963 Bible reading wasbanned in the public schools. Separation ofchurch and state has been carried to itsextreme. May the Lord give us the graceto stop boasting of our greatness and turnback to God.///. God hears our words and they indicatethe state of our heart.Our words reflect our desires, hopes,and aims. In Matthew 12:36,37, we arewarned that we can be justified or condemnedby what we say. The Lordpromises that every idle word (and thatincludes boasting) will be charged to ouraccount in the day of judgment.Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8,9, thatwe are saved by grace through faith.Salvation is not wrought by ourselves,"lest any man should boast."We are to be "followers of God, asdear children", (Ephesians 5:1). We areto put away all boasting. "Let all evilspeaking . be put away from you."(Ephesians 4:31). Total surrender andpersonal commitment to Christ help us to"grow up into Christ" in all things. Wemust look to Jesus and follow His perfectexample.Responsive Reading: Psalm 52Suggested Psalms:Ps. 35 page 88 vs. 18-20Ps. 140 page 343 vs. 1 and 4Ps. 31 page 72 vs. 16,17Ps. 52 page 134 vs. 1-5September, 1973AND GOD HEARD— REPENTANCEMrs. J. R. PattersonI. God hears the repentance of thesinner.Our loving Heavenly Father will notturn a deaf ear, as it were, to the cries of arepentant sinner. Jesus said to the thief onthe cross, "Today thou shalt be with mein paradise." From this we learn that nomatter how grievous the sin, our God willabundantly pardon all who are truly sorryand repent of their sins. The key word isrepent. God will hear, no doubt aboutthat. One might think his sins were toogreat, but the Bible does not support thatidea. There is only one unpardonable sin— the continued rejection of the HolySpirit.God will hear those who humblethemselves, and give indication of griefand sorrow for sins, and turn away fromthem (Luke 18:13,14). Luke 15:7 tells usthere will be more joy in heaven over onesinner whose heart is changed, more thanover ninety-nine righteous people who donot need to repent.Not long ago at one of his crusades,Billy Graham told of the experience of hisown conversion. Although reared in aChristian home, he spoke of the night heaccepted Christ in a meeting. He said hewasn't an emotional person, but he wenthome and cried in his bed. He said we needtears of repentance, saying, "I'm sorrv,God."II. God hears the repentance of theChristian.Man is prone to sin. Each of us,although we may count ourselves as bornagainChristians, knows that many timeswe have fallen into sin. If we have trulyrepented, we have the assurance that wehave been forgiven. How thankful we canbe that God said, " their sins andiniquities will I remember no more"(Heb. 10:17). In the Phillips translationin II Peter 3:9 we learn that God is verypatienttoward us — that He has no wishthat any man should be destroyed, butthat all men should repent. Read also Ps.103:12; Ezek. 18:30,32; Ezek. 33:11.In II Peter 3 :9 the call to repentance isprimarily directed to professingChristians, the covenant community. Weare commanded to repent.One of the greatest examples in theBible of a person who fell into gross sin,but who was a man after God's heart, wasDavid. In many of the Psalms which hewrote, there is every indication of abroken and a contrite heart, and everyindication that God heard his cry ofrepentance (Ps. 51:17).The great message of John the Baptistwas "Repent ye: for the kingdom ofheaven is at hand" (Matt. 3:2). This wasalso the theme of the first sermon Jesuspreached. He taught that we mustacknowledge our guilt and turn fromungodliness before He will pour out Hislove, grace, and mercy upon us.Judas was remorseful and sorry, but henever repented. True repentance means' 'to change, to turn away from, to go in anew direction." Then, and only then, willGod hear our plea.///. God hears the repentance of theChurch.Samuel spoke to the children of Israeland told them to return unto the Lord withall their hearts, to put away their strangegods. They fasted, prayed, and admittedtheir sins. Samuel offered a sacrifice forthem, pleaded for them and God heardhim.God states thatif God's people. HisChurch, will humble themselves, prav.seek His face, and turn from their evilways, that He will hear them and forgivetheir sins (II Chron. n : 11.15). He says Hewill be attentive unto the prayers made bythe Church. How could it be stated anyJUNE 6, 197 3r

more clearly? But does the Church payheed to this invitation?II Peter 3:9 is a call to repentanceupon the people of Israel, not upon thewhole world; this means that ourchurches have need of repentance.Perhaps we might be a growing church ifwe hadn't sinned in so many ways. Wemust search our hearts and our churchdoctrines to see if they be true to God'steachings. Is there "godly sorrow" andgenuine repentance in our church? Wesimply cannot ignore the sins within thechurch. They must be dealt with if weexpect God to bless us. We must confessour sins as a denomination.IV. God hears the repentance of thenation.Jonah preached repentance in Ninevahuntil she repented. But the people, everyone of them, from the greatest even to theleast of them participated. They believed,and turned from their evil ways. "AndGod saw their works, that they turnedfrom their evil way; and God repented ofthe evil, that he had said that he would dounto them, and he did it not" (Jonah3:10).Everything went wrong in Israelbecause she had been following her ownplans instead of God's. Many nations havefallen because they have failed to keepGod's laws. History proves that the nationthat will not serve God will perish. Ps.33:12 says that the nation is blessed thatfears the Lord.The godless society in which we live,like ancient Babylon, continues to growmore godless with the letdown of lawsagainst gambling, lotteries, liquor, drugs,abortion, keeping of the Sabbath andothers. Bible reading and prayers havebeen abolished from our schools. Crimehas soared. Christian homes are too few,broken marriages and divorce tooprevalent. We must pray that our nationwill turn to God in genuine repentance.Then, and only then, can we expect Hisblessings.Suggested Psalms:Ps. 32 page 74:5-7,13Ps. 51 page 130:1-6Ps. 130 page 325:1-5For discussion:1. Cite additional Scriptural examplesof repentant sinners whom God heard.2. Recall additional examples ofrepentant Christians whom God heard.3. How can unrepented sin hinder thegrowth of the Church?4. What should America do to repentof her national sin? What can the individualdo about America's sin? Suggestseveral ideas.18I Adult Study Topics^Tt^^^^WI^JW^""'"!'^^^**Unifying Church LifeThe Adult Study Topics this quarterare an experiment. Two plans of study aresuggested. We urge congregations tofollow the first plan, but for those who findit unsuitable, an alternative is given.For the third quarter of 1973, we aresuggesting that each congregation studythe pastor's sermon topic for the comingSabbath. Find out what subject or passageyour pastor is preaching on the next weekand study it the week before he preaches.A variation of this is to study the pastor'ssermon the week after he has preached it.If this is used, we specifically urge that themidweek service focus on applying whatwas heard in the pastor's sermon.We realize that this type of study willtake a little more coordination betweenpastor and congregation. The pastor willhave to know early in the week what he ispreaching on the next Sabbath. Tofacilitate the midweek study, it will be bestfor him to announce the following week'ssubject from the pulpit each week. If thereis no announcement of the subject fromthe pulpit, we suggest that the leader ofthe midweek service get the sermonsubject from the pastor and relay it to thecongregation. When the pastor is onvacation (if he is during this quarter), wesuggest that the congregation plan afamily night supper, a congregationalouting, or some other form of fellowship.Another option is to use the alternativesuggested in these topics.Our purpose in suggesting this type ofstudy is to help unite the life and worshipof congregations. It will be helpful inunderstanding and applying what is heardfrom the pulpit each Sabbath. There willbe more continuity in a congregation'scorporate study of Scripture andhopefully, a greater continuity in itsapplication. Perhaps the midweek servicecan suggest corporate as well as individualapplication of Scripture.For congregations without pastors whouse these studies, letters have been sent tothe clerks of session explaining how youcan use this type of study. See them forfurther details.Again, let us remind you that this typeof study is an experiment which may takea few weeks to get accustomed to. But weurge you to try it for this quarter and see IPhilip Beardwhat effect it has in the life of yourcongregation. For the fourth quarter of1973, Duncan Lowe is preparing a seriesof study topics on the Psalms.AN ALTERNATIVEAs an alternative to studying thesubject of your pastor's upcoming sermon,we suggest that you study insummary fashion the 12 Minor Prophets(Hosea through Malachi) during thequarter. The thirteenth week should beused for fellowship.Your study of the 12 Minor Prophetswill necessitate your reading each one theweek before you discuss it. The purpose ofeach study is to gain an overview of each ofthe prophets. As you study them, seek toanswer the following 10 questions:1. Who wrote it?2. When did he write?3. To whom did he write?4. In what historical situation did hewrite? At what stage in God's work ofredemption did he write?5. What, in summary, was hismessage?6. What passages from the prophet, ifany, are quoted in the New Testament?How are they used in the NewTestament? Which ones are Messianic?7 What are the key passages in thebook ?8. How does the book speak to thelifeof the church and the world today?9. What actions should ourcongregation take in light of the book?10. How and for what should ourcongregation pray in light of the book?Use these 10 questions as study guidesfor each of the 1 2 Minor Prophets. Seek toanswer the questions as clearly as possible.Use question 10 to guide the prayer timein your service.SUMMARYFor this quarter, then, you have threealternatives: (1) Study the pastor'ssermon topic the week before he preaches.(2) Study the pastor's sermon topic theweek after he preaches. (3) Use thealternative and study the 12 MinorProphets.COVENANTER WITNESS

f fCountHerTowers..." ftijiCOLLEGE HILL(Dean Smith, Pastor)The College Hill congregationrecently received into its membership Mr.and Mrs. Dana Stoddard and their sonMatthew Aaron, Mr. and Mrs. JamesChristopher and their three daughtersKarianne, Kelly Rae and Kimberly Marie.Newly baptized are Matthew AaronStoddard, Mrs. Marianne Christopher,Karianne Christopher, Kelly RaeChristopher and Kimberly MarieChristopher.PHOENIX, ARIZ.(PaulM. Martin, Pastor)Rev. Wilson was guest speaker for ourspring Thankoffering at a recent familynight supper.Toni and Norma McKeeman,missionaries preparing to go to Ethiopia,were guests at our March family night.Toni spoke of his travels and showed slidesof Ethiopia.SAN DIEGO. CA.(Donald Weilersbacher, Pastor)Change of officers should be noted inthe Minutes of Synod. Clerk of session:Daniel C. Hyatt, 3876 Harris, LemonGrove, Ca. 92015. Treasurer: GaylordBradford. 6372 Celia Vista, San Diego,Ca. 92115.GENEVA CONG.(J. Renwick Wright, Pastor)Mrs. Eleanor Robb and her staff areplanning for the Daily Vacation BibleSchool on July 9-13.Our congregation is directing aSabbath School in the Moraclo Dwellingsunder the leadership of Jack Delivuk. Anadult Bible study has also been held withsome of the ladies from the community.under the leadership ot Mrs. J. R. Wrightand Mrs Willard Hemphill.Because ol our growth, it has beendecided to expand our physical facilities.Seven new classrooms and a new boilerroom will be added to our presentbuilding.Mrs. Kathy Householder is the newEditor of ' 'Coveynews, ourcongregational newsletter.Robert Hemphill Jr., son of Mr. andMrs. Willard Hemphill, has beenauthorized by the Irish Church to go to itsmission in Ethiopia. He will help in thebuilding of a poultry unit in Makale aswell as in other areas of the mission'swork. He left the last of May for a one yearterm.BLOOMINGTON, IND.(Jerrold Milroy, Pastor)The remaining sesquicentennial fundswere used to purchase a case to display ourold pewter communion service, tokens,and baptismal bowl, which were used overone hundred years ago.Dr. and Mrs. Varaghese, natives ofIndia, were guest speakers at our springThankoffering meeting. Dr. Varaghese ispresently working with the InternationalStudents Inc. on the Indiana Universitycampus. Rev. Ray Bennet, campusdirector of this work, also spoke.Kerri Lynn, daughter of Ellen andDonald Moore, received the sacrament otbaptism on April 11.MIDWESTPRESBYTERIALThe Denison W.M.S. was hostess tothe 56th annual convention of theMidwest Women's PresbyterialMissionary Societies, on April 3 and i.1973.Mrs. James Pennington led the Biblestudies, using the theme \erses. Her threestudies probed our relationship to God.our acceptance of self as God's creationand our relationships with other people.Dr. Frances Ingemann. Lawrence.Kansas, spoke Tuesday evening about herexperiences in Liberia, where, as alinguist, she deciphered written languagefor tribal dialects.Mr. and Mrs. Tony McKeeman,missionary candidates to Ethiopia fromBallymoney. Ireland, spoke Wednesdayevening.The Presbyterial project is financialsupport tor the campsite at Winchester.Mrs. Kenneth McBurney. Denison.was the retiring president. Mrs. LutherMcFarland, Hebron, is the newly electedpresident.Arvilla CopelandRecording SecretaryRECEIVES GENEVAALUMNI AWARDAndrew Robb, of Topeka. Kansas anda 192.3 graduate ot Geneva, was selectedto receive the Distinguished ServiceAward conferred by the Geneva CollegeAlumni Association. The award waspresented at the Alumni Dav Banquet,Saturday May 5, 197 3.Following his graduation frontGeneva, Mr. Robb taught high school forthree years. He then began a 37 yearcareer with the United States WeatherBureau. During that time he was assignedto Washington D. C. to assist in the administrationand compilation of a worldsurvey of climate for the armed forces.From 19-13 to 1916 he was in charge of a10-man weather station in Helena,Montana and Section Director of theClimatological Work for Montana.He returned to Topeka, Kansas in1916 to assist in a summary volume otKansas weather records from thebeginning of weather stations through1946. In 1955 he was appointedClimatologist in Kansas and uponretirement in 196 i received an award inrecognition of sustained superior performanceot productive work and excellentpublic relations as State Climatologist.A member ot the ReformedPresbyterian Church, Mr. Robb hasserved over 40 years as an elder andseveral years as clerk of session. He was amember of the Reformed PresbyterianChurch Publications Board from 1933 to19"7().As a 192 3 graduate. Mr Robb iscelebrating the 50th anniversary ot hisgraduation. He is married to the formerRuth lathom and they have threechildren.Other recipients ot the DistinguishedService Award this year are Mrs. MarvMadors. Tustin. Calif.. Dr. Russell Reed.andDr James Gardner. Ellwood Cin . Pa.JUNE 6. 197 3 19

FRESNO, CA.(Bruce Hemphill, Pastor)A housewarming party was held Feb.2, in the new home of Dr. and Mrs. AlvinW. Smith.Our Thankoffering meeting was heldFeb. 7, with Rev. and Mrs. Paul Wilson.The Rev. Kenneth Smith joined usMarch 2, for a family night supper. Rev.Smith was in Fresno briefly visiting hisparents.A fund-raising Pancake Breakfast onMarch 17 was a success. The youngpeople's group prepared and served themeal and the preparations were made theprevious evening by the young people anda slumber party for the girls with Mrs.Virginia Copeland topped off the evening.Funds raised by the breakfast wenttowards expenses for the Spring Conferette.The youth group this year has beeninvolved in leading the monthly worshipservice at the Fresno Evangel Home. Theyhave presented a summary of Christ'steachings in the book of John.PITTSBURGHPRESBYTERIALThe 88th Annual Convention of thePittsburgh Presbyterial W.M.S. met onApril 6 and 7 at the First Beaver FallsChurch.Mrs. M. K. Carson, President,presided over the business meetings. Thetheme of the convention was "HeTeaches Us" using Titus 2 as theScripture reference. Devotions were led byMrs. William Johns and Mrs. M. K.Carson.Dr. Paul Holland, chairman of thePsychology Department of GenevaCollege, was the speaker on Fridayevening.On Saturday the Juniors of FirstBeaver Falls Church, directed by NancyRay, presented a program on the"Christian Armour."The following officers were elected fortwo years: President — Mrs. DuncanLowe: Second Vice-President — Mrs.Kermit Edgar; Corresponding Secretary— Mrs. Frank Walton; Treasurer — Mrs.John Mitchell.Workshops were held on: Bible Studyof Titus 2, led by Mrs. Larry Falk; BookSEMINARYCOMMENCEMENTThe Rev. Mr. John M. McMillan,pastor of the Coldenham (New York)congregation was the R. P. Seminarycommencement speaker on May 21.The following students graduated:John Allen Delivuk, James EdwardHindman, Gordon James Keddie,Jonathan Bruce Martin, William JohnSterrett, Robert Benn Vincent.WESTMINSTER, COLO.(J. Paul McCracken, Stated Supply)The organizational meeting of theWestminster R. P. Church was held inWestminster on March 31, 1973, andwas conducted by the WestminsterCommission of the Midwest Presbytery.The men of the Commission are: NeelandSiebring, Moderator; E. Ray Hemphill,Clerk; Wilner Lowe, June E. McElroy,and Harold Thompson.The election of one elder and twodeacons was held, followed by the ordinationof two of the three men. ArlanRamsay was elected elder, and John T.Duke and John S. McCready were electeddeacons. Jack McCready had already beenordained as a deacon when a member ofthe Geneva Congregation. June E.McElroy and Wilner Lowe were appointedby the Commission as provisional eldersuntil the next meeting of Presbytery.The election of congregational officersresulted in Gregory Adams being chosenChairman, Fred Irwin, Vice Chairman,and Jan Ross, Secretary. The twodeacons, as well as Richard A. Marshall,were chosen as trustees. A treasurer andassistant treasurer will be chosen at a latertime.At the request of the congregation, J.Paul McCracken was appointed by theCommission as a stated supply andModerator of the Session.The congregation celebrated theLord's Supper for the first time on April8, 1973. June E. McElroy assisted Mr.McCracken in the preaching responsibilitiesconnected with this.Over the last two months, Westminsterhas had the privilege of havingtwo visiting missionary couples. The Rev.and Mrs. Paul Wilson's slide presentationregarding the work in Cyprus followed aDiscussion Hidden Art. led by Mrs. dinner on the evening of February 11. Mr.Norman Carson; Senior Citizens, by Mrs. Wilson preached the following morning.W. W Weir: Personal Relationship with Tony and Norma McKeeman, of NorthOthers, by Dr. Paul Holland; TeachingBible to Junior Age Children, bv Mrs.David Armstrong.Mrs. S. Bruce WillsonRecording SecretaryIreland, spent the evening of March 29with the Westminster group. Using slides,they told of mission work in Ethiopia,where they anticipate living, and also oftheir year of training in the U.S.A.20countoua ^da

ORDthat two brothers can live in the same church for a quarter of acentury without any disagreement. But it does mean that if theytake their differences tothe Lord together, there can be real loveand joy in being co-laborers together with Christ.R.W.N.EXPRESSING CONCERNFOR THE CHURCHI once knew a married couple who claimed that they hadlived together for over a century without a sharp word betweenthem. Now I don't believe these folks were lying to me. Butwhat they didn't know was that I actually felt sorry for them.You see, I knew them fairly well and I often wondered why theyeven bothered to stay together because they shared so very littleand did so little together. One was spiritually minded, the otherindifferent. One liked being out in society and organizationallife; the other was a stay-at-home. No wonder they could liveall those years "together" when in fact they were miles apart.Now I have mentioned this to draw a parallel between thiscouple and the way it is possible to be part of a church and notbe part of it at all. What I refer to are those believers (I don'tquestion the authenticity of their personal Christian faith forone minute), who profess to be united with the ReformedPresbyterian Church in a perfect relationship that has nevercaused them one minute's dissatisfaction or pain. May I be soblunt as to say that like the married couple mentioned abovesuch church members have never paid the price of real involvementand concern. Those vitally involved with the churchmust feel pain, must cry out, must even criticize at times!Why? Because the church is made up of sinners, not saints. Ifwe have personal sins that need self-criticism and correction,the church of which we are a part has its corporate sins thatneed helpful criticism and correction.Of course, all of us have different ways of dealing with ourown individual sins. Some of us are very hard on ourselves,even in public. We are sensitive to sins in our lives and we pushfor full, speedy resolvement. Others of us are slower to dealwith these matters, more quiet and reflective, but equallydesirous of God's forgiveness.Is it not possible to see then that the way we deal with ourown weaknesses, also reflects the way we will or will not careabout the problems of the church which we love.It has taken me a long time to learn that many who arehighly critical of.the R.P.C. are this way for three reasons: 1)they are hard on themselves before God, 2) they love thechurch and are deeply burdened for her good, 3) they speakabout her in the same forthright, even harsh, manner in whichthey view themselves. Surely this attitude, not always thewisest under every circumstance, cannot always be deemedsinful. Sin lies at the door only when we judge our brothercensoriously out of pride and refuse to exact the same severecriticism on ourselves. Brotherly understanding does not meanwe have to fit one common personality mold, but that aspersons of integrity and wisdom we love one another in Christand listen to one another. This kind of union might not mean•Editor:"What's in a Name?" (Jan. 31 Witness) provoked meto write in comment. One wonders just why the author wrotethis article, which incidentally I find very acceptable from aliterary point of view. I find it difficult to accept her reasons foror against giving a child a name. Certainly Hannah prayed foryears for a son and then called his name, Samuel; "because Ihave asked him of the Lord." If we use the English language,then the child's name in English words would be most clumsy.It is very important to consider the child and how he willfeel about his name in later years. If the name is a Scripturalword meaning ' 'leader" and the young man turns out to be onewho prefers to work in the background, he certainly would wishfor a name more suitable to his temperament.My husband and I thought of two names — one male, onefemale — as soon as we knew we were to have a baby. To usitseemed important that family names were used. En Ireland andin Scotland heritage is important. We trace our ancestry backfor at least 300 years, and it is an honourable action to name achild for parent, grandparent, etc.The parallel of John the Baptist, or Jesus, is hardlyapplicable, as the names were decreed directly by God.I would go along with the idea of a person's name beingchanged when an intimate relationship with God could make aperson want to change. This name would express some experiencein the the life of the person, himself. According to law,of course, the name would be added rather than changed. Irefuse to believe that today God would actually change a person'sname.Does the writer find her own name the cause for takingthought on this matter? Does she realize that in twenty yearstime either of her children may not agree with her attitude ingiving them their names?I never forget my father's words — he is 82 years of age,the senior elder in Cullybackey congregation — when I expresseddissatisfaction with my forenames, he was very hurt andsaid, "That was my mother's name and I was very proud togive it to you." His mother died when he was five.I am all for following Scripture, and certainly prayerfullyconsidering what names to use, or if the one I have thought of isthe one God would have me choose. But, "No," to naming myoffspring for a particular occurence in my life. Please God I shallbe a living epistle, but what has happened to me in the past hasnothing to do with saddling my child with an impossible name.(Mrs.) Elizabeth McCulloughBelfast, N. Ireland2 COVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.SUBSCRIPTIONINFORMATIONIndividual: IS., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;S8.50, 2 years; British Isles, I 2, 1 year;£3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 51221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 800 Wood St.,Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.Known office of publication: Box K,Winchester, Kansas 66097. Secondclass postage paid at Winchester,Kansas 66097.Uf MBt«^IVANCCUCAl PRESS ASSOCIATIONVOLUME LXXXIXNO. 13JUNE 20, 1973CONTENTSARTICLES:How I Find God in Nature.Stone Age Man: His Scientific Achievements.His Handiwork.Testimonies: Their Limitations.The Prophecy of Enoch.The Red House.Thanks to God, to You.FEATURES:A Word Due."In Truth and Love"Hey Lookit.Glimpses.Bring the Books."Count Our Towers""Count Our Days"Photos on cover and p. 4: Courtesy of Union Pacific Railroad*mWHATHYMN?And -.hen ihi .h.,,1 MHI^ .< hvmnihe Mil MtfUliliUij.kNewPsalmodyPamphletAvailable47.10.15.16.18192.213.14.17.20.20Rev. G. M. Robb has written a timely defenseof exclusive Psalmody that has been publishedunder the direction of the Witness Committee.Samples and quantity orders of this attractivebrochure are available without charge by writingto:The Board of Education and Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221For quantity orders, please enclose S.50 per twodozen to cover mailing costs.JUNE 20. 1973 3

How I FiN(JCod JN NATURER. H. GARBERWhen I was asked to write about how I find God innature, I was reminded of the story of the blind men confrontingan elephant. Each man moved his sensitive fingersover a different part of the huge animal. One touched an ear,another the trunk, a third a tusk and others various portionsof the great animal. Each described the beast on the basis ofhis limited experience. Do we not have similar difficulties ifwe look to the world about us to understand God? Huxleybelieved the natural world is silent as to God, and Pascal said'' the world only gives indication of the presence of a Godwho conceals himself."Men form their views of the world about them on thebasis of what they see and experience, conditioned by whatthey read or learn from other sources; such as, home,school, radio or television. From infancy they are bombardedfrom most of these sources by a constant stream of informationthat is the basis for a philosophy of life formulated,propounded and perpetuated by men who dare not concedefor one minute the existence of Almighty God. According tothis view all that we see about us that is biological or alivebegan spontaneously several billion years ago by a chancemarriage of molecules in some primordial ooze. Thecoherent biological system that is our world we are told hasarisen by evolutionary adaptation under the control of afeedback from the surrounding environment. To myknowledge, this philosophy is mostly silent concerning theorigin of molecules, the common building blocks of all nonlivingand living things, or the atoms that compose themolecules, or the electrons, protons, neutrons, etc. thatcompose the atom. Others believe God began to create fivebillion years or so ago, but that He has been a silent observerof the processes of a mindless evolutionary system since thattime. According to some, He has over the eons of timeoccasionally, but rarely, intervened in creation, but not inhistory.About the author: Richard Garber [Geneva '47)holds a Ph.D. in plant pathology, works in research forthe U.S. Government, is stationed in Shaffer, Calif. He isthe father of four sons and is married to the former BettyeGilchrist.4COVENANTER WITNESS

Men speak of "Mother Nature" or of "returning tonature."' They refer to the physical universe and the ' 'studyof nature." Dr. Barry Commoner's fourth law of ecology."Nature knows best," is referred to by Dr. Rene Dubos inan address entitled "Humanizing the Earth," delivered atthe recent 139th annual meeting of the AmericanAssociation for the Advancement of Science in Washington.D. C. Dr. Dubos questioned the wisdom of Nature. Hereferred to repeated disastrous afflictions, such as hail,droughts, hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions,affecting plants and animals. He further stated that "natureis incapable of fully expressing the diversified potentialities ofthe earth. Many riches of nature are brought to light only inthe regions that have been humanized: agriculture lands,gardens and parks have to be created and maintained byhuman toil." How long has it been since you either heardsomeone say, or caught yourself saying, something like:"Didn't nature provide a beautiful display of wildflowers,"or "Nature has endowed this country with a magnificentbeauty?"How do I as a Christian biologist view the world aboutme and do I find God in nature? Often we use a word and likeHumpty Dumpty, that master of jargon, it is perfectly clearto us what the word means. But are we sure the wordconveys to others the idea we wish to communicate? Natureis such a word. In the Bible, the word 'nature' is only usedin the New Testament and then it never refers to Creator orcreation.In the first chapter of the book of Genesis, I read: "Inthe beginning God created the heavens and earth . . . light .waters . . . plants . . . sun, moon and stars . . . animalsand man in His image . . . and God saw that everything Hehad made was excellent indeed."I see the heavens, the earth, light, bodies of water,sun, moon and stars, through the eyes of the giant telescope,the moon satellite, or the jet airplane. I perceive theawesome mathematical design evident in the courses of theheavenly bodies as they move in space. Each star, eachplanet moves and turns at split second precision, none isearly, none is late. I am humbled by the vastness of theuniverse, the magnificent beauty of all my eyes can see.What is space? Where is the edge of space? If there is anedge, then what lies on the other side? My mind is too smallto fathom answers, but where there is such abundantevidence of intricate design, surely it is clear there is Onewho designs.My eyes see the giant sequoias, taller than mostbuildings. Many are large enough to supply the lumber for asmall village and some are older than the recorded history ofman. They are resistant to fire, insects and diseases. If theycould speak, what could they tell us? How do they live?How do water and nutrients move from their vast rootsystems to the highest scaly leaf? How do sunlight, carbondioxide and water combine within millions of tiny leaves toproduce food for these giants. I study, I learn, but I can onlyanswer in part. My mind tells me that the One who designsknows vastly more about engineering, physics andbiochemistrv than ali who study or write or speak.(Continued on next page.)JUNE 20. 19735

Cod 'IN NATURE (from page 5)My microscope is one of my most beloved companions.Many hours we spend together and yet, with eachnew day my mind is thrilled again by the beautiful design ofwhat my eyes perceive. Each tiny cell is so exquisitely,carefully, wonderfully constructed. In fact, their complexitybecomes increasingly more unbelievable as more is revealedto the cellular biologist through his use of tools such as theelectron microscope. The movement of water and nutrientsfrom cell to cell through the magnificently designed wall ofeach cell is only partially understood. The chemistry of eventhe smallest cells is fantastically complicated. Bacteria areabout 500 times smaller than the average animal or plantcell. Yet it is estimated that a single bacterium has from3000 to 6000 different types of molecules. Each giantsequoia tree is made of millions of cells of various types.Each cell is connected to another from the tip of the finestrootlet, deep in the soil, to the end of the fartherst branch,perhaps 360 feet above ground. They absorb, transport,manufacture, store, protect, support or reproduce. Eachtype of cell is different, each functions according to its veryunique design, each performs its separate function perfectly.And again my mind won't permit me to see the wonder ofthe designed and not accede to the inevitable conclusion thatthere is a Designer.Should I accept the jargon of the world and credit"Nature" with creating or designing? No, "nature"doesn't create anything, nor has "nature" designedanything! It is as true today as when Paul by divine inspirationwrote the first chapter of his letter to the Romans:' 'For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes,His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen,being understood through what has been made, so that theyare without excuse." I am without excuse — you arewithout excuse — all of mankind is without excuse!Does seeing design and believing that there is aDesigner mean that I have found God, that I know God?No! In James the second chapter it says, ' 'You believe thatGod is one. You do well, the demons also believe andshudder." I say I found God, although I believe He foundme; but it was necessary first for me to believe that He is andthat He communicates with man. How? Through the pagesof His Word, the Holy Scriptures. I don't understand all ofScripture, but I'm thankful that the more I search and study,the more God reveals to me and the hungrier I become toknow more of what He has to say. What man has to saybecomes increasingly less important as God's Word becomesmore and more the guide for my life.Do I feel threatened as I learn more of the world aboutme? On the contrary, day by day my faith is strengthened asGod permits more and more of His Creation to be revealed toman. I know God has created His universe and designatedman to live on this earth. God existed before creation,planned and directed creation, and has acted throughout allhistory to bring His creation to the situation we see about ustoday. How do I know God? I know that He is from Hiscreation, but I can only truly know Him through His Wordrevealed in Holy Scripture. The blind men only knew theelephant in part. Like them we only see in part until our eyesare opened and we receive light from God.In John 5:39, I read that Christ says that a search ofthe Scriptures will point to Him. I have found this to bewonderfully true. In John the first chapter I read that "Inthe beginning was the Word (or eternal Son of God), theWord was with God and the Word was God. He was in thebeginning with God. All things came into being throughHim and apart from Him nothing came into being that hascome into being. In Him was life, the life was the light ofmen." Christ, the Word, then was with God before, duringand since creation. From that point I have found the OldTestament to be an amazingly logical story of God's activitiesdealing with His chosen people. God was active increation and He has been very active in the history of man.In Leviticus 26 and numerous other parts of the Bible, I readthat God controls the rain and the growth of the crops.Psalm 104 is a beautiful story of His care over His creationand the 148th Psalm tells of all creation being subject toHim. In the book of Proverbs, "reverence of the Lord is thebeginning of knowledge." In Jeremiah 10 we read of asovereign God who speaks and controls lightning, rain andwind. And the 121st Psalm tells of a God who neitherslumbers nor sleeps and Psalm 136 speaks of God who actson His children's behalf because He loves them. To acceptGod's Word as reliable and true has to mean that we acceptthat He created everything that is and that He is active inevery single aspect of His creation. He doesn't sleep. Heknows and cares about our every thought, word and deed.He controls the forces of the universe. He chastizes those Heloves and no one hides from His observations, nor will anyescape from His judgement. Can anyone read Isaiah the 40thchapter and not be thrilled throughout his whole being? Thischapter does not speak of One who is silent, nor who rests,but of an ever-watching, ever-present God. To know that myGod is with me wherever I go gives me strength in adversityand joy in visiting His beautiful earthly gardens. The birth ofa young lamb and the sight of it struggling for life is athrilling, yet humbling experience.Some of my favorite pastimes are to walk to an undisturbedmountain lake, along a flowing stream or to gazeupon a majestic mountain. During such periods of quietmeditation I can feel very close to my Creator. Yet, He isalso with me in a cultivated field or a garden planted by menand in the middle of a city with its sea of faces. Some of theseI cannot love in my own strength, but through Him whocreated them in His image, I can love all. The air, the water,soil, plants and animals are a trust from Him. We need tohusband His wonderful gifts as He would have us do. In fact,as Christians, I believe we should lead the way, not inworshipping "nature," but everywhere we look we seewhat God has made. We should learn the names and purposefor all the plants and animals and by God's grace indicate toothers our reverence for God through attitudes that expressthankful hearts for what He has created for us.•6 COVENANTER WITNESS

JAMES R. HONEYMANStoneAgeMan:A crude sketch by Chardin in 1680 showing Ark located onnortheastern side of Ararat as described to him by the nativesat that time.His Scientific AchievementsA review of current texts on world history wouldreveal that no consideration is given to the possibility thatthe Flood described in Scripture was a historical event. Itsoccurrence is not admitted; therefore its effect cannot beconsidered.In an article for the Witness in February, 1971, Iexamined some of the effects of the Flood on geology. A veryimportant development in these past two years has been theappearance of new historical support for the Flood, or morespecifically, the effect that it had on culture and civilization.Two recent books detail the truly remarkable facts whichindicate that the Ark has been seen several times on Mt.Ararat in the last 120 years and photographed as recently as1953. These books are Noah 's Ark: Fact or Fable ? by Mrs.Eryl Cummings, and The Quest for Noah's Ark by Dr.James W Montgomery. Information about the photographstaken in 1953 was furnished by a Mr. Fred Drake of Benson,Arizona. Although these pictures are lost, a total of thirtypersons have been found who saw them at one time oranother.The books give the details of various groups whoreached the Ark in 1856, 1883, 1887 and 1917 The coverillustration of Noah's Ark. Fact or Fable? is an artist'sdrawing as an elderly Armenian gentleman, living nearWashington, D.C, remembers seeing it in 1902, and againin 1904. In those years, he was 10 and 12 years old when hisuncle lifted him up to some steps at the end of the Ark, bywhich he was able to climb to the top. There he saw in thecenter of the roof a combination window and ventilationstructure, running nearly the entire length of the Ark, about18 or 20 inches in height. Genesis 6:16 states, "a windowshalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish itabove. " (Continued on next page.)About the author: Mr. Honeyman is an elder inthe Los Angeles R.P congregation and an active memberof the Creation Research Society He has spoken in ourchurches concerning the Bible and scientific investigation.JUNE 20, 1973 7

Stone Age Man (from Pa g e i)Noah builds while people mock; illustrated by Horst Racke.A medical doctor in Chicago tells of pictures shownhim by a Russian aviator shortly after World War II. Onegroup of pictures was taken in 1937 and another in either1947 or '48. Each picture showed on Mt. Ararat, a woodenstructure partially covered with ice and snow, and a RussianAir Force plane with the red star plainly visable on its side.Why were Russian aviators taking pictures of this structure,since Mt. Ararat is located in Turkey, about 12 miles fromthe Russian border?Is there any Scriptural reason for believing God intendedto preserve the Ark? There is only one indication ofthis in the account, in Gen. 6:14, ". . .and (thou) shaltpitch it within and without with pitch." The Ark wouldneed to be painted on the outside for a voyage of a year or so,but not on the inside. It is very interesting, therefore, thattwo groups which reached and entered the Ark report thatthe interior is heavily coated with a dark substance similar toshellac. There is evidence that the outside was coated withpituminous pitch, but we also use the same word for the gumof the turpentine tree.The book, Noah 's Ark: Fact or Fable?, also tells ofarcheological sites which give strong evidence of peopleliving near Ararat following the Flood. One picture shows alarge granite boulder with eight beautiful crosses inscribedon the side. The cross in the center is larger than the others,with another slightly below but close to it. This leaves threepairs, one at upper right, one at upper left and one pair atlower left. Certainly this is one way to commemorate theeight souls who survived the flood, and their relationships —Noah and his wife, his three sons and their wives.What were these people like; ignorant savages justbeginning to develop a crude civilization? Genesis 4 tells ofCain building a city, Jabal was a herdsman, Jubal playedcomplex musical instruments, and Tubalcain worked bronzeand iron. All of these are signs of an advanced culture. Werethey also able to write?In 1883, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Heraldand the New York Times carried articles about a group ofTurkish Commissioners who reported finding and enteringthe Ark. On the wall of one room they found writing with aseries of entries, like a ship's log. Genesis 5:1 states, "Thisis the book of the generations of Adam."It is only by recognizing the severe effects of the Flood,the drastic changes in the crust of the earth, the sedimentsthat were laid down, that we can evaluate the effect of theFlood on history. Even though they used metals before theFlood, afterward the mines and smelters were buried. Itwould be many years before new mines could be found, butthey would know about metals and look for them. In themeantime, they were automatically thrown into a stone age,so they used stone for tools and pottery for utensils.We would suppose that eventually, near the center ofpopulation, metals would be rediscovered. Then as peopleslowly migrated outward they would be able to trade formetal. However, there are massive amounts of archeologicalevidence showing that the first inhabitants of every ancientcenter started in a very primitive stone age economy. If webelieve Scripture to be factual, we can realize that thedispersion from the Tower of Babel would again cause thisloss of access to metals.Consider the cultural changes endured by the earlysettlers of this country. In Europe, the architecture ofhouses, castles and cathedrals was highly developed, but inAmerica the newcomers built log cabins. They used whatwas available, and this is exactly what Noah and hisdescendants had to do.In addition to the important facts given in the Bibleconcerning the pre-flood culture, Josephus, the Jewishhistorian, had a few comments on these times. He stated thatCain developed a system of weights and measures, and thegodly descendants of Seth studied the movement of theheavenly bodies.These statements became highly significant in thelight of a new book, Secrets of the Great Pyramid, by PeterTompkins, with a lengthy appendix by Livio C. Stecchini.The Great Pyramid has long been recognized as anengineering marvel, but a persistant tradition also claimedthat it incorporated a very advanced body of science.8 COVENANTER WITNESS

Tompkins writes a detailed but very interesting account ofhow modern scholars determined the extent of the scientificachievements of early man.Stecchini is a well-known authority on ancient weightsand measures, which he traced back through history toSumer, the oldest known civilization. Their system not onlyrelated length, volume and weight, but the ancients weredeeply preoccupied with the precision of these measurementsand maintained this precision for many hundreds of years.Stecchini had long been puzzled as to how the ancientsmaintained precision, or even more, what was the basicstandard for the system? It was like a revelation, therefore,when Tompkins informed him that one thousand cubits wasthe distance that any point on the equator would move, asthe earth revolves, in one second of time. This meant twothings: the circumference of the earth was the basic standard,but even more important, all measurements wererelated to time. Now this is a more advanced and scientificconcept than any in use in the world today!It has long been known that the division of days intohours, minutes and seconds, and circles into degrees, whichare also divided into 60 minutes of 60 seconds, has comedown at least from Babylonian times. Today we base thelength of a nautical mile (6080.27 feet in U.S.) on the lengthof one minute of degree at the equator. The ancients used aslightly different system. Theirs was based on one second ofdegree which they divided into one hundred geographic feet.In order to relate one second of degree to time, we need toremember that the earth revolves 15 degrees in one hour(the basis of our time zones) and also fifteen seconds ofdegree in one second of time. This would be fifteen hundredgeographic feet, but apparently these early scientists wantedto make this easier to calculate, so they divided this distanceinto 1000 cubits, each equal to one and one-half feet.An extremely precise survey of the distance aroundthe base of the Great Pyramid, made by an Americansurveyor, J. H. Cole, in 1925, showed that it was exactlyone-half of a nautical mile, or one-half of one minute ofdegree. Since its height was the same exact fraction of thedistance from the center of the earth to the North Pole, theGreat Pyramid was found to be a model of the northernhemisphere. It is in the scale of one to 43,200, which issignificant because there are twice that number of seconds inone day.How could the ancients determine the size of theearth? Stecchini shows that in Egypt two obelisks wereerected, one exactly north of the other and a measureddistance apart, and the difference in the length of theirshadows was determined at noon of the equinox (when thesun is exactly above the equator). The relationship of thelength of the shadows to the height of the obelisks forms anangle which relates their distance apart to the size of theearth, but this must be calculated by trigonometry. Stecchinihad pointed out in an article in the book, The VelikovskyAffair, edited by Alfred de Grazia, that museums containthousands of treatises on the mathematics of astronomywritten two or three thousand years B.C. These have largelybeen ignored on the assumption that early man was unable towrite such treatises.The determination of longitude was somewhat morecomplicated, but it was determined by the length of timerequired for a star to reach a meridian above successiveobelisks placed east and west of each other. For timingmechanisms, water clocks (clepsydras) were used. Thesewere reservoirs with a tiny orifice, permitting a slow regulardrip. Sometimes successive reservoirs were used to minimizethe effect of varying water levels.Stecchini found ancient charts giving the latitude andlongitude of important points in Egypt, as well as importantgeographical locations from central Africa to Norway, andfrom western Africa to Indonesia. In fact, the anchor pointfor their system of latitude and longitude was located at thepoint where the Equator crosses the western shore of theisland of Sumatra! This was frequently referred to in ancientwritings as the "Golden Chersonnesos."The pyramids, of course, were not built until after thedispersion of the people from the Tower of Babel. Is thereinformation from times earlier than this? Let me quoteTompkins, speaking of the lifelong research of Stecchini,"From his analysis of the pyramids and the steppedziggurats of the Middle East, Stecchini has demonstratedthat they not only incorporate the basic techniques forprojecting and mapping the hemisphere of the heavens, but'for mapping the terrestial hemisphere; they also reveal ahigh level of mathematics, capable of resolving and simplifyingthe problems of trigonometry" {Secrets of the GreatPyramid, p. 177). In another reference, Stecchini refers tothe Biblical Tower of Babel as one of these ziggurats. Hepresents evidence that they were also built to be models ofthe northern hemisphereThis indicates advanced astronomical science a fewgenerations after the Flood. The following quote pushes thescience of measurement back to the same era. Stecchiniwrote: "The scholars to whom we are most indebted for thedecipherment of the Sumerian language, Julius Oppert andCarl Frederick Lehmann-Haupt, proved that by the time theSumerians wrote their first texts at the beginning of the thirdmillenium B.C., they were in possession of a highly scientificsystem of measures, linking length, volume and weight withthe highest precision" {The Velikovsky Affair, p. 163).This article contains only the briefest possible outlineof the very extensive material presented in the several bookswhich have been mentioned. It appears at least a possibilitythat writing came through the Flood along with an amazingsystem of measurement. God gave the dimensions of the Arkto Noah in cubits. Were these cubits based on the size of theearth?Surely it is time to take a new look at the length of thestone age and the abilities of stone age men.•JUNE 20, 1973 9

His

HandiworkIn Rocky Mountain National Park are Bear, Nymph,and Emerald Lakes, connected by a climbing trail. In northeastArizona is the Grand Canyon, an immense gorge cutby the Colorado River. In southwest Oregon is the intenselyblue Crater Lake. These are three of the more strikingexamples of natural wonders that my wife and I experiencedon a one month camping trip into the western part of theUnited States.As we climbed the sometimes winding and almostalways steep trail into the Rockies, we found that each stepheld some new wonder for us. Views of distant valleys,delicate wild flowers and a beautiful lake complete withyellow water lillies and a family of ducks made the climbworthwhile. The Grand Canyon afforded us a different kindof experience with its awesome size and majestic colors. Oneglimpse of the cold, strikingly blue Crater Lake convinced usthat the commercial slides were not "touched up."The paragraph I have just written recalls an experiencefor us; but for you it was merely a description that could notcome close to conveying the true beauty of the things wesaw. It is not important that you see or experience the samespecific places. If you have been to the same places you willprobably feel some of what I do on remembering them.However, you may have found the same beauty in a sunsetover the desert or beside the ocean or in the spring flowerscoming up in your own garden. The important thing is thatwe do not allow ourselves to become apathetic to God'screation. The most practical way to prevent this is to beginto plan family activities that are centered around appreciatingGod's world. Depending on you this may be acamping trip, a garden you can work on together, skiing,picnics, a bird feeder in your backyard, or identifying thetrees in your area.Of course, in the process, you and your family shouldnot merely come to appreciate nature for its own sake. All ofthis beauty reveals the nature of God to us. It's prettyoverwhelming to have a God who loves each of us in such apersonal way that he has given us a creation that is a constantsource of joy. God's love of beauty for its own sake isshown in the variety of color and form we see all around us.We also see a God with a "sense of humor." Consider allthe tiny, almost humorous bugs and insects with many legsand wild polka dots or even a racing stripe.The sinful nature of man, however, prevents us fromfully appreciating God's creation. We complain about therainy or snowy or cold or hot weather. Or, because of a lackof understanding concerning our role as part of the creation(Genesis 1:28-30) we destroy and misuse what God hascreated instead of "subduing it."We now have a science, ecology, that deals withman's mistreatment of nature. Even though this subject hasjust recently become popular, the roots of the problem that itdeals with go far down into history — in my opinion datingback to the original sin by our forefather Adam and thesubsequent curse (Genesis 3). As a person interested inecology, I have done some reading on the subject and wouldlike to share with you some specific examples of ecocatastrophesnoted by current authors.On a November night in 1965 all electrical power inan 80,000 square mile area in the northeastern UnitedStates and Canada failed. The average New Yorker on thestreet takes into his lungs the equivalent in toxic materials of38 cigarettes a day. The Cuyahoga River near Cleveland,Ohio, caught fire one day. Lake Erie is now biologically dead.Massive fish kills due to the "red tide" occurred along theFlorida Coasts in 1916, 1932, 1946, 1952-54 and 1957-72.(Note the regular occurrence in recent years.) The NationalAudubon Society reported finding a bald-eagle egg on theshores of Lake Superior with no shell at all, just a fragilemembrane; this thin-shelled phenomena is caused by DDTpoisoning.As Christians we have a responsibility to be aware ofthe ecological crisis and to take practical steps to relieve theproblems. You should attempt to recycle your paper, glassand cans through a local center. Perhaps the next car youpurchase should include a small engine as one of the"ecology extras." Consider the possibility of limiting familysize and of cutting down on power use by lower thermostatsettings, using air-conditioning only when necessary andcutting down or eliminating use of luxury items such aselectric can openers, toothbrushes, scissors and combs.Non-phosphate detergents are now common-place marketitems. If you garden, consider doing it organically. Acompost pile is an excellent recycling center for your garbage,leaves and grass cuttings.Secular society has, in almost every instance,preceeded Christians in recognizing and attempting to solvethe ecological problems. Although their suggestedprocedures are necessary, they are only stop-gap measures.The only real solution involves an attitude change. Whenmen realize that the creation was meant to glorify and revealGod and they see themselves as a part of that creation, theycan have a true basis for respecting the creation. AsChristians we can't merely be caught up in secular society's"ecological thing." We need to clearly communicate ourdistinctive perspective as the motivation for any of thepractical steps that need to be taken.Even in our sin-spoiled world we see how God glorifiesand reveals himself. These natural revelations are constantlyavailable to us in everyday situations, but there are instancesrecorded in Scripture in which God used miraculous means(Continued un next page)JUNE 20, 1973 11

. -*" * t ** I I.About the author: Dr. Ken Hartman andhis wife Dee have recently become members ofthe College Hill Reformed Presbyterian Church;he is an assistant professor of chemistry atGeneva College, Beaver Falls, Pa.S ; f v ^>:>His Handiwork (from page 11)to glorify Himself. It is interesting to note that this specialrevelation still involves nature but in an extraordinarymanner.The Red Sea was parted by God using a wind to enablethe Israelites to escape the Egyptians (Exodus 14:21). Godused an east wind to carry a swarm of locusts to plague theEgyptian Pharoah (Exodus 10:13). God used a meteoriteshower to help the Israelites in battle (Joshua 10:11). Inthese and many other instances God intervened throughnature and the people involved saw God in the event. Godeven brought His Son to earth through a miraculous use of anatural means.A Jewish scholar, Immanuel Velikovsky, discussessome of the Old Testament miracles in a book entitledWorlds in Collision (Dell Company, 1950). Velikovsky,who makes no claim to be a Christian, implicates thesemiracles in a theory involving the origin of the planet Venus.He has shown how many of the miracles are in agreementwith his theory and could have happened by natural means.He says, "I found that the Old Testament is a carefullycomposed history. I was gratified to discover that it isbasically a truthful document." He is, however, blind to theGod who rules all of nature and uses it to accomplish Hispurposes. I would agree with Velikovsky that many of thesePhotos on pages 10 and 12 are of Grand CanyonNational Park. Photographs are by the courtesyof Union Pacific Railroad and Santa Fe Railwayrespectively.miracles occurred by natural means; by God using thescientific laws of nature which He established. But there aremany instances of God suspending these laws and accomplishingHis means by "non-scientific" methods.As a chemist, I appreciate God through science andnature as a God of precision. Events in chemistry follow lawswhich have been established by God in His universe of order.I am, however, disturbed by some who fear science as athreat to their faith and to Biblical truth. Some believe thatdiscovery leads to knowledge which excludes the necessity ofa God to order the process. I have found that discovery leadsin most cases to an appreciation of the complexity and orderof processes which necessitates an omniscient God. I haveexperienced science to be an integral part of creation, not asecular subject which runs contrary to it.We know that God has given us the creation as arevelation of Himself and for glorification of Himself. Thismust move us toward an increased appreciation of the worldaround us. The more we identify with this creation, thegreater will be our respect for it. And surely, we needn't fearscience's study of the universe. For us, this knowledge willonly confirm our faith and increase our wonder for a God ofsuch infinite love, beauty, and precision.KEN HARTMAN12 COVENANTER WITNESS

Dear Kids,What fun to read your newsy letters (You are busy,busy people), and to see what you look like either fromphotos or your creative pictures.As I have shared things about myself in letters toyou, now I am learning about you and sometimes yoursociety. And that's good!We will feature the Iowa and Midwest Juniors inthis first report of the Hey Lookit Club. Later, when theJune 1st deadline is up, we willlist the others.Here are some things you have told me:You submitted a great variety of Bibleverses but John 3:16 came out ahead as afavorite.Many kinds of sports are enjoyed as well ascooking, sewing, arts and crafts, caring for pets,gardening, simply "playing," bike and horsebackriding, singing, collections, playingmusical instruments, nature, 4-H, reading, andsomeone even mentioned eating as a hobby!One junior listed prayer and Bible readingas an enjoyable pastime.The Minneola Juniors have beenmemorizing Bible verses using the B.M.A.course. They participate in this as families.Please let me know if Ileft out anyone who joinedthe club. Have I given credit for all the 100 per centSocieties?You will receive your club cards etc. whenallentries are submitted.Yours . . . trying to catch my breath . .Mrs. A.Park Citv. ^n-Co^on, ^Compwn, ire-Coon, KvrkCoon, UauneLeland, Cathy' e U ThomasWUkcv, M.rc;\00 per centTopeka, Kan.Huston, JohnParnell, BruceParnell. DavidParnell, SandraVidal, DougC^6** CT-'So,S Or.M'TDavidHindman, Davi QHindman, 3f iceHmdman, MarkWashington, la.Blair, AlorahBlair, DorindaBlair, HeatherWilson, ShareeSharon, la-^mben \d DavidMcDonald, DavMcElhinney^ |Newcomb, uavi JJSmith, NancyNancy McFarlandwith Rose HustonOc

INTERCHURCH CORRESPON­DENCEThe "correspondence" relationshipbetween the Gereformeerde Kerken(Reformed Churches in theNetherlands) and the Reformed Churchin South Africa (Afrikaner) has meantfree transfer of ministers and members.Over the past few years, according tothe RES News Exchange, a coolingprocess has developed between the twochurches. Three reasons are suggestedon the part of the Afrikaner church, 1)the theological views of Prof. HarryKuitert concerning the historicity ofGen. 1-11 and other portions ofScripture, 2) the church order adoptedby the Netherlands church in 1970, and3) the recently constituted membershipof the Netherlands church in the WCC.The Netherlands church, on its part, iscritical of the S. Africa church's supportof the racial policy of apartheid in SouthAfrica.Prof. Ridderbos of the Netherlandsis quoted as saying in this regard, "It isno art to be in 'correspondence' so longas there is no cloud in the sky and it islimited to presenting friendly addressesto each other's Synods, and to transferringmembers and granting pulpitexchanges. But fellowship betweenchurches is only then tested for itsauthenticity and strength when bothparties have reason for criticism."This an important observation, inview of our own commitment to thecause of unity in the church visible inthe Coveanant of 1871, and also as weobserve the labors of two sisterdenominations, the RPCES and theOPC, toward union.FREE ELECTIONS IN TAIWANChina Report (organ of "TheCommittee for a Free China") says thatout of 93 contested seats in theProvincial Assembly in Taiwan, only24 were reelected, and "most of thecandidates chosen were natives ofTaiwan."The new lawmakers of theRepublic of China are not only14{vr\p

The following testimony appeared in a recent issue of theYale University alumni magazine: "Before, ... I spent a lotof my time being very depressed, in an almost manicdepressivekind of cycle. I'm never depressed anymore. Mywhole level of emotions has risen out of the angry, sullen,depressed, into the generally happy or content. One of themost pronounced things I've noticed has been my parents'attitude. . . . When I saw my father at the Harvard game hecouldn't believe it, he kept remarking how more mature Iwas all of a sudden. . . School doesn't bother me as muchany more — the workload seems amazingly easier."That thrilling testimony is worth thinking about. Yousee, it is a testimony not to Jesus but to TranscendentalMeditation. It raises an important question: What are therole and limitations of personal testimonies as we use themin witness for Christ?Everybody likes a story, especially if he can identify withthe main character. Your story of what Christ means to youand what kind of change he has made in your life is an importantpart of what your disinterested friends ought to behearing from you. They'll pay attention and probably willnot argue with you over it. It's your life.A good testimony helps the non-Christian see therelevance of Christ. Relevance, if you can bear an overworkedword, is the first thing the non-believer wants to seeabout the whole religion business. He assumes Christianitydoesn't touch his world; your testimony can show, by aparallel in your own life, that it could. After all. you're ared-blooded, normally sexed, mentally together person — ifvou're into God maybe he ought to check it out too.Your personal sharing in this way adds an indispensableelement of authenticity to evangelism: Christ is real to you.not just a word you were taught in childhood. Andauthenticity has become the prime value in our culture. Acase could even be made for summarizing the campus of the1960s as a quest for authenticity: in music, the rockmusician's sincerity counts almost as much as his sounds; inthe counter culture you find a cult of pure motives: and inthe encounter group movement war is declared onphoniness. Much of the impact of the so-called Jesus peoplehas been related to the authenticity of their testimony, "Ionce was hooked but now I'm free." People hear that andknow it has a ring of conviction.Nevertheless, testimonies have their limits. For onething, as you saw at the start of this page, TranscendentalMeditation, the Peyote cult or Christian Science can bringsome of the same changes into a person's life that Jesus can.This suggests that our witness needs more on the agendathan a clinical report on our life.But even more important is the fact that evangelism isproclaiming the gospel, and the gospel is about Jesus Christand his work, not about you and me and our life history:"God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself;'' "thegospel . . . how Christ died for our sins." It's easy to thinkwe are doing evangelism by bringing in a Christian celebrityand letting him tell his story: he was a former doper, implicatedwith the Mafia, joined SDS, turned East and studiedunder the Maharishi, inherited a million dollars — but hewasn't satisfied, so he became a Christian and now he travelsaround to campuses sharing his story. Sorry, that's notevangelism.I've seen Christian groups bring in musicians as theirmain evangelistic effort for the year. The musicians assurethe audience they are doing it all for Jesus, and in betweensongs they say how happy they are serving Jesus. Theseevents are undoubtedly worth the effort, notably whensupplemented by more direct methods. But we are unfaithfulto the gospel if we think they are adequate to fully inform theunbeliever about Christ.Go through the book of Acts and check each evangelisticoccasion. In every message you will find that the center ofgravity is the character of Christ, not the character ofChrist's follower. So for us, the stress cannot be our innerstate— "how much happier I am than you." It must be thegood news, the announcement of what Christ has done andwhat men must now do: "Be reconciled to God."That passage in II Corinthians 5 has the order we mustfollow. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." Thisis our testimony. The new life is the first thing the non-Christian sees. Then we point beyond ourselves: "God wasin Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting theirtrespasses against them." Finally we ask them to join us."We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.For our sake he (God) made him to be sin who knew no sin,so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."—SBReprinted by permission from HIS, student magazine ofInter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, c 1973.JUNE 20, 1973 15

The Prophecyof EnochJude 14-16The purpose of this article is to seek to shed somelight upon Jude's reference to the prophecy of Enoch. Itreads as follows, in the New American Standard Bible:"And about these also Enoch, in the seventhgeneration from Adam prophesied, saying,"Behold, the Lord came with many thousands ofHis holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, andto convict all the ungodly of all their ungodlydeeds which they have done in an ungodly way,and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinnershave spoken against Him. These are grumblers,finding fault, following after their own lusts, theyspeak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake ofgaining an advantage." (Jude 14-16)The problem is this: where does Jude get this informationabout Enoch's prophesy? Is it by way oftradition, or does he quote from the apocryphal book ofEnoch? And if it is from the apocryphal book of Enoch,does this imply that this book has some status (beyondother uninspired books) as a source of truth?It is known that such a book was in circulation in thesecond century. Several Church Fathers refer to it. But theGreek version which they had appears to have beenirrecoverably lost. Hence our knowledge depends upon anG.I. WILLIAMSONEthiopic translation. However, quotations of the olderGreek text, found in the Church Fathers, are very close tothe Ethiopic text. And the quotation (if it be such) foundin Jude is such that it would appear likely that Jude doesquote this ancient book. The text (as translated from theEthiopic version) is as follows:"Behold, he comes with ten thousands of hissaints, to execute judgment upon them, anddestroy the wicked, and reprove all the carnal foreverything which the sinful and ungodly havedone, and committed against Him."At the very least, it would appear that Jude, and thequoted book of Enoch, had a common source.What then are we to say concerning the status ofsuch a book? In answer, we would first point out that Paulalso quotes from a pagan poet (Acts 17:28). This provesthat a statement can be quoted as true, even thoughitcomes from an uninspired source. It can be quotedwithout at all implying that the whole writing (from whichit is quoted) is true. We see no problem, then, with theidea that Jude could quote from an uninspired bookcontaining at least one true statement actually made bythe Enoch who lived before the flood. We do not see thatthis implies any further approbation of the book as awhole.16COVENANTERWITNESS

Inspiration was neither magical nor mechanical.Authors of the Bible did not write "out of the thin air."They used means provided by the Lord, under divinedirection. Thus, we would suppose that Daniel made useof official Chaldean records in writing his account ofNebuchadnezzar's decree (Dan. 3:29). And we would alsosuppose that Jude, writing by divine inspiration, usedaccurate information recorded in the uninspired book ofEnoch, by divine direction. Because this statement is true,and recorded under direction of the Spirit of God as true,and because true, it therefore constitutes a part of theinfallible Word of God.The question therefore arises: is this one part of theBook of Enoch the inspired Word of God? The answerwill have to be "no, it is not." No statement of the Bible,isolated from the context of the Bible is the Word of God.The Word of God does not say "There is no God." It says,"The fool has said in his heart, there is no God." So, it iswhat Enoch said, set in the context of the rest of scripture,that is inerrant and authoritative. And this is not true inthe same sense and degree when we read Enoch'sstatement in the context of the apocryphal book fromwhich it is quoted.What Jude is saying in this passage, then, is this:these reprobate people in Apostolic times were spoken oflong before that time in Enoch's prophecy. Enochprophesied that the Lord would come in glory to judgeand condemn such persons. Jude thus indicates that theapostasy taking place already in apostolic times was notunexpected. It ought not to shake the faith of God's electwhen they see this distressing defection from the Lord'struth and righteousness. No, they ought to rather understandthat this was predicted by God's witnesses, theprophets and apostles. Nor should they take from this anyencouragement to "go and do likewise." To the contrary,they should rather take warning from it, and take heed tothemselves. The fact that such ungodliness, with itsinevitable consequences to the ungodly, was foretold solong ago (by Enoch) only serves to underline the certaintyof the coming judgment.It is not without significance, then, that the one pointof pre-deluvian teaching that God has seen fit to transmitto us concerns the final judgment. This very truth that iswidely questioned today in neo-orthodox and existential"versions" of the Christian faith, is certified as the mostancient teaching of God's servants the prophets. And weare thus encouraged ourselves in these days of manyscoffers to hold fast without wavering to our supernaturalbeliefs. After all, the Christian faith is supernatural to thecore. From creation to judgment it is so. And we are onlydeceived if we imagine that we can have anything but theempty shell of Christianity if we begin to compromise,even a little, the wonder-working might of our God.Let the godly Enoch be our example. For he daredto believe in a godless and degenerate time that the Lordwould surely come in judgment with ten thousand of Hissaints. And so He shall! Blessed are all those who believe,and believing, take heed.JUNE 20. 1973FAMILY CAMPING: Handbook for Parents: Lloyd-D. Mattson.Moody, 1973. 141 pp. $1.95 (paper).Who? How? Why? These basic questions regardingcamping are discussed by an author who also serves as editor ofCamping Journal. He clearly sets forth the importance ofChristian family camping (with an emphasis on the father'sresponsibility) and gives a survey of types and means of camping,with a number of how-to's and many personal examples. Beprepared to pack (or buy) your camping gear before you finishthe book.THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE CHURCH. GeerhardusVos. Reprint by Presbyterian and Reformed Publ. Co., 1972. Illpp. $2.95 (paper).This book was first printed in 1903 and has long been out ofprint. Praise the Lord it is now in print again. Geerhardus Vos,one of the leading biblical scholars of the Reformed faith at thebeginning of the century, presents an eye-opening treatment ofJesus' teaching regarding God's kingdom and the church. It hasan especially helpful chapter on the "Kingdom of God and theChurch'' which is a greatly discussed issue today in many circles.There is only one problem with the reprinted edition which maycause some hardship if the book is used for study. In thereprinted edition the printer simply used the index from theoriginal edition; however, the pages are not the same in the newedition.Bruce R. BackenstoSCIENTIFIC STUDIES IN SPECIAL CREATION. Walter E.Lammerts, ed. Presbyterian & Reformed Publ. Co., 1971. 343 pp.$6.95 (cloth).This companion volume to that one entitled WHY NOTCREATION? presents 31 articles from the first five years of theCreation Research Society Quarterly. One can only recommendit, but to those with some scientific training and a keen interestin the Scripture-science controversy.Despite the large quantity of useful material and the apparentdesire to abide faithfully by the Bible, there is evident.with the notable exception of Rushdoony's "Premises ofEvolutionary Thought," a distinct lack of a consistently Biblicalphilosophy of science. Again and again we are presented with a"creationist theory" based on "natural laws" and this becomes a"scientific alternative to evolution" (cf. Barnes, Ch. XXX. pp.330ff). From a consistently Biblical perspective, this is quite thewrong way to argue the case.Creation is taught in Scripture, which provides norms notto be violated by any science. Creation itself is not, by its verynature, subject to scientific investigation andit is a Biblical apriori thatit is vain to speculate in this area (cf. Job 38. w.lff.i.We declare the doctrine of Creation because it is revealed. Onthe other hand, the history of the earth, post-creation, is a properfield of scientific endeavour — within the limits imposed by anyhistorical study. This is where much of the work in Lammertsbook is useful, forit speaks to the apostacv of the palaeontologistand biologist as he seeks to build a God-denying systemof "scientific knowledge."Gordon J. Keddier

\V» X"k e t>IRENE RAMSAYLast spring when a ' 'For Sale'' sign was posted by a housenear the Lawrence, Kansas Reformed Presbyterian FellowshipCenter, the Lawrence church decided to invest the necessaryfunds to purchase the house. A need was felt for providing ahome for Christian girls who would be attending the nearbyKansas University or working on the campus or in the community.The house is located west of the corner of 23rd Streetand Iowa on a quiet road at 2232 Marvonne.Since the whole project was a new experiment inChristian living, it was difficult to decide upon a name for thehouse. It couldn't be called a dormitory because a five bedroomhouse is too small. It couldn't be called a Training Centerbecause it might sound as if it were a home for wayward girls.So, simply because the house has red asbestos shingles,everyone called it "The Red House." This distinguishes itfrom the Fellowship Center one half mile down the road andfrom the parsonage on Cedar wood Avenue.The name often provides an opportunity for witnessing.When one mentions the Red House an explanation is oftennecessary. There is no doubt that the residents are Christiansand Christian principles are practiced.Many ideas are exchanged among the girls. There isfriendliness, laughter and love but there are also tensions,irritations and resentments.A structured work program for daily and weekly duties isposted. This is necessary so young women can learn to acceptresponsibility and to be sure there is a warm meal prepared eachevening and that the house cleaning chores get done.There is a great deal of helping each other with variouswork duties but this is done on a volunteer basis. The food andsupply expenses are shared. The home-mother makes up themenus and buys the groceries. She often has help with the foodselections and shopping.Keeping up a large yard is also the responsibility of theresidents. There is a road out back that winds around past treesand fields, crosses a creek and ends up at a UniversityGreenhouse. To take a walk there has been called an experiencebecause one can walk there and ' 'get away from it all." There isno traffic pollution, birds sing and many wild flowers bloom inseason.A very important part of the learning is the studyprogram. This includes devotions every evening if possible, aweekly study on "Learning to Be a Woman," the Women'sMissionary Society meeting and sometimes the fellowshipprayer meetings. Guests of the church or friends who arepassing through are welcome to stay all night.Some of the girls' favorite pastimes include reading,guitar and piano, knitting, needlepoint and making chalksketches.During the summer months of 1972, Mr. and Mrs. BruceNelson and four young women called the Red House theirhome. Gwen Eggleston, Chris Boyle, Mary Stromer and BessieMorrow lived there. After this group moved out, others movedin. Mrs. Irene Ramsay, who had been a housemother for sixyears at the University of Kansas, moved in with furnishings forpart of the house. Others now living in the house are MaryHillmer, Mariam Olson (both for a short period of time);Shirley Roberts of Quinter, Kansas; Dori Cantrell of ShawneeMission, Kansas; Sarah Johnson of Hays, Kansas; and DoloresUlrich from Kansas City, Kansas.As in every living situation where people live together asat the Red House, there are problems. Although all areChristians they are human and have different ideas. Could oneexpect five women to work together in one kitchen and completelyagree on everything?But one can honestly say the Christians living at the RedHouse do take their problems to the Lord. They try to becongenial and forgiving. To all, this is definitely a learningexperience. God's Word is Truth and all are searching to knowthe truth and the plans He has for them. There are always 2 or 318 COVENANTER WITNESS

girls around to lend a helping hand and the good times and thenot so good times cause one to grow and to learn to love Godand each other. To be more Christ-like is the purpose of the RedHouse. Below are some comments written by the young womenwho live in the Red House:"I need seclusion after a crowded, pushy, competing dayon campus — a place of solitude and security. The Red House ismy hiding place from the outside bustle when I need to be alone.' T find companionship and a sense of understanding frommy sisters here. That is very important to me because communicationis a way of finding yourself and also letting go all theanxieties of the day.' T praise God He led me to live here. I'm growing everyday and learning mostly what God made me for as a Christianwoman."Dori Cantrell"The Red House is an ideal learning situation. One hasopportunity to learn the importance of communication in afamily type situation. Learning to develop good communicationsis a hard job and takes the full cooperation of all.This is when the importance of group devotions comes in. Thisshould be a time of sharing problems, whether mutual or individual,and items for prayer that each feels necessary."Accepting household responsibilities is another learningarea. Minimal tasks are required that do not interfere withstudies and at the same time helps one in self-discipline.'' Lack of pressure from parents is a positive aspect of thesituation. Lack of deep involvement provides freedom fromundue stress. The tension is somewhat reduced from a realhome situation. Some tensions exist, but this causes very littledisruption of our daily routines. Concern for one another ratherthan worry generally exists."A respect for each other's individual activities alsoprevails. The student and the working girl can manage tocoordinate their schedules in order to please one another."Dolores Ulrich"I would say that my reason for coming to the Red Housecould be summed up by saying that I am convinced that it wasthe Lord's will for my life at that particular time. I consider thissituation as a time God has chosen for me to not only learn to bea Christian homemaker, but He's teaching me compatabilitywith other Christian young women, and a great appreciation forHis Word applied to my life."I believe God is enabling each of us here at the RedHouse to become more and more sensitive to one another'sneeds, and it's fantastic to see how He's evened our temperamentsto make us more effective in our mission not only atthe house, but in our daily individual contacts.'' Bible studies here are of great importance to me and I'mhoping that God will continue to show us the importance of atleast one weekly study. We are having devotions or a short timeof prayer as often as possible after our evening meals. I'veprofited from this experience by learning about various individualprayer needs and needs that might arise involving thosein the Lawrence Fellowship and with other Christian friends."My reasons for coming to the Red House are definitelyGod-centered and I pray that He will continue to bless and useme in the renewing and edification of His body here inLawrence."Sarah Johnson-,-1 i ^ To GodThanks

CountHr \- owers.IDANA, KS.(Luther McFarland, Pastor)The Rev. Paul Wilson assisted withcommunion the last week of February.During the Friday night service he showedpictures from our Cyprus mission.Mrs. Robert Steenbock (nee SheilaWilkey) united with the Hebroncongregation; she is originally fromSterling but now teaches in the ClayCenter schools.March 7 the Young People were hostsat a chili supper for the congregation.They presented a program which includedtwo films on alcohol and drugs.At a recent family night pot lucksupper, a film about the effects of heroinand other drugs was shown.SOUTHFIELD, MICH.(John Edgar, Pastor)Our Communion Service was held onMarch 25, 1973, with Rev. RobertMcCracken assisting. Mr. and Mrs.William R. Cummings and Mr. JosephBaumgartner were received as newmembers. Those receiving the Sacramentof Baptism were Mrs. Janet MacryCummings, Matthew Russell and DerrekWilliam, the sons of Mr. and Mrs.Cummings.On April 7. Mr. and Mrs. DonaldFulk, of Indianapolis, demonstrated theirmethod of group Bible Study and answeredquestions concerning starting a BibleStudy.An exchange of pulpits took place onApril 15 between Dr. John Edgar and Dr.Roy Blackwood.ALMONTE, ONT.(Robert More, Pastor)At a congregational meeting on March1-1,it was reported that five tenders hadbeen received for the Church Hall,ranging from S29.000-525,000. One hasbeen accepted. The Hall is neededprimarily to meet our growing S.S.20requirements. There are 14 childrenoutside the congregation enrolled in ourS.S.A St. Patrick's Day social, held onMar. 16, at the manse, featured films,games and refreshments.Mr. and Mrs. Isaac McKee returnedon March 22 from a 4 month visit toScotland and N. Ireland.STERLING, KS.(Bruce Backensto, Pastor)The past few months the adult SabbathSchools Classes have been studying TheWestminster Confession of Faith by Mr.G. I. Williamson.Mrs. Salina Beckett who has been withus for 25 years is going to Texas to livewith her sister.Jim McCrory was recently ordained asdeacon in our church.MIDWEST PRESBYTERYThe Ad Interim Commission ofMidwest Presbytery, at its meeting April30, 1973, took action to receive the Rev.Carl Grayson into the ministry of ourdenomination, pending receipt of a letterof transfer from the ReformedPresbyterian Church Evangelical Synod.Mr. Grayson is available for preaching as acandidate. His address for the present is1625 West Massey, Memphis, Tennessee38117BRUCE E. BAIRDSharon Session records its appreciationof the life of Ruling Elder Bruce E. Bairdwho, at the age of sixty-one, departed thislife on April 11, 1973, after an extendedillness. He had served on the SharonSession for nearly twenty-two years,having been ordained and installed onMay 27, 1951.Bruce Baird was not a man to flaunthis views. Often his opinions had to beasked; but always they were of value tothe Session. He was a man of quiet influenceand sound judgment who servedhis Master and his church in faithfulness.His Christian faith and fortitude duringhis illness abundantly demonstrated thetruth of I John 5:4, "This is the victorythat overcometh the world, even ourfaith."To his wife, his three daughters, andhis two sons, Session extends its deepestsympathy.connfda

COVENANTERJULY A. 1973In Christ ye are builded together for an habitation of God throughthe Spirit. . . Ephesians 2:22

ORDyou would just drop us a line and let us know a little aboutyourself and some of your writing interests. Like anymagazine, we aren't able to print all the submissions we get,but we want to provide more space for more of God's peopleto share their ideas. Will you help us out? By the way,amateur photographers, watch future issues for announcementsof a Witness Photography Contest.R.W.N.PEOPLE WHO CAREIt is a very natural tendency for a church-orientedmagazine to be based largely on the writings of the ministerswithin the group. Frequently they are the best known to thereading audience. Also they have a flexibility of schedulewhich will allow them to write. But your Witness staff is alsointerested that you benefit from the writings of otherChristians than the clergy.In this particular issue, we are going to boast just alittle bit. (If the Apostle Paul did it to the Corinthians,perhaps you can pardon us.) If you will just look over thetable of contents of this issue, you will see that the majorityof the articles are by those who are not employees of thechurch. For example, we have two poems by octogenarianladies from Bloomington, Ind. and Rose Point, Pa. We havethree ladies writing: one is a pastor's wife, another ateacher, and the third a librarian. Among the men we have adentist, a professor, and an engineer.Now please don't think that we are boasting in orderto take the credit. The credit belongs totally to these busypeople who think enough of their Lord and their church to sitdown and work out the helpful articles they have sent.And while I am at it, have you ever stopped to thankyour congregational correspondent who sends in news notesto keep others informed in your denomination of what youare doing. Most of the folks who write these are the first toadmit that they are not professional reporters. And theydon't like to see their news items trimmed down any morethan we like to trim them. But they keep on faithfullyworking away behind the scenes.May I say personally that it is a real joy to serve achurch paper that has so many willing and faithful supportersand contributors. (Pastors in no way are we attemptingto downgrade your work for us either. Without itthe Witness would not have the depth and spiritual strengthit needs.) I regret that my pastorates and connections havebeen mainly in the eastern U.S. so that there are many of youthat I can't call upon to take up the pen simply because Idon't know you. Of course the three other members of the E& P staff have their roots in the Midwest, so they have beenhelpful in suggesting names to us. The Witness is planned anumber of weeks in advance so we like to know of peoplewho might be willing to write for us on particular subjects. Ifyou feel that you have something to contribute, would youdrop us a line and let us know. Perhaps you have just thething we need to fill in a vital spot in the Witness. Or maybe•Editor:I would guess that most Witness readers know very little,if anything, about Hermann Dooyeweerd (see April 11 Witness)or the Law-Idea philosophy. Many people say, "I suredon't understand this 'Dooyeweerdian' stuff, but whateveritis,it must be bad!" because various leaders of "Covenanterism"(if I may likewise use a reductionistic label) engage indissembling the work of our brothers in the Reformation. I amreferring to both written and spoken opinions that seem to formthe consensus of our R. P. clergy, and which may turn off thelayman. Therefore may I suggest asking Covenanters who havestudied at the Christian Institute in Toronto to write an articleon the problematics and scope of the philosophy .... Such anarticle might help ease the misunderstanding, bias, fear, orwhatever else is causing all the confusion.Perhaps the Dutch tradition has overemphasized culturalreforming, but we Covenanters have also distorted the totalGood News with our tent of evangelism-equals-saving personalsouls and social concern. The Christian community isfragmented enough — down with denominationalism, for weare One in the Spirit!Renwick B. Adams•Editor:I comment on the picture for the April 25 issue. No doubtit is a religious classic. But like other Gospel traditions, it maybe more memorable than accurate!Doubtlessly stoning was a Biblical form of capital punishment.The method depicted, however, may be disputed.Instead of that melange of rocky missiles, Jewish Rabbinssay the convicted one was first violently cast down from a standon to a stone. If shock did not kill, then a single boulder wasdumped by the two witnesses on the chest. Only if both faileddid bystanders inflict their "mercies"!While the gospel records mobs prepared for a rockslingingmelee, such was not the situation with Stephen.In Christ,Robert More, Jr.2 COVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, £ 2, 1 year;£3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years. *f*rGroup: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 51221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 800 Wood St.,Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.known office of publication: Box K,Winchester, Kansas 66097. Secondclass postage paid at Winchester,Kansas 66097.>*IVANCCUCAl TRtSS ASSOCIATIONVOLUME LXXXLXNO. 14JULY 4, 1973CONTENTSARTICLES:Christ, the Church, and the Single Christian Woman..Family Togetherness.Children and the Sermon...The Needs of the Single Adult.Restoring the Present Creadon.Children and Books: Bringing Them TogetherWhy We Organized.FEATURES:A Word Due"In Truth and Love" . .Poets Corner.Glimpses.Hey Lookit!Bring the Books.Distaff Deductions."Count Her Towers". ."Count Our Days"WHATHYMN?tNewPsalmodyPamphletAvailable4.6.8.10.14.1719.2.2.11.12.13.15.1618.18Rev. G. M. Robb has written a timely defenseof exclusive Psalmody that has been publishedunder the direction of the Witness Committee.Samples and quantity orders of this attractivebrochure are available without charge by writingto:The Board of Education and Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh. Pa. 15221For quantity orders, please enclose S.50 per twodozen to cover mailing costs.JULY 4, 1973s

"Nowyou too, in Him, have heard the messageof the truth and the good news of your salvation, andhave believed it; and you too have been stamped withthe seal of the Holy Spirit of the Promise, the pledge ofour inheritance which brings freedom for those whomGod has taken for His own, to make His glorypraised. " Eph. 1:13-14 (Jerusalem Bible)Christ, the Church, and the SingleIn a world which goes by twos, we are the odd ones,the leftovers, we singles. Whatever the complex of reasonsfor our singleness, there are times when we feel rejected byman and society and even by the church, which seems to beemphasizing so exclusively the role of woman as wife. Whata special miracle it is for us, to be able to believe that WETOO have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit ofthe Promise, that WE TOO were chosen before the foundationof the world, to make His glory praised!The death rate for males is higher than for females,even in infancy, the mortality tables tell us. What that indicatesabout the biological differences between male andfemale is an interesting subject in itself, but not the subjectof this paper. For our purposes it is enough to note that thisis so, and that the inevitable result is that when the matinggame is over, even if every man marries, some women willbe left over. The single woman, like the poor, we havealways with us. By the same fact (the higher death rate ofmales) many married women are condemned to living amajor portion of their lives as widows. A sovereign Godmust have some use for all of us ' 'extra'' women.These things being so, it is important that our womenbe equipped to live a single life with grace and dignity andself-respect. But the whole education of women, both in the"world" and in the church, teaches her to look forward tobeing a wife and mother — a fulfillment which to a certainnumber of women will forever be denied."The man is the head of the woman,'' says Paul, andin whatever sense this is so, it would seem that single andwidowed women are in a special dilemma. Where are we toachieve, legitimately, a relationship with men which willsave us from going about "headless"? I am glad to say that Ihave found a solution to this problem as a member of thebody of Christ. God has supplied my need through faithfulministers and elders who have offered a hearing ear, an4understanding heart, and a deep concern for my welfare.These men relate to women primarily as creatures of God,fellow human beings whom they have been called to love andserve. When I reflect on these men and what they havecontributed to my life, I am filled with humble gratitude.In fact, the whole problem of loneliness and alienationand purposelessness and despair, which is perhaps moreacute for single people than for others in our culture, hasbeen solved in Christ and in the fellowship with His people. Ihave truly felt welcomed into the family of God. Not that Iam entirely free of problems, of course, but rather that I feelconnected with others who really care about me as a person.It has been true in actual experience that when I hurt, othermembers of Christ's body suffer with me, and that when Iam glad, they rejoice.Unfortunately, there is another aspect of my experiencein the church. Some of our pastors seem to have anostalgic longing for the "good old days" when womenwere not included in the formal worship of God. A writer inthe Feb. 28, 1973 Covenanter Witness observed that "it(referring to woman's role in the church) was really not sucha problem to Jewish assemblies where men customarilyrepresented the family in public worship. . ." A minister ofour church has reportedly proposed to other pastors thatAbout the author: Our gifted and discerning writersays, "If you use the article, I think that it would bebetter to have it unsigned, since it is of a controversinature. It is not that I am unwilling to openly avow thesentiments expressed, but rather that it would be betterit seems to me, not to have the issue confused by thepeculiarities of my personality or the personalities of thowho are or have been associated with my congregation. ''COVENANTER WITNESS

hristian Womanonly men be admitted to full membership in the church, andthat women and children have some sort of second-classmembership. Are these attitudes really in harmony withChrist's teaching about the relationships of the members ofHis body?Christ's body is spoken of as being "fitted and heldtogether by that which every joint supplies, according to theproper working of each individual part" (Eph. 4:16). Thereseems to be a line of teaching in the church which suggeststhat men's gifts are to be developed and used, but women'sgifts are to be suppressed and denied. The aforementionedarticle in the Covenanter Witness observes that woman'srole in the church is "doubly hard when a woman has beengifted with a good mind and an education." Why should itbe "doubly hard" for a gifted woman? A sovereign Godgave her her gifts, and called her to His service. Is it true, asseems to be suggested, that her gifts are really a handicap tothe proper fulfillment of her role?I believe that God has called both men and women,and that both are to use their gifts in His service. Both menand women should at times restrain themselves from tellingall that they know, or think they know. Both men andwomen need to develop sensitivity to other members of thebody of Christ, and to study how to help other members togrow. The true exercise of Christian love requires all theintelligence that any of us have, an intelligence lit by thewisdom which is from above. Service to others maysometimes be given by performing menial tasks, but at othertimes it requires all the sensitivity and perception and intelligenceand knowledge which the most gifted among uscan muster, as well as the patience and kindness and gentlenesswhich are Spirit-wrought qualities.Some men in our church seem to be very concernedabout keeping women "in their place." (In the place Godintended for women, they would say.) Some, especially ofthe younger pastors, have gone far beyond the officialteaching of the church in restricting the role of women in thechurch. They would deny to women not only the offices ofminister and elder and teacher of mixed adult classes, butalso the teaching of classes including males of any age. Alsofrowned on are women as deacons, precenters, leaders ofprayer meetings, or Sabbath School superintendents. Theone role acceptable for women is that of wife and mother,and, as has been mentioned above, for some of us that is nota possibility. It seems as if there is no place for us in thechurch in the plans of some men.In many congregations, women have been asked toperform some of the tasks which would be denied us by themore anti-feminist pastors. Sometimes we have been told, inexplanation, "There's no one else." If we are to be asked atall to fill any of these roles, it should be without theuneasiness which we now feel. We, like male churchmembers, need the support of other church members as weseek to serve our Saviour.In a sense, however, women workers in the churchsimply suffer the same lot which is common to all Christianworkers. Has there ever been a person active in the churchwho has not gone through periods when he or she wasseverely criticized by other church members? Think of themost sanctified Christians you know — have any of themescaped from being, at one time or another, the target ofsevere and prolonged criticism from fellow church members?The men and women whose Christian character I mostadmire have passed through the fire of this kind of criticism.Perhaps it helped to make them what they are. If and whenwe women are made to feel excluded and unwanted in thechurch, it may help to remember that men, too, even thebest of them, may sometimes be tolerated or even despisedby other church members for serving Christ in the way thatthey believe they have been called to serve.One consequence of criticism is that one becomesmore self-conscious about one's role and one's motives. Arewe really seeking, in the service we give, to answer God'scall, or have other motives entered in? If we are reallyseeking to please God, we must resist the temptation to giveup whenever we are criticized. It is Christ's church, and weare His servants. Let it be true of us, as Paul says, "Theunmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that shemay be holy both in body and in spirit'' (I Cor. 7: 34).In serving God faithfully in the way He has chosen forus, we will, in the end, be doing the most for our fellowChristians, even for those whose concept of God's place forus is different from ours. If we can resist the temptation toreact with hostility to those who seem to be rejecting us,and, with humility and gladness of heart, serve God as Heopens the way. possibly even our detractors will be wonover. "We are all members one of another," and, whateverthe proper relationship of women and men in the churchmay be, it is certain that we rise and fall together. Mencannot really improve their position by pushing us down.but we can restrict their growth and the growth of Christ'schurch by uiving less than the best we have to give. •JULY 4, 1973 "3

pAiviiLyToqETHERNESSOn June 27, 1951 we began a new andspecial partnership with our Lord andMaster. Our first son stubbornly enteredthe world. We accepted him with great joyas ' 'our gift'' from our Lord. Immediately,he was dedicated to the serviceand control of our Maker. This same joyand dedication was experienced again inJune, 1953 and January, 1957. We feltthe Lord had richly blessed us. ' 'Our threesons."Before our children were born, wediscussed and decided what was importantin raising them. We listened to those wethought we wanted to copy. We mostlylooked to the Word of God and were muchin prayer about the future. The mostimportant thing, we decided, was to haveour children grow up in the image of God.We prayed daily that they would grow tobe good Christian men and follow ourMaster's direction in choosing their lifework. Never did we feel they owed us anymore than the honor Christ commands forChristian parents.Two very important pieces of advicewe never forgot. First, start to cut theapron strings a little each day. Thisprepares your child to gradually becomeindependent. Secondly, be consistent. Ifyou accept behavior as "cute" and"funny" at age two, be sure it's going tobe cute and funny and acceptable at six,ten, etc.We tried to accept each child forhimself. They certainly were and now arevery different. We did stress family loveand pride because we were all the way Godmade us to be. God never makes anymistakes. We did expect them to use theknowledge and abilities God had giventhem to do their best.We strongly believe that it is impossibleto begin in the "teens" to befriends and communicate with yourchildren. This must be a continuingprocess that develops through the earlyyears. We also remembered that eventhough we loved our parents, we did notalways agree with them, especially in ourteens. So we did not panic when the boyspresented opinions and ideas that differedwith ours.God in a very forceful and definite wayhad brought us together as husband andwife. We felt this, and endeavored to growin Christ and in our love for one another.It was obvious to our children that wewere special to one another. We felt theLord had brought us together and we weremeant to be the parents of these threeboys.Often we were wrong or unfair but wewere willing and ready to say "I'm sorry"we were wrong. Parents can makemistakes and act childish. No one in ourfamily was ever allowed to go to bed angryat one of the other members. When yourANDY & RUTH PRICEchildren are used to bedtime prayer anddevotions this is a good time to talk overdaily problems; then bring them beforethe Lord in prayer and find forgiveness.In a study made by the MilwaukeeState Teachers College of 158 happy, welladjusted teens, nine things were mentioned.Four were most significant: (1)Religion in the home, (2) family activities(work and play together), (3) love ofparents for each other, (4) love of parentsfor their children.Our family always enjoyed workingand playing together. This also was aprogressive thing. It began by singing,playing, talking and rhyming with themwhen they were tiny. Laughing andtalking together as they grew. Vacationswere always shared and enjoyed together.We also felt it was important for Mom andDad to have short periods of time awayfrom home, to be together alone. It alwaysmade us anxious to get back and love themmore.About the authors: Any one whohas ever been to White Lake Conferenceknows that the Prices ofNewburgh "practice what theypreach'' in this article. Just a wordabout their three boys: Richard is ahigh school student. Steve is at GenevaCollege, and Tom enters the R.P.Seminary this fall.6 COVENANTER WITNESS

When our children began school, weentered into all kinds of parent activities.Taking leadership in all the organizations.Dad also was asked to run for the schoolboard and has accepted this responsibilityfor eleven years. First he served in ourdistrict and now at the county level.Mother covered the gaps when Dad wasextra busy.Our family was involved in Scoutingfor eight years. Mother was a DenMother. Dad worked on the PackCommittee for Cub Scout. Then the BoysScout Parent Committee we were bothinvolved in.Most of all, our God and the activitiesand work of His church in Newburghcame first in our lives. We were all involved.Mother and Dad loved the Lordand put Him first in their lives. We felt thework of the church was a close second inpriority. I guess it was obvious to our boysthat this was the pattern their lives musttake. We loved to go and to do. They hadbeen attending since the early weeks oftheir life. We made it a point wherehumanly possible, not to say "No" toresponsibilities of the church. We believethat God gives us the ability and strengthfor the jobs He calls you to do.One of the greatest blessings ourfamily enjoys is our complete involvementin White Lake Camp. Mother and Dadmet at the camp and it was very significantin our lives and then in our family'sChristian development. Some of thehappiest times in our family life wereenjoyed in this loving Christian community.Friendships developed. Spiritualgrowth was realized. Yearly growth wasseen. Our boys became involved in theleadership of the young peoples' program.The Junior Camp has been important intheir training first as campers, then ascounselors.We, as parents, tried to establish asecurity for our children by assumingresponsibilities for decisions they wereincapable of making on their own. Youhave to be ready to be the culprit for them.Often our boys would turn from the phoneand ask us to say "No" for them. Thistook the weight of decisions and "peer"pressure off of them.Times of crisis in a family bind youtogether. Once as an infant and then twicein their teens two of our sons were takensuddenly without warning to "death'sdoor." It was times like these when ourpartnership with our Lord was mostsecure. We knew the Lord was as interestedand concerned about them as wewere. We praised Him for the grace Hegave us to remain calm and accepting. Wealso praised Him as He miraculouslyreached down and healed. One of the boyshas been given the grace to accept and livecomfortably with a chronic illness. TheLord used these times to strengthen andprove us. Our close relationship as afamily was indeed an asset in theseillnesses. It bound us in common lovetoward each other and our Lord."* Often Christian parents put theirchildren in the Lord's care when they stepout on their own. Then they begin toworry and fret as the world does. Wedecided, if we were going to entrust themto His care, we should relax. We didn'tstop praying, but we trusted them and ourLord to care for them as He promised.After eleven years as motherhousewife,Mother assumed the addedrole of teacher. We hadn't planned it thatyear, but the Lord opened up the way.Responsibilities were divided five ways andeveryone seemed closer and more important.The Lord certainly blessed uswith more financial security, more goodtimes together and less pressure. Attitudesseemed to be important and we didn'tchange our priorities. When there werecomplaints, Mother offered to stay homegladly, but no one ever accepted the offer.Camping became a part of our familytravels. We all enjoyed this bindingtogether. It really makes or breaks afamily.This article is not written as a "do aswe do" advice column. We believe Godgave us the grace and He can workmiracles in all of us.We made "many" mistakes, we oftenlost our "cool." We were selfish andirritable. Sometimes we were tired and notpatient. When we allow our children tohave opinions and express them, yourhome will not be a quiet, placid place.But, we were always there, alwayslistening, always interested. As parentswith strong personalities and strongconvictions we did not always agree withthem.According to the Bible we are supposedto do whatever we do as though wewere doing it unto the Lord. Neverlooking for reward, never counting thecost, never demanding a return. Wehumbly have asked God for the grace toaccomplish this. As our children wereGod's gift to us we endeavored to givethem up to Him. We praise Him for thework of grace in our lives and the lives ofour sons.If Christ is the head of the house, thathouse may "creek" and shake, but it will"stand" as ours has.Childrenare themost lovelyfruits andbonds ofmarriage,and confirmand preservethe bondof love. . .MARTIN LUTHERJULY 4, 1973

Qtildtbii6& ttie ^erfnoti'I begin to feel more and more that it is a mistake to dividethe children from the congregation. I believe in special servicesfor children, but I would also have them worship with us. If ourpreaching does not teach children, it lacks some element whichit ought to possess. I like to see the congregation made up not allof the young, nor all of the old, but some of all sorts gatheredtogether' (Spurgeon).We believe that Spurgeon had good cause to give thiswarning in 1873 and the question is now long overdue, 'Howmuch have churches lost by their all too common acceptance ofthe non-attendance of children at the preaching of the Word ofGod?' It is necessary to be clear at the outset about what is notbeing discussed; the question is not, 'How we are to reachchildren with no church connection?' nor, 'What means arebest suited to bring the gospel to them?' — important thoughthese issues are — but simply, 'Is it right for a church toarrange for her children to be provided with some other instructionduring the time when adults are listening to thesermon?'The principal argument for the arrangement by whichchildren leave the service before the sermon rests upon the viewthat another form of oral or visual instruction for the youngerage group is preferable to the sermon; consequently a Bibleclass or Sunday School is scheduled to occupy the time whichthe remainder of the public worship will take. In liberalchurches the case for such a division is axiomatic, i.e., thethemes of sermons — social concerns, ecumenical issues, war,race, etc. — are not relevant for children. The truth that sin,the wrath of God, redemption, and holiness are as necessary forchildren as for adults has long been rejected. But obviously inevangelical churches the case is conceived differently; biblicalteaching, it is said, should be given to children in the form mosteasily understood and they therefore need a different type ofinstruction and cannot be most effectively taughtsimultaneously with grown ups.It is usually a corollary of this viewpoint that if childrenare to be addressed in the public services of the church then itmust be a special address or sermon for them. If the childrenhave their own ten minutes in the church service, then withdrawfor Sunday School, they are getting, so it is thought, thebest of both worlds. This argument proceeds upon theassumption that simplicity of communication is the primaryneed in the instruction of children and that any teaching whichcannot readily be understood must be avoided. Apparentlyreasonable and obvious though this sounds it is not scriptural.According to Scripture the primary need of both adult and childis the removal of the aversion to God which is in the humanheart. While that aversion remains, in any age group, there willbe darkness of mind and where it is removed by the teaching ofthe Holy Spirit there will be an intelligent reception of truth.What this means in practice is that a true appreciation of achild's need will lead us to depend upon God and such adependence includes faith in the means appointed by Christ forthe conversion and instruction of sinners. Now it is not indispute whether parents or Sunday School teachers may look forGod's blessing upon the teaching which they give to children;the question is whether, when Christian congregations areassembled for worship, children should be removed before theWord is preached. The claim that they must not be so removedrests firmly upon the truth that preaching is a divine institution.It does not stand upon the same footing as a Bible class orSunday School which, though they may be useful and expedientbranches of church work are, nevertheless, not commanded byGod.Preaching, the Scriptures teach us, is the means of gracefor the ingathering and upbuilding of souls and far from anysuggestion that public assemblies for the ministry of the Wordare to be limited to those of more adult years there is explicitevidence to the contrary. If we find, as we do, that the removalof aversion to God depends upon the Holy Spirit, and that,further, it is pre-eminently the authoritative proclamation ofthe Word by those sent for that work which the Spirit promisesto accompany with light and power, then the removal ofchildren from the congregation before the sermon ought surelyto be unthinkable. 'The Spirit of God', reads the LargerCatechism (Question 155), 'maketh the reading, but especiallythe preaching of the word, an effectual means of enlightening,convincing, and humbling sinners.'We consider that by far the most important explanationfor the Church's problems with her youth in Britain and theUnited States lies in her failure to maintain the Biblical andReformed view of preaching. Too often preaching has beenregarded merely as one form of instruction among many. Nosignificant difference is seen between the message of the pulpitand the Sunday School lesson, whereas the sermon ought to bea declaration as from Christ, delivered in His name and to beattended on by all hearers as in His presence. Preaching, in theBiblical context, is a part of worship, and the stranger to God,whether child or adult, who attends upon the Word of Godamidst a company of worshippers may be constrained 'to8 COVENANTER WITNESS

worship God and report that God is in you of a truth" (I Cor.14:25).Why was it that such preachers as Whitefield,M'Cheyne, Spurgeon and countless more in the past held manvchildren among their regular hearers? It cannot be explainedmerely by the wishes of their parents, still less by any attempton the part of these preachers to use the modern 'children'saddress.' The children simply attended upon their regularpreaching. Yet what modern publisher of Sunday Schoolmaterial would consider Whitefield to be suitable for infants andyouth? And how, if one accepts the modern view, is one toexplain the influence that such a sombre preacher as DavidBrainerd had with youth? Consider, for example, the followingscene which resulted from his preaching at Crossweeksung,New Jersey:'Almost all persons of all ages were bowed down withconcern together . . . Old men and women who had beendrunken wretches for many years, and some little children notmore than six or seven years of age, appeared in distress fortheir souls, as well as persons of middle age. And it was apparentthese children (some of them at least) were not merelyfrighted with seeing the general concern; but were madesensible of their danger, the badness of their hearts, and theirmisery without Christ, as some of them expressed it' (Edwards).We believe the explanation is, as we already noted, thatpreaching is not just one form of instruction, comparable to aBible class or private instruction. It is the first means given byChrist, and therefore, with faithful messengers, an influenceand an unction ought to attend the Word such as will impresseven though it does not necessarily convert every age group. Tosuppose that children may be more profitably occupied duringthe time of sermon by being given another form of instruction isa serious error; it is taking children away from the very placewhere they ought to learn the power of the Word of God. Thechurch is altogether another sphere from the school; God isthere in a special way and children have need to know a constraintlaid upon them from heaven so that they both listen andworship.That should kiip them quiet while I listen to the sermonAll this is not, of course, to say that being present duringthe sermon will necessarily do children good. We are far fromholding the view that restless, inattentive children should beencouraged to remain in church notwithstanding the disturbancewhich they cause. If they are incapable of attention thenthey are, as a general rule, incapable of receiving profit, and inthat case a plea that a church should tolerate the distractionswhich they cause to others is absurd. It is no accident that theinstruction and discipline of children are conjoined in Scripture;if parents will not train their children when to be silentand will not guide them in prayer and family worship at homethey may have to recognize that they are depriving them of theirrightful place in public worship. It may be said that the childrenwho do sit quietly through sermons can be as mentally inattentiveas those who do not. That is true, and the fault may beas much in the pulpit as in the child. If ministers prepare sermonswithout any consideration of the fact that children will belistening, then the children will all too quickly conclude thatwhat is said was never really meant for their ears. Nevertheless,if children are trained in the habit of public worship, and if, aswas common in Puritan times, parents use the sermon torfurther conversation in the family later in the day, there can bea greater intake in mind and conscience much earlier than ispopularly supposed. And let not the value of the knowledge andserious impressions which are gained prior to conversion bedepreciated. In many cases those early lessons have laid thefoundation for lives of pre-eminent usefulness. Spurgeon's owntestimony is worth hearing:'I do hold that there is no doctrine of the Word of Godwhich a child, if he be capable of salvation, is not capable ofreceiving. I would have children taught all the great doctrines oftruth without a solitary exception, that they may in their afterdays hold fast by them.I can bear witness that children can understand theScriptures; for I am sure that, when but a child, I could havediscussed manv a knotty point of controversial theology Infact, children are capable of understanding some thing in earlylife, which we hardly understand afterwards' (Spurgeon).We have sought to deal with the argument that thesermon is not the best means the church can use to helpchildren. There is another argument to be touched upon beforewe close. Whatever may have been true in the past,it is said,the church today will lose her young peopleif they are not givenan alternative to sitting through a sermon. So the practice ofremoving children before the sermon should be continued notfor any theological reason but simply on the grounds of wiseexpediency.As always the truth is that nothing is ever genuinelyexpedient for the church when it contravenes Scripture. Thepractices of the last hundred years have not led to the youth ofthe church being more steadfast and better instructed. In somanv instances the Sunday School has been the main spiritualinstitution for the young and when that has been outgrownchildren have already passed through their formative yearswithout being trained in the habit of full attendance upon publicworship. In their infancy their elders taught them by deed if notbv word that the sermon was not for them, and by the timechildhood is exchanged for youth it is often too late to reversethis attitude. Dr. John Kennedy ot Dingwall, one ot the mostacute observers of the dangers which evangelicalism was unwittinglyencouraging in the late 19th Century, saw thistendency clearlv in his own day In the course ot commentingupon the disproportionate importance which was being attachedto Sundav School work he wrote:[Continued on page 2i)\JULY(, 19^39

DICK WOODSThe Needs of the Single AdultAre you a Christian who is a single adult? Do youknow some single Christian adults? Are these single adultsin your congregation? Do single Christian adults fit intoyour family-centered congregation? Do the families of thecongregation know and minister to the needs of the singlemembers of their congregation? Do you as a single persongive some of your time to serve others in the Christian life?Do those of you who are married think of the single adult as asecond class citizen? Is the unmarried state a calling by Godupon some people? Do families tend to forget the needs ofthe single adults in their congregation because of theresponsibilities of family life? Should there be a sense ofcommunity in your congregation where every one ministersto others and is ministered to? These are some of thequestions that could be asked in considering the writing of anarticle on the single adult. Hopefully this article will answersome of these questions, give some thoughts on otherquestions, and provoke you to consider the unmarried peoplein your congregation.What are the needs of the single believing adult? Thesingle person, as also the married person of thecongregation, has the need for the love, friendship, andfellowship of fellow believers. He needs to be made to feelworthwhile as a person and worthwhile to the localcongregation where he belongs. He needs to be valued forhimself and not just for what he or she can contribute to thelocal congregation "because he has more time." The singlelife is often lonely, as sometimes married life, so the singleChristian desires good times with other unmarried peopleand also with the families of the congregation. Societyfrequently, and sometimes people in the Christian church,looks upon the single adult as someone odd — have you everheard the question put to the single person, "How couldyou go all this time without getting married?" The singleperson needs to be accepted, understood, and encouraged tobe the person God made him to be so that he can withstandthe sometimes harsh pressures of our culture. The familyorientedcongregation needs to consider the single people intheir midst and pray and plan to try to make them feel a partof the local congregation, even though they are not a family.A single person needs to come to understand his or her sexdrive, how it affects him, and how to deal with that drivewhile still living in the single state. These are just some ofthe needs of single adults.The single adult, who is a believer, has responsibilitiesin the Christian life — responsibilities to God, to his neighborand to himself. He or she has committed his life to Godand should always seek to find the will of God in each presentsituation. To glorify God and enjoy Him forever bringsresponsibilities in time, money, vocational calling, service,the local congregation, etc. Scripture states that eachbeliever has one or more gifts given to him by God. Abeliever should seek to know what his gift or gifts are andthen consider how they could be used to further the kingdomof God and the local congregation — being a responsiblesteward of his God-given gifts and abilities. Christianfamilies should see a responsibility for teaching the singleadult about marriage, relating to children, family worship,the roles of husband and wife and even how to change adiaper, as I once learned by experience — these things arepossible as families invite single people into their homes.Is there fulfillment in the life of the single believingperson? A world-and-life-view as a Christian is a great help— or perhaps another way of saying it is to learn that all oflife is spiritual and so gain a spiritual perspective on life asgiven in the Scripture. The local congregation in Romans12, Ephesians 4 and I Corinthians 12 is likened to the bodywith all parts being essential, both the singles and thefamilies. A sense of the sovereignty of God is a great comfortto the single person — to realize that, at the present time,God's plans for him in the furthering of His Kingdom callfor him or her to be unmarried. Paul treats the single state inI Corinthians 7, and Jesus in Matthew 19:10-12. TheChristian life often involves choices between the good thingsand the best things that must be made by Spirit-inspiredevaluation of the circumstances, the gifts God has given us,and the vocational calling He has made upon us. A man orAbout the author: Dick Woods has graciouslyagreed this time to use the pen rather than the drill to fillin a cavity in our thinking. Besides maintaining his dentalpractice in Pittsburgh, Dick is an active deacon in theNorth Hills R.P. Congregation.10 COVENANTER WITNESS

woman may resign the privileges and responsibilities ofbeing married in order to further the Kingdom of God beingcalled by God to do this. Also the cares and concerns ofmarriage may be an impediment to the vocation to whichGod has called that single person. Paul speaks in I Corinthians7 that some believers have a gift from God to remainsingle. Paul also states in I Corinthians 7 that the singleperson can be unemcumbered in giving his time and gifts tofurthering the Kingdom of God. Such a person in the localcongregation should have the respect of all the members, notthe question, "What is the matter with him?" The singleperson can be helped in his fulfillment by being content inhis present state, believing a sovereign God will do the bestfor him. Fulfillment can come when a person knows his Godgivengifts and abilities and is led to use them for the furtheranceof the Kingdom of God and in ministry to the bodyof Christ in the local congregation. The principle ofEphesians 4 that all believers are called to the work of theministry cannot be emphasized enough in helping to givepurpose to the Christian life. To feel at home in the localcongregation should be the aim of both the singles and thefamilies, as God's sons and daughters accepted into thefamily through Christ. There is fulfillment for all believers inseeking to live as the righteous man of Psalm 1 with thestress on "being" in his relationship to God rather than"doing" — the principle of the Scriptures that an inwardwalk with God comes first and out of this, secondarily, willcome good works to perform (ministry).The single person has a number of relationships toconsider — relationships to his own family, to other singlepersons, and to the families in the local congregation. Hemust decide whether to live with his own family, to livealone, or to live with other single adults. His world-and-lifeviewwill affect all his relationships and what he does aboutthem, such as seeking to be involved in the localcongregation to complete the members of the body of Christ.Husbands and wives should try to remember what it waslike, before they were married, in order to have betterrelationships with the single members of their congregation.The local congregation should work at making the singleperson fit in with the families. There should be specialconsideration given to the single person away from home inthe service or in college — that at times they will need arefuge from the world. The single person also needs the closefriendship and companionship that marriage can offer. Thesingle person who lives alone would greatly appreciatefellowship with the families of the congregation. A blessingthat can come to a single adult who has frequent visits with afamily with children is that he can learn to relate, to talk,and to be at ease with and to love children.This article has not been an exhaustive discussion ofthe single Christian adult, as there have been only briefparagraphs on the needs, responsibilities, fulfillment andrelationships of the unmarried person. Hopefully this articlewill prompt deeper thinking about the unmarried state bysingles, husbands and wives, and local congregations forgreater love and ministry among the brethren of the localcongregation. *What America Means to MeIt means the song of wild birds' flightThe sound of laughter in the night,The right to do, and think and sayWhatever I wish in my own way,And children singing as they play,While grown folks work throughout the day.Then peaceful sleep, long winter nights.The warmth and cheer of glowing lights,And church bells ringing on Sabbath morn.Proclaim anew the Christ is born.Then time to worship, prayer and praise.Our voices in thanksgiving raiseTo Him who made our Nation great.And fitted it to man's estateAll this means home to you and me.And to our boys across the sea,And they will finish what's begunAnd fighttill final victory's won,For they will make our country freeFrom human greed and tyranny.And then shall come that golden spanThe world-wide brotherhood of man.When freedom's flag shall be unfurledIn every nation of the world.Come Unto MeWhen I upon my bed at nightIn loneliness do lie,With aching head, and hurting feetAnd sleep will not come nigh —Then to God's Holy word I turnSome solace for to seek"Come unto me," my Saviour says,"In heart I'm low and meek."Does life seem not worth living?With no motive anywhere?With no one left to greet you,Or call, or come, or care?Then take my yoke upon youBecause for you I died.Your sins were washed away dear,When I was crucified.Mv blood has washed you clean and whiteIf you will just obeyAnd trust and claim or choose me as your ownUntil the judgment day.Perhaps mv flock, you'll feed for me,Some sinner gone astrayTo break the bread of life to him.Or tor some others pray.Mv Father has a plan tor each.And cares for everyone.So bide vour time, in patience dear.Until vour race is run.L.B.Clara MooreJULY A. 1973 11

MORE EVANGELICAL"NO WINE IN SPACE"and frustrations. Politicians pass themSEMINARIESAccording to National Voice, this is by while they lavish their promises andIn what is obviously a spoof, andwith the straight faced cooperation ofthe official word from NASA. This wason ' 'reconsideration,'' for the word hadflatteries on the young and the old.(Some of us will soon escape thisthe Editor, Christianity Today's lead been spread by the PR department that neglected, disadvantaged group.article has a "modest proposal . . . that wine would be on the menu. Joel Hooray! There are better things ahead!)in every denomination control of at least Nederhood, Back to God Hour, says,one seminary be turned over to the " 'Wine is a mocker.' Why drink at WATERGATE — WOUNDEDevangelicals." The generous author is all? . When it comes to drinking, KNEE — NEWSMEN'S SOURCESCharles M. Nielsen, a professor atColgate Rochester Divinity Schoolthereis no really good advice."Who knows what the complexion ofthis headline raw material will be sixBexley Hall-Crozer Theologicalweeks hence when these lines reach theSeminary, Rochester, N.Y. He says"Although there are difficulties formany Protestants in relating to anyreligion, soon, no doubt, there will bemore courses offered on Satanism andwitchcraft than on the New Testament.Evangelicals, of course, will continue toreader? We're learning some of thesordid details of the deceit, hushmoney, burglary, lying, that fouls thetop governmental nests, but few wouldsay that with all the ' 'coverage'' we canknow who the innocent parties are —ifany.have problems with Satan, but liberaland ecumenical Protestants are so openand fair-minded that they will surelywant to continue to give the Devil hisdue.Advertising Age has an article,"If you think this farfetched,consider this: who would ever havedreamed that beginning in thenineteenth century Reformed churcheswould embrace the Gothic Revival? Butthey did! Even Baptists built medievalcathedrals and seminaries! Calvin wouldsurely have several well-chosen wordsfor his spiritual descendants who pranceabout in outlandish costumes whilefacing empty coffin altars with theirequally empty theology."But in the same issue, and seriouslyand simply, Geoffrey Bromily considerssome of the difficulties of Biblebelievers-liberaldialogue. The first hementions, andit is doubtless the mostbasic and important, is their differingpresuppositions.The very fact that ChristianityToday has far outdistanced — andit faroutshines — Christian Century as asupra denominational magazine on apopular level, at least indicates someprogress in communication, amongprofessing Christians in our generation.PASTOR RICHARD WURMBRANDMy first opportunity to hear personallythis much persecuted — twiceimprisoned in Communist Romania —Lutheran pastor, came last evening, atthe Geneva College Field House.Threatened with a third arrest, he was"ransomed" out by Christian friends inNorway, and has since that time beenlaboring on behalf of persecutedChristians in the Soviet bloc nations. Iwas much impressed with thecallousness of those of us who live insuch a degree of quietness and securitythat our persecuted brethren, being outsight are out of mind and probably,prayer and pocketbook.Pastor Wurmbrand has testifiedbefore legislative committees in theU.S.A. on state and national level, insome cases baring his back to show thescars of his torture.It is true that reasonable questionscan be raised concerning the financingand the effectiveness of the ministries tothose suffering persecution in Communistbloc countries. "Then, too,there are plenty of needy people in ourown country where we could send allthe contributions we can spare." Andso we manage to justify ourselves. ButPastor Wurmbrand reminded us thatthe writer to the Hebrews said,"Remember them that are in bonds, asbound with them; and them that sufferadversity, as being yourselves also inthe body," just one of many scripturehe might have quoted."But, of course,it can't happenhere." (I'm trying to be satirical. LK.)THE MIDDLE AGEDPsychology for Living hasdiscovered "the forgotten VA of thepopulation", "The MiddleGeneration." They earn more than Viof the income, have the largest per centof their number who actually vote, hold40 per cent of the stock of U.S. Corporations.Yet there is no governmentprogram working for them, no billionsbeing poured into research of their fearsreported by Human Events, by a formernews and wire service reporter, whichcauses one to question whether"freedom of the press" is atallbolstered by guaranteeing to reportersthe "secrecy of their sources," andwhether in practice today it is muchhelp in getting the truth. Mel Graysonsays "the reason many newsmen refuseto name their sources is that therearen't any sources. It was all fiction."In other cases, there are sources,but the sources are so unqualified to besources that for a newsman to revealthem would be to expose himself aseither a fool or a charlatan."He cites instances of his ownfabrication in producing "eye witness"accounts which won him officialcommendation and awards. Now anadvertising man, Grayson concludes:"I say without qualms or qualificationthat there is more integrity per squarefoot in the lowliest advertising agencyon the shabbiest side-street off Madisonor Michigan than there is in the mostprestigious newsrooms in America."(And even the advertising industrycould do with alittle improvement inthis regard. L.K.)12COVENANTER WITNESS

M&?Dear Kids.We have Carol Lowe, a wife and also secretary in theoffice of Education and Publication, (she also does some ofour Hey Lookit work behind-the-scenes), to thank for thisarticle. She took the information from interviews Mrs. GraceBoyle had with Japanese children. We thank Mrs. Boyle,too, for sending this material to us. If any of you would liketo write to them, Mrs. Boyle will write back what theydictate to her.Many letters and pictures have come to me from youand I have enjoyed each one of them. Some societies workedhard to get 100 per cent membership.I hope you will really like belonging to the Hey LookitClub and receiving your card and decoder. Don't forget thatyou can write messages in the code to me and to othermembers!Your friend,Mrs. A.Left to right: Itsuha Hayashi, Yurie Konishi. AikoKurokui, Noriko Nishigawa.Have you ever wondered what it would be like to grow upin another country? Do you think going to school would be thesame as here in America? And would your days be filled withthe same activities?Actually, school in Japan is quite different than we knowit in America. The school year begins in April and ends inMarch. And summer vacation (which comes in the middle ofthe school year!) lasts from the end of July until the first ofSeptember. Not only that, but the children are given largeamounts of homework to do during vacation which they musthave checked periodically. The school day begins at 8: 30 in themorning and lasts until 3:00 in the afternoon - - that isMonday through Friday. On Saturday the children attend half aday. Do you think you'd like that?Mrs. Sam Boyle, whose husband is a missionary in Kobe,Japan, has often heard three little friends of hers talk about theirlife in Japan. They are three little girls named Noriko, Aiko,and Itsuha. Let's listen as they talk about school:Itsiiba: I'm in the third grade, so that makes me the youngest.Noriko is in the fourth grade and Aiko is in the fifth.Aiko: But I have the longest distance to go. It takes me twentyminutes to walk to school, and it only takes you two ten.S'oriko- Yes, and you have to study the hardest, too, Aiko.Itsuha and I don't have homework every night as you do.Aiio I don't mind, because I like most of my subjects. Besidesart and music, I like arithmetic best.Itsuha: I like art, too. but I'm not nearly as good at it as you•ire. I also like music, and physical education best.\ot;ko I like physical education best, too, but I also like arithmetic.ICI-Y 1, 1973But school in Japan isn't just a matter of going to class.Field trips are quite common for school children of all gradelevels. During the elementary and junior-high years," trips aretaken in the area nearby to see historical sites, museums,gardens, etc. High school students travel further away to visitplaces which are famous throughout all of Japan, such as Mt.Fuji. School children really get to know their country this waythrough first hand experience.There are also many sports played by the youngsters atschool. But most public school sports events are held on theLord's Day, because that is the only day that most fathers havefree from work.Let's listen to the girls again as they talk about theirfamilies and the things they like to do:Aiko: None of us has any sister, but I don't have any brothers,either.Itsuha: My little twin brothers are lots of fun. They can also be"trouble," since they're only three years old.Noriko Both my brothers are older, so I become the "little"sister rather than the "big" one.Itsuha. I enjoy helping take care of my twin brothers, as well asworking on my hobbies. I have collections of cards, napkins,seals, and stamps.Aiko I like to come home to a snack of "oyatsu" after schoolbefore going out to play badminton or blind man's buff. Readingis a favorite hobby, too.Noriko I enjoy watching and taking care of my gold fish.Maybe that's why I find swimming so much fun. I like rollerskating, too.+ + + +Now that you've met Aiko. Itsuha, and Noriko. do youfind that life in another country is so much different? Perhaps\ou'd like to write Mrs. Boyle a letter so she can tell her littlefriends about the things that you like to don

i^iB—iiaainiiiHiigiMiRestoring the Present CreationRomans 8:18-25To understand Paul's teaching in Romans 8:18-25one must know the context of the passage. In chapter 5Paul begins, "Therefore, having been justified by faith,. . .", setting forth the doctrine of justification as it followsfrom chapter 4. He explains how Adam represented allmankind in his rebellion and how Jesus Christ is thesecond Adam representing the renewed humanity ofGod's choice. Of course, only human beings are slaves tosin; only men are sinners. Creation itself is never said to besinful or morally corrupt. Thus, it is safe to say that Paul isspeaking of mankind's redemption from sin. In chapter 6Paul speaks about the absurdity of thinking that oneshould sin that grace may abound. Sin is not to reign in thebeliever but righteousness is to prevail. Believers arecalled to present themselves as slaves to righteousness! Inchapter 7 Paul tells how hard the battle is for a believer tolive as he should. Paul talks of the daily struggle he haswith sin yet concludes that victory does come becauseChrist has won it already through the cross.Now let's consider chapter 8. Here Paul teachesbelievers how it is possible to overcome sin. Paul instructsbelievers not to live according to the flesh but as filledwith the Spirit. Notice verse 11: "But if the Spirit of Himwho raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He whoraised Christ from the dead will also give life to yourmortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you." Theverb, "will give life," is in the future active tense, whichindicates something is to happen in the future. That"something" is life for the mortal body. Of course, thismortal cannot put on immortality until the resurrection ofthe dead at Christ's return. The question is, however, whathappens during a believer's lifetime on the earth? Verse 13appears to offer an initial answer: "For if you are livingaccording to the flesh, you are about to die, but if by theSpirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, youwill live." And believers live because they are sons of God(v. 14). Believers are sons of God because the Spirit ofadoption leads them (vs. 14,15). Thus, the Spirit assuresbelievers that they are children of God (i.e., adopted sonsand daughters of the covenant family); and as childrenthey are heirs with their "Brother," Jesus Christ (i.e., rulersin God's kingdom). Furthermore, Paul tells us that wereign with our Brother NOW (Ephesians 2:6). At the sametime, Jesus tells His children that they will suffer in this life(Matthew 5:10f).Having shown that the children of God suffer in thislifetime even though they reign with Jesus Christ, Paulgoes on to discuss the suffering of all creation, or moreaccurately, the anxious longing and birth pains of allcreation (vs. 19,22). Why is it that creation is referred to assuffering? Believers suffer because sinners seek to persecutethem as they stand for the Truth. In a sense,creation suffers for the same reason. Creation suffersbecause God subjected it to futility (v. 20). As a result,creation groans to be set free "from its slavery tocorruption" (v. 21). Creation is not corrupt in itself, butitis subject to misuse by corrupt man; therefore, it bearsthorns and thistles where they are not wanted. God cursedthe ground because of Adam's disobedience (Genesis3:17-19, cf. 5:29). Of course, this curse pronounced byGod in the garden (Genesis 3:17-19) and just outside ofthe garden (Genesis 5:29) must be understood in light ofGenesis 8:21: ". . .1 will never again curse the ground onaccount of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil fromhis youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing,as I have done." Genesis 9:13 must also be consideredalong with the preceding verses: "I set My bow in thecloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Meand the earth." Further, in Genesis 9:17 God says Heestablished His covenant with all flesh as well as with theentire EARTH (creation).It would appear that Paul in Romans 8:18-25 isshedding more light on what God stated in these Genesispassages. God promised never again to curse (1) the earth14 COVENANTER WITNESS

ecause of man because man is sinful from infancythrough all the days of his life. How was this promise to befulfilled? It is seen in God's covenant dealings with Hischosen people. As He deals with them in grace, He is alsodealing with the creation, because His covenant includesthe earth (creation). After all, the earth is Jehovah'skingdom (Psalm 24; 89:11; etc.). And yet this promise willnot be completely fulfilled until Jesus Christ returns withthe sons of glory, when all believers will be ushered intothe new heavens and the new earth. But the question stillremains, "How much of creation is redeemed now, in ourlifetime?" Is there any "redemption" for creation now?Does it groan less as it moves towards the end of thispresent age? To these questions we address ourselves.The implications of the text seem to point to apresent relieving .of the suffering of creation. It seemsclear that creation suffers because of man's sinfulness(Genesis 3:17-19). When Adam broke the Lord's will, ithad repercussions upon creation. Man was given thelordship of creation to use it for the glory of God and thehonor of His name. This was not done; instead, man beganto use the creation for his own glory (cf. Rom. 1), and thusthe creation now suffers and groans anxiously for therevealing of the sons of God. Although the completerevelation of the sons of God awaits the return of Jesus,there is some present revelation of God's children andthus there should be some present abating of the sufferingof creation. This is the case because, although man nowsuffers because of sin and will not find complete releasefrom suffering until Jesus returns, there is a presentvictory as he grows more and more in the image of Christ.Jesus has won the victory and all enemies are under Hisfeet, even death itself and the one having power overdeath (Hebrews 2:14). Because of this. His children alsoexperience victories over their enemies as they grow inChrist. Since it is because of the sin of man that creationgroans, there can also be relief for creation as man moreand more reflects his renewed image of righteousness,holiness and knowledge and regains his rule over thecreation for God's glory and honor.How does this work in actual practice? Christiansare to rule in their restored position in the kingdom ofGod as heirs and adopted sons in all areas of the Lord'skingdom. The child of God is to put into practice theprinciples of the written Word of God as they apply to theparticular task the Lord has called him to perform andthereby bring the creation into subjection for the glory ofGod. Bringing to bear the redemptive word of the Personof Christ in all phases of life is the role of the Christian.Redeeming the creation from the grip of man-centeredsociety in the areas of education, labor, agriculture,medicine and home life are practical areas in which aperson may wish to begin to work. A concrete example isthe practice of "strip mining." The child of God cannotcarry out that job with the profit motive as his main interest.God's creation cannot be misused in such a way asto leaveit unable to proclaim the glory and majesty of itsCreator! As the child of God serves the Lord in the matterof "strip mining." he sees the glory of God as the chief endto his labor; and. therefore, sinful motives should notprevail in his use of creation. As he serves the Lord in thisway, some of the "pain of the curse upon creation forman's sake" is removed.As the sons of God are revealed more and moretoday, the creation experiences something of the restoredglory for which it groans in birth pains. For too long,however, believers have only been interested in "spiritual"affairs at the expense of the creation and its well-being("physical" affairs). Let us be called back to the realizationof the mandate we were given first in life: BE FRUITFL'LAND MULTIPLY, AND FILL THE EARTH, ANDSUBDUE IT: AND RULE OVER THE FISH OF THESEA, AND OVER THE BIRDS OF THE SKY, ANDOVER EVERY LIVING THING THAT MOVES ONTHE EARTH. This should drive us forth to make disciplesof all the nations in order that God may be glorified andthe creation relieved of some of its pain. Remember, Godloved the WORLD to such an extent that He sent His Sonto redeem the sons of God in order that they mightexercise dominion as it was meant to be exercised;dependent upon the word and grace of our Creator!1. The idea of curse being used in this verse is different from lhalused in Genesis 3:17. Here it refers to God's promise to never againdestroy all the earth bv a flood. In fact, God will never again destroy theearth but bringit through a fire of purification or a refiner's fire.It istowards that fire v. hich creation now moves with its birth pains!BRUCE BACKENSTOME BE LIKE JESUS? Leslie B. Flynn. Scripture Press (VictorBooks), 1972. 158 pp. 81.25 (paper). (Previously published asTHE POWER OF CHRISTLIKE LIVING)I was surprisingly pleased to find a strong emphasis on thebeliever's union with Christ as the means whereby one developsa likeness of the Lord Jesus. The author destroys the mistakennotion of imitating Jesus by projectively imagining what Jesuswould do; he also avoids moralisms. Positively, after setting forththe means of being like Christ, Mr. Flynn illustratively discussesthe character traits of Christ. Provocative reading for Christiandevelopment.B.R.E.AN UTTERMOST PART. Eunice V. Pike. Moody Press, 1971.192 pp. S3.95 (cloth).Trained as a nurse, skilled as a linguist and experienced asa writer of Mazatec primers and a translator of the Ma/atec NewTestament, Eunice Pike lived and worked among some "out-ofthe-wav"villages in Mexico — w hich in turn is the subject matterof An Uttermost Part. In Mexico Miss Pike's goals were to teachthe village people to read, to distribute the Scriptures, and toinform people of the Gospel message. Not only she. but also thevillage Christians, had to endure persecution for departing fromthe pagan beliefs and customs of the villagers. One can not readthis book without being challenged bv the young Christians'obedience in faith to God.B.R.E:.JUIY i. 197^ n

diSTAFFdeducTioNsBits and PiecesI watched our youngest daughtergraduate, held a new baby granddaughter,visited my grandson's schoolroom, andworshipped in North Hills Church at thecorner of Thompson Run Road andSeibert, where the school bus used to turnaround at the end-of-the-line, and fromwhich I've walked the snowy lane homeafter playing at a friend's house. Who everdreamed then that a Covenanter Churchwould stand there, but such are the waysof God who weaves a tapestry of events tomarvel at.Robbie was showing me his new bike,and how well he could ride it. And I said,"Would you believe it? I never had abicycle when I was a little girl, nor did Iever learn to ride one."His reply was, "Why don't you getone — you could learn now — but youmight have to have training wheels atfirst!"And I thought that, like trainingwheels, parents become unnecessary tochildren in the sense of being involved intheir everyday lives. Here is a baby borninto life, and God has arranged for a fatherand mother, one on each side, to be"training wheels," if you will. Theyprotect him from harm, meet his needs,teach him, through what may seem in theearly years a long period, how to walkindependently. Then he begins to try italone in his teens, and that is somewhatpainful for all concerned, until he attainsthat elusive "balance." And for life JesusChrist is the balancer — with Him instilled,a veritable part, of the child's life,the now independent individual may rideon in life, meeting each experience withpoise and balance.And having our last graduate againreminded me of the verses written a fewyears ago after a wedding in the family —A fleeting feelingThat I can't quite defineLike an early morning fogComposed of wisps of vapor —Snatches of memoryGo floating through my mindOr my heart.Little girls playingIn the churchyard,In the tree house,Or in discarded packing boxes,Climbing trees,Playing house,Finding comfort, on a swing.Bigger girls in party dresses,Finished late last night,Ready nowFor a first date —Glad to be back homeOr, "It was fun."Maybe falling in love.A family leaving on vacationHaving worship firstIn tree-dappled sunninessIn the living room,Bags packed —Shorts on —All anticipation.Quiet times of growingToward Christ's stature —A conference campfire,Silhouettes her there, standing,"Jesus will help me.""God wanted me to praytonight.""Pray that we'll keep thatresolution."Now, an expanding circleSons-in-law — loved, accepted —Grandsons awakingIn the early morning!Wedding parties —Gala, exciting —Then — a quiet home forretrospection.+ + + +I have a whole sheaf of newspaperclippings that have featured members ofour congregations. Recently I addedanother which included the picture of oneof our kindergarten-age youngsters,Jonathan Parnell. He had contributed anoriginal recipe for a Mother's Day cookbooktheir class was getting out. It was forrhubarb pie, Which must be a specialty ofhis mother and grandmother, for they aregardeners, and it seems gardeners alwayshave rhubarb. At First Beaver Falls, Mrs.Charles Belles used to give me rhubarb,and I learned to make rhubarb pie. Thenjust lately I found another recipe, which issimpler for me to make, and is tasty servedwarm, with ice cream:SCALLOPED RHUBARB3 cups old bread in V2" cubes (no crusts),or 4 slices3 cups rhubarb in 1" pieces1 cup sugar4-6 T. butter or margarine, meltedVi cup waterRed food coloring, if desiredFresh grated nutmeg, if desiredCombine bread cubes, rhubarb, sugar,margarine and water. Add food coloring ifdesired. Turn into a 10-6-lV2-inch bakingdish. Top with nutmeg, if desired. Bake at350 degrees, uncovered, for 35 minutes.Serve warm with ice cream.+ + + +Recently we went to western Pennsylvania.What a lot of happy times Iexperienced during those few days!We used to laugh, as students atGeneva, at the old grads coming down thewalk toward McKee Hall and falling intoeach others' arms with shrieks of laughterand incoherent conversation, and dubbedthe occasion, "Welcome Home!" NowI'm in that class, and I don't care who'slaughing! The element of surprise, thirtysecond recognition, then the greeting ispure joy, and the feeling is nostalgic. Ieven miss the smell of cork dust, but goalong with anti-pollution, so must submergethat memory!•16 COVENANTER WITNESS

Children and Books:DOTTIE CARSONBringing Them Together"Here's a book you might like toread." So began my interest inChristian literature and even wider intothe world of books.As a teenager, attending theCovenanter Church was a rewardingexperience. Having come from a largerchurch, the fact that the church wassmall meant that everyone kneweveryone else and the older folks couldplay an important part in the life of ateen. Thus an interest in Christianliterature was passed from generation togeneration. One particular person whohelped me along the way is Mrs. E. J.M. (Florence) Dickson.Mrs. Dickson did not retire as amissionary when she and her doctorhusband had to return to the states. Hermission field changed names, for shewas no longer in China, but she had"lambs to feed" in Cambridge, Mass.Each week Mrs. Dickson handed out the,weekly paper (Power) to everyone atchurch and often she had a book underher arm and would say, "Here's a bookyou might like to read." As she handedyou the book she would also give yousome idea of its contents, just enough towhet your appetite, for she was an avidreader and was able to find just the rightbook to interest you.So began my interest in books. Atthe time we did not have a churchlibrary, for Mrs. Dickson was ourlibrary, but since then 1have had a keeninterest in seeing libraries becomeuseful tools in our congregations. ^How then can we interest others inreading and, mdre importantly, howcan we interest the children that Godhas given us in reading good books andespeciallv Christian literature? Whatare some practical ways to interestchildren in reading?Some children read easilv. othersChurch libraries can help provide awider selection of Christian literaturefor your children. A Sabbath afternoontreat can be had from a good churchlibrary. May I encourage you to look atyour church library? Is it an attractiveplace for everyone to want to visit? Iscurrent literature available for yourchildren? If not, maybe you can servethe Lord by getting this job done.Recently our church library has beenhaving a huge turnover in booksborrowed by children. Why? Ourlibrarian ha**^fuTd7?r» helping in thelibrary ^flecking out th> books andactinar as guides. Children attractchil#en and everyone benefits."ie book that is a musl for everyhave to be prodded and coaxed. OneHoney_ For a Child % Heart bything I have learned is that each childIun$.-TTere is. a quori from thehas interests that need to be discoveredbooks goand cultirf»teaV^\s.a parent part of myiniaA. specrI can'tresponsib lityS^r to> hejp each childany pleasuf| reater thandevelop tl ese inrahbts. ff w-e know whatto the unnce a child learnsMo luce, toreadthen he branches out on hiestgiven us to*ehjoy. This* every parent'screative child would appreciate aumble onto goodthat sho^s him how tp.make things.themselves; they must bethoughtfm^uiet j^flid might not b

IOWA PRESBYTERYIowa Presbytery met at Marion, Iowa,April 25, 1973 in conjunction with theIowa Women's Presbyterial. (Thismeeting had been delayed two weeksbecause of blizzard conditions. Guestspeaker for the Presbyterial, Dr. ClaudeBrown was not with us due to airlinestrikes.) Four of our five congregationswere represented. Rev. S. Ray Blair wasmoderator and was re-elected to anotherterm.Rev. Robert McCracken presented hisletter of resignation to Presbytery becauseof accepting a call upon him made by theWalton, New York Congregation.Members of the Ad-Interim Committeefor the coming year are: Dr. G. M.Robb, Rev. S. Ray Blair, Maurice Hutcheson,and Ralph Howell. Date for the1974 Iowa Presbytery meeting was set forApril 3 at the Sharon R. P. Church.C. Y. RETREATThe Pittsburgh Presbytery C.Y. heldits annual spring retreat on April 19-21 atthe Laurelville camp grounds. Thespeakers, Jack White, Ted Tripp, andDean Smith, preached a series on God'splan of redemption.The following testimony was received:"This is the first time that I heard thepure and simple Gospel in I don't knowhow long. We really only have twochoices: to serve Christ with all our heart,mind and soul or to go to hell. As aChristian, I was really blessed by the HolySpirit's working through the series ofmessages."INDIANAPOLIS, IND.(Roy Blackwood, Pastor)At the annual congregational meetingthe following persons were elected tooffice: Ken Thompson, Chairman;Maxine Clark, Secretary; Karl Stoicheff,Treasurer: Jack Baumgardner, JimBishop, and Jack Hespelt — Trustees.Recently, Rev. and Mrs. Paul Wilsonpresented interesting talks and slides ofCyprus in the home of Miss CharlotteBrim.The Adult Bible Class sponsored aprogressive dinner. About forty personsmet at the home of Dick and Jan Wymafor appetizers; at the home of Don andMary Mullinnix for main course; and atthe home of Ken and Ann Thompson fordessert.BIRTHSALFELDT, Gregory Dale to Cecil andMyrene Carson Alfeldt on April 27 (Oakdale).ANDERSON, Kerri Sue to Robert andLinda Macllwee Anderson on May 1(College Hill).WHITE, Stephanie Ann, born April 30,adopted by John and Norma White(College Hill).DEATHSCOOK, Velma Bowser, (58) on May 18(Geneva).GRAHAM, Robert, on May 13 at R.P.Home (Montclair).SCHODER, Felix D., (95) on May 1(Seattle).SCHUTZ, Mrs. Lucy C, on Feb. 7 (Indianapolis).MARRIAGESBARTU, Eileen and SPRAGUE, Roy onApril 28 (Seattle). Robert McMillan officiatedat ceremony.COPELAND, Debbie and BRUCE, Jim, IIon May 26 (Quinter).LINTON, Claudia and BRITT, Ward onApril 7 at Westside Nazarene Church withreception at Second R.P. Church (Indianapolis).Dr. Roy Blackwood officiated.THOMPSON, Nancy and JESCH, Douglason April 21 at Second R.P. Church (Indianapolis).Dr. Roy Blackwood officated.McDONALD, Nancy and PELAIA, Roberton May 19 at College Hill R.P. Church.Dean Smith officiated.BAPTISMTEMPLETON, Brooke Elizabeth,daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Templetonby her pastor, Dr. Roy Blackwood(Indianapolis).GRADUATIONSHIGH SCHOOLCUNNINGHAM, Linda from Beaver FallsHigh.GENEVASPEAR, Carol (College Hill). B.S.LINHART, Judy (College Hill). B.A.MENOHER, Gail (Geneva). B.S. ineducation. Joined Geneva congregation onApr. 26.OTHER SCHOOLSCOPELAND, Paul (Quinter). B.S. fromSyracuse University.COPELAND, Wayne (Quinter). B.A. fromFt. Hays State College.ADDRESS CHANGERev. David R. PattersonR. R. 3, Box 72Clarinda, Iowa 51632Phone: 712-542-5026NOTICE OF CALLOn May 11, the Marion, Iowacongregation called Robert McFarland tobe their pastor.S.Ray BlairModerator of PresbyteryCALLS ACCEPTEDJames D. Carson to Los Angeles, Ca.Ralph Joseph to N.Y. Presbytery's call fornew work at Easton, Pa.CALL DECLINEDJ. Bruce Martin to New Alexandria,18COVENANTER WITNESS

A New R.P.Congregation in DenverWhy We Organized.As a group, we requested theWestminster Commission of MidwestPresbytery to carry out the steps necessaryto organize a congregation of theReformed Presbyterian Church of NorthAmerica with us as members. Why did wedo so and why did they agree to ourrequest? It was because we all believed itto be God's will for us to be organized,and we believe that He in fact brought thecongregation into existence. We do notclaim any special revelation so it isnecessary to explain how we came to thisconclusion. There are some generalreasons and purposes for establishingcongregations, whatever the time andplace. There are also particular reasons forGod to build a church in a particular timeand place, and particular evidences thatHe is doing so. Because of the "we" inthe title, the author asked the individualsin the group to give some of their reasons,and some of their comments will be quotedalong the way.If we may summarize from Section 4of Chapter I of "Church Government,"the mission of the church is to proclaimGod's revealed will; to gather into herfellowship any who accept Jesus Christ asSaviour and Lord and promise to obeyHim; to build up their faith and trainthem to be faithful witnesses for Christ; tomaintain the worship of God in purity; towitness against all evil; and to seek theadvancement of God's Kingdom on earth.These apply to any congregation, and aswe see that they describe the mission ofthe organized church we are motivated tobe organized ourselves. Some of the thingsinvolved are oversight of the session (forbuilding up believers), the corporatenature of our witness, and the sacraments.Our first communion was April 8, 1973,and one comment was, "I'm especiallythankful that we can have Communion. Ihave missed this very much.""God is organizing a congregationhere for our own good. He is our provider.We need to pray now for the otherCovenanters in the area who aren't a partof our congregation to realize that we wereplaced here in Westminster for theirspiritual benefit and growth."As one reason from history, wemention this: "We have had a witnesshere before. For various reasons, thiswitness came to an end as an establishedbody of people, but there still remained adesire in the hearts of men for this tocontinue. Prayers were surely offered for arenewal of the Reformed Presbyterianwitness in this area." One of God's meansof accomplishing something is to put adesire in the heart for it and to lead men topray for it.As another historical fact, we noticethat the Denver Commission, acting forMidwest Presbytery, surveyed thesituation and found it advisable to call J.Paul McCracken as an extension pastor.Some of the outward evidence they mayhave considered will be discussed later,but here we want to mention that thisdecision was made by godly men, subjectto the guidance of the Holy Spirit, andtherefore is some indication of God's will.In the fall of 1970, we began havingSabbath evening meetings in the Mc­Cracken home at 8823 Princeton Street,Westminster. Then we began to haveSabbath morning worship services andclasses in Shaw Heights School, nearby,in January of 1971. From the beginningwe saw another evidence of God'sworking. "Some families desiring such achurch witness were already here. Othershave come. Others have heard of it andjoined in. Surely this is of God, that such agathering together would take place."And again, "God has brought a numberof us with similar convictions together inworship and in fellowship. It seems naturalthat as we work together we would want tobe more organized."Just a gathering of people does notmake a church. It must be a gathering ofGod's people. Without congratulatingourselves we can say there is evidence inthe lives of the members of the group thatthey are God's people. For instance,"The warmth of fellowship is anothertestimony. Christians of many types havecome to love each other and profit fromeach other's testimony and counsel."Not only has God drawn togetherthose of us who are now members, but wehave had the privilege of ministering to anumber of other families and individuals.Many of these have been among the"Christians of many types" mentionedabove. We are happy with the opportunityof ministry and are convinced that thewealth of opportunities shown to us byGod is further evidence in favor oforganization.Now suppose there had not been awitness of the Reformed PresbyterianChurch in Denver, and that there had notbeen a nucleus for the work to begin with.The case for starting would have beenweaker, but there are facts about the areathat favor starting a work here. For onething, the Denver area has a largepopulation which is growing rapidly. It isexpected to receive a sizeable number ofpeople leaving both coasts in the yearsahead. This means there are and will bemany opportunities to witness andminister. Among the people moving heremay be some Reformed Presbyterians whowill be happy to find a congregation here.There are also colleges in the areaproviding another kind of opportunity toserve.Another factor is the needin theWestminster area for sound Reformedchurches. "The whole gospel representedin the Reformed faith is needed in thenorthwest Denver area. God surely wantsus to make it clear. His Great Commissionrequires it."The Greeley congregation provides uswith nearby support and fellowship whichis a reason in itself and suggests anotherreason for having a congregation in theDenver area. "Perhaps God wants toestablish a strong group here in order toserve as a parent group for many similarworks elsewhere in this expandingpopulation center. Thessalonica was abase. So perhaps our church will be."With this hope we desire to put our talentsto work for Christ and his church as anorganized congregation.ARLAN RAMSAYJULY 4, 1973 19

QTildteii 6& tlie ^Setfnori(from page 9)'Attendance in the Sabbath school is not infrequentlysubstituted for attendance, along with adults, at the stated dietsof worship. This result has been realised, in a very markeddegree, where the Sabbath school system has been zealouslycarried out. And the consequence must be that those, who aschildren acquired not the habit of coming to hear the Gospel,will not care to acquire it at any subsequent period of theirlives.'What has so often happened today is that the number ofcommitted Christian families in churches has so declined thatalmost all youth effort is arranged for children outside thechurch whose parents do not attend regularly. These children,it appears, cannot be held except by meetings or classes otherthan public worship, and as they form a large majority, suchchildren as do belong to the church are expected to fall in withthe arrangements for the larger group. When an appeal is madethat this system should end and that children whose parents arein the church should be with their parents, it will be said that adistinction between children would be invidious and that anychange in the present system would be to risk losing themajority. But by their early teens the majority are alreadyunhappily being lost to the church, and conditions today havereached such a point that there is no prospect for the futureexcept in a determined resolution to return to the rule ofScripture. When that is done we believe it will be seen that thefamily is a basic unit; that the church has a primary (not sole)responsibility to the families in her midst; and that through thepowerful preaching of the Word of God to the young ageneration more deeply taught in truth and godliness can yet beraised up.There are a number of churches today who have nevergiven up the Reformed view that children should be presentthroughout public worship. Though it has not been broadcast tothe world, some of these churches have been blessed in theinfluence which the preaching has exerted upon their young.For five years it was the experience of the writer to worship atWestminster Chapel under the ministry of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. In that church a creche was provided for infants, but onlyuntil they were old enough to be silent in public worship; thusfrom the age of two or three it was common for many childrento be present throughout the whole service. Certainly nochildren remained in a creche beyond the age of four, and beforemany years of attendance in the services had passed, a numberof children could intelligently follow preaching which someadults were ready to regard as too profound. There is a passingreference to this in Dr. Lloyd-Jones' recent volume Preachingand Preachers. Referring to the number of letters he received atthe time of his illness a few years ago he goes on: 'The letterthat I prize was from a little girl aged twelve who wrote onbehalf of herself and her brother, unbeknown to their parents,saying that they were praying for my recovery and hoping that Iwould soon be back in the pulpit. She then gave the reason forthis, and that is what pleased me so much. She said, "becauseyou are the only preacher we can understand".'The sovereign grace of God reaches the young and still itis true that the Lord of heaven and earth hides gospel truthsfrom the wise and prudent and reveals them unto babes!By permission ofThe Banner of Truthirector ofducationalervicesTHE "TYPICAL" TEACHERWhat is a church school teacher in America? ScripturePress Ministries recently surveyed a sample of teachers inevangelical churches. "The 'typical' teacher is a female (65.4per cent), between 31 and 50 years of age (51.3 per cent),married (85 per cent), has two or more children (78 per cent),has one or more additional responsibilities in her home churchbesides her Sunday School class (72.2 per cent), is not a collegegraduate (76.4 per cent), and is unemployed (30 per cent)."As one who favors having teachers appointed for one-yearterms (with possible re-appointment), I was surprised to learnthat forty per cent of the teachers surveyed had been teachingfor at least ten years. Less than ten per cent were in their firstyear of teaching.Most teachers spend one or two hours preparing for aclass (one teacher in seven confessed that he spent less than anhour). Incidentally, this is one of the reasons some of my friendstell me that we are just "playing games" with our SabbathSchools. Are we serious about Christian education if our totalinvestment as teachers is less than three hours per week? (Onethirdof the teachers had less than half an hour of teaching time;hardly any had more than fifty minutes; and only one teacher inthree is dissatisfied with the amount of teaching time that hehas.) It is encouraging to note that the more teaching timeavailable, the more preparation time is invested.Sometimes Reformed Presbyterians get discouragedbecause we see ourselves as small. However, it is desirable tohave small church school classes. And three-quarters of theteachers surveyed have less than ten students in their classes.The survey was conducted to test four hypotheses, all ofwhich were confirmed, "(a) That longer lesson preparationtime by teachers is correlated with a higher degree of evidenceof spiritual growth in the pupils, (b) That a greater length ofSunday School teaching experience is correlated with a higherfrequency of pupil conversions and with a higher degree ofevidence of spiritual growth, (c) That teachers of younger agestend to use a greater variety of teaching methods, (d) That ahigher level of academic achievement on the part of teachers iscorrelated with a greater variety of teaching methods."Those of my friends who are ready to do away with theSabbath School are a minority. Ninety-six per cent of theteachers who were surveyed think that it should be continued.(The complete report can be purchased from ScripturePress Ministries, Box 513, Glen Ellyn, Illinois 60137.)David R. Armstrong20 COVENANTER WITNESS

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ORDTHE QUESTION OF CONTROVERSYWhat is Christian journalism? What are its norms andmandates from God? These and similiar questions arereceiving serious attention from many groups, ranging fromthe fundamentalist-oriented Evangelical Press Association tothe Dutch Calvinist-oriented Institute for Christian Studiesat Toronto.Frequently these groups talk about the role of thedenominational magazine. All realize that this is an"establishment" publication. Your Witness for example, ispublished under the supervision of the Board of Educationand Publication with the specific directive to avoidpublishing that which is "contrary to the law and order ofthe church."There are those in the field of religious journalism whofeel that such restrictions seal the fate of the denominationalpaper. They feel it is too much of a propaganda sheet for theofficial policies of the group with no room for that nebulousright known as "freedom of the press."Others are not so critical or pessimistic. They believethat good, helpful material can be shared through the pagesof a denominational magazine regardless of any speciallimitations it may have in policy. Needless to say, this is theway the staff of the Witness feels. We want to serve thechurch in terms of providing the greatest good for thegreatest number. We may not be terribly avant garde or onthe frontlines of ' 'hot'' issues. But we feel there are enoughconcerns of the kingdom of God that we can share on ourpages to make them worthwhile.Some have expressed a concern that the Witness showsa greater interest in discussing controversial questions. Infact, we actually turn down a great deal more of that type ofmaterial than you might expect. We deliberately avoid opendebate of doctrinal positions taken by the church. Themaking of sensational, highly critical statements, we feel, isnot always in the best interests of the wide group of readersthat we have. (For example we didn't have any great problemin refusing to print a Ms entitled "The Distinctive Principlesor What is Killing the Covenanter Church." Whilethe author had several worthwhile observations, the generaltenor of the paper was hardly edifying.)Now on the other hand it is true that we have had suchpro and con discussions on such matters as Junior Churchand the pastor working outside the congregation. In a smallchurch like ours it is hard to discuss such matters without2appearing to point the finger at a specific individual. Yet wecan honestly say we have no particular person or situation inmind when we print such articles. We just want both sides ofan issue to be heard and to give readers some facts to weighin making their own decisions. Even if a decision is"touchy," we need to learn to face things. If some are sosensitive on a particular matter that they do not want to seeopen discussion on it, then we ask you to please pass by suchpages. Do remember that there are always others who dowant to see the same matter discussed and do want to readabout it. We try to honor suggestions that come to us aboutarticles people would like to see in their church paper. Wehope you will let us know some of the things you were notexcited about as well as what was helpful to you.We believe that a denominational paper can renderworthwhile service to the Christian community itrepresents. We hope to challenge, to encourage, to setthinking the many sincere Christians who take the time toread the Witness. Naturally we can't expect every article tobe of equal interest to each reader. We all have our individualtastes and preferences. Yet we hope at least once in a while tohave something tailored ' 'just for you." So till then will youkeep reading and keep the suggestions coming?R.W.N.•Editor :An emphatic AMEN should be given to the funeralarticle of the March 28 issue of the Witness by Rev. Stewart. Itis rare in such modern times for people to read such positivetruth about the aspect of death, salvation, and the Christianfuneral.I'm not sure that even the use of such an obituary as Rev.Stewart suggests is really necessary because I think it can besafely assumed that those present knew the deceased and wearen't likely to be giving fresh information to the Almighty!One thing which is not spelled out clearly enough is whatthe church ought to do in reaction to the question of theChristian funeral and people learning what is right and wrongwith this custom. We need very much to spell out for people atheology of death as it applies to funeral practices.Probably nowhere else has the church done less strenuousthinking and given less guidance than the funeral profession. Astart in this direction is long overdue and needs to be enactednow. It is one thing to hold Morticians responsible for all theevil and wrong done in regards to funerals, and quite anotherthing for the church to accept its responsibility to make funeralsto fit its theology.Ronald Good(Elkins Park, R.P.C.)COVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.VOLUMENO. 15JULY 18, 1973CONTENTSARTICLES:NEEDED: Deacon-Evangelist for the Inner CityWhen Should a Congregation Close Its Doors? ..Synod '73 In Review ....In Place of Hate.Visiting Chinese Churches in Asia. .Our Training in Quinter....Falling Away.FEATURES:A Word Due. .In Truth and Love....Glimpses.Hey LookitBring the Books."Count Her Towers""Count Our Days"4.68910.. .14.16..2.2.121315.20.20SUBSCRIPTIONINFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, £2, 1 year;£3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 51221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 800 Wood St.,Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.Known office of publication: Box K,Winchester, Kansas 66097. Secondclass postage paid at Winchester,Kansas 66097.*IV»NGCUC»L PRESS ASSOCIATIONINDEXTO THECONSTITUTIONOF THER.P.C.N.A.Copies are punched to fit the ring-bound copies of the constitution. Price$.25 per copy plus S.25 postage and handling. Group orders at $2.50 per dozenplus $.50 postage and handling. Order from:Board of Education and Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh. Pa. 15221ORDER NOWJULY t. 1973 -.

NEEDED:Deaconfor theThe diaconal ministry of the church is underdeveloped; in practice at least this is unquestionably true.I have served as a minister in two Reformed denominationssince 1958, and the experience has shown me that in generalnobody seems quite sure what deacons are for. The tendency,it seems, is to confuse deacons (created by the NewTestament) with trustees (created by the modern State).True, we do have officers called deacons because the NewTestament so clearly calls for them. But what are they for?The dilemma might be posed in this way: whereas the NewTestament presents the diaconate fundamentally as aministry of mercy or "social action," in the life of thechurch today deacons seem mainly to function as ecclesiasticalcustodians. Why has this happened? I think thereare two reasons for it.TOTAL REDEMPTIONFirst, our understanding of the gospel is distorted.Deeply influenced by pagan Greek philosophy (the spirit iimportant, the body is not), we have fallen into the agedichotomybetween soul and body. It is true that the Bibldistinguishes between these two parts of man's make-up, bwe have gone awry and viewed man as if the concerns of hibody did not matter nearly so much as those of his soul.Bible makes a distinction, we have created a dichotomy. Ogospel ministry consequently has been aimed almost solelythe soul and its salvation. The Biblical gospel in contraenvisions the redemption of the whole person, body andsoul. Romans 8:23 is but one example of this extensive4 COVENANTER WITNESS

Evangelisttoner-Citydoctrine of Scripture. It was the error of Liberalism in ourcentury to see man mainly as a body; the error of Fundamentalismin reaction was to see him mainly as a soul.This is oversimplified, of course, but the analysis is basicallylegitimate. We jettisoned the soulless body of Liberalism andtried to embrace the disembodied soul of Fundamentalism.The result is that we still have trouble seeing man in hiswholeness, and correspondingly we have difficulty feelingthat the gospel really is addressed to the whole need of man,not just to his soul.SOCIAL STRATIFICATIONAnother cause of our diaconal astigmatism lies in thesocial stratification of the church. The society in which welive is, as we know, socially and economically stratified:upper-, middle-, and lower-class. The church instead ofslicing through these strata in its corporate life has conformedto it. Rather than challenging the status quo here, wehave baptized it. Like most other Reformed churches we area middle-class fellowship. And it is from this fact, I suggest,that some of our embarrassment with the diaconal officearises. Being quite thoroughly identified with a comfortableaffluence, we have relatively little in the way of pressingeconomic needs in our midst. And further we have so littlemeaningful contact with the proverty-level classes that weare insulated against the painful pressure for socialamelioration that such contact creates. Safely isolated fromvast sectors of suffering humanity, we have developed adangerous immunity to the complex economic, social andphysical agony that so many feel today.And so the inevitable result of all this is that we seemto think of social action as inimical to the gospel rather thanas an integral part of its broad scope of concern. We have,perhaps, unwittingly accepted the assumption that somehowevangelism and social action are enemies, not friends. Inconsequence, the church which is the body of Christ hasbecome paraplegic. And this impotence is felt nowhere moresharply than in its diaconate. Biblically speaking, thediaconate exists to organize and inspire the church'sministry of mercy or social concern. Ii we have come to seethat sort of concern as an enemy of the gospel rather than asa part of it, little wonder then if our deacons have anidentity-problem. They cannot fulfill their Scripturallydefinedrole because it has somehow become identified withwhat is contrary to the real work of the church.THE BIBLICAL DIACONATEWe must begin to correct this, and our self-correctionwill have to focus, in my opinion, on our concept of thegospel and how it is related to our concept of the diaconate.One of the most timely things the church could do is tostudy Peter Y. De Jong's book, The Ministry of Mercy forToday. DeJong insists that a proper view of the relationshipof the diaconate to the concerns of the gospel is the Godordainedanswer to a large segment of human need. He alsosees in the structure of the church as decreed by its Lord anorganization that corresponds to the full-orbed mediatorialoffices of Christ on the one hand and the broad gamut ofhuman need on the other:"Because (the church) believes the basic principlesof Scripture, she affirms that no adequate answer tothe economic ills of society can be given without ahumble recognition of the sovereign Lordship ofChrist and the need of his redeeming grace. . .Believing that God in Christ has redeemed thebodies as well as the souls of men, she stresses theneed of working toward the improvement of thosedistressful conditions which make men suffer. In thechurch which strives to do her work faithfully andobediently, no new organization is necessary towitness to the redeeming power of the gospel for thewhole life of man."What we have then, according to DeJong, is an ecclesiasticalstructure that corresponds to the fulness ofChrist's mediatorial work on the one hand and the full rangeof human need on the other, so that in the church you have,in microcosm, God's new humanity, His kingdom on earth.Corresponding to Christ's Prophetic office, the church doesthe work of proclamation (preachers); corresponding to HisKingly office, she does the work of regulation (elders);corresponding to his Priestly office, the work of amelioration(deacons) (cf. Hebrews 4:15-5:10). Both the content of thegospel and the structure of the church combine to indicateChrist's full provision for the spiritual, physical, emotional,social and economic needs of a humanity fragmented andcrippled by sin. Christ is a redeemer of persons in a rich andfull sense, a sense as wide and deep as life itself in all its(cont. on pg. 18)JULY 18, 1973 5

About the author: Bob McCrackenwrites for us as one wearing severalhats one of which he is in the process ofchanging. He is a member of the HomeMission Board and the pastor-elect ofthe Walton, N.Y., R.P. congregation.Currently, he is completing his term aspastor in Marion, Iowa.When Should aCongregationClose Its Doors?ROBERT McCRACKENIt's easy to run someone else'sbusiness, solve someone else'sproblems, coach a team from thebleachers, but the situation changeswhen you confront the reality. So it is insuggesting that any congregation closeits doors. An outsider may, withoutemotion, render such a judgment afterattending only one or two services, butto those whose entire lives have beenbound up in a congregation, and whoface the inevitable adjustments involvedif that fellowship is discontinued, it is nosimple matter. Nevertheless, it needs tobe faced.Jesus speaks directly to this questionin his letter to the Church at Ephesus(Rev. 2:1-7). He says, "You have lostyour first love. Remember thereforefrom where you have fallen, and repentand do the deeds you did at first; or elseI am coming to you, and will removeyour lampstand out of its place." The"lampstand" was a symbol of thecongregation (Rev. 1:20), and to be"removed out of its place" would beequivalent to "closing its doors."ATTITUDES COUNTWhy would Jesus suggest such adrastic move? It's not that the EphesianChurch has so few people left on theroll. Jesus says nothing here aboutnumbers. The reason He gives is theirattitude. Something was lacking in thespirit and life of the people.A similar thought is expressed in themessage to the Church at Sardis. Jesussaid to that congregation (Rev. 3:1), "Iknow thy works, that thou hast a namethat thou livest, and art dead." Theystill had all the form, but the essenceand the life were gone. Christ says tothem, "Be watchful and strengthen thethings which remain, that are ready todie. .repent, .(or). .1 will come on theeas a thief, and thou shalt not know whathour I will come upon thee (i.e. injudgment)."Jesus is speaking just as truly to ustoday as He was to those in the firstcentury, and He calls us to carefulexamination of each of ourcongregations. What are the prevailingattitudes? Is there reality in our lonly form? If our "first love" has beenforgotten, and if the "forms" areempty, it's time either to repent andrevive or to close the doors. To perpetuatea "dead" congregation is toengage in a kind of fraud and to bringdishonour to Christ, the Head of theChurch, who is not dead, but is the verysource and essence of life.MAKING A DIAGNOSISIn the case of a sick man, doctorskeep checking his "vital signs" todetermine his state of health. If thesesteadily deteriorate rather than improve,death is sure to follow. So alsowith a congregation. When the "vitalsigns" have shown gradualdeterioration over a number of years,without apparent likelihood of change,steps should be taken to stop the anticipatedpainful demise. The remainingmembers, together with Presbytery,should deliberately remove the"lampstand'' and close and lock those6 COVENANTER WITNESS

particular doors and then either relocate,or re-organize, or assimilatewith some comparable fellowship, sothat those who care can help the"lamp" to burn brighdy again.What are the "vital signs" of ahealthy congregation? I would suggesttwo: 1) Internal Development; 2)External Usefulness.Internal development would covermany things. Do the individualsevidence a joy and thrill in knowingChrist as personal Saviour and seekevery means of growing up in Him or istheir talk of Christ stale and sterile? Isthere a warmth of love within thefellowship or are there long-standingfeuds and factions which have put anunpleasant 'chill factor' into the atmosphereand freeze out any attemptsat real communion of the saints? Isthere a willingness to participate andshoulder responsibility or is the spiritone of stubbornness and preoccupation?What kind of spiritual leadership existsin the session? What is the potential forthe future? How about the willingnessto change, to adjust to new people, toaccept "outsiders" with new ideas?What about the care and appearance ofthe Church properties; the readiness offinancial support? All these are vitalsigns which are either deteriorating orimproving.External usefulness is concernedwith relations within the Community. Isthere a vision to reach out to thecommunity or simply a desire to keephanging on to the status quo? Is a vitalwitness still possible in the community,or has the congregation's reputationbecome so negative that no one willlisten to their message? Has the lightwhich once shone brightly in thatcommunity virtually gone out andeveryone knows it? Would your servicesappeal to the visitor coming in orwould their impression be that they hadjust been to a "funeral wake" orsomething similar? Are membersknown in the community for theirconsistent Christian testimony as wellas for their business ability and communityinterest? These are vital signsand if they have deteriorated over thelast several years, it would be better toclose the doors and re-direct theirChristian energies rather than continuein that state of gradual decay.EMOTIONAL INVOLVEMENTA "dying" congregation has adevastating effect on those involvedJULY 18, 1973with it. For them Christianity loses itsjoy, its challenge, and its mission; andno Christian can remain healthy longunder those circumstances. To bring upchildren in such an environment is togive them a perverted view of Christ andHis kingdom and to deprive them ofmuch of the joy that could be theirsthrough Christian companionship andservice.Emotions run very deep in thespiritual aspects of our lives and thuswhen a proposal is made that acongregation close its doors, floods ofmemories rush forward and nostalgiaoften carries more weight than sanctifiedobjectivity. There are those whowill argue: "Let's not do anything untilAunt Hessie dies, because it would besuch a shock to her. She's gone to thatchurch ever since she was a little girl."The problem is, Aunt Hessie may livesix or eight years yet or longer. Duringthat time things will probably go frombad to worse, and the honor of Christwill suffer just that much more. Afterall, the Church doesn't exist for AuntHessie (or if it has, perhaps that's whyit is dying). Rather it exists for the LordJesus Christ, and His honor should bethe primary consideration in whatevertakes place. No emotional attachment toa building, or to a location, should keepa group from taking the steps necessaryto remedy a situation which isdishonoring to Christ."It's the only reason I'd even think of changingchurches 1 "AVAILABLE OPTIONSNow what is to become of theremaining members if a congregationcloses its doors? In some cases theremay be another Reformed Presbyteriancongregation within driving distance. Acarpet company some thirty milesoutside of our city advertises with theslogan "Drive a little, same a lot."That could be applied to the members ofa stagnant congregation such as we'vebeen describing. "Drive a little, andprofit a lot." The profits would be wellworth the gas, time and effort. Tobecome involved in an active, vitalcongregation would no doubt changethe whole complexion of the Christianlives of these people and would helpand encourage the other congregation aswell.If no other congregation is near, the'displaced Christians' could organize atotally new kind of fellowship meeting,perhaps an informal Home Bible Studytype which would be more conducive toinviting in guests from the community.Through this there could be a newbeginning, a continuing fellowship anda promising future. If there is no energyor desire to attempt a continuingministry, Presbytery could provide aprogram of limited care for theremaining people or they could no doubtfind fellowship and be 'fed' in anothercommunity church of like doctrinalconvictions.Jesus told a parable likening theJewish church of his day to a fig treethat wasn't bearing fruit (Luke 13:6-9)and the command came from theowner: "Cut it down, why cumberethit the ground?" (to "cumber theground" means to occupy unprofitably).The caretaker of thevineyard said, "Master, let it alone fora year, let me dig about it, and fertilizeit, and then after that, if it doesn't bearany fruit, cut it down. Here is a guidefor us today concerning thecongregation that seems to be merely"cumbering the ground." Work it,help it, stir it up, feed it, but if it stillshows no signs of fruitiulness, thenit istime to "cut it down."When presbyteries, which arecharged with congregational oversight,make their yearly review, they shouldanalyze the "vital signs", consider thewelfare of God's people, and above allthe honor of the Lord Jesus Christ.Then they must take whatever stepsnecessary to maintain the glorv otChrist and the continuing developmentof His Body, the Church.•

Synod 73 In ReviewR. McCracken, Asst. Clerk; B.Clerk; J. Carson, Moderator.(Courtesy: News Tribune, B. Falls, Pa.)FINANCES:Per capita giving in thedenomination in 1972 was $271 (in1971 $265). Per capita giving toSynod's Budget in 1972 was $38 (in1971, $41.)Requests from the various boardsof the church were submitted to theCoordinating Committee in the totalamount of $343,000. After lengthydiscussion, the 1974 Budget was setfor $236,000.The Committee on Stewardshipwas discontinued and their dutiesgiven to the Board of Trustees whoare to make a concerted effort to raiseSynod's Budget.A revised minimum salary forpastors was adopted.FOREIGN MISSIONS:Considerable discussion was givento the possible change of control of theAcademies in Cyprus. The FMB willbe investigating possible ways to givethe schools over to Evangelicalcontrol. Synod is to make a finaldecision concerning the schools'future in 1974.HOME MISSIONS—CHURCHEXTENSION:The board is undergoing a reorganizationinto 16 members, includingone from each presbytery. AStatement of Philosophy and Purposewas approved by Synod. It containsthe plan for a Secretary-Evangelist.No nominations, however, werepresented to fill the office in 1974.BOARD OF EDUCATION ANDPUBLICATION:Ronald Nickerson was re-electedto a three year term as Director ofPublications.David Armstrong has resigned asDirector of Educational Services. Byaction of Synod, choice of a successorwas postponed for one year.The dates for the NationalConference at Carleton have been setfor Aug. 15-22, 1974.WORSHIP:Prior to Synod, numerousspeakers presented position papers onthe Biblical doctrine of worship, as itcenters principally upon theregulative principle and exclusivePsalmody. Selected papers from thisconference will be available inpublished form this fall.INTERCHURCH CORRESPON­DENCE COMMITTEE:Synod approved plans for aConsultative Assembly of the Irishand Scottish R. P. Synod to meet withour North American Synod in 1974to discuss organic union of thedenominations.Synod also extended an invitationto the Orthodox Presbyterian andReformed Presbyterian (EvangelicalSynod) Churches to meet concurrentlywith our Synod at GenevaCollege in 1975. It is hoped that agreater degree of fellowship will begained by such meetings.ABORTION:A special resolution was adoptedand a committee for further study wasappointed. The resolution stated: "Itis Scriptural. . .to instruct against thesin of induced abortions whether by'morning after' measures, devicesworn within the womb (IUDs) or byother medication, instrumentation orsurgical procedures. This is not tocondemn oral contraceptives, externalmechanical devices or externalmedication of contraceptive nature,surgical sterilizations, or abortion tosave the mother's life."ITEMS FOR FUTURE ACTION:Committee reports are expectedon the following key issues:1) Close Communion (due 1974)2) Public Covenanting (due1974)3) Parity of Eldership (due 1975)4) Joint Revision of WestminsterStandards with OPC and RPCES5) Testimony Revision CommitteeAN ELDER'S IMPRESSION:"The spirit of Synod was mostencouraging. The ability andwillingness to carry on vigorousdebate. . .without personality conflictsseems to indicate the strongdesire to make sure our subordinatestandards are subject to the Word ofGod.There were many evidences toindicate a growing desire to shift thepower of our denomination fromSynod to Presbytery level.The matter of denominationpriorities was a major concern as aresult of Synod's decision to terminatethe use of the Contingency Fund tounderwrite the Budget." (JohnRussell, North Hills)The above items were drawn froma post-synod report prepared by theModerator, James Carson, for hiscongregation.8 COVENANTER WITNESS

III PlaceAbout the author: Rev. SamuelMcGill, the chaplain for theWilkinsburg Community Ministry, hasgiven us permission to printanonymously this letter which hereceived recently from a young black inthis suburb of Pittsburgh, Pa. Theletter relates how he has found Christ'slove as the answer to his former antagonismand hatred.of HateThis time last year I was one bitterperson. It was only God's mercy that Iam not behind bars for murder or in mygrave because someone got me first. Iwas ready for either or both and didn'tmuch care what happened to me. Thenyou came into our lives. It might shockyou to know that the night you stoppedto talk to me onStreet inWilkinsburg I was on my way to thelandlord's house with only one thing inmind — to get him. In my pocket I had ajar of roaches that I collected from ourhouse. I meant to turn them loose in hispad and on his kids. I tried to figure outa way to catch some rats and take themalong too. I also had a blade on me andmeant to use it if things got tough. Thejacket I was wearing was the one yougave my mother for me. I rememberedwhen she came home with it she saidthat you and her had a long talk againand that the two of you prayed togetherin the church. I couldn't understandwhy my mother was so happy that day.The roaches were still crawling around,the wiring hadn't been repaired, waterwas leaking, and the landlord hadn'tdone anything about the whole messother than collect his rent money. Butlike I said, my mother was happy thatday — she started cleaning that oldshack like mad and singing likeeverything was all right. Right then Isized you up as some kind of religiousfreak who had fed her some pie in thesky jive and sold her on the white man'sGod. After thinking about it I reallyliked to see my mother happy that wayinstead of worrying and crying a lot.Just the same I wanted to striketeachers, kids, police, landlords, allwhites.I didn't make it to my landlord'shouse that night. For some reason mymother's face kept getting in front of meand your voice kept ringing in my ears. Ifinally threw the roaches away andwalked the streets of Wilkinsburg forseveral hours; then as you remember, Iended up at your door about eleveno'clock.You were easy to talk to. You justlet me say what was on my mind. Whenthe dirty words slipped out. you werecool. But most of all what I liked, youdidn't try to con me.I never dreamed that I would everask anyone to pray for me. Long ago Igave up on God. I figured He was whiteand for whites, so why should I pray toHim. If He cared anything about blackswhy didn't He do something for us —all the injustice and stuff. Why doeseverything go against us even the law ofthe land — the laws are made to punishblacks, but to protect whites? This iswhy I gave up on Him.You let me say alot of things thatnight that were bottled up in me for along time. As I think back they musthave sounded pretty bad. All I know isthat I felt good after I spilled it all out toyou. Then, more than anything else.Rev. McGill. I wanted you to pray forme. I'll never forget the words you readfrom the Bible before you prayed,"And he that cometh unto me, I shallin no wise cast out.'' I think it was thenthat I realized that God was for real andthat He cared for me.Thanks to your help our family wasable to move out of that rat and roachridden house into a nice place before Ileft home to come here to school. Asyou probably know, Mom got oftwelfare and has a job she likes verymuch. .As for me, I am not completely outof the woods yet, but I can see the lightahead. All the questions aren't settledin my mind yet but they don't get me uptight anymore, not like before. . .I have one prof who is a real Bigot,he is Mr. Bigot, real down on the blackbrothers and sisters. A lot of the whitestudents don't like him. I am workingon him but not like I would have a yearago. You see, I actually feel sorry for theguy. He is in a bad way, just like I was.He hates blacks like I used to hatewhites. You just can't make itanywhere with all that hate eating atyour insides, NO WAY. Like a strongacid it was eating me up.I know now that life can be just greatif we build it on the right things. And Iknow that in the eyes of God there areonly two kinds of people — therighteous and the unrighteous. theone is obedient to Him and the otherisn't; the one loves Him, and the otherdoesn't. Those that love Him, love alsotheir fellowman. I am learning to love.JULY IS, 1973 9

Charles H. Chao, ExecutiveSecretary of the Chinese R.T.F. andthe writer met at Taipei on Tuesday,April 3rd and flew on the same planeto Hong Kong. We spent two nightsin the European Y.M.C.A. there andenjoyed a grand Chinese feast given tous by our R.T.F. printer in HongKong, Mr. Lam, at the new PeakRestaurant built above the station ofthe Cable Tramway at the top. OnApril 5 th we flew via Saigon toThailand's big city Bangkok. Chinesefriends in that city made us welcome.V/e stayed only two nights. Ourrooms were in the OverseasMissionary Fellowship's guest house,where we met Irish, Australian, NewZealand and American youngmissionaries to Thailand and Laos.One gentleman knew Phyllis Gilmoreof the Irish R. P. Mission to Ethiopiawhen they were in training school. Hewas a Mr. Boley.Mrs. Leung, a CantoneseChristian lady who is "elder" in herchurch and principal of a Chineseelementary school took Mr. Chao andme sightseeing in Bangkok's Buddhisttemple center. I humiliated myself andmy hostess by slipping on the wornmarble stairs in one wat (temple)where we had to take off our shoesbefore entering. At the bottom of thesteps in the presence of laughing Thaistudents I was grateful to know thatno injury had been suffered other thanmy dignity. Mrs. Leung was sure thatan old man falling like that must bemortally injured, so she went later inthe day to get me some specialmedicine for bruises.Elder Peter Han of the BangkokChinese Presbyterian Church has adaughter and son-in-law, Christians,in exile at a Communist labor campnear the Siberian border of Manchuria.We had a home prayermeeting in his house one night and ameeting at the Sathorn Church ofBangkok on the next evening. ElderHan gave a Chinese feast to honorMr. Chao and me on the night ofApril 6th, at which a Presbyterianmissionary and the Chinese head of anecumenical theological trainingschool were also honor guests.SingaporeMr. Chao's Singapore friend Mr.C. M. Yu and several other ChineseChristians met us at the airport inSingapore on Saturday afternoonApril 7 th. We were taken a longmotor ride to the northern coast ofSingapore Island, on the narrowchannel between the City andMalaysia, to stay in Mr. and Mrs.Yu's lovely Western style ranchhousebungalow. Mr. Yu drove usabout Singapore — to deliciousChinese dinners, to speak at churchesand to meet Chinese friends. CharlesChao preached in four differentchurches. I gave a series of foursermons in Glory Church, a bigChinese Presbyterian Church whoseFormer Chinese Covenanters from our West River mission field whocame to see us off at the Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong, on Monday, April 16.Some children of Rev. John T'ang are also in the picture. The tall woman atthe left is wife of Chan Wai Man who is next to Mr. Charles Chao. The tall boyat the back is Wai Man's son. His daughter has short pigtails and stands infront of her father. Mrs. Yung, mother of Haisan Yung is the woman in darkgown at the left front. Leung Lin-Kei is to her left. Chan Sui Man is at the backright behind Lin Kei. Daughter of Mr. Chan of Loting who has six children tocare for alone is the pretty girl in flowered gown in the center. Some of herchildren are in the picture. Mr. Luke Liu is at the front row right end and hischildren are beside him. Others not identified.10 COVENANTER WITNESS

membership is about 500. The pastoris 87 year old Pastor Yap Kok-hui,who is spry and alert and runs thecongregation like a master in spite ofhis years. Both this church and theNewton Church where Mr. Chaopreached gave us Chinese feasts.Mr. Henning arrived from embattledBeirut on the B.O.A.C.Wednesday afternoon the 11th ofApril. We three moved into theEquatorial Hotel. The room cost wasknocked down 20 per cent because afriend of Mr. Yu knows the ChineseChristian owner of this hotel and thisfriend's sister works in the hotelbusiness office. We had an executivesuite for three at a reasonable cost.Here we were able to invite somemissionary leaders to tell us moreabout the opportunities in Singaporefor literature work and Covenanterwork among Chinese. The last day wewere in the city I spoke to students ofSingapore Bible College, whoseprincipal is a son of Pastor Yap ofGlory Church where I had preached.All these talks had to be interpretedinto the Fukin dialect, which isdifferent from either Cantonese(which I speak) or Mandarin, whichMr. Chao speaks.Hong KongBy arrangements through formermember of our Chinese ReformedPresbyterian Church in China, MissLeung Lin-Kei, a meeting withChristians from the mainland washeld on Saturday night, April 14th, atthe Chinese Y.M.C.A. Mrs. PeterSoong, widow of the former pastor ofour Covenanter Church in Cantonwho still carries on her husband'sindependent work in Hong Kong wasthere. Mr. Ambrose Tsui, a graduateof the Reformed Seminary inMelbourne, Australia and a formermember of the Irish ReformedPresbyterian fellowship in Geelong,met with us. Mr. Chao invited hisgood friend Rev. John T'ang, brotherof Peter T'ang of the ChristianReformed Church of America staff inTaipei and of Stephen T'ang theevangelist in Indonesia, to eat with us.When we finally got together, thegroup numbered 20. Most of theChinese were members of our upcountryCantonese churches who fledto Hong Kong from the mainlandmore than twenty years ago. They areall involved in other churches now,but several expressed a warm interestin reopening the Yeuk Lo Ooi(Reformed Presbyterian Church) inthe British Colony. It was heartwarmingto learn from these friends alittle information concerning ourchurch in Red China. The pastor ofour Loting Church, Rev. WongMing-Uen and wife are alive. Theyhave suffered much from Communistoppression. Mrs. Wong teachesschool and Mr. Wong has some income-producingwork. Miss Soongremains in her village home at HokShaan and is well, laboring at farmwork. So far as these friends knew,Rev. Wong Shek and wife Pik Wa arestill alive. I met the daughter of Mr.Chan, the former director of ourLoting Refugee Camp in 1939-41 andhis wife Ching Kam T'ing.Mrs. Wah (Ling Koo Neung)helps Mrs. Soong. Her youngdaughter Lucia talked English fluentiyand interpreted for Mr. Henning atthe supper table. She asked me to havea picture taken of her beside me so shecould send it to Miss Huston.Another friend of Miss Huston wasMr. Luke Liu whom she helpedthrough the Bible School of theChristian and Missionary Alliance.He is preaching in a Christian churchin Kowloon.Mrs. Yung, mother of HaisanYung is returning to Long Island,New York soon, where she was livingfor some years before returning latelyto Hong Kong to see her son and wifeand their little boy. Haisan Yung'swife is a daughter of Miss Dean's oldhousehold servant Hung Paak Foo. Ilearned that her elder sister, agraduate nurse of Loting Hospital,was burned to death in a fire someyears ago, leaving two children andMr. Kok, her husband. The stories ofthese trials and sorrows of my formerCantonese brothers and sisters inChina made me lcng to minister tothem again. A number saw us off atthe airport on Monday, April 16th.TaiwanWe flew to Taipei from HongKong on April 16th. Mr. Henningand Mr. Chao and I spent the morningof April 17th sightseeing and talking.After a Chinese lunch downtown withCharles, we went home and Mrs.Chao then joined us to go to theairport. Mr. Henning and I landed inOsaka about 7 P.M., Tuesday, April17th. It was exactly two weeks fromthe day I had begun the long tripsouth. Praise God for His protectionand the rich fellowship of these days.S. E. BOYLEJULY 18, 1973

UPCUSA MODERATORThe Rev. Clinton M. Marsh is thenew Moderator of this largest ofPresbyterian churches in the U.S.A. Heformerly served under Dr. EugeneCarson Blake as director of theEcumenical Program for EmergencyAction in Africa. Interestingly, Dr.Blake was one of five candidates for themoderatorship, but he came in a poor"last." On the opening day of themeeting of the General Assembly theStated Clerk announced that they hadsuffered a loss of over 100,000members during the past year, bringingthem under the 3-million figure."CONTINUING SOUTHERN"CHURCHAccording to the Christian Beacon,reporting from both the AP and UPwire services, representatives from 261churches from 14 Southern states metat Atlanta May 19 and voted that thetime has come to proceed to organizethemselves for a continuing church.This likely means that, for many of thecongregations they must wage a courtfight to retain even their local property,and their stake in the denominationalproperty, endowments, colleges,mission property, etc. will stay with thelarger portion of the PCUS.REFORMED CONFERENCE,BEAVER FALLS, PA.For the second year the presbyteriesof the RPCES, the OPC and the RPC­NA (Covenanter) of western Pennsylvaniaand eastern Ohio, have met fora devotional and doctrinal conference,Friday evening and Saturday morning.The principal speaker was the Rev. AlMartin, a Reformed Baptist pastor ofN.J. — who spoke at the EvangelismSeminar preceding our Synod last year.The subject was Sanctification, andproved to be most profitable. Therewere 139 adults registered and therewere 23 children under 5 years of age,something of a responsibility, but amost encouraging situation.12"TIME TO RUN"The current Billy Graham film,being shown in commercial theatres,according to Christianity Today, hasgotten generally favorable reviews in thesecular press, and it has already paid foritself, after only a few weeks. The key tothis phenomenon is a "well greasedadvance campaign in which thousandsof church members are organized intovolunteer promotion committees."CT"s own commentator was mildlycritical: "Although World WidePictures has the technical potential andthe resources, a vital element ofbelievability is still missing. . . Thereought to be a way to present the biblicalmessage without the telltale 'And now aword from our sponsor ' ""Time to Run" apparently is suchas to engage the attention of manyneedy worldlings. It requires somesound biblical follow-up. Surely onewho knows Christ himself, and his Bibleshould be able to give it, without losingthe emotional impact by negativecriticism.ANOTHER CONGREGATIONHOLDS ITS PROPERTYAccording to the current RESNewsletter, the Forest ParkPresbyterian Church, formerly aUPUSA congregation, has beenawarded the right to hold its property,now that it has rejected the oversight ofits Presbytery. The congregation wasorganized as an independent church,more than 100 years ago. Later it unitedwith the Presbytery of Chicago, in1937, but when they wished to borrow$30,000 to renovate the building, thePresbytery gave them a quit claim deed.After the loan was almost repaid thePresbytery decided to dissolve thecongregation by joining it with nearbyPark View congregation, but the ForestPark congregation refused to dissolve. Alower court awarded the property to thePresbytery, but the Illinois AppellateCourt has reversed that decisionTHOSE "CONFIDENTIALSOURCES" AGAINNewsmen are in no differentsituation in their struggle for their"freedom" to maintain the secrecy oftheir "confidential sources," thanothers to maintain their freedom. Forlike all struggles for freedom, one man'sfreedom soon bumps up against thefreedom of someone else. As one readsthe "news" reports of "Watergate" itseems to shape up as an ideological bout.We get a brainwashing from commentatorsbetween episodes of thehearings, according to the ideological —or personal — bias of the commentator,that bulks larger than the hearings. Butsome media men, such as Forbesmagazine (business) editor thinksit a"grave new limitation to the FirstAmendment," that the SupremeCourt, by a 5-4 decision has permitted anewsman to be jailed for refusing toreveal the name of his source. Perhapsthe "courageous radio and TV commentators"the Editor speaks of wouldbe even more courageous if they knewthat they and their colleagues are not ina privileged class where they enjoyimmunities not enjoyed by others.Actually stage light publicity, norBill of Rights, nor laws, nor police, nor' 'balance of powers,'' is going to go fartoward curing the ills spawned by twogenerations of academic and ecclesiasticalsituation ethics. Our officialneutralism toward the claims of theliving and true God can only result inthe kind of sordid, self-serving,hypocritical deals and cover-ups servedup to us as news, not only inWashington but in New York, Podunk,Beaver Falls and Spokane.Meanwhile, the faithful preachingand teaching of the Word of God ispreparing and equipping a people forsuch a time as this.REFORMED BIBLE COLLEGEWith Christian and most privatecolleges suffering from reduced studentenrollments and income, this GrandRapids institution reports that becauseof "growing enrollment, more space isneeded" which will probably cost "atleast $830,000." They say that "66per cent of cash and short-range pledgesmust be on hand before we may beginconstruction of the new library." TheRev. Dick L. Van Halsema, Th. D. ispresident.COVENANTER WITNESS

Dear Kids!Congratulations! If you joined the Hey Lookit Club youare one of 143 members and we think that is great response!Your letters, pictures, and even poems, have been somuch fun to read and reread.John 3:16 is still the favorite verse, although you sent ina great variety. Various verses in the Psalms made that thefavorite book of this group.Seattle and Walton said they meet at times different thanSabbath night. Walton meets two Saturdays each month. Theyalso visit elderly members of the congregation.Some of the hobbies you mentioned that were unlike theones in the other group were: knitting, adventure, chess,hiking, naming birds, using a microscope, and bombardment.Here is a sample of membership drawing and a list ofsome Hey Lookiters throughout the country that you can add toyour pen-pal list.Almonte, Ont.Clyde, ColleenBloomington, Ind. — 100 perce ntMore. JohnMorrow. DavidMorrow, ElizabethLanning, AmyLanning, JeffreyMorrow, SusanTweed. AlanLanning, KimMcBurney, CynthiaMcBurney, WillsonMilroy, JeffCambridge, Mass.Nickerson, Becky(First entry)College Hill, Beaver FallsCoon, HeatherDownie, ValerieLedrick, TaraOrlando, Fla.Dill. DougDube, SkippyDube, SteveVarkony, DebbieVarkonv. KathyWindham, RogerSanta Ana, CalifMcFarland, JeanetteMcFarland, JimmyMcFarland, JohnLedrick, ToddSeattle, Wash.Warder, MarkWarder, PattyCovenant Fellowship, Pgh.Armstrong, BethEastvale, Beaver FallsCarson, BetsyFirst Beaver FallsMarkey, BruceMarkey, NancySchaefer, DebbieSchaefer, JonathanSchaefer, PaulAbrahamson, LoreeFawcett, JeffFawcett, SharonJungloo, LisaMayo, KathleenMudge, RichardPeoples, ColleenPeoples, YvetteRaines, ChristineRasmussen, NatalieTemte, SheilaShursten, LeeFour-Mile — 100 percentWearne, SoniaBarclay, JonathanBrown, DavidBrown, LindaCopeland, JohnCopeland, KentDobbs, JaniceDobbs, JerryDobbs, JudyWalton, N.Y - 100 percentLafayette, Ind. —Felker, ShirleyThurber, JonathanWalker, JeffWharff, KimWharff, ReneeNorth Hills, Pgh.McBurney, AnnMcBurney, ElaineMcBurney, RuthMcBurney, SusanNickerson. BethanyNickerson, LydiaRussell, RebeccaRussell, RitaRussell, RuthSpear, AmySpear, BarbSpear, DavidSpear, SammyKansas City. MoAllman. DavidAllman, LindaMore. Billv100 percentBush, CarolisaBush, TerryBush, TommyCronk, JayCronk, MarkCronk, TimmyHafele, AnnaHatele, MaryHenderson, KarryHulbert, KevinKlinegardner, DawnKlinegardner, JoelLaTourette, BrianLaTourette, ErwinLaTourette, RobbieLaTourette, TimmyMartin, CorinaMartin, JonelleMisner, BarbMisner, MetaNagel, ConnieNagel, JohnSargent. TommySpear, LindaTweedie. GarvTweedie, JimmyJL'I V IS. 19" 3 M

TONY McKEEMANIt has been just over seven months since my wife,Norma, and I came to Quinter, Kansas at the decision of theIrish Foreign Mission Board. This was to be part of ouryear's training as missionary candidates for the IrishReformed Presbyterian Outreach Work in Ethiopia.I had completed over one year in Ethiopia and twoyears at an interdenominational Bible college in Glasgow,Scotland and so this was to be a new area of training for us,dealing primarily with personal evangelism and group BibleStudies. Let me outline below some of our program.L. to r.: Joe Copeland, Max Mann, Waldo McBurney,Chester Graham, Robert McFarland (pastor), TonyMcKeeman.Our Training in QuinterHospitalityThe Congregation in Quinter had located an apartmentfor us prior to our arrival. It was just a few blocks awayfrom the church. As the different members arrived at ournew home to welcome us and to share in the furnishing of it,after a few hours both our refrigerator and cupboards werewell stocked with supplies. We realized that our training hadbegun. This was only the first glimpse of the unitedness wewere to see in the months that lay ahead. Since then Normaand I have been kept busy with the schedule of thisfellowship.Formal ServicesThe Sabbath Day begins with Sabbath School classesfor children and adults at 10:00 a.m. Leadership for these isappointed by the session and Christian Education Committee.The Pastor, Mr. McFarland, meets with theCollegiate Class — many of whom have traveled 50 milesfrom Fort Hays State College at Hays, Kansas.The worship service follows at 11:00 o'clock. Later onSabbath afternoon the pastor and his session meet for Biblestudy. I have been able to take part in this too. In the eveningwe meet for prayer and Bible study before the eveningservice. On the last Sabbath evening of each month, part ofthe evening worship is given for everyone to share how theLord has been leading them, or to request the prayers of thecongregation for some need in their life or a friend's.Small GroupsEach elder has been given the responsibility of the midweekBible Study and for a time it was held in their homes.We have learned from these men, who are convicted of theReformed Faith as set forth in the Westminster Confession ofFaith.Usually once a month, the young couples meet invarious homes for informal discussion. It was our pleasure tohave this group in our home one month when we consideredthe topic, "Discovering God's Will for Our Lives."The Christian Education Committee asked us somemonths ago if we would be 'sponsors' of the Young Peoples'Group, and so we have had a good opportunity of getting toknow each of them better through our discussion groups andthe evenings they have spent in our home playing ping-pongand other games.There are various activities amongst the women in thefellowship besides the three Missionary Societies. Includedin these are three Community Bible Studies, usually heldduring the week in the mornings. Norma has enjoyedparticipating in these.14 COVENANTER WITNESS

Personal TrainingOn Tuesday mornings, I meet with the pastor forpersonal fellowship in the Word. It is encouraging to learn ofthe vision which God has given the pastor for outreach workand see his elders live up to their calling as found in 1Timothy 3:1-7 and Acts 20:17,28-35 and Acts 14:23 —that every member may have a deeper knowledge of thewhole counsel of God. In our study of the WestminsterConfession of Faith and work books on Reformed Doctrine,God has used these to convict us of the importance ofworshipping Him only in the manner He has commanded.Outreach StudiesOn Tuesday afternoon Norma and I go to Hays withthe pastor and there we meet personally with some studentsat the state college, who are seeking for a deeper understandingof the Word of God. When evening comes weare to be found in the Copeland home, location of the BlueBanner Bookstore, where Mr. McFarland leads an outreachCouples Bible Study. We have been greatly encouraged bythe spiritual growth of this work, seeing men and womenbecome more aware of their calling as Christians. This hasclearly shown us the value of the home as a place of witness.Other ActivitiesSince mid-January Norma and I have joined thestudent body of Fort Hays State College, where we are takinga course in "Introduction to Linguistic Science." This willhelp prepare us to tackle our new language in Ethiopia.Part of our training has come as a result of carrying themessage of the mission work in Ethiopia to other Americancongregations, as I have already been in the village of Sheketin Ethiopia as a short-term worker.Having had a farming career before enteringmissionary training, it was a challenge for me to study drylandfarming methods as well as irrigation farming. TheDeacon Board made this possible by arranging part-timework for me on the farms of some of the members. This alsohelps out financially in our training program. I hope to passon the latest agricultural information to the Ethiopianfarmers that they may be able to improve their farmingmethods. Pray that this training contact with the Ethiopianswould provide the setting in which the Creator of the worldmight be explained to them.As you may have gathered our training has not been ina classroom setting, but it has been through a practical dailyinvolvement with the fellowship in all it's activities and init's role as laid down in Scripture.Our time here has been one of seeing and working witha "church-in-action" which God has taken through difficulttimes, to bring glory to His name. Seeing the outreach workin Hays has given us a desire to see Reformed Fellowshipsformed in other lands.It would be impossible to give details of all that Godhas taught us through living with this fellowship but we praythat it will be shown through our living and working for Godin the place He has chosen for us.JULY IS. 19N3THE DUST OF DEATH. Os Guinness. Inter-Varsitv Press, 1973.419 pp. S4.95 (paper); $7.95 (cloth).There are many critiques of humanism a\ailable to the layreader today, soit was with trepidation that I began reading TheDust of Death by Os Guinness, one of the "LAbri crowd."However, I was pleasantly surprised to find it one of the best andmost readable explorations of the death of humanism availablein English.Guinness has done a commendable job of uncovering thebankruptcy of the modern mind in its flight from "reality." Hisuse of quotations to prove his thesis is the most integrated andartful I've seen anywhere. His literary style is pleasing and thebook as a whole is a pleasure to read, despite its length.Lest I sound too praiseworthy, let me sound onediscouraging note. The subtitle of his book reads, "A Critique ofThe Establishment and The Counter Culture — and a proposalfor a Third Way." I don't fault the critique, but his developmentof the alternative Christian life style left me still hungry for more.The last one-fourth of the book — (the climax!) — is theweakest.Perhaps it's too easy to commend Guinness for not havingall the answers. At least he has tried and his alternative doeshave many insightful moments. But the entire Christian community(and the world) needs many more concrete answers toperplexing situations if revival is going to turn into reformation.Robert EellsSATAN IS ALIVE AND WELL ON PLANET EARTH. HalLindsey. Zondervan, 1972. 249 pp. $2.25 (paper).C. S. Lewis wrote, "There are two equal and oppositeerrors into which our race can fall about devils. One is todisbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feelan excessive and unhealthy interest in them."Lindsey demonstrates the malignant presence of the lattererror, not only in the U.S.A. but also in other parts of the world.He communicates in journalistic fashion, rather than in reasonedargument. The flashes of information about current demonworship and demon activity, are almost kaleidoscopic, and thefirst-person element is evident in Lindsey's fortuitous interviewwith Jeane Dixon, and others involved with Satan, some aswilling victims, some as unwilling.As theology is necessarily involved in consideration ofSatan, one must expect from Lindsey straight fundamentalistic(with emphasis on the -istic) Scofieldism. Since demonology is anatural area for the psychologist, one finds many references toextrasensory perception, to hallucinatory drugs, mindmanipulation,and tongues speaking (which Lindsey regards asbeing used by Satan to the confusion of many). While much ofthe Scripture interpretation and some of the psychologicalreferences are more dramatic than instructive, the book is stillan informathe discussion of the current activities of the "princeof the power of the air." There is a solemn and urgent warningagainst being involved in any way with the occult, withspiritualism, with witchcraft.Lester Kilpatrick15

8Sin—miiiniiaiiiF//in £ Away Hebrews 6Hebrews 6 has been frequently interpreted andmisinterpreted. To cite one example, Kenneth Wuesttakes the position that the falling away must refer toJewish converts or Gentile proselytes of the first century,and that the apostacy spoken of here could only havetaken place in the first century and hence for us today hasno real application. We would strongly reject thatviewpoint. It would be helpful if you would read thechapter and think through your own belief regarding thisdifficult passage of Scripture.Another writer, F. C. Burkitt, following the ancientTertullian, says that "the author of Hebrews will allow noforgiveness for Christian sinners." This is a rigorousposition, and allows no comfort or hope for the Christianwho is daily conscious of his sins.From a Reformed perspective, Dr. Hugh J. Blairwrites: "The question under discussion is not the impossibilityof being renewed from apostacy, but the impossibilityof going back to the unregenerate state again;in other words, the impossibility of apostacy. And what isthat but the doctrine of final perseverance — onceregenerate, always regenerate?"John Calvin (and many others) take the position thatthese persons spoken of were not true believers, and thattheir falling away was a sign that they were not regenerate.SETTINGA single passage of the Bible must not be consideredwithout seeing the setting. The book of Hebrews waswritten for the encouragement of believers who werefacing severe trial for their Christian faith. In fact, one cansee a number of strands running through the book. Thereare comparisons (e.g. Christ is better than the angels,better than Moses, better than Melchisedek; the sacrificeof Christ is superior to the sacrifice of animals, etc.);warnings (See 2:1-4; 3:7-12; 3:15; 10:26-31 as illustrations);and encouragements, as for example, in 4:15-16: "For wehave not an high priest which cannot be touched with thefeeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted likeas we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldlyunto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, andfind grace to help in time of need."COMPARISONSThese three strands are to be found in the immediatecontext of this difficult section. The author compares theprogress of these Christians to that of children who arestill on a diet of milk and unable to assimilate the strongeradult food. He further makes a comparison between the"principles of the doctrine of Christ" and the foundationof a house, which, he says, is not to be laid twice. Further,in verses 7-8, he likens ideal progress toward Christianmaturity as being like the ground that drinks in themoisture and produces a good crop, as opposed to the drysoil, which produces only thorns and briars and istherefore to be rejected.Taking these comparisons together, it becomes clearthat the main object of the writer is to speak of progresstoward Christian maturity. The danger lay in the fact thatthose addressed would be like children always, withoutmaturing, or like the foundation of a house, on which nosuperstructure was placed, or like a field without water16 COVENANTER WITNESS

that could not produce adequate fruit.At this point there must of necessity be a stoppingpoint to view our own positions before God. What is thedegree of our own personal maturity? How far have wegrown in Christ? What truth do we know and practice thatwould not have been true last year, or ten years ago?Perhaps because of our educational frame of reference,we assume all too often that in the case of adults there isnothing further to be gained. It is important that we facerealistically whether any of these comparisons fits our ownposition.WARNINGSThen there is the warning of this chapter, which isonly one of many warnings through the book. The difficulty,of course, lies in knowing exactly what the writer iswarning us about and the extent of the warning and towhom the warning applies. Every reader will have a readyillustration in mind of a person who seems to fit thedescription given here, of a person who was enlightened,who tasted of the heavenly gift, who appeared to be apartaker of the Holy Ghost, and had tasted the good wordof God, and the powers of the world to come, and who, sofar as human eye can see, has fallen away and repudiatedearlier commitments to the blessings of God's grace.More than that, for most of us at ieast, as we viewour own hearts we realize that we have not utilized to thefull extent the grace of God asit has been shown to us.That is to say, all of us to some degree, are guilty of a"falling away." Yetit is apparent that what the writer hasin mind is not those who have sinned against God as we alldo, but those who have fallen in a complete sense, whohave repudiated their earlier commitment to Christ.Now, what does this warning mean?The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints istaught in many parts of the Bible. One of these is Romans8, where Paul gives his assurance that there is nothing thatcan separate him from the love of God which is in ChristJesus. And this truth can be supported by many otherreferences. Therefore we conclude that this passage,whateverit means, is not a denial of that doctrine. Wecannot conclude that this passage teaches that it ispossible for a regenerate persons to "fall" from grace.What other alternatives are there?There are basically two alternatives. 1) We canconclude that the persons spoken of here were not truebelievers in the first place. They are persons who mayhave given outward evidence of repentance and of God'sgrace, but in reality they were not, and are not. 2) One canalso conclude from this passage that the apostacy (thefalling away) is only hypothetical, as though the author issaying in effect, "Ifit were even possible to fall away,there would be no second repentance."We believe that either of these two alternatives canbe defended on Biblical grounds. However, of the two,this writer believes that the second alternative is thecorrect one. It is as though the writer is saying, "Think ofit! If you should fall from Christ, ifit were possible to doso. to whom would you go? The salvation offered in Christis the only salvation. He was sacrificed once for all, andthat sacrifice will not be repeated. Are you going to takeChrist and crucify Him again?"JULY ISvr*There is no suggestion that these people had actuallyfallen away. In fact, as regards the particular recipients ofthis letter, quite the contrary is true, for the author says(verse 9), "But, beloved, we are persuaded better things ofyou, and things that accompany salvation, though we thusspeak."ENCOURAGEMENTSThe third strand of thought through the epistle andin this section is that of encouragement. One encouragementis that God is merciful (verse 10). God willnot forget your work and labor of love in the ministry tothe saints. The justice of God and the mercy of God mustalways be seen together. There is on one side the truththat God's justice demands thatif we fall away from Him,there is no other to whom we can go. But the author here,by way of encouragement, reminds his readers of God'smercy and his remembrance of the works done in Hisname.Another encouragement is that God is faithful.(verse 13ff). God's faithfulness is seen in his promise andhis oath. Or, to putit in other language, God's faithfulnessis seen through His word and His character. God made apromise to Abraham, and since He could not invoke thename of any one higher than Himself, He made an oath onHis own name. So by His word of promise and by thetruthful character of His oath. His faithfulness is shown.The writer later in the epistle carries this same truth whenhe speaks of Christ as "the same, yesterday, today andforever."Another encouragement is that Christ has enteredthe most holy place, (verses 19-20). It is our blessed hopethat Christ, following His life and death on our behalf, hasentered the holy place of God, at which place He sits onGod's right hand, where He is praying for His peopleconstantly, and from which place He will come to receiveus to Himself.SUMMARYNow all of this is used by the writer to urgeChristians in that day to grow in grace, to progress in theirChristian lives, to stretch out to Christian maturity. It isthe teaching of the apostle here that we must never besatisfied with our present attainment of Christian understanding,but must always seek to grow in the truth,and seek to apply that truth in such a way thatit results inour maturity in Christ.As one views the whole chapter, it must be borne inmind that God is the final judge. It is not given us to knowfor certain that a particular person was in fact one of theelect, or was not. To inquire of such things is to go beyondthe limits of the knowledge has given us. Therefore, thegeneral import of this passage comes back to this — astrong exhortation to grow ourselves, to become strong inChrist, to seek to be mature believers, to pattern our livesafter the pattern of Jesus Christ, our Savior.JAMES D. CARSON• P.rMur \..rth Hills17

Deacon- Evang elis t(from pg. 5)complex components; and his church has been so structuredthat, when functioning properly, it is the tangible reflectionhere on earth of the saving fullness of the Lord who is now inheaven.To sum up so far: Christ is a redeemer adequate to thetotal needs of mankind, his gospel is a message that declaresit to all, and his church is so structured as to flesh-out inpractice what she is also called to proclaim in word. Whichbrings us to the heart-concern of this article: our work ofevangelism and church extension could be infused with newlife by practicing this biblical concept of the gospel andchurch structure.Our distortions of the gospel and of the church haveled to a shriveled concept of the diaconate; this in turn ishampering our evangelism. I think it is especially true inurban settings but certainly not only there.We face an important challenge: what we need torealize anew is how important the ministry of mercy is to ourprofession of the gospel. That this compassionate concern forsocial-and-personal, here-and-now amelioration is a part ofour gospel obligation (not an appendage) is clear from this:"Because of the proof given by this ministry (giving moneyto the poor) they will glorify God for your obedience to yourconfession of the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality ofyour contribution. ." (2 Corinthians 9:13). This kind ofsocial action is not the enemy of the gospel, but a part of it;not the antithesis of faith, but one of its fruits.And akin to this realization is another that mustcome: namely, how very important is the life-setting fromwhich we are proclaiming the gospel. The gospel is neverpreached in a vacuum. It comes to people from an ecclesiasticallife-context that either commends or belies it. Ifthe rich, full-orbed concern which the gospel proclaims isnot being lived out in the church's life, the gospel is boundto come across to outsiders as irrelevant chatter. Study theministry of Christ and of the church that followed: thegospel's impact in those days cannot be understood withoutrecognizing that what was being preached was at the sametime a part of its corporate life (and not just of the preachersbut of the whole church), that what these men werepreaching was in fact being demonstrated in the new societyfor which they were spokesmen.THE LINK TO EVANGELISMMore specifically now in relation to this article, weought to notice the significant statement that follows thedescription of the origin of the diaconate in Acts 6:1-6:"And the word of God kept on spreading," says verse 7,"and the number of the disciples continued to increasegreatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests werebecoming obedient to the faith." This was due not only tothe fact, often stressed, that now the apostles were free topreach and pray as they ought, but it was due also to the factthat the life of the church was so compelling and attractive— through an effective diaconal leadership. It is because ofevidence like this in the New Testament that I am compelledto feel that there is a direct link between diaconal virility andevangelistic fruitfulness.It is perhaps at this point that a certain question needsto be raised: is the diaconal compassion of the church limitedto the congregation or does it reach beyond? The answer isthat it reaches beyond. DeJong summarizes the case:". . .whenever possible the deacons should help allthe needy with whom they come into contact.Voetius, the leading Reformed canonist (16thcentury), stressed this duty strongly. This positionwas based on such Scriptural teachings as the unityof the human race (Acts 17:26), the duty of love toone's enemies (Matthew 5:44-45), and theobligation to render assistance to strangers (Luke10:29-37). Great weight was attached to the rule ofthe apostle Paul, 'So then, as we have opportunity,let us work that which is good toward all men, andespecially toward them that are of the household offaith.' (Galatians 6:10). Although the text does notspeak directly of the work of mercy. . .it doesenunciate a guiding principle for diaconal work. . .Even unchurched families may be assisted by thedeacons. . ."An interesting corroboration of this is provided by thetestimony of an enemy, Julian the Apostate (4th century),who complained,"Let us consider that nothing has contributed somuch to the progress of the superstition of theChristians, as their charity to strangers. I think we(pagans) ought to discharge this obligation ourselves.Establish hospitals in every place. For itwould be a shame for us to abandon our poor, whilethe Jews have none, and the impious Galileansprovide not only for their own poor, but for oursalso."This is quite important because we must see thatalthough there is an unquestioned obligation toward theneedy who are members of the congregation, there is alsothe duty of compassionate service to (a) those Christiansnearby who may not be members, and also (b) anyone,Christian or not, who is in need.A CALL TO ACTIONTherefore, I would suggest a way to more effectiveservice in the gospel for our church. This could, I think, putour churches into a new position in the various communitieswhere we are located. Instead of retreating to the suburbs,our inner-city churches, right where they are, could effectivelyevangelize (in the full sense of that term); instead ofthe apathy and hostility that confronts us in all settingstoday, we might find a new willingness to listen — wemight, in other words, after the example of Acts 6:7 see anew turn of affairs if we can learn to put into meaningfulpractice the pattern of Acts 6:1-6.I propose then that we seriously rethink the diaconal18COVENANTERWITNESS

ole of the church in relation to the evangelistic task of thechurch. For several years, the New York Presbyterysponsored a summer evangelistic work that was done by ateam of young adults. For three summers such teams workedin the Bronx and in Newburgh — both inner-city situations.A committee of Presbytery evaluated the team's work afterthe first year and made the following observation:". . .it seems to us that the local congregationshould put strong emphasis on developing itsdiaconal ministry. Seeking to minister to peoplecaught in the coils of poverty, and often embitteredtoward the middle and upper classes, calls for specialapproaches that can usually be overlooked in themore traditional middle class situations. The needsthat exist among such people for adequate housing,educational help, training and job opportunities,family love, and a feeling of acceptance ... are oftenmore intense than we are used to facing. Failing todo something effective about these problems, wemight find that our evangelistic efforts will befrustrated at almost every turn. The danger is thatwe will be content to leave such things to thegovernment; much of this kind of thing has beentaken over by government, but it is never adequateand is sometimes corrupt. Congregations may haveto begin exploring new ideas. . .e.g., storefrontacademies, drug rehabilitation, providing links withjob-training opportunities, and the like. Thesethings are properly within the diaconal role of thechurch. Probably this idea would necessitate adeepened and enlarged concept of the office andwork of deacons. But it seems quite essential if such(evangelistic) programs are to be carried out in thefuture. The concept of deacons as simply maintainersof church monies and properties is Scripturallydeficient and can hinder the church'sministry. More of the Biblical emphasis upon thediaconal work as a 'ministry of mercy' seems imperative."It is quite important, it needs to be emphasized, thatsuch a vision be that of the whole congregation (even thewhole denomination) if it is to work. If left to the pastorsalone, it will crush them. It should not even be loaded on thebacks of the deacons alone either; they exist to organize iteffectively and administer it responsibly, but the ministry ofmercy or social action belongs to the church as a whole.PAY THE DEACON?I propose further that we seriously consider providingfinancial support for deacons, or diaconal workers, who wantto give full time to this work — just as we do for ministersand missionaries. Why not, if this is a legitimate sphere ofthe church's calling? Why not, if this office is of Christ'sordaining? Why not, when it seems obvious that it has thepotential of making evangelism a viable thing in places whereright now it is not?I know, for example, a young man who is willing toleave his present job and give himself to this sort of diaconalJl'I.Y 18, 197^task in Newburgh's irner-city. He has gifts that suit himespecially well to this task. He has been effective in usingthem. But how could he do it within the context of thepresent undervaluing of the diaconal task? How could he doit without a structure that can organize and oversee suchwork and provide the hire of which such a laborer would beworthy? It seems to me that the time has come for us to seethe opportunity that exists. Generally speaking, when peoplesee action they are more prone to listen.Moreover, there are other benefits to this proposal.Two examples deserve mention: the people who sit in ourpews represent a wonderful galaxy of gifts in spheres likehealth-care, legal knowledge, construction skills, businessacumen, organizational experience, etc. All of these are giftsneeded for an extended ministry of diaconal social action.Instead of being limited to nonchristian structures throughwhich to use them, these great gifts and skills could then begotten out of the pews into the streets; they could bemobilized in the community instead of paralyzed (as far aschurch-life is concerned) within the walls of our buildings.Another: it would provide a significant role for theservice of our women members. This is the one ordainedoffice that women are allowed to hold, and it provides astructure through which their gifts might be used withdignity and self-respect for the spread of the gospel. Mightthis not have been what Paul had in mind when he wrotesuch things as, "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, adeaconess of the church. . .for she has been a helper of manyand of myself as well" (Romans 16:1 RSV), and, ". . .helpthese women (Euodia and Syntyche), for they have laboredside by side with me in the gospel. . ." (Philippians 4:3).THE PRESENT NEEDIn conclusion, I cannot help but say something abouthe timeliness of this concern. Primarily our concern shouldstem from the fact that the Word of God warrants this visionof gospel service to mankind; but there is also the matter oftiming. Jesus referred to this sort of thing when he said,"You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth andthe sky, but why do you not analyze this present time? Andwhy do you not even on your own initiative judge what isright?" In other words this tandem concern of diaconal andevangelistic work is both right in principle and ripe in time.Far-reaching budget cutbacks are foreclosing many ofthe government's efforts in human welfare programs. Innumerablepeople are being affected by this in the mostpressing elemental needs of life. The church, unlikegovernment, does not have the power of taxation to supportits programs; but it does have, unlike the government, thedynamic that can generate in people the kind of respect,compassion and energy which government even with all itsmoney has never been able to elicit. With considerably lessmoney, a mobilized church can do far more in the work ofhealing human hurts; and that is the vital difference betweenbeing Christ-centered and Christ-less.Facing all this, I agree with Pogo: "We aresurrounded with insurmountable opportunities. Let's goafter them!"•I')

GENEVA CONG.(J. Renwick Wright, Pastor)Raymond P. Joseph of West Lafayetteassisted at the spring communion. Threeyoung people united with thecongregation: James Karmie, GailMenoher and Quinn Metheny.David and Bonnie Willson are thesponsors of the young people's group. Theyoung people of other congregations havebeen invited to join with our group.Robert Hemphill, who recently left forthe mission field in Ethiopia, was given acamera by the congregation. JamesHemphill, another son of Mr. and Mrs.Willard Hemphill, was awarded secondprize in the Alfred R. Henry SpeechContest at Geneva College.The other four R.P. congregations ofthe area joined with our congregation forthe spring thankoffering. Mrs. Woodson,Director of the Knox Kindergarten atSelma, Ala. was the main speaker. Herpresentation included a tape demonstratingwhat the three, four, and five yearolds are learning. Dr. Claude Brown,pastor at Selma, spoke of other areas ofservice by the church.MARRIAGESHOMA, Carolyn B. and COPELAND,Daniel C. on June 21 at the R.P. SeminaryChapel. (Covenant Fellowship)KELLER, Mary and BRAMLETTE, Mikeon May 11 at Los Angeles, Calif. R.P.Church.ROSS, Debbie and HUSTON, Andy onMarch 24 at the first Presbyterian Church,Burbank, Calif.ANNIVERSARYMITCHELL, James and Irene of Union onMay 3 (25th). Children: Elizabeth, James,and Robert.GRADUATIONSBLACKWOOD, Beth from Heritage HighSchool on June 7. (Indianapolis)BUCK, Ronald (Los Angeles). B.A. fromGeneva.FORMAN, Rhea (Los Angeles) Ph. D.from Fuller Seminary. Thesis: TheRelationship between Stress and ConsciousSinning.HEIMBURGER, Doug (Indianapolis) fromHarding College, Searcy, Ark. with highesthonors.HUSTON, Mary (Los Angeles). R.N. fromLos Angeles Valley School of Nursing.MITCHELL, James R. (Union) B.S. inBusiness Administration from Geneva.ROBY, Ron A. (Hetherton). A.A. fromKirtland College. Plans to attend CentralMichigan University in the fall.NEWS!ANNOUNCEMENTSThe New York Presbyterial at its50th anniversary meeting voted to setup a memorial for the late Mrs. T. M.Slater to be given to the ReformationTranslation Fellowship. Contributionsshould be sent directly to the treasurerof the R.T.F., Robert E. Catloth, P.O.Drawer G, Winchester, Kans., 66097,by October 1, 1973.The annual meeting of the Ohio-Illinois Presbyterial will be held atCovenant College, Lookout Mountain,Tenn. July 21-26. Officers andsuperintendents please have writtenreports ready for this meeting.FELIX D. SCHODERFelix D. Schoder died May 1,1973, at 95 years of age. He was theoldest member of our Session, and ithas been our custom to hold ourmonthly meetings in the Schoderhome. He is survived by his wife,Anna, and daughter, Betty Jean.Felix Schoder's faith was simple,genuine, warm. He loved his Lord, heloved his church, and he loved hisfamily. He was a pleasant man to benear because he loved life, was incurablyoptimistic, and depreciated theamount of pain he suffered most of hislife due to a bullet which lodged in hisback from a childhood accident.Mr. Schoder had unusual talents inthe areas of horticulture (prize-winningroses), photography, and woodcarving.Mr. Schoder, though not a chartermember, was a member of the SeattleCongregation for most of the 81 yearsof its history.We pay tribute to the memory ofour fellow-elder and brother in Christ.Seattle R. P. SessionFROM SYNOD'S TREASURER AS OF MAY 31, 1973BIRTHHEMPHILL, Frederick James to Alan andGeraldine Hemphill on May 9 (LosAngeles).20Amount of year passedAmount of budget contributed5 months 42 percent$92,575.35 39 percentAs of June 1, we are only $6,000 behind!The Stewardship CommitteeCOVENANTER WITNESS

COVENANTER'O'Sffe*7~" V- '•.'/ SMJ.^ '7 HOMA:W/ y 28-MA V ?' Tj 5*.

ORDWHITHER THE FAMILY?In this issue of the Witness we have two special articlesthat deal with questions parents face. Rev. Wayne Speardeals candidly and hopefully in a serious discussion concerningthe eternal destiny of a child dying in infancy. Onthe immediate level of the pressures of today, Mrs. Stewart(Caroline) McCready talks of the unique privilege God givesto some parents in sending special children into their home.Shall we fear for the future of the Christian family? Isay NO. God is providing new and wonderful ways forestablishing meaningful family relationships. The familyproblems of today won't be solved as simply as in bygonedays when geographic and economic necessity forcedeveryone under one roof. But the Head of the Church hasguidance for the heads of families that will insure thekingship of Christ in the family institution and the subsequentCovenant blessing that only He can provide.R.W.N.I recently asked a group of sixth graders in a Christianday school to share with me in writing their own hopes forthe future as regarding marriage and family plans. Basicallytheir consensus of opinion included these four items:1) the necessity of their future mate being aChristian2) the desire for at least several children3) a hope that their future home would be likethe one they now enjoy4) an urge to live in the open spaces to enjoynature and the animal world.Now we are hearing on every side these days that thefamily is in real danger of extinction. Perhaps this is true insecular society. But my contention is that as Christianity isforced to develop a more counter-cultural stance there isgoing to be a real revival of the Christian family unit. I knowmy cross section of opinion above is a ' 'biased'' one, for it isthe reasoning of children of concerned Christian parents whoare already paying the high price of private education to keepbefore their youth the same moral and spiritual values thatare taught in the home.But I think the point is still valid. Christian parents arerealizing more and more what a priceless heritage Covenantchildren are. They are learning to invest more time andprayer with and for their own. In fact they are making thebest of a technological society that provides more free time.While the world wastes it in selfish pleasures, Christianparents are learning to invest this time in family activitiesthat strengthen values and goals.Since taking a '' desk job'' which keeps me away frommy family longer than perhaps the average pastor who tendsto be in and out of the home a number of times in the courseof the day, I have come to look forward with great eagernessto the end of the day when I can spend time with my family.It is not a chore, but an honor to listen to little disputes thatneed settling, to hear accounts of the school day, to playgames with the girls after dinner. Surely when ' 'offspring areHis reward," there can be no deeper satisfaction than beingable to contribute to the growth of one's own children in thefear and admonition of the Lord.•Editor:Most of the recent Witnessarticles regarding standards forChristian dress have beencharacterized by what seems tome a calculated ambiguityaimed to avoid tramplinganyone's toes regardless ofhow much they need trampled.I realize that it is a ticklishsubject. After the issue (Nov.8, 1972) largely devoted to thematter came out, I undertookto write a few commentsdealing with some passages ofscripture which I believe havea bearing on the issue, but Idon't get it finished at onesitting and never got back to it— in part, perhaps for thatreason.I know that it is commonlyheld that dress is merely amatter of custom and thereforenot of moral significance. I donot know on what groundcustoms are considered exemptfrom moral criteria. In myopinion many customs are to aconsiderable degree amanifestation of attitudes. Ifso, the common dress of manyChristian women would seemto indicate, "We must befashionable, come what may."It has been a puzzle to me whyChristian women accept thedictates of cesspools of iniquitylike Paris and Hollywood.Name withheld by request.•Editor :I do not agree with the manwho criticizes the brevity ofthe news notes (June 6, 1973).They are now given in a formclose to my idea of how theyshould be. It seems to mealmost like embezzling moneycontributed to the Lord's workto use it to print a lot of personalitems which have little orno connection with thechurch.Lester B. MclntyreCoulterville, 111.NOTICEThere will be no August 15 issue of the Witnessin order to allow for publication staff vacations.2 COVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.VOLUME LXXXLXNO. 16AUGUST 1, 1973ARTICLES:Are Infants Saved?Very Special Parents.Saints Alive!.Scripture: Is it Propositional?Man of Sin.Progress in Kobe...FEATURES:A Word Due."In Truth and Love"Distaff Deductions.Hey Lookit!."Count Her Towers""Count Our Days". .ITNECONTENTS4.6.810. .14.1622.1213.1719SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, £2, 1 year;£3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 51221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 800 Wood St.,Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.Known office of publication: Box K,Winchester, Kansas 66097. Secondclass postage paid at Winchester,Kansas 66097.IVANCfUCAl PRISS ASSOCIATIONT2GUOpsaltenReadyCopies of the 1973 edition of the Psalter published by the ReformedPresbyterian Church of North America are now available. Order accompaniedby payment will be given preference in shipping. Individual at S3.95 plus $.30postal charge. Group orders (10 or more) at $3.50 each plus $.10 per volumepostal charge. Send orders to:Board of Education and Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221AUGUST 1, 1973 3

When a child dies...Are Infants Saved?When I was a young pastor inMinnesota, one of my tasks was tomow the church cemetery, which layon a gentle slope overlooking the bluewaters of Lake Reno. It was a good jobfor a fledgling preacher; it was a timefor reflection, there among the ancientgravestones, about life and deathand eternity. I hope that it helped meto preach ' 'as a dying man to dyingmen.On one stone, a small one, therewas an inscription I have neverforgotten: ' 'Budded on earth, tobloom in heaven. '' Grieving parentshad laid their little baby there, andhad expressed their hope in thosebeautiful words.Likely enough, those parents hadquestions about that expression ofhope which they had carved abovetheir daughter's grave. On whatfoundation did their hope rest ? Whatis the teaching of the Bible about thesalvation of infants? Are family circleswhich have been broken by the deathof a little one to be re-united inheaven ?The Bible does not tell us allthat we might like to know on thissubject, but it teaches us enough sothat in our grief we may have thecomfort of God.INFANTS NEED SALVATIONIt is easy to be unrealistic in ourviews about children, particularly ifwe are looking at them from adistance. Our culture speaks ofchildren as "innocent"; even someevangelical Christians speak as thougheach baby was a new Adam, living infellowship with God until, at a certain"age of accountability", he loses hisinnocence by an act of willfuldisobedience. And it is particularlydifficult to remember that a belovedchild that has died, was a sinnerbefore God.The Bible clearly teaches that eachbaby who is born into the world is notinnocent or neutral, but sinful. He is adescendant of Adam, and God'sWord says that through Adam's sin"the judgment came unto all men tocondemnation." (Rom. 5:18) Davidconfessed that his own sinfulness wentback to the moment of conception.(Psalm 51:5). B. B. Warfield isreflecting the Biblical position whenhe speaks of childhood as "the mostegoistic age of humanlife." (1) Even babies are sinners.So, if there is any hope of heavenfor infants that die, it does not rest inWAYNE R. SPEARthemselves. Every life born into theworld is a "bad seed," whose naturemust be changed before it will beallowed to bloom in heaven. Infants,as well as adults, need salvation.CHRIST THESAVIOR OF INFANTSThe Bible teaches that Jesusable to save little infants from theirsin, and that he actually does savethem.Perhaps the most importantpassages in the Bible on this subjectare those which tell of Jesus' blessingthe little children. (Matt. 19; Mark10; Luke 18) We are amazed to readhere that the disciples were trying tokeep people away from Jesus, while atother times they are eager to bringthem to him. The reason is that thesewere ' 'little children '' and ' 'babewho were being brought to him. Thedisciples knew that Jesus could teachthose who came to him withquestions, and that he could healthose who were ill; but they seemedto think that he could do nothing forthese babes in arms. Jesus, as Dr.Warfield puts it, "took this occasion

to manifest himself as the Savior ofinfants too." (2) He received thechildren who were brought to him,blessed them, and declared them to bethe pattern of what was required forentrance into his kingdom.Prof. John Murray has pointed outthat the words, "for of such is thekingdom of heaven" mean specificallythat little children like these aremembers of the kingdom ofGod. (3) It is only a secondary pointof the passage when Jesus goes on tosay that' 'Whosoever shall not receivethe kingdom of God as a little child heshall in no wise enter therein." (Mark10:15) The main point is thatchildren themselves may belong to thekingdom.Jesus can be the Savior of infantsbecause of the fact that the initiativein salvation lies with God, not withman. If salvation were ultimatelydetermined by human "free will",then how could an infant incapable ofmaking an intelligent choice ever besaved? On the other hand, if a personenters the kingdom of Christ by birth"from above" (John 3:3); if thosewho become the children of God areborn ' 'not of blood, nor of the will ofthe flesh, nor of the will of man, butof God" (John 1:13), then God canobviously save whomever Hechooses, no matter what his age.Since regeneration is God's work,he does not need to wait until a personcomes to years of understandingbefore he gives him new liK It is truethat salvation does not end with thenew birth, and an infant who is madealive in Christ will certainly confessChrist before men, and serve himobediently, in later years. But if aninfant dies before he is able to confessChrist openly, this does not mean thatin his heart he was not a true child ofGod.The Westminster Confessionstates this truth in the followingwords: "Elect infants, dying ininfancy, are regenerated, and saved byChrist through the Spirit, whoworketh when, and where, and howHe pleaseth: so also, are all otherelect persons who are incapable ofbeing outwardly called by the ministryof the Word." (4)GOD KNOWS WHICHINFANTS ARE SAVEDWe may be persuaded of thepossibility of infants being saved; butwhen one of our little ones facesdeath, or has died, the pressingquestion is, "Is this child one ofGod's children? Has he been giventhe gift of regeneration?"It is here that we might like tohave more knowledge than theScripture gives to us. For when we askabout a particular child, we enter thearea of the hidden things that belongonly to God. (Deut. 29:29) The Bibletells us that God elects some toeverlasting life; it does not tell us whothey are. The new birth itself ishidden; we can see the fruits of it,when they have time to develop, butthe Spirit works invisibly in givingnew life. (John 3:8)Paul wrestles with this problem inRomans 911. God's covenantpromises are reliable, yet some of thecovenant people, the children ofbelieving parents, marked with thesign of the covenant, reject God andare rejected by him. So neither thefaith of parents, nor receiving ofbaptism, is a guarantee the infantswill be saved. Paul ends the discussionexclaiming, "how unsearchable arehis judgments, and his ways pasttracing out!" (Rom. 11: 33) So thereare limits beyond which ourknowledge, in this life, cannot go.About the author: Wayne RSpear is Professor of SystematicTheology at the ReformedPresbyterian Theological Seminaryin Pittsburgh. Pa. He and his wifeMary (McCracken) live with theirfour children in Gibsonia, Pa.While the secret things belong toGod, the "things that are revealedbelong to us and to our children forever." (Deut. 29:29) Withoutseeking to know more than God hastold us, we must rest our full weightupon the clear teaching of his Word.That Word tells us that when parentspresented their little children to himfor his blessing, he received them,saying, "Suffer the little children tocome unto me, and forbid them not,for to such belongeth the kingdom ofGod." (Luke 18:16) Therefore wemay confidently bring our little onesto him for his blessing.God's Word teaches us that Goddeals with his people by means of a-covenant relationship, and hiscovenant promise is, "I will be Godto you and to your children." (Gen.17:7; Acts 2:39) Humbly, knowingthe limitations of our knowledge, andrecognizing God's absolutesovereignty even in fulfilling hispromises, we may certainly claim thiscovenant promise for our children asfor ourselves.Finally, we may safely rest in theassurance that the Judge of all theearth will do right, for us and ourchildren. (Gen. 18:25) We are notmore merciful than he. It is earthlyfathers who are evil, and who need tobe instructed by the example of theperfect Father in heaven, not viceversa. (Matt. 7:11)With these teachings and promisesof God's Word, bereaved parents maysafely rest. In them, there is anadequate foundation for the hope thatlives seen only in the bud here onearth will blossom gloriously in God'spresence in heaven.Footnotes:!\) B B Warfield. "Children." in SelectedShurter Writings of Benjamin B Warfield. ed by JohnE Meeter. Nutley, N.J. Pre*T terian and ReformedPublishing Co . 1970, p 22V(2) Ibid, p 229:?) John Murray. Chraitan BaptismPhiladelphia. Pa . The Committee on ChristianEducation The Orthodox Presbyterian Church.1952. pp M ")1) Chap X. Par III

VerySpecialParentsCAROLINE McCREADY .A child is a gift of God, and when that gift is amentally retarded child, the recipients are special parents,indeed!The joy of anticipating a child is a matter of pride formost expectant parents. Father has his dreams and motherholds her ideals. How many ways are there, then, for parentsto be grieved when children do not fulfill all their expectations?Sometimes the newborn child is mentallyretarded. Many times even doctors cannot give an answer asto why — it is usually accidental and unpredictable. Thedistressing fact remains in spite of disbelief, anger, bitternessand hurt. There may be some who can write off such acalamity as "bad luck" but for the Christian the agonizingquestion arises from the depths of his faith in God, "Why,Lord, why?". His belief that God is Almighty and that inHis Providence "He works all things after the counsel of Hisown will" (Ephesians 1:11) also holds that He is the God oflove and mercy. (Psalm 145:8). To be the parents of aretarded child requires humble trust and much courage.There are many forms of mental retardation and it isnot the purpose here to deal with the technical detailsconcerning its causes, treatment or definition except in abrief way to clarify what we mean by mentally handicapped.Mental retardation is present at birth or occurs at avery early age. Except in rare cases caused by illness orinjury, there is no sudden change in abilities or adjustment.The main problem is a lack of ability in understanding andlearning. A retarded child usually acts like a younger childand is friendly, desiring loving attention. Drug treatment issometimes given mainly for behavior problems due todamaged nervous systems. Education and training areprovided for these children with the goal of making them asable as possible to care for themselves. Once retardation isclearly established, most agree that it cannot be cured. So farno treatment has been discovered which can cause theperson to "catch up" with normal children of his age.(Teaching the Mentally Retarded, G. J. Bensberg)Based on a study of the measurement of adult intelligenceby David Wechsler, most authorities accept thefigure of two or three per cent of the population as beingmentally retarded. This would mean that there are over fourmillion retarded people in the United States.Briefly, the generally accepted terms for the degrees ofretardation may be defined as follows. The mildly retardedare those who are often not noticed as retarded by the casualobserver but are slow in acquiring such skills as walking,self-care, and language, and can acquire useful reading andarithmetic skills up to a third grade level or perhaps higherwith special education. As children they will often be foundin regular schools in classes for the educable mentallyretarded. They can usually become self supporting and canacquire adequate social and vocational skills for self maintenance.The moderately retarded are those who are noticeablydelayed in motor development, especially in speech. Theycan learn simple communication, elementary health andsafety habits and can perform simple tasks in a shelteredenvironment. They do not progress in functional reading orarithmetic and are usually incapable of self maintenance.They will often be found in either educable or trainableclasses in the public schools.The severely retarded are those who are noticeablydelayed in motor development, have little or no communicationskills, may walk, have some understanding ofspeech and some response, can learn from systematic andrepetitive activities to conform to daily routines and needcontinuing supervision and direction in a protective en-About the author: Mrs. Stewart (Caroline) McCreadyworks as an instructor of handicapped children in theBeaver Valley. She is a member of the Geneva R.P.congregation.6 COVENANTER WITNESS

vironment. Some may be found in classes for the trainablementally retarded.The profoundly retarded may learn to walk but willprobably need nursing care and are incapable of selfmaintenancethough many can learn basic self-care iftaught. These persons are often placed in special residentialinstitutions for the mentally retarded.One of the main problems facing the parents ofmentally handicapped children is the problem of placement.Should they be kept at home or placed in a residential environment?There are many fine institutions specificallygeared for the care and needs of these children. Parents whofeel led to place their children away from home have foundtheir children happy and contented to be so protected. Thedecision as to placement depends on circumstances withineach family. The health and welfare of other members of thefamily may be involved and doctors may advise in specialcircumstances. In- any case I have heard the witness ofChristian parents that they have found their own spirituallife enriched through prayer for courage to make whateversacrifices are necessary for the best interests of the wholefamily.If there is anything in Scripture that has a message forthe parents of the mentally handicapped that differs from amessage to all parents I have not found it. The responsibilitiesoutlined for parents can be summed up in the wellknownadmonition to ' 'train up a child in the way he shouldgo. . ." (Proverbs 22:6). The emphasis is on the training,not on the ability of the child. Likewise the vows of parentswhen they present their children for baptism do not varywith the condition of the child. It is surely proper to assumethat since God knows the abilities of each child even betterthan the parents know them, he can be trusted to guide inthe decisions for each child's training.For example, parents are pledged to pray "with andfor" their children. When a child grows up without theability to speak, who offers his prayer? One mother of aseverely retarded boy told me that she prays continually forher son and kneels by his bed and says his prayers for him.Sometimes he says "Amen." She testifies that every roomin her house is a place of prayer. For herself she prays forstrength, understanding and patience. She believes that thewords of Jesus, "Ask, and ye shall receive, seek and ye shallfind, knock and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7)is a command and a promise for her. It is her belief that oneday the Lord will touch these children and make them wholeand complete, and that they are not now alone. She keepsbefore her this thought; always treat these children asthough the Lord will give them their speech at any momentand never fear what they will say. She reads Bible stories toher son, and believes that God is trying to tell us somethingwhen he gives us an afflicted child. She does not consider it apunishment but rather a blessing and she thinks her wholelife and that of her family has been richer and moremeaningful because of their experience. In this case theafflicted boy was the youngest of the family and so it was feltthat he could be kept at home, whereas in other circumstancesthis might not have been the best solution.The father's situation may be especially difficult. Onemother told me that her husband refused even to talk abouthis retarded son for several years. Finally he had the opportunityto see his son in a group of pre-school-age retardedchildren in a nursery school program. This experiencechanged his attitude.Loneliness is one of the more subtle problems facingthe parents of the retarded. There is difficulty in even basiccommunication between parent and child, at least in the areaof speech and conversation. But the loneliness does not endhere. Many parents feel alone in relation to other parentswhose children are not so handicapped. They sense a lack ofunderstanding and even embarrassment in talking to mostparents of normal children. There seems to be, however, aspecial kind of fellowship among parents of retarded children.One mother told me that at one time she felt so lonely thatshe called an acquaintance who she did not know well butwho she knew had a retarded son, similar to her own. Theresulting conversation was of great comfort to both mothers.They found they had many experiences in common and thestrange behaviors of their sons were quite similar, makingeach of them aware of a bond they had not known before. Ihave seen genuine concern and compassion shown amongparents of mentally handicapped children when they meettogether. They are special parents.As people become more enlightened they realize thatthe presence of a retarded child in a family does not meanthat "there is something wrong with the whole family."Mental retardation is an affliction that strikes persons in allwalks of life, from those in places of high honor to those whoare greatly disadvantaged, and to those ordinary people inbetween. Yet even now in our present society mentalretardation often foredooms an individual to many embarrassingfailures and disappointments.The mother of two retarded girls and two girls whowere not retarded said that she and her husband enjoyed adeep and rich fellowship and that he, who was a minister,had more empathy for others who had trouble than wouldhave been possible without their own experience. She saidthey often felt a great wonder at the way the Lord directedtheir ways to places where they could care for their children.This same parent, though, told me that when her childrenwere young it was difficult to have school parties and othergroups of young people come into their home, because of thepresence of their two retarded children. She said this wasusually because of the attitude of other parents rather thanother children. Even the members of their churchcongregation would say and do cruel things.In recent years the public is being made more aware ofthe scope of public education in the field of the mentallyretarded. In Pennsylvania a program to educate all retardedchildren of school age is being prepared by the Departmentsof Education and Public Welfare. The Right to Educationoffice is taking this action in order to meet a court mandatewhich requires that every child will have a program appropriateto his needs. This involves the co-operation of theBureau of Special Education, the Office of Right toEducation, the Office of Mental Retardation andorganizations such as the Pennsylvania Association of(cont. on p. 15.)AUGUST 1. 1973

D. HOWARD ELLIOTTMinority groups are raising their voices more and more inthese days, demanding things of others, complaining of unfairtreatment or discrimination, and expressing it mostly inbelligerent tones.You are a minority group. Why aren't you calling outloudly about some grievances? Don't you have something tocomplain about? But of course Christians are a different breed ofminority. They certainly are a minority in this world,Evangelical Christians are much more so, and Covenanters arealmost the ultimate in minorities.We too have plenty to cry out about in complaint againstothers. But surely the basis of our complaint is not from a selfishstandpoint, where we grovel in self-pity because we are sopoorly treated and demand that others be nice to us. Ourcomplaint, as the followers of Jesus Christ, is that others treatthe Sovereign God and the King of kings so poorly. We try towarn our society that it is in great danger of utter desolation andeternal extinction because it refuses to submit to the authorityof the God of all the earth. And against such things as injustice,immorality, lawlessness, unbelief, hatred, selfishness, andspiritual apathy we ought to be crying out more loudly than weare.As Christians we are not concerned as much about ourpersonal rights and privileges as we are of those of our Saviourand Master. We ought to be as vocal about this as we are aboutthings that touch us most personally in our homes, families,pocketbooks and personal desires.Here now is a call to consider ourselves, our position,possessions, purposes, and practices. From the first letter ofPeter, chapters one and two, let us consider the SAINTSALIVE.The Apostle Peter in his first epistle is talking to aminority group that was geographically scattered, withoutwealth, power or prominence. Peter was not urging them to stirup a commotion in order to gain power or position. He wastelling them to proclaim the already existent power andprominence of Jesus Christ. But since they were a smallminority group and since they had two strikes against thembecause of this, they had to ' 'try harder." They were not evenin second place in the eyes of the world, they were at the bottomsocially, economically, politically and in every way except one.Yet they were not dead nor to be counted out. Their one greatadvantage was that they were the elect of God.This minority group called Christians had their problemsas all minority groups do, and we can certainly identify withthem. Circumstances surrounding them from a general viewappeared gloomy; but they and we are to remember verses threeand four of I Peter one, ' 'Blessed be the God and Father of ourLord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has causedus to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection ofJesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which isimperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved inheaven for you. ..." We look at the saints alive that Peter wasaddressing and realize that the same things apply to the saintsalive of today.About the author: Dr. D. Howard Elliott, pastor of theTopeka, Ks., R. P congregation, presented this sermonas retiring moderator of the Reformed PresbyterianChurch on June 9, 1973 at Geneva College.I —SSa/n tsSaints Alive, their POSSESSIONSThe tendency among minority groups and selfish individualsis to dwell on the things that they do not have,branding themselves as the "have-nots." Perhaps there is agood bit that saints alive do not have, but the important thing isto look at what they do have, of which Peter enumerates quite afew things.As the saints alive today, (1) you have the mercy of God.Mercy is being treated far better than one deserves. The factthat God chose you, undeserving as you were, is evidence ofHis mercy. I Peter 1:3 and 2:10 show that they have mercy asa possession, "now you have received mercy."(2) You have regeneration, have been born again by theSpirit of God. "You have been born again" is said in 1:3,23.You are in possession of a new life that is the best possible tohave and that is eternal in duration.(3) You have hope. Much of this world has no hope,especially minority groups who feel that their condition ischangeless. But we Christians have been ' 'born again to a livinghope", 1:3.(4) You have an inheritance, not yet fully realized, butpromised and assured. Verse four says, "an inheritance whichis imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved inheaven for you." Inheritances in the worldly sense have a wayof not turning out to be all that was hoped for them, and ofdwindling away. The Christian's inheritance is perfect, eternal,unfading and fully assured, no lawyers or other claimants candiminish it one bit.(5) You have protection as expressed in verse five, "whoare protected by the power of God. ..." This is better than anykind of protection, insurance or security that can be purchasedfrom any worldly agency.(6) You have faith. This possession comes as a gift of Godand is ours as expressed in verses five and seven to nine. Andthis faith is worth far more than any other kind of wealth as issaid, "your faith, being more precious than gold which isperishable." With faith one has joy, glory and soul salvation.(7) You have salvation also, as verses five and nine say,the possession that every wise person desires above all else.(8) You have joy, verse eight. This is a possession thateveryone desires to obtain, but how scarce it seems to be in theworld. Saints alive do have joy that is glorified.(9) You have enlightenment because you have beencalled out of darkness into His marvelous light,2:9.This is not an exhaustive list of a Christian's possessions,but even to look at only these things and to realize that believershave them is to realize how rich the believer is. These thingsadd up to a package of great value. We must say that those whohave these things are certainly spiritually affluent. So it is easyto wonder how those who have such richness could cry out incomplaint because of some things that they do not have.8 COVENANTER WITNESS

We ask our readers to study carefully the twoperspectives presented in these articles. We will gladlyforward to the authors any comments or questions youmay have concerning this important issue.Scripturehe answer to our question depends on what we meanby proposition. If by the term proposition we mean arevelation that is historically true, then we would be forcedto agree that the Scripture is propositional truth. The Neo-Orthodox theologians have the notion that Scripture is awitness to revelation but not revelation itself. Emil Brunneruses the illustration that the Bible is like an old phonographrecord with scratches and imperfections but from time totime a beautiful chord (truth) can be discerned in the midstof all the imperfections. Modern existentialism, as it hasbeen applied to theology, sees Christian revelation assubjective experience rather than a set of givens by God thatare historical and infallible.The Holy Scriptures are a distinctive means ofrevelation. This historical, factual dimension of Scripture iseasily discerned by the fact that the Holy Scripturesrepeatedly refer to themselves, or to a part of themselves, asthe Word of God (Matt. 15:6; John 10:35; Acts 17:2; IThess. 2:13; II Tim. 2:19). From God, Moses receivedmessages about God in various ways. He read, heard, observed,and even received direct verbal coramuni ations.The Old Testament prophets, by vision, direct verbalcommunication, received messages from God for the people.The prophets spoke and wrote these communications. Theapostles heard and observed Christ and under the guidance ofthe Holy Spirit made deductions, conclusions, statementsabout His person and work. Luke, as the doctor andhistorian, researched, observed and therefore madestatements about Christ and His church. The Scriptures area lingual communication. They contain statements about thenature of God, the description of His history, the confessionof His people. This also means that the Scriptures alone arethe ultimate and only reliable revelation of the Word of Godincarnate available to men today. They are also the onlymeans of apprehending the true nature of God's revelation increation.However, one of the primary definitions in theThorndike, Barnhart Dictionary of the word proposition is' 'a statement that is to be proved true'' or in Webster's NewInternational Dictionary "that which is proposed or offeredas for consideration or acceptance. . ." If we were to usethese definitions of the word proposition we would have tosay that the Bible is not propositional. It does not have to beproved true, it is the truth. The Bible is not some abstractproposal but the living voice of God that gains eitherobedience or disobedience. It is not something concerningwhich men can remain neutral. Frequently we have treatedour catechetical or confessional statements as propositionsand then we go to the Bible to try to defend or prove them, asif these confessional statements can be abstracted from thehistory of redemption which is the major motif of theScripture. In contrast to this we must confess that the Bibleis the voice of God. John Calvin said: "Since no dailyresponses are given from heaven, and the Scriptures are theonly records in which God has been pleased to consign Histruth to perpetual remembrance, the full authority whichthey ought to possess with the faithful is not recognized,unless they are believed to have come from heaven, asdirectly as if God had been heard giving utterance to them."(Institutes 1:7:1) The Scripture is the instrument whichChrist uses for the manifestation of His presence. In II Peter1:16ff. Peter describes the privilege of observing theTransfiguration and the manifestation of the Lord's glory.He then says that we have a more sure word of prophecy,namely the Holy Scriptures. The Biblical revelation is morereliable than the experience that Peter had when he sawJesus transfigured.The Scriptures are historical and contain factualcontent about the character of God and His ethical standardsfor His people. However it is more than that. It is living anddynamic, the voice of God that receives the response ofobedience or disobedience. We who are so concerned aboutmaintaining the inerrancy and historicity of the Scripturesshould also be concerned that we respond to them as the veryvoice of God, pregnant with His Spirit. Thus the Scripturesmake an absolute demand for the loving obedience of everydimension of our lives.JOHN H. WHITEAbout the authors: Rev. John H. White is Dean ofReligious Services at Geneva College, Beaver Falls,Pa. Calvin K. Cummings has been pastor of theCovenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Wilkinsburg,Pa., for 36 years.10 COVENANTER WITNESS

Is it Propositional ?s the Scripture propositional? This is the basicquestion behind all the controversy today concerning theBible. Has God revealed Himself by Scripture which meanswriting? Is the Bible as a unit God's written revelation? Canwe say that Scripture is the Word of God? To this questiontwo opposite answers are being given. Modern theologiansanswer with an emphatic no, the Scripture is notpropositional truth, the written revelation of God. Thehistoric creeds of Christendom have uniformly held thatScripture is propositional truth, the very Word of God.The denial that the written Word is the Word of Godcomes to expression today in various forms. The modernistholds that the Bible is an account of man's reaching out toGod, not of God's reaching down to man, through thespoken and written word. The new modernism of Karl Barthholds that the written Word is replete with error. Hemaintains that we must get at the revelation behind thewritten word. The written word simply points to the truth;it is not the written truth of God. The existentialist holdsthat the Bible is simply an explanation of man's religiousexperience, which experience is lost in the very attempt toexplain it. Like the thrill of a sunset in the desert, when youdescribe it, you lose it. So it is said that we experience God,but we cannot communicate it. More recently there arethose who make disjuncture between the written word andthe word of power. It is only as you are gripped by the wordthat the Bible becomes the word of God to you. The Bible inisolation on the shelf is not the word of God.The creeds of Christendom have rather uniformlydeclared the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to bethe Word of God. Their authority for so declaring is noneless than the Son of God, the Lord of glory Himself.Referring to the Old Testament as a unit, Jesus said "thescripture cannot be broken" (Jn. 10:35). In effect, Christsaid, you can't take just parts of the scripture as true, it's allor nothing. They stand or fall as a unit. The writing of theOld Testament is all the true word of God, binding andauthoritative. Christ promised His apostles who wrote theNew Testament that they had the Holy Spirit to guide theminto all truth. "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth iscome, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speakof himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:and he will show you things to come" (Jn. 16:13). He alsoendowed His apostles with authority to speak and to act inHis name. "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom ofheaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall bebound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earthshall be loosed in heaven."It is the apostles of our Lord, endowed with thepromise of the Spirit and divine authority, who give some ofthe clearest statements concerning the Scriptures. Paul,writing of the Old Testament Scriptures, declares "AllScripture is given by inspiration of God" (II Tim. 3:16).Peter declared, "For the prophecy came not in old time bythe will of man: but holy men of God spake as they weremoved by the Holy Ghost" (II Pet. 1:21). Referring to hisown message, which comprises about one half of the NewTestament, Paul affirmed: "When ye received the word ofGod which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word ofmen, but as it is in truth, the word of God" (I Thess. 2:13).Peter, in speaking of the writings of the apostle Paul, placesthem in the same class as the writings of the Old Testamentwhen he says, "even as our beloved brother Paul also accordingto the wisdom given unto him hath written untoyou; As also in all his epistles . . . which they that areunlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the otherscriptures, unto their own destruction" (II Pet. 3:15,16).We can only conclude from the teachings of Christ andHis apostles that we cannot separate the revealed Word fromthe written Word. The written Word is the revealed Word.We cannot separate the revelation of Scripture from theinspiration of Scripture. We may not speak of the Word ofGod as something other than the written Word. AllScripture is "God-breathed." It is the written Word that isthe Word of power, "quick and powerful and sharper thanany two-edged sword" (Heb. 4:12). It is through thewritten Word that the Holy Spirit convicts of sin. therighteous one — Christ, and of judgment to come.We may well conclude, then, that "the authority ofthe Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed andobeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man, orChurch; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) theauthor thereof: and therefore it is to be received, becauseitis the Word of God" (Westminster Confession of Faith 1:4).CALVIN K. CUMMINGSAUGUST 1. 197 3 11

cfcddlSTAFFUCTIONSParents in the CrucibleIn a wheel chair in Kansas City sits aboy whose life has been committed overand over into God's hands. I know thatthis is no less true of many other children,whether in perfect health, or with illnessof one kind or another. But of this boy'sstory and another's — that of a girl of thesame age in Minnesota — I have someknowledge, and these are shared in thethought that other mothers will find thestory easing their own hearts andanxieties."Blessed be God, even the Father ofour Lord Jesus Christ, the Father ofmercies, and the God of all comfort: Whocomforteth us in all our tribulation, thatwe may be able, to comfort them which arein trouble, by the comfort wherewith weourselves are comforted of God.""We do not know each other, but wehave fellowship with the same Lord. ..."In a letter from the father and motherof the boy to the parents of the girl, a bondof common anxiety helped to establish abond of sympathy and mutual trust inGod. The letter was written in I960,when these children were in their firstyear of life. Both were afflicted withdiseases considered to be fatal, the boywith hydrochephalus and the girl withleukemia. Both sets of parents wereChristians, and when the blow to theirbabies fell, wished to submit the childrenand the troubles to God fully. From thehuman side they found this difficult, andtheir reaching out to each other was onemeans the Lord used to strengthen themand increase their faith. The letter sharedthat after the diagnosis of the baby boy'scondition, his parents were told that hewould get worse, and die within a year. Ifhe should somehow be able to live with thepressure, they could hope for little intelligence.So they brought him home todie, and began to face the emotionalproblems of such a prognosis.12The mother continued her letter:"The first thing we had to deal with wasjust accepting the fact that this awful thinghad come to us. The story in the Bible thatcomforted me most was the story of theblind man in John 9. The disciples askedJesus who had sinned, the blind man orhis parents? 'Jesus answered, Neitherhath this man sinned, nor his parents, butthat the works of God should be mademanifest in him.' The thought came to usover and over again, and we prayed that inour trouble God might somehow beglorified through us.""I believe the sooner we acceptsincerely, however difficult for us, thatGod in His Providence allows, the soonerwe can begin to adjust to the situation. Weprayed for help in accepting it in the rightway. God sent the help. Accepting thesituation rules out the bitternesses thatdestroy the unbelieving in cases like this.""The ..ext thing we found we had todo, was to relinquish our claim to Larry.He was the Lord's; our possesion wasonly for a time. If Larry was to die, hewould go immediately to His HeavenlyFather who would love and care for himbetter than we could.""It was a little while before we prayedfor Larry's recovery. 'Why would Godheal our baby when other more devoutpeople have had similar problems and theirbabies weren't healed?' So we began topray for a miracle while realizing that wecertainly were not worthy to receive it.One blessing that we received was a deepergratitude for our Lord and Savior. Ourprayers were joined, as I know yours are,by many other Christian people. God wasgracious to us. Our prayers were answered.We are continuing to pray that Hewho hath begun a good work in Larry, willcomplete it. So often we think the doctor'sword is final, but there is a greaterPhysician. If your prayer is not answeredfor Valerie to live, she will be a beaconlight to you for all your lives, drawing youto Heaven. We will pray for Valerie'srecovery and for you both in these hardtimes."In Pueblo, Colorado in I960 the littlegirl named Valerie was found by herdoctors to have leukemia at her regularcheckup by the pediatrician. At the age offour months little Valerie was alsobrought home to die. But her Christianparents and Larry's parents were madeaware of each other through a mutualfriend. Larry's parents wrote the letterI've quoted to Valerie's parents, and insimilar circumstances they were used ofGod to strengthen one another.Valerie's storyteller was a part of thechurch of her parents. The pastor gatheredhis people in homes in groups for prayer oftwo or three; he visited and prayed inValerie's sickroom; arranged for blooddonations by the church members andspecial times of intercession in the church.And Valerie, too, recovered. Two yearslater her blood count was normal, aftermuch medication and treatment. Medicalscience calls leukemia in such cases"arrested." Now, at thirteen, living withher family in Minnesota she is "anenergetic charmer, tall and thin with longblond hair." She has had muchhospitalization in her young life, and hermother is still very emotional about it. Butthe whole family is busy in the mother'sceramic shop, or concerned with thefather's teaching of welding to prisoners atthe State Penitentiary in Sandstone.Larry lives in Kansas City. You mayknow his family, the Don Weimers. Rightnow he is in a wheel chair as a result ofbeing hit by a car while crossing the street.A knee and pelvic bone were broken. Yet,even in this exigency, the Weimers seeways in which this was an occasion forthankfulness: Larry's life was spared; aneighbor who is an inhalation therapisthappened along just after the accident andstayed with Larry until the ambulancecame; his sister's job was one she felt freeto leave to volunteer to care for Larry.Yet, at thirteen, he is tall and slender,intelligent, and enthusiastic abouteverything, especially sports. His sistertestifies to his good attitude at having to becooped up for awhile. She, has a goodattitude, too! And his parents are busy inwork that, particularly for his mother,takes her into the area of helping otherhandicapped children. This began withLarry's need. And so the circle widens aspeople, Christian people, chastened ofGod, believe this shows His love and care,shun bitterness, and find for every dayGod's sustaining help and grace. W.E.COVENANTER WITNESS

Dear Kids!I will write very briefly to you tonight because I amtaking a workshop at Geneva College on ReformedPresbyterian church music and I must study fortomorrow.It was good to see a couple juniors at a singingsession last night. Most of you will see the new Psalterwhen it arrives at your congregation. I hope you willenjoy using it as I have. It would not be too early for someof you to learn how to conduct one of the easier tunes.Perhaps you could conduct at your junior meetings.Reverend Bob McCracken from our Marion, la.congregation, and on his way to be pastor at Walton,N.Y., wrote on a subject very familiar to him. Don't youthink he did a good job for us?Watch for Hey Lookit coded message in the nextissue.Your friend,Mrs. A."Me — a Pastor?" Oh, Isometimes thought about it, because Iwanted to serve God, and because myDad was a Pastor. But for a long time, Isaid, "Not me!"Then when I was in College, God"called me" to become a Pastor. Howdid He do that? Well, it wasn't a voicefrom heaven (like the Apostle Paulheard), but instead God simply arrangedmy circumstances and re-arranged thethoughts in my head, leading me towardthis goal. For example: The courses Ihad chosen to major in at Collegebecame confusing and dull to me, for nooutward reason. Opportunities to speakon Gospel Teams and to share mytestimony brought real satisfaction.Various persons (some who didn't evenknow me) kept suggesting the need formen to go into the Ministry, and sayingto me that God could use my talents inthis way. These and many other thingswere used by God's Spirit to ' 'call me''to turn my steps toward the Seminaryand toward the career of a Tastor.Becoming a Pastor in our Churchinvolves both College and Seminarytraining, but even with that, I doubtthat any man ever feels fully trained forthe variety of experiences which aPastor meets. Week after week he isresponsible to preach God's Word. Thistakes study and careful preparation.Outside of the study, he is in contactwith people. Sometimes when Godbrings a person to know Jesus Christ, orto show evidence of spiritual growth,vou are thrilled down to your boots.Then other times when someone turnsrold to God or falls into sin, you feelfrustrated and heart-sick.The Pastor shares the emotions ofhis people. He shares their joys andhappiness at a Wedding, or a Baptism;and their deep sadness at a Funeral orwhen someone is in the Hospital. Oftenhe is called upon to counsel and helpsoke people's problems, and to showthem God's love and His laws. Onething is sure — there is never a dullmoment for the Pastor.The Church needs young men whowill consider God's "call" to bePastors. The opportunities for serviceare endless. Whatever vour age.consider this career in God's service.God's flock needs good "shepherds"'Robert B. McCrackenAUGUST 1, 19^3 1 }

Man of SinII Thessalonians 2:1-12The subject of the first part of chapter two of IIThessalonians is the return of lesus and the gathering ofChristian believers to be with the Lord. The particularproblem at Thessalonica was the question of when Jesuswas to return. Some were insisting that Jesus was due toreturn at any moment. As a result normal life was beingcompletely upset. The Apostle Paul urges the Church tostay composed. The Christians were not to becomeagitated and neglect their everyday routines because ofsome purported revelation that the day of Christ's returnhad arrived. Furthermore, even if they received a lettergiving a time and supposedly written by Paul, they were toregard it as a fraud.Paul states definitely that the time of Christ's returnhad not come. Certain things must happen before Jesuswould return and they had not happened yet. Paul with hisgift of revelation could declare this in an authoritativeword. Interpreters of the signs of the times today do nothave Paul's gift of infallibility. This is important to bear inmind in studies such as this.The Church was informed that before the return ofJesus there must be apostasy out of which could arise a"man of sin." This apostasy must be taken as a widespreadturning away of professing Christians from the truereligion. This defection of the Church will also be in thecontext of a massive, general, conclusive revolt of allmankind against God. In the strict sense this latter cannotbe called apostasy except as a final maturing anddeepening of the human apostasy which began with thefall of Adam. The fourth verse describes the rule of the"man of sin" and suggests this wider idea of the apostasy tocome.The apostasy will support and be led by a personwho will endeavor to take the place of God. This leader ofapostasy is called "that man of sin" in the KJV and "manof lawlessness" in other translations. He is also called "sonof perdition" and "son of destruction." For the moment Iwill assume that the "man of sin" is also the "antichrist"mentioned by the Apostle John. The "man of sin" is opposedto all religion and not just to the Christian faith. Hisopposition is not just atheism as a bare denial of God'sexistence. Rather he will make himself out as God. He willenter the House of God's worship as God. He will enterand seat himself as the Lord of that House. The "man ofsin" will be a person who at least appears to be human butwho will claim God's honor.In verse six we are made to understand that the"man of sin" was existing at the time of the writing ofPaul's letter. Thus the "man of sin" is no ordinary humanmortal for we still wait the revelation of the "man of sin."Also we are told that at the time of Paul's letter the "manof sin" was under restraint. He was not then permitted thefull execution of his desires though he was workingsecretly and subversively. The restraining force is asubject of debate as to identification. I believe it is theHoly Spirit. When the time in God's plan comes, therestraint upon the "man of sin" will be removed. Then hewill seize great power and openly make blasphemousclaims for himself.Verse eight states that Jesus will destroy the "man ofsin." Jesus will speak the word and that will be the end ofhim. There is difference of opinion as to whether thedestruction of the "man of sin" by Jesus is simultaneouswith the return of Jesus. I believe the sense of this passageleads us to think that it is.Additional details concerning the reign of the "manof sin" are given in verses nine through twelve. His activitywill be Satanic in nature. It will fully correspond to whatSatan would do. It will exhibit the power which Satan ispermitted. The characteristic which sets apart the Satanicis deceptiveness. Therefore the "man of sin" will workfalse miracles. The falling of people into the fatal14 COVENANTER WITNESS

deceptions of the "man of sin" will actually be God'sjudgment upon them for not loving the truth. The thoughtseems to be that the pretensions and claims of the "man ofsin" will be so preposterous that one will wonder howanyone could believe them. Yet it is and will be God'sjudgment upon those who disregard truth and who lovelies to become blind to the most blatant falsehood. If oneis careless of truth, that one is destined by God to becomethe liar's victim.We must now deal with the question, "Who is theman of sin?" First a quick review of what we have learnedfrom this passage: a) he was in existence at the time Paulwrote to the Thessalonians. b) he was being restrained bysomeone at that time, c) he would eventually come to anopen exercise of power by working psuedo-miracles, bylies, by preposterous claims to be God which wicked menin their blindness induced by God as judgment wouldbelieve to their'own destruction, d) he will be destroyedby Jesus when Jesus returns.Looking over this data, I believe that the "man ofsin" is Satan. I believe that the final revolt of mankindagainst God which will include a large part of theprofessing Church will be led by Satan in the form of aman who claims to be God. You may call it an imitation ofthe Incarnation, an apeing of Jesus Christ. It will be a falseincarnation on two counts. One, Satan is not God. Two,Satan does not have the power to become a new creation,a man. His power lies in his ability to deceive. The "man ofsin" will be Satan disguised as a man. Satan is underrestraint now by the Spirit of God and cannot come to anopen appearance as the "man of sin" until the Holy Spiritwithdraws.Should you question this identification of the "manof sin" with Satan, I will not be overly insistent. If the"man of sin" is only a mortal man serving as the agent orvicar of Satan, he will be one so truly possessed by Satan,so Satanic in his character and exercise of power, that itwill make no practical difference whether the "man of sin"is Satan or Satan's human agent.The Apostle John uses the word "antichrist" in boththe singular and plural. (I John 2T8&22; 4:3; II John 7.)In the plural "antichrists" were said to abound even thenand are identified as those who deny that Jesus is the Sonof God. Truly such "antichrists" abounded and areabounding today. Possessed and assisted by Satan, theantichrist, and allowed bv God though restrained by theHoly Spirit; they have appeared as political, religious, andintellectural leaders in endless succession. They haveregularly deceived and destroyed men with their Goddefyingkingdoms, heresies and philosophies. In thesingular I find no reason why we should not identify Johns"antichrist" with Paul's "man of sin."We ought to thank God that His Spirit is in the worldrestraining evil, restraining Satan, restraining the "man ofsin", restraining all those who would do the will of Satan.We should all be destroyed if it were not so. Yet theredoes appear to be a time coming when the restraint will belifted. The antichrist spirit of rebellion will come to fullexpression in an historical Antichrist. This will be aterrible time. I think that Scripture leads us to believe thatGod will make it a mercifully short time. Whatever thecase, we are sure that he who is faithful unto death will beU'GUST 1. I i r3given a crown of life.Considering the times, the antichrist spirit of ourworld, the multitudes of antichrists, the hatred of truthand love of lies and of wickedness, we wonder if the reignof Antichrist-Man of Sin and return of Jesus is not near.But who can say? As Paul advised the Church so manyyears ago, let us be about our Father's daily business. Letus stay calm, composed, not upset by rumors andhysterical preachings and revelations. Let us watch andhope for Jesus and be ready when He comes. Let usrebuke those who pretend a knowledge of the signs of thetimes which is not warranted. Let us avoid both those whosay the time is here and those who say it is a long way off.We who love Jesus and hope for His coming; who lovetruth and hate lies; we shall not be deceived by that greatDeceiver, that Father of Lies, that Man of Sin, that Antichrist.God's Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, shall remain withus even when Satan is enthroned. He shall lead us untilthat moment when Jesus comes. Come Lord Jesus.HAROLD B. HARRINGTON(R. PSPECIAL PARENTS (from P 7.)Pastor, Broomall, Pa.)Retarded Children and Adults as well as teachers anddirectors of special education throughout the commonwealth.Other states and communities have similarprograms. A great deal of publicity is given to the programsfor the retarded, those provided by private organizations aswell as those in the public schools. A television slogan thatappears occasionally on a local channel says "The mentallyretarded are beautiful people, too."Another way the public is being involved in the interestsof the mentally retarded is the Special Olympicsprogram, which has as its goal the creating of opportunitiesfor sports training and athletic competition for mentallyhandicapped children. It is unique in that it provides forcompetitors at all levels of ability by assigning them to"competition divisions" based on both age and actualperformance. Even the children in the lowest divisions mayadvance all the way to the national finals. The organizer andsponsor of Special Olympics in the United States and Canadais the Joseph P Kennedy, Jr., Foundation. Local and areacompetitions are scheduled in communities throughout theUnited States during the early spring and usually receivegenerous local publicity.When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians hespoke of having been a child and how he had put awaychildish actions and attitudes when he became a man. Healso spoke of knowing in part now and looking forward to acomplete and perfect knowledge in the future. Thesecomments were made by Paul in the context of hisdescription of perfect love. How small is the differencebetween ourselves and our mentally handicapped brothers inthe sight of God whose measure is His own perfection!Surely there is much we can learn from those about us whomwe call handicapped. God in His mercy has made provisiontor us all.15

OretaJz^erett Writes:Xro§ ress in Jioh4-1, 6 ChomeMotoyama Kita ChoHigashi Nada Ku, Kobe Shi658 JAPANJune 7, 1973Dear Praying Friends:Nearly a year has flown by sincemy last letter to you via theCovenanter Witness. As I write thisletter, I am looking forward to seeingsome of you in the fall, D.V., whenmy deputation work starts.Thank you, each one, for yourfaithful prayer support. Praise andthank the Lord for blessing theevangelistic services here at KeiyakuChurch last month. Though it was avery rainy night, some 50 peopledidn't let that hinder their presence.We continue to pray that the seedsown that night did not all fall onhard, stony hearts. We pray seedsown will yet spring up and bear fruitfor our Lord. Join us in this prayer.From early August the variousD.V.B.S.'s will begin, first in Tarumiat our Kasumigaoka Church, thenHigashi Suma, and near the end of themonth at Keiyaku Church. Pray thatmany children from the communitieswill come, and from the small taste ofspiritual food, will have a hungerdrive for more. Pray that they thenwill become regular attenders at theweekly Sabbath School. Throughthese children opportunities maycome to reach the parents and othersin the home.Continue to pray for Mr. Miwawho is now in his second year ofseminary training. During the Augustvacation from school he will beworking with our ministers, helpingin D.V.B.S. and doing some preachingwhen the pastors are on vacation.Pray also for Mr. Miwa's friend, Mr.Takiura. This young man is a seniorin the same seminary, and has agrowing interest in the ReformedPresbyterian Church. He too will beworking with our ministers andhelping in the same ways, along withMr. Miwa during August.In mid-August the young peoplewill be having their annual summerconference. Remember this withprayer that it will have the Lord'sblessing. May the non-Christiansespecially be drawn to the Lord as aresult of the conference study andfellowship.The young people of our KeiyakuChurch, where I attend, have begunhaving monthly socials. Pray that thiswill be an effective means of witnessingand a way of reaching morefor Christ. Also, while we arethinking of the young people, praythat they will have patience and theLord's wisdom in selecting marriagepartners in the Lord.Our Kasumigaoka Church inTarumi desires to become organizedwithin the year. So pray with them forthe Lord's continued leadership andwisdom for the right timing. Also bein prayer concerning the training andselecting of the Lord's choice of eldersand deacons.Praise the Lord that the women'smeetings are able to continue in eachof the centers of work. Being here inthe Keiyaku group, I am bestacquainted with the work here. Ourwomen recently began a study of theGospel cf John. Pray that as we studytogether, those who have not yetbecome Christians may be led of theHoly Spirit to come unto our LordJesus Christ. From this group ofwomen from the community, thereare now several who attend theSabbath worship service. One alsosends her children and husband toSabbath School and the whole familyattends the worship service. Pray thatthis Enomoto family will becomebelievers in the Lord Jesus Christ.Especially pray for Mrs. Kilkuzakiwho has attended the women'smeetings now for about 6 years. Acouple years ago she became a regularattender in the Sabbath worshipservice. More recently she beganstudying with Mr. Spear for baptism.Praise and thank the Lord for this,however, the study has temporarilystopped due to her illness. Pray thatthe Lord will grant healing so that shemight once more take her place in theservices and continue to prepare forbaptism. Also remember her husbandand seven year old daughter.Pray that others will come forth toprepare for church membership andbaptism. There are several studyingwith Mr. Boyle at this time.For the first time this fall our threechurches will not come together asone body for the observance of theLord's Supper. Instead each churchwill have communion separately in itsown place of worship. Pray for theLord's blessing on each, andespecially remember the ministers inthe increased load at the time of thecommunion season. Each will have allthe services alone without anassistant. Our Keiyaku services willbe November 11th. I am sorry that atthis time I do not have the dates forthe other two churches, but they willbe about the same time.The annual fall family conferenceis planned for October 10th, howeverthe place and theme of the conferencemust yet be decided. Pray for wisdom16 COVENANTER WITNESS

for those who are on the planningcommittee, as well as for a blessingupon the conference itself.Please join in prayer for theseyoung people along with the entiregroup of young people. Mr. Kimoto, amedical student, is interested inChristianity and attending one of theweek-day Bible classes. Anotherstudent is Mr. Ito, a young businessman who is becoming more and moreserious concerning the Christian faith.He attends both a week-day EnglishBible class and the Sabbath worshipservices. Pray for courage to make apublic profession of his faith andprepare for baptism and churchmembership.Attending our Keiyaku SabbathSchool from its beginning are twoyoungsters, one not quite a teenagerand one a teenager. The teenager thisyear began attending the worshipservices, though still somewhatirregular. Pray that he, Yamada-kun,may be drawn to the Lord. May theBible truths he has learned, some bymemory, be used of the Holy Spirit toquicken his heart so that he will givehis life to the Lord for cleansing andservice. Likewise pray for Tatta-chanthat he too will be brought to the LordJesus Christ.Thank the Lord for the measure ofhealing given Mr. Yasuhara of theHigashi Suma congregation who afterfour months of hospitalization is nowable to walk some with a cane andbrace. Also ask for healing for Mrs.Takihara and Mr. Matsuoka.Finally, my friends, pray for me asI travel to the states in August andthen during my deputation work inthe fall. May the Lord be exalted as Ishare with you the joy of scving theLord a second term in Japan."Brethren pray for us. . .thegrace of our Lord Jesus Christ be withyou."In Christ's love,AUGUST 1. 1973Oreta EverettSEATTLE(Robert McMillan, Pastor)Lee and Ruth Barclay attended theInter-Varsity Christian Fellowship conventionin California the week of June 10.Lee and Ruth have been elected to theExecutive Committee at the University ofWashington.Mrs. Jadwiga McMillansuffered afractured arm from a fall down the stairs atthe church. She is convalescing at homeafter surgery and a short stay at VirginiaMason Hospital.Mrs. Mamie Dodds isill and beingtreated at Swedish Hospital.Eileen Dunn is visiting for the summerwith the John Lamont family.PARK CITY(Robert Vincent, Pastor)On May 28th, 1973, MidwestPresbytery ordained Robert B. Vincent tothe gospel ministry of the R.P Church andinstalled him as pastor of the Park CityCongregation. This followed hisexamination by the delegates of Presbyterythat afternoon. Mr. Vincent graduatedfrom our R. P Seminary in May andmoved into our parsonage on May 25thwith his wife Sandra and daughters Lydiaage 2, and Amy, 6 months. Members ofthe congregation gathered on the 25th fora weiner roast picnic to get acquaintedwith our new pastor while assisting withthe unloading.On Mav 6 our provisional session,moderated by Rev. Bruce Backenstoinstalled two elected men as office bearersof the congregation. Orin Hill was installedas our second elder and HaroldMadsen was ordained and installed oursecond deacon. Tim Leland has beenaccepted into Communicant Membership.Tim's parents are John and Gerda Leland.LOS ANGELESThere is an appointed time foreverything. And there is a time for everyevent under heaven —A time to give birth, and a time todie;A time to plant, and a time touproot what is planted.A time to weep and a time tolaugh.A time to tear apart and a time tosew together.A time to love.These thoughts from Ecclesiastes 3express the feelings we in the Los Angelescongregation had when we formally bidfarewell to the Dr. Bruce Stewarts at areception June 1, 1973 as well as describethe nature of the program.The variety of representatives from thecommunity, religious groups andcongregational organizations who extendedtheir appreciation made us moreaware of what we already knew — that forBruce Stewart "there is a time for evervevent under heaven!"We laughed with the Young People asthey treated us to the film "EverythingYou Ever Wanted to Know About BruceStewart But Were Afraid to Ask." (RatedGH a must for all ages!) We wept as welistened to a tape of the halting words ofDonald Dodds, Clerk of Session, wordseven more precious to us now since theLord has taken him home. We bothlaughed and wept at the receptionfollowing as we reminisced over the past11 years with the Stewarts: Bruce,Roselyn. Mrs. Hattie Stewart, Doug andI.ucv. Cyndie. Don and brad. We watchedas they were presented with a silver cupand a photo album ot the congregationmade In Dottie Walker.In all the events ot the evening wewere reminded that the God who is

uprooting the Stewarts from our midst,tearing them away, ending therelationship we have had is the same Godwho gave birth to that relationship, hassewn us together and helped us to grow.Our God is faithful and will bless theStewarts as He plants them in their newservice at the seminary and gives themnew soil in which to grow. We also felt thedepth of His care in giving birth to a newrelationship for us with the Dr. JamesCarson family knowing that He willcontinue to "sew us together" as acongregation under the guidance of Dr.Carson.For all of us it was a time to both feeland share our love for the Stewarts, foreach other and for our God.I.H.NEW YORKPRESBYTERIALThe Fiftieth Annual Convention of theNew York Presbyterial was held May 9and 10, 1973, at Whiting, New Jersey.The theme was "Let us press on"; thePsalm, Psalm 84:4-6.A Golden Anniversary dinner wasserved. Mrs. Wendell Spear presented toMrs. James Beatty the first copy of theAnniversary Booklet prepared by theWalton Guild. Mrs. Beatty, who has donemuch research into the history of thePresbyterial, gave a resume of the fiftyyears.Mrs. Philip Martin, President, leddevotions, using as her topic "Let us presson to know the Lord." (Hosea 6:3)Rev. Melville Martin, superintendentof the Reformed Presbyterian Home,spoke on "Looking Toward the Sunset."He showed slides.Mrs. Mike Tabon conducted FamilyWorship, using the topic "Let us press onto maturity." (Heb. 6:1)Mrs. Waldo Mitchel led a Bible study— "Let us press on toward the goal for theupward call of God." (Phil. 3:14) Mrs.Mitchel reminded us that Christ is ourgoal and as we praise the Lord we grow.Then groups met for discussion.Twelve societies were represented,with 52 delegates.The 1974 Presbyterial Special Projectis extension work in the New York and St.Lawrence presbyteries.A memorial service, prepared by Mrs.Walter Somers of Newburgh and conductedby Mrs. Mike Tabon, paid tribute18to the eleven members deceased duringthe past year.The following officers were elected fortwo years: Vice-president, Mrs. RobertLaTourette; Corresponding Secretary,Mrs. Victor Lynn; and Treasurer, Mrs.James Hartin.The Thursday evening address wasgiven by Rev. Egbert W. Andrews,Orthodox Presbyterian missionary toTaiwan. He told about the work going onin Taiwan under the Reformed churches.The door is OPEN to Taiwan and theharvest is NOW.The convention closed with thesinging of the convention Psalm.FOREIGN MISSIONBOARD MEETINGAt the May meeting a call was extendedto Licentiate William J. Sterrettthrough his presbytery to missionaryservice in Japan through unit appointment.He has subsequently indicatedto his presbytery his intention to acceptthe call.Rev. James Pennington declined thecall to present service in Japan. The Boardencouraged him to reapply at a later date ifhe sees fit.The Book Room work in Japan ismoving forward in a more encouragingway with the addition of a new Japaneseworker. Rev. Masunaga does not plan tocome to the States at the present forfurther study, due to home and workpressures.Miss Oreta Everett will be in the U.S.for furlough this summer. The death ofMiss Orlena Lynn's father was noted, andsympathy letters were sent to Miss Lynnand her mother.The possibility of mission work inHong Kong among the Chinese is beinginvestigated. Also correspondence withthe Irish Mission Board is plannedconcerning possible mission work inLondon.Rev. and Mrs. Paul Wilson havecompleted their deputation work whichtook them 18,000 miles and into 54 R.P.congregations.The Board anticipates the need of aspecial study by Synod concerning theordination of elders to serve on theForeign Mission field.Mr. Henning gave a report of hisrecent deputation trip to Cyprus and theFar East.IOWA PRESBYTERIALThe theme of the 83rd annual conventionof Iowa Presbyterial held atMarion, la., was "Daughters of the King— Psalm 145."Dr. G. M. Robb spoke on Mary,mother of our Lord Jesus, as a daughter ofthe King. Mrs. Charles Bartholow usedHannah, and Mrs. William Cosgrove,Deborah, as other examples of daughtersof the King. Mrs. Ralph Howell of theWashington congregation presided overthe meetings and explained the way toshow our love for the King by ourobedience to Him and ministry to others.A highlight of the meeting was aninformal sharing by Mrs. Gwen Elsey ofthe way the Christian Women's BibleStudy coffees are prospering in Glenwood,Minnesota.The special presbyterial project for theyear is the Reformation TranslationFellowship and the new work in Easton,Pa. New officers for the coming two yearsare President, Mrs. Charles Bartholow,Washington; Vice-President, Mrs. RalphHowell, Washington; RecordingSecretary, Mrs. Gary Todd, Washington;Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. OrvilleShoop, Marion; Treasurer, Mrs. BertGregory, Sharon.NEW YORK CITY(George Price, Pastor)At the annual meeting the vote wasunanimous to ask Rev. George Price tocontinue as our pastor in response to hisannual resignation.Cottage prayer meetings are being heldin three different homes on the firstWednesday night of each month, sinceour members are so widely scattered.Mrs. Ernest Johnson, one of our newdeaconesses, is our representative on theWhite Lake Camp Corporation and attendsregular meetings. Mrs. Artheler Heard,our Church visitor, makes many calls inthe vicinity of the church, thus invitingmany to come to hear the Word of Godpreached. Results have been encouraging.Following communicant class sevenyouths were received into the membershipon communion Sabbath, April 29. TheRev. David Patterson, Clarinda, Iowa,was the assistant. Four young peoplereceived the sacrament of baptism onprofession of their own faith.COVENANTER WITNESS

GENEVA ALL-TIME TRACIU FIELD RECORDSBIRTHSFINLEY, Margo Renee to William R. andBetty Finley on May 31 (Sparta-Bethel).WILSON, Damon MacAlister to James andMary (Horton) Wilson of Nashville, Tenn.,on May 24 (St. Lawrence Presbytery).GRADUATIONSHIGH SCHOOLBIRCHER, Nick (Seattle) from PhillipsAcademy, Andover, Mass.BRADBURN, Greg (Park City) fromWichita Heights H.S. Accepted appointmentto U.S. Air Force Academy,Colorado Springs, Colo.CASKEY, Ann (Rose Point) from LaurelH.S. Valedictorian. Plans to attendGeneva.GRAHAM, Barbara (Rose Point) fromButler H.S. Plans to enter AlleghenyValley School of Nursing.LELAND, Timothy (Park City) fromWichita Heights H.S.LONG, Calvin (Seattle) from Anchorage,Alaska, H.S.McCLAN, Jeri (Elkins Park) fromWoodrow Wilson H.S.PETERSON, Bruce (Greeley) from PoudreH.S.STONER, Dennis (Rose Point) from LaurelH.S. Plans to enter Geneva.TIEDEMAN, Jerry (Seattle).GENEVACAMPBELL, Donald (Rose Point). B.S. inBiology.DUNN, Eileen (Hot Springs). B.S.Ed.OTHER SCHOOLSAULD, Wayne (Oakdale). B.S. fromCollege of Agriculture at S.I.U. at Carbondale.CARSON, Becky (Oakdale). Diploma fromKaskaskia Junior College.CARSON, Philip (Oakdale). B.S. fromCollege of Agriculture at S.I.U. at Carbondale.Perfect 5.0 average.LARSON, Joyce (Seattle). B.A. fromUniversity of Washington.PATTON, Emily (Oakdale) B.S.Ed, inSpecial Education from S.I.U. at Carbondale.RICHARDS, Mark (Oakdale). Diplomafrom Institute of Drafting and Technologyat Morrison, 111. Salutatorian of class.TRACK DISPLAY BOARD HONORS MEL VOSA new display of GENEVA ALLTIME TRACK & FIELD RECORDS hasbeen presented "In Memory of Mel Vosby Family and Friends." The displayboard, 3 feet by 16 feet, has been placed inthe upper entrance of Metheny FieldHouse, across from the trophy case. Theattractive 3-color design includes aWALKER, David (Elkins Park). Completedtwo year college course at OceanCity College in Maryland.MARRIAGESMANN, Karen and YEHLIN, Dan atQuinter R.P Church on June 1. Rev. PaulWhite officiating. The couple are at homeat Danbury, Neb. 69026.WILKEY, Jo and MASSEY, Craig atSterling, Ks. on June 2. Rev. BruceBackensto officiating.ANNIVERSARYBARCLAY, David and Edith of Seattle on Canada.May 20 (25th). Children: Lee and Ruth.DEATHSSCHLEDER, Anne V on April 17 (NorthHills). Member of Board of Directors ofWomen's Association.STEWART, Mrs. Charlie (Valeria), (68) onJune 6 (Quinter).NOTICELie. Bruce Martin has completed hisregular seminary training and is nowavailable for a call to be the pastor of acongregation of the ReformedPresbyterian Church. Contact him in careof Rev. Philip W. Martin. "2 Gates Ave.,Montclair. N.J.0"042 Phone: 201-^46-9348."Golden Tornado" crossing the finishline, all the current Geneva records onremovable plates, and a photo and tributeto Mel Vos, one of Geneva's outstandingtrack and cross country men.Mel, the son of Dr. and Mrs. JohannesG. Vos, was a star runner from 1958-1962, and coached cross country in 1966."When it Rains it Pours", a look atthe church toda> examining personalcommitment to the church, responsibilityof the church and interpersonalrelationships, is the focus of the WhiteLake Conference Aug. 17-25. The Rev.Ron Nickerson is the featured speaker.The theme of the St. Lawrence FamilyConference, August 31 -September 3, atLisbon, New York, will be "God'sPromises and Gifts", II Peter 1:2 5. Thespeaker will be the Rev. John McMillan.There will be classes for all age groups.For information write to Mrs. J. L.Morton, R. R. 2, Almonte, Ontario,NOTICE TO STUDENTSStudents enrolling in the University oMinnesota are welcome to be a part of thecampus ministry program of the ChristianReformed Church. Concerned persons areavailable to students for assistance inorientation, registration, locating housingwith Christian roommates, etc.Our student group. Campus Forum.offers weekly opportunities for study anddiscussion ot the Chnst'in faith from aReformed perspective, as well as warmChristian fellowship. For further informationcontact Pastor Ben Becksvcxtrt.1101 University A\e . SF. Minneapolis,Minnesota 55414. Phone (61 2 > ^M 1102(office) "S9 (T25 (home)U'GUS' 19" 3I 1 )

(2) Things a Christian ought never to start doing. Thesecond category of evils are things that believers may not beguilty of yet they need to be warned of them. The reference is tothe fleshly lusts expressed in verse eleven, "Beloved, I urgeyou as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, whichwage war against the soul."What are these fleshly lusts? For this we turn to Galatians5:19-21, "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities,strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions,factions, envyings, drunkenness, carousings and things likethese, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned youthat those who practice such things shall not inherit thekingdom of God." These are all abominable sins. None of uswould defend the practice of any of them. I will not discussthem, we all abhor them. But allow me to mention the last one,translated in the King James as "revelings" but in the NASB,RSV, Amplified, Williams and Weymouth versions by theword "carousings." This is just one of those things condemned,from which we are to be total abstainers.The Greek word is komos. Thayer's lexicon says it means"a nocturnal and riotous procession of half drunken fellows,used generally of feasts and drinking parties that are protractedtill late at night and indulge in revelry." Such is forbidden.What makes it evil? Is it the late hours or the fact of a party orthe noisiness of it? Many of us have been at late festivegatherings where there was hilarity, possibly boistrousness andfelt that there was no special evil attached to these things. Whendo such things become evil? When drinking enters the picturethen they become evil. Thayer says that the participants were"half-drunken." They were evidently not drunk for then theevil would be drunkenness. There was something less thandrunkenness and it was evil. Who can tell when one is halfdrunken?Thayer is saying that the participants might not havebeen drunk, but they had been drinking. There did not have tobe drunkenness for this thing to be evil, there only had to bedrinking. Every Christian agrees that drinking to a stage ofdrunkenness is evil and forbidden. This word komos refers tosomething that is less than drunkenness, in other words, j''stplain drinking. Komos is a word that is associated with drinkingyet not necessarily to the stage of drunkenness, and it is forbidden.Now consider the word "carouse" which many translatorsuse as the English equivalent of komos. This is a wordalways associated with drinking. Webster defines it as "atippling term", "to empty the cup", "a toast", "to drinkhealth and success", "a drinking bout", "a drunken revel."Funk and Wagnalls dictionary says to carouse is "to drink","to drink deeply and in a boistrous manner." While there aresome other connotations associated with the word carouse, itcannot be divorced from drinking and that drinking cannot benecessarily labeled as excessive nor drunkenness. But carousingis forbidden, and to forbid the very essence of carousing is toforbid drinking.And while I am on this subject, let me take you toRomans 13:13,14 where the same word komos is used. This isthe New American Standard translation: "Let us behaveproperly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not insexual promiscuity and sensuality not in strife and jealousy. Butput on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for theflesh in regard to its lusts." The lusts of the flesh and theirresults are spoken of here. Drunkenness is mentioned, butcarousing is also mentioned as something evidently differentfrom drunkenness. Both are outcomes of lust in the heart andboth are forbidden without reservation.Take the word "drunkenness" for a moment.Drunkenness, a result of a lust of the flesh, is not only forbidden,but any provision that leads to it is also forbidden,"make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts."Drunkenness cannot be achieved except through drinking.fritoxication can be achieved through the use of other drugs, butonly that which is the result of alcohol is here intended.Therefore drinking is the one and only provision by whichdrunkenness is achieved. Therefore make no provision for thatwhich can lead to drunkenness. How else can this be interpretedbut that drinking which is the only provision for drunkenness isabsolutely forbidden in Romans 13:14?(3) Things that a Christian ought to start and to keep ondoing. Some of this is found in the first chapter of I Peter, verses13-17 and 22. But I wish to dwell only on the second chapterand the important verses there are 2, 12-17. In the secondverse, saints alive are enjoined to desire the Word of God just asa baby desires his milk. If the baby doesn't want his milk, thensomething is wrong, he is sick, and steps must be taken to gethim back to health. Christians give evidence of spiritual sicknesswhen they do not desire the Word. If that is the condition of anyof us, how important it is for us to cultivate a hunger for theWord. Part of my prayer day by day is "O Lord, develop in me agreater hunger for Your Word."Verses 12-17 are saying that Christians should set a goodexample with their conduct, be submissive to properauthorities, act as free men while remembering that they arethe servants of God, which gives a far different perspective onthe subject of freedom than the man of the world generallyaccepts or practices. The 17th verse summarizes it by tellingChristians to fear God, love the brethren, honor the authoritiesand honor all men.Saints alive are a minority group. Yet they are not to becompared with the down trodden and oppressed minorities.There are other kinds of minorities too. The rulers in oursociety, the executives, the very rich, the highly educated, theextremely talented are also minorities. Yet saints would not becompared with these either, for these last ones enjoy theirminority status at the top of the ladder and are not especiallyinterested in having everyone else share that position. Suchones need to be reminded that "unto whomsoever much isgiven, much shall be required."Believers are in a class of their own in regard to theirminority status. They have the greatest of possessions, thehighest position, the most lofty of purposes, and a loving desirethat the whole earth share the same. But all this should never bementioned without a reminder of the responsibilities attached tosuch a status. God says, through His spokesman Peter, thatthere are "do's and don'ts" that must be carefully consideredand practiced. I have brought some of these to your attentionand they are applicable to us here.I give to you the condensed words of Peter as the standardsof conduct for this meeting of Synod — Put aside allmalice, guile, hypocrisy, envy and slander. For you are achosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people forGod's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellenciesof Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelouslight. So keep your behaviour excellent. Fear God, love thebrotherhood, honor all men.•20 COVENANTER WITNESS

WITNESS

ORDWe hope you will take the time to read both of thesearticles. Perhaps, too, you will have some experiencebrought to mind by them that you would like to share withour readers. Or maybe you might have some further perspectiveto give on this issue of the value of labor from aChristian perspective. If so, WORK AT IT, and send yourproduct to us. This way at least your Witness will not be depersonalized.R.W.N.WORK: WHO NEEDS IT?I've never quite been able to figure out why Labor Dayshould be observed as a holiday from work. Somehow itseems to parallel the Weight-Watchers Club sponsoring aspaghetti dinner. If work is honorable enough to becelebrated, why choose its exact opposite as the method ofcelebration?In our day we are hearing more about long weekendsand shorter work weeks than ever before. Technology hasmade it possible to do many tasks in a mere fraction of thetime it used to take to do them. Instead of "Let George doit" we are more apt to hear, "Let the computer doit."Is it true that with all these advances in science thatman is essentially lazier than in a previous generation? Haslabor lost its dignity? No editorial this size can answer thisquestion adequately, but let us begin with a qualified affirmative.For many there is little honor to a day's work welldone. This is largely so because of the mass depersonalizationin the vast world of business andmanufacturing. So few actually produce anything with theirown hands that the only thing they can boast of is themachines that do the job for them.In business it is so hard for the small man to survivethat he soon sells out to a chain operation and becomes amere cog in a big machine.Even our farmers don't have the direct satisfactionthey used to have in being able to view the result of theirhard labor. So much of the modern farm operation ismechanized and controlled by outside influences that thefarmer has lost some of the pioneer spirit of personal enterprise.The Christian is not excluded from this pervadingblight. It is hard for him too to see the work he is doing asthat which glorifies God and advances the kingdom. In histhought provoking article on the labor union in this issueBob Eells probes into the larger matter of the wholerelationship between Christianity and labor. On the otherside of the coin, Phyllis Wilson tells about her convictions asa welfare worker whose particular responsibility is to investigatethe worthiness of claims for aid by those whocannot or will not work.1•Editor:The Ohio-Illinois Presbytery would like to have theenclosed statement printed in The Covenanter Witness, inexplanation of an action taken by the Presbytery at its meetingin March:The Ohio-Illinois Presbytery wishes to acknowledge thefollowing letter received from the Board of Superintendents ofthe Reformed Presbyterian Seminary, in respect to an action ofPresbytery taken at its meeting at Sparta, Illinois, in March,1973. The letter (in part) is as follows:"In reply to the resolution of the Ohio-Illinoispresbytery passed at its regular 1973 Spring meetingthe Board of Superintendents of the ReformedPresbyterian Seminary states that it is well aware of thetheological position of the Association for AdvancedChristian Studies, and of the difficulties bound up withit. It is not Seminary policy, and never has beenSeminary policy, to advocate the distinctive teachingsof the A.A.C.S., nor has the Seminary ever had any tieswith it. The Presbytery is in error in making theseassumptions."The resolution referred to above, reads as follows:"The Ohio-Illinois Presbytery urges the administrationand the Board of Superintendents of the R.P Seminary to carefully consider the matter of theinfluence of the Association for Advanced ChristianStudies and its teaching arm, the Institute for ChristianStudies, otherwise known as the "Toronto School" onthe seminary and to take appropriate steps to restrainthis continuing influence."The Presbytery wishes to explain that by taking thisaction it did not intend to infer that the Seminary had beenunduely influenced by the Association for Advanced ChristianStudies, or that the Seminary had established a relationshipwith the AACS. The purpose of the resolution was merely tocall attention to the fact that the philosophy of the "TorontoSchool" is controversial and that we should be on guard againstany undue influence.John O. EdgarCOVENANTER WITNESS

• >EDITORRonald W. Nickerson800 Wood Si.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithIfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A..Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.VOLUME LXXXIXNO. 1^AUGUST 29 1973BCONTENTSARTICLES:The Web of Welfare.KOPIASTE.A Call for Christian Labor Unions.In Memoriam.Bibles and Bananas...FEATURES:A Word Due."In Truth and Love"Hey Lookit.Distaff Deductions.Glimpses. .Bring the Books."Count Her Towers.Count Our Days.468101621314151718.20SUBSCRIPTIONINFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, £2, 1 year;^3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 51221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 800 Wood St.,Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.Known office of publication: Box K,Winchester, Kansas 66097. Secondclass postage paid at Winchester,Kansas 66097.MfMBliJ

PHYLLIS WILSONAbout the Author: Phyllis Wilson, amember of the Park City, Ks., R. P.Congregation is a daughter of Rev. J.Paul Wilson. She is a welfare caseworker in Wichita, Ks.I am sure most of us who haveread God's Word are aware that Hespeaks many times to the problem ofmeeting the needs of the poor. Veryspecifically in the Old Testament thepeople of that agrarian society werecommanded for instance in Leviticus19:9,10, to leave scatterings of theirharvests in the fields for the poor togather up, as in the account of thewidows, Ruth and Naomi. Deut. 15contains a number of instructions forour dealing with the poor, the mostpointed is in vs. 11 "For the poor willnever cease to be in the land;therefore I command you, saying,'You shall freely open your hand toyour brother, to your needy and poorin your land'." (NAS) Deut. 24:14-22 includes several commands for ourattitudes and treatment of the poorand alien and the orphan and widowbecause "you shall remember thatyou were a slave in the land of Egypt;therefore I am commanding you to dothis thing." vs. 22. In the NewTestament, Christ said "sell whatyou have and give to the poor and youshall have treasure in heaven." Theearly church had to deal with theproblem of the neglected widows andorphans by selecting deacons to seetheir needs were met.CHANGING VALUESThe fact that the governmenttaken over this responsibility pointsup the neglect of this duty by mostchurches. Many people feel they havealready "given to the poor" involuntarilyin their taxes, and that isenough. I have heard people say thisvery thing as they.plan for the needs ofan aged parent at the welfare office.A problem with modern society —especially America, is the inability forpeople to subsist or ' 'get along" as inBible times on what they may be ableto "pick up" — sticks for fuel, oddjobs, aluminum beer cans for refunds,etc. In countries with a high standardof living, more is needed to live andmany poor think they must own andmaintain a car, for instance. Thankfullywelfare payments cannot include4 COVENANTER WITNESS

k/mems oil repairs except inF-are cases. Withautomation, there is less menial workthe untrained and uneducated can doto support a family. There are thepoor who do not want to feel poor."Give us more money, not services",says the Welfare RightsOrganization, and Congress listens.On the other hand occasionally wehear of an old person who has beensaving money out of his welfare grantby depriving himself.WELFARE UPSWINGYou have become more aware inrecent years, I am sure, of thenation's welfare program for financialand medical Aid to the Aged, Blindand Disabled, and Aid to Familieswith Dependent Children. This is dueto the skyrocketing numbers on therolls, the poor who have become morevocal in demanding their rights anddue to the charges of welfare abusesand fraud by recipients not reportingincomes, or employables refusing towork. More strict laws are beingpassed by states to require betterprevention and bigger penalties ifcaught. This is good, but to work, itrequires more personnel to keepcaseloads low enough to bemanageable.The tremendous increase inwelfare recipients has been caused byseveral reasons, one obviously is thehigher definition of "poor." WithGovernment's desire to have no poor,and so to set higher basic needallowances and pushing Congress topass a guaranteed annual income, itshould not surprise us to seetremendous increases in families onwelfare. The Federal law requiresexemptions of a percentage of earnedincome as an incentive for the singlehead of household to work. But thisalso means people remain eligiblelonger for the supplementing welfarecheck.A number of people, and some arethe recipients themselves, have themisconception that they may notwork at all and still remain eligible forsome welfare. The system is intendedto be a supplement to other incomesincluding what one can do for himself.He is just required to report it monthby month for a monthly adjustment ifit varies. In this way welfare does notallow as much freedom as with SocialSecurity Benefits.The largest group of recipients,the fastest growing despite fewerchildren, is the mothers of childrenleft dependent by deserting, divorcedor separated and unmarried fatherswho are usually not supporting. Thispoints out a terrible growing socialand moral problem. A Christian whoembraces the Scriptural view ofmarriage, the home and work can seeimmediately the growing, inevitableresults of the humanistic, egocentricsociety we live in, especially if she orhe works for the welfare office.Phvllis reports tor work.THE WELFARE WORKEROne may well ask a Christiansocial worker why she remains in suchan agency, and I say. the same reasonChristian public school teachers staywhere there is a definite need forChristian influences. We each carrvout our responsibilities to our clients,our employers, and above all to thetaxpayers in distributing fairly andequally within the eligibilityrequirements, the financial aid neededby the poor. This includes aged whohave outlived their resources, thedisabled who are unable to be gainfullyemployed outside their homes,and the mothers of voung childrenwho are needed to raise and care fortheir children alone. We seek to bringglory to God in our dealing withpeople and assisting them with theirproblems as objectively as possible.Social workers learn we are neverto make judgments between thosewho may be "deserving" or "undeserving."We cannot be prejudicedor refuse aid to the poor just becausethe person is an alcoholic or drug userwho cannot hold a job or is a familywho has little moral judgment ordesire for cleanliness but who hasnumerous children and whose fatheris unequipped to bring in sufficient or(cont. on p. 12)AUGUST 29. 19^3

KOPIASTEKENNETH G. SMITHGregory and I were sitting in abicycle repair shop, drinking cokes — abig seller for Cypriot shopkeepers. Thebike was new for Greg, but the boy whohad owned it before him had aboutworn out the Russian-made tires.Replacements might be difficult. ButGreg would risk the old tires. It was aracer, a homestyle strip-down. It took alittle time for the repairman to understandmy desires. After all how doyou talk to someone else about sprocketsand spokes if you do not have a commonlanguage? Fortunately another mancame in who knew English. You canimagine what happened. Of course, hequickly explained in Greek, but then Isoon became deeply engaged in conversationwith him. . .about all kinds ofthings, even sin and God. Occasionally Iglanced at the repairman. He was keenlyaware of us, but understanding none ofour conversation.Later as we drove away, Gregasked about John, the man who couldspeak some English. "Do you thinkwhat he was saying was what he reallymeant?" I do not know," I replied,' 'but until we know Greek, we will justhave to hope so." And so the incidentmade both Greg and me aware all overagain that in the game of "people,"language scores.++++++Now, of course, anyone who hasbeen involved in communication, likewe have for the past twenty years, needsno one to tell him language is important.I observed people in Americastruggling in their native English tomake themselves understood! Here inCvprus the inter-communicationstruggle comes as a part of the Cypruspackage. Besides the basic Greek spokenby most — 80 per cent of the Island areGreek — there is the Turkishpopulation. And to them, Turkish isnot unimportant. Armenians also havetheir tongue, though most of themknow at least one other. The Britishinfluence, along with the American,makes English a coveted skill. That isthe money language! Meaning, if youwant to be where the money is, learnEnglish. But if you want to be where theCypriots are, you learn Greek. That isthe personality language!++++++Greg was so intent on watching howa bike wheel is straightened, he did notnotice when our English-speakingmediator began talking about politics. Ifyou have read the recent "NationalGeographic" with its Cyprus survey,then you know something at leastabout the complexities in our matters ofstate. They are as stubborn as NorthernIreland's. But what amused me wasJohn's effort to convince me that he hadalways stayed out of politics. He hadlived in Australia and England. . .noplace had he ever become politicallyinvolved.One of many modern hotels in Cyprus today.I should hardly call it "amusing."Just about two weeks ago, a young manwas violently murdered by machinegunbullets a few blocks from our home. Thepaper called it a "political murder."Whether it was or not, I do not know.But one man previously had told me ofthe affect on his life when some yearsago he found himself pressed into theEOKA push to oust the British. "Doyou know what it means to havesomeone put a gun in your hands andcommand, 'Go! Kill!' "? To becomepolitically involved — or not involvedcan mean much more than juststanding on the corner and passing outfavorite-candidate leaflets. I couldunderstand what I was hearing. "Justdo not associate me with politics," he*/« Cyprus, a friendly greetingmeaning "come and sit and let ustalk. ''6 COVENANTER WITNESS

was meaning. And maybe he was noteven saying it for my benefit. Maybe hewas just trying to encourage himself. Ormaybe he was involved. At least I knewsomething of the possible innuendoes.++++++As often happens when peoplediscover we are Americans, they makesome remark about our American wayof life. Nixon, stability of the dollar,some relative. .America as a term stirsa mental image in our world. Todayafter discussing Detroit automobiles andspace ingenuity, he shook his headsadly. "But America has changed," hesaid, "I watch many movies. They usedto have many movies I enjoyed. Buttoday, the movies no longer seem tohave any respect." I nodded."Everywhere in the world- today,respect seems to be gone," helamented. I decided to probe. "We livein a sinful world." It did not take. Hedid not understand "sinful." "When aman breaks God's law, he 'sins,' ' Iexplained. Now it took. Of course, Ofcourse. And he became thoughtful andserious.Now even Americans are religious.But Cypriots more so. Interwoven intheir society is the historic Christiantradition. It is true that mosquescompete with churches to command theskyline, but minarets, thoughsometimes taller, number fewer. StillChristianity as a tradition has lost itsmeaning to a large extent because it hasbecome so intertwined with what isconsidered Cypriot. I can remembertalking with some Japanese students inA Village PriestPittsburgh twenty years ago who toldme they had thought to be Americanwas to be Christian. Their visit provedenlightening. So such a phenomenonshould not be construed as unusual.though admittedly when the ambivalenceis there but unnoticed, it ismore difficult.++++++Perhaps it is like one young man toldme the other day. He owns a smallgrocery store on the outskirts of Larnaca,and we talked as I drove himhome. "I believe in God," he affirmed,"but I am just not committed." I was abit startled at his candor. "Do youknow the facts?" I questioned, "Haveyou read the Bible?" He was quick torespond. "Very few people in Cyprushave read the Bible." Well, I took hisjudgment as his opinion, but I remindedhim that no one should commit himselfto anything or anyone without knowingthe facts. And I made a mental note:even in a "Christian" culture, do notassume people know the facts of theBible. It could be a clue to contact. Butthe facts must be heard in terms ofcommitment!+ + + + + +"Can you check the generator?" Itworked, so the repairman assumed wewanted a new light. He could at leastgrasp Greg's urgings; but that wouldhave to wait. Greg's savings would haveto build since that was his expense. Ourinterpreter did his duty, which in turnled into conversation about his work. Asof three days ago, he was unemployed. Icould not tell if he had quit or just beenlaid off. He was dressed handsomely insuit and tie, which interested me, sincehe said he was an automobile mechanic."What do you want to do?" I asked.He shrugged. He seemed a bit aimless,looking for something to catch hisinterest. He said his home village offeredno diversions, and Larnaca littlemore. Was he, like so many of mycountrymen, trying tofill the void in hislife with the "material," and comingup empty?++++++Cyprus presents a vivid study incontrast. The old comprises the stage,but the antique scenery must bereplaced with the new for the next act inCyprus' drama. How will the scriptread? Some have doubts. Providing thepolitical directors can keep a semblanceof control, the actors will includethousands of tourists seeking the sunbathedbeaches. Still, many Cypriotsabhor the scores of modern hotelsstanding shoulder-to-shoulder on theFamagusta shores. What will these do toCyprus tradition? On the other hand.the revenue is too good to pass up.Money will win its place in the next act,according to all anticipations.How does this quest for the materialaffect Cyprus? Their pound (at presentworth S2.91) has held its value, but canit ride Britain's coattail into Europe'sCommon Market competition?Unemployment figures are happily verylow, but how long will their risingprices let this continue? Cypriots arebeginning to enjoy the conveniences ofmodern living, and autobobiles steadilymultiply. Datsun has been written intothe script. But thinking Cypriots stillhave their doubts. When they look atAmerica and other western countries —and their youth look hard and long -their TV sets not only splash thelavish. They expose something of theaftermath. How can wehave theprosperity without the "lack ofrespect?" I am not fully acquaintedwith all the economic hopes here, but Inote with awareness that the largestsingle party in Cyprus is communist(but I am told not "Marxist"). Apparentlythey are not passive toeconomic philosophy. That can be good.+ + + + + +The bike would not be finished for acouple of hours. We decided to comeback for it. Later we saw our friend Johnhaving a cup of coffee in a local cafe. Hestill looked thoughtful; but when hewaved, I could not detect what I wouldcall contentment.•AUGUST 29, 1973

Restoring Freedomto the Working ManIL&IB®IR IBSSIKThe brokenness of the human condition is clearlyvisible today. There are few optimists left even in the"establishment." Secular thinkers like the psychiatrist CarlJung are not far from the truth when they proclaim: "It isbecoming more and more obvious that it is not starvation,not microbes, not cancer, but man himself who is mankind'sgreatest danger." Mankind seems to be suffering from a badcase of "freedomitis." There is a cure for this malady, butthe patient refuses even to see the physician.Nowhere are the effects of this sickness more evidentthan in labor relations. Man's quest for freedom has createda situation of almost abject slavery. Is man "free" when theschools are closed for months, when the uncollected garbageresembles a new urban high-rise, when "boredom" typifiesthe average work day, and when one's job is in jeopardywhen the "dues'' are not paid? No, this is slavery leading tochaos, not freedom.About the Author: Robert Eells, the ExecutiveSecretary of the Christian Government Movement, isa son of the Walton, N.Y., R. P. congregation. Heholds a masters degree in History from Union College,Schenectady, N. Y. and has done further work at theUniversity of New Mexico.EARLY DEVELOPMENTSROBERT EELLSThe overall situation is complex and there are few easyanswers, but some generalizations are in order. From thevery inception of our nation, distortions characterized ourwork syndrome. For many early Pur.itans, work was not seenas service but as that which led to the accumulation of goodswhich were a sign of one's salvation. So, those who did notwork (very hard) or could not work were often ridiculed andscorned and their "salvation" was questioned.The secularization of the Puritan ethic of work reacheda crisis in the 19th century and made this century awatershed in our nation's history. Here we witness acontinuation of the "religious" understanding of the birthof our nation and the meaning of our destiny. Before theCivil War conservatism, revivalism and the lack oftechnology kept this partly hidden. But the war broke mostof the restraints and we were swept into our modern historywith few dissident voices.8COVENANTERWITNESS

BIRTH OFUNIONSA CHRISTIANALTERNATIVEThe irony and overall tragedy of the situation slowlycame to be recognized by humanists. But it was severaldecades before their critical voices peaked, and then —because of the limitations of their critiques and the complicationsof industrialization — it was already too late!Then the unions were born out of the womb of ourcivilized society. They came forth as a reaction to a reactionto a reaction . . . But that's the way life is whenit is lived indarkness — nothing but the blind leading the blind on theway to death! And yet the early labor unions were partlyjustified because life in this world, even with sin stillpresent, ought to be more meaningful thanit is; work oughtto be more fulfilling. So we can learn from these early secularlabor unions even though they lacked a sound Biblicalunderstanding of what work can be when done in the nameof Christ.The unions were reacting to the "cancer" of modernAmerica. That cancer is the spirit of materialism which stillgrips our nation. The gilded age and modern 20th centuryAmerica have both been monstrously insensitive to theweak, those unable to care for themselves. The Scripturefrequently speaks of this multitude as "the oppressed, theexploited, the aliens, strangers and widows" — all thosewho are not able to compete with the favored few.Many have been exploited or oppressed in the pastcentury. The labor unions are just one example of the waythat men have tried to smooth out the rough edges of acapitalistic system. This is their greatest strength andweakness. It was impossible for them to be critical enough,to go to the roots of the work problem because they havealways been a part of the system which they tried to fight,and in the end were themselves assimilated into theAmerican Way of Life.CHRISTIANITY'S RESPONSEThe response of the Christian community to laborunions and the spirit of materialism has been woefullyinadequate. We have failed to provide a radically Christianalternative and have once again fallen into a dualisticposture. The conservative and evangelical wing of professedChristians has historically been shamefully insensitive to theexcesses of the American Way of Life and has fought thegrowth and expansion of unions from the very first. Onlylately, after years of silence and loss of Christian identity,has this group begun to challenge their traditional indifferenceto labor problems and lack of radical opposition tosecular unions.The second group — the liberal wing of Christianity— has reacted quite favorably to labor unions and been in thevanguard of reform through the social gospel. The tragedyhere is that no radically Christian distinctive has ever beensought. Assimilation has been openly advocated in the nameof the "brotherhood of man." This group is now largelybankrupt in the face of the disintegration in our society.Many readers of the Covenanter Witness are aware ofthe problems of modern labor unions. The unions' un-Biblical presuppositions, confrontation mentality, classconsciousness, and lack of clear direction is evident to manyChristians. Unfortunately some Christians are also beingswept along with the tide of criticism from various circleswithout formulating a Christian alternative. The chaos andbankruptcy of labor unions and much of the entire system isrecognized, but what can we do about it?Responsible Christian action is called for now if somelight is to be seen in the darkness of our present historicalsituation.The proper Christian attitude toward secular unions isone of prophetic, "spiritual" separation. As far as our basicheartcommitment is concerned, we should have nothing todo with them. This may not be concretely possible orpractical for all individuals at the present time, but thisshould be our confession. The Christian community shouldmove immediately in the direction of a gradual withdrawalfrom secular labor unions and the thoughtful construction ofa total "work" alternative.Certainly this will take time and will only be possibleas more Christians become convinced thatit is necessary.("And here is where the Word proclamation from the pulpitis so vital. Christians must hear again that the Gospel impliesradical wholehearted response by God's people.) This totalliving witness will also be dependent upon a sound Biblicalunderstanding of the concepts of Calling, Office and Work.Without this anchor, we will be lost from the outset. Part ofour alternative must also include a Scriptural and Spirit-ledcritique of the two major (false) spiritual forces of our time:Western capitalist humanism and Marxist humanism. Wemust know what is being said in these circles, pull fromthem any traces of truth or insight, and then challenge themat their very roots.A word of caution is in order at this point. Withdrawaland simultaneous development of an alternative dependsupon a communal effort. We must realize that God worksthrough His people firstly in terms of the community andthen through the individual person.It would, therefore, beimpractical for a few individuals scattered here and there towithdraw from the monolithic union system withoutcommunity support — practical, legal, financial and"spiritual." This is also crucial as we seek to present aviable alternative to the total work situation in America.The alternative could possibly take the followingdirection. Firstly, we ought to form Christian "workers'unions" (for lack of a better phrase). These "unions"would be voluntary groupings of committed Christians forthe purpose of bringing a halt to the disintegration of oursociety in labor relations. These should be composed ofemployers and employees, ol men and women from allbackgrounds and "classes" all of whom are seeking todiscover what is their own unique contribution to their(cont. on p. 11)AUGUST 29, 1973

In MemoriamWALTER C. McCLURKIN, D.D.1882-1973"And the seed in the good ground, these are the oneswho have heard the Word in an honest and good heart,and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance. "(Luke 8:15)In some ways, the depression year of 1932 was themost significant in the ministry of Walter McClurkin. Hewas fifty years old at the time, and had been a minister ofthe Gospel in the Reformed Presbyterian Church fortwenty-two years. During the early part of that ministryhe had held brief pastorates at Lisbon, New York, atCoulterville, Illinois, and at Olathe, Kansas. For the nextfifteen years he had served in no regular pastorate. He wasfield secretary for the Witness Committee for one year.The following year he served as stated supply for the LakeReno Congregation at Glenwood, Minnesota. For manyyears he wrote on the young people's topics for theChristian Nation. He also ministered as the Superintendentof the Chinese Mission of the Central PittsburghCongregation.Then, in the year 1932, Dr. McClurkin was calledto return to the pastorate, and become the minister of theColdenham, New York, Congregation. The making outof that call had been preceded by days of sober discussionat Coldenham. The question being considered waswhether the church ought to be closed. There wereseventeen resident members, out of a communicantmembership of thirty. Only one young girl was on thebaptized roll. However, a house-to-house survey wasconducted, and the people who lived around the churchsaid that they wanted the church there. Under theguidance of God the decision was made to continue, andDr. McClurkin received the call.The Holy Spirit, in Hebrews 10:35, counsels usnot to cast away our confidence, "which has a greatreward." Walter C. McClurkin had a confidence in JesusChrist his Lord which refused to be broken. As a youth inOakdale, Illinois, and later in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania,he had heard the Word in an honest and good heart; andthrough the years of testing he had held it fast. Hisministry in the Gospel bore much fruit with perseverance.Dr. McClurkin was the pastor at Coldenham for aquarter of a century. Under his leadership that historicchurch became the center for a vigorous program ofoutreach. Dr. and Mrs. McClurkin made their home acenter of social life for the young people of thesurrounding community, and showed a deep interest intheir activities. A very large and active CovenanterYoung People's Union was organized. The young peoplewere challenged to pay close attention to the preaching ofthe Word, and prizes were awarded for the best sets ofsermon notes. Attendance and Bible Study contests wereheld to win part of the expenses for White Lake Camp,and the camp came to play an important part in the life ofthe congregation. A large mission Sabbath School wasalso developed, and the church began to grow.Throughout these years of ministry at Coldenham, Dr.McClurkin was deeply appreciated as a pastor who lovedand cared for his flock.(cont. on next page)10COVENANTER WITNESS

Walter C. McClurkin was born in Oakdale, Illinois,on Februrary 14, 1882, and was over ninety-one yearsold when death came on June 20, 1973. He and his wife,the former Morna McWilliams, shared almost sixty-threeyears of married life together. They shared a great interestin gardening, and surrounded their homes with beautifulflowers and shrubs. Mrs. McClurkin preceded herhusband in death by exactly three months. He was alsopreceded in death by his son, Robert. He is survived byhis daughter, Eunice, a member of the faculty of GenevaCollege, who has been a very real help to her parentsduring their years of retirement.Coldenham is no longer the quiet farming communityinto which the McClurkins moved in 1932. It is arapidly growing suburban area, and it sits on the edge ofwhat is now becoming the fourth jetport for MetropolitanNew York City. Yet there is still only one church inColdenham — a church where the Gospel has now beenpreached for one hundred and seventy-four years. Youcan almost say that the Sovereign God kept that churchopen by developing a most unusual quality of perseverancewithin the life of a devoted servant.' 'Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; foronce he has been approved, he will receive thecrown of life, which the Lord has promised tothose who love Him."(James 1:12)JohnM. McMillanExcerpt from letter of Mrs. Charles Belknap ofColdenham Congregation:Monday, June 25, 1973Dear Eunice,We will always remember Mr. McClurkin for hiskindness and friendliness as our pastor for so many years,for his quiet confidence, for his gentle ways, for his smile,for his warm handshake, for his excellent sense of humor,for the many times he "chauffeured" us many places, forthe many good times at White Lake, for his being a goodsport and even rollerskating with us sometimes (I guesswe thought he was a lot younger than he was), for his lovefor his family, and for his love for church and God.I also remember in Ted May's greeting at yourparent's 50th Anniversary, he mentioned that althoughCovenanters were not supposed to gamble, Mr. and Mrs.McClurkin really gambled by coming to Coldenhambecause at the time during the depression years thecongregation really did not know whether or not theycould keep up their financial agreement with them! Wereally know it was their faith and confidence in God thatmade it all possible.We will always remember both with love andpleasant memories.Love.Viola and tamilvAUGUST 29. 19^3LABOR UNIONS(from p. 9)economic activity in society. Resistance to this temporaryand insufficient "witness" can be expected, but persistenceand vision should prove that it can survive and perhapsflourish in the present situation. But this alternative ishopefully a temporary one.Secondly, the workers' unions should give way to thegrowth of Christian communal economic activity —Christian businesses and service organizations of manyshapes and sizes. These businesses should be for the benefitof Christians and non-Christians and should be models forothers in the nation. We should look forward to the timewhen other religious communities will seek to copy oureconomic behavior, for it ought to be relatively ' 'good" andthus cannot be ignored by secular man.A NECESSARY CONTRASTChristian communal economic activity should bemarkedly different from the present world systems.Structurally, the present authoritarian class consciousnesswill have to be replaced by teamwork within job distinctiveness.All jobs are important to the "success" of anyChristian business. No work or labor is insignificant.Everyone has his place in the work community.A Christian business must not follow the world in itsunderstanding of profit and success. A Christian businessshould not be "in business" just to make money, but toprovide a real service to men and enable workers to havemeaningful employment. Profit, or financial return oninvestment, is only one aspect of any business organization,and should not be the principal one.Even more fundamentally, a Christian business musthave a different approach to Capital, in the form of financialbacking. This is also only one aspect of a Christian workcommunityand is by no means the most important. AChristian business is a community of workers who themselvesdetermine — communally and in the light of Scripture— what is proper for their organization. Capital investorsshould only have the right to determine how their money isbeing used and to receive a "just" return on their investment.They should not control the work-community.These are just suggestions, but they do come afterconsiderable reflection. They are not to be considereddefinitive in any sense, but if they sound too radical, tooextreme, perhaps it is because we are too comfortable withthe death all around us. A uniquely Christian perspective onwork and labor relations is long overdue.However, economic activity should never be deified,or made into something that it never was intended to be. Allof the life of the Christian community is a witness to thetruth that Christ reigns even now and that life can only havemeaning in Him as His people dedicate themselves to Hisservice. But it is time now for Christians to posit concreteanswers with their ver\ lives,it work is to once again haveanv real meaning!•11

WEB OF WELFARE(from p. 5)steady income or perhaps one inwhich there has been numerousdifferent fathers. This is one of thecommon complaints from the taxpaying public. These are not easyproblems to solve, but refusing the aidwould not be the solution, it wouldmake them worse. It is encouraging,however, to know that Congress's1972 Welfare Reform Bill signed byPresident Nixon states for the firsttime that "an individual disabled duesolely to drug addiction or alcoholismwill not be eligible unless he is undergoingappropriate treatment."Doctors are beginning to diagnose andrecognise the true reason for medicalcare or admittance to a hospital as"alcoholism", not the resultingailments which need treatment.SPOTTING FRAUDULENCESince 1970 when the FederalGovernment required the use of the"declaratory application" and liftedthe required home visits in which weredetermined eligibility, there havebeen many more instances of fraud ormisunderstandings about whatchanges must be reported which haveresulted in overpayments. This wasalso during the long period of highunemployment which caused manyemployables to turn to welfare whentheir unemployment compensationwas exhausted. These were peoplewho had never known welfare, inmany cases, and with hurt pride,made application. One of therequirements for any "employable"to draw welfare is to be looking dailyfor employment. With the unexpectedrise in families and even single peoplein our caseloads, there was no way tokeep up with verifying if they werecomplying with that rule orif peoplereported the whole truth in theirdeclarations. I am sure many otherstates like Kansas depleted theirwelfare budgets which causedmeasures to be taken as in Kansas inwhich welfare allowances were cut for9 months, and a freeze in the hiring ofadditional social workers needed tokeep up with the additional paperPhyllis visitiwelfarework. Caseloads grew from below 300per worker to about 500. Of coursecommunities varied no doubt in thenumbers affected.It wasn't till about Jan. 1972,after people were finding jobs againand welfare offices getting back tonormal, that there was time to searchout chislers. Additional eligibilityworkers were hired to lighten loads toprevent overpayments and agenciesformed social worker "fraud squads"to specialize in investigating complaintsfor possible prosecution orrepayment of funds received illegally.This is the work I have been involvedin for the past year. It is work in whichthe verification worker must respectthe rights of the suspected to defendhis actions. We have found that therewas much agency error during thathectic period: workers mademistakes, or never took action whichshould have been taken. Thereforeoverpayments were not always causedby clients fraudulently withholdinginformation. In many of the casesfound, there is no grounds for legalaction or repayment.A change which is needed and isbeing studied is a simplification ofhow to apply other incomes withoutthe close monthly paperwork, asystem more like social securitybenefits.ng a home of arecipient.NEW PROGRAMSNew legislation passed in 1972will cause vast changes in the adultassistance categories, the aged, blind,and disabled, due to a new federallyadministered "supplemental securityprogram" to be in place by Jan. 1,1974. They will be under the SocialSecurity Administration, but there isno intent to ever merge the newsupplemental program with Old Age,Survivors and Disability Insurance(Social Security). Each will requireseparate applications, reporting andwould issue separate benefit checks.The trend now of ourcongressmen is to impose limits onthe federal matching of state expendituresfor social services. Thisappears to reflect the growing opinionthat services to families and adults dolittle to get people off the welfare rollsand prepare them to be self supporting.The services portion of thewelfare system is thought to be thepractice of true social work, orhelping people solve their family andindividual problems, protectingchildren from neglect anddelinquency, so that they will notreturn to the welfare rolls when theybecome adults. This is the area wherethe Christian will witness of Christ asthe answer.•12 COVENANTER WITNESS

Dear Kids,This article will be nothing new to some of you whoeither live on farms or know someone well who does. Butit should be fun to compare the Leino farm to yours. Forothers of us, we should learn something new aboutsubduing the earth God has given to us.Roy and Nancy Leino and their two girls live nearour Hetherton, Michigan church where Roy serves aselder. Nancy is very busy helping her husband at homeand church. After Roy graduated from Michigan State hetaught agriculture and biology for three years. For fiveyears he has been farming. They have about seventy cowsin the milking herd.He really didn't say what they do to have fun, butifyou have ever visited Johannesburg, Michigan, you willknow that they have tremendous amounts of snow. Sledriding and snowmobiling are much fun as my family and Ican testify. Thank you Leinos for a "look inside" thefarm.Your friend,Mrs. A.P.S. Here are the names of more Hey Lookit ClubMembers: Mark McElhinney (Sharon) and fromAlmonte, David Burns, Ruth Clyde, Billy Lowry,Wanda Lowry and Richard Morris.^QpjktiOT\-freifl'Foutw\Within a few hours after a baby calf is born it isup running around and begging to be fed.Cows are very curious animals and sometimesfind themselves in a lot of trouble because ofit. . At six o'clock in the morning the earlysunshine hitting the leaves of the trees in thewoods can make them sparkle like diamonds.These are some of the things someone who lives ona farm may learn. If vou like to be near animals andif youenjoy spending much of your time outdoors, you mightlike being a farmer. It isn't necessary that you go tocollege to become a farmer, but many universities havecourses in agriculture that are very helpful even tosomeone who has grown up on a farm.Living on a farm can be a lot of fun for a family. Youlive in the country so there is usually plenty of space inwhich to work and plav. There is room for kittens anddogs and even a horseif vou like to ride.A (arm also has manv responsibilities that are work.Animals must alwavs be fed and carefully cared tor. CropsRoy Leino at work.,'v I., to r.: Laurari Masihke, "IYrri\ Leino, Kathv JoS Leino, and tnendmust be planted in the spring and harvested in the fall. Ifitis a dairy farm, the cows must be milked twice a day everyday. Long working hours are sometimes necessary inorder to get everything done. But there are many jobs thatbovs and girls can do to help.A Chrisian farmer certainly realizes how much hedepends on God to bless his work. Too much rain, notenough rain, frost, hail, insects, disease: any of these canruin his crops. Sickness or an accident may cause thefarmer's animals to die. Many disasters can be avoided bvintelligent planning; but, in truth, success will comeonly as a result of God's goodness.KEY WORD: BOXDM RQDF AMNZ O DXMP FWI.I WI) VWRIWORX DG ZXPMG B HWUDP JW KYM DQFEJBPXZCR TOYS PBRI FWNL'FPLOKQWN DACDFWIMF 1W OA ONZ OEKZ DVF X rWI.I ZPRVMYCQOMJMQ IW JVLPRON'IMODJKRMEA. SOOYCYY E| .'BWJNEL'CQLA. IB 15221AUGUST 29. 19A3 I *

dlSTAFFdeducTioNsOpposite the treasuryIn front of the farmhouse fromwhich she, her mother, and sister hadcome out to greet us, I first met JeanLinton Hemphill. We had driventhrough miles of open country, dottedwith farms, windmills, and pasturingcattle; finally around a bend in the roadcame the sudden appearance of a clusterof white painted homes, stores, andrepair sheds — a town called Denison —and a couple of farther miles into thecountry, the friendly Linton farm home.Jean and her sister now make theirhomes in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.Both married Genevans and shared inthe possible destiny of any Kansas farmgirl who attends college in our churchschool, not in the urbane East, but nearthat Gateway to the West, Pittsburgh,Pa.Geneva, though, is fortunate andblessed to have such students. With hernative western friendliness and genuineinterest in people, her innate abilitydeveloped without the inhibitions ofself-consciousness, Jean has served herchurch and college well, in addition tohomemaking in the truest Christiansense of the word. Jean is the wife ofWillard Hemphill, a high schoolteacher, and they have three sons, Bill,24, Bob, 22, and Jim, 20. Bill and Bobare Geneva graduates, and Jim is astudent there.I was impressed some years ago, thatJean, who is a member of the GenevaBoard of Trustees, should have beenrecommended to the Synod for thatBoard by her pastor, Dr. J. B. Willson,on the basis of her ability, dependability,and leadership qualities. Sheserves in various capacities in theGeneva Reformed Presbyterian Churchwith efficiency, and is now serving thechurch at large as Synodical Treasurer.14To this position she brings a know-howand confidence by which she says,"Bookkeeping and banking can be veryroutine matters."However, it is the quality of understandingand performance which shebrings to her work as SynodicalTreasurer, as well as dedication to theLord Jesus Christ, that makes it outstanding.When Jean took office she envisioned,not just a job to be done efficiently,but a link in the overallcarrying out of the Great Commission.The money she would handle was to bethe means of support for women whoserve God on the mission field. Herdesire was to see the money get to itsultimate destination with as little "redtape" as possible.Jean feels that "time" has been hermost necessary investment in theSynodical Treasury. She says, "It is acontinuing responsibility for money issent in by the Presbyterial Treasurers atany time during the year. Promptness indisbursing the money and in paying billsis necessary for good administration ofthe office. Probably my greatestweakness and the thing I have had towork hardest at is being consistentlyprompt."Jean wants to express a personalinterest in each one of our missionaries.She says, "Contacts with missionarieshas been one of the blessings of thiswork. Business letters to missionariesalmost always include personal noteswhich are the means of strengtheningthe bond of fellowship in Christ. Justfeeling that I know these people personallymeans so much to me. The bitsof personal news from missionaries haveoften been related at our own W.M.S.meetings."Mrs. Willard (Jean) HemphillJean notes the cooperation and finefellowship experienced with fellowSynod and Synodical officers, especiallythe helpfulness of Mr. Louis Hutmire,Synod's Treasurer.Many women would take forgranted the love and helpfulness of herfamily, but Jean does not. Shevolunteered her comments about familycooperation. And making others feelappreciated is certainly one of thequalities which she has constantlydisplayed in all her Christian service,Jean said, "I would like to testify tothe help I have received from Willardand our boys. Taking on responsibilitiessuch as this sometimes means extraduties for others in the household or atleast not being upset when a meal islate! I am particularly pleased to be ableto serve in this capacity for it is a serviceI can render while remaining at home asa wife and mother which is the particularplace I believe God has wantedme for the past twenty-five years."And what witness to Jesus Christdoes Jean see in the contribution thewomen are making to the missionarywork of our church? The regular,consistent giving of our women hasbeen most encouraging to her. In thelast few years an increased interest inpurchasing Life and MemorialMemberships in the Synodical (apayment of twenty-five dollars) hasenabled the Synodical to assumepayment of more fringe benefits for thewomen missionaries.(cont. on p. 19)COVENANTER WITNESS

"WITHOUT WARNING"This is the general threat given bythose who are seeking to disrupt life inNorthern Ireland, and to bring downBritish rule there, according to the Rev.J. Renwick Wright, relating the wordfrom Ulster newspapers. Hence, whileattacks have not been concentratedrecently, they have been sporadic andunpredictable.Dr. Adam Loughridge, reporting inthe British Reformation TranslationFellowship annual report regrets that"the plan to hold the annual meeting ofthe Fellowship in Belfast could not becarried out. ."The menace of Communism in theworld today is very real and very farreaching.There is no doubt but that thepresent threat to established society inUlster is part of an internationalCommunist conspiracy. This godlesssystem aggravates and exploits existingtensions and if it succeeded in overturningand destroying moral andspiritual standards in the Province, itwould be an alarming step towards theultimate overthrow of Britain."Against a background of thisnature the work of the ReformationTranslation Fellowship assumes importantand significant proportions. Itmust not be forgotten that theFellowship was formed at a time whenthe regular work of the Gospel in Chinawas being virtually brought to astandstill by the Communist armies intheir devastating sweep, and that thepurpose of the Fellowship is to publishand distribute translations of ReformedLiterature and original writings amongthe Chinese Christian community toenable them to stand fast against the evilpressures of a godless system."But the more popular attitude inAmerica, and wherever people enjoy ameasure ot comfort and security, is todismiss such warnings as "scarewords" coming from people who thinkthere's a "Communist under everybed."imp^edIRev.Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010THE RTF IN THE FAR EASTWhile more specific word willdoubtless be available when the annualreport of the American RTF is mailedout by Mr. Catloth, the AmericanRepresentative, it is evident that thistranslating voice of Reformed literature,as well as original writing in Chinese, iswell established as a sound, Biblicalsource of the pure gospel. The aim, ofcourse, is that eventually the directionand operation will be in the hands of aChinese board. Also, the decision tomove the Far East headquarters fromTaiwan to Singapore has not beenmade, though Messers. Chao, Boyleand Henning were very well received ontheir April trip to Hong Kong andSingapore.The opportunity continues topromote the gospel among Chinesespeaking peoples. The door is still wideopen, except on the China mainland.(Address is P.O. Drawer G, Winchester,Kan. 66097)"CONTINUING PRESBYTERIANCHURCH"With the "point of no return"having been reached and passed,itbrings grief, of course, to those concernedChristians who have chosen tostay inside the southern PresbyterianChurch, but it is mingled with joy andrelief to many others.The "Organizing Committee's firststated meeting was at Atlanta, June 1and 2." There was also an "AdvisoryConvention August 7-9 at Grove ParkInn, Asheville, N.C.""HE DON'T CARE"These words of Lincoln in theLincoln-Douglas debates of 1858, arerecalled by J. W Montgomery inconnection with the struggle in theLutheran Church, Missouri Synod,over their seminary in St. Louis. "Is itwrong to hold that Scripture errs? If it iswrong to regard the Bible that way. thequestion cannot be avoided by politicalcompromise." He refers, of course, tothose in the Church who say it does notmatter whether a minister, or aseminary teacher, believes in aninerrant Bible or not. That was theposition that gained the ascendancy inthe northern Presbyterian Church (nowthe United Presbyterian Church, L ! SA)at the time of and following the"Auburn Affirmation" in 1924, andwhich eventuated in the sad departure ofthat church from a serious commitmentto the Westminster standards and a puregospel.Montgomery sees this issue — ofsupport for President Preus on the onehand or of the majority of the seminaryprofessors on the other — as a watershedin the denomination. "Thelatitudinarian cry of those who wouldchange Missouri's course is: Believe inan inerrant Bible if you want, but giveus the right not to believe in it; after all,the Gospel is the important thing."(The Missouri Synod met in NewOrleans in July 1973.)BAN ON SMOKINGThe Arizona legislature, accordingto the AM News, has passed a law —now signed by the Governor and inforce — that forbids smoking in suchplaces as elevators, theaters, museums,libraries, and concert halls; restaurantsand cafeterias are not included in theban."CREATION" INSTRUCTIONREQUIREDAccording to Inquirer, the Georgistate legislature has passed a law,requiring that when evolution is taughtin science courses in the public schools,the creation account of origins bepresented as an alternate theory.Presumably, this legislation is not yetsigned and law.Tennessee Senate also, by vote of28 to 1, has passed legislation whichdeclares that books dealing with humanorigins should give "commensurateattention to, and an equal amount ofemphasis on, the origins and creation ofman." The same matter is underconsideration in California, inMichigan, Massachusetts, Coloradoand Texas, and perhaps other states.The above report goes on to state,"More recent action by this (CaliforniaState Education) board mereh requiresthat the dogmatism concerningevolution be removed from the sciencetextbooks and that the Biblical accountof creation be included in social studiestextbooks."AUGUST 29. 19^3 15

R.P. Woman Teaches in Guatemalan Mission SchooBiblesandBananasMrs. Dunn (furtherest to rear) with groupthat meets in this one room adobe homefor worship.How did you decide to go to Guatemala?The Lord surely must have lead me to this place. I metStanley Wick, a missionary and president of our school board,one night at the home of friends. The next day he called longdistance to see if I would consider working at the school. Sincemy father's death the summer before, and my husband's twoyear's before that, I no longer had any real responsibilities athome. The Howard Caskeys from our Clarinda congregationwanted a place to stay in town during the winter so they havelived in my home and cared for it. That seemed to be the onlyobstacle to my coming here and the Lord solved that one veryhappily for me.About the author: Mrs. Dunn is the daughter of Mr. andMrs. J. Ren Lee of Clarinda, Iowa. She is the granddaughterof the late Rev. David McKee who was a pastorof the Clarinda congregation. A Covenanter all her life,Mrs. Dunn graduated from Geneva in 1926 and receivedher Masters Degree in Personnel from SyracuseUniversity. Before her marriage to William Gault Dunn,she was Dean of Women at Millersville State TeachersCollege and Gettysburg College. Presently she teacheshigh school English and first year French at a missionschool in San Cristobal de Toto, Guatemala.Describe the organization of the mission school where youteach.Our school is the Inter-American School, an EvangelicalIndependent School which is sponsored by the Quiche BibleInstitute at San Cristobal de Toto. It was organized 11 years agoby a group of missionaries who wanted their children to have aChristian education in the English language so that they wouldbe prepared for college in the United States. The school boardiscomposed only of those who are definite evangelical Christians.There is also a P.T.A. to which any of the parents of the studentsmay belong. Every student from kindergarten through the 12thgrade has daily Bible instruction. In the lower classes thisconsists of Bible verses, stories, etc. From the sixth grade upevery student has a full class period of Bible instruction whichisgraded as in any other class.Who are the teachers?All of our teachers, including the director of the school,are volunteers. Most of them are young people who come to usfrom the Christian Service Corps or they are retired teachersfrom America. Each teacher pays his own travel expenses andlives in the home of a missionary on furlough or wherever he canfind place. The teachers under the Christian Service Corps mustfind their own support in the U.S. before they come The Corpssends them money for their board and room.16 COVENANTER WITNESS

How does the school receive support for its operation?The school is not supported by any mission board but bystudent tuition and gifts from friends in the U.S. who know ofour work and believeit to be worthwhile. We rent an old homefor the upper grades and portable units are used for the lowergrades. Our textbooks are old and are usually second hand booksno longer in use in the U.S.What is the cultural climate of Guatemala?In Guatemala there are two distinct cultures. The Landinois of mixed blood, Spanish and Indian, and the Indian is of theMayan stock. The Landino speaks the Spanish language anddresses in western clothes. The two main groups of the Indians,the Quiche and the Mam live on each side of Quezaltenango, thesecond largest city. There are many public and private schools;but because of a shortage of teachers, the schedules arestaggered. In the cities there are modern hotels; the capitalresembles any modern city. Chief industries include coffee,bananas, sugar and the manufacture of textiles. The hand dyedwoven materials are beautiful.How has the school helped to evangelize the Guatemalan,especially among the Catholics?This year we have about 60 students; over half of them areGuatemalans and many are Catholic. The middle class is largelyonly nominally Catholic and the parents do not mind that theirchildren are taught from an Evangelical point of view. TheGuatemalan students tend to be excitable and emotional. Theboys findit hard to accept discipline and classroom discipline isdifficult. Some of these Catholics are beginning to see the errorsin their church and to know Christ, but the temptations of theworld and their Catholic friends are hard for them. Our constantprayer is that when they come up against these difficulties in lifethey will cling to Christ.What other ministries does the Quiche Bible Institute carryon in the area?The radio ministry here is very important. The stations arequite willing to give time at a very reasonable cost and there aremany programs in the various Indian dialects. Many have heardof Christ through this ministry and find out where they can learnmore through tracts and Bibles. There is no budget for the Radioministry; any money they have to use comes through gifts.Recently, a New Testament in a different Quiche dialect done bya Wycliff translator was dedicated here at the Institute. Thechurch services in outlying villages are led by lay leaders trainedby the missionaries. They are sometimes held in bamboo hutswith people sitting on logs and last two to three hours. Any oneof the men or women can lead in prayer without advancewarning.From your own personal experience whom would youencourage to come to the institute to teach?I would suggest that any retired teachers or young peoplejust out of college should try an experience such as I am having.It will surely broaden their outlook on life and deepen their ownChristian experience. The school is very particular that allteachers be born again Christians fully committed to the Bible asthe Word of God. We are from various denominationalbackgrounds, but we all meet together in Christ. At present weare urgently in need of houseparents for our dormitory. We havefrom six to ten children not living in their own homes. Because'he job of being houseparents is such an important position, wefeel that the Lord will send just the right couple.Having just completed my second year, I feel that my own( hristian life has been deepened and I surely have had a wonderfulopportunity to see the Lord work in the lives of others.AUGUST 29. I

TOPEKA(D. Howard Elliott, pastor)New members: Mr. and Mrs. DarrellPowell.Guest ministers and speakers: Rev.Carl T. Grayson, minister of theReformed Presbyterian Church, Memphis,Tenn. Dr. Kenneth Smith, UnitedPresbyterian minister, now serving on thestaff of Friends University, Wichita,Kansas. Rev. James Pennington, Winchester,Kansas. Rev. Richard Taylor,United Dry Forces, Topeka, Kansas. Rev.Donald McClurkin, former pastor,Topeka, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. ToniMcKeeman from Ireland.Miss Carlene Hutcheson has gone toCyprus to visit her parents Rev. and Mrs.Thomas Hutcheson.Miss Chris Boyle has gone to Japan tovisit her parents Rev. and Mrs. Sam Boyle.Mr. Elwin Carter and Dr. BillMcElroy were elected to the office ofDeacon tofill the expiring terms of Mr.Don Fee and Mrs. Ella McElroy.Vacation Bible School was heldJune 18-29. Dr. Wilbur McElroy wasSupt. and Mrs. Joe McFarland was Ass't.Supt.The Second Annual Fairlawn PlazaVespers were held on Sabbath evenings inthe near-by parking lot, July 15, 22, 29and August 5.Dr. and Mrs. Howard Elliott attendedcommencement at Geneva College. Theywent to Colorado for their vacation.Lance Cpl. Arthur Johnston washome on furlough from Camp Pendleton,Calif.DENISON(Kenneth McBurney, pastor)Memorial gifts in memory of Mr. andMrs. Tom Downie, Ed Brown, VerjeanSpiller, Ramey Howard, Sadie Chestnut,Mrs. John Braum, Winifred and Delber18Robb and Mrs. Jessie McCrory madepossible the purchase of a spinet piano. Itwas first used at a Family Night programMay 30.Vacation Bible School, sponsored bythe two churches in Denison, was heldMay 28 through June 1. The children'sdaily offerings this year were designatedfor a new project — helping to purchase anairplane for mission work in Alaska.At the close of Sabbath School June 10and 17 Sue Robb, Junior Superintendent,presented Bibles to Wanda Blackwood,Yvonne Blackwood, Barbara McCroryand Sally Robb as reward for completingmemorization of the Shorter Catechism.Don Porter, Keith Wing and JuniorBlackwood attended F.C.A. camp inColorado June 10-14.Sue Robb, precentor, attended theWorkshop on the new psalter held inBeaver Falls.Attending summer school: KathleenBlackwood at Washburn; AnnettaKnowles at Emporia; John Braum atWichita.Bob Blackwood arrived home June 27.He has completed his active duty in theNaval Reserve.WALTON(Robert McCracken, pastor)During the spring and summermonths many members have spent severalhours at the parsonage, painting it insideand out. It shows the results of hours ofhard work. We look forward to the daywhen it will be occupied by our new pastorand family — the Robert McCrackens. Agarden was also planted in anticipation oftheir arrival around harvest time.Our church treasurer of 22 years,Thomas Henderson, stepped down. Anappreciation gift was given him. Our newtreasurer is Miss Blanche Gilchrist, 126East St., Walton, NY.The Young People (five girls) held abake sale to help them attend camp. Allplan to attend White Lake full time.Sponsor is Marilyn Russell.It is the custom here to hold PrayerMeeting in the homes during Jan.-March.This year we are also doing it for June-August. Our studies for July and Aug. arefrom a Bible Study booklet on Prayer putout by the Christian Reformed Church.Eight of our members attended the50th anniversary of the New YorkPresbyterial held at Keswick ConferenceGrounds in New Jersey.We had a very successful VacationBible School with a registration of 68 —39 of whom had perfect attendance. Wewere privileged to have a team of youngpeople help us. The team was DougCarson, Steve Price, Janet Keys, MartyMcMillan, and Ann Caskey. GreatCommission materials were used.Our Communion services late thisSpring were conducted by a former pastor,Rev. Joseph Hill.Congregational officers this year are:Chairman Don McBurney, ClerkMarilyn Russell, SS Supt. MildredHulbert.Our congregation is thankful thatduring a recent flood in our county no onewas in extreme danger. Several fields androads were damaged and events cancelledbut God protected all of us.MARIONOur Spring Communion was April6,7,8 with Rev. David Patterson ofClarinda, Iowa assisting.For six weeks this spring, many of ourcouples participated as hosts and BibleStudy leaders in the Key 73 NeighborhoodBible Studies.A central air conditioning unit wasinstalled in the church in April in memoryof Mrs. Alice Joseph by her family and thecongregation. The W.M.S. purchased aflannelgraph file, also as a memorial forAlice Joseph.The Youth Team sent out by theBoard of Home Missions and ChurchExtension spent two and a half weeks inMarion in June. They were of tremendoushelp and encouragement to ourcongregation. Among some of their dutieswas visitation on new families in thecommunity, and teaching V.B.S. Weenjoyed an enrollment of over 60.Recent special speakers have been Mr.Scott Morton of the Navigators; Bob Eellsand Phil Beard of the Christian GovernmentMovement, and Mr. Fred Cretors,elder in the Indianapolis R. P. Church.COVENANTER WITNESS

THOMASLYLE JOSEPHNov. 8,1893-April 19,1973The Marion Congregation issorrowed by the passing of one of ourmost faithful and steadfast members,Mr. T. Lyle Joseph on April 19 at theage of 79.Lyle was a lifetime member of the R.P Church, formerly in Hopkintonwhere he served as a trustee andcongregational treasurer from 1930,then in Marion where he helped in theorganizing of the new Marion Church.Lyle was a charter member of theMarion Church and served as trusteeand treasurer until he felt it necessary toretire. He is deeply missed by all of us asa good friend and trusted counselor.Mr. Joseph is survived by his wife,Loretta; a son, Rev. Ralph Joseph ofSparta, Illinois; two daughters, Mrs.Mary Beyer le, Rochester, Minn., andMrs. Isabelle Lingle, Owings Mill,Maryland; two grandsons; a brother,Raymond Joseph, Hopkinton; and asister, Helen Coleman, Beaver Falls,Pa.IRENE MONTGOMERY RUSKIt was with deep sorrow that we ofthe Women's Missionary Society of theElkins Park Reformed PresbyterianChurch heard the news at our CommunionService on April 15, 1973. Ourfriend Irene Rusk had died that morning.The daughter of Rev. Thomas A.Rusk and May Montgomery Rusk, shehad been a life-long member of theCovenanter church and, from earlyyears, a member of the W.M.S.As a successful teacher and later adedicated counsellor in the PhiladelphiaPublic Schools, Irene came outfearlessly for the cause of Bible readingin the public schools. In her counselling,she labored so earnestly for theimprovement of race relations that shereceived a citation at the Chapel of theFour Chaplains in Philadelphia. Moreimportantly, she never failed to witnessfor the Lord and Master she loved.Although a strong defender of what shebelieved right, Irene was blessed with anoutgoing friendliness and sense ofhumor. A great lover of nature, she sawthe handwork of God in all outdoors andonce remarked that each morning sherepeated "This is the day which theLord hath made, we will rejoice and beglad in it."We share their sorrow and expressour sympathy to her devoted sister.AUGUST 29, 1973Phyllis, a brother, Westbay and hiswife, Ivy, and a nephew, Bruce. Irenesuffered as valiantly as she lived. Shemight now comfort us in the words ofVachel Lindsay.Oh, when man's dearest dies, ' 'tis thenhe goesTo that old balm that heals the centuries'woes.Then Christ's wild cry in all the streetsis rife: —"I am the Resurrection and the Life."MRS. W. STEELE SHAWThe Women's Missionary Society ofthe New Alexandria ReformedPresbyterian Church wishes to expressappreciation for the life of Mrs. W.Steele (Blanche) Shaw who passed awayon April 27, 1973 after a lingeringillness. Her husband preceded her indeath in 1957.Mrs. Shaw had served on the Boardof Trustees of the Church, on the Boardof Directors of the ReformedPresbyterian Home in Pittsburgh, andwas a member of WestmorelandHospital Unit in Greensburg. She wasfaithful to the Church and its support.We shall remember Blanche for herthoughtfulness and for her pleasantdisposition. She was a gracious hostessalways willing to do her part.We express our sympathy to herdaughters, Mrs. Richard (Sally) Biery,Mrs. Alan (Wilma) Windham, and toher niece, Mrs. Brian (Margery)McDonald."Blessed are the dead which die inthe Lord."Women's Missionary SocietyWMS SYNODICALThe official board of the Women'sSynodical met June 12 at Geneva College.Mrs. Philip Martin, president, led thedevotions, basing her remarks on Hosea5:15-6:3.Six officers and superintendents attended,and four Presbyterial presidents orrepresentatives. Former president Mrs.Kermit Edgar was also present.The board accepted the resignation ofMrs. Eugene Stevenson, flannelgraphlibrarian, and decided to transfer theflannelgraph materials to the office of theBoard of Education and Publication. Theymay be ordered from there after August 1,1973.The board voted (1) to raise Synodicaldues from $.30 to $.50, effectiveNovember 1971, if the Synodical approvesthe increase in 1974; [2) to sendthe Home Mission board the equivalent ofsalaries for the Selma Mission, and themoney which had been designated forAlbuquerque: (3) to pay the bill for thesupport of the women missionaries: (41 topay S500 to the church treasury to helpwith Miss Eleanor Faris' medical expense;(5) to keep up life and memorialmemberships from which we help tosupport our women missionaries.By common consent it was agreed (1)to keep the fund for printing of ourmissionary manuscripts; (2) to continuesending the Covenanter Witness byairmail to our foreign missionaries: (3) todelete the item of S500 for the seminarycopy machine; (4) to keep the $1000 forthe car account; (5) to seek to supportnew outreach; (6) to recommend toSynodical that the duties of the YoungWomen's superintendent be amended.Rev. John Choi gave informationabout the work of the American BibleSociety, and asked for prayers and support.The subject for next year's uniformprogram is "Let us", in Hebrews. TheOhio-Illinois Presbyterial will direct theprogram.DISTAFF(from p. 14)Jean says, "Prompt distribution ofmoney by local treasurers, followed byregular payments by PresbyterialTreasurers, means that the designatedmoney reaches the recipients muchsooner. Synod's treasurer regularlysends money to the mission fields fourtimes a year. In order to facilitate thework, money must reach the SynodicalTreasurer before Jan. 1, Apr. 1, July 1,and Oct. 1."'' I know one of the difficulties is thatsometimes a local society wants to sendmoney to some particular missionaryand by the time it reaches the Synodicallevel the identity of the local donor hasbeen lost." Jean continues. "Also, thepersonal contact with the missionarv isgone. I am sorry for this but the bookwork in keeping these individualdonors' names attached to a particulargift would be monumental. It is possibletor local societies to write the particularmissionarv and tell them about the giltthey have made, then when it reachesthe missionaries they will know thesource ot that particular gift."Hhcient, practical service combinedwith dedication to the Lord in the task,as required in Aits 6:3, seems tocorrectly typify Jean's ministry •19

SANTA ANA(Rev. Glenn McFarland, pastor)The Los Angeles and Santa Ana youngpeople, including the Garbers and BruceSpear from Shafter, California, enjoyed abeach party on June 2nd.A Senior Fellowship Group hasrecently been formed in the Congregation.Last month the Couples' Club enjoyedminiature golf on the course in Orange.Family Night, May 20, was HonorsNight, the honorees being Elin Davis andBeverly Keys graduating from highschool, and Mrs. Hattie Stewart who wasleaving for the East after many helpful andhappy years with us.Mrs. Ruth Shepherd retired fromschool teaching so quietly on June 15ththat most of us knew nothing about it untiltoo late to celebrate.Vacation Bible School was held onJuly 30 to August 3.The Y. P. and their sponsors arecleaning and repainting their classroom.The Sedgeley's new address is 1104Del Sol Avenue, Santa Barbara, California93109. King's Daughters W.M.S. hosteda going away party for Grace following ourJune 12th meeting at the home of Mrs.Myrtle Connery.June 10 we heard a message taped byour pastor before he left on vacation. Theschedule of services during the rest of thevacation is: June 17, Rev. ClaudeBunzell, R.P.E.S. minister and Curator ofIndependence Hall West at Knott's BerryFarm; June 24, Rev. Louis Knowles,O.P. minister and Bible Teacher; July 1,Rev. Donald Weilersbacher of our SanDiego congregation; July 8, Dr. GeorgeMarston, O.P. minister and WestminsterSeminary Professor, retired.HEBRON(Luther McFarland, pastor)The Rev. and Mrs. Luther McFarlandhave returned from a month's vacation inthe East, following their attendance atSynod. Different members of thecongregation had charge of the morningand evening services during their absence.One evening was a Psalm Sing. Some ofthe themes for other meetings used wereWitnessing, Christ's Life and Parables,Old Testament Prophecies concerningChrist, Practical Application of BiblePrinciples.The guest speaker at the July WMSmeeting was Mrs. M. L. Alderson, wife ofa local minister. At each meeting theladies are using one of the chapters fromCameo, a book about outstandingreligious women in America.20BIRTHSHUFF, Aaron Todd to Walter and JoyceHuff on May 20 (Topeka).HUTCHESON, Sarah Virginia to Dean andCarole (Aikin) Hutcheson on April 17(Kansas City).SPENCER, Timothy David to David andRoberta (Porter) Spencer on June 1(Denison).WRIGHT, Jeffrey Alan to Edward andGrace (Stevenson) Wright on June 18(Rose Point).GRADUATIONSHIGH SCHOOLDAVIS, Elin (Santa Ana) from SanClements High School.DUNN, Kevin (Hebron) from Clay CenterHigh School.KEYS, Beverly (Santa Ana) fromElModena High School.McMILLAN, Scott (Geneva) from BeaverFalls High School.METHENY, Carey (Geneva) fromNorthwestern High School.METHENY, Matthew (Geneva) fromBeaver Falls High School.McFARLAND, Bill (Topeka).NUSBAUM, Mark (Topeka).PHILLIPS, Margaret (Denison) fromHolton High School.COLLEGEBLACKWOOD, Susan (Denison). B.S.from Sterling College.ELLIOTT, Margaret (Topeka). B.S.Ed.from Geneva.McCRORY, Colleen (Denison). R.N. fromWesley School of Nursing, Wichita, Ks.ROBB, James (Denison). B.A. from BethelCollege, Newton, Ks.WING, Sandra (Denison). A.A. fromGeneva.OTHER SCHOOLSGREENLEE, Lynn (Hebron) from Vo-Tech School at Beloit, Ks.PORTER, Ernest (Denison) from DenisonElementary School.ROCERETO, Paul (Topeka) from K.U.Medical Center.MARRIAGESBRAUM, Patricia Elizabeth andPEDERSEN, Raymond Harold on May 12at the Denison R.P. Church. Dr RoyBlackwood assisted by Rev. KennethMcBurney officiated.DUNKLE, Bonnie and GIBESON, Dennison May 19 at North Hills R. P. Church.Rev. James Carson officiated.EGGLESTON, Gwen and MILLIGAN,Norman on July 7 at Lawrence Fellowship.Rev. Marion McFarland officiated.FOX, Pamela and KOCH, Robert on June23 at Indianapolis R.P. Church. Dr. RoyBlackwood officiated.GARBINSKY, Janet and Mc-NAUGHTON, John on July 6 at GenevaR.P. Church. Dr. J. Renwick Wright officiated.PARKER, Sally and BRAUM, Dr. Roy A.on June 16 at Easton, Ks. Rev. Hodgesofficiated.SCHOTT,Nina Lea and WILLIAMS,Virgil on April 17 at the Superior-BeulahR.P. Church. Rev. R. W. Caskey officiated.DEATHSCHESTNUT, Mrs. Sadie, (89) on May 27(Denison).HOWARD, Ramey E., (77) on May 7(Denison).McCLURKIN, Rev. Walter C, (91) onJune 20 (New York Presbytery). Survivingdaughter Eunice, three grandchildren andfive great-grandchildren.SUMMERLAND, Phebe, (84) on June 23(Hetherton).NOTICESThe Superior Beulah Congregation hasaccepted Rev. R. W. Caskey's resignationto accept the position with the NationalReform Association. We wish him well inthis work. We have enjoyed the fellowshipof the Caskeys in the work here.We are praying that the Lord willprovide us with a pastor. You may contactKenneth Hurd, 1144 Idaho, Superior,Nebr. 68978. Phone 402-879-3389.AVAILABLE FOR CALLThe Midwest Presbytery wouldcommend to the Covenanter Church theRev. Carl T. Grayson, a minister in theReformed Presbyterian, EvangelicalSynod Church, who has been accepted bythe Presbytery's Ad Interim Commissionpending receipt of his transfer. Heisseeking a pastoral work in thedenomination. His present address is 6144Quince Road, Memphis, Tennessee38138.Lie. Gordon Keddie is heartilyrecommended by the New YorkPresbytery to the vacant congregations ofthe Church for consideration as a candidatefor the position of pastor. Mr.Keddie is prepared to accept a suitablecallat this time. His address is: 15030Auburn, Detroit, Mich. 18227COVENANTER WITNESS

COVENANTER%&££ftTCTOKU..• itif-***>-•:. 'W

THE CHANGINGSCENE AT GENEVAWhen I was first introduced to Geneva College in theearly Sixties, I was not overly impressed with the Christiancharacter of her education. It was true that I had a highregard for individual members of the faculty and administrationboth as Christians and as scholars. And yet allthe while I had some problem looking upon Geneva as aChristian college as it has been defined in recent years.As I talked with non-R.P. pastors in the Beaver Falls-New Castle area I learned that they shared my opinion. Theywere somewhat aware that Geneva had a denominationalsponsor and that there were some courses offered in religion,but they were not aware of any clearly Biblical perspectivethat motivated the college as a whole.BUT IN A MERE DECADE GOD HAS TURNEDTHINGS UPSIDE DOWN AT GENEVA. And the bestpart of it all is that He has not chosen to do it by atremendous radical change of leadership. The same burdenedChristians of the "old" Geneva have joined forces withnewer leaders in the drive to make Geneva a place where atruly Christ-oriented education is the rule rather than theexception.Anyone who visits Geneva today is immediately awarethat this is a place of learning, not a status quo fact-factorywhere stale ideas are handed out day after day. The facultyare continually searching out ways to make the Word of Godrelevant to their fields. Because the faculty itself is learning,the students are equally inspired to join in the learningprocess. The most delightful aspect of Geneva today is that itis ALIVE. New faculty, new administrators, new buildings,and a new type of student all bear testimony to herawakening.Perhaps the changing image of Geneva's student bodyis the most exciting feature of the ' 'new" Geneva. Gone arethe days when Geneva was derogatorily labelled the "highschool on the hill" where "Covies" and Beaver Valleyresidents sent their youth for a reasonably decent education.(Even in those days this was an unfair name to attach toGeneva because she has always maintained a higheducational standard as her full accreditation of many yearsstanding proves.) But today's Geneva student is a new breed.Listen to the conversation among students in the Brig.You'll still hear, "We'll wipe out Westminster this year!"But you'll also hear, "How can a Christian participate in alabor union that is totally humanistic in its aim," and"Why does God allow widespread bloodshed if he is insovereign control of history?"What I personally like about Geneva today are itsquestions. Instead of glib, superficial answers being spoonfedto robots, Geneva is developing as a thriving academiccommunity where the revelation of God in Scripture and increation is constantly under scrutiny. While she is adheringfaithfully to her "Foundational Concepts of ChristianEducation,'' at the same time Geneva is displaying a latitudeof Christian thought that is missing from some otherChristian Schools. There may be some who would complainabout the relatively high number of students who make nospecific Christian commitment, but the tide has alreadychanged. Enrollment of Christian students from all over thecountry is very encouraging. (David Fenchel's article onpage four of this issue shares the recruitment policy ofGeneva for the future.) At the present time Geneva'sdeveloping Christian philosophy of education is separatingthe sheep from the goats. Non-Christian students face theclaims of the Christ in the classroom, not simply at compulsorychapel exercises. As a result, many who once were"neutral" have experienced spiritual awakening.Present encouragements like these, coupled withGeneva's forward-looking Christian perspective encouragesme to believe that when the time comes to send my owndaughters to college, Geneva will be fully able to provide fortheir educational development.R.W.N.Children and the Sermon was to the point.As a child at Rehoboth, Pa., I usually stretched out andslept during the sermon. I was grieved on Communion Sabbaththat I had to sit up when so many Presbyterians came to observe.As a sleeper I missed S. J. Crowe's observation aboutGrover Cleveland's number 17 shoes and 30 inch collar andhad to depend on the report by grown-ups.The first preacher that interested me was D. B. Willsonwho assisted J. F. Crozier at communion. He did notgesticulate; he did not orate; he did not try to amuse. He was"dry" but I never forgot him. From then on I listened tosermons.Any sermon fit for adults can be understood by childrenthat have been given a chance to develop. When I was 10 in theAllegheny church, I noticed people taking notes, and mymother suggested my doing so.J. M. Coleman, W. J. Coleman, R. J. George, A. J.McFarland, A. Kilpatrick, and others were orderly in theirthinking. Maybe I owe a certain facility in analysis and synthesisto them.Arthur W. CalhounSt. Petersburg, Fla.2 COVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson800 Wood Si.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. I). Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.VOLUME LXXXIXNO. 18SEPTEMBER 12, 1973 WITNARTICLES:If God be for us.On the Launching Pad...Studies in the PsalmsW.M.S. Topics. . . . .CONTENTS4.6.8.14Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by theFEATURES:A Word DueIn Truth and Love."Count Her Towers . . ." .Count Her Days....2.2.17.19Patterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, £2, 1 year;C3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.

Geneva tackles theenrollment crisisPhotos: p. 4 John White; p. 5Clyde Soule, Geneva center withyoung trainee.If God be forus...DAVIDFENCHEL(Asst. Dir . of Admissions)Higher education in America has been going througha decade of rapid change. Curriculum developments havebrought increasing freedom for students in course selection,independent study, pass-fail grading, credit by examination.The diversity and number of institutions has increased dueto the rapid growth of community and junior colleges. Thechanging job market has caused people to question thevalidity of the traditional educational system, thus creating anew push for technical training. The students themselvesemerged from a rather quiet group to a vocal and oftenviolent force, with the trend today apparently reversingitself.One of the most significant changes that has developedeven more rapidly has been the declining student market.This has occurred because of a variety of factors: e.g. theincreasing number of institutions combined with a levelingoff of the national birth rate; the end of the Viet Nam Warand the draft; the realization that a college education maynot be the only option available for career preparation. Thissimply means that the process of choosing a college haschanged from a "seller's" to a "buyer's" market. Eventhough we see a small increase in the total number ofstudents attending college each fall, they don't seem to go asfar.By looking at Geneva's enrollment figures over thepast ten years we can see that these developments havebegun to show up as a decreasing student body.GENEVA ENROLLMENT1963 1964 1965Beaver County 559 601 628Allegheny CountyLawrence County (these statistics)(not available)Butler CountyTOTAL AREA STUDENTSOUTSIDE AREA STUDENTSTOTAL ENROLLMENT1966612215112559943141308- Day School 1963-197219675542111345395336213151968549185156639534411394196949518114667889469138519704831641436485447113251971 1972484 382172 I5J116 13863 53835 731477 5111312 1249Although this is not an uncommon problem facing themajority of colleges today (e.g. in 1969-70 the institutionwhere I completed my graduate study had an enrollment of24,000; this past year they began classes with only 19,500students), it has become one of the primary problems facingGeneva, and calls for special attention from those of usdirectly concerned with student recruitment.Since Geneva finds herself in this extremely competitiveand sometimes hostile market place, it is my mainpurpose to share with you our hopes and plans for meetingthe challenge. However, before I do, we must look briefly atsome of the recent developments on campus that directlyinfluence our thinking and eventual plans for action.The years in this same decade have been exciting onesof discovery for Geneva. The study and articulation of ourconvictions and beliefs in "Foundational Concepts ofChristian Education" have given us renewed vigor in asking4 COVENANTER WITNESS

such questions as "How do you teach math and chemistryfrom a Christian perspective?" "What is a Christian approachto cinema?" "What is a Christian psychologist?",and in general "Just what are we doing?".We are of course serving — serving our Lord JesusChrist, and for Him those students who come seeking tolearn. These purposes represent a high ideal and we often fallfar short of our goals. However, we at Geneva, by God'sgrace, continue to seek answers to the problems that willenable us to serve effectively.At the heart of the matter is a growing effort byfaculty, administration and trustees to understand more fullythe world-life view that stresses the person of Christ and Hissovereignty over every aspect of life. This has far reachingimplications to the everyday operation of the college, and webelieve that through this struggle Geneva has become abetter institution. The admissions staff have been affected aswe have closely examined our own special student market,within the much larger national student market place.As a Covenanter I have been especially concernedabout our dealings with our own young people. We havesought new and better ways to encourage them to considerGeneva as a viable option for their college education, and weare pleased with the increasing number. We at the collegeare also grateful for the continued support of the church andthe growing interest by our own young people. If thissupport is to continue we at Geneva must seek to keep eachof you informed of current developments.We all realize, of course, that Geneva could notcontinue to exist if we were to serve only the members of theReformed Presbyterian Church. However, in the past wehave not fully realized the tremendous opportunity towitness that the Lord has provided through the college.Historically this witness has been carried out in a rathersmall geographic area, Western Pennsylvania in general andespecially Beaver County. Recently we have become keenlyaware of some of the uniqueness of Geneva as a Christiancollege and the vast opportunities to serve the Evangelicalcommunity on a national scale. The response of Christianstudents and parents has been heartening and our outlookhas been expanding.While we have been learning to serve more faithfully,we are deeply concerned over our present enrollment picture.For under present circumstances we are not operatingat the most efficient level of service to the most people.Therefore, not only does the admissions staff have to developnew and exciting methods of articulating our message, butall who see Geneva as an asset to the Christian communitymust work together. Our goal is to reach an enrollment of1,500 full time students, our present capacity, and webelieve this to be attainable. Everyone interested in thecollege — faculty, alumni, and friends, and especiallymembers of our denomination — can be a valuable source ofinformation and assistance as we seek to increase the numberof young people coming to our campus.One of the most important steps in seeking your activeinvolvement is to make you aware of the basic plan ofrecruitment developed by the Admissions Office in closecooperation with Public Relations. Here is a review of theprogram:1. Personal contact. High school visits.college nights, youth conventions and camps, leadsfrom Geneva alumni and friends, churches andpastors, and community college visits. These are allessential to increasing the number of prospects.2. Campus visits. Campus tours, interviews,special events, and extensive student contact,special senior days, a community day, and othernew programs. The campus visit is the most importantfactor in bringing favorable response.3. Publications. Descriptive brochures,financial assistance information, campus guide,posters and other special pieces.4. Advertising. Local newspapers, nationalChristian periodicals, college guides, and studentpapers. The ad on the back cover has been used in arecent national youth magazine, and the responseportion is redesigned for your use.5. Publicity. Local and national newsreleases, conventions, conferences.6. Direct mail to students. National Meritlistings, student list services, alumni children,veterans, Christian high school seniors, and similarlistings. (cont. on p. 7)SEPTEMBER 12, 1973

Christian Education as a base for cultureONTrIEl_AUNcililNqPACJJOHN H. WHITE(Dean of Religious Services)Geneva CollegeA central issue for Evangelical Christianity today ishow to develop a counter cultural dynamism in theEvangelical community. Our tendency has been either to socompromise with the prevailing secularism in society thatwe lose our distinctively Christian character and thrust, orto practice an unBiblical separation which has no contactwith the reality of the world. While at times our personalwitness has been effective, it has failed to make application tothe societal and corporate issues which affect the person.In order to understand the meaning of Christianity ascounter culture we must understand the meaning of culture.By culture we mean man 's attempt to give form to thecreation and those presuppositions that control histheorizing and labor. Man is called to reflect God's image bybeing a creative, responsible being in the midst of God'screation. Before the Fall, earth was under man's dominion.In making His covenant with man, God brought the animalsto Adam to be named, He gave him the probationarycommand and certain basic creation institutions e.g.Marriage, Sabbath, Work. Since the Fall, man's dominionhas been marred by sin and disobedience, so that all hisCOVENANTER WITNESS

efforts to build a lasting culture have been futile. Inredemption Christ as the second Adam restores the potentialfor man to regain, at least in principle, control over creation.The Christian community is to be the prototype of the endtime(Matt. 24:36-44; Luke 12:49-53; Revelation 2:7,22:1 & 2). So the Body of Christ is to be involved indeveloping a Christian culture in contrast to the one that isnon-Christian, not as new world order or mere social activism,but as a small beginning of obedience, a prelude tothe perfection of the New Jerusalem. The Christian communityis ordered to recreate, to restore, and all the while tolook for the Parousia (Second Coming). This truly countercultural stance should be thought of not as isolation but interms of a "beach head" or "launching pad" whereChristians attempt to make a meaningful and relevantwitness in all the arenas of public life.It is my judgment that the basic way to develop thisCounter Cultural Vision is through Christian Education.Indeed if we are to see a genuine awakening and reformationin the Evangelical Church, a Christian witness that is wholeand public, we must make a Christian Education a priority.The members of the Body of Christ must see Jesus Christ aspreeminent, the Creator of all things, the touchstone of allTruth, the Redeemer of fallen men and a sin cursed creation,and Sovereign Ruler over all. This view of reality can only bedeveloped when the foundational perspective of the Bible,the written Word of God, is brought to bear on every aspectof reality.The vision that has begun a dramatic renewal atGeneva College in the past decade is that a truly Christianinstitution is bound by the Word of God to a Biblical view ofGod, man and the universe. This has brought an increasingawareness that our responsibility is to be counter rather thanconform, if we are to be a viable Christian college.In order that Christian Education may counter theprevailing culture it must set as its aim the following conceptsamong others. It must see the universe as the creationof God and sustained by His direct infinitesimal control andstudy it with wonder and respect. Man must be seen as aunique facet of the creation, the image bearer of God with avocation to be God's representative as a cultural former.Christian Education must acknowledge the fallen conditionof the human race and the effect of that sin on the rest ofcreation. Jesus Christ must be presented as cosmic Lord bywhom all things consist and through whom all creation isbeing set right. Thus men are to bring every thought and actinto obedience to Christ, reclaiming the creation for God andredirecting it for His glory. On the other hand there must bea willingness to receive the many valuable insights providedby the Grace of God to men of learning in all ages, yet bringthe revealed truths of the Word of God to bear upon them.Every student must be confronted with his responsibility forthis reforming task in every area of life, e.g. business, home,school, state, church, the arts, etc. A Christian school,founded on these building principles for a world and lifeview, provides an opportunity for youth to assume theirprophetic task as believers in God's cosmos, and for theChurch to be ever reforming, according to the Word of God.SEPTEMBER 12, 1973It God be for us...(from p. 5)7. Promotional mailings. Guidance counselors,youth leaders, pastors, missionaries, schooladministrators, etc.8. Black student enlistment. A supplementaryfolder and advertising in black media.These are part of an effort to continue a viableopportunity for black students.9. Follow-up programs. A greater effort isbeing made to increase the number of students whoactually come to Geneva after being accepted.Periodic newsletters and special campus eventsencourage them to feel part of the college life.This plan has been worked out in an effort to serveeach of our student constituencies more efficiently, seekingto continue a strong service to the Reformed PresbyterianChurch and our local region and to expand our outreach tothe national Evangelical market.In closing let me challenge each of you to become moreinvolved in guiding those students to Geneva, both in andout of your congregations who you feel would profit from aGeneva experience. Here are some possible ways you canhelp.1. Think of prospective students in highschool or college, contact them or give their namesto the Admissions staff.2. Encourage your children or other relativesto consider Geneva.3. Visit the campus periodically and keepinformed of the progress.4. Inform your pastor and high school personnelof Geneva's progress.5. Consider sharing in a scholarship fund tohelp worthy students.Certainly the ultimate success of our efforts and eventhe continued existence of the college depends upon God'sblessing. So above everything else I would ask that you prayfor the college and those of us charged with making decisionsthat will shape Geneva in the future. "What shall we thensay to these things? If God be for us, who can be againstus?" Romans 8:31Note of ThanksgivingJust as this article was being prepared I learned of ananswer to prayer that excites us at Geneva. William E. Visshas accepted our invitation to become Director of Admissions.Bill comes to us from Philadelphia MontgomeryChristian Academy (K-l2) where he has served as Principaland chief administrator for the past nine years. He is an elderin the Hatboro Orthodox Presbyterian Church and serves onthe O.P.C. Christian Education Committee. His gifts andexperience qualify him to an unusual degree tor this criticalleadership responsibility.•7

IntroductionSOME STUDY TOPICSON THE PSALMSSince 1973 is the momentousinauguration-year of the BOOK OFPSALMS FOR SINGING, maybeCovenanters are undergoing their ownvariety of "culture shock," at least forthe first few months. And naturally such aperiod of adjustment is bound to be a bitawkward — at least until such time as the' 'brown" books become as familiar as the' 'blue'' books were (or even more so). Butperhaps there is an opportunity here, apsychological moment which should berecognized and capitalized on, when thereality of the new is not yet rubbed off.Maybe this is an opportune time to get afresher sense of the Psalter as a whole unit— rather than seeing it as a set of"favorite selections." A number offeatures in the new Psalter were designedin order to make this whole-view easier.Hopefully then these thematic studies mayalso be useful to that end.A word to the study-leaders: Some ofthe Psalms referred to under the themetitleswill be examined in fair detail, othersmay require reading through in order toget a feel for the general development ofcertain ideas. There should be somereasonable relationship between the essaysand the Psalms and other Scripturesreferred to, but you will have to try andstrike your own balance as to how much ofthe material can be used in the allottedtime.One thing more: there are 10 studytopics here, and there are 13 weeks in thequarter. For the three weeks not covered(or for more, if you wish) it would seemappropriate to plan a monthly Psalm-singfor people to begin to break in the newPsalters — or is it vice-versa?"I will sing with the spirit, and I willsing with the understanding also. (I Cor14:15)8Study No. 1THE OPENINGOF THE PSALTERPsalms 1 and 2Perhaps if we were constructing alogically ordered theology of the Psalmswe might choose to begin with a statementof God's power or His eternity. This is, infact, the usual order followed by thesystematic theologians, who want to startwith the most basic attributes of God andthen proceed from that toward the outworkingof those attributes: His acts anddealings with men. But the Psalter beginsin a more personal way. It is not God'spower that the Psalmist puts forward atfirst (though this is assumed, of course)but God's faithfulness: He will bless theman who walks in His law, and the wickedwill perish utterly.The second Psalm (which in someancient manuscripts is put together withthe first as a single Psalm) even morepointedly marks out the personal characterof this theology, setting forth the LORD'Selection both of His anointed servantking(David) and of His holy city (Zion).The Psalms thus begin not with an abstractpresentation of "god-ness," butwith the LORD'S manifestation ofcovenant grace and power. It is He whocalls man to Himself in the purity andstrength of His Law. It is He whoestablishes the Actuality of salvation inspace and time and under His own appointedsalvation-champion.We therefore should not think ofPsalms 1 and 2 as completely separate inidea; morality is not an independentconcern that has meaning by itself, but isalways dependent upon the Living God ofthe Covenant and related to His purposes.Indeed the rewards of the Law, for goodand evil both, are accomplished onlythrough the power of God's might andwisdom thrown in opposition to theviolence, corruption and pride of man.FOR DISCUSSION:1. How would these considerationsaid you in presenting the Gospel to aninquirer?2. What does "theology" mean asyou use the word? Do you find it useful totry to look for the characteristic theologiesof different portions of Scripture? Howdoes Proverbs differ in outlook, fromIsaiah, or Exodus? Or how do Paul'sepistles differ from that of James?3. What does "covenant" mean as itdescribes the relationship between Godand His people? How are God's grace andgifts to man on the one hand, related toman's obligations and offerings to God onthe other hand? Are they on an equalfooting?Study No. 2THE LORD'S POWER MANIFESTIN THE WORLD OF MANPsalms 76, 139"The fear of the LORD is thebeginning of wisdom." (Ps. 111:10) Inpart this expression, "the fear of theLORD," is the Old Testament way ofexpressing what the New Testamentwould call "faith in the LORD." But fearof the LORD is not simply a figure ofspeech. Men properly fear Him becauseHe is truly fear-inspiring. And faith inHim, if it is not built upon recognition ofthe fathomless power and holiness of Hisdealings with mankind, is not faith at all,but mere wishful thinking.In Psalm 76 we see one aspect of theterror of the LORD: He is the one whoshatters the pride of man's warpower,who shatters it, in fact, before the walls ofZion, His chosen abode. Arrows andshields are broken. Valiant men areoverthrown, their strength now helpless.The LORD it is who bears away thetriumph and the spoils that men strove forin vain.Perhaps this Psalm was written incommemoration of the sudden destructionof the Assyrian army that had besiegedJerusalem (II Kings 19:32-35). But reallythe whole sweep of history is shown to bethe field of the LORD'S actions. The warsand strife of nations, the rise and fall ofcivilizations and empires, these all takeplace, as it were, before the walls of Zion,in the presence of the LORD of Hosts, theGod of Battles. And it is He who bearsaway the victory. The wrath of man doesnot deflect His purpose; He turns it to Hisown praise, willing or unwilling (verse10). In this respect then because of theCOVENANTER WITNESS

humiliating shambles He makes of man'spride, the LORD who rules and overrulesin history is truly the Feared One.But there is another human dimensionto reckon with, the "inward" dimensionof man's psyche. Not only in the largescalefield of action on the historical planeof nations and empires does manfrequently act as if he were the master ofhis own destiny, but many have lookedinward into the depths of their own mindsasif by so doing they could find their owninvulnerable hold upon a changelessreality. Indeed this is a fundamental themeof various ancient and modernphilosophies, as well as some schools ofmodern psychoanalytic theory. Man,driven to the wall by the frustration of hishopes and ambitic ns, would at least like toclaim the dignity of the inviolable privacyof his own mind. But God will not have itso. Neither height nor depth, neither thesubtleties of philosophy nor the twistingsof insanity, can provide the soul withescape from the reality of God. This is themessage of Psalm 139. Here too is theterror of the LORD, from whom there isno hiding. But for those who know Hisname this is the very rock of our confidence,for none of His own are lost.FOR DISCUSSION:1. Where in Scripture do we find otherstriking examples of the "Lord ofHistory" frustrating man's schemes andcollective might?2. Where in post-Biblical history doyou most clearly see the LORD at work inthis character? Are there any dangersinvolved in interpreting history in such afashion?3. Do you think that the LORD, thefear-inspiring God, appears in this samecharacter in the New Testament, or hasHis love covered over His wrath?4. Zion, the place of the temple, is nomore. Can Christians properly claimanother "Zion" that God will defend —such as a Christian nation, for instance?5. Can we truly love a God of war? aGod who inspires fear?6. Do you think it is demeaning thatGod knows you utterly and completely(even better than you know yourself)?Why?7. By way of conclusion read Romans8:35-39.Study No. 3THE LORD'S POWERAS SEEN IN NATUREPsalms 29, 104,74Nature, as represented in Psalm 29isnot a sweet or placid or beautifully picturesquerealm. The picture of nature thatthe Psalmist draws for us is that ofmanifest and terrifying forces — oceans,floods, winds, lightning, earthquakes.These displays of power and storm serve tomake us feel, as nothing else can, thepitifully thin margin between man'sordered and safe-seeming world and thegiant and unruly forces which could soeasily sweep him and all his works tooblivion (as they once did, in fact, at thetime of the Flood).But the object of the Psalmist here isnot to terrify, but rather to reassure theLORD'S people that God controls andlimits these forces, that their God is indeedthe master even of the fiercest ofnature's titanic energies. It is this sameGod who created these forces and whomaintains His control of them, thatblesses and strengthens His own people(verse 11).The 29th Psalm even calls for praisefrom the forces of nature themselves.(Verse 1 literally reads: "Give to theLORD, you sons of the gods!" or "sonsof the mighty ones!'' That is, the forces ofnature or their mighty angelic overseers.Verse 1 does not refer to men.)The LORD'S power in nature is alsocelebrated in other terms. In terms of Hiswise providential rule expressed in theorderly and fruitful processes of the earth,for instance. This is the perspective ofPsalm 104. It is because of providentialorder and stability in nature that man canexist and build his civilization. And thisaspect of God's rule in the earth is a causefor great thanks and praise from all whorecognize the LORD.Sometimes, however, the Psalmistinvokes God's power in order to stir Himto action. So in Psalm 74, a lament uponthe savage destruction of the sanctuary,verses 12-17 are devoted to a reminder ofGod's mighty powers exhibited in orderingand taming the primieval world ofthe Creation. If He brought order out ofchaos, if He thus worked "salvation" inthat primal time — then He can come andhelp His people for the sake of His namewhich is being profaned!FOR DISCUSSION:1. We have considered three Psalmicperspectives on God's power in the realmof nature — His manifestation in nature'sawesome displays, His manifestation innature's peaceful and dependable fruitfulness,and His original work of orderingthe Creation. Are there other aspects thatyou might add? What way of thinkingabout God's power in nature do you findmost helpful personally? What wav do voufind easiest to communicate to others?2. Is literalism a problem to us inappreciating Psalm 29? E.g.. how literallywould you identify "the voice of theLORD" with thunder? Is this a"primitive" way of thinking about God?3. How does our present scientificsophistication affect our appreciation ofthe LORD'S rule over nature? What havewe lost or gained? If the Psalmist werewriting today, what images of God'spower over nature do you imagine mighthe use to convev his intent?Study No. 4THE NEW SONGOF THE NEW AGEPsalms 96, 98, 132,68"O sing a new song to the LORD!Two Psalms begin with these words,words which call to mind the opening ofthe great song in celebration of theLORD'S mighty deliverance from Egypt,the Song of Moses: "I will sing to theLORD, for He has triumphed gloriously!The horse and rider He has thrown intothe sea'' (Ex. 15:1). Moses celebrates thedeliverence of Israel from the Egyptians,the act by which Israel is liberated tobecome a nation in its own right. This actof redemption is the very foundation of theOld Testament administration of grace. Itis from this time that the promises start totake shape as realities, and that the canonof the written Scripture begins.How significant it is, then, that thereis such an exhortation in the Psalms tosing a new song to the LORD, i.e. anothersong than the Song of Moses. But itcannot be a call for simply any other songthat is meant; it must rather be a call forthe celebration of a new act of the LORD'Sgrace, an act as great as, or greater than,the redemption from Egypt. What is thisact? It is nothing less than the LORD'Sestablishment of His own kingship inZion. He is present in the glory andbeauty of His sanctuary in Jerusalem.Having brought up the ark of His presence(I Chron. 15:1,2.8; 16:1), and havingestablished there His own altar of acceptablesacrifice and reconciliation (IChron. 21:15,18,29: 22:1,2), theLORD has entered into His rest (Ps.132:8.13,1 i) from which He shall not bemoved. This is His triumph and the gloryof His people, forit means that IsraelSEPTEMBER 12, 19739

cannot be carried away or dispersed, butthat the LORD has crowned His promiseof salvation with His own presence andrule, establishing a center upon the earthwhich cannot be shaken.This, then, is a new epoch in thehistory of redemption. Not the nation as awhole, but Zion has become the focus ofGod's work. Israel is no longer the looseconfederation of tribes in which the arkand tabernacle of the LORD rests now inone place, now in another (and subject tocapture as in I Sam. 4:3,4,10,11). TheLORD has come to stay and to rule inmajesty and holiness.What is the significance of all this?Very simply, what we have been consideringis one side of a two-sided processof election. The LORD'S election of aparticular and fixed house of His presenceis one side. The second side, which goeson right at this same period of time, is theLORD'S eternal dynastic covenant withDavid: Psalm 132. These two things goon at the same time and even haveessentially the same meaning (Note, forinstance, in I Chron. 29:18-22 at theconsecration of Solomon to be king and todo the actual building of the temple, thatthe people bow down in worship before theLORD and the king, verse 20).Now both the LORD'S bodilessspiritual "presence" and the LORD'SSpirit-anointed personal representative areestablished in Jerusalem, side by side. Thepromises given to the patriarchs are nowfocused upon these two institutions. Thisis, in fact, the unique achievement inGod's plan of redemption which thePsalms, first in all of the canon ofScripture, celebrate. All of the writingprophets build upon this foundation. Nolonger is it simply the Mosaic covenant, itis the Davidic covenant-kingdom. All thatremains is for the final and sinless David tooffer effective sacrifice in a cleansed andtrue temple of the LORD God.development a reality of grace in ite ownright, or merely a series of "types" and"pictures"?4. Is it hard for an inquirer ornewcomer to the faith to deal with the OldTestament dimension to the Gospel?Would it be a good idea to present just a"simple Gospel" of Jesus at first, and letthe rest wait for a while? In what termswould you present Jesus' lordship to ourmodern age?5. What is left to present-day Judaismof this covenant kingdom? What doesJudaism actually retain and use in the OldTestament Scripture?Study No. 5PRAYERS TO THE GODOF RIGHTEOUSNESSPsalms 5,11,31,75,85,142,143(See note below)There is one theme that sounds in thePsalms over and over again: the LORD isrighteous. Some truths it is well enoughsimply to state. But this truth is not onethat the Psalmist can just take up and thenlay down again with placid assurance.When the Psalmist touches on this truth,his whole being vibrates with the urgencyof it. He cannot remain composed andcontent with pious expressions of religionat this point. The LORD is righteous, andthe Psalmist has no hesitation inreminding the LORD of it, and urgingHim to action.This approach is one that is largelyforeign to us today. It is more usual thatChristians simply assume this truth as astatement of one of God's essential attributes.He is righteous; He cannot beotherwise; where, then, is the urgency?Perhaps such an attitude on our part isa reflection of the largely theoreticalcharacter of our faith. So we believe that"God exists" — another characteristicallystatic and impersonal' 'statement of faith" in our times. But thePsalmist does not believe that "Godexists;" he would not pause to mouth sofeeble and superfluous a platitude. Whatthe Psalmist believes — and that meansFOR DISCUSSION:1. In reading or singing the Scriptureshaving to do with the temple, what does itmean to you personally?2. Read Numbers 10:35. Whatpicture, therefore, is invoked by Psalm68:1 and continued in verses 7-14? What that he is committed to it —is the second picture that is joined with itin verses 15-17 and 24-29?3. Are these images and institutionsof the Old Testament sometimes hard totake seriously? Do they ever seem likeplay-acting? Try and formulate, as you seeit, the way the Old Testament led up toChrist Jesus. Was this Old Testament10is that theLORD is righteous, that the LORD isfaithful to His own covenant promises andthat He will deal out the fitting reward toboth the godly and the ungodly. This is aconfession of faith that has some muscle toit, that means something. It is significantexactly because it makes a definite claim inthe midst of this world of human struggle.It does not guard itself with conditionsthat take away its point and relevance. TheLORD is righteous! He is righteous now,in this world — even as His covenant isnow and in this world. And if that be so,then the Psalmist has no scruple inpointing out to the LORD the things thaturgently need righting in the here andnow. After all, that is the point of thisdoctrine. The LORD promises action?Why then, let us proceed on that basis.What else?Granted that much, a very great dealindeed, remains to be righted and dealtwith finally only in the world to come. Butthe field of God's warfare is right now inthis world. His covenant and Hissalvation-power and His faithfulness arenot to be shunted off into the next worldwith paltry excuses; that is to call God aliar and deny the meaning of His grace(Matt. 25:24,25).Are there problems with this doctrine?Yes, and yes, again! The doctrine of theLORD'S righteousness and faithfulness inthis world is full of problems; it createsand multiples problems. And these are theproblems that the Psalms reflect on andagonize over. These are real problemsbecause there is faith in the God who isactive in the real world. Let us be contentwith no less. Let us march under Hisbanner.(Note: there are so many Psalmswhich could be called to mind under thisheading, that any selection is largely apersonal choice. The Psalms listed above,then, are just by way of suggestion.)FOR DISCUSSION:1. In your own prayers, do you oftengo through a list of various things youwould like to see happen? Or do youconnect your requests to the LORD'S ownpromises and the urgent danger to or needof His cause in the world? How would youdevise such a prayer right now?2. When your requests are denied orpostponed, how does this affect thecharacter of your prayers? How does yourprayer-life relate to the things you workfor, and vice-versa?3. What attitudes or assumptions inprayer do you think are to be guardedagainst? What are the characteristicfailings today in the prayer-life of theChurch? What aspects of prayer do youthink are fairly well understood and applied?4. Do you think that there are any"wasted prayers" today? — i.e. prayersthat are well-intentioned but which try toclaim "promises" that God has notgiven?COVENANTER WITNESS

Study No. 6UNDER THE SHADOWOF ETERNITYPsalms 8, 14,90Basically the Psalms are expressions ofcovenantal faith — as, indeed, is the restof Scripture. But what I mean to say is thatthe Psalms do not philosophize abstractlyabout the nature of God, man or theworld; they always express the actuality ofGod's covenantal grace. It is in terms ofthis actuality, not in terms of speculationby which any given issue is to be understoodand resolved. The Psalmsprovide, not a speculative program ofinquiry, but a guide to an ever-deepeninggrasp of God's actual grace and revelation.Nevertheless there are Psalms (andportions of Psalms) which do set forthmore general and universal truths. So, forinstance, Psalm 8, which is a song ofwonderment and praise that the LORD,among His other great and famous works,should have created man to be only a littlelower than the divine. This is man'snature as constituted at the Creat^n. TheFall and the Covenant of Grace do notoccupy the foreground in this Psalm(although these are implied by the use ofGod's covenant name, and by the sentenceabout "stilling the enemy and theavenger" in verse 2). So then, man, byhis very nature, i.e. as created by God, hashis rightful place as lord over the rest of allthe earthly creation (verses 6-8). This isman's nature, his "creation mandate," ifyou will, which belongs to himinherently, the property of the wholehuman race. This is the Psalmist's answer,at least in part, to the very generalquestion, "What is man?"But this is only part of the answer.There is another side of the coin, thecomplement to the above picture of man'suniversal dominion by "divine right."Consider Psalm 14, a picture of man'scomplete and universal corruption. Noman understands his real nature. Hedenies any responsibility to God, hisMaker, and as for his fellow men, made inGod's image, he does not scruple toexploit them for his own purposes. Andregarding the covenant, in the sight of thewicked it does not exist. This is anotherpart of the Biblical answer to the generalquestion, "What is man?" (Cf. Gen.6:5-7).Such is the nature of man, viewedeither in terms of its original dignity or itsSEPTEMBER 12, 1973subsequent corruption. But the wholespan of man's earthly life can also becharacterized in a general fashion, and thisis the theme of Psalm 90. Man's highdestiny is warped by sin, and man's sinfulboasting ambition is held in check byGod's longsuffering and wrath. So theworld of men toils on, generation aftergeneration. "All our years are passedaway in thy wrath." (verse 9. Cf. alsoGen. 3:17-19; 6:3). God's grace andwrath are at work in the world, limitingman's life and accomplishment, yetconstituting and saving a people toHimself. This is the way the world isdefined, and, since the consummation ofall things is not yet, the world gives theappearance of an endless and changelesscycle of years. God's eternity and man'smortality: all our years are passed away inGod's wrath until the expiration of ourthreescore years and ten (verse 10). Athousand years are as nothing to God, butas for us we vanish like the mown grass(verses 4,5). This is the world, seeminglyeverlasting, in which His servants, herefor just a fleeting moment, try to bringforth works acceptable to the eternalLORD (verses 16,17).FOR DISCUSSION:1. The book of Ecclesiastes can beconsidered an expansion on this Psalm 90theme of the cyclic, fleeting and uncertaincharacter of man's life and generations.How do you, personally, apply thesetruths? How do you relate them to themore positive elements of Christian faith?(Cf. Matt. 24:6-8, 38-39; Rom.8:22,23; II Pet. 3:3,4; James 4:13,14).2. When Psalm 90 employs the firstperson plural pronoun ("we," "us,""our") at various points, who are beingreferred to? Who are not? Why do youthink that a non-believer might be moreapt to appreciate a Psalm like 8 or 90 thanone like 14? Who properly has the right tosing the Psalms?3. What do you think of the idea ofpresenting the faith to a non-believer interms of general questions such as we havebeen dealing with? Do you think it wouldmake for easier understanding? or foreasier misunderstanding?4. How can you consciously anddeliberately apply the doctrine of Psalm 8to your life? Do you think that this is aneglected doctrine in the Church today?5. By way of conclusion read Psalm144:1-8, which brings together themesfrom the three Psalms we have beenconsidering.Study No. 7IMPRECATORY PSALMSPsalms 58,83,109.129,137How bloodthirsty are you feelingtoday? How eagerly are you lookingforward to the sweetness of revenge? Afterall, why not put the question right on yourplate without beating about the bush: doyou understand and approve the imprecatoryPsalms and, what is more, doyou sing them with genuine feeling?The imprecatory Psalms, those Psalmswhich call down the LORD'S wrath andcurse upon the Psalmist's foes, probablyconstitute the major point of offense in thePsalter. Non Psalm-singers object to theimprecatory Psalms (and to their cousins,the "misery" Psalms) because they arenot uplifting or spiritual enough. Andeven Psalm-singers have been known toregard them as a trial and a burden, like askeleton in the family closet or a mad olduncle locked in the attic. Not exactly thefirst place you want to show visitors.Yes, we can probably smile at thisdescription because we recognize the truthin it. But having seen the light side of ourown discomfiture in this matter let us turnto the serious issues involved — and theyare verv serious issues indeed, none moreso. The crux of it all is the evaluation oneplaces upon the moral character of Godand of Biblical religion. In other words, isGod good enough, and is the Bible goodenough?Let us take the strongest objectionfirst, that which would say that God doesnot have (or should not have) genuinewrath against sinful men. According tothis view (which in its most candid form iscalled Modernism) the Biblical recordcontains some things good and some bad,some things "primitive" and some things"mature." Religion is evolutionary,starting with the childish notion of anangry and punishing God and workingtoward a more acceptable notion of an allforgivingGod. It is man, on this basis,who decides what he is to think of God,and what he is to regard as "spiritual."In contrast to this it cannot be toostronglv held that God is known in truthonly as He reveals Himself in theScriptures. It is not man who attains thetruth of God bv his own reasonings andimagination. Moreover it is of the veryessence of Biblical religion that there aretwo nations within the race ot men, theseed of promise and the seed ot reprobation11

(Gen. 3:15). It is God who elects to savesome (thus creating a seed of promise) andwho elects to pour His wrath on those whocontinue to express the inherent evil oftheir natures (Rom. 9:22-24). The imprecatoryPsalms are an appeal to the verygenuine and terrible wrath of God, anappeal made in behalf of God's covenantpeople, the seed of promise. Those whoshy away from the truth of God's wrathbelong to "another gospel" (Gal. 1:6-9).The other objection to the use of theimprecatory Psalms, not as far-reachingand radical as the preceding, is that theattitude of these Psalms is inconsistentwith the loving and forgiving spirit thatChristians are supposed to manifest to theworld. There is some force to this objection,but certain things must be clearlyunderstood. First: Even granting, for themoment, that Christians should not feel orexpress the spirit of personal vengeance,nevertheless it is essential that Christiansrejoice in the coming vengeance of God,and so on this basis can and should singthe imprecatory Psalms — with gusto! If asupposed Christian cannot celebrate theLORD'S victorious wrath over Hisenemies (who are also his own enemies),then he must really be harboring the moreradical objections we touched on earlier.Second: While it is true that Christiansare exhorted to a greater patience andtolerance and forgiveness — especiallytoward one another, but also towardothers for the sake of the spread of theGospel — the New Testament gives usboth precept and example as warrant forChristians properly calling down God'scurse upon men who show themselvesreprobate (especially those who sin againstthe light — cf. Gal. 1:9; I Cor. 16:22; IJn. 5:16b; II Tim. 4:1^; Acts 8:20;Acts 23:1-5).Many questions remain to beexamined, I am sure. Perhaps you are notalways in the mood to enter into the spiritof imprecation. But this much is certain:what the imprecatory Psalms present to usis of the very essence of the Gospel, and noone who refuses to enter into theirmessage and Spirit has a part in thatGospel.FOR DISCUSSION:1. In what ways do you think thatcongregations might be more effective andhonest witnesses to the truth by use of theimprecatory Psalms?2. Do you think that to become more"spiritual" means that one graduallyceases to feel or express "negative"emotions such as anger, hate or fear?What is the origin of this notion ofspirituality? How would you separate thetruth from the error in such a view?3. Do you ever find (or look for)spiritual refreshment in your devotionaluse of the imprecatory Psalms? Whatsuggestions do you think might behelpful? In what way might the regularuse of these Psalms (along with the rest ofScripture, of course) be psychologically,as well as spiritually, more sound thanmerely occasional use?4. What are the most likely misuses ofthe imprecatory Psalms? Give someexamples.5. By way of conclusion read Rev.6:9,10; 19:1-3; 22:14,15.Study No. 8THE GODLY MANPsalms 34,15,20,50,101There is a strong prejudice in ourculture against boasting. Especiallyagainst what might be called "religious"boasting. It runs counter to the ideals oftolerance and easy-going religion whichAmerica has long prized. If a man were tovoice an acknowledgement of God'sspecial favor and a serious dedication toperform God's will and to remove himselffrom the companionship of the ungodly,he would surely be derided as a ' 'fanatic,a "Puritan" or a "self-righteous prig.""After all," so runs the rest of the usualline of thought, "who is he to set himselfup as so holy? He is no better than weare." Religion of this stamp offends ourdemocratic sensibilities. And yet this isthe character of Scriptural religion. (Seehow Psalm 34 consistently strikes thisnote.)Isn't this same prejudice even rampantin the Church? Religion is supposed to beall right "in its place," but it mustn't be"odd," it mustn't interfere with comfortabletraditions, conventions andrespectabilities. A hundred years ago menused to talk about being "a Christian anda gentleman." Today it is thought to bemore a compliment to say of someone that"He's a regular guy, even if he is aChristian," But don't these ideas revealfatal weaknesses? Fatal compromises withthe world? Neither "A Christian and. ." nor "a Christian but. ." are asstraightforward and meaningful as simplyto say, "a Christian." Nor is religion tobe "kept in its place" — at least not asthat phrase is usually meant. Though inthe Biblical sense, if religion is kept in itsplace (or rather given its proper place),then it touches and regulates every activityof life. The calling of everyone whonames the name of Christ is a newallegiance. As for men's opinions andcompromises, "Let the dead bury theirdead" (Lk. 9:59-62). Neither the world'sflatterings nor the world's contempt isvalid in the eyes of the LORD. What doesthe world's viewpoint matter to Psalm 20,for instance?"LORD who shall abide in Thytabernacle? who shall dwell in Thy holyhill? He that walks uprightly, and worksrighteousness, and speaks the truth in hisheart." So begins Psalm 15, and therefollows a catalog of other righteouspractices and scruples of the godly man.Note that religion is not "kept in itsplace" but rather that God's commandedrighteousness finds its proper place andapplication in all spheres of life.Psalm 50 provides an interestingcommentary on this issue of "appliedreligion." The Psalm beings with theLORD calling His covenant peopletogether to "read them a lecture" (verses1-7). What is on His mind? Well, for onething, the ones who are in large part faithfulto His covenant have yet been relyingaltogether too heavily upon the offering upof many sacrifices. God neither asks forthis nor needs it. Rather He would havethem offer thanks to Him and let themhonor their vows. And ti.en God will hearthem when they call in a day of trouble(verses 8-15). But even sharper than thisis God's rebuke to the wicked, the oneswho do evil themselves and who consentto the evil-doing of others, the ones whothink that God does not see or care. Unlessthey alter their ways the LORD will tearthem in pieces (verses 16-22). Butconsider especially the conclusion of thisPsalm, verse 23. There are, according tothis, two aspects to acceptable religion inGod's eyes: first,that a man's professionbe sincere and heartfelt praise, not amultiplication of outward religiousperformances, and second, that action,right action, be forthcoming from thosewho expect to see God's salvation.FOR DISCUSSION:1. Do you think that there are anyforces and interests in our society andgovernment which would want religion tobe a purely private and "churchy" (i.e. apew-sitting) sort of thing? In what waysdoes our own natural inclination tend topromote this same division between thereligious and the secular?2. Why is it condemned to lendmoney on interest (Ps. 15:5)? (The wordrendered in the AV as "usury" meanssimply to charge interest, of whateverrate.) The Law forbad charging interest to12 COVENANTER WITNESS

a fellow Israelite (Deut. 23:19,20). Doesour present society, which lives by creditand credit charges, compromise thebeliever? Are there ways in whichbelievers can and should withdraw fromthe current economic system, or would itbe too inconvenient and costly to takesuch a stand?3. "In whose eyes a vile person isdespised, but he honors those that fear theLORD" (Ps. 15:4a). How might it bepossible to put this principle into moreeffective practice in these times when ourculture, e.g. our popular televisionprogramming, does not even begin to"despise the vile" or "honor those thatfear the LORD"? Do you see ways inwhich the Christian community mightcease to be a passive participant in suchmass culture?4. Do you think that Christians todayare apt not to boast in the LORD as theyshould? or do they boast too much? or toocomplacently? or about the wrong things?5. Psalm 101 is a song of the covenantruler pledging himself to drive out fromhis land the wicked and proud and slanderous.Do you think that this same zealfor a righteous and consistent life in thecovenant community is currently beingexercised in terms of church discipline (cf.Heb. 12:15,16)? or is st let churchdiscipline apt to be considered tootroublesome?6. Let Psalm 26 be read by way of aconclusion.Study No. 9THE WAY OF EXILEPsalms 13,120,44,89,79,74,137past grace and favor, lingering in memorymay serve to make the present the morebitter. Nor will the malice of others fail tocast the same reproach in your face. "Mytears have been my meat day and nightwhile they continually say unto me,Where is thy God?" (Ps. 42:3)The LORD is faithful. And yet thisturning away of His face, this drying up ofHis favor, is also part of the experience ofHis covenant people, and so it too findsexpression in the Psalter, along with thesongs of triumph and victory, joy andpraise.There is a final and climactic nationaldisaster that overtakes Israel, and thatsweeps the Davidic kingdom into history'sdust-bin. And there are in the Psalteranticipations of that coming storm. Evenlooking back to David himself, thefountain-head of the dynasty, and the timewhen the covenant promises were fresh,we see that this Messiah too knew times ofexile and persecution, knew what it meantnot to have a place to lay his head, knewreproach and sorrow. He had to keep onthe run from Saul as a king without akingdom, he had to try and establish hiskingdom in the face of personal and tribaljealousies, and the most bitter betrayal ofall came upon him when he had to takeflight before the armed rebellion of hisown son.Read some of the Psalms which reflectDavid's own personal anguish — e.g. 13and 120.Other Psalms, especially later onesthan David's, begin with onimous insistenceto sound the notes of apprehensionand desperate alarm for thenation. Consider Psalm 44 or Psalm 89.Each prays in agony of spirit that Godmight return and favor His people andsend His might to rescue the kingdomfrom its decay and humiliating weakness.The godly man is called to a life of Psalm 44 pleads the people's faithfulnessrighteous action, that is true enough. And and dedication: they do not deserve this.the LORD Himself is faithful and Psalm 89, after a glorious recountingrighteous to answer the prayers and to (verses 1-37) of God's power and Hisbless the lives of those who put their trustin Him. But it is also true that the sphereof action, even right action, can onlybring us so far, can not accomplisheverything. In some matters the LORDmust bring His own purposes of fruition.Man may have to wait, however ferventand passionate his strivings with God.promises, especially to David, then turnsto ask why it is that the messianic crownhas been thrown to the ground (verses 38-51). It is not possible that God should nothear; and yet the situation grows yet moregrave. Psalm 83 is a frantic call for God toannihilate the enemies massed to destroyIsrael. Psalms 79 and 74 recount in vividAnd even so, even with tears, God's detail, the blood-soaked ruin andanswer may delay, may even be, "No." desecration of Zion and of the temple.Let us put the case even more strongly And Psalm 1 37 records the final bitter crythan this. Sometimes there is nothing left of the deported survivors: Mav God paybut waiting, waiting and hoping in His them back as they have done to us!word, while vet His mercies continue to And after exile there is restoration, ishe far distant. At such a time even His there not? And we have a song of deliriousjoy: the LORD brings back His captives!— Psalm 126, especially verses 1-3. Butthere is something chastened and pleadingtoo in this Psalm — because verses 4-6pray that this be indeed a restoration! thatthe nation's fortunes may turn again inactuality and gush full to overflowing! thatthe tears that were shed be turned to along looked-for harvest!There is still a time of patience andwaiting. An era of glory and splendor andstrength has come to an end. Has thepromise failed, the covenant promise aseternal as the day and night (Jer.33:20,21)? And has all the suffering andhope been in vain? Or is there still a timeof waiting, a time when man must wait forGod to act, when man cannot roll awaythe burden of God's wrath by his ownefforts. He must yet want until the LORDturns again in mercy, and redeems all Hiscovenant pledges.FOR DISCUSSION:1. Do you think the Christian era,(i.e. the Church age) is more like the age ofthe Davidic kingdom or does it resemblethe Exile or Restoration times? In whatrespects does it resemble one or the other?2. Have you ever been brought to thepoint where something — somethingclearly good and honoring to God and offaith cannot move, or should not try togreat concern to you — has been deniedyou with apparent finality? How do youseek and recognize God's will in thismatter? Are there "mountains" thatmove?3. Is the soul's experience of "exile,"of God's seeming distance and refusal,something that properly a Christian canand should rise above? What kind ofexample did Jesus and the apostles leaveus? Is this any different from what theytell us to do?4. What has been your own devotionalexperience in using such Psalms ofreproach and bitterness and desperatepleading? Have you found them an aid incommunicating with others? Did you findthem a close part of the walk of faith, ormore alien to it?5. All the pain, all the agony of soul,all the sorrow that surrounded that OldTestament Exile was real - even as thelife and warfare ot faith, under God, arereal. What do you think about themeaning and justification ot this seemingrevocation ot God's promises?6. Bv way ot conclusion, read Psalm123 or Psalm (2SEPTEMBER 12, 197313

THE BOOK OF PRAISESStudy No. 10The praises of the Psalter are asvarious as covenant life itself. Manyelements, many experiences are turned bythe Spirit into the sweetness of understandingand thanksgiving. And thereare different moods and styles of praise.Sometimes praise is stately and formal, asin Psalm 135. The great themes here aretouched on point by point: the LORD'Spower in the heavens and in the naturalorder, the LORD'S election of Israel andHis power shown in bringing them upfrom Egypt and into the land of theirinheritance, the folly and futility of idolworship,the majesty of the LORD whodwells in Zion. Or praise may be implicitin another kind of catalog, that of theblessedness and security of the man whotruly delights himself in the LORD'Scommandments — Psalm 112. Praise mayalso be the fruit of experience which hascost dearly and left its mark upon the soul— as in Psalm 30 or Psalm 130. Or praisemay be ecstatic — as in Psalm 47. Or itmay be full of the quiet strength ofknowledge of the LORD — as in Psalm147.The other elements of the Psalter, thedesperate cries for God's help (e.g. Psalm70), the careful search and research intothe vexing question of the prosperity of thewicked and the sufferings of the just (e.g.Psalm 37), the laments over disasters, theprayers against the corrupt and violent —all these take their place in the finalharmony of praise. But this final harmonyis achieved not simply "formally," i.e.because the final Psalms of the Book ofPsalms sound this chord of resolution, butprimarily because of that Person whospeaks in and through them all.The Book of Psalms is unique in thisrespect out of all the Scriptures, that it isconsistently "messianic" in viewpoint.That is, it is from the standpoint of theDavidic kingdom that the Psalms arecomposed and collected. And David, theMessiah, the Anointed One, is not simplya king in the sense of passive majesty, butis the elect champion of the covenantkingdom. It is true that he is the leader inwar and in victory, but also that he iscalled to suffer pain and humiliation andreproach for the sake of that kingdom. Heis the "man after God's own heart"chosen to be captain over the LORD'Speople (I Sam. 13:14). And so thepromises of God are never to him his fixedpossession and personal right, but rather14the instruments whereby he continues torespond to (and wrestle with) the LivingGod — in order to bring forth praise, bothin reality and in the words of song. Herepresents his people before God, andshares in their condition. He is king in nomerely formal sense, but is their Spiritfilledintercessor pleading for the triumphof the LORD'S righteousness and faithfulness.From this unique ground, then, comesthe unique range and power of the Psalms.Even the most perceptive and experiencecenteredof the hymns do not and cannotplumb the depths of human and divineexperience as do the Psalms. Or whathymns could so confidently — andproperly — set forth the author's owndedication and righteousness? The Psalmsexpress confidence in the LORD'Sdeliverance, yet they do not always arriveat that confidence by an easy route, nor istheir profession of faith a glib one. ThePsalms help us not to overlook the experienceswe are called into, or gloss themover, but to face them in the fellowship ofour King, the Lord of life and Victor overdeath.FOR DISCUSSION:1. How should these considerations beapplied to the way in which we actuallysing the Psalms or select the Psalms tosing? Should everything sound the sameor be the same?2. Sometimes, even in these days, ithappens that Scripture-reading and prayermay be offered at some public and nonreligiousgathering — such as a school'scommencement exercises — where it isthought to lend a certain air of highsolumnity to the proceedings. How muchof a source of gratification can this be toChristians? Wherein lies the danger?3. Are there any Psalms you findeasier to understand and appreciate as readrather than sung? When do you really feelthat you are expressing a Psalm, whatdoes it require?4. How would you characterize yourown congregation's rendering of praise?When does it sound most "praiseful" orprayerful ?5. The concept of exclusive Psalmodyis usually expressed in negative terms —i.e. that one sings nothing else but Psalmsin worship, and that one uses no instrumentalaccompaniment. How couldyou formulate the meaning of this positionin positive terms? What does exclusivePsalmody require positively in o.dci for itto achieve its objectives? (or does it nothave objectives?)6. Is there any minimum level ofunderstanding needed in order to have theright to sing in a worship service? Shouldvisitors to a worship service simply beencouraged to join in?7. Does the Church, as the communityof the End Times, have any specialrelationship to the Psalter as its book ofpraise? Is it relevant now in ways thatwere not realized at the time of itswriting?8. In the study above, the Psalmswere characterized as "messianic" — i.e.essentially from the viewpoint of theDavidic kingship. How does this messianicfoundation of the Psalms help us relate toand understand the office and calling ofChrist (the Messiah) Jesus?9. By way of conclusion read Psalms149 and 150.* I *October, 1973AND GOD HEARD— IN TIME OF PERSECUTIONMiss Isabel CrawfordElkins Park W.M.S.In addition to the passages in theUniform Program, let us considerepisodes in the lives of three Spirit-filledmen in the Bible: Elijah, I Kings 19:1-18; Daniel, Daniel 6; Peter, Acts 12:5-11.We find in each case, the reason forpersecution was the individual's compliancewith God's will. The source of thepersecution was unsaved souls. The extentof the persecution included separationfrom family and friends, physicaldeprivation, and imminent danger ofdeath. Always the solution to the problemwas prayer for deliverance, completereliance on God's help, and obedience toCOVENANTER WITNESS

His direction. The result of thedeliverance from persecution was renewedfaith and spiritual growth in the individual,a strong witness to both savedand unsaved souls involved, and a newopportunity to live a fruitful life.The prayer which is offered in time ofpersecution need not be oral or formal. Abrief inward cry to God for help is sufficientand a repetition of this request isnatural and expected. The spirit of theprayer is far more important than thewords, or the place in which it is offered.There must be consciousness of personalinability to cope .vith the situation,reliance on God's power, a forgiving spirittoward the persecutors, and a desire to bein God's will.Let us compare the experiences ofthese three men with some which happento Christians in our own day. How manyChristians feel that they are alone instanding for their belief? Can suchdepression of spirit be considered"persecution"? Does a period ofseparation from family, friends, publicworship, etc., necessarily become a formof "persecution"? Is there much differencein the reaction of men to imminentdanger of death, whether caused bypersecution or other forces? What is themost important factor in prayer for thosewho are being persecuted? How canindividuals who are not personally involvedin the persecution be of most help?How much do we permit the witness ofthose who have been delivered frompersecution to spread and develop spiritualgrowth in ourselves and others?Are these modern forms of persecutionin our own daily lives?1. Being by-passed forpromotion at our work because weare not available for Sabbath Dayemployment.2. Not being considered foroffice in the P.T.A. or otherorganizations because we will notsupport bridge parties or otherquestionable fund raisingschemes.3. Being publicly criticizedbecause we do not take part incommunity recreational activitieswhich do not meet our standardsfor Christian behavior.4. Being ostracized by neighborsor co-workers because ofhonesty in matters of tax reports,compliance with townshipregulations, etc.I remember, as a small girl, hearing anold gentleman in our congregation offerprayer in the Prayer Meeting. He alwaysSEPTEMBER 12, 1973opened his petition with the words, "Othou omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresentGod —.'' The words rolled fromhis tongue in a most impressive way andthey rang in my ears as great chords.Their very sound made them important tome. As I advanced in years and began tounderstand the scope of their meaning,these adjectives became awesome andalmost threatening in nature. Then,through a period of testing, I came torealize more fully the wonder and blessingof these attributes of our God.There is nothing more reassuring thanthe knowledge that we do not have to planour own actions, or solve our ownproblems in time of persecution. Our God,who knows all the past, present, andfuture, who controls all the power of manand nature, and who is present at all timesand in all places, will make these decisionsand support and sustain us to theirconclusion, if we will but ask Him!The Book of Psalms is so full of versesexpressing the spirit of our lesson thateach member could easily select a differentone for the closing portion of thedevotional period. My favorite is Psalm34:6 — "This poor man cried and theLord heard him, and saved him out of allhis trouble."Suggested Psalms:Ps. 7, page 10:1,2,8,9Ps. 143, page 347:6,7November, 1973AND GOD HEARD— THOUGHTSMiss Blanche GilchristWaltonWe have realized more and moreduring this year's study that God is veryclose to us. He sees our every act, andhears our every word. He even discernsour thoughts and our intentions. TheBible gives many examples of this omniscience./. God hears all thought.This is a startling idea. We humanbeings are so likely to make a good appearancebefore our friends and fellowworkers and feel that our thoughts are ourown. No one can judge us by these. Noone knows them. We are mistaken. Godknows all our thoughts. His word plainlysays so. Listen to Job. "I know that thoucanst do everything and that no thoughtcan be withholden from thee." Job 42:2Christ took the form of man first toprovide a way of salvation but He alsocame to reveal to us the Father. In Luke'sgospel Christ shows his knowledge of thethoughts of the disciples when they werequarreling as to who would be greatestin the kingdom of heaven. Christ not onlyheard their whispered words but alsodiscerned their thoughts. Luke 9:47Matthew Henry's commentary says,"Jesus Christ is perfectly acquainted withthe thoughts and intents of our hearts;they are words to him, whispers are loudcries. It is a good reason why we shouldkeep up a strict government of ourthoughts because Christ takes a strictcognizance of them."//. God's Judgment \'s. Man'sJudgment.In I Samuel 16:7 the Lord said, "forman looketh on the outward appearancebut the Lord looketh on the heart."This dramatic account of the choice ofa king for Israel is a very interesting oneand holds definite lessons for us. Theprophet Samuel's heart had been brokenby the failure of the young ruler, Saul.Samuel brooded over God's rejection ofthe king. God, in his omniscience, knewthe thoughts of Samuel and reproved him.I Samuel 16:1 We are not to brood overpast mistakes. If they are due to our sinswe are to repent and then with God's helpdo better.Samuel must have shrunk from theresponsibility of anointing another kingfor Israel, but God reassured him. "I willshow thee what thou shalt do." I Samuel16:1-3 The elder sons of Jesse passedbefore Samuel.Though Samuel knew the choice wasGod's, he still could not help looking onthese young men with the eye of the flesh.Some seemed more promising than othersbut the prophet accepted God's guidance.It is not always easy for Christians toaccept God's choices. We will not be askedto choose a king but we do have the choiceof a pastor, a business associate, a lifepartner, friends. We should rememberthat God sees the heart and be thankfulthat the all-knowing God will make Hiswisdom available to us when we havedifficult choices to make.///. God acts on good and evil thoughtsand calms troubled thoughts Acts 5.-4,5God not only knows all thoughts butHe acts upon them. Remember Ananiasand his wife who thought to receive credit,in the eves ot men, for the gift of the priceot their land while keeping back part ot itfor their own use The two agreed to tell15

the same story. Since they made the Father is very near to us.bargain in private, they felt no one coulddisprove them. How foolish! They werelying not to men, but to God and his Spiritwhich had been lately poured out on theSuggested Psalms:Ps. 139, page 341, 342:1,2,13Ps. 94, page 229:3,5,7apostles. God acted swiftly. The lives ofboth Ananias and Sapphira were forfeited.A severe punishment, perhaps, in theDecember, 1973eyes of men; but God could not have earlyChristians unaware of the gravity of AND GOD HEARSsinning against the Holy Spirit. Matthew— PRAISEHenry reminds us that the testimony ofthe apostles could not be invalidated. For, Mrs. Florence Lynn20:15if the apostles by the Holy Spirit could notWhite Lake W.M.S.Singers werediscover this deception, how could theyhope to teach the people the deep things ofthe kingdom?/. Whom shall we praise?' T will call on the Lord, who is worthyGod also acts on good thoughts. to be praised." II Sam. 22:4a "I willMatthew 1:19-20 "But while he thought praise the Lord according to hison these things, behold the angel of the righteousness: and will sing praise to theLord appeared unto him in a dream name of the Lord most high." Ps. 7:17saying, Joseph, thou Son of David, fear "Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to singnot to take unto thee Mary, thy wife, for praises unto our God; for it is pleasant;that which is conceived in her is of the and praise is comely." Ps. 147:1Holy Ghost."Joseph, being a good man, had //. How should praise be offered?thought upon Mary's condition. He wasnot willing that she be made a publicWith the understanding — I Cor.example and so had decided to put hercreation —away privately. He could see no othe*- way.We should think well on our ownproblems. We, too, should be kind andconsiderate in our judgments of people.We should be willing to consult friendsand professional people who can give helpbut we should above all be willing to haveGod give us the wisdom which we lack.We should realize that all knowledge iswith Him and that He can solve all ourproblems.Luke 24:38 " And he said unto them,Why are ye so troubled? and why dothoughts arise in your hearts?" Jesus isspeaking to His disciples after Hisresurrection. Christ speaks to us, too.When we are troubled we are likely toworry. We have thoughts that do us harm.Such troubled thoughts dishonor God.The disciples thought they had seen aspirit when they saw Christ. Our troubledthoughts sometimes come from mistakesconcerning Christ. We forget that Christis our elder brother and think of Him asbeing far from us.All our troubled thoughts are knownto Christ and are not pleasing to him. Hereproved the disciples for such thoughtsand He also reproves us.Let us put our trust in God, who hasall knowledge and will help us in ourproblems, act upon our thoughts, andcalm troubled thoughts. Let us pray forhelp, search the Scriptures for problemssimilar to ours, and rest assured that our1614:15.With the soul — Ps. 103:1.With the whole heart — Ps. 9:1.With the lips — Ps. 119:171.With gladness — Jer. 33:11.Day by day — II Chron. 30:21.For ever and ever — Psalm 145:1,2.III. Who should offer praise ?Saints should show forth praise — IPet. 2:9.Saints should be endued with the spiritof praise — Isa. 61:3.Saints should express their joy bypraise — James 5:13.Saints should pray for ability to offerpraise — Ps. 51:15.IV. Instances of praise recorded in God'sWord.The song of Moses — Ex. 15:1-21.Jethro expresses his praise to God —Ex. 18:10.Hezekiah praised God when his lifewas lengthened.Zacharias praised God — Luke 1:64— also shepherds.Simeon and Anna glorified God whenthey recognized the promised Messiah —Luke 2:28-38.The multitude and the blind man whowas healed of his blindness praised God —Luke 18:43.The first converts, with thanksgiving,were continually praising God — Acts2:47.Paul and Silas praised God that theywere counted worthy to suffer shame forthe name of Christ.Jehoshaphat and his kingdom were ingreat danger from a foreign invasion. Inthis instance, Jehoshaphat's greatestconcern was to obtain the favor of God.Note his preparation in II Chron. 20:3-13. He depended entirely upon God fordeliverance. God's answer was speedy andgracious. "Be not afraid nor dismayed byreason of this great multitude; for thebattle is not yours but God's." II Chron.appointed to go outbefore the army with this song, "Praisethe Lord, for his mercy endurethforever," vs. 21 The Lord set an ambushagainst them, hosts of angels, and inconfusion they fell upon their own numberas if they had been enemies, so that theywere totally destroyed, vs. 22. This iswhat God did when His people began tosing and praise Him.V. Praise should be expressed.Praise is due to God — I Chron. 16:9;Ps. 71:8; Isa. 12:4; Joel 2:26.Praise is due from all — InanimatePs. 69:34; Ps. 98:7,8; Isa.44:23. From all on earth — I Chron.16:23; Ps. 66:1,4,8. From all in heaven— Ps. 148:1,2; Ezek. 3:12; Rev.7:11,12.Praise is a part of public worship — Ps.35:18; Ps. 107:32; Ps. 134:1,2; Ps.150:1."O that men would Jehovah praiseFor all his kindness shown,And for his works so wonderfulWhich he to men makes known."For discussion:Should the Covenanter church givemore attention to training children andyoung people to sing?V*fSM^^^^^|l^NOTICEThe W.M.S. flannelgraphlibrary has been transferred tothe office of the Board ofEducation and Publication,800 Wood St., Pittsburgh,Pa. 15221. Materials may beordered from this addressbeginning Sept. 1.xjJCOVENANTER WITNESS

GENEVA CONG.(Renwick Wright, pastor)At a recent morning worship serviceJanet Garbinsky was baptized and receivedinto church membership on profession offaith.During the summer months ourcongregation and the College Hillcongregation held united services in theevening, alternating churches. Theworship services began at 6 p.m. followedby the fellowship groups which met at7:10 p.m.Interested members of the Beaver Fallsarea R.P churches chartered two busesand attended a winning Pirates game. Mr.Fenton Farley was in charge ofarrangements.About 130 members enjoyed theannual Sabbath School picnic held atBrady's Run Park. Good food andrecreation were the order of the day. Mrs.Wendell Hemphill, social chairman, wasin charge of the dinner; Wendell Deanand Patty Podnar, the recreation. Mrs.Helen Patterson led devotions.HETHERTON(Lee Bittner, III, pastor)A picnic was held on the Leino-Maschke farm on July 18 so thecongregation could become reacquaintedwith Mrs. Jenny Hemphill and Rev. BruceHemphill and his family. Mrs. Hemphill'shusband, Rev. E. Raymond Hemphill,was the pastor here for eight years andboth she and Bruce were members here.At the time of this picnic, Mr. and Mrs.Ed Roby and Ron Roby had just returnedfrom a fortnight holiday in England wherethey visited Mrs. Roby's relatives.A couple of weeks earlier, acongregational social was held at thechurch with Mrs. Beth Marshall as theguest of honor.Mr. Hugh Harrington attended hishigh school class reunion in Saginaw onJuly 21. This was the 55-year reunion forhis class.MORNING SUNCENTENNIALThe Centennial of the organizing ofthe Morning Sun, Iowa, congregation wascelebrated July 7 and 8.An afternoon of pleasant reminiscingwas begun by a grandson of the firstpastor, Dr. C. D. Trumbull, who servedthe congregation for 40 years. Three ofthe family of the second pastor, Dr. H. G.Patterson, told of incidents around theparsonage during his 35 year pastorate.Later pastors and friends also told some oftheir recollections to the guests.On Sabbath two former pastors, Rev.Robert Morrow and Rev. J. E. McElroy,explained the 90th Psalm and preachedabout "Elijah, a Man of Prayer" to alarge congregation of Morning Sun andSharon people and friends. Following thisDr. S. Bruce Willson led the group in astudy from the 10th chapter of Mark toclose the service.Former members and friends camefrom Beaumont, Calif., Denver, Colo.,Belle Center, Ohio, and Beaver Falls, andButler, Pa. to share with us in the CentennialCelebration.CLARINDA(David R. Patterson, pastor)The Commission of MidwestPresbytery installed David R. Patterson aspastor of the Clarinda congregation onJune 1, 1973. The congregation held areception honoring Rev. and Mrs. Pattersonand family on July 11 at thechurch.Dr. and Mrs. Bruce Willson of Pittsburghwere visiting in the Pattersonhome and joined in this fellowship. Invitedguests included the neighboring friends ofthe congregation. Among these were thelocal ministers and families of those whoobliged us with the filling of our pulpitduring the many months that we werewithout a minister.Visitors of our congregation in theserecent weeks included the Tom Josephfamily and the Jay Basler family in thehome of Howard and Mary Caskey. LloydDunn and family visiting with Mrs. W G.Dunn and Gertrude Lee. Margaret LeeForbs visiting her sisters. Charles Perryand wife, Phyllis Landon and children andMarcia Summers and daughter visiting inthe Raymond Perry home. Gail Kennedyin the home of her grandparents, Mr. andMrs. Leslie McCalla. Mr. and Mrs.Koenigsberg arid family in the MildredDunn home.MARIONSome of our social activities haveincluded family night suppers; FamilyBowling Party with eats afterward at thechurch; Father-Son Banquet with aChristian teacher and basketball coach ofthe state's No. 1 High School team as aspecial speaker; a "Lock-In" with 34voung people with Woody Woods and fouryoung people from Chicago sharing theirtestimonies and serving as counselors;couples dinner at a restaurant withfellowship and games afterwards at theFranklin Moore home.ABORTION ON DEMANDFunded by generous individuals andfoundations, New York has become theleading eastern center in the country forabortions with much of the expense paidfor the woman involved. Though some65 per cent of those performed there arefrom out-of-state, other centers aredeveloping in other parts of the country.According to a Harris poll, publicopiniondid a turn around after therecent Supreme Court decision, so thatnow 52 per cent of Americans favorlegalized abortion up to the third monthof pregnancy. After the matter cameunder discussion in the R.P Synod, astudy committee was appointed to bringrecommendations.Most churches are finding itnecessary to give counsel to theirmembers as to the teaching of the Wordof God on the subject. The MissouriSynod of the Lutheran Church, is onrecord since 1971, that "the S\nodregard willful abortion as contrary to thewill ot God.SEPTEMBER 12, 1973r

ALMONTE(Robert More, pastor)Five members of our WMS attendedPresbyterial in New Jersey, May 9 to 10.It was with great joy we welcomed Mr.and Mrs. Bert Bishop, Hanna, Alberta toworship with us Sabbath 20th May.Dr. S. Bruce Willson, accompanied byhis wife, was our spring communionassistant May 24 to 27. During theSabbath evening service he baptized SarahElizabeth, infant daughter of our pastorand his wife. Dr. Willson also gave aninteresting talk to the Covenanter Union,concerning the Seminary.SHARON(G. M. Robb, pastor)Mr. Robert J. Eells and Lie. Phil Beardbrought pertinent information about theC.G.M. Movement to our congregationon April first.The graduates of this year werehonored with a congregational dinner andprogram in the church basement on May15.Seventy were registered for DVBS thelast two weeks in June. A program ofactivities and a display of handcraft waspresented the evening of June 29.Our congregation joined with theMorning Sun congregation on July 8 toobserve the hundredth anniversary of thechurch.Dr. and Mrs. G. M. Robb werehonored with a congregational socialevening in observance of their 40thwedding anniversary. The Morning Sunand Sharon congregations each presenteda gift to the honored couple.ROSE POINT(J. M. Caskey, pastor)Miss Ann Caskey has been serving onthe Summer Work Team of HomeMissions.Mrs. Margaret Young was cheered bya Sunshine Box. She is making a verygradual return to health.Our annual congregational businessmeeting was held at the church Fridayevening, March 30; all past officers werere-elected. Necessary repairs were plannedfor both the parsonage and the churchwhich included new lights for ourbasement.Weekly Bible Club meetings were heldat the church March 3 through May 30after school for children from kindergartenthrough grade six.John K. Wilson has completed hisbasic training in the National Guard atFort Dix, New Jersey.A number of our congregation attendedthe Women's Presbyterial at theFirst Beaver Falls Church.Our pastor has been conducting aBible study for young people at the parsonageTuesday evenings.Bibles were presented to our highschool graduates, Ann Caskey, DennisStoner and Barbara Graham.Bruce Bessell who is in the Navy isnow serving in the Mediterranean area.He has visited the Ted Donnellys atAthens, Greece while on leave.Mrs. Jean Whyting of Florida visitedher sister-in-law Miss Anna Blair.Mr. Harry McElwain of Phoenix,Ariz, visited relatives here and worshippedwith us while attending Synod at BeaverFalls.Rev. Wayne Duffield and Rev. KeithCopeland exchanged pulpits with ourpastor on recent Sabbaths.Miss Rose Munnell has made a goodrecovery from a recent illness whichnecessitated a stay at Jameson MemorialHospital in New Castle.Mrs. J. M. Caskey and her efficienthelpers conducted a good D.V.B.S. June25-29. There was an average attendanceof 52. The total offering of $37.62 wassent to City Rescue Mission in NewCastle.Miss Marie Allison from Pakistan wasthe speaker at our Spring ThankofferingService.Rev. Paul Faris of Lisbon, N.Y. wasour communion assistant May 6 withpreparatory services May 3 and 4. Mrs.Faris accompanied him.The Merlin Wing family of Denison,Ks. and Mr. and Mrs. Sam Morrison ofBelle Center, Ohio worshipped with us onMay 6. They were back for GenevaCollege activities. Mrs. Morrison(Margarita McElwain) graduated fromGeneva 50 years ago.Pittsburgh Presbytery met at ourchurch Saturday, May 19. Elder WalterMcElwain was our delegate.Elder Kenneth Kennedy was ourdelegate to Synod.A reception for Larry and AliciaBessell was held at the church Fridayevening, March 16 which included acovered dish dinner and shower.Miss Anna Blair spent several weeksin Cleveland with her cousin Mrs. AliceSeginac.NOTES OF THANKSWL J wish to publically thank themembers and friends of both the Bethel(Sparta) and Old Bethel (rural)congregations for the evidences ofChristian love which they have shownus over the last ten years that we havebeen among you and especially we thankyou for the gifts that have been given usin the last weeks.We trust that the leading of the Lordmay be clear to you as you continuewithout a pastor and ask that you willcontinue to remember us in yourprayers as we take up new work inEaston, Pennsylvania.Again thank you.Ralph, Sandy, Pauland Tim Joseph**•:••:••••*•:•••••At the close of our 15V2 yearpastorate with the Central-Pittsburghand North Hills congregation, we wantto express publicly our gratitude tothem and to God. The theme chosen bythe Social Committee for thecongregational farewell, "There is atime for. .", taken from Ecclesiastes,has spoken well of the contrasts throughthe years. There was a time for tearingdown and a time for building, a time forweeping and a time for laughing, a timefor births and a time for deaths.The congregation has been faithfulin meeting our family needs, andresponsive to such programs as theEvening Church School, the mid-weekArea Fellowship meetings, to the studyof a variety of electives in the adultdepartment. Both the Session and theDeacons have developed strongleadership and we are grateful for theopportunity to have labored amongthem.In particular, we want to express ourthanks for the congregational farewell— for the dinner, the program and thegifts, including a beautiful silver serviceand a gift of money. We want to saythanks for the presbytery farewell,planned by the Social Committee, andfor the many friends in the presbyterywho joined us for that evening; and forthe book of family pictures and wordsgiven by the congregation. We want tosay thanks to our fellow ministers andtheir wives for a farewell dinner.Join us in praying with the NorthHills congregation for an undershepherdwho shall by God's gracebe able to fill up what is lacking to them.James D. CarsonAugust 1,197318COVENANTER WITNESS

BIRTHSMcCALLA, Melinda Sue to Charles andSuzann McCalla on July 12 (Kansas City).WEST, Elizabeth Ann to Jack and MaryWest on July 24 (Sharon).WHITE, Neal James to Carl and BettyWhite on July 27 (Sterling).WUTHNOW, Robyne Beth to Robert andSally Wuthnow on July 24 (Greeley).BAPTISMBAIRD, Amy Nicole, daughter of Mr. andMrs. B. William Baird on Mother's Day,May 14.GRADUATIONSHIGH SCHOOLBAIRD, John (Sharon) from Mo r ning SunCommunity High School.McDONALD, Samuel (College Hill) fromBeaver Falls High School.McDONALD, Janet (Sharon) fromMorning Sun Community H.S.COLLEGEDILL, Donald (Sharon). B.S. from Geneva.McDONALD, Rodney (Sharon). D.V.M.from Iowa State University.DEATHSALLEN, Mrs. John M. (Mary Park), (84) onJuly 5 (Allegheny). Married in 1913.GEORGE, William L. (90) on May 5(Allegheny). Precentor of First BeaverFalls for many years.CHANGE OF ADDRESSRev. Ralph E. Joseph, 2336Ave., Easton, Pa. 18024.pm TipSEPTEMBER 12. 1973SeePageThreeParkANCHORAGE. ALASKA"The church in the house" describesthe Howard W. Long home, 1823 SunriseDrive, Anchorage, Alaska. Three servicesare held each week. The pictureshows the group that assembled formorning worship on May 27. RobertMcMillan and Joseph Lamont,representing the Seattle congregation,visited the group to receive six newmembers and to administer the Lord'sSupper. Shown in the picture (not inrINMEMORIUMMRS. K.AWADMrs. Awad, wife of Rev. Khalil Awad,of Latakia, Syria, died on June 9. 1973 atthe age of eighty. The last seven years ofher life she was an invalid, unable to helpherself bv any means. She is survived byher husband, her five children of whomAdeebeh Awad is one, sixteen grandchildren,and thirteen greatgrandchildren.Adeebeh Awadorder): the Howard Long family: Howardand Genevieve, Brian, Ruth, Calvin andEllen; the Roger Ford family: Roger andJolene, Mark and Elizabeth; the StanleyLong family: Stanley and Kathy, Rebeccaand Daniel; Mr. and Mrs. Mark Phillips;Bruce Long and his fiancee, Miss WandaBates; Ronald Buck (L. A.) and JonathanWright (B. F.), working in Anchoragethis summer; Joseph Lamont and RobertMcMillan. This fall, Ruth Long will be asenior and Calvin Long will be a freshmanin Geneva College.W. M. S.THANKOFFERINGNOTICEAll of us as members of ourmissionary societies are well aware ofour Fall and Spring Thankofferingmeetings and this letter is simply toserve as a reminder that we make thesehigh points of our year. My hope is thatPresbyterial Thankoffering Superintendentswill pass on to local societies anumber of suggestions compiled in myrecent Synodical report.In addition, may I encouragemembers to honor women who arededicated to the work of missions bygiving Life Memberships in ourSynodical? This may also be done as amemorial to those who have passed on.Detailed information regarding thesemay be found in the Uniform ProgramBooklet.Your Thankoffering Superintendent.Eleanor C. Robb(Mrs.J.M.)19

Here's How to Choose Your CollegeaYour choice of a college is one of the most important decisions in your life. Onlyyour decision concerning Jesus Christ and your choice of a life partner are moreessential to your future.Use this handy check list to gather in one place the vital information for yourconsideration.COLLEGE SELECTION CHECK LISTList your top prospects /

COVENANTERWITNESS #WOMENOFTHECHURCHSEPTEMBER 26. 1973

ORDdistinctions between the sexes and at the same time employto the fullest the God-given abilities of both, even if thisrequires a radical restructuring of what we have done in thepast.R.W.N.A UNISEX CHURCH?Current fashion trends definitely support the idea of"unisex" — the obliteration of any clothing distinctionbetween the sexes. Some of the more violent spokeswomen oftoday are equally vocal about female equality to the point ofdemanding the removal of any difference between the sexessave the physiological.The cry for women's rights has also not been unheardby the Church. The last decade has witnessed growingnumbers of women in places of high ecclesiastical authority,including ordained office. While the Biblical warrant forsuch action is still questionable in my own mind, at the sametime I can only look upon such actions as sociologically just.For far too many years the real weight of the church has beenborne by the women in the pews while the men were on thelinks. Why should not the women then be given by title thatposition which they hold by act. To be altogether truthfulthere would appear to be churches and whole denominationsthat should be turned over to female leadership since theladies are doing all the work along with the meagre help ofthe Rev. Casper Milquetoast, pastor, who is better at tippinga teacup than reaching men with the gospel.I firmly believe there is adequate and proper place forboth men and women in the church. But this does not meanthat the church needs to become uni-sexual in character. Todestroy Biblical distinctions of male-female roles for anemasculated kind of Christianity is a cop-out that avoids thereal issue. Christ's church must meet all the needs of bothmen and women. The sins of each group must be faced headon. The particular talents of each must be employed to thegreatest good of the whole.At one time it was rumored by some that theCovenanter Church was somewhat matriarchal in character.I do not feel adequate to taking a side on this matter. Today Isee tensions that disturb me, but at the same time give meencouragement. Men are beginning to take their role in thechurch seriously. And "liberated" women are asking"What about me? Where do I stand?" From this rethinkingof roles I can only see good forthcoming. Only one thingcould mar this vision, the rigid individual who wants to hidebehind the oversimplifications of the extremists on eitherend of the spectrum.I do not believe that women have to labor in the R. P.Church by default where men have failed to do their job. Icannot condone the idea that their role is simply to step in tofill a gap. Instead we must recognize the genuine Biblical2•Editor:I am enclosing a copy of excerpts of a mass-reproducedletter from Americans United for Separation of Church andState that has arisen as flotsam in the wake of the latest SupremeCourt ruling on education and state. It is a most interestingcombination of starry eyed hypocrisy and short sighted intolerance.And oddly enough, brought forth under the bannerof religious liberty! Whether you find this noteworthy, we leaveto your discretion.Dear Friend:We did it!We are not bragging — just celebrating! Join in thecelebration! We've just won the biggest one ever in theUnited States Supreme Court! Five lawsuits adjudicatingfour issues were joined and heard by theCourt. We were involved in every one of these cases,and every one of them was a victory.The Court was simply magnificent. The justicessquarely faced the latest parochiaid drive and squelchedit. There is no way, they said, just no way theparochiaiders can beat the First Amendment ban onparochiaid.No doubt the parochiaid propagandists will scream"judicial bigotry." No doubt we shall hear the angrycries of men whose dream of government subsidy fortheir church schools has now been shattered. . .What will these enraged and frustrated parochiaidlobbyists try next? We hesitate to predict, for there areno limits to their ingenuity. One thing is indeliblyclear: they won't quit.We won't quit either. . . You can count on us.Sincerely,Glenn L. ArcherExecutive Director (AUSCS)P.S. Prospect names are our lifeblood. Will you give usa transfusion by sending names of persons who shouldhear about Americans United? Send them with yourcheck today.At the risk of further exciting Mr. Archer, suit will befiled on October 30, 1973 in District Court in Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania alleging the establishment of secular humanism asthe faith-philosophy of the state schools of Pennsylvania and theconsequent infringement of the First Amendment freedoms ofChristian citizens who are taxed to support the state-humanistestablishment.RexDownie, Jr., Esq.John H. WhiteCOVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.VOLUME LXXXIXNO. 19SEPTEMBER 26, 1973CONTENTSARTICLES:Women's Lib & the R. P Church.Abortion on Demand.Demonism and Missions.Marriage HappinessWomen at Work in the R. P. Church.The Outpouring of the Spirit. .FEATURES:A Word Due."In Truth and Love". .Distaff Deductions.Hey LookitGlimpses.Bring the Books.4.681014162.212131820SUBSCRIPTIONINFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, £2, 1 year;•f 3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 51221British Isles mail to: . c *Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZ •Please give «one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 800 Wood* St.,Pittsburgh, Pa. 1522hKnown office of publication: Box K,Winchester, Kansas 66097. Secondclass postage paid al Winchester,Kansas 66097.Want toSing Better?Here's a "how-to" booklet of32 pages packed with informationon effective congregationalsinging. Written by a competentChristian musician, RobertCopeland, this book is especiallydesigned to aid the layman in the"a Capella" singing of thePsalms. This booklet is sponsoredby the Witness Committee andcopies are available through theBoard of Education andPublication at $.75 postpaid.Groups of 10 or more $.65 each.IVANGCUCAl PRISS ASSOCIATIONSEPTEMBER 26, 1973

4theChurchAbout the author: Like the writer of"Christ, the Church, and the SingleChristian Woman" (C. Witness,July 4, 1973), this author has alsorequested anonymity. We believethis request in no way hinders theeffectiveness of her cogent remarks.R.W.N.the Women's LiberationMovement had any effect on theCovenanter Church? Has it anythingto offer the church?Women's Lib as a name didn'tappear until 1969, though itsbeginnings were certainly earlier.There is much that is sinful in themovement, especially itsdowngrading of the family. One of thegreatest sins of modern times, bothwithin and without the church, is thatsociety and individuals do not give thefamily its proper place. ManyLiberation writers see marriage and afamily as restricting their freedom,and the role of the husband as head asbeing undemocratic and tyrannical;therefore they have no regard for theChristian home.People who learn of the movementonly through newspapers and TVviewing associate Women's Lib withthis unscriptural teaching about thefamily, along with the generallyapproved of demand for equal pay forequal work; but anyone whoassociates at all with women active inthe movement hears more aboutconsciousness-raising'' meetingsthan about family or pay. Thesediscussions teach women to respectthemselves and their own worth andalso serve to educate men in the waysin which, often unconsciously, theyhave been insulting and hurting thewomen around them. In the unbelievingworld many men haveresponded by a genuine effort to treattheir women colleagues with therespect due an equal.But has Women's Lib had anyeffect on the Covenanter Church? Notmuch, except as it may have reinforced,by way of reaction, theopinions of those men who are apparentlyuncomfortable with womenin any but a subordinate role. The riseof the Liberation Movement makes itall the more difficult to accept withoutbitterness the deep-felt hurt of beingtold by some Covenanter ministersthat women are to be tolerated inChrist's church only if we are silentCOVENANTER WITNESS

and submissive. This is wrong.Medieval attitudes toward women arenot Biblical. The New Testament,beginning as it does with Matthew'sgenealogy of Christ, includingmention of several women in Hisancestry (in contrast to OldTestament genealogies and referencesto the God of Abraham, Isaac andJacob), signals a radical change fromthe Jewish church in which the totallysubordinate position of women wasclearly symbolized in the regulationforbidding their entrance into theTemple beyond the Court of theWomen.There are many indications of thechange in women's position from theOld Covenant to the New Covenant:Baptism, a sacrament for bothmen and women, replaces circumcision.Christ gave women equality indivorce — under Jewish law only aman could put away a marriagepartner.Luke 8:1-3 describes a group ofwomen who, as well as the twelvedisciples, traveled with Jesus.Mary Magadalene was the firstperson to whom Christ appeared afterHis resurrection.Women as well as men receivedthe Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost— the "they" of Acts 2:1refers back to Acts 1:12-14: "Theseall with one mind were continuallydevoting themselves to prayer, alongwith the women."Ten men were required in order toorganize a synagogue, but Lydia andher household were sufficient to startthe Christian church in Philippi; theirbaptism did not wait until Godconverted the jailer. "But whenPriscilla and Aquilla heard him, theytook him aside and explained to himme way of God more accurately."Euodia and Syntyche were referredto by Paul as "my fellow workers"(Phil. 4:2,3).The new Christian Church did notimmediately recognize all the implicationsof the New Covenant. Theworship in the Temple continued foryears, and the Apostles at firstpreached only to Jews. It was longbefore Christians realized that theequality of all men before God forbidsslavery. Similarly, Christians readingchild. . yea, they may forget, yetthe Old Testament into the New few will not I forget thee" (Isa. 49:15).Testament have been slow to understandun- Paul felt this way: "My children,the implications of the with whom I am again in labor" (Gal.changed status of women under the 4:19), and "But we proved to beNew Covenant. The current efforts s of gentle among you, as a nursingsome ministers in our (may I say mother tenderly cares for her own"our"?) church to abrogate this part >art children" (I Thess. 2:7).of the New Covenant, to force women len Yet, tragically, the recent effortsto bury in the ground any talents God iod in some congregations to fill allhas given them are surely not positions in the church with men,Scriptural.except the work done in the kitchen,Back to the second question: has has resulted in cutting down stillthe Women's Liberation Movement ent further the often already inadequateanything to offer the Covenanteramounts of time and energy men'sChurch? Yes, I think it has. Part of daily work has left for companionshipthe Movement's emphasis has been ;en with their families. Can this really beon freeing men as well as women to bewhat Christ expects of His churchthemselves, with some freedom in today? The woman either not usingtheir set roles in society, especially to her talents in the church at all, orbreak out from the role of the parentperhaps working uneasily, wonderingwho rarely is home and who takesif her pastor wishes she wouldn't, andlittle part in caring for the children •en the man spending most of hiswhen they are small. The Bibleevenings away from his Christianpresents God to us as our Heavenly ily home in order to keep up with all theFather. As a parent he is teacher, er, duties of the Christian church andjudge, disciplinarian; but also he is community. The Lord in His wisdom"feminine" in being nurturing, lg, has created women with many talents.tender, affectionate. "Yet it is I whoIf these talents are not those of thetaught Ephraim to walk, I took them ;m homemaker, or if she is not blessedin My arms. . . . And I bent ;vn down with a home, is she to be kept fromand fed them'' (Hosea 11:3-4). "Can 'an being a good and faithful servant ina woman forget her suckingthe Covenanter Church? •I''The Apostle Paul is prt'dthinutoday su the session madepreparationsSEPTEMBER 26, 1973 5

A CHRISTIAN DOCTOR SPEAKS OUTShould we as Evangelical Christians, or as adenomination, take a definite stand on this very controversialissue? If so, what should that stand be in the lightof the recent Supreme Court decision? Can we agree? Whatis our social responsibility in this situation?WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE SAY?As with any question facing us as a Church or asindividual Christians, we must look first to God's writtenrevelation for an answer. What does Scripture say aboutabortion? Very little directly, but it does make definiteimplications which have some bearing on the subject.First of all, God requires capital punishment for the"shedding of man's blood," because God made man "inHis own image." (Gen. 9:6) The Bible repeatedly statesthat God consecrated Jeremiah for a specific purpose beforebirth,- and God formed him in the womb. (Jer. 1:4-5) Godrevealed His plan for the life of John the Baptist before hisconception. (Luke 1:13,15,24) David in Ps. 51:5recognizes himself as a sinful ' 'person'' (' T", "me") fromconception onward, (also Ps. 139:13-15) Exodus 21:22-25mentions possible accidental abortion (miscarriage) asfollows: (more or less literal translation from the Hebrew —Dr. Fred Bush, Prof, of Hebrew, Fuller TheologicalSeminary and Dr. E. Clark Copeland, Prof, of Languages, R.P. Seminary)"If men are fighting and bump a pregnantwoman, so that her children come forth and there isno harm, he will surely be punished, asthewoman's husband (or master) will impose uponhim; . . . . And if there is harm, then you shall givelife for life, eye for eye. ..."The problem here being that some theologians interpret thisto mean that the unborn child is ''not worth a life." Othersdisagree. There is nothing in the Hebrew that limits the"harm" to the mother only, (since premature birth doesnot necessarily result in the death of the child) and to do so isALAN HEMPHILL, M.D.reading into the passage something that is not there. In owords, I feel that the interpretation more compatible withthe original Hebrew and more in harmony with the rest ofScripture is "And if there is harm (to either mother orchild), then you shall give life for life, "etc.Scripture therefore implies that man is created inGod's own image (though marred by sin), and that Godactively forms that individual for a specific purpose determinedbefore conception, and provides for his protectionbefore birth.WHEN DOES LIFE BEGIN?Medically speaking, when does life begin? At conception— when the sperm unites with the egg to form asingle whole cell, different from any other cell within themother's body. That single cell then begins the growth anddevelopment which, through a continuing process,ultimately becomes an adult human being. Any "decision"as to when that life becomes human, other than at conception,is arbitrary. During the few days following conception,the ball of dividing cells floats freely down thefallopian tube and into the uterus. At approximately theseventh day it attaches itself to the wall of the uterus, andthereafter obtains its nourishment paras'tically from the6 COVENANTER WITNESS

cAuortiononUetnandmother. The mother first feels the movement of the baby("quickening'') between the sixteenth and twentieth weeks.Between the sixth and seventh months (24-28 weeks), thefetus is said to be "viable", in other words, able to surviveoutside the mother, and weighs one to one and a half pounds.At birth the baby breathes on his own, but is still completelydependent upon his mother (or substitute) for severalmonths.When does that life acquire the legal rights of a humanperson? That question has received varying answers atdifferent times and places. Early Christian writings such as"The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles" 120-160 A.D.stated that abortion is murder. Theologians down throughthe centuries, such as Tertullian, Thomas AquinasAugustine and others, have debated the issue withoutagreement. Pope Sixtus V in 1588 made abortion at any timepunishable by excommunication. Fifteenth century Englishcommon law made abortion a criminal offense after the timeof quickening. Abortion became a felony in England in 1803and in Connecticut in 1821. Abortion laws in this countryremained essentially unchanged for over one hundred years,allowing therapeutic abortion only "to save the life of themother." In the few years following 1967 a few statesAbout the author: Dr. Alan Hemphill is a practicingphysician in the Los Angeles area and a member of ourcongregation there. He is a son of Rev. and Mrs. E. R.Hemphill and is married to the former Geraldine Kerr.SEPTEMBER 26, 1973liberalized their laws to allow abortion for three major indications:pregnancies which (1) "threatened the physicalor mental health (usually liberally interpreted) of themother,'' (2) ' 'resulted from rape or incest,'' or (3) "werelikely to result in the birth of a defective child."Then, on Jan. 22, 1973, the Supreme Court announcedits sweeping decision on abortion laws. In thatdecision it declared unconstitutional all state laws (46 of the50 states) which restrict abortion in any way during the firstthree months of pregnancy. After the first three months thestates can begin regulating abortions, but only for theprotection of the mother. Only after "viability" (24-28wks.) can the states forbid abortion to protect the unbornchild. Furthermore, the decision does not require or evenrecommend protection for the "viable" fetus. Even theviable fetus is thus not guaranteed the rights of a humanperson, even though it is just as human, just as alive, just asviable, just as self-sufficient as an adult who is unconsciousfrom a bump on the head. It will now be possible for anywoman, any where, any time, for any reason or whim tohave an abortion in the first three months of pregnancy if herdoctor agrees to do it. This far-reaching decision (legalizedabortion on demand) is in sharp conflict with the very clearimplications of Scripture already mentioned.WHERE SHOULD CHRISTIANS STANIn the light of this situation where can we make aChristian stand? It is clear we cannot agree with theSupreme Court, but is the only alternative: that to kill isalways, without exception, sin? Not necessarily. Godprovided that the State has the responsibility to take the lifeof a murderer, adulterer, etc. God commanded His people todestroy the sinful people in Canaan. We generally accept(though I'm not sure of the Scriptural basis) that it isallowable to kill if necessary to protect one's own life, or thelife of another. In this light abortion might be permissible incertain limited circumstances. Not that abortion is ever"right," but it may be the best choice among the onlyavailable alternatives. For instance, if I discovered cancer ofthe uterus in a pregnant woman, I would take the uterus outwith the fetus, knowing I was doing all I could to save themother, whose life has just as much value. However, thenumber of cases in which abortion is the only reasonablechoice to save the mother's life must be very, very small.What about rape or incest? Aside from the fact that alarge percentage of both are "asked for," there are otheralternatives which are more in keeping with God's Word.Christian counseling would be a necessity and there areChristian homes that would be glad to take the child.Besides, "Two wrongs never make a right." Many peopleargue for abortion with "every child has the 'right' to beborn into a home where he is wanted, and where he can beafforded." I can only respond with, "If he has that right,then he has the more basic right to his life." We asChristians must work for the former "right," but not bydenying the latter.(cont. on p 19)7

DemonismandMissionsLEI KUNG Buddhist God of ThunderROBERT A. HENNINGA missionary family in Brazil foundtheir children acting strangely. LocalChristians said that they were demonpossessed.The parents could hardlybelieve this but upon inquiry theylearned that the national children withwhom their children had been playing inthe streets had taught them how toinvite demons into their lives. Thesemissionary children in play had inadvertantlycooperated with the Devil andhad come under his sway.The practice of inviting demons intomen's bodies is common in manycountries of the world. By becomingdemon possessed the individual believesthat he has a safeguard against worsedemons that might possess his lifeand destroy him. Ethiopia is consideredas a nation gripped by demonpossession. The force of demons is feltand is a power to be reckoned with.In order to grasp a little of the effectthat demons have upon missions, weonly need to look at some of the customsthat are followed by many in oursociety. The wearing of makeup camefrom the practice of painting ordecorating one's face to ward off evilamong primitive people. Plucking ofeyebrows was practiced during themiddle ages in Europe to avoid suspicionof being a witch, vampire or evil spirit.The wedding veil was to protect thebride from the evil eye of a rejectedlover. Expecting "bad luck" fromwalking under a ladder grew from thebelief that the Devil lurked under theladder leaning against the cross onwhich Christ was crucified in an attemptto snatch his soul. The expression,"God bless you", used when someonesneezes, came from the belief that thesoul had temporarily escaped from thebody and this charm would keep out anyevil spirits while the body was soulless.Animism gives a religiousbackground to many religions and opensthe door to many areas of demonism. Itis the belief that every living objectpossesses a living soul. It grows into theworship of many parts of nature anddevelops the thought in many differentways that such souls are possessed by agod, demon or whomever the superstitiousmind might imagine.Demon possession is an area that weare just beginning to explore in ourtheology. There are discussions goingon as to whether a Christian can bedemon possessed. This is not new inmany parts of the world.After reading articles on occultismwhich includes demonology and hearingseveral speakers who had been involvedand studied the subject, I went to theBible to see what it had to say. Forseveral hours I read Scripture that dealtwith the matter of witches, fortunetellers and those which dealt withChrist's conflicts with demons. I couldnot help but be impressed with the waythat the Bible speaks so positivelyagainst such things even to the commandin Deuteronomy that witchesshould be killed.About the author: Bob Henning,besides serving as an active pastor inOakdale, III, is also well known inmany circles as the ExecutiveSecretary of the Foreign MissionBoard of the R. P. Church. Hisacquaintance with many missionaryleaders is the basis for the candidremarks he makes in this forthrightpresentation.COVENANTER WITNESS

While I was skeptical of demons andtheir place in religious circles today, Iwas impressed with the way that Christtalked to them. I remembered the tapewhich I had heard previously whichrecorded the conversation that aminister had with an apparently demonpossessed girl. It was as if I had heardanew the conversation that Christ hadwith the man in the tombs. Themissionaries in Brazil faced the sameexperience in having the demons castout of their children. Other stories offirst hand experiences added to thepicture of the way that the Devil sendshis workers to places where Christ isconfronting a heathen society with thegospel.We find that those who have beeninvolved with demons or who havemade an extensive study on the subjectdivide demon involvement into threelevels. The first is demonic oppressionwhich is thought by many as the meansused by the devil to cause Christians tosin. It is the devil's influence in ourlives. There are varied opinions as to thepower or influence of demons in thislevel. The second area, demonic obsession,brings out a more positiveidentification. It is considered as thecasual involvement of the demon withthe individual. There is no doubt here ofconflict with demons. The third level isdemonic possession where the actualtake-over of mind and personality of theindividual is evident.This third level, and possibly, thesecond, need to be considered in light ofRomans 8. Paul emphasizes the fact thatthe Holy Spirit dwells within our lives.Demons cannot dwell where God ispresent. We cannot be hazy on thispoint if we are to face the devil head onwhether as pastors, missionaries or layChristians. We need to know the Wordof God so that we will recognize thework of the Devil.Amulet for successful business.SEPTEMBER 26. 1973Amulet for the help of Good Spirits.I heard a professor of theology statethat he has found few pastors andmissionaries who understand thedoctrine of Satan. He took a poll ofseminary professors who taughttheology to see how many took up astudy of Satan with their students andfound that the subject was almostcompletely neglected. He went on tostate that the struggle that we havepictured for us in the New Testamentbetween Christ and the Devil is adominant part of the record and yet ourChristian leaders know little about Satanand his forces.A warning is sounded by speakers Ihave heard. Satan likes attention. Peoplehave become obsessed with such studiesand the Devil has used this entrance.Some have become powerfully opposedto the Devil and vow to rid themselvesof all practices that might have comefrom him. Others have come to admirehis power and are drawn into some kindof occultism. Still others have foundthemselves looking for demons underevery bed. Such extremes are not helpfulin facing demons. Rather we shouldknow the power of the opposition andoppose him with all our mightremembering that this cannot be donein our own strength.I was asked by a Christian recentlywhat she should say to a person whowas worried about a hex that had beenput on her. The person was fearful of thehex. What would your reply have been?What about a prediction by Jean Dixon?Would vou have moved out of the dormwhich she said was to be destroyed? Ifyou have come face to face with some ofthe fear connected with such things inour society today, you can understandbetter a little of the things thatmissionaries have been and are facing onmanv mission fields of the world.However, we need to multiply this fearmany times in order to understand thefear that stands in the way of manynationals becoming Chrstians. If vouhave an answer which is based uponyour trust in Christ and the power ofChrist, then you have an answer for themultitudes in the world who are caughtin the trap of demonic power. If vou donot have this peace then you are notprepared to face such demonic power.It is at this point where we need tosupport Christian missions both athome and abroad by taking a firm standagainst all forms of occultism.Horoscopes have led many into otherpractices. Ouija boards have done thesame. Speaking in tongues has given theDevil a new opening because of the waythat he has used this same means inother lands to show forth his power.This may sound a little radical but themore I study the subject and prepareAmulet for safe travel.material the more I realize the force thatthe Devil has in the religiousmovements of our time.We are living in an age of mysticism.It is sweeping our nation in a way thatwe hardly understand. It brings us faceto face with the problems thatmissionaries have been facing for years.One speaker challenged missionexecutives to use this age of mysticismto present the mystery of Christ ofwhich Paul spoke about so manycenturies ago. It is the mystery of Christwhich has changed witchdoctors intoactive Christian leaders. It is themvstery of Christ which is working insouthern Ethiopia in a marvelous waytoday. Many areas of India are experienceingthe power of Christ. Theanimistic Quichuas of South Americaare turning to Christ from their mysticbackgrounds of the past.May our faith in Christ be morethan the faith of those to whom Jameswrote: "Thou believest that there isone God; thou doest well: the demonsalso believe and tremble." James 2:199

Have you ever wondered if all thatyou are reading about the 'failure ofthe family' is true? And is thetraditional one man-one wifemonogamous marriage on its wayout, to be replaced by experimentaltwo-three year contract marriages,temporary 'live in' environments,and sexually permissive communes?Without hesitation, some wouldanswer "Yes"!And, admittedly, the force of ashifting culture is tremendous!Today, some tragically misguidedpeople I know are 'living in' with theopposite sex in a state of unlawfulphysical intimacy and spiritual andmental blindness. They are at bestwasting precious years of their lives in'experimenting', until they find out,as they surely will, that this isn't thebest way of living after all, and atworst they are committing themselvesto a lifetime of sinful living thatinevitably results in the throwingaway of their whole lives. They havebeen duped by today's humanisticworld-spirit into believing that theyhave to 'try it out' and learn 'byexperience', instead of following theclearly revealed will of God inScripture, which, among otherreasons, was given to keep us from thefruitless wasting of the valuable 'highyieldyears' of our short lives. (Mostsadly, some of these people I amreferring to are professing Christians!)This blind, humanistic worldspiritwas vividly illustrated recentlyby our local university's assistantprofessor of Child Development andFamily Life William J. Taylor, whospoke in April before the IndianaConference on Social Welfare. Hesaid, "Families are not defined by10About the author: Ray Joseph is thepastor of the West Lafayette, Ind. R.P. congregation. He has an activeministry to the college students inthe area. On the basis of his ownChristian family life and out ofconcern for the newly formingfamilies with which he deals, he haswritten this timely article.RAYMOND JOSEPH'Marriagewho is in them. A mother, a father,children — that is our normal conceptof what a family is. But a welfaremother and her children is a family.Even two homosexuals is a family. Afamily is one of a variety of socialinventions designed to meetchallenges. It's a challenge-meetinginvention. . ."That radically different andpermissive attitudes toward marriagesimilar to this are widespread andhaving their effect seems to be indicatedby the results of a 1971 GallupPoll which showed that nearly two outof three college students interviewedwere sexually experienced. And anarticle in the April 16, '73 "U.S.News and World Report" ("Is theAmerican Family in Danger?")indicated rapid changes, withexamples given (8 young professionalsin an urban commune ... a two year'marriage agreement' ... a couplethat lives together withoutmarrying . . . etc.).happinessMaybe so . . . but it is also truethat in the last 10 years the number ofdivorced women who re-marry hasrisen an astounding 40 per cent! (Thisdivorce-remarriage cycle is called'serial marriage' by Alvin Toeffler inhis recent book "Future Shock", andhe says that this will be the marriagepattern of tomorrow. Again . ..maybe! And further, today we seeevidence of a visible gap between whatanti-God humanistic teachers areteaching and what the 'silentmajority' are practicing. Even thoughtheir teaching may be having its effecton the university student, yet the gapseems to be there. Evidence existsthat, contrary to widely publicizedrumors, the American family todayisvery much alive, though perhaps notso well (with one divorce in threemarriages nationwide).For example, in a four part seriesbeginning in the March '73 "BetterHomes and Gardens", author Ben J.Wattenberg attempts to give us someCOVENANTERWITNESS

perspective on the extent of decay inpublic morality, as revealed by whatpeople are actually DOING, not whatthey think OTHERS are doing. Hesays that respondents were asked "Doyou approve of or disapprove of twopeople living together before they getmarried?" 73 per cent answered"No." Again they were asked, "Doyou think it's okay for a boy and girlin love to have premarital intercourse?"And 63 per cent answered"No." Amazingly, in the1930's, a Roper-Fortune poll asked asimilar question and got a 57-21-7 percent response ... a more 'liberal'response in the 30's than in the 70's!Another poll asked, "Do you thinkthat extra-marital sex can contributeto a happy marriage?", and 80 percent answered "No"! Only 2 percent answered "Yes", and 17 percent "Sometimes." Additionalsimilar data lead the author to say that'the sexual revolution has beenoversold. " and an IndianaUniversity sociologist is quoted asliving that, "the image of an abstinentpast and a promiscuouspresent is highly exaggerated."Clearly, polls can be misinterpretedwhen looking to see whatpeople are actually DOING. We arewarned to watch out for these'others.' When asked "Do you thinkthat the morals of 'others' aredeteriorating?", a substantialmajority answers "Yes", but whenasked, "Do YOU believe that acouple should live together beforemarriage?", the majority says"No"! Apparently, there's awidespread attitude of "I'm OK —you're NOT OK", which, if notwatched closely, can give a misleadingimpression of more serious decay thanactually exists.As God's children, given our newnatures in Christ Jesus, we quicklyreach the saturation point whenobserving this world's wasteland oflive-in experimenting and Godlesstheorizing, and our appetite becomeskeener for the clearly refreshingrevealed law of God ("Oh how I lovethy law. . " Psalm 119:9 7 1 Whatdoes the law of God say aboutmarriage, as revealed through Paul inI Corinthians chapter n ?Paul says thatit is good h-.r a manto have his own wife and each womanher own husband (vs. 2). He says thatwithin these bounds the sexrelationship should not be withheld(vs. 3-6). He commends those whohave the gift of the single life (vs. "-9), but once one is married, thecovenant vows make the children holy(and therefore eligible for baptism),even those children of non-Christianparents when only one parentbecomes a Christian. And themarriage bond is so sacred that evenin these very difficult Christian/non-Christian relationships, it is to beutterly preserved if at all possible.Who knows but that in God'sprovidence the other spouse may beconverted! (vs. 10-16).When it comes to your virgin sonor daughter, what should the godlvand loving father (or mother) doconcerning their marriage? Let themmarry, says Paul, though worldlyconcerns, valid in themselves, will bethrust upon them (vs. 25-31). Againhe reminds us that there will be fewerdistractions to pull us away fromwholehearted devotion to the Lord,for those who have the gift of thesingle life (vs. 32-35). But, "if itmust be so" (vs. 36) (that is, if shedesires it, and it would be a goodmarriage), let vour virgin daughtermarry. You, the concerned and lovingfather, will not sin in so doing. Youdo well in sanctioning her marriage,even though she will be happier if shepossesses the gift of the single life (vs.36-38). (vs. 39-40) Remarriage maytake place when the spouse has died(divorce is discussed elsewhere inScripture). And, in any case, sexualhappiness will be found only when thesex relationship is practiced within themarriage bonds.(At this point, please permit me toshare the astounding results ofanother recent survey which foundonly one divorce for every 2~7marriages in which the girl was ahome economics major' Who was itthat said something about THE wayto a man's heart. : ?)Concerning happiness haveyou ever walked through crouds in apublic place (airport, downtown((.ont on p. 1 5)SEPTEMBER 26. 197 3 11

Give us MENA still night — a starry sky — astream close by, its banks heavy withshrubbery — the sounds of the nearbycity muted to our ears — a conferencecamphre — and an unexpected talk fromthe campfire leader surprised me oneevening not long ago.He said, "Now I want to speakabout something that I do not mean inany derogatory way toward anyone,least of all the women present. I havenoted from time to time in our churchthat in our meetings voluntary participationcomes more readily from theChristian women. Women lead inprayer, announce favorite psalms, givetestimonies much more than the mendo. While I have no objection at all tothe women doing this, I think that themen ought to be the ones to take theleadership in doing it, doing it morereadily, and oftener. I believe that oftenthe men hold off so long that theyalmost force the women to lead out. Lastnight at campfire, except for what Isaid, all of those who participated werewomen. So tonight I'm asking that thewomen will wait — I'm not asking themnot to participate, you understand —and give the men time to get up theircourage and lead out in voluntaryparticipation."And so it was. Very quickly, from awilling-hearted young man, came arequest for a psalm and a testimonyregarding it, and then several others.Of all recent re-emphasis of man'splace of authority and leadership in thehome and church, I thought this wasabout as fairly stated as anything I'dheard presented informally.As women in the church, we have aresponsibility to help our brethren inChrist rise to their responsibilities. We12can do this in several ways: by trainingsons in leadership capacities andresponsibilities, by deferring to the menin situations where there is a choice ofleadership with equal ability, and bycultivating a humble and questioningattitude in discussions, rather thanbeing one who always knows and comesup with the answers. Let's look intothese.Training sons will naturally fall tomothers. I haven't a son, but I havedaughters. Along the way I've imaginedwhat I might say in a quiet talk to a sonwho will some day ask a Christian girl tobe his wife, and become to her what herparents in part have heretofore been,leading and guiding her. How strong,self-controlled, wise, tender anddependable I would like him to be!Sounds hardly fair does it? Yet Scriptureseems to bear this out, that a man isreally expected by God to bear greatresponsibilities with poise and dignityand dependance upon God as hisstrength.Children need both parents, and sothey need both men and women asteachers, also. The sad fact is that bothfathers and men teachers have not beenevident enough during the early years ofchild training in homes, schools orchurches. I was very much interested ina news article within the past year inwhich a college administrator took hisbaby son to his office with him once ortwice a week, so that he could be attentiveto his cries and needs, becauseduring his home hours the baby wasalmost always sleeping. He was able togo about his work in the office withsome little time out for the baby, yet theawareness of each other's presence wasthere. Not every man can do this, ofcourse, but most every father hassimilar opportunities, even if it is just totake one child at a time along on anerrand for companionship. There is atrend toward male teachers in theprimary school and Bible classes. This isgood.In the teaching of young and adultsit seems appropriate for men to do theteaching, unless a woman in the groupis more uniquely fitted by education,experience, and talents than any of themen for this leadership. Here againthere have been "mothers in Israel" inour church who, like Deborah, haveheld a unique teaching capacity withyoung people or adults. But this shouldbe entered into with much prayer forguidance lest men be encouraged to takea back seat instead of accepting theirGod-given prerogatives.We are told that our Americansociety has become matriarchial. I seethat this is true. Perhaps it is the resultof the typical American struggle to thepeak of success, resulting in the man'sabsorption in his career with the wife inthe family playing out alone all otherfamily roles except making money.Then the vicious circle led to the wifebreaking out rebelliously into careerclimbingalso, leaving the family unsupervised;in turn unsupervisedchildren became uncontrollable; anddelinquency, escape drugs, brokenhomes and crime now threaten tooverwhelm us. A return to Scripturalpatterns is imperative and the Christianworld needs to lead in this return, inrecompense for their being undulyinfluenced by the spiral downward.Then there is the discussion period,so familiar now, in all circles and evenfinding its way into the slower-changingworship and study patterns of thechurch. Here it is sometimes particularlynoticeable that the womenhave gotten into the habit of filling inthe gaps. We women need to be morediscerning as to whether the gap ispainful, and therefore needs filling;whether our contribution is cogent; andespecially as to just how dogmatic wesound in our opinions. Ouch! I hitmyself, and probably you, too. Let'scultivate an attitude of listening, asking(since a discussion period invites us toask in our church home), and offeringeven our convictions in a humble way,as to the Lord and not to men.Let's pray for the men in theirpositions and watch God work throughthem.•COVENANTER WITNESS

Dear Kids,It's nice to be writing to you since I have been awayfrom Hey Lookit work for a while. I am also happilylooking forward to camp where I will help teach myPittsburgh Presbytery junior friends next week. Why notlet us know about your camp impressions, in code ifyou'd like.We are now at our new address, learning to beMidwesterners with lots of miles between points of travel,and wide expanses of country.We are trying to be gardeners on a very small scale.Since we inherited so many tomatoes, they are of specialinterest to us. I thought about how they were droopingtheir faces into the ground and coming out looking sadand covered with blight. Can we not as God's childrenalso turn our faces away from His light for a time andcome out looking unhappy and not so good for His service?Some of you wrote poems when you sent for entranceinto the Hey Lookit Club. I enjoyed them and wantall of you to benefit from them. John McFarland fromSanta Ana helped represent the West Coast, SusanMcBurney comes from North Hills, Pgh., and ColleenClyde from Almonte, Can. wrote this poem as aMothers' Day gift.Your friend,Mrs. A.Look at that fat puppy.he's so roly-poly.Let's watch him and see what he eats.Look! There goes Miss LeGerty to feed the cat.Shhhhh. This might be it.Look! The cat won't eat her food.Look! The dog eats it.He must have four meals a day.Now that's how he got so fat.Susan McBurneyj~ksusDiedJesus died on the cross for me.And raised from the dead soon after.But while Jesus was on the crossThe pharisees were full of laughter.On stormy dayswhen the wind is high,The tall tree sweepsthe cloudy sky.It dips its branchesin buckets of rainAnd sweeps the dark skyblue again.Colleen ClvdeWhen Jesus was with his disciplesIn the upper room.He taught them one more commandmentBefore he was in the tomb.When Jesus was on the crossAlmost to be killed by men.He said one thing before he died.And that word was forgive them.John McFarlandSEPTEMBER 26. 19^ n

Women at Workin theRR ChurchJEAN HEMPHILLThe purpose of this article is not toextol the women of the church nor toglory in their accomplishments, butrather to praise God for the talents Hehas given to the women of theReformed Presbyterian Church. It isalso hoped that as you read of thosewho are laboring for Christ's Crownand Covenant, all our women will bechallenged to be truly available forservice in our church.Among the characteristics of thevirtuous woman given in Proverbs 31we find trustworthiness, industry,wise use of her time and talents,business acumen, a sensitiveness toAbout the author: Jean (Mrs.Willard) Hemphill has never beenon the sidelines when it comes toactivity on any level of the church 'sprogram. A mother of three boys,Jean has always found time to serveher church well. A brief sketch ofher activities can be found in the' 'Distaff Deductions '' page of theAugust 29, 1973 Witness.the needs of others and a willingnessto help them. Any woman with thesecharacteristics can find many ways toserve her Lord through the ReformedPresbyterian Church. First, let uslook at the ways in which womenserve on a congregational level.In Titus 2 we find Paul urging theolder women to be teachers of theyounger women. Some of our womenare doing this as teachers in SabbathSchool, as youth fellowship leaders, asVacation Bible School directors andteachers, and through fellowship inmissionary society and in Bible Studygroups.When writing to the Philippianchurch Paul encouraged them to helpthose women "who have shared mystruggle in the cause of the gospel."Today women are sharing in theevangelistic work of the churchthrough leadership of neighborhoodBible studies, and in many caseswomen serve on congregationalevangelism committees and are influentialin the planning ofcongregational outreach programs.In Scripture we find manyexamples of godly women extendinghospitality and fellowship to God'sservants. In the Old Testament theShunamite woman provided an upperchamber for the visiting prophet. Oneof Lydia's first acts after she became aChristian was to offer the hospitalityof her home to Paul and his coworkers.In Paul's letter to theRomans he commends Phoebe to thechurch saying that "she hath been asuccour er of many, and of myselfalso." In our congregation we havebeen emphasizing Christianfellowship and encouraging families toopen their homes to one another.Family night dinners strengthen thebond of Christian fellowship. Food isoften taken to the homes of the sick orthe aged; meals are provided forbereaved families. The ladies to whomGod has given culinary skills andorganizational abilities usually planand carry out these activities. Churchvisitors, college students, visitingministers or missionaries are oftenentertained in our homes.14 COVENANTER WITNESS

Almost every congregation has awoman with secretarial experiencewho relieves the pastor of manyroutine duties such as bulletinpreparation, bulletin board displays,addressing and mailing newsletters toout-of-bounds members. I know ofwomen who regularly serve by usingtheir car to provide transportation tothe worship services for those whootherwise would be unable to attend.Women to whom God has givenmusical ability often assist in theworship service by serving asprecentor.Church libraries are a wonderfulsource for learning and enjoyment,and where they are being widely usedthere is almost always a creativewoman behind the scene keeping thelibrary well organized, reading a lotherself so that she can suggest worthwhilebooks to be purchased, andmaking the congregation aware of thegood reading material that is available.In many cases the church librarieswhich we have today were begunthrough the work of the Literatureand Mission Study Superintendent ofthe missionary society. Today somewomen's groups have held "BookCoffees" as a means of makingChristian reading available to peoplein the neighborhood.In Exodus 35:25,26 we are toldthat skilled women spun fine linen foruse in beautifying the tabernacle.Many of our churches are made moreattractive because there are womenwho give of their time and talents tosew drapes, to make seat cushions orplan for the needs of a nursery orsocial room. Many of our Christiansisters imitate Dorcas as they sew forthe needy through the program of ourmissionary societies. I remembertalking to one woman who told of thejoy she and her husband found indoing the janitorial work in theirchurch building. We rejoiced togetherover the psalmist's words "I'd ratherbe a door-keeper in the house of theLord than dwell in tents of sinabroad.''On the presbyterial and synodicallevel of the church we find womenassisting in the summer camps ascounsellors, speakers, cooks, nurses.swimming pool lifeguards, etc. Boththe Home and Foreign MissionBoards have women members. Everyforeign mission endeavor in which theReformed Presbyterian Church hasever engaged has had women active inthe mission staff. The CovenanterWitness lists the names of five womenas Feature Editors. Since its beginning,the Home for the Aged inPittsburgh has been managed by aBoard composed entirely of women.The Women's Synodical MissionarySociety, whose stated purpose is todevelop a deeper spirit of Christianconsecration among the women of thechurch, to increase zeal for theevangelization of the world and tocooperate in every way possible withthe Home and Foreign MissionBoards of the church in fulfilling theGreat Commission, gives opportunityfor every woman in the church to usethe particular talent God has givenher.Women of the church have asignificant part in the work of theoffices and institutions of thedenomination. Efficient secretaries,bookkeepers and office personnel keepthe work of the Treasurer's Office,the Education and Publication Office,the National Reform Associationoffice and the Christian Governmentoffice moving smoothly and effectively.Did you know that theefficient secretary at the Seminary isthe wife of the President of theSeminary? The Geneva Collegecharter requires that on the Board ofTrustees there are to be 21 membersrepresenting the Covenanter Church,three of which are to be women.How we ought to thank God forthe varied opportunities He has givenus for service. And as we've beenreminded of how others are faithfullyserving our Master it ought tochallenge us to examine our own livesand circumstances to see if there issomething that needs to be done thatwe can do. May God give us the graceto do whatsoever we do in word ordeed, to do it all in the name of theLord Jesus, giving thanks to God andthe Father by Him (Col. 3:1 7 ).MARRIAGE(from p. 11)street, university student mall) andwatched the faces as they flowed past?Taking your own quick private 'facialpoll' survey . . out of a hundredfaces, how many would you sayappear to be happy? Two out of three?One out of two? Fewer? Judging fromyour private poll, with due allowancefor many variables, would you saythat today's morally permissiveclimate is producing HAPPINESS?As Paul Wright recenty wrote(June 6, '73, Covenanter Witness)"Christianity is the system of survivalpar excellence. It provideshope .for the present." And, wewould concur, that when it comes tomarriage, not only hope, but happinessalso. If what you are looking foris HAPPINESS, then there is simplynothing existing on the face of thissin-ridden globe that will evenremotely approach the happinesspotential inherent in a whole-heartedand enthusiastic obedience to God'scommandments in that supremelyimportant relationship that constitutesby far the larger part of thetotal life span of the overwhelmingmajority of the people of this world,namely, the marriage relationship!Pre-marital or />0j7-maritalrelationships? We can join themajority, and check 'post-' forhappiness! But even more important. .we can follow on to knowthe Lord in a wholehearted and enthusiasticobedience to His commandments,and avoid a lifetime ofmisery which the worldly 'experimenters',in their God-hatingrebellion, are guaranteeing forthemselves. ("The way of transgressorsis hard." Proverbs 13:15).Holding the marriage bonds as holyand inviolate, we can go on to live alife of true happiness holvhappiness in the eternal covenantbonds of the Bridegroom Himself, ourLord and Savior Jesus Christ.SEPTEMBER 26. 197 3 15

TheOutpouringChicken Little was an alarmist! Or was she? Sheknew the sky was falling. And what about her friends? Shehad to tell them also. Her efforts were exhaustive and hermotives noble — but there was one "minor" problem. Shewas wrong. Indeed she had been hit by something apparentlyfrom the sky but was mistaken as to its sourceand composition.All of God's people have been "hit" by somethingapparently from the "sky" or more accurately from"heaven." God has given, as He promised, the outpouringof the Holy Spirit. But too many Christians are confused asto the verification of this outpouring. Two questions mustbe answered in any study of Acts 1:8; 1) What is meant bythe phrase, "when the Holy Spirit has come upon you" and2) what evidence or sign is given that the Holy Spirit hasbeen poured out upon God's people?In dealing with the first question we must examine anumber of the passages which make mention of theBaptism of the Holy Spirit. Four passages, Matt. 3:11,Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, and John 1:33, refer to John'sbaptism as it compares to the baptism in the Spirit.The fifth passage is Acts 1:5,8a, which recordsChrist's promise regarding the Spirit's baptism, "For Johnbaptized with water, but you shall be baptised with theHoly Spirit not many days from now. . .But you shallreceive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you."M. L. McFARLANDThe sixth passage is Peter's description of that which tookplace at the time of the conversion of Cornelius and hishousehold as recorded in Acts 11:16, "And I rememberedthe word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptizedwith water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit."Peter relates Christ's promises to that which had happenedto Cornelius. The seventh passage, I Cor. 12:13, states that"by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, . . ."Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we are allmade to drink of one Spirit."Paul writes in Titus 3:5,6, that "He saved us, not onthe basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness,but according to His mercy, by the washing ofLawrence, Kans., where he is actively ministering to theuniversity students in the area. Their particular interin the Holy Spirit has sparked his own thinking and ledhim to share some of his conclusions with readers of theAbout the author: Marion McFarland is a secondgeneration R.P. minister. He presently serves inWitness.16COVENANTERWITNESS

egeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom Hepoured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ ourSavior." From this passage we observe that there is aninseparable relationship between regeneration and theoutpouring of the Holy Spirit. It is clear that regenerationoccurs only by the Holy Spirit bringing this about and thatall those who are regenerated receive the outpouring ofthe Holy Spirit. Christ promised the baptism or outpouringof the Holy Spirit upon His Church and that this came topass at the "times" of Pentecost as recorded in Acts.What evidence or sign is given that the Holy Spirithas been poured out upon the believer? The Scripture setsforth the test for knowing that God dwells in us as to whatwe say about Jesus. "By this we know that we abide in Himand He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. Andwe have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sentthe Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confessesthat Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he inGod" (I Jn. 4:13-15). It is the indwelling Spirit of Godwhich leads us to confess that Jesus is God. For furtherclarification we read in I John 4:2,3aBy this you know that Spirit of God: every spiritthat confesses that Jesus Christ had come in theflesh is from God; and every spirit that does notconfess Jesus is not from God.If you can say from the depth of your heart and soulthat Jesus Christ is the Son of God and has come in theflesh, then you know that the spirit in you is the HolySpirit and He has been poured out in your life. You needno external experience to convince you of the Spirit'soutpouring in your life. Furthermore, you have taken thetestimony of God's Word as evidence of this outpouring.Hence as a sinner who has repented and turned to Godthrough Christ you have received the Holy Spirit aspromised.It must be clearly understood that our assurance ofthe outpouring of the Holy Spirit does not rest uponexternal experience but upon the testimony of God'sWord. For as God says, "we walk by faith and not bysight." Thus we know that the Spirit has come upon us bythe testimony of God's Word. In Acts 2:33 Peter declaredthat because of Christ's kingly position at the right hand ofthe Father, Christ has poured out the Holy Spirit as theFather had promised. The evidence that the Father hadkept His Word was the crowd's hearing the disciples speakin languages which they had not learned. This was a signto both the disciples and the crowd that the Church hadreceived the Holy Spirit. However, there is no indicationanywhere in Scripture that this sign was to accompany theoutpouring of the Holy Spirit upon each and everybeliever. In Acts 2:38, Peter continues by saying that thepenitent sinner in Christ will receive this same gift of theHoly Spirit. The Scriptures goes on to set forth that about3000 people who heard Peter that day received Christ andwere baptized with water and the Holy Spirit which wasgiven to them. But how do we know that the Holy Spiritcame upon them and into them? Because Peter, anApostle of God speaking by the leading of the Holy Spiritpromised this "gift" (vs. 38) to all coming to God throughChrist.SEPTEMBER 26. 1973Then why was it necessary for the disciples in theupper room to speak in unknown languages? God waskeeping His promise recorded in Joel 2:28. Speaking in anunknown language was a sign of the fulfillment of thisprophecy and promise. Why did the 3000 not speak inunknown languages? It was not necessary that all experiencethe sign to validate the promise. The importantthing about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is not thespeaking in unknown languages but that YOU an- therecipient of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. If you are aperson who wants the experience of speaking in tongues,then align yourself with the occult or spiritism; as anumber of spiritist mediums speak in tongues, moveobjects, and even heal people — but the power is of Satan.You may continue to reply that New TestamentChristians did speak in tongues. Yes, some did, but notmany; and those who spoke in tongues did so as a sign thatthe Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Church andthat the Church included Gentiles as well as Jews. TheHoly Spirit came upon the Jewish disciples in the upperroom and they spoke in other languages. (Acts 2) In Acts 8the Samaritans received Christ as Savior then Peter andJohn came from Jerusalem to lay hands upon them whichwas followed by their receiving the Holy Spirit. In Acts 10,Peter is sent to the house of Cornelius a Gentile and in themidst of his proclamation of the Gospel the Holy Spiritcame upon him and he and others spoke in unfamiliarlanguages. In Acts 19:1-7, certain men who know only thebaptism of John hear about Christ, receive Him, arebaptized and receive the Holy Spirit followed by speakingin unknown languages. Again we see Gentiles receivingthe Holy Spirit, this time outside the borders of Palestine.One last question remains when does the believerreceive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit? By looking atthe conversion of Cornelius and his household and alsothe 12 disciples of John the Baptist which Paul finds inEphesus we observe that this outpouring came at the sametime as receiving Christ as Savior and Lord. From thes.eexamples and the example of the 3000 in Acts 2,it can beconcluded that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit comes atthe time of conversion.For you who have received Christ as Lord andSavior, this means something beyond words. It means thatat the time of your conversion you received the giftoutpouringof the Holy Spirit. Thus you have received allof the power necessary to be an active, effective witnessfor the Lord Jesus Christ. That is what is said in Acts 1:8,But vou shall receive power when the Holy Spirithas come upon you; and you shall be My witnessboth in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,and even to the remotest part of the earth."Do not wait for the "sky" to fall upon you in order toknow that you have all the power necessary to be a faithfulservant of the Lord. In a sense the "Sky" has already fallenupon us but our problem is we did not pay any attention.Because of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon theChurch of Jesus Christ at the "times' of Pentecost, wehave the POWER. How are you using the power of theHoly Spirit which is within you?m17

WATERGATE ETHICSWhile each of the witnesses — or atleast, of the principals — in the currentWashington donnybrook, appears to beoperating strictly for his own advantage,in the wider public circle there areemerging "sides" on a strictlysituational ethics level. In our culturethere are words that retain some flavorof a time when "right and wrong" hadsome validity. And so the words or ideasmay occur in testimony, but withoutdefinitive content.On one "side" are those who tendto justify the bugging operation, on thebasis that there were enemies of ourcountry active in political campaigns.They had actually caused major riots,bloodshed and death. They had boastedpublicly that they would do the same inthe 1972 presidential campaign. Undercoverspy operations, as in Joshua'sand David's conflicts are commonpractice and necessary. These faultDaniel Ellsberg (of "Pentagon Papers"notoriety), as Alger Hiss a generationago.On the other "side" are those whojustify Ellsberg — also are busy tryingto rehabilitate the reputation of AlgerHiss — but are forthright in righteousindignation at the Watergate conspirators.(If I had to take "sides" —which I don't — I'd tend toward theformer. L.K.)William Sloane Coffin, Yale U.Chaplain, on the one "side," says ofMcGruder, a key witness in thebugging scandal, that his own (Coffin's)civil disobedience (in the 'anti-war'movement) was right, McGruder'sbreaking the law was not. Coffin taughtMcGruder in an ethics (situational?)class in college.But of those who espouse one' 'side'' or the other, the question of theintegrity of the government or its criticsas having to be measured by the Word ofGod, is never mentioned. All appear tothink that the situation determines rightand wrong. None appears to know thatthere is a right and a wrong, determinedby God and declared in His Word.18imp^ediRev.Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010Billy Graham is quoted in EP newsService, that "There has always been acivil religion in the United States, aUnitarian type of religion, .... 'InGod we trust,' on our coins, and ourpledge of allegiance. The SupremeCourt and Congress open withprayer. . .but (we) probably (have) lessnow than at most periods in Americanhistory." Billy Graham needs to realizethat this all-pervasive relativism as toright and wrong is of the essence ofreligion, and is probably stronger andmore dominant than ever before.PRINCETON ALUMNI PROTESTPRESSApparently the "establishment" atPrinceton is now what was the "protestpress" a decade or two ago. Prospectaddressed to alumni does not enjoy theblessing of the administration, but somealumni feel that there are some thingsthat need to be addressed to fellowalumni — and hopefully, to the administration.One alumnus writes, I find "a verydefinite ethos of devotion to fashion atPrinceton. I would go so far as to callthis 'fashionitis,' because it is adetrimental and inflamed condition.This prevailing attitude was manifestednot only in politics, but also in academicapproach, clothes, social activities,religious discussions, and even insports. . ."I believe the root cause for all thisis a lack of a genuine love for truth onthe Princeton campus. Fashionitis rules.Prestige, pride and physical beauty arereigning gods. Narcissism is the constantcompanion of bright, gifted andglib students (and not a few professors aswell!). But attitudes of real compassion,genuine fairness and honest searchingwere so rare, that they were hardly everencountered. Fashionitis, no matterhow eloquently or brilliantly defended,leads to superficiality and emptiness."Another asks, "Since Princeton is achurch related school, I'd like to knowif it receives any support from thePresbyterian Church. Being aPresbyterian myself and an elder, I'minterested in this angle. . "SUPREME COURT SAYS SMUTCONTROL IS IN LOCAL HANDSIn a decision fought by the multibillion-dollarpornography industry,guidelines were given, by which "localcommunity standards" may be implementedby the courts.BRIGHTEN YOUR CORNERIntervarsity Christian Fellowship,International Students, Ambassadorsfor Christ (working with Chinesestudents) and many other organizationsare promoting the use by Christians oftheir skills in foreign countries, as ameans for carrying the gospel. Hismagazine reminds us of the drawingtogether, so far as transportation andcommunication are concerned, of ourworld, and of our responsibility andopportunity. The going of Bob Hemphill(Geneva congregation) toEthiopia, to minister with ourmissionaries from Ireland, will give usan added interest in that land and in hislabors there. Covenanters are far-flung,in God's call and providence. Fields arestill white to the harvest.ORPHANS OF THE WARAccording to James Reston of theNew York Times, "GIs may haveabandoned 100,000 illegitimatechildren . in Vietnam." Opinionand Review says, ' 'The progeny of ourmilitary personnel and Vietnamese girlsare often branded as outcasts or halfbreedsin Vietnamese society. Yet byvirtue of blood, these children have asmuch right to be citizens of the UnitedStates as of Vietnam."All this is shame enough, but theplight of these children is a furthershame if we do not do something as anation for their relief. The late Pearl S.Buck, never distinguished as an advocateof Biblical Christianity, yetfounded in 1964 "The Pearl S. BuckFoundation, the only agency (she said,)to which I have ever given myname, because, as an American, Icould not bear to think of this newgroup of human beings, subjected tohumiliation, discrimination and painBECAUSE they are half American."At present there are Vietnameselaws that make it difficult to bring aid tothis group, if it is not aid made availableto orphans of Vietnamese parents killedin the war. Do we not have a Christianresponsibility for these sad and helplessvictims of our nation's lust?COVENANTER WITNESS

cAbortion (from p. 7)Does a mother have a "right" to a baby withoutdeformities? There are now scores of chromosomal andmetabolic inherited diseases which can be diagnosed beforebirth. Some are fatal, some cause severe deformities ormental retardation. Wholesale abortions are now being doneto "prevent" some of these diseases. Despite the fact thatRubella (German or three day measles) vaccine has beenavailable for several years, and a simple test is available to seeif a girl or woman needs it, many normal unborn babies havebeen sacrificed because their unprotected mothers wereexposed to Rubella. Even if we are sure that the unborn isdeformed, do we have any more right to take its life than thelife of a child after birth, or an adult, (see John 9:2,3)WHAT DO PSYCHIATRISTS SAY?There is not room here to discuss the psychologicaleffects of abortion. I will simply mention this quote from Dr.Julius Foget of Columbia Hospital for Women inWashington, D.C. (Washington Post, Feb. 28, 1971),"It is not as harmless and casual an event asmany in the pro-abortion crowd insist; apsychologic price is paid. It may be alienation, itmay be a pushing away from human warmth,perhaps a hardening of the maternal instinct.Something happens on the deeper levels of awoman's consciousness when she destroys apregnancy. I know that as a psychiatrist."Eternity magazine, Feb. 1971, features the topic of"Abortion" with a panel of evangelical doctors, lawyers,psychiatrists and theologians. They agreed on two majorareas:" 1. All of them admit that they would permitan abortion to a woman whose life was at stake dueto complications of pregnancy. Archibald, for instance,says 'In this situation, life is being balancedfor life.'"2. Our contributors also agree on the intrinsicvalue of fetal life. All denounce the extremenotion that the fetus in its early stages is merely amass of cells or an organic growth.""Obviously our Eternity spokesmen do not feel thatthe destruction of a fetus at any stage can be taken lightly.Yet they hold divergent views on what circumstances aregrave enough to balance the destruction of a fetus.WHAT ABOUT THE IUD?Another subject that I think should be mentioned hereis two forms of birth control in common use today which areactually (medically) forms of abortion. (See also my article"To Be or Not To Be" on abortion and family planning inthe Cellar Door. Vol. 2 No. 2). The IUD (intrauterinedevice) or "coil" does not prevent conception according topresent medical evidence.It works by preventing (most ofthe time) the attachment of the embryo to the wall of theuterus, which is then lost with the next menstrual period.The so-called "morning after" pill now in limited use isactually a high dose of female hormone taken for five days orso, shortly after conception. This also produces an abortionby preventing or disrupting the implantation of the embryo.Thus, despite their attractive technical features, in myopinion, these devices must be considered, morally, on thesame basis as abortion.WHAT DO WE OWE SOCIETY?Finally, what is our Christian responsibility to societyin this regard? One of the primary purposes of government isto protect society from those who would do harm to others;to provide "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" tothe individual members of the group. We therefore have theresponsibility, as well as the privilege, of making decisions(as a part of that government) that we are convinced are forthe best protection of our fellow citizens. We as Christianshave an even greater responsibility to let our convictions beknown to our fellowmen and our government. Matthew5:13-20 is very clear in this regard: ''Ye are the salt of theearth: . the light of the world. Let your light so shinebefore men, that they may see your good works, . . ," etcHowever. God does make provision for laws in apluralistic society which allow for the "hardness of men'shearts." In Mark 10:4-9 Christ explains the divorcesituation, but at the same time repeats the original command," they are no more two, but one flesh. Whattherefore God has joined together, let no man separate."Abortion in limited situations might fit under the same"allowable"' provision as divorce. But,it must be made veryclear that Christ did not allow for divorce "on demand,"but said fornication was the only ground for divorce (Matt.5:32; 19:9). Paul added one other cause in I Cor. 7:15.The reasons for divorce are causes over which the innocentparty had no control. Therefore, even though limitedabortion laws may be compatible with Biblical teaching,it isnot an option for the Christian unless all other possibleavenues are closed. Even then, abortion isstill abortion —the killing of a developing human person created in theimage of God, and must be confessed to God as such. Peteradmonishes us to "be ready alway to give an answer to everyman that asketh you a reason of the hope that is inyou. . " Eternity urges that "Christians should nothesitate to advocate publicly their viewpoint on abortion.The fact that our insights are (hopefully) biblically groundedis all the more reason to urge consideration of them duringthe legislative process.It is not a matter of forcing Christianmorals on the public but rather of fulfilling our responsibilityas active citizens concerned about the public's welfare."(Eternity, Feb., 1971)Additional reading:1. Eternity magazine. Feb., 19 7 1.2. Birth Control and the Christian (TyndaleHouse).3. Regarding Exodus 21:22-25 seeChristianity Today, Mar. 16. 1973.SEPTEMBER 26, 197*19

WHO DIED WHY? John Eddison. Harold Shaw Publ., 1971.S1.25 (paper)."Vital questions" for young Christians, we are told, aredealt with in this book. "Has God lost interest or control?""What was so special about the death of Jesus?" and otherquestions give a simple, quick treatment of the theology ofsalvation. Alas, Arminianism is writ large across this diminutivework. Christ died for all and waits beside a door which has nohandle on His side (p. 59). Worse than this is the hint of page 8that the author holds to the Moral Influence theory of theAtonement (What Christ did on the cross may "so move andchallenge" people that they respond with a "change of heart"rather than the clearly Biblical teaching that the atonementwrought by Christ actually accomplished the salvation of Hispeople) and the Zwinglian doctrine of the Sacraments (pp. 79ff).Eddison's work is well-meaning but is vitiated by serious doctrinalerror and superficiality of approach. Not recommended.Gordon J. KeddieSOMEONE CARES. Helen Steiner Rice. Fleming H. RevellCompany, 1972. 128 pp. 86.50.In order to speak to the value of human love and trust, theauthor has compiled this book of poems. The author illustratesin many ways the fact that someone cares. Those who findthemselves attracted to the cards of Helen Steiner Rice wouldcertainly enjoy this book for themselves or enjoy giving it as a"gift" to a friend.Carolyn H. CopelandTHE JESUS PERSON POCKET PROMISE BOOK. DavidWilkerson. G-L Regal, 1972. 122 pp. 81.00 (paper).Eight hundred Bible promises are collected in this smallbooklet. One needs to know the Scriptural context of eachpromise to really profit from this book, so I do not recommend itfor anyone unfamiliar with the Bible.Estella NussTHE POLITICS OF JESUS. John Howard Yoder. Eerdmans,1972. 260 pp. 83.45 (paper).It is certainly true that Reformed Christians need to bemore aware of the Mennonite and Anabaptist traditions and thecurrent thinking among their theological leaders. There is ampleevidence that they are coming under closer scrutiny in othercircles and having a growing influence in conservative circlestoday.John Howard Yoder is one such attractive Mennoniteleader whose presence is being felt in America. The Politics ofJesus is his latest book and one that must be taken seriously byCahinists. Yoder has much to say about the "radical" nature ofthe Kingdom of God, the "social and political" nature of thecross and the dynamics of the Christian "community." Many ofhis emphases will, at first, sound familiar to Calvinists, and wecan agree with some of his perspective.But there are some serious shortcomings in his book. Hisoverarching presupposition is the Sixth Commandment. Hissocio-political philosophy flows from this prohibition, as does histheology. The reader should especially keep this in mind whenYoder discusses the nature and purpose of the state and when heexpands on the notion of justice. I fear that he does a graveinjustice to Scripture when he elevates this Biblical commandmentabove others. The result is often confusion and artificialtension between Law and Grace, Justice and Love.Second, serious questions can be raised about hissoteriology. Others are more able to effect this kind of critiquethan I, but when he says, "The Cross is beginning to loom not asa ritually prescribed instrument of propitiation but as thepolitical alternative to both insurrection and quietism" (p. 43),one wonders if he really understands the basic significance of theCross. He seems to make it primarily a socio-political eventrather than a redemptive-historical event with social andpolitical implications.Finally, his "Kingdom" emphasis while at first commendableleaves much to be desired. The Kingdom politics ofJesus comes across as "Revolutionary Subordination," which weare to follow. But in the final analysis, as his chapter on Romans13 indicates, it is a politics of passivity, for politics is essentiallyof the devil or the "spirits" and not to be engaged in byChristians. It seems paradoxical that this should be the conclusionof one who makes the Cross such an important social andpolitical event.In sum, this intriguing and well-written book is for thetheologian and advanced student, not the average reader. But weneed more like it and a better dialogue with the representativesof this theological tradition.Robert EellsTHAT NEW TIME RELIGION. Erling Jorstad. Augsburg Publ.House, 1972. 143 pp. 82.95 (paper).People in the established churches are asking questionsabout the Jesus revival. Erling Jorstad has undertaken an analysisof the Jesus revival. He attempts to demonstrate a) that thecurrent Jesus revival is a "new time religion" as compared toprevious revivals, b) what groups do and what groups do notfollow the so-called "new time religion," c) what the adversecriticisms of the "new time religion" are, d) that the "new timereligion" must now reappropriate for its own use the wisdom andresources of historic Christianity in order to survive, e) that thetraditional churches must seek reconciliation with the Jesusrevival as a means to their own revival and survival.The greater part of the book is given over to demonstrationthat the Jesus revival is in fact a "new time religion." While Prof.Jorstad does show that there are obvious differences betweenthis revival and previous ones, I am not certain that he proves asmuch as he claims. A major point with him is that previousrevivals were aimed as much at revival of national purpose andthe American tradition as at the revival of vital Christian faith.He has a valid point in my opinion. Yet I believe that he fails toappreciate how much past revivals of vital Christian faith haveactually altered the national purpose from time to time. Ofcourse they may have done so in spite of the intentions of therevival leaders.The book could provide much useful information on theJesus revival. It would be a good starting point for an intensivestudy. However, I think that greater consideration and weightmust be given to the criticisms and objections raised against themovement. We must come together, but we must come togetherfor edification and reformation according to the doctrine ofGod's word.H. B. Harrington20 COVENANTER WITNESS

ORDOUR BRITISH BROTHERSOne pleasing aspect of the fast pace at which we live isthe way we can be in touch with fellow Christians across theworld. (Did you know, for example, that our missionaries inCyprus and Japan who receive the Witness air mail oftenhave their copies before many of us in the U.S. ?)In recent years such events as international conventionsand pulpit exchanges have done much to bridge thegap between us and Covenanting brothers in other countries.In particular we have all been enriched by the increased tieswith Scotland and Northern Ireland. Even though fewerAmerican R.P.s have close relatives there, we seem to knowa great deal more about brethren there than ever before. Andwe are, thankfully, doing more together than before. In thedirect planning stage are talks on church union. On themission fields we have shared responsibilities. Many readersin Scotland and Ireland are Witness subscribers. More andmore we are beginning to share our other publications. Weare pleased at the E & P office to see more and more of ourmaterials being sent abroad. And we are glad too for what iscoming to our shores.This issue of the Witness has a bit of the British flair aswe take our hats off to what is going on there today and alsoas we pay tribute to a significant contribution of the past.Don't miss the interesting description by Sinclair Home ofthe work of the Scottish Reformation Society. And youchurch history buffs will find much food for thought inRichard Weir's well-researched piece on the first EnglishPsalter. Happy reading!R.W.N.SING UP!In the last two issues of the Witness we have run anadvertisement on page three for a booklet by RobertCopeland entitled, "Sing Up!" Usually we receive a goodresponse from our readers for such items, but this time wehave had few "takers." Frankly we are very surprised, andjust a little bit saddened that more folks haven't seen a realbargain. So will you pardon us for a little while if we boastabout what this little book could do to change the wholecourse of singing in your congregation.First of all, may we point out that the author is both anexperienced musician and a committed Covenanter. He hasenjoyed considerable success in training a specialized choir atMid-America Nazarene College, and he is sharing some ofhis professional tips in Sing Up. Chapter headings include:I Why Sing?II But I Don't Read MusicIII This Sure is a Funny ChurchIV "Once More with Feeling!"Do these sound down to earth? Well, that is what theyare intended to be. The whole booklet is a simple layman'sguide to effective congregational singing. It containsstraightforward, non-technical vocabulary that is designed tohelp those with almost no musical knowledge whatever to beable to effectively engage in the a cappella singing of thePsalms. Subtitles deal with such matters as pitch-tone,rhythm, rests, sight-singing and part singing. Simpleexercises (with answers) are provided to increase musicalexpertise.This is the year of the new Psalter. Why should it notalso be the year of a revived interest in improving the way weuse the Psalms. All the work done on this new Psalter will bein vain unless we make every effort to render to God themost acceptable praise we can. God is a God of order. WhileHe can and does accept the "joyful noise ", we owe Him thevery best use of the talents he has given us. If a congregationcan sing better, but will not make the effort to do so, then weare giving Him an inferior service. Many can testify to beingdeeply moved spiritually by music. Would this be thereaction of the stranger who drops in to hear us as we singthe Psalms?Sing Up is designed to do something to cure apathyand sloppiness in our praise to God. We recommend thatitbe used widely in study groups, young people's societies,even W.M.S. groups throughout the church. And if youhave trouble carrying a tune in the old bucket, maybe youcould practice a little at home, too. We believe every familythat worships together can be blessed by singing together. Sowe encourage each of you to have your own copy of Sing Upin order to enrich your family worship as well.Want toSing Better?Here's a "how-to" booklet of1 32 pages packed with informationon effective congregationalsinging. Written by a competentChristian musician, RobertCopeland, this book is especiallydesigned to aid the layman in the"a Capella" singing of thePsalms. This booklet is sponsoredby the Witness Committee andcopies are available through theBoard of Education andPublication at $.75 postpaid.Groups of 10 or more $.65 each.2 COVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. Smith17=3VOLUME LXXXIXNO. 20OCTOBER 10, 1973CONTENTSOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.ARTICLES:Our First English Psalm Book.The Case for Catechism.For a Testimony.Japanese Youth Evaluate Religion.FEATURES:A Word Due.Hey Lookit.Distaff Deductions.Glimpses."Count Her Towers"4.6.816213.141819SUBSCRIPTIONINFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, £2, 1 year;^3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 5\221 ,British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A. ; y.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZ°Please give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses, to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 800 Wood St.,Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.Known office of publication: Box K,Winchester, Kansas 66097. Secondclass postage paid at Winchester,Kansas 66097.*IVANCCUCAl PRESS ASSOCIATIONNATIONAL CHRISTIAN EDUCATION SEMINAROctober 1-3, 1973 • Hilton Hotel • St. Paul, MinnesotaSamffiffiSJoin America's leading Christian educators as they discussthe church's ministry to families. Authoritative speakers ...listening teams ... special-interest interaction groups willhelp you gain insights and practical help that can revolutionizeyour church's Sunday school and Christian education ministry.Conference leaders include: OR. JAMES ENGEL, Director ofCommunications Research, Wheaton Graduate School-DR.PAUL WARNER, Staff Psychiatrist, Central Minnesota MentalHealth Center-DR., MRS. W R T SMITH, Bethel Collegeand Seminary-DR. KENNETHGANGEL, Director of Schoolof Christian Education, Trinity Evangelical Divinity SchoolFor details of this significant conference and ho* you canparticipate, write to ...NATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL ASSOCIATIONBoi 39S Winona Lake, Ind. 46590OCTOBER 10, 19 7 3\

'GhefirstEnglish*Psalm

that time one-third of the wealth of the kingdom was controlledby the church. So Henry closed all the monasteries and confiscatedall their property. He is also famous for his treatment ofhis wives, two of whom he executed. Any suspicion ofdisloyalty met with loss of favor at court and an accusation oftreason or of heresy. The Tower of London contained thedreaded prison from which many of the most powerful noblesnever returned, and in which beheading seemed to be the mostpopular form of entertainment.There was a young man from the south of England attendingOxford University in 1538. His name was ThomasSternhold, and he was recommended for a post at the court ofthe king by the Secretary of State Thomas Cromwell who wassoon to lose his head on a charge of treason, although he had noway of knowing it at that time. We do not know just whenThomas Sternhold was actually appointed to his position atcourt, but the record of the university shows that he left earlyand did not take a degree. At court he was given the position ofGroom of the Robes, a responsible office when we realize howformal all the royal functions were and that he had to be presentat all of them.At court Sternhold found himself in a position similar tothat of Daniel who served three kings (Nebuchadnezzar,Belshazzar, and Darius) and maintained a pure and steadyworship of the God of heaven at the same time. During Sternhold'stime the Reformers were having the worst of it. Forexample, John Marbeck the palace organist, was arrested formaking a concordance to the Bible — a simple index. Dr. JohnLondon, Canon of Windsor, prepared a case against elevenmembers of the royal household in 1544, including Sternholdhimself, but some of the papers were stolen and given to theking who resented interference with his personal staff and hadLondon himself arrested. Bishop Gardiner and the Earl ofSouthampton were eager to punish crypto-Protestants, sincethe king was getting more feeble and Catherine, the stronglyProtestant queen, had a firm control over young Prince Edward.Five of the queen's ladies were in danger. In 1546 theanti-Protestant wave reached a climax. Mrs. Anne Askewe wasburned at the stake for preaching heresy. Finally, the queenherself was trapped. She was very well educated for her day andhad been a leader in promoting discussion and study in herhome even before she became Henry's sixth queen. She evenargued theology with the king, much to his irritation. Finallyher books were examined, and the king was persuaded to sign awarrant against her. But when the Earl of Southampton came toarrest her, the king dramatically changed his mind, and she wassaved. Sternhold certainly lived in an atmosphere of tension anddanger.At some point during the final years of Henry's reignSternhold took a Coverdale Bible and began to turn some of theprose Psalms into poetic form. Certainly his choice of Psalms toparaphrase shows that, like Daniel, he was aware of his danger.Here are the first two stanzas of his version of Psalm 20:There is a similar theme in Psalm 25:I lift mine heart to Theemy God and guide most just;Now suffer me to take no shamefor in Thee do I trust.Let not my foes rejoiceand make a scorn of me,And let not them be overthrownthat put their trust in Thee.The other choices also indicate a sense of worry on his partFor his experiments he used a simple form of poetry thathe knew well — the ballad with a four-line stanza. Before thedays of cheaply printed books all societies had a highlydeveloped series of folk songs that told the stories and thetraditions of great deeds and events of old times. These wereusually sung to tunes that were handed down from generationto generation. But after efficient printing was developed inEngland, many of the printers in London began turning outcheap, single-sided sheets called broadsides. They were balladformpoems telling about events of the day — usually scandal.They were set to the old ballad tunes, with the name of the tuneindicated at the top of the page. Sternhold experimented byusing this medium for the Lord's work. He probably did notsing any of his Psalm ballads before King Henry VIII or in anypart of the palace. Henry was a great lover of music and acomposer in his own right, but he never would have stood forsuch heresy as Psalm-singing. Certainly Sternhold must havefelt that God had placed him in the king's court to influence thegovernment for good whenever he had the opportunity. It was adivine mission, no less than Daniel's.At the beginning of each of his nineteen Psalms Sternholdplaced a one-stanza prologue of his own composition in whichhe summarized the contents of the Psalm. It is apparent thatSternhold felt very close to the Psalms because he interpretedthem as being symbolic of and looking forward to the life andthe work of Jesus Christ. Certainly the Earl of Southampton orArchbishop Gardiner would not have let him get away with anythoughts such as these prefixed to Psalm 2:(Continued on page 11, second column.)In trouble and adversitythe Lord will hear thee still;The majesty of Jacob's Godwill thee defend from ill,And send thee from His holy placeHis help at every need,And so in Zion stablish theeand make thee strong indeed.OCTOBER 10, 1973">

The CaseHUGH HARRINGTON"Why, I can remember when thewhole family used to sit around theparlor on Sabbath afternoons andfather would hear catechismquestions. . ." In many homes thatprofess to believe the Reformed faith,memorization of the ShorterCatechism has become a thing of thepast. Such a course of action isaltogether regrettable and detrimentalto Christians who more than everneed to know "what man is to believeconcerning God and what duty Godrequires of man." To see howcatechetical memory fits this need, itis necessary to rethink the value andimportance of this system advocatedfor many years.HISTORICAL BACKGROUNDIn the Shorter Catechism we havea summary of the conclusions reachedby the Westminster Assembly inLondon (1643-1649). The assemblyconsisted of 120 clergymen and someothers. Among them were someeminent Bible scholars. They spentsix years in study and debate toproduce our Confession of Faith,Testimony (since revised), and theCatechismLarger and Shorter Catechisms. Ourdenomination has, since then, approvedthem as part of our creed.Assent to this fact is a part of ourterms of membership and communion.All members and candidatesfor membership are under obligation,therefore, to know what they teach.Memorization of the ShorterCatechism is the easiest, mosteconomical of time, and most permanentway to fulfil this obligation.This catechism has been called "TheLayman's Book of Theology."PRACTICAL VALUEMEMORIZATIONHowever, many of those whoagree that the Shorter Catechismanswers are true and have great valuefor Christians will question the needfor memorizing them. Memorizingthe catechism is the best way tosupply the mind with a backlog ofbasic, organized teachings ofScripture. With these answers storedin the mind we will be able to detectfalse doctrines and will be better ablefo present the way of salvation toothers. We will be better prepared tofollow the admonition in Titus 1:9:Holding fast the faithful wordas he hath been taught, thathe may be able by sounddoctrine both to exhort andconvince the gain sayer.and in I Peter 3:15b:. . .and be ready always togive to every man that askethyou a reason for the hope thatis in you with meekness andfear.Several objections have beenmade, even by those who appreciatethe value of knowing it, to askingmembers to memorize the Catechism.Some object that the time spent onmemorizing the catechism mightbetter be spent in memorizing Bibleverses. Whether learning Bible versesis really helpful or not depends onwhether they are understood in theirtrue context. That requires a carefulstudy of their chapter context and alsoof the complete Bible context; that is,in relation to what the whole Bibleteaches. Many false doctrines haveThe Shorter Catechism is of greatvalue because it provides a systematic, About the author: For many yearsaccurate, concise yet clear succession now Hugh Harrington has workedof statements which our faithfully behind the scenes to reardenomination, along with other sons and daughters that exhibitReformed Christians, holds to be the the faith he has staunchlyteaching of Scripture concerning theplan of salvation. Some of the Bibleproof texts to support the answers aregiven and should be studied whenmemorizing the answers. They anddefended and taught. He makes hishome in Hetherton, Mich., wherehe gives himself to serving hiscongregation and also to his vastrock collection.others from the Bible could well makeup a list of verses for use in a BibleMemory Verse program.6 COVENANTER WITNESS

een promoted by isolating versesfrom their whole Bible context.Knowing the catechism helps to guardagainst such errors and justifies thetime necessary for memorizing it.Then, too, learning Bible verses andlearning the Catechism complementeach other.DIFFICULT VOCABULARYOthers object to memorizing theCatechism because, they say, itsvocabulary is too difficult topronounce and contains words thatare too complex or technical in theirmeaning to be understood by children.They say there is no value in learningto repeat words without meaning tothem. This is partly true but thesolution is to teach the pupil thepronunciation and to explain themeaning the words have in the answers.That is the method parents andteachers use when teaching secularsubjects such as science, arithmetic,and grammar. Is it not just as importantto gain knowledge for theirspiritual welfare?To this argument we would addthat we don't support children inrefusing to learn other materialbecause they don't always understandat the time all that is being taught. Weapprove of their acquiring as large astore of knowledge as possible whilememorizing is an easier mentalprocess. The children need to haveavailable the spiritual truths orteachings in their early years when lifehabits and philosophy are being fixed,unconsciously on their part it may be,and by using them to make decisionsand solve problems in childhood theygrow in their understanding of them.When I was a child, I spake asa child, I understood as achild, I thought as a child;but when I became a man Iput away childish things. Fornow we see through a glassdarkly; but then face to face:now I know in part, but thenshall I know even as also I amknown.This is how Paul describes theChristian's growth in spiritual understandingin I Cor. 13:11,12.OCTOBER 10, 1973SELFEXPRESSIONStill others say they object tomemorizing the Catechism verbatimbecause it is better to study the answerscarefully and then learn toexpress the thought in their ownwords. We partly agree with this if theperson is able to reproduce thesubstance of the answer accuratelyand in as clear and concise andcomplete a manner as the WestminsterAssembly did. But even thenit is much easier to recall to mind, onthe spur of the moment, a memorizedanswer than it is to reconstruct yourown thought-product in a completeand well-organized manner. It isbetter to have the Catechism stored inyour memory and, with that as anoutline, to give your understanding ofhow the Catechism answer applies tothe situation or question at hand.Thus far we have tried to show thevalue and importance of having ourmembers memorize the ShorterCatechism. The responsibility forreaching this goal rests upon theindividual member, the parents, andthe congregational session.MORAL OBLIGATIONEach candidate for membership inour denomination is required to statehis acceptance of the WestminsterCatechisms as "being agreeable toand founded upon the Scriptures." Asimilar acknowledgment is made inthe Terms of Communion. He istherefore under moral obligation tolearn as he is able and opportunityallows, before he gives his assent tothem. And he is bound, thereafter, touse every method and every opportunityavailable to him to increasehis knowledge and understanding ofthem. He is exhorted, in II Peter3:18a, "to grow in grace and in theknowledge of our Lord and SaviorJesus Christ." Since memorizing theCatechism is a very good way toprovide such growth in knowledgeand, we trust, in grace, the individualshould willingly and with sincereeffort, on his own initiative and incooperation with any method hisparents or the session propose, striveto achieve this goal.Spending an hour each Sabbathafternoon or evening memorizing theCatechism and reviewing them weekdaysas a part of daily devotions wouldbe a good method to follow. Concentrationon thought content andrepetition are laws of learning thatwork for success in memorizing.Parents who are members of ourchurch are required to see that theSabbath is sanctified by the family, inaddition to the public worship serviceand in works of necessity and mercy.in "activities helpful to spirituallife." One of these activities is instructingand catechising the childrenin the home. (R. P Constitution, p.306) In their baptismal vows theypromise "to instruct him in the wayof salvation and the principles of ourcovenanted profession." {R. P.Constitution, p. 312) The directionsfor Sabbath School teaching include:"Attention should be given tomemorizing of the Catechisms." (R.P.. Constitution, p. 323, para. 10)This direction is primarily to thesession, which has responsibility forthe Sabbath School program; butitcan be carried out best by cooperationwith a home study and memorizationprogram.The working out of a program tomemorize the Shorter Catechismcould greatly help the membership togrow in knowledge of the Scripturaldoctrines pertaining to their presentlife and eternal salvation. Belief inthose doctrines would tend to influence our young people to seekmarriage with partners who alsobelieve them so they could rear theirchildren in an atmosphere of religiousharmony and true. Biblical ideals andgoals. The members would be loyal tothe church when they know the truthsand practices for which it stands andwould be better prepared to defendand witness to those doctrines and torefute and avoid the errors of cults andfalse religions. Our church couldclaim the blessing and abidingpresence of its King and Head becauseit was trying to carry out His commission"to teach them to observe allthings whatsoever I have commandedyou." (Matt. 28:20)•7

A Look at the Scottish Reformation SocietyFor aTestimonyEntrance to building whichSociety, Edinburgh, Scotland.houses the Scottish ReformationA. SINCLAIR HORNEITS ORIGINThe immediate occasion directly responsible for theformation of the Society was what has become known as ' 'ThePapal Aggression of 1850." From the Reformation until thenthe affairs of the Roman Catholic Church were administered bywhat were known as 'missionary bishops' or Vicars Apostolic.In September 1850 Pope Pius IX issued a Bull which set upthroughout England thirteen dioceses each with its own bishop.This move was taken without consultation with any authoritiesand was to be followed by a pastoral letter from Dr. Wisemanwho later became Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, inwhich he stated the objectives of the move. He presumed toproclaim to the people of England that, ' 'Their beloved countryhad been restored to its orbit in the ecclesistical firmament fromwhich its light had long vanished."This bold move roused deep, passionate concernthroughout the land. Demands were made that the Governmentshould step in and deal effectively with the move. The PrimeMinister of the day did realise the danger, but little action wastaken. He said, "There is an assumption of power in all thedocuments from Rome and a claim to sole and undivided swaywhich is inconsistent with the Queen's supremacy."8Though immediately related to England, the leaders ofthe Church in Scotland were very much aware that this posed athreat to the Protestant heritage of the whole land. As a result,meetings were arranged throughout the country culminating ina great public meeting in Edinburgh. The press details of thatmeeting indicate something of the passion which was aroused.2,500 people were crammed in to the hall which seated only1200. Crowds jammed the stairs and exits. Police had to controlthe crowds who wanted to lend their support to this movementof protest. At this meeting, prominent churchmen and laymenlaid their plans before the meeting and from this a committee of108 members was appointed to form the Scottish ReformationSociety. Though to modern ears this number appears unwieldy,it certainly got down to the job in hand. Within three weeks aConstitution was drawn up and an Acting Committee was giventhe task of bringing before the public the plans and policy of thenew body. To examine these early records and note the namesof the leaders of the work indicates how deeply this action hadtouched the evangelical section of the Church. Names likeBegg, Candlish, Cunningham, Wylie, Thomson and McCrie,give an indication of the powerful leaders the movement hadand the solid theological scholarship which was to be applied tothe work.COVENANTER WITNESS

Though diligent search has not brought the originalconstitution to light, there is much evidence that the work soongained ground as men of ability were brought in to deal with thesubject immediately confronting the nation. One note whichsounds out continually from these early records is that theScottish Reformation Society was not to be merely anorganisation dealing with controversy for controversy's sake.There was to be a contending for the faith, but the contendingwas always to be in the interests of concord. The originaldeclaration states. "Our work must be of a wide, comprehensivecharacter and we must address ourselves to it — insuch a spirit of calm conciliatory moderateness as well as ofunflinching faithfulness and firmness — that the risk of creatingneedless prejudices mav as far as possible be obviated and thewidest access obtained for our influence and our operationsamong all sorts of men. We appeal in the first instance, to thegeneral public asking all who hold Evangelical Protestantopinions to become members."In that same address from Dr. Candlish there is a stirringnote which ought to appeal to Covenanters for he saw in thisinsidious movement of the Roman Catholic Church the aim to'overthrow every form of Protestantism and the suppression ofall civil and religious liberty.' As one reads on in this section ofhis address it would almost appear that the reading is from theNational and Solemn League and Covenant.For ten years the work of the Society continued toprogress; all over the country local committees were formed toarouse people to the urgency of the situation. It is ratherstriking that even with such issues being in the forefront of thenews and Church life, the leaders of the Society of that daycommented on the public apathy and indifference to the issuesas they state, "We know the sad supineness into which longsecurity has lulled by far the greater portion of the Protestantcommunity."In 1860, the Ter-centenary of the Scottish Reformation,a development took place which was to bring greater strength tothe work of the Society. In that year a great Protestant Congresstook place in Edinburgh to commemorate the event. The papersgiven at this Congress are included in a volume edited by Dr.Begg and they make a worthy contribution to the literature onthe Reformation. At the conclusion of this Congress the officialparty moved to George IV Bridge, where Dr. AndrewSymington, one of the ablest men of the Reformed PresbyterianChurch of Scotland preached an outstanding sermon, and thenlaid the foundation stone of the Protestant Institute of Scotland.This was to be Scotland's memorial to commemorate the eventsof three hundred years before and was regarded as a worthymemorial to the work and labours of John Knox. Thesepremises had a twofold use. One to house the offices and libraryof the Scottish Reformation Society and also to serve as aLecture Hall where lectures dealing with the Reformation andthe Romish Controversy would be given. The initiative of theFree Church in bringing forward this idea and seeing it completedwas amply rewarded with response from the public andmany exiled Scots anxious to help forward this new work. Thereis an abundance of material from which one can quote whichsets forth the goals for this combined operation. Dr. McCriesums it up well in his congratulatory address. Referring to theProtestant Institute he views it as "An institution intended toraise up a goodly company of volunteers furnished withweapons suited to the warfare in which they may be called toengage in the last struggle between the followers of medievalsuperstition and the champions of primitive and eternal truth.OCTOBER 10, 1973Rev. A Sinclair Home,Secretary-Lecturer olScottish ReformationSociety and a minister ofthe Free ChurchSo the work was to all intents and purposes merged. One servingthe wider community in Scotland and the other acting as atraining ground for ministers, students, and lay people.This background of the origins of the Society gives someimpression of how it was seen to be necessary to bring togetherpeople of like persuasions to meet the challenge of the hour. Forover one hundred and twenty years this work has gone on. Fromtime to time there have been changes of emphasis as new issuesarose but fundamentally there has been no deviation from theoriginal declaration of the object of the Society.To resist the aggressions of Popery — To watch thedesigns and movements of its promoters and abettors.To diffuse sound and Scriptural information on thedistinctive tenets of Protestantism and of Popery To promotethe instruction of Roman Catholics in Bible Truth.OBJECTS AND AIMSThe next fifty years were years of continued expansion.Branches of the work opened up in many parts of the country,and there was also established a work which was to serve as amission to Roman Catholics. This evangelistic thrust was neverlost sight of; and though the work was often difficult, theAnnual Reports continually speak of encouragements in thiswork of mission.The changing climate of ecclesiastical opinion tended tobring a spirit of apathy and indifference to the issues of the hourand for a period the work of the Society appears to have beenaffected by this spirit. It is, however, noticeable that whenimportant issues arose cither in national politics or local affairs,there was a surge of interest. The continuance of the workduring this period was largely due to continuing interest andsupport of the Free Church of Scotland and the smallerPresbyterian bodies including the Reformed PresbyterianChurch. The work was run on a very small budget and the onlyfull time members of staff were those who were classed aslecturers. Even here the work dropped to such an extent thatonly one lecturer was responsible for travelling all over thecountry, and the administrative side of the work was carriedthrough bv a part time secretary.This situation prevailed right up to 1958 when the twooffices of Secretary and Lecturer were merged into one .indbecame a full time office. This was filled hrst by Rev. J. Blair(Continued on next page.)( ;

For a Testimony (from P. 9)Rev. Dr. G.N.M. Collins,President of ScottishReformation Society and aminister of the Free Church.Gillon, a Church of Scotland minister; The writer of this articlewas invited to succeed him in 1964.Since this time the work has seen many changes. Onenotable feature was the incorporation of the Protestant Instituteinto the Scottish Reformation Society. This was the last of anumber of such moves carried through over the years. Suchbodies as the Scottish Protestant Alliance and The ScottishWomen's Protestant Union had all become incorporated intothe Society as they saw the need for a co-ordinated witness inthese days.A new constitution was drawn up after this latest moveand this clearly sets forth the work of the Society today.1. The Scottish Reformation Society isestablished to: (a) Propagate the Evangelical ProtestantFaith and those principles held in common by thoseChurches and Organisations adhering to the Reformation;(b) Diffuse sound and Scriptural teaching onthe distinctive tenets of Protestantism and RomanCatholicism; (c) Carry on missionary work amongadherents of the latter faith with a view to winningthem to the doctrines of grace and to the fellowship ofthe true Gospel.2. To produce and distribute evangelistic,religious and other literature in connection with thepromotion of the Protestant religion.3. To promote the associating together of menand women, and especially young people for systematicBible study and holding of meetings for the abovespecified purposes.During this period there has been a resurgence of interestin the work of the Socity as its witness has been carried to everypart of the land. The main emphasis has been the clear positivedeclaration of the Reformed Faith. It is our firm conviction thateven though we must never let error go unchecked, it is thepositive declaration of the truth which brings the sharpestconfrontation with error, and today that witness is morenecessary than ever. The work has been directed throughout byan able Committee and today is no exception. Our President andChairman of Committee is Rev. Professor G.N.M. Collins,B.D., Professor of Church History in the Free Church Collegewhose leadership and counsel have meant much to the work ofthe Society throughout many years but none more so thanduring this period of change.10THE WORKIn the present confused state of ecclesistical affairs inScotland, we find many strange and striking points which makeus more aware of the need for our witness. Not only has churchattendance reached a low level, but there is an appallingignorance of the basic truths of the Scriptures and as far as adetailed knowledge of the Reformed position is concerned, thisis virtually non-existent in the larger denominations. Only inthe smaller churches, who are seeking to be true to the confessionalposition is there any real knowledge and understandingof the Reformed Faith.Even here, however, where there has been a greatheritage; there has been a decline in many places. Even in ourReformed Presbyterian Church the clear definitive positionregarding doctrine has been very largely lost. Many factors havecontributed to this situation. One which is very prevalent is thedesire to evangelize without necessarily coming down firmly ona Reformed position. This will immediately be seen assomething which leads to a great deal of inconsistency. Anotherfactor is the desire to avoid controversy in any shape or form.This in turn leads to a great deal of compromise.These things are mentioned for it is against thisbackground that the work of the Society is done. Theseproblems stated above have, in effect, become our opportunity.Our work has developed into an important complimentary sideto the ministry of the Word. We speak of our work as being ahandmaiden of the Church and as such every opportunity istaken to deal with important aspects of the Reformed Faith —Reformed Principles and their present day application. Webelieve there is a great need to set forth the relevance of ourposition to present day events. As a result we find that we havebeen accepted as an important agency as far as interdenominationalbodies are concerned.How is this work done? Throughout the year, apart frompreaching engagements the Secretary-lecturer conducts about150 meetings in every part of Scotland. These take the form ofdistrict meetings where two or three churches link together fora meeting where some aspect of the Reformed position is takenup or some topical issue such as The Ecumenical Movement:Trends with Modern Catholicism. Then there areCongregational Meetings through such movements as YouthFellowships, Men's Guilds, Women's Meetings and other suchactivities. In all such meetings opportunities exist which areused to the full. Often it is the only occasion when it is possibleto make an impact or exert any influence on that particularcongregation.Visual Aids as well as oral lectures are used in the workand at present the production of the Secretary, Torchbearers ofthe Truth, has been widely used and appreciated throughoutthe country. By means of these we make people aware of thegreat heritage into which they have entered and of the debt theyowe to our Reforming and Covenanting fathers. Combined withthese selected literature is used. We do not carry large stocks ofliterature for we are not a bookroom as such but we select itemswhich we feel have a bearing on our work and which we have nohesitation to recommend. We have also entered the field ofpublications from time to time, mostly with pamphlets andbooklets. More recently we ventured into the paperback fieldwith such works as Plain Mr. Knox by Elizabeth Whitley andTorchbearers of the Truth by A. S. Home.We do not neglect the other side of our work for we feelthere is a great need to be vigilant to preserve our liberties.Included in the lecture series is the full run down on RomanCOVENANTER WITNESS

Catholic Dogmas compared with Scripture; aspects ofdevelopments within Catholicism today and also a constantwatching brief on the activities of Roman Catholics in manyfields such as politics and education. We then seek to share thisinformation with our readers so that they will be better informedto answer and deal with many issues at this time. Weperhaps have a greater measure of freedom to enter this particularfield than is found in the United States. It may seemdifficult, as I found when visiting there in 1969, for Americanpeople to realise that we can and do through many channelschallenge the action of the Roman Catholic Church today.Appointments to important posts in the administration andlocal affairs often are challenged. The most important issue atpresent is in the field of education where the question ofseparate schools for Roman Catholics apart from the otherchildren in the community is a continual thorny problem whichraises many attendant issues at local level and on which we areconstantly being asked for advice.The main arm of our propaganda is our magazine TheBulwark. This has been published since 1851 and, though notalways the property of the Society, is now its officialpublication. There have been many outstanding editors amongwhom was Rev. A. C. Gregg of Greenock ReformedPresbyterian Church who had full responsibility for themagazine when it was independent of the Society. Manychanges have taken place over the years, but it is ratherremarkable that our present format is identical to that of thefirst issues of the magazine. Our present editor is Rev. NeilMacLeod of the Free Church of Scotland. The circulation isaround 6,000 copies an issue. We have also embarked on a newventure with the publication of a Newsletter which deals withthe work in a less formal manner than required for a journal ormagazine.By all these means we have been able to bring the workbefore the people and we have been conscious of God's blessingupon the work in so many ways. Our work has now extendedbeyond Scotland and many opportunities are being given inEngland where a desparately confused situation prevails.OUR SUPPORTThe main bulk of our support comes from subscribers tothe magazine but we have seen a growing number of churchesseeking to share in our work and taking an Annual Collectionfor the work of the Society. Apart from some items of investmentincome our work is supported entirely by collectionsat meetings, sales of literature and freewill gifts of those who arein sympathy with our work. Our annual budget runs to around14,000 (10,000 dollars approximately). Though we havenever been able to see income meet expenditure completely, weare seeing the gap closing all the time.Any one who wishes to know about our work can have acopy of the Bulwark supplied free of charge. An annual subscriptioncosts $1.50 post free.We trust this survey will enable American readers andfriends to realise the importance of our work and encourage youto join in prayer for our cause which is the cause of Truth andthose things which belong to our great heritage.Dr. Candlish's address has already been referred to andwe close this article with his concluding remarks and earnestappeal: "Fellow Protestants! Come to our aid. And for the sakeof your children, your liberties, your country, your religion.join with us in this arduous enterprise. Come ye to the help ofthe Lord — to the help of the Lord against the mighty!" (SeeJudges 5:23.)•Ghe First English 'Psalm "Book (from P. 5)How heathen kings did Christ withstand,yet He was king of all:And of the counsel that He gaveto kings terrestial.or again as he noted before Psalm 3:The passion here is figured.and how Christ rose again;So is the church and faithful men,their trouble and their pain.or as we note before Psalm 29:As David did the temple deckwith earthly sacrifice,So Christ's church with spiritual giftsye must adorn likewise.The prefixes would not have been considered heretical bv ArchbishopCranmer or any of the middle-of-the road clergv becausethe symbolism of Christ in the Psalms is an old medieval churchtradition. But the fact that Sternhold was adding such interpretationsin English would have been questioned.V^^FIRST PSALTERV 'ft fT' PRINTED UNDERThere is some remote possibility that Sternhold sangsome of his Psalm-ballads to Queen Catherine or to youngPrince Edward during the last year or two of King Henry'sillness, but we have no evidence of this. Henry died in Januaryof 1547, and his only son, Prince Edward, became King EdwardVI at the age of nine, with his uncle, the Duke ofSomerset, as Lord Protector. Edward had been raised in anatmosphere that favored the Reformation, and he and his uncleinstituted many changes at once. Sternhold was able to play on asmall organ and to sing his Psalms in the palace now, and thenew king liked them. The nineteen Psalms were printed by astrong supporter of the Protestant movement, the printerEdward Whitchurch. This book was published in 1547 or 1548with the title Certayne Psalmes Chosen out of the Psalter ofDavid, and the dedication was made to the new king. This smallbook marks the beginning of our metrical Psalm tradition. It isinteresting to us because it is so personal in such a formal age:I am bold to present unto your majesty a few crumbswhich I have picked up from under the Lord's boardSeeing that your tender and godly zeal dothmore delight in the holy songs of verity than in anyfeigned rimes of vanity, I am encouraged to travailfuther in the said Book of Psalms, trusting that, as yourGrace taketh pleasure to hear them sung sometimes ofme. so ve will also delight not only to see and read themyourself but also to command them to be sung to you otothers.Such a dedication seems to indicate that the young boy did hearand enjoy these PsalmsTwo vears later Thomas Sternhold died. He had tune tomake a will and to provide for his two small daughters, but hedid not have time to publish any more ot his paraphrases(Continued on next pageOCTOBER 10. 1973 1 1

Ghe First English 'Psalm 'Book (from p. il)But Sternhold had a strong admirer who saw that thesePsalms could serve a particular need in Christian life. He wasthe Rev. John Hopkins, a teacher and rector, who in 1549published eighteen more of Sternhold's Psalms, together withseven more that he had written himself. However, he did notfeel that his Psalm-ballads had the vigor and the power of thosethat Sternhold had written. So, he put his own Psalms at theend of the book rather than in the correct numerical order. Thebook was called Al Suche Psalmes as Thomas Sternhold, lateGroome of His Majesty 's Robes Did in His Lifetime Turn intoEnglishe Metre. It proved to be a very popular book and wentthrough seven editions during the brief reign of King Edward.So far as we can tell, these books were used as devotionalmaterial by Protestant families, but they were not yet used forcongregational singing. When the king died at the age of fifteen,another great change came over the country.MARY PERSECUTES ENGLISH REFORMERSHis older sister Mary came to the throne with religiousviews just the opposite of those that Edward and the Earl ofSomerset had held. She restored the Catholic faith and reinstitutedthe celebration of the mass in Latin. The more extremeReformers barely escaped with their lives to Frankfort inGermany and later to Geneva in Switzerland. Among thosewho left England was William Whittingham, who was later tobecome the leader of the English Reformed congregation ofexiles in Geneva. He took with him the Sternhold and Hopkinspsalter and proposed its use as a basis for congregational praiseworship.But others were already ahead of him in principle. TheFrench Huguenots (Protestants) had been driven out of theircountry as well. John Calvin was their leader. These groups ofReformers asked themselves the basic question: How does Godwant man to praise Him? The problem in the Catholic churchwas that it had listened to too many authorities. The Reformersdecided to find the will of God through the Word of God. Theyfollowed the directions of key verses such as Deuteronomy12:32. Do only what God commands and do not add to it. Theyrewrote the entire church service carefully centered upon thesovereignty of God. The dignified and simple service was toconsist of praying, Bible reading, preaching, and singing, theservice as we know it today.Immediately the English scholars set about revising theEnglish Bible for use in the congregation, and WilliamWhittingham gave himself the added task of revising Sternholdand Hopkins' Psalms. Whittingham knew Hebrew and Greekand he wished to make the phrasing more accurate. Sternholdhad only attempted to get a general sense of the meaning fromthe Bible. The revisions improved the accuracy of the meaning,but they did not improve the poetry. The natural rhythms wereoften broken up, and the Psalms could not be sung smoothly.Here is an example from Psalm 17:But I shall come before Thy faceboth innocent and clear;And all my joy shall be when Thouin glory shalt appear.(Sternhold)But I shall with pure consciencebehold Thy gracious face;And when I wake I shall be fullof Thine image and grace.(Whittingham)At two points the rhythm is broken. Fortunately Whittinghamhad better success with a few Psalms that he paraphrased on hisown. By 1556 fifty-one revised Psalms, together with someFrench tunes, were published in Geneva, and then more werepublished in 1558. They were part of a new, simple liturgy thathad been worked out for the English.ELIZABETH I RESTORES ORDERAfter four years in exile the small group of EnglishReformers was permitted to return to England; Queen Maryhad died, and her sister Elizabeth had become the new queen.She was as head-strong as her father Henry had been, but shewas much more sympathetic to the Reformed faith. The Genevaexiles brought with them the new Geneva service-book, and thesinging of the Psalms by the congregation immediately becamepopular. By 1560 a returning clergyman reported that he sawabout 6000 people gathered in the streets after the service atSaint Paul's in London singing the Psalms together. Within twomore years the entire psalter of 150 Psalms had been completed.John Knox took the same Geneva book to Scotland with him,and there it was revised and adapted in a somewhat differentversion.Edition after edition of the Psalms rolled out both inEngland and in Scotland for the next 300 years. In the Churchof England it was used in conjunction with the prose Psalter ofthe Prayer Book. Finally in 1695 a New Version by Tate andBrady was brought out in England. Then the 18th century sawthe rise of a very different idea. The Protestant churches forgotthe principle of keeping only to the Bible and to the Psalms ofDavid; hymns were brought in. Watts was the great popularizerof this form of worship, and John and Charles Wesley, amongothers, wrote many fine hymns. But if we examine a book ofhymns today we can see how far from Bible concepts many ofthem can get.Meanwhile, in Scotland more changes were made in themetrical Psalms than were made by the English Reformers, andin 1650 a completely new Scots version was published, oftencalled the Rous version. Our own Psalter has developed out ofthis version. The Scottish and Irish Covenanters use a 1929version of the Scottish Psalter, while the Reformed PresbyterianChurch of North America has made further revisions to keepthe Psalter up to date for the American language. At thepresent time, the 1950 edition is being replaced by the muchenlarged and thoroughly revised 1973 edition of The Book ofPsalms for Singing.But our form of praise began when one Englishman fromHampshire realized that the Lord had a work for him to do inthe palace of Henry VIII. He began to fit the words he read inMyles Coverdale's version of the Bible to ballad meter and singthem to the common ballad tunes he had learned as a boy, tuneseasy to sing and known to every Englishman. We, in our dayfour centuries later, praise the Lord using the words suggestedto us from the Bible's book of praise — the Book of PsalmsAnd we also use plain, simple tunes we all can sing. We canraise our hearts and voices together in direct praise to the Lordour God.12COVENANTERWITNESS

Many Bible stories have been worked out in regularpuppet plays, which can be purchased, and which have beenwritten with puppets and their limitations in mind: forexample, no more than four puppets can appear on the stage atany one time. The stage will accommodate only two operatorsat a time, each operator having a puppet on each hand. Wouldyou like to be the voice behind sucb puppets?Dear Kids,Dr. G. M. Robb, pastor of our Sharon, Iowa church,wrote this helpful article. We hope you and your junior sponsoror teacher can use the ideas.I just returned last night from a wonderful camp withjuniors in the Pittsburgh Presbytery. You'll probably hear moreabout it later.Why not send us your thoughts from the camp you attended?Forest Park, Pacific Coast, etc., let's hear from you.Your friend,Mrs. A.MakingPuppetsHave you thought about what profitable fun it can be tohave puppets? We have found quite a number of uses for themhere at Sharon.In our 1973 Vacation Bible School a lion with themovable jaws, operated by Matt McElhinney and Kim Robb,gave the morning announcements to the Primary Department.The children seemed to pay better attention when the announcementscame from the lion puppet than when they camefrom the teachers.Puppets have also been used to tell some of the morefamiliar Bible stories such as Daniel in the Lion's Den,Belshazzar's Feast, Naaman, and Jonah. Twice they have beenused to tell the story of the Nativity at our Christmas entertainments,though of course we do not use any puppet toportray Christ.We use hand puppets that are constructed so that theindex finger goes into the neck: and the thumb and secondfinger go into the arms, enabling them to make the rightmotions. We secured ours from a religious supply house thatprovides quite a variety of puppet figures. A few of these havemovable mouths — such as the lion mentioned above, and the"great fish" that swallowed Jonah.The religious firm that sells the puppets can also furnishinstructions for building a puppet stage out of plywood, with acurtain that raises and lowers. Colorful and appropriatebackgrounds are available. A "bench" should be made to fitinside the puppet stage on which the operators can rest theirelbows. Building this could be great fun as a project in Juniors.OCTOBER 10. 197 3We felt that it worked best to record the plays on tape.Our Young Adult Class met for several evenings, giving eachplay several "dry runs" before recording. The words werespoken rather deliberately, and attention was paid to emphasis,inflection, etc. Then the puppets were operated as the tapeswere played.Probably our most appreciative audience was a room fullof special children with learning problems. We went to theirschool and presented the story of Christ's birth with thepuppets. Every child in the room seemed completely fascinated.Every child wrote a ' 'Thank You'' note. Maybe you can spreadGod's Word the same way.1 3

JWVacation KeepsakesWe had a vacation in the Rockies.Though we have gone there for severalyears now, the mountains and rushingstreams never fail to inspire thoughts ofour mighty Heavenly Father and therefreshing power of His Holy Spirit. Werested, but also failing trust and a senseof depression received the fatal blowthey needed to be gone, leaving arestored soul in their place. "Herestoreth my soul," is a promise experienced.As a keepsake is somethingkept in memory of the giver, so theseourword pictures remind me ofCreator, God.Some of the precious scenes thatcome before the inner eye again andagain are — a pine-covered hilltopwhere we watch the stars come out oneby one; the peaks rising one above theother, always showing us the samegrandeur, firmness, and shape; theclear river water falling downstreamfrom rock to rock, whipped to frothywhiteness; or the quiet mountain lakewith a glacial snow cover extending toits very edges across from our approach.There are the minute pictures, toothe dainty blue forget-me-notclinging close to the tundra but eyecatchingin its perfect shade and color;the meadow's yellow lady-slipper andfiery Indian Paintbrush; a beaversilently entering the water and glidingto his lodge; a hummingbird thathovers whirringly above a glass ofcolored sweet water for a frequent intakeof energy; the friendly greeting of thehigh country where those who ventureseem to be deeply appreciative of thewonders God has created.The verse that came to mind as Ilooked at the eternal hills, was fromPsalm 65, "Who dost establish themountains by His strength, beinggirded with might." The firmness,immoveability of the mountains are areminder of God's infinite power,calmness, and right judgments.I am so easily moved! My emotionsgo up and down with every change ofcircumstances. Not so the Lord. I oftenclaim His promise, "because He is atmy right hand, I shall not be moved."This is an expression from the KingJames Bible which I miss sometimes inthe newer ones, but perhaps they makethe meaning clearer, for all that, "Ishall not be shaken." God is like a rock,and we may share this firmness as weare in Him — "He only is my rock andmy salvation, my stronghold; I shallnot be greatly shaken." (Psalm 62:2).The Bible often compares life to astream, "the river of the water of life,''and the '' living waters." I am remindedof this in the waterfalls and rapids.Night and day they flow from themelting snows and the hidden springs,with a roar and tumult that becomes socommon as the days go by that we14 COVENANTER WITNESS

wonder it sounded so loudly that firstnight. And mankind on earth experiencesbirth and going out intoeternity like a great flood. One raindropor one life rushes on and is foreverforgotten, it might seem. But people areloved by God in a special way, the peakof creation in His own image. We arefavored by Him often to return once andagain to happy experiences, unlike thedrop of water that passes over thethrilling waterfall only once.One sunny morning I sat beside amountain stream and the rocks in midstream,as well as the sparkling water,spoke of God. Down the mountaintumbled the clear water, falling oversome rocks, flowing around others witha splash of spray and foam, under asturdy little footbridge, and round thebend. The bank where I sat secludedunder the branches of a large fir tree wascovered with pine needles and the spotwas redolent with their scent. I wasreading God's Word and praying in myquiet time, and watching the beauty ofthe stream.About five feet from me in thestream was a large rock, so large as to beuntouched on top by the water. As thecurrent of water reached it, it wasturned two ways, rushing by on eitherside. Thus are we reminded of howsome respond one way to God andothers another way.But the water directed around thatbig rock toward the bank did not all rushon heedlessly. Some of it, coming nearerto the edge of the stream, came uponanother rock close to the shore. Thisrock was almost submerged, and eventhe top above the surface was wet withspray. It could be compared to our LordJesus who came to earth, was temptedand tried as we are, and sufferedcomplete overwhelming by sinful manand God's justice for the elect's sake.Like the rock our living Saviour standsand many souls come face to face withHim.The water coming to this rock againwas diverted to each side, some turningagain toward mid-stream, some being•held in a quiet pool between rock andbank where I could look down at my sideinto calmer water. In this little harborthe water stayed briefly, eddying softlybefore circling out into the streamagain. This reminded me of the souls inlife given to Jesus, led by Him to quietconsideration and acceptance of Himand His Word, then going out into theworld again as His followers to leadother heedless souls to peace fartheralong life's way."For the Lamb in the center of thethrone shall be their shepherd, and shallguide them to springs of the water of life—" (Rev. 7:17).WINIFRED ELLIOTT-.1'k?£*,; :AT.:-$?•*•* - . • ; ' . -** i '. .7*V- ^ i' •ImOCTOBER 10, 1973••V; s

Reflections from Statistical SurveyAJapaneseYouthEvaluateReligionWe are living in the day of polls, surveys, predictions,etc. Why not apply the technique to religion? Of course it hasbeen done many times, even in Japan. The government,newspapers, and private institutions are investigating andreporting on the religious attitudes of Japanese. One excellentsurvey has been made by Fernando M. Basabe of SophiaUniversity in Tokoyo. As the basis for his book, JapaneseYouth Confronts Religion, professor Basabe surveyed 6,180college freshmen from 44 colleges and universities who werestudying in 67 different fields of study. The results of thissurvey are most interesting. First, a few preliminary remarks,then the results of the survey.There are so many gods and so many different sects inJapan that a survey can be made in only the most general terms.One table lists 376 sects. Of these 143 are Shintoist, 165 areBuddhist, and 40 are Christian, plus 28 other religions. Addedto this is the fact that as a whole Japanese do not like to clearlydefine their religious beliefs. There is much more concern aboutthe feeling one gets from a certain religion than about its beliefs.Usually people don't like to talk about truth or error, right orwrong, or even about whether or not God exists. These thingsmake little difference. The important point is not logic, morals,or truth, the important thing is the kind of feeling one gets froma religion. Furthermore, Japanese religion is generally syncretistic.Seldom does a man feel any contradiction in worshipingmany different gods or following two or more differentsects at the same time. The total number of adherents of all thesects in Japan is 139,607,780, according to a governmentsurvey, which is more than the total population of the nation.Of course, the simple explanation is that some people are listedas adherents of several sects. Finally there is a great deal ofconfusion in the religious thinking of the Japanese since thewar. The basically pragmatic approach to religion made thepeople particularly vulnerable to a terrible blow when Japansuffered total defeat. Though there has been a resurge ofShintoism and the rise of many new sects, there has been nosubstantial recovery in religious thinking since the war. Itrather appears that the tendency is to abandon religion in favorof materialistic culture. Yet at the same time there is a deepyearning for "something."DISCOURAGING ASPECTSFrom statistics published by the Ministry of Education itwould appear that the Japanese are very religious. However,Japanese often tell me that the opposite is true. The results ofProf. Basabe's survey seem to bear it out. In this survey 36statements were made and the college freshmen indicated theiragreement or disagreement. Some wrote in comments. The firststatement was, "Religion is unnecessary for those who haveself-confidence.'' About 64 per cent of the students agreed withthis statement. Only 24 per cent disagreed.As to the intellectual attitude toward religion in Japan,nearly 48 per cent agreed with the statement: "The decision toacknowledge religion or not depends only on man's feelings andmoods.'' To the statement: "There are many kinds of religion,and their viewpoints differ, therefore it is all right if peoplechoose that religion which suits their own taste," anastounding 72 per cent agreed, while only 12 per centdisagreed. The reaction to this question may indicate a widearea of tolerance, but at the same time it reveals skepticismtoward religion and toward finding truth. The attitude of a largemajority is that it is impossible to find a real god or to findabsolute truth, therefore, let every man choose as he will on thebasis of feeling.WHYFEW BELIEVERS?We might ask what the cause of this anti-religious sentimentcould be. Most students say that they have had noreligious education and have not talked much about religionwith their friends. Professor Basabe tells us that (1) the fact thatreligious instruction is forbidden in the schools boldly says thatreligion is not essential; (2) the fact that young people seemostly old people practicing religion says that religion is for theold and superstitious; (3) the study of religious wars and thepersecution of scientists by the church in history says thatreligion can be harmful; (4) and the study of Westernphilosophy such as that of Bertrand Russell, Nietzsche, andSartre leads them to feel that religion is irrational and that itimpedes human progress. It is, therefore, quite widely acceptedamong students that one who adheres to a religion is deprived ofhis freedom and initiative and is made to conform to a common.dull mold.How many Japanese students actually believe a religion?Though many may be claimed as adherents to the various cultsonly a mere 7.6 per cent profess some kind of religious faith.About the author: As a veteran missionary to Japan, Mr. Spearreveals his keen interest in Japanese youth and draws conclusionsrelative to our mission work in the light of a recereligious survey. Anyone who reads this article will besupplied with valuable suggestions regarding ways to pray foour mission work in Japan.16 COVENANTER WITNESS

Professor Basabe adds that parents seem to feel thatreligion is a personal problem and that it is a transgression of thespirit of democracy to tell children to follow one religion oranother. The sons of Christian parents do show a better attitudetoward religion than the general run, but even so, almost 43per cent of students from Christian homes agreed that"Religion is unnecessary for those who have self-confidence."ENCOURAGING ASPECTSWhen a westerner studies the religious attitudes of theJapanese he finds many things which seem to him to be contradictoryattitudes, though the Japanese may feel no contradiction.It is partly in these contradictions and partly in factsnot yet discussed that we find encouragement. For instance,though 72 per cent of the male students denied the objectiveexistence of any God, nevertheless, a great many of these wouldadmit that they feel a certain amount of jealousy with respect tothose who believe in some religion. In fact, it is undoubtedlytrue that a great many are seeking "something."In the survey made by Professor Basabe a number ofquestions were asked which would bring out more positiveattitudes toward religion. Briefly, the results of some of thesequestions indicated the following: About 70 per cent agreethat religion instills peace in the heart, About 65 per cent saythat religion saves a man from emptiness and loneliness. About45 per cent agree that religion gives meaning to man's life andclarifies the purpose of his existence. Somewhere between 30per cent and 40 per cent agree that religion helps with theproblem of death, that it helps solve anxieties, that it helps solvethe problems of society, and that a life based on religiondeserves respect. About 50 percent agree that religion contributesto peace in the world, that man must have respect forreligion, and that it would be a loss to mankind if religionshould ever disappear from the world. But only 18 per cent ofthe boys think religion is necessary for true happiness.Generally, 10 per cent more of the girls have a favorable attitudetoward religion as compared to the boys.The above attitudes show a great deal of tolerance forreligion. We might say that nearly half of the first year collegestudents are open to a consideration of religion. This surveyindicates that students in the Departments of Letters andForeign Languages are most favorable and students in thedepartments of Sciences and Medicine were more unfavorablethan other departments.The last statement concerning which students gave theiropinion was: ' Tt is necessary that at least once in his life a maninvestigate religion." The response to this statement was anencouraging 75 per cent of affirmative replies. One studentcommented, "If you are a man who takes life seriously, I thinkthat at least once you should investigate religion because it is sothoroughly connected with human existence." Yet manywould not investigate religion with a willingness to adhere to itas a believer, but only as a matter of understanding whatreligion is about.IN SUMMARYAs a kind of summary of this survey one might say that75 per cent of the students would study religion, around 60 percent recognize some positive values in religion and are toleranttoward it, 30 per cent show a great amount of respect forreligion, 18 per cent approve of religion as the great teacherwhich leads man to realize the values of beauty and goodnessand can bring man to genuine happiness, and 11 per centbelieve that religion is necessary for every man. In theseresponses we see that there is a great open door for thepreaching of the Gospel of Christ in Japan.An interesting sidelight is that 5 per cent of the studentssurveyed had attended Protestant or Catholic secondary schoolsbefore entering colleges or universities. Their attitudes towardreligion are definitely more positive than the general run,though most of them did not come from Christian homes. Wemust admit that many "Christian Schools" in Japan are in asad state when looked at from a Scriptural point of view. But itmust be admitted that they, nevertheless, have a positive influence.Slightly less than 8 per cent of the young men surveyedindicated that they were believers in any certain religion. Ofthese 2.7 per cent were Buddhists, .32 per cent were Shintoists,1.2 per cent were believers of new religions, and 3.07 per centwere Christians. It is remarkable to note that among thestudents Christianity seems to be the most popular religion.Moreover, in Japan less than one per cent of the populationprofesses to be Christian, whereas among the students enteringcolleges and universities more than 3 per cent profess to beChristian believers in one sense or another. Of these, theProtestants seem to outnumber the Catholics about two to one.In a separate pilot survey made by Professor Basabe itappears that about 45 per cent of the students "have a conceptand idea about God very similar to the God of Christianity,which is a God who is One, and Absolute and Personal." ThisGod really exists, Professor Basabe writes, "But in case theseyoung men should some day come to accept the existence ofGod, it will be this God and no other, whom they willrecognize." One student comments, "If there is a truereligion, the object of such a faith is not the type of vague godwhich most Japanese have in mind, but the God ofChristianity."The absence of definite opposition toward Christianitymay be interpreted as a favorable attitude. A survey of theattitudes of men from 20 to 40 years of age indicates that 47 percent feel no special attraction for any religion, including theirown. But 17.2 per cent said they were attracted to Christianity.Professor Basabe writes, "The relatively large percentage ofthose who feel a keen sympathy for Christianity over their ownfaith is an interesting point. Once again this fact proves that theinfluence of Christianity in Japan is far greater than the actualnumber of baptized persons." With respect to the feeling ofantipathytoward certain religions, 51.6 per cent felt noaversion for any religion, 42.2 per cent felt aversion for SokkaGakkai (a new religion), 6.2 per cent mentioned new religions,while not a single person mentioned Christianity as the object ofhis antipathy. Some of us might wonder whether this is good orbad.These are some of the results of Professor Basabe's surveyand some of the conclusions which he draws. This surveyreveals to us the great need for the true Gospel in Japan. We cansee also that there is a great deal of indifference and evenresistence to the Gospel, but at the same time there is a greatopportunity presented to us. About 25 per cent are quite willingto listen. This survey also gives us a lot of information as to howto present the Gospel, for by it we can better understand thethinking of young people and speak more clearly to the needsthey have.GENE SPEAROCTOBER 10, 1973 17

"DOOR OPEN UPWARD" TOCHINAThe Communique of Ambassadorsfor Christ, a Washington, D.C. basedorganization for the evangelization ofChinese, working chiefly among andthrough students, carries as its feature,an article by Jonathan Chao, in whichhe says, ". . .the open door (to China)is THE DOOR THAT IS INSIDECHINA. It opens UPWARD andINWARD to China's own Christians."Other items in the Communique arein large measure in agreement as toconventional doors for the Gospel beingclosed for the immediate future: "nochance of mass travel to China byAmericans in the near future."They also report that the HongKong Immigration Office states that '' 1in 6 (700,000) Hong Kong residentshave visited China in the first 11months of 1972."CHRISTIAN PSYCHIATRYPossibly it was coincidence, and nota reflection of the proportion ofChristian doctors in psychiatry, butseveral of those Mrs. Kilpatrick and Iencountered personally at the InternationalCongress of ChristianPhysicians at Toronto last summer,were psychiatrists. They all appeared,on short contact at least, to be sensible,Bible believing Christians. But theoverall picture seems to be one callingfor serious concern. The NationalObserver is reported: "A growingnumber of troubled souls give confessionto the therapists, instead of'their church leader.' Millions seekspiritual solace in weekly encountergroups, instead of churches.PSYCHIATRY is well on its way toreplacing religion in America."AMAZING POLITICAL AC­COMMODATIONPolitics has been described as "thescience of the possible," and accommodationis an element never farabsent. Human Events, in the light ofthe recent appearance together of18inxpsesIRev. Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010Senator Edward Kennedy and GovernorGeorge Wallace, where they exchangedcompliments, recalls for us someprevious compliments exchanged.Edward Kennedy, four years ago:'' George Wallace stood for division andsuppression. My brothers believed inthe dignity of men. How can those whostood for them support a man whoseagents used cattle prods and dogsagainst human beings in Alabama?"And George Wallace, last July, concerning"Teddy" Kennedy: "He'sreally one of the pluperfect hypocrites.He's more interested in the vanity of hisown prestigious career than in doingimportant things."Surely the answer to such innuendoand abuse and bitterness, is outspokensubmission to the Lord, our Savior andSovereign. Yet there are still thoseChristians who would exclude anyspecifically Christian reference frompolitical life.QUMRAN ("DEAD SEA")TREASUREEvangelical Action (Australia)reports that some of the fragments ofmanuscripts discovered back in 1947,(many are still being studied andidentified), which were dated beforethey were deciphered, as of 50 A.D.,have now been discovered to be parts ofthe Gospel of Mark in Greek. If thedating is accurate, it would require therevising of most estimates of the date ofwriting of the Gospel of Mark."As one writer put it, 'If thisleading papyrologist is correct, allcontemporary Bartian and Bultmannianviews of the New Testament's formationwill come crashing down in oneinglorious heap.' " This is no doubttrue, but it will require some revision ofjudgment as to the date of its compositionon the part of believing Biblestudents as well.MISSOURI SYNOD, LUTHERANSPresident Preus, crusading conservativeleader who has been waging abattle in recent months against what heconsiders teaching in ConcordiaSeminary which is contrary to Lutherandoctrine, has been reelected at theirmeeting in New Orleans in July.According to Evangelical Press News,the election was the occasion for a 500-strong "walkup" to the platform, thatcarried signed objections to some ofPreus' directives."HIGH FLIGHT"According to EPN, "High FlightFoundation, a non-profit, Christian,humanitarian organization, started andheaded by former astronaut Col. JamesIrwin, is sponsoring five, week-long'spiritual renewal' retreats this summerfor former American POWs, theirfamilies, and families of men missing inaction." Nearly 500 families acceptedthe invitation, all expenses, includingtransportation, housing and food forthose attending, is underwritten by"High Flight." Retreats are held atEstes Park, Colo, and Snow MountainRanch, Colo. EPN gives no furtherinformation as to the type of aid andcomfort offered, or about individuals inplaces of leadership in this project ofmercy, only that funds are provided by"churches, businesses and concernedindividuals.""PIRATE STATION?"It is reported that Carl Mclntireplans to set up "Radio Free America,"on a ship anchored three miles off theNew Jersey coast, so he can continuethe broadcasts silenced by the refusal ofthe Federal Government to renew thelicense of WXUR, Media, Pa., ownedby Faith Theological Seminary."CONSCIENCE" BILLJefferson City, Mo. (EP) —Missouri's legislature has passed a"conscience" bill allowing medicalpersonnel as well as hospitals to refuseto assist or perform abortions.The measure, expected to be signedby Gov. Christopher S. Bond, is theonly abortion-related act of the currentsession of the General Assembly.CHINA DRUGSBob Hammond, a longtimemissionary in Hong Kong, reports thatopium production and heroin exportfrom China have greatly increased,"Now that Turkey has been virtuallyeliminated as a major producer," andthat "This clandestine operation mustbe recognized as a form of subversivechemical warfare."COVENANTERWITNESS

"CountHerTowers..." fjf ii iiiRIMERSBURG(Wayne Duffield, pastor)Pulpits were exchanged June 17between Rev. Joseph Caskey and ourpastor.A church picnic was held July 14 at alocal picnic area. Swimming and picnicingwere enjoyed by the whole group.Work on the new church parking lothas been completed. At present the trimon the church is being painted. Theparsonage was just recently sided withaluminum with all the trim being freshlypainted.WESTMINSTER(J. Paul McCracken)During the month of July theFellowship Committee, headed by JackMcCready, planned two very enjoyable"fun times." A lawn party with homemadeice cream was held in WashingtonPark and a swimming party and picnic washeld in Northlake Community Building.We had a delightful evening in GreeleyAugust 10 as Bob Copeland of KansasCity introduced the new Psalter to us inthis area. Communion Services wereAugust 23-26 with Rev. Paul Martinfrom Phoenix here to assist.Wendell McBurneyto New PositionDr. Wendell F. McBurney, Presidentof the Board of Education and Publicationof the R.P Church, has accepted theposition of Assistant Dean of the Office forSponsored Programs — Research andAdvanced Studies, Office of the Chancellor.Indiana University-PurdueUniversity at Indianapolis (IndianaUniversity Medical Center), and will alsobe Academic Analyst for the IndianapolisCenter for Advanced Research.OCTOBER 10, 1973He was formerly the Coordinator forSchool Science at Indiana University. Heand his wife Jean (Willson) have twochildren and he is an Elder in theBloomington, Ind. congregation.STERLING(Bruce Backensto, pastor)Mr. Robert Ulrich preached for usJune 24th before he was married thefollowing Saturday in Hutchinson, Kans.Aug. 4th the descendants of Mr. andMrs. James McKissick had a familyreunion picnic in the Wright Park inDodge City, Kans. Fifty members werepresent.Our evening adult class is studyingHebrews with Mrs. W. M. Doughterty asteacher.The F. A. Oline family met at Sterlingfor a reunion. All seven of the childrenand all but two of the in-laws were present.The evening of Aug. 7 was open house atthe college so the community could calland visit.EASTVALE(Kermit S. Edgar, pastor)Our Vacation Bible School, with anaverage attendance of 66, was profitablenot only for studying the Word together.but for the sending S24.00 of the offeringsto the Bible-A-Month Club of theAmerican Bible Society.Eastvale congregation welcomes Mr.Albert J. Miller into our membership.Mr. Miller was a member of our SabbathSchool during Dr. Edgar's earlierpastorate here.Laurelville Family Camp was the'Home awav from Home' in August for atleast ten tuil-time registrants and severalpart time attendants from our group.Eastvale and Four Mile churches arenot far apart in distance, and are closer inacquaintance after enjoying a picnicsupper and an evening of games andfellowship at Bradv's Run Park in lateJuly.After a summer's graduate study atCentral Michigan University, R. PaulMathews of West Branch, Michigan, hadtwo weeks with family and friends atBeaver Falls and Pittsburgh.Dr. and Mrs. Roy M. Adams and sonJohn journeyed to Europe for a Conferencein Germany with other chemistryspecialists. Some car travel was to beincluded in their schedule abroad.Our pastor and Mrs. Edgar left onAugust 20 for an interesting workpleasurevacation. As Projection MethodsDirector of the National WCTU, Mrs.Edgar had several speaking engagementswhile in St. Paul and Minneapolis.Members and friends of Mrs. Grace(Wallace) Swartz, formerly of Eastvale,now of Juno, Florida, are thankful thatprayers are being answered for herrecovery following a massive coronary,suffered several weeks ago.W.M.S. PROGRAMSThe Uniform Booklets tor theWomen's Synodical Missionary Societyfor 1974 will be ready for mailing Oct. 20.The price is $.45 each and may be orderedfrom Mrs. Edward Forest, 719 MaxwellSt., Orlando, Florida 32804.DONALD R. DODDSDonald R. Dodds died June 12,1973. He was born in Blanchard, Iowaand moved to Los Angeles at an earlyage. Later, the family moved to VanNuys, California where he attendedschool. After graduating he worked forthe Western Electric Company for manyvears and at his death was a supervisor.He was a member of the LosAngeles Session and at the time of hisdeath he had been serving as Clerk. Hewas also a member of the choir andserved the church in other capacities.Donald loved his Lord and servedthe church faithfully. He leaves avacancy in the hearts of thecongregation.He is survived by his wife, a son, abrother and a twin sister.Blessed are they who die in the Lord.I.os Angeles Session19

THEWlWli that will Surprise You!Reveals Spiritual Meaning of VersesGives Desired Information More QuicklyBible57 FEATURES 8 GREAT DEPARTMENTS MAKE—THE NEW CHAIN-REFERENCE BIBLEFOURTH IMPROVED EDITIONTruly a Bible PLUS a Biblical Library in ONE VolumeEDITED BY REV. F. C. THOMPSON, O.D., Ph.D.READ WHAT OTHERS SAY:Justice Glenn Terrell, Former Chief Justice of theSupreme Court of Florida: "The inscription over theentrance to the Graduate School Bldsr. of the FloridaState University in Tallahassee, Florida is:'The Half of Knowledge is to Know Where to Find Knowledge.'The New Chain Reference Bible is the 'Where' to findthe fullest spiritual truths and to gain the most completeknowledge of the Bible in the easiest way." Dr. Edw.L. R. Elson, Pastor. National Presbyterian Church,Washington. D.C.: "For twenty-five years. I have usedthe New Chain Reference Bible as my study and devotionalBible. For the preacher, teacher and student ofthe Bible, it is unsurpassed." Dr. Charles E. 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For themost usable and time saving helps, I suggest that onecarefully examine this Bible before buying any other."Rapidly Replacing Other Bibles—Has So Many More New Helps!1. Unique chart showing Origin and Growth of theEnglish Bible.2. The Outline Studies of Bible Periods, comparingBiblical History with Contemporary Secular History.3. The Analysis of the Bible as a Whole.4. The Analysis of each of the 66 Books of the Bible.5. The Analysis of every Chapter of the New Testament.6. The Analysis of the Verses of the entire Bible.7. The Numerical Chain Reference System.8. Special Analysis of the Important Bible Characters.9. Contrast between the Old and New Testaments.10. The Topical Treasury. New Topics for PrayerMeetings, Men's. Women's, Young People's Meetings, etc.11. Special Bible Readings for private devotions andpublic services. New and different subjects.12. Bible Harmonies of the Lives of Moses and Paul.13. Special Portraits of Jesus.14. Chart of the Messianic Stars.15. Chart showing cause of the Babylonian Captivity.16. Chart of the Temple of Truth, illustrating theSermon on the Mount.17. Chart of Jesus' Hours on the Cross.18. The Christian Workers'Outfit. Of Special value tosoul winners.19. All Prominent Bible Characters Classified, listingthe Patriarchs, Leaders in Early Hebrew History, etc.20. Golden Chapters of the Bible.21. A Complete General Index of over seven thousandtopics, names, and places.22. Special Memory Verses selected from each Book ofthe Bible.23. Chart showing Seven Editions of Divine Law.24. Graph of the Prodigal Son.25. Bible Mnemonics, or how to memorize.26. The Principles and Best Methods of Bible study.27. Pictorial niustration of the River of Inspiration.28. Bible Markings, Explaining best methods of markingone's Bible.29. Concordance.30. Atlas of 12 colored maps with index.Other Features in Text Cyclopedia31. Topical Study of the Bible. Correlated Scripturesprinted out in full under 2467 topics and sub-topics.Three times as many as in any other Bible.32. Contrast Study of Great Truths of the Bible. Enablesyou to study the Constructive and DestructiveForces of Life with the Bible verses printed out in full.33. Life studies, such as Business Life, Home Life, etc34. Bible Stories for Children. A list of 56 stories tobe read from the Bible itself.35. Miracles of both the Old and New Testaments.36. Parables of the Old Testament. Parables of theNew Testament, each Gospel.37. Titles and names of Christ; of the Holy Spirit; ofGod the Father; and of Satan.38. General Bible Prophecies.39. A list of the Prophets of the Bible.40. List of the Judges of Israel and Judah.41. List of the Notable Women of the Bible.42. Mountains and Hills referred to in Bible.43. Dictionary Material.44. Tables of Time, Money, Weights and Measures.More Unusual Features in the Helps45. 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Places of Religious Worship, Hebrew Times, Festivalsand Religious Officials.New in the Fourth Improved Edition57. Archaeological Supplement. Over 100 Illustratedaccounts of discoveries in Bible lands linked by numberwith the Bible textTHIRTEEN DISTINCTIVE BINDING STYLES REASONABLY PRICED $16.35 to $37.35B. B. Q$rkl>rule BIBLE COJNC.DEPT. W 7810 P.O. BOX 606MostHelpfulBiblePublishedThe Revised Version is given inthe wide margin opposite the verses,wherever an important difference inmeaning occurs.Be Fair to Yourself!See this special Bible with its onequaledpractical helps before youbuy any Bible—er yeu may regretit as others have. Ask your pastorabout it. No other Bible is so highlypraised by so many renownedBible Students.SEND NOWfor thisbig FREEdescriptive I *BOOKAgents WantedB. B. KIRKBRIDE BIBLE CO.. INC.Dept.W 7K10 P.O. 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GOYENANfER• .. . , • ••.-•'-•:; --jr\>i .-..,-'•• " :-:•:'•.-. .":.,'•-'•: ..•-. . •-• *' . ''-SiWimW-'-'-S' • :-'W —•—• •— •- • • - • • • - — • ••^ WETNESS^SiMi&.accent:evangeli??/ M "'"•'sm:>f. • ^'"f.A Closer Look at"Key '73,:....../v/V.: ...p.* "i • . .Circumventing the' Church in' Evangelism . • ,'. p. 6Fellowship as ...Evangelism .. .*,.. ...,. p.8.-.•. ftS'jWhat? Me Visit .'the Sick.............. .... p.' 10 ; •

A CLOSER LOOK AT KEY '73Reports coming in on the success of Key 73, the vastinterdenominational evangelistic effort, have not been asglowing as some hoped they would be. Obviously, asCnristians we desire to see more response to the Gospel as itis preached. As Calvinists we are distorting our doctrine ofthe sovereignty of God if we are matter-of-fact about thefewness of those being saved. Predestination should never bean escape mechanism for not having adequately presentedthe claims of Christ to the world.At the same time, it is only fair to say that some havehad less than joyful expectation about Key 73 all along. Thisis not because they are hypercritical pessimists who will notsupport the efforts of other Christian brothers. Rather, theyhave had grave misgivings about Key 73's commitment tothe CONTENT of the Gospel. While we cannot dictate tothe Holy Spirit in what denominational context He is towork, we nonetheless must be protective of the Gospel itselfto see that what is presented is not, by default or design,what the Apostle Paul calls "another Gospel."Key 73 has been very broadly evangelical in her approach.She has not openly condoned liberalism orsacramentalism, but her member denominations containmany adherents of these "other Gospels." Lest she offend,Key 73 has walked a course that has skirted such issues asthe sovereignty of God in evangelism and the inspiration andauthority of the Scriptures. In her unwillingness to defineGod's saving message, she has been officially weak andineffective. This is not to say that many evangelicalorganizations and churches have not been able to ' 'beef up''the skeletal guidelines of Key 73. Indeed Key 73 leaders haveencouraged them to do so. But those who did this found thelines of division much sharper than Key 73 made them outto be.In the vernacular, Key 73 appears to be a "mixedbag." Had she sought for the genuine unity of the Gospelbefore she launched her program, the ineffectuality that hasarisen would not have taken place. God never deserts thefaithful proclamation of His Word. It is to be hoped thatmuch spiritual blessing may yet be derived from Key efforts,but this can be true only as God's Word is ministered infaithfulness.Evangelism must always be examined as to what itsays. We cannot merely be satisfied with impressive uses ofmass media and group enthusiasm. Evangelism is more thanadvertising the Gospel! Evangelism must reach the wholeman with the reality of Christ and his salvation.This issue of the Witness contains three significantarticles to awaken us to Biblical methods of evangelism. PaulMcCracken states the case for and against going outside theinstitutional church to form evangelistic agencies. Morethan this, he suggests a far-reaching antidote to the problemsas they exist today. Charles Sterrett strikes a very practicalnote on the why and how of hospital visitation as a form ofChristian witness open to all. Jim Carson opens up a uniqueaspect of evangelism as he talks about Christian socialfellowship as a basic aspect of Biblical evangelism. If we wantsomething better than what groups like Key 73 have to offer,none of us can afford to pass by what these three articles haveto say.R.W.N.R. W. CASKEY WRITES ONNATIONAL REFORM WORKSeveral months ago I was asked by the Editor of theCovenanter Witness to write my thoughts about entering on thework of the National Reform Association.I did not seek the position of Administrative Secretary, infact I had never considered the possibility of my being asked toassume this position. When I was approached on the subject Iwas inclined to accept.Certainly no right thinking person can fail to see the greatneed for reform in our nation and in the world. I am particularlydistressed because the doctrine of the separation of the churchand state at the present time is being drawn to such ridiculousextremes. When people talk about the separation of church andstate they are usually talking about the separation of the statefrom God. Current events teach us that our nation badly needsthe help of God. It appears to me that man by himself is no moreable to provide us with a strong, capable, just governmentwithout the help of God, than a five year old child is able toprovide adequate food and clothing for himself. I firmly believein the separation of church and state, the two are distinct andindependent institutions but they still need to cooperate for thebest interests of mankind, and both need the wisdom and thepower which God alone can give.I am also concerned because many in the church see noneed for the church having anything to say about God's ordinanceof civil government. John Calvin on the other handdeals with the matter of civil government in the 20th chapter ofthe fourth book of his "Institutes of The Christian Religion."Writing to justify his dealing with civil government in his"Institutes of The Christian Religion" he writes; "Foralthough this subject seems from its nature to be unconnectedwith the spiritual doctrine of faith, which I have undertaken totreat, it will appear as I proceed, that I have properly connectedthem, nay, that I am under the necessity of doing so, especiallywhile, on the one hand, frantic and barbarous men are furiouslyendeavoring to overturn the order established by God, and, onthe other, the flatterers of princes, extolling their powerwithout measure hesitate not to oppose it to the government ofGod. Unless we meet both extremes, the purity of faith willperish."I agree with Calvin that the church not only should, butmust, make known the will of God for civil government. Ifitdoes not the nation will be in trouble and "purity of faith willperish."R. W. Caskey~> COVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.VOLUME LXXXLXNO. 22OCTOBER 24, 1973AWITCONTENTSARTICLES:Trick or Treat? rCircumventing the Church in Evangelism.Fellowship as Evangelism.What? Me Visit the Sick?Mao's China.FEATURES:A Word Due.Glimpses.Hey Lookit!.Distaff Deductions.Bring the Books.Count Our Days.. .4.6.8.10.14.2.12.. .13.1719.20SUBSCRIPTIONINFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, £2, 1 year;£3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 51221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 800 Wood St.,Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.Known office of publication: Box K,Winchester, Kansas 66097. Secondclass postage paid at Winchester,Kansas 66097.lv»NG'.'C» rotss »SSOC'»"ONNational ConferenceAugust 15-22ccmleton74PlanNow!OCTOBER 24, 1973^

The Real Issue Behind HalloweenTrickor Treat?Most of us, when we think aboutHalloween think about Pumpkins, Cider,Masquerades, Candy, "Trick or Treat."We think in terms of orange and black, thetraditional Halloween colors. We may alsothink in terms of ghosts and witches andgoblins. Where did these ideas andcustoms come from? How should aChristian respond to them?ORIGINHalloween has its origin in pagantimes. In part, it is a survival of the ancientBriton's autumn festival in honor ofthe sun-god. They firmly believed thatSamhain, the lord of death, assembled thesouls of those who had died during thepreceding year. These souls were thoughtto revisit their homes on this night. Thisexplains some of the preoccupation withdeath, the spirits of the dead and life afterdeath on Halloween. October 31 was alsothe eve of the new year in Celtic andAnglo-Saxon times. This was the annualtime for renewing laws and land tenures. Itwas thought to be the most favorable timefor divinations concerning marriage, luck,health and death. People were trying todetermine what the New Year had in storefor them. It was the only day in which thehelp of the devil was invoked for suchpurposes. Much of the "divining" wasdone by young women to determine theidentity of their future mate. The customof bobbing for apples was originally usedfor this purpose. One was supposed tocome up with the apple with his or herlover's name on it. Because the divinationwas appealing to Satan for help, this wasanother reason that attention onHalloween centers on ghosts, goblins,witches, and other creatures of the underworld.Halloween is also descendedfrom the Roman festival in honor ofRomana, the goddess of fruit and gardens.This is why pumpkins, apples, cider, andother fall fruits are often included inHalloween customs. The origin of the"jack-o-lantern" is somewhat ambiguous.Supposedly, it comes from a mannamed Jackwho played jokes onSatan. His punishment was to never enterheaven or hell, but roam the earth with ahollowed out pumpkin carved in theappearance of a demon's face and with alighted candle inside. There may also besimilarity to the Chinese lanterns whichwere also made with grotesque faces andwere carried to ward off the evil spirits.The above are the heathen customsand beliefs which were practiced forcenturies. These customs were also part ofthe life of the people in the church. Duringthe 700's, the Roman Catholic Church,in an effort to combat the influence ofthese customs, named November 1 as AllSaints Day, a day of commemoration of allthe saints in Heaven. This was in accordancewith the custom of the RomanChurch of observing special days in honorof particular "saints." This custom andpractice, still observed today, is withoutany Biblical warrant. November 1 wasdeclared a special feast day for all thesaints. It was also called All Hallows Day.This led to calling October 31 AllHallows Even, or Hallow E'en. The resultDEAN R. SMITHwas that the old pagan customs and theChristian feast day were combined into theHalloween festival. The thinking of theRoman Church appears to have centeredon the idea of compromise with paganism,instead of conversion from it.In succeeding generations, eachcountry has developed its own customsand traditions in regard to Halloween. InNorthern England, October 31 is observedas "Mischief Night" in which theyoung people engage in variousquestionable activities, under the guise of"mischief."In our church archives can be founddirections for a "Tarn O'ShanterHalloween Party," indicating that someof the Scottish forefathers had not divorcedthemselves from the pagan customs.During the Reformation, efforts weremade to abolish both the religious and thepagan observances. As we can see fromthe prevailing practices today these effortswere not completely successful.About the author: Dean Smith is oneof the younger pastors in the R.P.CN.A. His provocative ideas, such asthose expressed in this article, aptlyqualify him for his present ministry atthe College Hill Reformed PresbyterianChurch in Beaver Falls, Pa.4 COVENANTER WITNESS

How should the Christian approachHalloween.-' Having seen the origin andthe background of Halloween customs andpractices, let us now try to evaluate itfrom a Christian perspective. Let us beginby pointing out that a distinction must bemade between practices which are "indifferent"(about which the Scriptures saynothing) and practices which are clearlyunbiblical. The apostle Paul deals withthis same principle in regard to meatwhich had been sacrificed to idols.In 1 Corinthians 8:4 he states:"Therefore, concerning theeating of things sacrificed to idols,we know that there is no suchthing as an idol in the world, andthat there is no God but one."(NASB)In 1 Corinthians 10:25,27 — He addsthese statements:"Eat anything that is sold in themeat market, without, askingquestions for conscience sake.""If one of the unbelievers invitesyou, and you wish to go, eatanything that is set before you,without asking questions forconscience' sake." (NASB)Paul makes a great effort to point out thatmeat which has been sacrificed to an idol isnot contaminated in any way by the idol,because the idol is nothing. In the succeedingverses in these chapters, Paul'sonly concern is that the Christian whounderstands this would not do anything tooffend a Christian who does not yet understandit. Nevertheless, he continues toaffirm the point that the idol cannotcontaminate the meat.There is a clear application here interms of some of the customs ofHalloween. The fact that there may besome past origin in heathen thinking orcustom does not mean that the same orsimilar practices today are necessarilysinful. The practice of bobbing for apples isa good illustration. Once it was a part ofdivination, but today the custom hasnothing to do with divination, it is merelya contest or a game. The same thingapplies to costumes or masquerades. TheScriptures say nothing about using yourimagination or dressing up as someone orsomething else for the purpose of a gameor a party.THE DANGERThese things become sinful anddangerous when they are associated withthe work and activity of Satan. This is themost dangerous aspect of Halloween. It isOCTOBER 2i. 1971a time when people treat very lightly thework and activity of Satan and his legions.This is particularly true in our time whenthere is a renewed interest in Satanworship, witchcraft, demonology. InDeuteronomy 18:9-18 God specificallyforbids His people to become involvedwith divination, witchcraft, sorcery,casting of spells, calling up the dead, orany of the practices associated with thesethings. God does not allow His people toturn aside to other devices to determineHis will or to influence their future. Instead,God declares that He revealsHimself thru His Word, not thru theoperations of those in darkness. Paulmakes it clear in Ephesians 6:11-12 thatwe are engaged in a warfare."Put on the full armor of God,that you may be able to stand firmagainst the schemes of the devil.For our struggle is not againstflesh and blood, but against therulers, against the powers,against the world forces of thisdarkness, against the spiritualforces of wickedness in theheavenly places."If we are engaged in a battle against theworldforces of this darkness and againstspiritual forces, we ought not to becompromising with these forces bycooperating in the world's observance ofHalloween. Masquerades may be innocentand apple-bobbing may be innocent, butencouraging or approving of witches.ghosts, and goblins and devils is clearlysomething which Christians must avoid.The Scriptures warn us to resist Satan andall of his schemes and all of his influence.We must not treat lightly or ignoreHalloween's clear connection with Satanand Satanic forces. We must be consistentin our training of our children and avoidthe ambivalence of warning about Satan inthe church on the one hand, but approvingof Satanic influences in oureveryday activities. This raises thequestion about whether the Christianshould engage in any of these activities onHalloween. Even if we engage only in the"indifferent" activities, to do so at thesame time the world is observingHalloween may cause people to concludethat we are approving all of the Halloweenactivities. This is an area in which eachChristian must discern the Scriptures anddecide for himself.MISCHIEFWhat about Halloween "mischief?"We must recognize that we live in a worldthat has no absolute standards. There aremanv things which appear to be harmless"pranks" but which are still in violationof Biblical standards. The Scripturalcommand is to love my neighbor asmvselt. If I would not enjoy being theobject of a prank, then I must avoid doingit to someone else. Soaping windows,throwing eggs, tipping over outhouses (afavorite trick of the past) are not reallyharmless, but are in violation of theScriptural command of respect for myneighbor's person and possessions. TheChristian must avoid treating lightly thatwhich God takes seriously.TRICK OR TREATThis brings me finally to the prevailingcustom of "Trick or Treat." This is aresult of what was discussed above interms of Halloween mischief. Basically.Trick or Treat means "If you don't wantme to do something nasty to you, give mesomething nice."It is amazing how manyof us miss the subtlety of this kind ofreasoning Saving "Trick or Treat" is thesame as a thief saying. "Your money oryour life." It differs only in the degree ofthe sin. God commands us to be holy(Continued on page 11.)5

The Rise of Non-Church Agenciesc " N c « / ,TIHE ChuRck tINEvANGEliSMJ. PAUL McCRACKENA great amount of the evangelistic work being done byChristians in the world today is outside the framework andoversight of the organized, visible Church. This is not todeny that the Church is evangelizing. Often its labors are farless visible and dramatic. The reporting of evangelistic workby the Church is often limited in scope. Coincidently, thelast hundred years have seen a proliferation of widelypopularized, non-church agencies and evangelisticmovements unmatched in any period of history.Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, the Navigators,Campus Crusade, Young Life, Youth for Christ, ChildEvangelism, L'Abri Fellowship, and the Billy GrahamEvangelistic Association are only a beginning. Less familiar,perhaps, are International Students, the Coalition for6Christian Outreach, Christianity on Campus, ChristianBusinessman's Committee, International, the Full GospelChristian Businessman's organization, Teen Challenge,Word of Life camps, and literally hundreds more. Add to thisthe great number of non-denominational, independentmission boards, and we can begin to see the magnitude ofthis movement to evangelize the world through extra-churchagencies.About the author: Paul McCracken is the R.P pastor forthe Westminster Fellowship, a newly organizedcongregation in the Denver, Colorado area. He serves aspresident of Synod's Board of Evangelism and also serveson the Foreign Mission Board.COVENANTER WITNESS

How should the Christian who is committed to thebuilding and strengthening of the visible Church look uponsuch agencies and movements? To many of us they havebeen both challenging and frustrating. Challenging, becausethey often exhibit remarkable enthusiasm and organizationwhile exerting boundless energy in their chosen area ofevangelization. Frustrating, because of nagging questionsthat arise regarding the message they proclaim, the methodsthey use, and the goals they pursue.EARLY NON-CHURCH MOVEMENTSThe issue of non-church agencies doing the work ofevangelism is in no sense new to our generation.Throughout the history of the Church, since the days of theApostles, such independentism has been a factor in theimpact of Christianity in the world. As far back as the fourthcentury, the influx of nominal and corrupt religion into theChurch and widespread moral degeneracy moved many aspiritual man to adopt the life of an ascetic or become a kindof extra-church teacher apart from the official life of theorganization.Anthony of Thebes is considered the "patron saint"of such persons, a man of wealth who repudiated hispossessions and became an independent ascetic and teacherof Christianity. Though he desired to be alone, many soughthim out; he was involved in struggling against the Arianheresies, and he strongly influenced both emperors and thecommon man. Yet Anthony, with all of his monasticidealism, was not anti-church, but desired the reformation ofthe Church and the exhibition of the truth in lives lived inholiness.The famous Simon Stylites is a somewhat more bizarreexample, a man who suffered self-imposed privations bytaking up his abode on the top of a pillar sixty feet from theground, from which he preached to the curious and devotedpeople who gathered. Around men like Anthony and SimonStylites, small monkish communities were formed,organizations which differed in the strength of their devotionto the Church Visible.During the Middle Ages, hundreds of separatereligious orders were formed, both for men and women,devoted usually to celibacy and poverty. These differedwidely from the ascetic (devoted to meditation) to the"secular" (devoted to serving mankind). Although therewas a measure of independency manifested in thesemovements, yet they basically existed with the permission ofthe Popes, and had in view the service of God in connectionwith His Church. To many of these orders can be attributedmuch of the missionary activity of the Church in variouslands during the Middle Ages.TRENDS SINCE THE REFORMATIONWhen the Protestant Reformation appeared, its resultwas the gradual development of many separate ecclesiasticalbodies. Some became well organized churches, while othersresisted the structured systems they had known before. Thelater development of the strong congregational and independentchurch movement had a marked effect on thedevelopment of non-church agencies, and prepared the wayfor them.But even though Protestant groups were born obviouslythrough the evangelistic concern of other believers,often the churches formed took a posture of antagonism toattempts to evangelize other parts of the world. WilliamCarey, who in the late 1700s expressed his desire to be sentto India to evangelize, was reportedly told by a churchleader, "Young man, if God has in mind to convert theheathen, He will do it without your help or mine." Thus itcame about that a man strongly motivated to evangelize athome or abroad would often feel that the Church was adeterrent rather than a guide and support to him. Add to thisthe strong, independent spirit of many Christians and theirdetermination to serve God, and we see the way paved forevangelistic activity outside the Church.TODAY'S SITUATIONLeTs see-- fr\uv*ctax^ i^ ¥*>vV>\c STU64JFri'dcu^ ir> L\ou-TV\ £x>r CV\v\s-f, SfX-tu^ricu. («,Cawwp

JAMES D. CARSONFellowship as EvangelismPart 1:The Biblical Basis for FellowshipDr. Kenneth Scott Latourette, in his seven volumework entitled A History of the Expansion of Christianitydescribes the world into which Christianity came as aworld ' 'in process of change. '' He states, ' 'old institutionswere crumbling . . . many individuals wereseeking fellowship, an answer to the questions whichdisturbed them, and a solution for their own ills and thoseof society .... Men 's geographical and politicalhorizons had broadened, and the old social and politicalgroupings had been weakened or dissolved. The individual,thus cast adrift, was seeking security. Themystery cults were for the individual. They offeredfellowship. ''Then, later on, seeking reasons why Christianityachieved success in the face of many odds in the first 3centuries, he writes, "Often insecure, subject to oppressionfrom the powerful, presumably many of themwelcomed the fellowship afforded by the strong Christianorganization and the security which the faith promised forthe life to come. ''It surely seems that any consideration of therelation between fellowship and evangelism must reckonwith this view of history. Against this background, thistwo-part article will deal with the basis of Christianfellowship and the practice of fellowship. The secondconsideration will be presented in the next issue (Nov. 7)of the Witness.About the author: Rev. James Carson, now pastor of theLos Angeles R.P congregation, first presented thismaterial as a lecture in the 1972 Pre-Synod Conferenceon Evangelism. During his recently concluded 15 yearpastorate at North Hills, Mr. Carson displayed bis abilityand zeal to carry out the program he has suggested here.JESUS AND THE APOSTLES IN FELLOWSHIPWhen Jesus began his ministry, he prayed and thenselected twelve men who would be with him. The principalwork of Jesus was in contact with those 12 men. There weretimes — important times — when he spoke to the multitudes;and there were other times when Jesus dealt with individuals.But, by and large, Jesus' work and labor was centered in thefellowship of a small group totalling 13 persons. It was in thisassociation that Jesus guided his disciples. It was in this atmospherethat the disciples fought out their intellectual andemotional battles. It was here that the rough edges of theirpatterns of behavior were smoothed. It was in the security ofsuch a group that the disciples felt free to ask the deep andperplexing questions dealing with their own hearts' needs. Andit was from such fellowship that Jesus on occasion sent thedisciples out to do various activities in witnessing.Perhaps more significantly for us, there is the establishmentof an apostolic pattern described in Acts 2. As one followsthe progression of that historical account, he will find fourthings taking place: worship, education, fellowship andevangelism. And so one finds the believers gathering togetherfor worship, teaching (or being taught) concerning those thingsthat Jesus had taught them, engaging in that sense of"togetherness" that marked their lives. It was from suchassociation that evangelism sprang and the church grew. Sowhile I am not sure it would be wise to press this too far, I am ofthe opinion that the Biblical order is found here: worship,education, fellowship and evangelism. I think it can be shownthat when the order is reversed, or when the order is interrupted,that evangelism does not occur. It is on this basis thatI think one can prophesy the relatively short lives of many of thesegments of the Jesus movement and other groups that shortcircuitthe Biblical progression.It is therefore my contention that the example of Jesusand the apostolic pattern provide a pattern for us also in our day.Evangelism is a product of Christian fellowship.FELLOWSHIP IN PRESBYTERIANISMLet me move to a second area of consideration of the basisfor fellowship. We are still dealing here with Biblical data. Andthe reference I want to make is to presbyterianism. We statethat we believe that presbyterianism is the divinely inspiredorder of church government. I believe that. But I think theCOVENANTER WITNESS

order applies to more than church government. The basis ofpresbyterianism is the equality of the individual before God, butthe distinction of office. Paul reminds us in Galatians 3:26-29,"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Forall of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselveswith Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neitherslave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you areall one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then youare Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise."In the light of these verses, how can the writer to theHebrews command, "Obey your leaders, and submit tothem. . ." (13:17)? Because, while there is equality beforeGod, there is a distinction of office. It is this truth that needs tobe applied to inter-personal relations at all levels of life. Forexample, there is no inherent difference between male andfemale; but there is a distinction of office in that marriagerelationship, and it is the office of the husband to be the head ofthe wife.Now, if all this be true, then it demands of presbyteriansan interaction, a sharing, if you will, of themselves and amongthemselves. Each is to be of help to the other, and to bear hisburdens where it is possible for him to do so.Our Confession of Faith XXVI 1. picks up this aspectwhen it says, tbat the saints "have communion in each other'sgifts and graces and are obliged to the performance of suchduties, public and private, as do conduce to their mutual good,both in the inward and outward man." This is interaction. Theworshipper who comes only to the morning preaching service ismissing so much of the fellowship of believers. He is not interacting.And the church that fails to provide such opportunitiesfails at a significant point.My contention at this point is that presbyterianismdemands, by its very structure, Christian fellowship in broaderareas than church government. Here the saints find mutualencouragement and help.Alexander Smellie, in the book Men of the Covenant,gives us illustrations of the working out of this truth in the livesof our forebears. He writes concerning the society meetings:"They strengthened each other's hands in God. Over thewhole of the South of Scotland their gatherings for prayer andmutual counsel were held." He tells that at many meetingssubjects of immediate community or national concern would bediscussed. These were men who faced the realism of life. "But,in the midst of those anxious colloquies over the practicaldifficulties of the time, the Societies never forgot the perpetualclaims of the individual soul. Their meetings were homes ofearnest prayer and patient study of the Scriptures; and theworshippers who went to them would come away with theirfaces transfigured and their spirits empowered with new andheavenly strength." (pp. 377, 378)FELLOWSHIP AS KOINONlALet me turn to a third area of Biblical concern and that is astudy of the Greek word koinonia. Generally, this word istranslated fellowship, but not always. Interestingly enough, thisword does not occur in the Gospels, but certainly the ideaappears there. Thayer gives three definitions of koinonia. and Iwant to summarize these. The first has to do with "sharing.This is illustrated in 1 Corinthians 1:9, "God is faithful.through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son.Jesus Christ our Lord." This is a most instructive verse, for itties the doctrine of election with fellowship. When God calledyou, to what did He call you? Why, to fellowship with JesusChrist. God calls you to share or participate in the life of Christ.Another illustration of this same usage is in Philippians 3:10,". . .that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrectionand the fellowship of His suffering. . ." This passage shows theclose relationship between Paul and Christ and it brings to thefront the doctrine of our union with Christ — how that in unionwith Him we have fellowship in His sufferings. In this way weshare with Christ. Still another illustration of this same aspect ofthe word occurs in the benediction found in 2 Corinthians13:14 that speaks of the "fellowship of the Spirit." The marvelof that benediction is that God causes us to share in the life andpower and reality of the Holy Spirit. The same word also is usedby Paul when speaking of the fellowship around the Lord'stable, in the breaking of bread together.Thayer gives a second definition that can be summarizedby the word "agreement." One instance of this usage occurs inActs 2:42: "And they were continually devoting themselvesto the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking ofbread and to prayer." While it is true that no statement of faithis here recorded, I think it is apparent that those who weregathering together were in agreement about those things thatthey believed concerning Jesus Christ. Paul uses this word inGalatians 2:9, when he says that Peter and John gave to him'' the rignt hand of fellowship;'' here again, the thought is thatof mutual purpose and dedication as a part of the team. In thenegative, Paul asks in 2 Corinthians 6:14,15, ". . .whatfellowship has light with darkness?" Paul does not answer thatquestion directly. He does not need to. But he does go on topoint out to the Corinthians the very heart of the Covenantalrelationship, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and Iwill be their God, and they shall be my people." (v. 16) Sothere is a relationship between "fellowship" and the Covenantidea of Scripture.Thaver's third definition of this word is a bit harder tocatch. I am summarizing it by the one word "concern." For inthe New Testament, there are several references where theword koinonia is used to describe a collection of money. 2Corinthians 8:4; 9:13 and Romans 15 : 26 have the same idea,"For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make acontribution (koinonia) for the poor among the saints inJerusalem." In the last chapter of Hebrews, a chapter givenover to specific instructions as to how to live the Christian life,the writer savs. "And do not neglect doing good and sharing(koinonia); for with such sacrifices God is pleased.The classic passage on the subject of fellowship is found in1 John 1: ". . .what we have seen and heard we proclaim toyou also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeedour fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son JesusChrist . . If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yetwalk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but ifwe walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowshipwith one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses usfrom all sin." (vss. 3.6.7)To review thus far. we have been talking of the basis ofChristian fellowship and have seen this worked out through theexample of lesus and the apostles: through the medium ot thegovernment instituted by the New Testament tor ihe Churchand bv the use of koinonia which strongly suggests ihe i loserelationship between fellowship and the great cardinal doctrinesof our Christian faith. In the next issue ot the It ttrn \ \ we shallhe concerned with the practice of fellowship as it relates toevangelism•OCTOBER 24. 19 7 3

What?Me Visit the Sick?PracticalToo often we Christians live in adream world. We dream of things wemight do and do not do them. We reasonSuggestions forthat if we had some extra or outstandingabilities and talents we could do greatthings in the service of the King. But let'sface it, most of us have not been endowedwith outstanding talents or abilities. WeHospital Visitation are Mr. Nobody, and possibly we mayknow a person with ability.This should not discourage us, for theKingdom is powered by the Holy Spiritand He is pleased, in a large measure, touse Mr. and Mrs. Nobody and family asinstruments under His direction andcontrol.About the author: Those who knowThe task to which you are directed inthis article is that of visitation. We do not' 'Chuck '' Sterrett admire him as one have to be charming speakers, we do notwho practices the deep personal need to have personality oozing from ourconcern expressed in this article. He is pores, and we do not have to have thethe pastor of the Elkins Park R.Pcongregation near Philadelphia.feeling that we are doing something greatin the work of the Kingdom."Do not neglect to show hospitality tostrangers, for by this some have entertainedangels without knowing it.CHARLES STERRETTRemember the prisoners, as though inprison with them; and those who are illtreated,since you yourselves also are inthe body" (Hebrews 13:2,3).' 'This is pure and undefiled religion inthe sight of our God and Father, to visitorphans and widows in their distress, andto keep oneself unstained by the world"(James 1:27).As one visits he does not go withexpectations that he will be rewarded, forif this is his motivating force he will bedisappointed. "I was hungry, and yougave Me something to eat; I was thirsty,and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger,and you visited Me; I was in prison, andyou came to Me" (Matt. 25:35,36).And the reply of the righteous was,"When did we see YOU?"They were not conscious ofministering to the wants of the King. Andthe ungodly will respond that, if they hadbeen conscious of the King being in need,they would have responded.The righteous ministered to the Kingwhen they ministered to even the least of10 COVENANTER WITNESS

the brothers of Christ. And the wickedcould not see the relationship betweenChrist and the least of His brothers.Therefore as one would engage in aprogram of visitation he does not seeksituations in prescribed places, but ratherhe responds to the needs of those who arein these situations. (See the parable of theGood Samaritan. Lk. 10:30-37.)We must also realize that the responsemay not be overwhelming. We should notbecome discouraged when we think thingsare going wrong — when there seems tobe no response on the part of those we arevisiting.With these thoughts in mind we cango forth. We are not to be a world ofdreamers, we may wish for greatertalents, but wishing will not make it so.There is only one way to start and that isto start.It does not take a fancy wardrobe to dothis work. We need not have officialsneakers and T shirts to serve in thisarmy.One cardinal rule is to remember whyyou are visiting. You are not there to offera medical opinion. The doctors are not freewith their opinions, and why should we befree with our opinions? We have not hadmedical training and we may have missedthe last issue of the Reader's Digest or thelatest episode of Marcus Welby, M.D.As one visits the hospital, nursinghome, etc., he must show consideration tothe staff members of the institution. Thereare housekeeping chores, etc. and the staffmay be hard pressed to see that all of it iscarried out. We should not expect thatexceptions to the rules would be made forus. Is it not rather egotistical to believethat you are above the rules and that theyshould make exceptions for you?Also there must be consideration forthe one whom you are visiting. Manytimes a person may wish to have a visitprolonged but it may not be in the bestinterests of the individual that he engagein any prolonged visit and conversation.Possibly he is not interested in doingany talking when you are there. You maybe the most cheery person in the world;but if he does not want to have anyconversation, we should give considerationto his desires. He does not needto tell us by word; he indicates it byunresponsiveness.We should not consider our visit a lossjust because there was no conversation.The knowledge that there was a personwho showed interest is encouraging tomany. In the impersonal world of manylarge institutions the individual will find itencouraging that there is someone whoOCTOBER 24. 1973cares. (As we remarked before, the workload is so great that there is little time togive this individual attention to each andevery person.)In our visitation we should comeequipped with verses of Scripture. It maynot be possible to give the verse (or verses)we had in mind. I do not believe that theyshould be forced into the conversation. Acard or tract may be left and the personcan then read it at his leisure. One shouldalways be ready to speak and either makehis own openings or be ready when theopenings appear. And they do come!I do not feel that one should become aprofessional visitor, that is, one who feelsthat this is something that he must do. Hemakes it his job. He may get a reputationas some kind of a nut or fanatic and he willbe about as welcome as a plague. (Thereare some who desire this type of visitor.)Through visitation, doors of opportunityare opened. Not many patientsare in private rooms. They are either insemi-private or wards. The patients haveconversations with one another and thereis always the possibility that one or moreof the patients will be drawn into theconversation. Perhaps there will be aquestion which will arise and you will begiven an opportunity to speak concerningthe salvation which is in Christ Jesus.If the door of opportunity is to beentered, it is necessary that we have anunderstanding of our faith in Christ. Wecannot take the Scripture verse out ofcontext; we must know what is the thrustof that which we would speak.This is said not to discourage us fromvisitation, rather it is to encourage us tobecome better acquainted with theScriptures and to be drawn into a closerrelationship with our Lord and Saviour,Jesus Christ.You are not going to become bettervisitors by reading about the techniques ofvisitation, but by doing. In our doing thefollowing rules should be of help:(1) We are not there to give a medicalopinion;(2) We are to minister to the needs ofthose where we find them;(3) We are not to be disappointed ifthere appears to be no response;(4) We are to show consideration toall.Wemay be average, but that is noexcuse for our love and compassion to beaverage. In compassion, love, and understandingyou are invited to engage invisitation.+ + + + + +All Scripture references are from theNew American Standard Bible. •Trick or Treat?(from page 5)because He is holy. We are to be conformedto the image of Christ. We are notto be bribed into righteousness nor are weto threaten our neighbor that we will beunrighteous toward him. Trick or Treatmay sound cute or harmless on thesurface, but it is a totally unchristian andunbiblical approach to ethics. Even theidea of "Trick or Treat for UNICEF" isan attempt to make the end justify themeans. Simply because something may befor a "good cause" does not justify theuse of a threat to ge,t people to give to it orsupport it.CONCLUSIONSIt is essential for us to think Biblicallyabout all things, if we are going tomaintain a positive Christian witness inthe world. We must be willing to evaluateanything and everything in the light ofGod's revelation of Himself and His willin the Scriptures. We have attempted inthis article to evaluate the customs andpractices of Halloween in light of theScriptures. We recognize that some of thepractices are indifferent — the Scripturemakes no statement about them. Thesethings the Christian may use, if used inaccordance with other principles ofScripture. The Christian is under particularobligation, however, to avoid anypractice or activity in which he compromiseswith, participates in, or approvesof the work and activity of Satan. Participatingin these kinds of things is clearlyforbidden in the Scriptures. The Christianmust also avoid participation in or approvalof activities which may seemharmless, but which are based upon anunbiblical world and life view. This includesHalloween pranks and Trick orTreat, as mentioned above.Since the Scriptures declare that thesaints are those who are trusting in JesusChrist why not gather your Christianfriends or suggest to your church that theyhold a "Saints Day" party? Have it onNovember 1 instead of October 31. Havea masquerade, if you wish, but make itclear that nothing resembling the forcesoractivities of Satan will be acceptable. Tryto make it a fun time and see how much ofa positive Christian witness you can makeit! Make it a time for the "saints" andtheir families to gather together and torejoice in the Lord. Whether you have a"Saints Day" party or not, rememberthat in your observance of Halloween, asin all things your responsibility is to"glorify God and enjoy Him forever."11

"THE REAFFIRMATIONS OF 1973"Before these lines are in print the datefor the "Advisory Convention for theContinuing Presbyterian Church, inAsheville, N.C., August 7-9," will havecome and gone. There have been threesteps preceding this Convention. First,there was the "Steering Committee for aContinuing Presbyterian Church,'' whichapparently formulated and adopted the"Reaffirmations," a 5-page 12-sectiondocument with two parallel columns,contrasting the positions of the PCUS andthe "continuing church" party. Thencame "the Convocation of Sessions,"consisting of 452 elected representativesfrom 261 Southern Presbyterian Sessionswhich met in Atlanta and adopted the"Reaffirmations" on the 19th of May ofthis year. Then an "Organizing Committee,"which emerged from theConvocation of Sessions, called for the"Advisory Convention." The Chairman,Pro Tern, who signed the calling letter, isW. Jack Williamson, an attorney ofGreenville, Ala. and secretary of ConcernedPresbyterians, one of the fourgroups which took specific action back inAugust 1971, looking toward a "continuingPresbyterian Church."Eligible to attend the AdvisoryConvention as voting representatives areministers who have signed the "Reaffirmations,"also regularly appointeddelegates of Sessions and Congregationswhich have adopted the "Reaffirmations."The final paragraph of the document,"Commitment," reads:PCUS"We pledge our love and fellowship asbrothers in Christ with all those who knowJesus Christ as Savior and Lord but may,in this present time and situation, follow adifferent course of action, thus committingourselves to continued fellowshipin love with all men of good will and likeconviction of the truth — all for the gloryof God and the unity of the Kingdom ofour Lord Jesus Christ." (The source ofthis official PCUS statement is not cited.L.K.)12imp^edI Rev. Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010"CONTINUING CHURCH""Believing that unless two be agreedthey cannot walk together, the Convocationof Sessions, with profoundsorrow and many tears, has concludedthat there is a separation of those holdingdifferent idealogies within the PCUS, Wecommit ourselves to the rebirth andcontinuation of a Presbyterian Church inthe U.S. in accord with these reaffirmations,praying our Lord Jesus Christby the Holy Spirit to be our leader andhelper. We believe that acknowledgementof the separation and the inevitable rebirthcannot and should not be delayed, andtherefore call for the establishment during1973 of a continuing PresbyterianChurch, loyal to Scripture, the ReformedFaith, and committed to the spiritualmission of the Church as Christ commandedin the Great Commission."DIVISION WITHIN MISSOURISYNOD LUTHERANISMThe reelection of Dr. Jacob A. O.Preus by Missouri Synod Lutherans to asecond 4-year term, has been seen bysome observers as an indication that theopposing groups within the denominationwill likely not remain together. The Synodproceeded, by a vote of 574 to 471, toadopt a 4000 word resolution, authoredby Dr. Preus. After a lengthy examinationof many faculty members of ConcordiaSeminary, regarding such doctrines as themiracle accounts in Scripture, thehistoricity of the account of the fall ofAdam and the messianic character ofmany O.T. prophecies, it was observedthat the resolution repudiates the positionheld by a majority of the faculty."RADIO FREE AMERICA"Dr. Carl Mclntire has announced,now that al) avenues of appeal have beenexhausted against the decree of the FCCsilencing Radio Station WXUR, that"elaborate plans kept under the closest ofsecrecy'' (or do you suppose his telephoneconversations are being "bugged?") havebeen laid for the launching of a ' 'refugee''ship off the east coast of the U.S., whichwill carry a broadcasting station. Pressreports state that the FCC will seek to stopthe station from operation.Louis Cassels, religion editor of UnitedPress International, whose firing Dr.Mclntire has repeatedly over the yearsdemanded, has written a column on theproject, and sent a gift of $10 for thestation. Says Cassels, "I suppose I oughtto regard Doctor Mac as a menace. Butthe deep, dark truth is, I have a lot ofadmiration for him. He is a man of ferventconvictions and indomitable spirit.. . . I'm going to send Dr. Mac a smallpersonal check to help finance 'Radio FreeAmerica' — even though I stronglysuspect that one of his first broadcastsfrom that offshore ship will be a freshdemand that I be fired."RUSSIAN "ANTI-CHURCH DRIVE"EP says that the Christian ScienceMoniter (certainly not a source prejudicedin favor of Protestant Christians. L.K.)reports that "An anti-church campaign isstill going on in Russia, contrary to theopinion of many. . . Last winter severalreform Baptists were sentenced to longterms in labor camps. In March parentswere sharply warned not to take theirchildren to church (In Bylorussia)churches are being closed because morethan 50 congregations are being forced toamalgamate."This accords with the testimony of B.P. Dotsenko, one of the Soviet Union'stop nuclear scientists, who defected whensent on a mission to Canada. He is now amember of a Mennonite church.Christianity Today carried a lengthyinterview with Dotsenko. When askedwhy so few, over the 50 years of theexistence of Communist Russia, havedefected, he replied that "The mark ofSoviet society is to show outward absoluteobedience and acceptance of all issuedorders, all regulations, and all politicaland ideological statements. Penalties forviolations are extremely severe."The process of Dotsenko's conversionstarted while he was in Russia, when hefortuitously came upon an old copy ofScripture. Being a scientist he readitcritically and carefully and rigorouslyanalyzed it. He also read BertrandRussell's Why I Am Not a Christian, andit left him "puzzled and nearly dismayed.Scrupulous examination of it, however,showed me that even such a prominentmind fails when trying to disprove theexistence of God and his Word."Q. "What can we do for Christians inthe Soviet Union?" A. "Do everythingthat your conscience, your courage, andyour trust in God will allow you to do.COVENANTER WITNESS

Dear Kids,Have you gotten your membership cards and decodersyet? I got mine today. Let's get started with coded letters toone another!You will be sending my mail to a new address as webecome Midwesterners. After August 1, mv address willbe:Mrs. David Armstrong2819 Forest Glen Pkwy.Woodridge, 111. 60515I hope I'll hear from many of you.Dick Woods agreed to write for us and we thank him.Besides being a busy Christian dentist, Dick is an activedeacon at our North Hills Church.Your friend,Mrs. A.Have you been to see your dentist lately? Do you likeyour dentist? Did you ever think that God may call aChristian man or woman to take care of people's teeth forHis glory? Do you remember the first question of theShorter Catechism? The answer is to glorify God and enjoyHim forever. Have you thought that a Christian who is adentist is called by the sovereignty of God into that type ofwork and then challenged to learn how to glorify God in allparts of the work of caring for people's teeth? This glorifyingof God can sometimes be looked upon in two parts —stewardship and service. Stewardship would include thekeeping healthy of the parts of the mouth that God hascreated, with reminding patients of their responsibility tokeep tooth decay and gum disease from happening. Toothdecay and gum disease are two of the effects of sin on themouth that I think have come to people from the fall ofAdam and Eve. Service would include helping people bytreating infection and pain, helping people to have a pleasingappearance when they smile, and helping people to chewtheir food adequately. The Bible speaks a lot about therelationships Christians have to other Christians so I thinkthere is a special concern that a Christian dentist is to havefor his patients who believe in God.Sometimes jobs are seen in two ways — working withpeople and working with things. Dentistry includes both ofthese areas. The dentist must remember he is caring for awhole person, not just part of a head. A dentist needs to beable to work with his hands in order to do his job well. Adentist should like to work with his hands and get a sense ofhappiness from finishing things he's done with his hands.Have you ever made things with your hands from clay?There is art in dentistry when it comes to shade of teeth,shaping of fillings, etc. Caring for people's teeth requires anorder to thinking, like a list, for there are steps to plan inplacing fillings and a need to plan ahead. An understandingof people and a sensitivity to them is also needed (the Biblespeaks of love of brothers and of neighbors). The Christiandentist uses these gifts and abilities given to him bv God inhis care for people's teeth remembering that he is a stewardof them before God whom he serves first as he is a ser\ ant ofpeople.OCTOBER24, 197^

ChinaThe real vehicle of travel to China isnot a plane, or a boat, or even a train.Rather, it is a stamp in your Passport, twoby three inches, with a red overstamp intbe lower left-hand corner and a beautifulflourish Chinese signature at the lowerright edge. It is a visa granted by theEmbassy of the Peoples Republic of Chinain Ottawa. It is not easy to obtain. Severalthousands of Canadians apply each yearbut only a few are successful. It is reportedthat 70,000 Americans applied to theOttawa Embassy last year but even fewerAmericans than Canadians were successful.Most of them were ChineseAmericans who visit their homeland and afew "fellow traveler" sympathizers suchas the group led by the author-actressShirley MacLaine. It will be easier forAmericans now that the liaison officesROBERT N. THOMPSONHeavenlv Peace Gare at Forbidden Ciiv14National Geographic SocietvDr. Robert N. Thompson isDirector of Development of TrinityWestern College, Langley, BritishColumbia. He has been active inCanadian politics, and from April 9 to23 of this year Dr. Thompson led adelegation of Canadian farmers on a tourof Communist China.COVENANTER WITNESS

have been set up in Washington andPeking. Yet the number of visitors toChina will be controlled for years to comeas Peking has no intention of opening widethe tourist gates in spite of pressure fromevery corner of the globe by those whowant to see Mao's China.800 million people — 800 millionmouths to feed — 800 million bodies to beclothed and housed! A formidable task byany standard and Mao's China, as far asthe eye of the visitor can see, does it betterthan China's millions have ever known. Inmy fifteen days in China, as leader of theCanadian farmers' delegation, we sawrosy-cheeked, healthy people by thehundreds of thousands. The new moralitydoes not allow for beggars, or dogs orcats; and every able-bodied adult has a job.There are no unemployed simply becauseeveryone works. They work for the Stateand, in the purest Maoist doctrine, foreach other. In return, each person gets aliving wage which for the average factoryworker amounts to $30.00 to $35.00 amonth. To the average farm worker itamounts to $15.00 a month, but a plot ofland for gardens and the opportunity forchickens or a few pigs makes up for thedifference. For those who don't want towork, there is no income.There is no inflation in China! TheState sets prices! An average worker canpurchase adequate food for $8.00 amonth; his country counterpart spendsmuch less. Vegetables cost 2Vi cents perlb., fish 10 cents per lb., meat 40 cents perlb., an ordinary jacket, trousers and cap(Mao style) $5.00 and such a suit of bettercloth less than $10.00. School fees paid byall parents vary from $3.00 to $6.00 ayear for each child.The consumer needs are relativelysimple. There is no private propertyexcept bed, basic furniture, and perhaps abicycle ($90.00) of which there aremillions, and a radio ($20.00 to $50.00).There are no private motor cars, normotorcycles, nor T.V There is noproblem of urban sprawl or farm landsbeing taken over for other purposes. Allland belongs to the State. It is administeredby the Revolutionary Committeeof the Commune, the Residentialarea or the Urban District, under aDeputy Chairman and no one questionswhat is done. Mao is the only fullChairman.The home occupant is either a peasantor a tenant. This is true even of every shop— even the smallest shop selling trinketsor umbrellas. All prices are fixed — for theworker, the soldier, the peasant or theofficial or even the occasional visitor.Prices bear little ratio to the cost ofproduction. In fact, I could find no onewho really knew what the actual cost ofanything was. It was fixed by theRevolutionary Committee.There is no question of free choice.You do what you are told to do, for thegood of the State and the benefit of thepeople. Mao's current No. 1 commandmentis "Serve the People," No. 2is "Self reliance," and No. 3 is "Mutualassistance."Marriage is not allowed for men until26-28 years and for women after 25 yearsand then only with permission. The idealfamily is one child, and more than two isfrowned upon. I was told in Peking thatthe birthrate was down to 2.5 per cent butin Nanchang it was 3 per cent. Contraceptivesare free and abortion isavailable on request. Venereal disease hasbeen eliminated, we were told. There is noprostitution and no pre-marital sex. Thereis no drug problem.A mother is given 56 days maternityleave before she goes back to work. Herbaby is then placed in a nursery. Themother has her child before and afterwork. To help the mother, her work isoften transferred to commune activity orprojects so that she can be nearer fornursing breaks twice daily. Her pay issomewhat less than factory pay. Whenthree years of age, the child goes tokindergarten and later to primary schooland even on to high school and university,the State having complete control of thechild. The most cheery part of drabChinese living was the children who wereoften dressed in bright colors and werealways the center of attraction. It wasevident to me that family life stillremained a cherished part of life for theaverage people.Children do not go on to high school oruniversity because they want to or becauseof academic ability. They do so becausethey are selected to do so. Purity ofpolitical thought has been and stillremains the main requirement for goingon to school. The battle for the loyalties ofthe young is intense. Textbooks areblatantly full of political and ideologicalteaching. I was told several times that newtextbooks are being written. Attempts toobtain a copy of the English textbookswere futile, the "running dogs of Imperialism"and the puritanistic goals ofMarxist ideology are still the main themesof China's school lessons.The teachings of Mao set out theeconomic goals of the nation. Simplystated. "Agriculture is the basic foundationof the Chinese economy. Industry isthe decisive factor!"The greatest breakthrough ineconomic development has been in theareas of land utilization, water conservation,irrigation and crop diversification,with the extent of the irrigationand water use as outstanding. Theprogress in these areas has to be describedas spectacular.China is practically self-sufficient infood production. While she imports largeamounts of wheat and other grains,particularly for the northern areas, Chinaexports equal amounts of rice, vegetablesand cereals.The permanent Industrial Exhibitionof Shanghai and the twice annual ExportCommodities Fair in Canton are evidenceof the progress made in agriculture andfood processing, textiles, metallurgicalprojects, rubber goods, pharmaceuticals,manufacturing machinery, tractors,trucks, and a limited number ofautomobiles.China is a Marxist state. ChairmanMao proclaims Marx as the founder ofsocialism and commands all of his people"to read and study seriously and have agood grasp of Marxism." Marx declaredthat religion must be eliminated, simplybecause it was an opiate to the people. Herejected Christianity; denied that therewas a God. Mao has commanded that allreligion must be eliminated. He closed thechurches; he outlawed the teachings ofBuddha and he scorned ancestor worship.Confucianism, while not a religion,smacked of the landlord and thebourgeoise and so Mao rewrote Confuciusin his own words. China is a secular state!We could identify no Christians inChina. Our guides and accompanyingofficials stated on questioning that noteveryone had yet accepted Marxism butinsisted that there was no need forreligion. I asked several of these men if aChinese person could be a Christian andstill be a Communist. The answer wasinvariably, "No!" One senior officialwhom we came to know rather wellresponded to the question as to whether aperson could be a Christian and at thesame time be a party member, "Impossible!Marx and Lenin taught there isno God. How can a true Marxist be aChristian?"When asked whether a dead humanwas the same as a dead animal, going atdeath into oblivion, the answer was,"When we die there will be others tocarry on the revolution. The thoughts ofMao will live forever'" At one point Iasked who would replace Mao when Mao(Continued on next page.)OCTOBER2 i. 197^15

Mao'sChina(from page 16)died. The answer was simply, "ChairmanMao is in good health!"The cult of Maoism is well establishedand maintains its strength by a constantbarrage and harangue of ideologicalteaching. Chairman Mao says that hebelieves in a god, but that god is the State.Marx and Engels, Lenin and Stalin are theprophets of Maoism. The savior of theChinese people is Chairman Mao. Histeachings take the place of the Christians'scripture while the ever-present branch ofthe revolutionary committee pervadesevery commune, every village and everyhome. There is no getting away from theeye of the Party's Spirit. True "Maoism"has moved away from its emotional phasebut Mao Tse-tung's thoughts are still theall-powerful, all-pervading secular faith ofChina. "Mao is our teacher. His wisdomis boundless." Anyone who doubts thismight ask Lin Pao and Liu Shao, No. 2and 4 of yesterday's Chinese hierarchy.They found out that to do what theChairman says is the best way to survive!Not only has Maoism "eliminated"Christianity; it has also destroyed ancestorworship, superstition, andspiritism. It has organized the socialstructure into an intricate system of cellswith team leaders, brigade cadres, andcommunal deputy chairman. It has readiedthe situation for Christianity in a wayunparalleled since the first century. Yet inmy opinion, at least from a humanstandpoint, there is no chance ofChristianity re-entering China en masse inthe foreseeable future. However, in theeconomy of God, this could change.There are two churches open inChina, both in Peking. One is Catholic,the Church of the Virgin Mary belongingto the Chinese Association of PatrioticCatholics, which has no relations withRome. The other is Protestant, known asthe Rice Market Street Church onPeking's Avenue of Eternal Tranquility,operated by the Peking Protestant Society.There were 30 Chinese worshipers in theCatholic Church on Easter Sunday and 7at the Protestant Church. Most of thecongregation is made up of Asian andAfrican students studying in Peking andsome foreign diplomatic personnel.The Christian message entered Chinafour times in Chinese history; in the 7th,the 13th, the 16th and the 19th centuries.The verdict in almost all cases was, "aforeign religion." Only God can say whena favorable environment for a Christianwitness will again be an option in China.When that does happen it will be theoverseas Chinese Christians who lead theway. They know the language and theyhave some understanding of China'scustoms and culture. There are Christiansin China now. Overseas Chinese visitingtheir home villages have fellowshippedwith them. A few have been met in foreignports arriving as sailors on Chinese ships.But they dare not identify openly. Thereare no group meetings. The party's eye istoo omnipresent. But the believer is there!I am sure we met two of them!When visiting the Great Wall, Mrs.Thompson stood against an embattlementseeking protection from the cold wind andwatching the crowds of Chinese visitors.As the crowds pressed near her to get acloser look at this foreign lady, she noticedan old woman move cautiously up to her.Looking to see that no one was watchingher and with tears in her eyes, she strokedMrs. Thompson's coat sleeve and touchedher Maple leaf pin. Her eyes spokevolumes . . . and then as quickly as sheappeared she disappeared, vanishing intothe crowd.Another day, while visiting a communehigh school I observed and latertaught an English class for some 15minutes. The textbook was full of imperalistand "running dogs" hatred butthe class was able to speak English and theteacher was very capable. As the others ofour group talked with students and officialsI asked the teacher where he learnedEnglish and where he gained his teachingability. Drawing my ear down to his lipshe whispered, "Pre-liberation!" His eyestoo seemed to speak volumes.Mao's favorite noun is "struggle."He believes in war because ' 'only war willend war." Yet he believes in China;Maoist, Godless China! He says, "Teardown those hills: uproot those trees;make way for the new China!"The shift in today's relationships withChina are of great importance toChristians who wish to participate in someform of Christian activity in modernChinese life and to share their faith inJesus Christ in an intelligent and usefulway; whether as a Christian Africanhelping the Chinese build a railroad inZambia, or as a western Christian going toChina to serve as an educator or atechnician, or to give home hospitality toa Chinese exchange-student studying inCanada, or to meet a Chinese sailor in alocal port. These changes in relationshipscreate new opportunities. There will beincreasing opportunity for Christians tospend time in China where there will be achance to live out the life-style that doesreflect the love and peace which aChristian confesses he has in Christ.There will be an increasing number ofChinese coming to visit our country andwith them comes the opportunity to shareand witness the gifts of the Spirit.In these ways China is opening. YetChristians who are really interested incommunicating Christian truths to thecontemporary Chinese society, would bewell advised to get a grasp of ancient andmodern Chinese institutions along with anunderstanding of Chinese style Marxismand at the same time be prepared to meetand equal the Maoist social ethics headon.Honesty, discipline, loyalty, andmotivation in Mao's China can only beequalled or even challenged by trueChristian integrity, Christian morality,Christian loyalty and discipline — not toomuch in evidence at this stage in westernChristianity.I would advise the zealous evangelicalthat if he thinks he will go marching backto China, dragging his westerncurriculum and methods with him, he ismistaken. Those days are gone and the lessthere is of such wishful thinking, thesooner and clearer will be the real task.Perhaps the Spirit of God does nothave to be filtered through the traditionaland tired forms of western Christianity.New China presents a new challenge andits needs must be met through new forms!And yet the oldest and most effective formof all is available to everyone who covetsChina's people for Christ. Pray for thebelievers in China! Pray for those who findit possible to pass through the door whichhas opened just a little. Pray for the Wordas it reaches over boundaries andmountains into the radio receiving setsnow present in increasing numbers. Prayfor the new Bible, translated and printedin modern Chinese, ready to enter China.Brethren, pray that His Will might beaccomplished for China's millions!By permission:The Banner16 COVENANTER WITNESS

CreativeThe crab apple tree stood in tnehillside orchard of the Nebraska farm. Theascent to its branches was easy. A convenientlimb made a comfortable seat,sheltered by thick foliage and quite out ofearshot of the house. By moonlight themocking bird made it his theater. In thedaytime it was a little girl's retreat andsanctuary. Here she memorized poetry,learned the multiplication tables, andrepeated the Bible verses assigned forSabbath School memory work. She oftenprayed childish prayers. In later years thetree was the place where young ladiesdiscussed boy friends and dates, andparties and parents. But always it was aplace where one could be completely withdrawnto ponder and meditate in thequietness and obscurity of its densebranches.On Grandpa's farm a mulberry treeprovided a sanctuary. The wind played inits branches and produced a delicate accompanimentfor the orchestra of ruralsounds — the squeak of the windmillwheel, the droning bees searching thealfalfa field, the songs of the brown thrushand the catbird in the hedgerow, the redheadedwoodpecker's staccato tap on anearby tree, and the distant lowing ofcattle. In this musical setting,philosophies about life, nature, and tbeCreator fell into place. It was a place fordiSTAffdEdudioNsConleroplafwnaloneness'', yet '' at-one-ness'God's creation.withTwo tall blue spruces standing in thecemetery of the rural church yard moanedsoftly as the wind swept continuallythrough their branches. In them the turtledoves mourned. Beneath the spruces achild often stood, surrounded by the silentand solemn tombstones, visual remindersof the transience of life. And the childcontemplated death and immortality andresurrection, and grew closer to the Onewho releases us from death and the grave.Often as she walked alone in fog, rain,or snow the young girl was isolated fromthe rest of the world, and surrounded byher own little realm of thought. Tearswere washed away. Disappointment lostits edge, and life's values fell into properperspective again.The girl's thoughts in each circumstancewere guided by the Christianprinciples imparted by loving parents.Thank God for a Christian heritage. I wasthe young girl.Modern suburbia offers little opportunityforisolation, for a place to "bestill and know that I am God." But it ispossible to create one's own private closetwhere he can be alone with God in acrowded room or in the midst of feverishactivity. Even in noisy surroundings. Hewho calmed the sea with His words."Peace, be still," can give us innerserenity and enable us to engage increative contemplation. These periods ofmeditation occur when we are able towithdraw from the world physically and-ormentally, to still our thoughts andemotions, and to commune with ourdeeper selves.Edwin Markham has expressed thisidea in "The Place of Peace."At the heart of the cyclone tearing theskyAnd flinging the clouds and the towersbyIs a place of eternal calm;So here in the roar of mortal thingsI have a place where my spirit sings.In the hollow of God's palm.Contemplation is creative andproductive only when proper concepts andthought patterns have been established.Only then will it result in enriched life andspiritual growth. It is the privilege andresponsibility of the parent to set the stagefor the child's creative contemplation byimparting basic Christian concepts, bothby precept and example.Parents should recognize the child'sneed to be alone and quiet at times, andrespect his right to periods of inactivitywhen he can meditate and dream. Happyis the child who learns to spend some timealone creatively and imaginatively.That child is blessed whose parent canshare with him the fun of watching theswiftly changing figures in the fleecyclouds. Or who shares his delight at thetrill of the meadow lark. Or who isfascinated by a stream of ants with theirregimented activities. Happy is the childwho asks and receives answers from aloving parent about God and His creation.Such sharing sets the stage for the child'smoments alone. These ideas may wellform the basis for his further meditation.Ideas must be presented which willchallenge the child's imagination andstretch his mental capacity. Times andplaces must be made available for thepractice.Every person needs to "Comeapart into a desert place and there resta while," as Christ Himself set theexample. He withdrew from the crowdsfor rest and prayer.Will you help your child to find his"crab apple tree", his "blue spruce inthe cemetery", or his "shelter alone inthe rain"? Help him to learn to "commune"with his own heart, and "bestill." You will be glad you did.ARVILLA COPELAND(Guest Writer)OCTOBER 2i. 19^ 17

CiRCUMVENTJNq(from p. 7)TIHE ChlJRckhave formed to reach business people, street gangs, hippies,military personnel, housewives, college students, etc.Thirdly, Local Church Independency. Denominationalchurches tend to have already existing structures that can beemployed or appealed to regarding evangelistic opportunities.But since thousands of American congregationsare autonomous in their programs and alliances, personswishing to promote cooperation between such groups in anevangelistic venture feel that they must establish anotheragency apart from the independent congregations involved.Whatever the reasons are, we are faced with asituation today of immense proportions. The number ofindependent movements and agencies is increasing everyyear. These groups receive their support by-and-large fromindividuals in organized congregations. For the most partthey are not under the oversight of the Church Visible, norhave they sought to come under any direct lines of oversightin their evangelistic endeavors. Their impact, in some cases,has been nothing short of phenomenal, and tends to put theefforts of the churches to shame. Yet it can be seriouslyasked in cases whether true evangelism is being practiced.Their doctrinal commitment, often defined in a statement offaith, is in cases relatively precise, in others marked by adisturbing broadness and lack of clarity. Yet it is noexaggeration to say that God has used some of these groupsmightily to call Christians back to serious implementation ofthe Great Commission.CURRENT RESPONSES. . . Christ is gathering His Church, and all evangelismThere are at least three responses being made to these whether official or personal, must be directed to that Christagencies today: 1. Total Opposition to their programs ordained goal." (Page 16).because of their operating outside the aegis of the VisibleChurch. They are seen as illegitimate children seeking the RECOGNITION OF SINChurch's acceptance. 2. Total Acceptance because theyexist in the Providence of God, and are doing a work (often) To achieve a Biblical stance and remedy past errorthat the Church is not doing. 3. Qualified Recognition oftheir existence and contribution, in God's Providence, butwith an attempt to restore proper Biblical oversight ofEvangelism to the Church. It is the third of these responsesthat is supported by this article.William Heynen, writing in The Outlook, pointed outsome Biblical imperatives in an article entitled, "Who AreSent?" (Nov. 1972, p. 15). "A careful study of Paul'smissionary strategy and practice will makeit clear that Paulinsisted on: a. being sent by the Church; b. beingresponsible to the Church — reporting and consulting;c. working towards the goal of establishing a Church;d. new converts to find their nurture and growth within theChurch.If ever there was a man who would have been able tomake a case for becoming a 'free lance evangelist' or to starta 'faith mission' outside of the proper supervision of theChurch, that man was Paul. And yet Paul, with a clear cutcommission from Christ at the time of his conversion (Acts26:16,17) waited fourteen years for a specific call from theChurch at Antioch before he started his official ministry tothe Gentiles. A careful study of Paul's epistles as well as ofthe book of Acts makesit abundantly clear that Paul carriedon his entire ministry, even to the letters that he writes togroups of Christians and individuals, within the responsibleframework of the Church. Missions and Evangelismprograms which are carried on outside this Churchframework are foreign to the entire New Testament pattern.Yet we are faced in all of Church History with groupswhose origins lie in response to either the ignoring or theopposing by the Church of specific commands by God. Whilethe New Testament does not specifically call for suchseparate organizations,it does demand that the individualand the Church be responsive to the Word of God. When theChurch refuses to respond, the individual muststill make aresponse. As a result of these considerations, the conclusionis apparent. While it may be necessary (because of theChurch's disobedience) for groups to function for a timeapart from specific approbation of the Church, and evenapart from oversight by the Church, this must not continueindefinitely. The only legitimate goal of such a group isbuild the true Church of Jesus Christ, to restore thatto Biblical prerogatives, and thus to work itself outNo evangelistic organization outside the Church canBiblically desire its own perpetual growth and prosperity.Itmust, on the contrary, seek to restore the Church to thefulfilling of its Biblical mandates, aidit in seeking true goalsin evangelism, and then quietly cease to exist.As Heynen continues, "Every Christian ... has theresponsibility to build the Church of Christ. No sincereChristian should carry on his own private little ministry andignore the Church, much less, undermine the Churchis first necessary to call for a recognition of sin asit involvesboth parties.By the churches. Without any doubt, we in theChurch have seriously neglected evangelism in many sectorsof our culture and community life. We have been satisfied toconduct our regular programs, run our Sabbath Schools,keep within our natural cultural levels, and let largesegments of our society be lost without a clear witness to thegospel, the whole gospel. We have said that we could not doit all, and so we have done very little. We have been myopicin our vision, resistant to new avenues of evangelistic work.As churches, we have not insisted on taking the oversight orthe leadership. We have been stand-offish and complaining,and have failed to assert our God-given prerogatives andbring these to bear on the evangelistic structures that areoutside the Church.By the non-church agencies. There has been the sindisrespect for the Church, a false division created betweenthe Church Invisible and Visible. There has been an attempt18 COVENANTER WITNESS

made to justify serving the Church as organism whileneglecting it as institution, without any Biblical justificationfor doing so. Rather than seeking to aid the Church inobeying its Biblical mandates, and establishing the goal ofbuilding the Church, agencies have often sought to build andmaintain their own programs regardless of the result in thechurches. There has been the sin of soliciting financialsupport without a corresponding soliciting of oversight.Competition in programs has often developed, creatingunnecessary strain and division. The Biblical doctrine of theChurch has been sadly neglected.COOPERATIVE STUDYOn the heels of their confession of sin, synods andpresbyteries of the Reformed churches, as well as the boardsof local Reformed and independent congregations, ought tojoin in study with concerned non-church agencies in howbest to reestablish Biblical oversight of the evangelismprograms involved. Representatives of the Church and theagencies ought to meet together for this purpose. This studyought to discover and provide information regarding:a. The purposes and goals of the particular non-churchagency; b. An evaluation of its message; c. The financialsupport presently sought for and received from members ofthe Church, and what money is needed to reach goals; andd. How the Church may counsel, sustain, profit by, andeventually incorporate the agency's labor into its overallprogram.OVERSIGHT PROGRAMS ESTABLISHEDAs a final aspect of a lasting resolvement, thecooperative study called for above should result in arelationship involving continued oversight. Regular yearlyreports from each agency seeking oversight, should be sentto synods, presbyteries, or local independent congregations.These would define goals, progress, problems, and needs.Standing boards or committees should be set up to respond tosuch reports by giving evaluation and counsel (with approvalof the whole court involved.) The higher church courtshould then advise both the agencies and the congregationson ways in which the evangelistic vision of the agency couldbe transplanted into the evangelistic work of thecongregations, ultimately displacing the independent workby the work of the churches. Finally the church court shouldadvise the agencies and the congregations as to the degree offinancial support that should be given.As Heynen says (page 16), "It is high time that ourentire program of Evangelism get back to the Biblicalconcept of the Church. Any program of evangelism thatdoes not build the Church is not Biblical evangelism." Theproposed program above may seem to be hopelesslyidealistic, but a critical situation calls for a beginning. Thebeginning must involve a rapprochement of concernedChristians in the agencies and the Church, prayerful study,and a sincere attempt to find the solution that pleases God.OCTOBER 21, 1973LEARNING MORE ABOUT YOUR BIBLE. Paul B. and MaryCarolyn Maves. Abingdon, 1972. 120 pp. $1.50 (paper).This is a workbook for elementary school children whichuses the method of programmed instruction. Like many otherMethodist publications, the methodology and packaging aregood, but the content is unsatisfactory. Of the 350 frames in thisworkbook, only seven are objectionable (No. 24, 80, 84, 168, 193,197, and 219). Thus parental oversight could make the bookusable. But watch out for the suggestion that the church createdthe Bible; that Paul did not write all of his epistles; that Godsaves those who keep his commandments; and that prophetswere less than certain about what God wanted them to say.David R. ArmstrongLIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE: THE HISTORY OF A PURITANIDEA. L. John Van Til. Craig Press, 1972. 192 pp. $3.95 (paper).Students of historical theology will find the thoroughtreatment of this neglected, but important, doctrine stimulating.The historical survey covers the emergence of the doctrine inElizabethan England through the adoption of the First Amendmentin America.The major premise of the book is that the presuppositionof the Puritan, William Perkins, and the Westminster Assembly(that God is Lord of the conscience because Christ gives theChristian liberty of conscience) is the same ideology whichconceived the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution.Thus, the theoretical history of "liberty of conscience"to the era of the American Revolution, and beyond, is the historyof a Puritan idea (p. 186). There is truth here, but somewherebetween the Westminster Assembly of 1643 and the ConstitutionalConvention of 1789, the biblical doctrine of "liberty ofconscience" based upon Revelation was surrogated to aresurgence of a rationalism and human autonomy based uponReason. In essence, the presuppositional definition applied to"conscience" by the architects of American democracy and thatof the architects of a Reformed theology of "conscience"deserves much more attention called to their respective discontinuitythan this work affords.Lee P Bittner IIIABORTION: The Personal Dilemma. R.F.R. Gardner. Wm. B.Eerdmans, 1972. 288 pp. 81.95 (paper).As a minister as well as a practicing gynecologist, Dr.Gardner has a unique vantage point for writing this discussion onabortion. His development of the subject is first from the legalside, then from the ethical perspective, and finally from themedical side. This book is excellent in thatit helps one thinkthrough on this controversial issue. However, he tends to bemore of a sociologist than a theologian, because in the interpretationof key passages of Scripture, he tends to accept thepopular interpretation rather than that which is faithfulexegetically to the passage. Therefore, the section on the ethicalnature of abortion is lacking in sound content and is not ashelpful asit might have been, had the author been more Biblical.Larry R. Falk19

countOURG^mmdays SHF^ MORTIMER, Jeanne (Rimersburg).,____BIRTHSADAMS, Matthew Dale to Gregory andJanis (McElroy) Adams on June 30. BaptizedAugust 26 (Westminster).BOGNER, Christine Ann to Ronald andLily Bogner on Aug. 28 (Chicago).COPELAND, Anne Louise to Robert andLouise Copeland on May 4 (Kansas City).HORTON, Donald William III to Donaldand Beverly (Kennedy) Horton on July 15(Rose Point).MADSEN, Annette Elizabeth to Haroldand Marie Madsen on July 29 (Park City).SCHINTZ, Heather Lorraine to Howardand Lorraine (Ulrich) Schintz on May 12(Kansas City).WILCOX, Marcy Aletta to John andGeorgene Wilcox on July 25 (Eastvale).BAPTISMCOURSON, Kevin Paul, son of Mr. andMrs. Larry Courson by his pastor, Rev.Wayne Duffield (Rimersburg).MARRIAGESBATES, Wanda Kay and LONG, BruceAllen on August 17 at the Chapel by theSea, Anchorage, Ala.BRAUN, Catherine and BLANCHARD,Kenneth C. on July 27 at Eastvale R. P.Church. Dr. David Carson and Dr. KermitEdgar officiated.GAFFNER, Deborah and AULD, Wayneon Aug. 25 at Pana, 111. (Oakdale).GEORGE, Linda and McMILLAN,Richard on August 11 at Poland VillageBaptist Church. Dr. Renwick Wright andRev. John McMillan officiated.HENNINGER, Cathy Sue and TENER,Roger Martin on August 4 at Moline, 111.Rev. Frank Smith and Rev. John Costasofficiated.LANDOLT, Judy Katherine and KERR,Fredrick George on Sept. 1 at the Churchof the Hills, Los Angeles, Calif. Rev. BruceHemphill officiated.McMILLAN, Barbara Louise and WER­NER, James Henry on July 21 at the SeattleReformed Presbyterian Church. The bride'sfather, Rev. Robert McMillan, officiated.MENOHER, Gail and LAVIERE, David onAugust 18 at Bethany Baptist Church,Wexford, Pa. Rev. Duane Lee officiated.The 20 couple is at home at Ft. Bragg, N.C.WOODS, Jody Lynn and GUGE, RobertRoy on Aug. 25 at Elgin, 111. (Chicago). D.R. Armstrong officiated.DEATHRUSK, Thomas Westbay (80) on Aug. 20(Elkins Park). Elder at Elkins Park. Survivedby widow and son, Bruce.GRADUATIONSHIGH SCHOOLMcCRACKEN, Cheryl (Westminster) fromWestminster High School.RAMSEY, Carrie (Rimersburg).COLLEGEBROOKS, Daniel (Westminster). M.A. inMathematics from Colorado School ofMines.IRWIN, Mrs. Fred (Suzanne) (Westminster).B.A. in Special Education fromUniversity of Northern Colorado.KERR, Fredrick (Los Angeles). B.S. inAnimal Science from CaliforniaPolytechnic State University in San LouisObisop.METHENY, Mrs. Edith (Geneva). M.Ed.from Slippery Rock.CHANGE OF ADDRESSR. W. Caskey45 S. Bryant Ave.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15202Bruce C. Stewart7959 Remington Dr.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15237THOMAS J. LYNN(Sept. 21, 1895—April 24, 1973)The Old Bethel congregation wishesto express appreciation for the life ofThomas J. Lynn who passed away onApril 24 after a year's illness. Serviceswere conducted by the Rev. RalphJoseph at the McDaniel Funeral Homein Sparta, Illinois.Thomas Lynn served in the U.S.Army during World War I. He wasemployed for thirty-four and one-halfyears at the United States Steel Mills inGary, Indiana.Mr. Lynn was a lifetime member ofthe Reformed Presbyterian Church. Heserved for many years as an elder in theChicago congregation.Thomas Lynn is survived by hiswife, Marguerite, two daughters, MissOrlena Lynn of Kobe, Japan and Mrs.Ruth Tanner of Gary, Indiana, andthree grandchildren, Miss LynnTanner, Mrs. Claudia Blevins and Mr.Tommy Tanner. Two brothers,Wyman Lynn of Sparta and RussellLynn of Oskaloosa, Iowa survive.THOMAS WESTBAY RUSKIt is with deep regret that we notethe passing away on August 20, 1973,of Elder Thomas Westbay Rusk, ateighty years of age. Mr. Rusk was alifelong member of the CovenanterChurch. ' He was ordained to theEldership of the Elkins Park ReformedPresbyterian Church on January 28,1968. He was the son of the late Rev.Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Rusk. Mr.Rusk is survived by his wife Ivy, and sonBruce, also a sister Phyllis."BLESSED ARE THE DEADTHAT DIE IN THE LORD."THANKS, SUPERIORWe began our ministry in Superioron March 1st, 1966 and left Superioron August 20, 1973. The seven yearsplus which we spent in Superior wereenjoyable years. We enjoyed theconvenience of a parsonage which wasonly a few steps from the church door.The comfort of a church, air conditionedin the summer and warm in thewinter. We appreciated working with acongregation, which, though not largein numbers, was large in its willingnessto cooperate.When the time came to leaveSuperior there was a farewell supperwith cards from all the members of thecongregation with gifts enclosed. Laterwe received a generous check from thechurch treasurer. On Monday, August20th, willing helpers were on hand —packing the truck, so that we could beon our way to our new home and ournew work.Thanks Superior andmay God Bless You,Mr. & Mrs. R. W. CaskeySUBSCRIPTIONNOTICE FORBRITISH ISLE READERSAll persons who subscribe to theCovenanter Witness through the BritishIsles agent, Rev. Hugh Wright, shouldsend their renewal fee and correctaddress to him by January 1. We alsowelcome any new subscribers. MailL\ .65 for a one year subscription (grouprate) to:Rev. Hugh Wright12 Knutsford DriveBelfast, Northern IrelandBT146LZCOVENANTER WITNESS

COVENANTERSeminary IssueNovember 7, 1973WITNESS

ORDWhen Mr. Anderson's letter, which is printed below,came to us, we pondered over the best way to allow brothersto speak the truth to one another. After Board consultation,it was finally determined that we send the letter to Dr.Howard Elliott whose statements had been challenged. Wethen left it to him to determine whether the best course waspersonal reply or reply on the pages of the Witness. Since hehas chosen this latter course, we are glad to print both lettersto advance understanding and proper Christian dialogue.R.W.N.•Editor:In reference to D. H. Elliott's article, "Saints Alive"(Aug. 1), I am in disagreement with his comments ondrunkenness. Galatians 5:21 does condemn drinking to excessbut Paul did not say "thou shalt not drink!" He did say,contrary to what Mr. Elliott would have us believe, that thefruit of the Spirit is . . . temperance" (Gal. 5:23). The Greekword is egkrateia, meaning self-control. Mr. Elliott's remarksconcerning Rom. 13:14 seem to be in error also. If one is tototally abstain from drinking to avoid being drunk, are we alsoto totally abstain from sex in marriage to avoid sexualpromiscuity and sensuality? To some temperance is total abstinence.But Paul has commanded us that whatever you do, doall to the glory of God (I Cor. 10:31). It could be said, thatwithout active self-control we are "Saints dead."Robert W. AndersonButler, Pa.•Editor:A reply to the letter sent to the editor by Robert W.Anderson.Mr. Anderson says, "Galatians 5:21 does condemndrinking to excess but Paul did not say 'thou shalt notdrink!' " Of course Paul does not use the words "thou shaltnot drink", any more than he says ' 'You are permitted to drinkwine but you must stop when it becomes excessive or when youbecome drunk,'' as Mr. Anderson implies Paul is saying. (Whocan ever say what that point is in the drinking process?)Scripture is to be interpreted not merely by what is expressly2stated, but "by good and necessary consequences deducedtherefrom,'' according to the Westminster Confession of Faith,chapter one, paragraph six. I believe that Paul uses words,however, that add up to the same thing as "thou shalt notdrink." This is why I dwelt on the word "carouse" (komos)which Paul uses separately from drunkenness. This issomething different from drunkenness and something whichfew seem to have studied into or understood. My point was thatkomos or carouse is a term that cannot be divorced fromdrinking and cannot be equated with drunkenness. It obviouslyrefers to drinking to an extent that is less than what is easilydiscernable as drunkenness, and this too is forbidden along witha whole list of other sins.Mr. Anderson says, "He did say, contrary to what Mr.Elliott would have us believe, that the fruit of the Spiritis . . . temperance." I fail to see how I could have been interpretedas saying that I wanted anyone to believe that Paul didnot say "the fruit of the Spirit is . . . temperance." CertainlyPaul said it and I believe in temperance or self control just asmuch as anyone. But I was not discussing the word "temperance,"nor attempting to define it, which Mr. Andersonwants to do in just the way that will suit him.Mr. Anderson says, "Are we also to totally abstain fromsex in marriage to avoid sexual promiscuity?" Sex in marriageis not the subject in Romans 13:13 nor is it in any way alludedto. Sex in marriage is a rightful part of marriage, Heb. 13:4; inno way is it a lust. Paul is talking about lusts. Sex becomes a lustwhen it is thought of and practiced outside of marriage, Matt.5:28. Paul in speaking of lusts is forbidding anything thatencourages them. As pornography would be one of the things toavoid in order not to be tempted to sexual promiscuity, sodrinking is the one thing to avoid in order to be completely freefrom drunkenness. "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, andmake no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts." Rom.13:14.Sincerely, in His service,__.„..D. Howard Elliott•Editor:On Covenanter Witness, August 29, letter from John 0.Edgar. Since when have Covenanters avoided "controversy"?Remember the old Testimony: "We therefore condemn thefollowing errors and testify against all that maintain them." Aforemost Covenanter pastor says that today Covenanters aresmug.Arthur W. Calhoun•Editor :Allow me to set before your readers corrections of somefew misprints I discovered in the Sept. 12th issue's study topics.First, p. 8 under the by-line, the job-title ascribed to me isincorrect: I am not "Assistant Superintendent" (a positionwhich belongs to someone else), but "Assistant to theSuperintendent.''Second, p. 8, column 1, line 14. I hope no one was tooseriously puzzled by the apparent idea that the "reality" of thenew Psalter could be rubbed off. The word here should be' 'novelty,'' for it is true, for better or worse, that the novelty ofthe new can and does wear off, and my suggestion was to makegood use of this brief space of time while it lasts.Third, p. 9, column 3, line 8 from the bottom. TheScripture reference should be "I Chron. 15:1 and 28; 16:1."Fourth, p. 12, column 3, line 22. The word is "begins,"not "beings."Unfortunately these were all the errors I could discover toblame on someone else; the rest I'll have to take as my own.G. Duncan LoweCOVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.SUBSCRIPTIONINFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, £2, 1 year;^3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.VOLUME LXXXIXNO. 22NOVEMBER 7, 1973CONTENTSARTICLES:Seminary '74. . .The Gym at the SeminaryTwo Famines.Fellowship as Evangelism, Part II.Heart-breakers.FEATURES:A Word Due. .."In Truth and Love"Hey Lookit!.Bring the Books.Distaff Deductions.Glimpses."Count Her Towers . .""Count Our Days"Now Ready • Nov. 254-781012.22131516171820U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 51221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 800 Wood St.,Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.known office of publication: Box K,Winchester, Kansas 66097. Secondclass postage paid at Winchester,Kansas 66097.c05^1973 Minutes of SynodThe 1973 Minutes of Synod are now available. The costwill be $2.50 per copy, including postage. To speed upshipment we would request that one person in eachcongregation, perhaps the Clerk of Session, be responsiblefor placing a group order. PAYMENT SHOULD BEMADE AT THE TIME THE ORDER IS PLACED.Prepaid orders will be given preference in shipping.Order from:Board of Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221IVANGfUCAl PRISS ASSOCIATIONL. JNOVEMBER 7. 19^i

eminary^ 74S. Bruce Willson, President;Professor of Church HistoryThe student body the first quarter of1973-74 year represents sevendenominations. Four Seniors: 3 ReformedPresbyterians, 1 United Presbyterian; SixMiddlers: 2 Reformed Presbyterians, 1United Presbyterian, 2 ReformedPresbyterian, Evangelical Synod, 1United Methodist; Five Juniors: 4Reformed Presbyterians, 1 IndependentMissionary on furlough; Two SpecialStudents: 1 Wesleyan Methodist pastor, 1Baptist preparing for the mission field;Two Missionary Candidates: 2 ReformedPresbyterians.Dr. Bruce C. Stewart was inducted asProfessor of Pastoral Theology on September12, 1973, by the Board ofSuperintendents of the Seminary. Hisaddress on "The Gymnasium at theSeminary ' was given at a public convocation,and is printed elsewhere in thisWitness.Mrs. Jo Anne Luther Martin, whoserved as Librarian for two years, resignedin order to accompany her husband in theservice of the churcb. Her replacement,Anne Frohlich, joined the Seminary Staff,August 15. Miss Frohlich is a graduate ofFuller Theological Seminary (M.R.E.) andof Rosary College, School of LibraryScience (M.S. in Library Science). She is amember of Bethel Orthodox PresbyterianChurch of Wheaton, Illinois.Duncan Lowe, assistant to theSuperintendent of the Reformed^FacultyClarke Copeland, Dean of Students;ofessor of Biblical Languages and:erature4Wayne R. Spear, Professor of SystematicTheology and HomileticsBruce C. Stewart, Registrar; Professor of Ann Frohlich, Assistant Pr°' essPastoral TheologyLibrarianCOVENANTER WITNESS

Presbyterian Home for the Aged, servesas Instructor in New Testament Greekthis year. Mr. Lowe has both a B.D. andTh.M. from Westminster TheologicalSeminary, and has taught at AshlandCollege in Ohio before coming to Pittsburgh.Dr. S. Bruce Willson met with Dr.Warren Evans, Chief of the Division ofProfessional and Graduate Education,Pennsylvania Department of Education,on August 14. Consultation with Dr.Evans has been helpful in the continuingtask of upgrading tbe Seminary. Our nextannual review of the Seminary'sevaluation is anticipated in January 1974.Philip Beard, graduate of the Seminaryin 1972 and recipient of the Milne-McQuiston Scholarship, has been acceptedfor graduate studies in Reformationhistory at Guelph University, Guelph,Ontario, Canada. He enrolled in September,1973.One of the unfinished projects in theSeminary Library addition was space forfiling cabinets and storage space for maps,pictures and other memorabilia of interestto the history of the Covenanter Church.In November, Rev. John O. Edgar, pastorof the Southfield congregation and amember of the Seminary Board, built andinstalled a complete storage unit. This is avaluable improvement in the facilities, andour thanks is extended to Dr. Edgar,The Seminary is indebted to GenevaCollege for the gift of a two volumeBiblioguide Index of the Micro-bookLibrary of American Civilization. Thisextends to Seminary students theavailability of a vast amount ofmicrofilmed material in the McCartneyLibrary at Geneva.Seniors_JL illiiiili^M t.L. Falk R.Good K. Hubenthal W W.H.ll R IMr.chLARRY FALKClarinda Congregation MidwestPresbytery"The main reason I came to Seminaryis that God was leading me to come. Onebig need I knew I had was to gain a betterunderstanding of the whole Bible. FromSeminary 1 expect to learn to explain theScriptures and be equipped for the pastoralministry."RONALD V. GOODElkins Park Congregation -- New YorkPresbytery"My reasoning for coming to theseminary is to simply receive the propertheological education necessary to help meenter the pastoral ministry. Believing thatI have a calling from the Lord, this is theproper place to finish the formalpreparation. A seminary is essential forthe training of the ministry of the Churchin the doctrinal system which we firmlyuphold and believe in, including thosedistinctive principles that form an integralpart of the whole truth we hold to becorrect in the light of God's Holy Writ.My expectation is that as I go forth topreach and teach the Gospelit will not beintroduced by ignorant enthusiasm butwith a boldness and a zeal with the Truthof God's Word firmly in my grasp, accordingto His sovereign will."KARL HUBENTHALRPCES -- Pittsburgh Presbytery"Mv reason for coming to theSeminary is to get a Seminary education.''WILLIAM P. WOODDeer Creek UnitedCongregationPresbvterian"My reason for coming to theSeminary is for detailed study into theBible and the original languages for thepurpose of teaching at a Christian HighSchool or College. I selected this seminaryafter an exposure to the teaching of Dr.Copeland at Carleton1970."Conference inROBERT ULRICHLawrence Congregation MidwestPresbytery"I have come to my last year ofSeminary to complete the educationalrequirements for the pastorate. I expect tograduate this spring. I look forward toopportunities to apply the many "tails"that I have learned to use at theSeminar v."(Continued on next pane.)NOVEMBER 7 . 19735

y. Hazcn G. MarshallM FLOYD HAZENPastor in Harlem Springs, O. — UnitedI Methodistr\ "My reason for coming to theSeminary is to deepen my understandingYf) of the Word of God from the conservativepoint of view by the spiritual and in-L tellectual challenge of the Gospel of Jesusp Christ as presented by the ReformedPresbyterian Seminary. I appreciate theR conservative Biblical base of the seminary.Q My expectation is to be better equipped to•^ serve Christ as a minister."E. GARY MARSHALLCoatesville United PresbyterianCongregation"The Lord used the vision of my wifein Medical School plus the joys of workingwith youth in Boy Scouting to call me outof the engineering profession. I came toSeminary to better prepare myself with aknowledge of God's Word and the ex-R. Ste^allperience of His people in order to honorHim in service to His church."RONALD STEGALLTopeka Congregation — MidwestPresbytery"I am here because of the work I sawGod do in myself and others in Cyprus andbecause I believe He has called me to somesimilar work in the future. I expect God inmy whole life in Pittsburgh to continue toteach me concerning Himself and Hispurposes for me and His people."DANA L. STODDARDCollege Hill Congregation — PittsburghPresbytery"My reason for coming to theSeminary is to become acquainted with myfuture comrades in the Gospel ministry, touse the gifts of ministry and improve themin order that subjectively I may haveassurance of my calling, and that as ID.StoddardC. Winklerexercise them the church may have opportunityto see me and decide whether 1truly am called. My expectations are to bea pastor in the Reformed PresbyterianChurch."CHARLES L. WINKLERRPCES — Pittsburgh Presbytery"In answer to God's call to go andproclaim the Kingdom of God, I ampreparing for the ministry of the Word. Togo specifically to the Seminary is not reallypart of the call itself, but rather theresponse in the light of my owninadequacy to study Scripture, expoundthe doctrine and be well equipped in allthings pertaining to the Kingdom of God.I look forward to be able to study theWord of God in the original languages, tobetter understand what has been accomplishedin the world as well as in myown life, and to develop a vision of what Iam called to accomplish."R. Brown D. BurkROBERT D. BROWNMissionary on furlough — Independent"I came to seminary because as amissionary on furlough I felt the need forspiritual renewal through concentratedexposure to God's Word and relatedsubjects. Secondly, I want to preparemyself to teach in a Christian Collegesituation either on the mission field orhere at home. I expect eventually to attaina degree which will qualify me to confidentlyprepare others for effectiveChristian service."DAVID L. BURKEPark City Congregation MidwestPresbytery"I came to the seminary this fallanticipating hard work and have not beendisappointed. However, it is the mostrewarding work in which I have everenyaued. I look forward to a vear of studvP. Copelandand fellowship and growth here."PAUL COPELANDSyracuse Congregation — St. LawrencePresbytery"I am here at the seminary to learn torightly exposit the Scriptures and tocommunicate, their truth to the church.Our church is committed to an educatedpastorate and rightly so. I see my time atthe seminary as basically an academic taskto be performed for the glory of God."GEORGE HUEBERSyracuse Congregation - - St. LawrencePresbytery"My hopes are to become conversantin the original language of the Scripture.Also, I hope to study the purpose of God'sChurch, that is. how we are to serveHim; and to study the purpose of theoffice of elder, and his relationship to theCi. Hueberassembly of God's people. I'm desirous ofserving God while here at Seminary andwith the fellowship of believers here; andwhen duly seasoned I pray that God woulduse both myself and my wife in a positionof leadership in the Church of JesusChrist."TOM PRICENewburgh Congregation — New YorkPresbytery"My reason for coming to theSeminary is to sharpen my skills so that Imight be a truly effective prophet of Godnot only to His present people but to Hispeople yet to be born again.My expectations are limited concerningfuture plans and I would like tokeep them that way. I would rather haveGod mold my expectations than me try tomake God's expectations fit mine, as Ihave tended to do in the past."

at theSeminaryBRUCE C. STEWARTIf you had visited the football field at North AlleghenyHigh School during the early fall, you would have seen about100 young men doing all sorts of strange things. Even in theheat, they ran in place as if they were trying to keep warm.Then they fell down on the ground, but they didn't rest. Theyacted as if they couldn't make up their mind; they pushedthemselves up and down — up and down — up and down. Andafter a while you could tell it was getting to them because theybegan trying to knock each other down. Doesn't this all seemrather strange?But they didn't think it strange at all. They said they weregetting in shape for football; they were going through exercisesto help them to get into good physical condition.And not only are young men doing this for football. Manymillions of people in our county are exercising in one way oranother. Our newspapers are full of ads by the European HealthSpa and Elaine Powers and a host of others who are competingto get our exercise dollar. There is a great emphasis today onkeeping physically fit. It has become a new fad — or is it new?At the time of the Apostle Paul there was a gymnasium inevery city. The Greek and Roman cultures exalted physicalexercise; they thrilled to athletic contests. Certainly, this wastrue in Ephesus where Timothy was serving as pastor whenPaul wrote his first letter to Timothy. It is in this culturalcontext that we read the verses we have chosen as our text in 1Timothy 4:7-9, "But refuse profane and old wives' fables, andexercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exerciseprofiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things,having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is tocome. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation."The Greek word which we translate exercise is the sameword from which we get the word "gymnasium." Paul tellsTimothy that the pastor needs a gymnasium; and if that is truefor the pastor it is even more true for seminary students.Therefore, I have chosen as my topic this evening, "The Gymat the Seminary."Lest the members of the Board of Superintendents becomealarmed at this point, you may rest assured that I am not goingto campaign for a new field house and swimming pool, althoughI do believe that seminary students should have physicalexercise.But our text continues, "Bodily exercise is profitable,but godliness is profitable for all things; it is good not only forthis life which is the extent of the benefit of physical exercise,but also for the life to come."Rather, as Paul writes a personal letter to a young pastor,he helps him, and us who are pastors, and those who areaspiring to be pastors to see the priority of exercise untogodliness./. First of all, EXERCISE UNTO GODLINESS HELPTHE SEMINARY STUDENT TO EVALUATE HISSPIRITUAL FITNESS.How does a young man know that he is called to be apastor? Certainly, an essential criterion is a healthy spiritual life— a life which recognizes both in doctrine and behavior thatJesus Christ is Lord.In the verses preceeding our text Paul speaks of those who"shall depart from the faith" both in life and doctrine, and inthe last verse of the chapter he counsels Timothy, "Take heedto — keep a critical eye on — yourself and your doctrine.If you go out and attempt to run a mile or do 20 push-upsor 15 pull-ups, you'll soon see how physically fit you are.(continued on p. 1 \.)About the author: Rev. Bruce Stewart utteredthese remarks as his inaugural address at the opening ofthe 183rd year of the Reformed Presbyterian TheologicalSeminary in Pittsburgh Ah Stewart is the rn ttly electedprofessor of practical theidogyNOVEMBER 7, 1973

wo rammesThere are two "famines" mademention of in the Word of God regardingthe Church of Christ and, therefore, theparticular area or nation where a particularchurch or churches are called towitness to the saving grace of God as it isin Christ our Lord. The first is a famine ofthe preaching of the Word of God, and thesecond is a famine of the hearing of theWord of God. The two are not to beconfused, although interacting upon oneanother. The first has to do primarily withthe "pulpit," the second witb thepew.Just prior to the emergence ofSamuel as the prophet of the Lord we aretold that "The word of the Lord was rarein those days, there was no open vision,"and then, in the prophecy of Amos, thenation of Israel is threatened with afamine; "Not a famine of bread, nor athirst for water," says the Lord throughAmos, "but a famine of HEARING thewords of the Lord." Either of the twofamines — either of preaching or ofhearing — can have a tremendouslydetrimental effect upon the testimony ofour God and upon the Church of HisBeloved Son wbere He has seen fit todeposit the testimony of His saving namein this gospel age.From the pulpit side of things, webelieve that where there is no realpreaching of the Word of God in all itsfulness, then the church eventually movesinto a situation spiritually comparable tothe judgment which fell on Israel (onaccount of their neglect of the ministry oftruth) when the Ark of God was takenfrom them and the cry of' 'Ichabod — theglory has departed," echoed around theland and in every Israelite's heart.From the "pew" side of things, wesee that when ears become accustomedonly to receive those things which aremost palatable to them, then, eventuallythey become completely stopped upaltogether and no fruits of blessing, orcomfort, or instruction can be reaped fromthe Word of God, even though a "harvest"itself may be there for the taking.Where BOTH conditions exist, ofcourse, then the result is a "double"famine, as it were, and the Church ofChrist in the land appears to be almostnon-existant as far as a real and vitalChristianity is concerned. The "recapture"of either of these graces, then —either of preaching or hearing — must,indeed, always prove as a stirring from thedead for the Church. But if there is ever tobe a real revival of true and vitalChristianity to act as salt in this wickedand perverse generation, then there mustnot only be a loosening of the tongues ofpreachers, but an unstopping of the ears ofhearers.About the author: The author is pastorof the Re/ormed Baptist Church inInverness, Scotland. This article firstappeared in his congregationalpublication, The Wicket Gate.COVENANTER WITNESS

\W\\\\\\\\\ \ \/ / / I/This is an aspect of "reformation"that few seem to take into account in thesedays when there is so much talk on thatsubject. There is a great deal of hopeplaced in the fact of "pastor so-and-soexercising a Reformed ministry.'" But,this is only part of the question; foralthough there may be a veritable harvest— even of Reformed preaching — theremay also be a veritable famine of' 'hearingthe words of the Lord." And, surely, theLord intends that there should be a faithfulministry and a faithful listening to constituteHis Church wherein He hasdeigned that His honour will dwell. Toescape from the morass of present-dayevangelical laziness, apathy, and indifference,Reformed "ministries" in thepulpits is only half of the answer to the realsituation, and the crying need is notsimply that a man exercises a Reformedministry, but that he exercises it withinthe context of a Reformed church. Onlythen will we begin to get anywhere nearthe real and vital need of our day, which isthe worship of Almighty God by thepeople of God.In these days there is great stresslaid on the fact that' 'the church is the realagent in evangelism," and rightly so. Weabhor the idea of the church performing itsevangelistic obligations "by proxy"through the appointment of a personalityevangelist for a two, or three-weekcampaign every now and again when thetime seems opportune. But howeverdesirable, and necessary, and obligatorythe evangelistic work of the church is inthe area where the Lord has placed it, it isstill merely the o«/-workings of thechurch's life before the face of men, andcan never stand in isolation to the unitedworship of God by that people of Godunder the sound of the truth of God to theglory of God. That is the one and only truesource of any spiritual life that the churchis going to manifest to the world around it.In other words, our work for God onlyfinds its motivating in our worship ofGod.This is why true Christian service haswaned and goes on waning in our day. Sideby side with turning the Lord's Dayworship into an entertainment session forNOVEMBER 7. 1973the unconverted instead of a "drawingnear to God" by the people of God hasgone the constant decline in the effectivetestimony of the church, so that sheappears to be creditable only to childrenand for children. It is one thing to sendyour child along to "the church", orindeed, to go along as a child, but what anindictment of the professing church thatwhen the majority of children "becomemen" and "put away childish things,"one of the first things to go is theevangelical church of today with its tritemessage of "no more blue mon days" andits shallow services that hit somewherebetween a religious gathering and anamateur talent contest.The "witness" of the church canonly be fully realised in proportion to theworship of the churcb being a trueworship of its God and Saviour. And thismust involve the church in its totality —in pulpit and pew — in pastor and people— in preaching and hearing — so thatthere is neither a famine with the one orthe other. This in no way must be metwith the old red herring about looking fora "perfect" church. Far from it; no onecan hold the doctrine of the depravity ofhuman nature and think such a thing, andwe know that there will always be thosewithin the congregations of God whosehearts are hard and whose ears arestopped; that fearful verse of Paul's to theCorinthians settles that question once andfor all, "For there must also be heresiesamong you, that they which are approvedmay be made manifest among you." But,surely, where this type of hearer constitutesthe mass of the membership of anyparticular church the true worship of Godmust have declined to a very low ebbindeed. If we hold that true preaching ofGod is the preaching of His free andsovereign love toward us in Christ theLord, then, true hearing must, ofnecessity, fall into the same set of doctrines.And, therefore, true worship isboth the glad preaching and the gladhearing of those doctrines. In what otherenvironment of worship is God moreglorified than where a pastor extols theheight, and the breadth, and the depth.and the length of the sovereign love andacts of Almighty God in Father, Son, andHoly Spirit, and where the people's heartsrespond in glad and glowing "amens"(audible or inaudible) to the exposition ofthose glorious truths? We contend thatthere is no other environment quite likethat in the normal run of God's dealingswith His people.Why this aspect of present-day"reform" has apparently been leftunattended, only those concerned cananswer, and we are not inclined to dealwith that side of things just now. There isalways, of course, a desire for a "gentle"reformation, and it is obvious that apressing of such principles to theirultimate conclusion would be costly inreputation, in standing, and in a dozenand-oneother ways. But, we will searchhistory's page for that reform that wascarried out in a painless fashion andwithout much tears and abuse, and searchit in vain. It had invariably the shocks ofrevolution and disruption as its very lifebreath.As we say, we welcome every intimationof a man "exercising a Reformedministry," but we still long to hear ofmore exercising their Reformed ministriestogether with Reformed people, for if aman preaches one way and the people hearanother way. where is the worship of God— the most pressing need of our day — inthe midst of it all? The "voice" of Jacoband the "hands" of Esau are never abecoming combination; neither are thedoctrines of grace preceeded by duets,solos, choir pieces and banjo bands, andfollowed during the week with daffodil teasand teenage variety shows.If we believe that the Lord isgranting a reversal of the general famine ofthe preaching of His word today, then, letus not be at rest in that alone, but let usdesire by prayer and purpose that Hewould also take away the general famine ofthe HEARING of His word, so that theremight not only be a "Thus saith theLord" from Reformed pulpits, but aresoundina "Amen" and "so be it"from Reformed pews.

JAMES D. CARSONFellowship as EvangelismPart 2: Forms of FellowshipTHE CONTENT OF FELLOWSHIPWhat does one do in fellowship? Now there are many conducted either through a lecture process or a cut-and-driedthings. But basic to it all is the Word of God. In Colossians3:16, we read, "with all wisdom teaching and admonishingone another in psalms.'' How do we do that?By way of illustration, consider Psalm 119, thequestion and answer method with a minimum of discussion.In fact, it is not unusual that in such classes when somediscussion does get started spontaneously, the teacher oftensays, "Well, we'd better get back to the lesson." Which islongest Psalm of them all. Now if I were to ask you about the more important — to finish the lesson, or to meet andsubject of that Psalm, you would all agree that it is the Wordof God. And that is true. There are nine synonyms used inthis one Psalm for the Bible. They are: law, testimony, way,precepts, statute, commandment, judgment, word andordinance. But there is something else significant in thatPsalm. And that is that in most verses there is someanswer the questions of the members of the class? So theseclasses might be restructured to allow for discussion, withthe expectation of preparation by the members of the class,and the opportunity for participation in the class by all themembers. In this way, the status of the teacher may bereduced to moderator or chairman or discussion leader, andemotional response to the Bible that is recorded. In my list Ifind 21 separate emotional responses (and some of theseall the members regarded as teachers — teaching each other.occur more than once). They are: happiness, joy, MEN'S FELLOWSHIPsatisfaction, sorrow, loneliness, weeping, shame,wholeheartedness, fear, love, hope, depression, anger,discouragement, need for support, impatience, hate, zeal,loss of personal image, separation, and peace. I make noclaim for having found them all.What is the point? The Word of God is fixed and final.However, the application of that eternal truth should haveits impact on our emotions. Part of the value of thefellowship of believers is to be able to share together in thestruggle both of understanding the message — often amessage we do not immediately like; and of applying thatmessage to the complex situations in which we live. That is,fellowship ought not to be a gathering together for thesharing of ignorances, but for finding something solid onwhich to build.May I emphasize at this point, however, that I do notthink every fellowship gathering needs to be a formal Biblestudy. Yet we dare not allow any activity in which we areengaged to wander very far from the basis of the Scriptures.Fellowship for the sake of fellowship may be interestingfor a time, but it will not last. But that fellowshipwhich is built around the Word of God is a fellowship thatwill last and will reap results.It is then important to consider the form that thisfellowship may take, remembering two underriding principles:namely, that fellowship must be Biblical and it mustfit the needs of those who are involved in it.ADULT STUDY GROUPSOne form of this fellowship may take place in the adultBible School class, and in the evening adult fellowshipgroups. Traditionally, these groups have been largelyAnother form might be the development of a men'sfellowship. By this, I do not mean primarily an activitycenteredfellowship, although this has its place. But menneed an opportunity to get together, to share their lives andtheir burdens with each other, to get encouragement fromeach other for the better performance of their own tasks. It isinteresting to get together in one group men of diversebackgrounds and discover that the needs of one are basicallythe needs of the other. We have allowed factors such aseducation and type of employment to separate us unduly. Ifthe core of men in each of our congregations were growingspiritually and in fellowship with each other, it would make atremendous impact across the whole congregation anddenomination.A further form of fellowship may be found in the use ofsome type of sermon-discussion. Many congregations arenow using this. It may take different forms. The one that wehave used and the one which appeals to me personallyisasking that members of the congregation in their weeklymeetings, as well as in their private Bible study, study theAbout the author: This is the second and concludingarticle drawn from an address given by Mr.Carson at the 1972 Pre-Synodic Conference. Mr. Carsonis the newly installed pastor of the Los Angeles R Pcongregation.10 COVENANTER WITNESS

on the floor of Synod in debate — and learning, despite ourportion of the Bible that the minister will be preaching fromNOVEMBER " ' cp:;the following Sabbath morning. This form allows the differences, to pray with each other, and to give expressionScripture through the Holy Spirit to speak personally and of our deep Christian love for one another.privately to the members. It means, of course, that thereThen let this spirit go back to our sessions andmay be more questions. It may appear as a threat to theminister. It may be that more members will be searching outwhether the things said by the minister are true or not.Other groups provide opportunity for discussion of themessage following the presentation with particular emphasison the way in which the truth ought to be applied to givencongregations. And out of this level of Christian fellowshipcan come those earnest prayers of God's people for revivaland the conversion of the lost. The judgment that came uponthe Ephesian church was that thev had lost their first love.And Jesus said that unless that situation was changed. Hewould take their candlestick from its place.life situations. The point is that, in this process, both Biblestudy and fellowship are developed more extensively.FELLOWSHIP IN CHURCH COURTSFELLOWSHIP-STEWARDSHIPOne other form in which this fellowship may takeplace is in the demonstration of koinonia as stewardship.Another form of this Christian fellowship might take Some congregations have established "mercy funds", andplace in our session, presbytery and synod meetings. I couldwish for nothing better than that our Synod meetings wouldbe marked by the kind of fellowship that I believe would notonly alter attitudes in the meetings, but would also be athis is a Biblical command that we meet the needs of others.It may well be that we could try to think of the budget of ourdenomination more in the area of Christian fellowship thanof dollars and cents. For this really is what ought to bedemonstration to our people of the way in which Christian happening — when a congregation through its pastor in aleaders can work together and love each other. I am new area receives a check and realizes that back of that checkreminded of a passage in Paul Tournier's book, Excape From there is the demonstration of Christian fellowship - theLoneliness. He writes:whole church sharing in this project and venture. And soHence it is that modern man, misled bywith other areas of the church's work.nineteenth century science and philosophy, canconceive of society only as a vast network of battles,tests of strength, and competition between rivalpowers. This could be called the parliamentaryspirit. . .In this parliamentary spirit, family membersmeet one another on the outside, so to speak, justlike congressmen. They never make contact withthe other person deep down inside, but only with hisoutward role, his system of thought, his leanings orhis demands. In this parliamentary game, with itssubtle procedure, they can estimate very preciselythe strength they will have to maneuver, but they donot know the person himself, in his inner, complexThe phrase "the fellowship of believers" must not beallowed to become simply and only a theological phrase. Itmust be demonstrated to the world in which we live, anditmust be demonstrated across the board in our Christianassociations. What Jesus did with twelve men seemed small,and what the apostles did initially gathering for worship,education, and fellowship seemed small, but by the attendantpower of God, that fellowship has led to evangelismaround the world.Dr. Francis Schaeffer, in his book. The Church at theEnd of the 20th Century, writes:There is no use saying you have communityor love for each otherif it does not get down into thetough stuff ol life. It must, or we are producingbeing.ugliness in the name of truth. I am convinced that inThus, each one hides his most personalthe 20th Centurv people all over the world will notconcerns behind the false front to title, position,listen if we have the right doctrine, the right polity,reputation, or doctrine. We debate, correct others.but are not exhibiting community.or criticize in order to avoid the questions we areLet me savit very strongly again: There is noasking of ourselves. . .use talking about loveifit does not relate to the stuffI believe that our Synod meetings do not give properof life in the area of material possessions and needs.expression to the Biblical koinonia, and I wish they could.If it does not mean a sharing of our material thingsAll of us know elders who have been very discouraged afterfor our brothers in Christ close at home and abroad.their first meeting of Synod, in part because they do not seeit means little or nothing, (p. 73)expressed the concern of one man for another in theWe mav sum all this up by transposing 1 John 1 :3:discussions and debates. And we sometimes laugh it off and"Indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with I lis Sonsav, "Well, after a few meetings you'11 get used to it."Jesus Christ (and) what we have seen and heard we proclaimI could wish that during a meeting of Synod, severalto vou also, that vou also mav have fellowship with us."This is the kind ot fellowship that becomes a basis torgroups could be meeting daily - - groups where we mightfind ourselves side bv side with those whom we are opposing evangelism.•

#e&n-£GODvPBreaking stony, sinful hearts is slowand discouraging business, even when wehave the divinely ordained tools for thejob.Most Christians live on the slope ofsome now extinct spiritual volcano — theReformation, or the Scottish Covenanterresistance to tyranny. That historicalreligious and cultural explosion of SpiritimpelledChristian devotion and obediencehas become for us today nothing muchmore than a frozen memory, a tradition.We borrow false glory from a ratherromantic idealization of the past which haslittle real spiritual power in the awfulcoldness of the churches today. The lava oftrue repentance and true witnessing evento the martyr's death has hardened intoflint-like secularism.What can break the hard and stonyhearts of our contemporary autonomousMan?We have pecked away at the lava withcriticism and analysis and clever socialanalysis. We are shocked and we deploreand we rail at the lawlessness, the immorality,the violence, the nudity, theblasphemy, the pollution and therevolution. The hard modern hearts ofstone never yield a single chip to our pettyhammer blows.Preachers faithfully sprinkle the headsand hearts of listeners with rain drops ofexhortation. From "firstly" on through"fifthly" we assail the resistance of sinfulhearts, presumably, however, "presentcompany excepted", and even prolong theattack till well past NOON. From Januaryto December, August excepted, ourpatient watering goes on but nothinghappens. The world does not seem tolisten and the ability of all those carelesssinners to resist our Biblical thunderappalls and discourages the preacher.The Word of God is a sword, a fire, ahammer. God never awakens sinners byany other means. It is right to preach theWord for that is God's own command.What should be remembered always isthat the Holy Spirit alone can convict theSAMUEL E. BOYLEworld of sin, and of righteousness and ofjudgment, (John 16:7-12). The heartwhich is deceitful above all things, anddesperately wicked is only changed byGod's Holy Spirit. It is the internal explosionof conviction of sin which Godbrings to a sinner that begins the spiritualvolcano. By this, in many lives, God againchanges, permanently, the shape of rockymountains of sin and rebellion againstGod.' 'A new heart also will I give you, anda new spirit will I put within you: audiwill take away the stony heart out of yourflesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.Ezekiel 36:27About the author: Sam's pen andready wit help bridge the miles betweenus and Kobe, Japan where he faithfullyserves as an R. P. missionary.12 COVENANTER WITNESS

Dear Kids,I'm sure you are all busily involved in school bynow. As I think of you across the world I realize howdifferent your circumstances must be. There's someonein town walking to school, another catching a busalongside a country road, another speeding along in citytraffic. Some of you are in a minority of some kind in yourschool while others are in the comfortable majority. Youare all so different and yet you are all alike.You are part of the body of believers, the body ofChrist. You have a common faith, baptism, and Lord.You live as those who have been given a task to do untiltheir Master returns. So you have a common goal! As Ipray for you I ask God to prepare you for the unique jobHe has for you, which no one else can perform, in HisKingdom.And so we're back to where we started — school.Ah, yes the daily grind. But it has a purpose in God'splan, doesn't it?To reminisce of summer activity we have impressionsand descriptions written at Camp Laurelville.We hope you will read and see what you have in commonwith tbese juniors. Then share with us about your camp.Your friend,Mrs. A.%/&'cayr**- (fry &>\~kisyear-Laurie v'l* eJ sl*P+ ''r- cladhd si t/

The Gym at theSeminary(from p. 7)Similarly, we might test ourselves spiritually. Howsensitive are we to sin in our lives? Are we aware of doctrinalerror or attitudes of rebellion or disobedience?In verse 2, Paul warned Timothy against false teachers"who have their conscience seared with a hot iron." Searingwith a hot iron is not so much the idea of branding for identificationas it is the idea of cauterizing a wound. Before many ofthe improvements of modern medical science, when someonehad a wound that was not healing or if a leg or an arm had to beamputated, one method of stopping the bleeding was to put ared hot iron into the wound, but while it might stop thebleeding it frequently destroyed the nerve endings so that therewas no feeling. Even when the wound had healed, someonecould touch the scar, and the person wouldn't feel it.Paul points out that the teaching of false doctrine or livingin sin can cause a similar numbness. For instance, we arefrequently told that guilt is a bad thing, and that the way to helppeople who feel guilty is to help them remove the feeling ofguilt.According to the Scriptures, guilt is a messenger of God.Guilt helps us to know when something is wrong. When wehave sinned, if we are healthy spiritually, we will feel guilty, wewill feel miserable until we have confessed that sin to God inrepentance, and have righted any wrong we may have doneagainst others.But if we are taught falsely, as many of our socialscientists are teaching today, that we are not really responsiblefor our sin — that our parents or our environment is to blame,or that the standards of God's Word or of our church are toorestrictive — this is another way to get rid of our feelings ofguilt. And it sounds very attractive; you don't have to changeyour way of life; you live as you want to, and you still can havepeace of mind. There are many people today who have learnedto live in sin without any sense of guilt.Exercise unto godliness will make us aware if we areinsensitive to sin; it will make us aware of the grief that our sinsbring to the very heart of God; it will not only help us to knowthat our spiritual health is lacking, but it will help us by God'sgrace to find spiritual healing and strength. Like Samson, whoprobably was saved, but who lived in a sinful environment andbecame insensitive to sin, if we are not exercising untogodliness, we may not be aware that the Spirit of God has leftus.The gym here at the seminary helps us to evaluate ourspiritual fitness, and to be aware of our spiritual needs. It helpsus to be nourished as we read in verse 6 "in the words of faithand good doctrine." This kind of exercise unto godliness isessential — that we might know how we stand before God.//. In the Second Place, EXERCISE UNTOGODLINESS HELPS THE SEMINARY STUDENT TOTEST HIS GIFTS.14Here is another major criterion of the pastor's Call. Notonly is he to be spiritually strong, but he is also to have the giftof ministry. As Paul wrote to Timothy in the first chapter,verse 12, it was Christ who enabled him, and put him into theministry; Christ had appeared to Paul in a miraculous way andcalled him to be a minister, and had given to him the gift ofministry.In verse 14 of this fourth Chapter of 1 Timothy, Paul toldTimothy to "neglect not the gift that is in him.", and in 2Timothy 1:6, he told him '' to stir up the gift of God which is inhim." Timothy's qualifications for the ministry were the gift ofGod, but he needed to put that gift to use. Here as in manyplaces in the New Testament we see the relationship betweenGod's grace and our responsibility.Just as in Philippians, the second chapter, Paul tells us towork out the salvation we have received by grace and are experiencingbecause God is working in us; just as we read inEphesians, the second chapter that we are saved by grace inorder that we might do the good works that God has alreadyordained for us to do; so here in our text we see that thegodliness which is the work of God's Spirit in our lives is alsosomething that we are commanded to exercise or work toward.True godliness is made known and manifested in Christ:as we read in the chapter before our text, ' 'Great is the mysteryof godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in theSpirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed onin the world, received up into glory." Godliness is not justexternal behaviour, as Paul wrote concerning reprobates in 2Timothy 3:5, "who have a form of godliness, but deny thepower thereof." Also essential to godliness is a knowledge ofthe truth as Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:3, of "the doctrinewhich is according to godliness."But although godliness is made known through Christ, isthe gift of the power of God, and is appropriated through aknowledge of the truth, we are still called to exercise toward it.Shortly before we left Los Angeles, the circus came totown, and in one of his daily columns, Jack Smith, a columnistfor the Los Angeles Times, told why he enjoyed going to thecircus more than going to the movies. "At the circus," hewrote, "everyone is trying to do his very best. The lions, thetigers, the elephants, the bears, and the people are all out thereseeking to perform the very best feats of which animals and menare physically capable. In the movies," he wrote, "everyone isweak and sick."Here on a purely humanistic level is a contrast betweenthose who are exercising toward improving their gifts and thosewho are merely squandering their gifts. On an entirely differentlevel Timothy was called to stir up his gift of ministry.And so the student has an opportunity to stir up his giftshere at the seminary — to use them, to practice them, todevelop them, to test them. Does he have the gift of interpretingScripture? Does he have the gift of preaching? Does he have thegift of teaching? Does he have the gift of listening to the needsof people? Does he have the gift which Paul calls the greatestgift — the gift of love?(continued on next page.)COVENANTER WITNESS

It's true that effective ministers are not all equally giftedin these and other areas. It's also true that if we are underconviction of God's call that we can claim His promise forgreater gifts. "Do any of you lack wisdom?" asked James,' 'Let him ask of God!'' God's call to service is often confirmedin service, and so the seminary seeks to provide opportunity forfield work in local congregations, for experience in preaching,in evangelism, in counselling. The gym at the seminary helpsthe student who is exercising toward godliness to test his gifts.In closing my message this evening, I would like to voicemy concern that there are men who have gifts which wouldqualify them for the Gospel ministry, but are not consideringthe gym here at the seminary. To some extent I believe that theChristian community has turned them off.My earliest recollection of consecration services atpresbyterial and national conferences is that a call was made formen and women to go into "full-time Christian service"; bythis they meant the ministry or the mission field. But there wasa reaction to this — and rightly so. It was pointed out that allChristians who are committed to Jesus Christ as Lord, are infull-time Christian service, and I believe that there is a deeperunderstanding today of ministry by people in varied professionsand positions.But this emphasis also has led to misunderstanding. Formany, this seems to say that all vocations are the same in theeconomy of God, and while the Scriptures clearly speak of theGospel ministry as a special calling of God, there are committedChristian young men whose vocational outlook has neverrecognized the priority of considering this Call. It's true thatGod will not call every committed young man into theministry, even if he has many of the gifts, butit is tragicif ayoung man has never been open to that call.Naturally, it's true that men with gifts for the ministryhave ability for success in other fields. Some years ago, whenphrenology was in vogue, Dr. McAllister of our church wasexamined by a leading phrenologist. "What a tragedy!" heexclaimed, "that such intellect and ability is wasted in theministry!'' This could be said of many of our pastors today. Theworld considers this a waste, but what of the waste when a manwith gifts for the Gospel ministry choses another vocation. I'mnot ignoring the fact that a man needs to be called by God, butitis possible to resist that call, and to quench the Spirit.Dr. Willson, Dr. Copeland, Prof. Spear, the Board ofSuperintendents, and many others have worked hard to makeour Seminary an effective gymnasium for the training of menand the testing of gifts. The academic discipline of theologicalstudy, the practical experience of working with people, theexercising of life toward godliness are no more remote from theexperience of the pastorate than the drills of football practice arefrom the actual games.On the day of the big game, the captain doesn't lead histeam out on the field to show how well they can do calisthenics;the quarterback doesn't take the snap from center and startdoing push-ups. If their practice and exercise were done faithfullyand well,it will show in how they play the game.So as men leave the gym here at the Seminary, they willnot be going out into their first pastorate to show how well theycan conjugate a Greek verb or explain the difference betweenBarth and Cullmann on some intricate distinction in theology;rather, in their spiritual maturity, and the application of theirgifts of ministrv they will show that they have learned toexercise unto godliness. Isit any wonder that Paul wrote toTimothy, "This is a faithful saving and worthy of all acceptation."mNOVEMBER 7, 1973GOD'S WAY OF RECONCILIATION: Studies in Ephesians 2.D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Baker, 1972. 380 pp. S7.95 (cloth).God's Way of Reconciliation consists of 33 powerfulsermons from Ephesians 2 which challenge the non-Christianand edify the believer. These expository sermons focus on man'ssinful condition and God's complete work in restoring Hispeople to Himself. For me, the climax came in the three sermonsbased on Ephesians 2:18. With precise diction and a cohesivestyle, the preacher elaborates on the privilege that the reconciledman has — namely, his access to the Father's presencethrough Christ's work and in the Spirit. Specifically, Lloyd-Jonesapplies this teaching to the prayer life. As I read these sermons. Icould almost hear the preacher speaking to me. Highlyrecommended.Eileen FalkCONTEMPORARY WORLD THEOLOGY, A LAYMAN'SGUIDEBOOK. Harvie M. Conn. Pres. & Ref., 1973. 155 pp.S2.95 (paper).This book is just what its title declares it to be — alayman's guide to contemporary world theology. "It is not at allintended to be detailed either as an introduction to contemporaryworld theology or as an analysis" but "a sketch, askeletal outline ... to streets and places of interest" (p. ix).Harvie Conn does an excellent job of wetting one's appetite tostudy deeper and yet of removing many of the layman'sbewildering questions concerning modern theology.Bruce R. BackenstoCHINA: CHRISTIAN STUDENTS FACE THE REVOLUTION.David H. Adeney. IVP, 1973. 130 pp. $1.50 (paper).David H. Adeney is one of the best known and mosttrusted evangelical missionary leaders among Chinese Christianstudents. His tiny paperback of only 130 pages contains thesummary of a lifetime of Christian experience in China. He firstreached Shanghai as an English missionary recruit in 1934. Heleft China in 1941 on furlough and was unable to return becauseof World War II until 1946. He then flew over "the Hump" fromIndia to Chungking, where he plunged into Christian studentwork with China Inter-Varsity. This student work took him backto the eastern China universities. When Communists triumphedin 1949, Mr. Adeney continued to witness under the People'sGovernment. Although forced out in 1951, he has continued instudent work; presently he is Dean of the Discipleship TrainingCentre of the Overseas Missionary Fellowship in Singapore.This small book is sketchy, but it is easy to read.It is anexcellent and accurate description of what the Communistrevolution in China did to Christian students. From thisbackground, the author presents what he thinks are the futureprospects for a Christian witness by Chinese students insideCommunist China. Chapter 7 is the best part of the book; thereMr. Adenev poses questions which the whole Christian churchneeds to consider— how can we witness to atheistic Communistnations.S.F.. Bovle*)

Death is knocking at the golden gate and reallythe beginning of life "For me to die is gain," Paulsaid. It is a coronation, an enthronement, an ascension,a triumph! This life is childhood, the Heaven lifeis manhood.Mrs. D. B. Elseyibes fyluitl/ (^OnAiuASuf/A discussion in the adult study classstalled on the question: "Will we knowour loved ones in Heaven?" Finally ayoung teacher burst out with the opinionthat God must laugh at mere man forspending so vague an hour on a subject Hehas told us is a mystery. "Still," saidanother in the class, "the Christian takescomfort from what he can learn fromGod's word and from study. . . a comfortthat the unbeliever does not have. It isGod's loving provision for us."My mind raced home to an envelope Iknew is in my files. The hand-writing onthe outside says, "Printed Matter." Thestamp is 4 cents. The cancellation date isMarch 1966 and the return address is theReformed Presbyterian Home, Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania. I have put a labelon it. One word: "Heaven." Inside is adiminishing supply of Mrs. D. B. Elsey'sprayer-meeting talk in leaflet form. It istitled The Eternal Home. Also folded inthe envelope is a page from the June 3,1970 Covenanter Witness. Called, TheChristian Hope, the comments are byJohn K. Gault on the subject of Christ'skingdom on earth.This has been God's loving provisionfor me. I have a wealth of treasures. Myprecious jewel, the gift of a true conversionexperience, came to me in a lonelysick room while I turned the pages of J. C.McFeeter's book, "Sketches of theCovenanters." It seemed to me that heasked, "Dear young reader, will you notat this moment join Christ's band?" AndI said, yes. The room lit. My tears flowed.And my being was flooded with Love.How such a change could come aboutwas explained to me not many monthslater in a sermon by J. D. Edgar. He spokeon the legalistic illustration behind Paul'soutcry, "O wretched man that I am, Whoshall deliver me from the body of thisdeath?" And Paul's triumphant answercomes, "I thank God, through JesusChrist. . "No doubt it was a notable sermon andwas heard in many churches and youthconferences at that time. But it came tome in a one-room school house, where wesat at desks fastened to the wooden floor.Each of us passed a lighted lamp from deskto desk as our turns came to read theScripture. O, wretched man that I am,W H O shall deliver me from the body ofthis death! Mr. Edgar was himself inshadow as he stood and preached. Butwhat a light was shed on my soul thatnight.There came a time when H. G.Patterson's prayer-meeting commentsinstructed me. I was a blythe and carelessspirit. One of my favorite and probablyfoolish expressions was: "But are youhappy?" And then I read it. . .Mr.Patterson's comment about mankind'scraving for happiness. He did not defendthat goal but wrote, "A broken and acontrite spirit is a far more valuablepossession."In an instant I believed it. I wasconvicted of the necessity of recognizingmy own humiliatingly sinfulnature. . .which was all I had in God'ssight. Except for Christ's beautiful bloodthat blots out all of me. How meager to bedressed in smiles!Happiness is for Heaven. Mrs. Elsey'sleaflet says, "All the writers on thesubject agree that there are degrees ofhappiness in Heaven. Everyone is happy. . . but those who have worked hard,overcome temptation, endured as seeingHim who is invisible, according to hisworks and the measure of his faith willenjoy a greater degree of happiness." Herresearch led her to state: "All thesymbols used to picture Heaven denote amore abundant life of activity and intensity,employments, fellowships andpleasure ... joy with a fellowship whichno man can number ... a sin-free socialAbout the author: This column iswritten by Mary McConaughy Mc­Crory of Marshalltown, Iowa. Herhusband, John, is a teacher, and she isthe mother of three grown children.Mary, several years ago, edited achildren's page in the CovenanterWitness. Writing is Mary 's avocation life, brilliant with mingledand articles of hers have appeared inother magazines as well. One such wasread by me in preparation for the article,Parents in the Crucible, in"Distaff" recently. Mary was thefriend who drew the two sets of anxiousparents together.colors andglories."Later, in her clear composition ofdistilled thought and study, Mrs. Elseysays: "We shall be endlessly inquiringabout this and that."I have had such joy from thesetreasures, offered mc by those who were' 'endlessly inquiring" here on earth that Imust thank God for His loving provisionin my life, through Christian writers.16COVENANTER WITNESS

"MAO'S CHINA"With this title, Dr. Robert N.Thompson, Director of Development ofTrinity Western College, Langley, B.C.,tells in the last issue of the Witness of histwo week trip in Red China as a leader of adelegation of Canadian farmers. How doesone evaluate reports such as this? He wasthere. You and I probably were not.Most things reported accord very wellwith official and approved news comingfrom Red China, as for instance, that theEnglish language text book in a highschool, "was full of imperialist and'running dogs' hatred," and "Mao'scurrent No. 1 commandment is 'Serve thePeople,' No. 2 is 'Self reliance,' and No.3 is 'Mutual assistance,' " or "Textbooksare blatantly (of course, official RedChina would not use such a disparaginglyslanted word to describe their own books.L.K.) full of political and ideologicalteaching.'' These things we can probablyaccept readily.Other things may tax our credulityjust a bit, though these rosy tidbits havebeen reported, almost in identicallanguage, by many recent travellers."Every able-bodied adult has a job. Thereare no unemployed simply becauseeveryone works. . . Venereal disease hasbeen eliminated" we are told (Emphasismine. I wonderif these three words mightnot apply to much more than that onestatement about venereal disease).To cite others: There is noprostitution and no premarital sex. Thereis no drug problem. . China is practicallyself-sufficient in food production.While she imports large amounts of wheatand other grains, particularly for thenorthern areas, China exports equalamounts of rice, vegetables and cereals."The provision for the needs of all — "Wesaw rosycheeked, healthy people by thehundreds of thousands" — is not soplentiful when reported by refugees fromChina, as bv chaparoned visitors.WU, LING. CHEN. FT ALThese and other unsponsoredspokesmen on matters in "Red China"\OVFMBER 7. l l )~imp^edIRev.Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010report conditions in their native land in aconsiderably different light. Thosementioned are all refugees following the"Great Cultural Revolution ('RedGuards')" of 1966-1968.For instance, Wu Shu-jen, a memberof the Chinese Communist party for 11years, an engineer, at one time a bodyguard of Mao, says, "Far from being aland of plenty, China is plagued withcritical food shortages and rationing."Wu's testimony before the HouseCommittee on Internal Security, accordingto Human Events, included anaccount of the way in which he participatedin preparations for a visit ofBritish Prime Minister Clement Attlee toPeking in the 1950s. "Prior to Attlee'svisit to Peking, the school (I) attended,Tsing Hua, suspended classes for twowhole days. The first half-day, the schoolofficials lectured us on how we should actin front of this prominent visitor, how weshould answer any questions he wouldcome up with, and then we spent one andone-half days dividing into small groups,discussing what we should do."Then, just before the prime ministermade a tour of Peihal Park in Peking, allthe students put on their best dress andacted as tourists, as citizens, so when Mr.Attlee toured the park, he saw nothingbut happy faces, colorful dress and youngpeople having a good time. We did have agood time, because we did not have toattend the class and we had our best dresson. That is what a foreign visitor wouldsee when he visited mainland Chinatoday."One special matter of Wu's testimonyconcerned the acreages of poppies that hehad seen in China, and the production andexport of heroin in a plant where his wifeworked.Dr. Fred Schwarz published ChenYung-sheng's "Facts about the Situationon the Chinese Mainland in 91 Questionsand Answers." Ken Line's book."Revenge of Heaven : Journal of a YoungChinese.''is published by G. P Putnam'sSons. N Y . and in paperback byBallantine Books. N.YAnother respected voice of analysis ofthe China scene is the Committee for aFree China, the Hon. Walter H. Judd,Chairman. This organization has beenmaintaining refugee aid in Hong Kong.There is also the Clergymen's Committeeon China, founded by Dr. Daniel A.Poling. Another organization, this onewith a uniformly pro-Red China stance, is"Clergy and Laity Concerned," N'.Y.C.THE CHURCH BEHIND THE IRONCURTAINIn the most recent RES News Exchange,thereis a most instructive reportbased on a recent ten day visit to Russianchurches by a Dutch delegation. Also,two recent books are mentioned,Protestants in Russia, by J. A. HeblyRumors Surrounding Wurmbrand, by RValkenberg. The only exception noted inthis report to Wurmbrand. bowever,is hisclaim that "an organized undergroundchurch (exists) with widespreadbranches." One of the delegates, H. A.Vanden Heuvel, said, "There is nounderground church, onlv undergroundChristians."The delegation reported that theRussian Orthodox Church was mostaccessible to them, understandably, butthere is no denying of the distressingposition in which Christians live andwitness in a Communist country. Beyondthe Orthodox Church,it is reported thatthe great majority of Christians areBaptist. "Although thereis freedom ofworship, except for the narrowly cubicexercise of religion the church is encompassed,hemmed in and harrassed by amultitude of laws and regulations that thestate can bend in any direction to impedethe work of the church." (More in a latercolumn.)EP REPORTS ONE ITEM OF THE CRCSYNOD"An 11-point proposal welcominghomosexuals into full membership in thedenomination was adopted b\ the 1 iSmember Synod . . at Calvin College June19 " though it also "condemned thephvsical act of 'homosexualism.' . . ."DIVISION WITHIN MISSOURISYNOD LUTHERAN1SMThe reelection of Dr Jacob A. O.Preus bv Missouri S\nod Lutherans to asecond 4\ear term, has been seen bvsome obser\ers as an indication that theopposing groups within the denominationwill likelv not remain together

t fCountHerTowers..." jntiID AN A, KS.(Luther McFarland, Pastor)Mrs. Ross Latimer from the Home inPittsburgh spent three weeks visitingrelatives and friends in Clay Center.Rev. Robert Vincent was the communionassistant on October 7.Prayer meetings are held regularly inthe homes. An added activity the firstWednesday of each month is a pot lucksupper.Rodney Goodin, a student at FortHays State College, is involved with theBible studies in the Joe Copeland home inHays.LOCHIEL, ONT.LarryFalk, student at the R. PSeminary, served as a student minister forus this summer.Our congregation had a Psalm sing onAugust 24; friends from the communityand from Lisbon and Almontecongregations joined in our praise to God.Rev. Paul E. Faris administered theLord's Supper on Sabbath, August 26.That evening, the Lisbon congregationunited in worship with us as Larry Falkpreached his concluding sermon fromEphesians.In September we began a study of"Understanding Biblical Doctrine." Rev.Paul E. Faris, Lisbon, leads us in thisstudy every other Tuesday evening.FRESNO, CA.(Bruce Hemphill, Pastor)Bill and Kathy Gouge attended thePsalm Precentors' Workshop held atGeneva College. They have introducedsome of the new Psalms to ourcongregation.A total of twenty-three persons attendedthe Summer Conference held atCamp Good News in Prescott, Arizona,August 11-19.i • iiIn honor of their 51st WeddingAnniversary, Dr. and Mrs. Alvin Smithwere presented with a cake following theprayer meeting on the evening of August22, at which time Happy Birthday wassung to Bill Gouge whose birthday was thefollowing day.Gayle Copeland attended a YouthTemperance Council Camp at Glen Ellen,Calif, in August.DENISON, KS.(Ken McBurney, Pastor)The Young People presented theFamily Night program July 25. An offeringof $140 helped defray the youngpeople's expenses at Forest Park. TenDenison young people attended theconference full time and many others parttime.On August 23 Rev. and Mrs. MelvilleW. Martin told us, via slides, about thework and activities of the R. P. Home.Promotion Day, August 26, eachclass in the Junior Department of theSabbath School gave a sampling of thework learned during the year. At the closeof the program Annetta Knowles gave anobject lesson "Spiritual Shoes That Fit."She has resigned as Sabbath School teacherafter teaching in the Primary Departmentover 30 years.Some of our members are assisting asleaders in the AWANA program in ourcommunity involving over 60 children,grades 3 to 8. They meet every Tuesdaynight during the school year. AWANAstands for "Approved Workmen Are NotAshamed" — 2 Tim. 3:15.FOREIGN MISSIONBOARD MEETINGThe September meeting afforded anopportunity to hear Miss Oreta Everettand Mr. and Mrs. William Sterrett in theJapan Committee meeting, and MissEverett in the Board meeting. This gavethe Board a helpful approach for considerationof our mission work in Japan,from the viewpoints of a seasoned workerand of enthusiastic new workers preparingto go for the first time.Miss Everett arrived in the U. S. July30, 1973. She will be on deputation workin some of our churches this fall. Encouragementsshe reported from our JapanField were the seminary preparation ofMiwa-San for the Gospel ministry; increasein interest in the work at Tarumi;and the physical attractiveness and increasedwork of the Book Room. Shebelieves that Japanese teachers should betrained for Bible work.The Board voted to ask the JapanCommission in cooperation with theMission to set up proposed plans and goalsfor R. P extension work in Japan forthemselves and for the Sterretts, byFebruary, 1974.The Board plans for the Sterretts toarrive on the Japan Field in early January,1974. This fall the Sterretts will be takingseveral preparatory courses in the R. P.Seminary, and a language course inJapanese at Pittsburgh University. Areading program in Japanese culture willbe assigned. Mr. Sterrett will also beassigned certain field work in connectionwith Covenant Fellowship in Pittsburgh.The Don Pipers and the WilliamEdgars met with the Cyprus CommitteeAugust 28 in Pittsburgh, before theirreturn to Cyprus, September 5, followinga summer furlough in the States.The Spiritual Survey Committeebrought in an itemized study report onguidelines for missionaries on deputation.A committee was appointed toevaluate missionary films that may besuggested to Women's MissionarySocieties for use in Thankofferingprograms when no missionary speaker isavailable.Mr. Robert Catloth, Winchester,Kansas, is a new member of the Board,replacing Mr. Edwin McBurney whoretired after years of good service to theF.M.B. Mr. Catloth reported on theReformation Translation Fellowship, thepossible relocation of Rev. Chao's centerof work, the coming 25th anniversary ofRTF, and the necessity of planning longrange goals for the American and EnglishRTF Boards.Newly elected officers of the Boardinclude E. R. Hemphill, president; R. A.Henning, executive secretary; J. H.White, recording secretary; L. Hutmire,treasurer. John McMillan resigned asrecording secretary after 12 years ofservice.18 COVENANTER WITNESS

DENISON HONORSFOUR LEADERSFour ordained officers of the DenisonR. P. Church were honored for 35 yearsservice at a special ceremony during theworship services August 26, 1973. AlbertMcCrory and Robert Braum were electedelders in March 1938. Ray Knowles andDelber Braum were elected deacons.They were ordained at a service a fewweeks later.To express the appreciation of thecongregation, each man was presented amoney clip engraved with his name and"35 Years Service, Denison R. P.Church." The wife or sister of each manwas asked to come forward and pin aboutonniere on him.Harold McCrory, representing theBoard of Christian Education, was incharge of the presentations. In speaking tothe congregation he noted some of themany changes that have taken placeduring the past 35 years.He pointed out that the churchbuilding and grounds have undergonemany changes. A basement was builtbeneath the church in 1954. This includeda new heating plant, water andsewage systems. New pews were installedin 1964 purchased by a bequest from Mr.and Mrs. John L. Wright. The churchgrounds have been landscaped under theguidance of our present pastor who is alsoa graduate horticulturist.Mr. McCrory concluded that presentday conditions make it imperative thateach officer and member be conscious ofhis individual responsibility to followHebrews 2:1-3, "Therefore we ought togive more earnest heed to the thingswhich we have heard — etc."ATTENTION:JUNIOR SPONSORSSubscriptions for the 1974 JuniorTopic Kits are now due. Units for studywill include the following:Covenanter Missions (Home-Foreign) — 17 lessonsThe Bible: How It Came to Usand Geography --10 lessonsChristian Growth --11 lessonsPublic Worship and theSacraments — 9 lessonsGod's Covenants — 5 lessonsThe cost of a subscription is $5.00postpaid. Orders may be sent to the Boardof Education and Publication, and checksmade payable to the same.I wish to subscribe to the JuniorTopic Kits for 1974. I enclose55.00 for a postpaid order.NameAddressbookmark -si.v reading guide, areavailable in two plans, topical orthrough the Bible in a year. Use ih.form below to place .n order foryour church todayA PROGRAM OF THE NATIONALASSOCIATION OF EVANGELICALSMAIL TO:NAE Box 28. Wheaton llinois 60187YES, we wish to share in NAE's Biblereading program for 1974. Please sendthe following materials in the quantities indicated:Quantity.TOPICAL READING GUIDEdaily passages grouped in weekly topicsfor 1974,.THROUGH THE BIBLE IN AYEAR- -daily reading guide chronologically covering the Bible in 1974READING GUIDES 25/51.5050/52.50 100 or more/54.50 per 100POSTERS - -for church bulletinboards and classrooms to promoteyour bible reading program for 197412/75* 25/51.50 50 or more/52 00per 50PRAYER GUIDES*'sppi i,illypreparedfor those interested m pr.iying for specific NAE mmisines Provided freeAmt. enc SPlease BillNOTEPricesNAME'CHURCH__'ude Oost.iQi- h.indiZIPNOVEMBER ~- 197^

OHIO-ILLINOIS PRES.The seventh annual convention of theOhio-Illinois Presbyterial was held July 23and 24, 1973, during the CovfamikoiFamily Conference at Covenant College,Lookout Mt., Tennessee. The theme was"The Holy Spirit and the Believer"(ljohn 4:1-6); the conference Psalm,Psalm 143.Miss Martha Mclntyre of Sparta andMrs. James Dixson of Bloomington werein charge of devotions.Mrs. Melville Rutherford used"Security in Christ" (Rom. 3:24) as hertopic for her president's address.Rev. Robert Henning, secretary of theForeign Mission Board, spoke about hisrecent trip to the foreign mission field.Aspecial offering was taken for thework of the Christian GovernmentMovement.A memorial service, prepared by Mrs.Kenneth Frieman of Oakdale, and conductedby Miss Pam Auld, of Oakdale,paid tribute to the four members deceasedduring the past year.ST. LAWRENCE CAMPAn international conference is whatthe St. Lawrence Family Conference is inreality. At the camp which met at acampsite near Lisbon, N.Y., August 31-September 3, half of the campers werefrom Canada, half from the U.S. Plannedby three congregations whose membershipstotal about 110 (Lisbon, Lochieland Almonte), the camp had a recordattendance — 117 full-time campers and140 for Sabbath dinner. Because of thelarge attendance, tents and campers wereused in addition to the cabins; still otherpeople were housed in the homes of theLisbon congregation.The conference theme was God's Giftsand Promises (2 Peter 1); the conferencePsalm was Psalm 146. John McMillanwas the guest speaker; his messagesincluded "God's Promises for thePresent," "God's Promises for theFuture,'' and ' 'Giving Diligence to God'sPromises."With a minimal cost of $5.00 perperson and $12.00 per family of three,plus $3.00 for each additional child, campis largely dependent upon donations.Many people provide food for some of themeals. This year, with donations at camp,along with registration fees and individualmeal charges for part-time campers, thecamp fund broke even.The camp president this year wasJessie Morton of Almonte; Frank Brodieof Lochiel was elected president for nextyear.SOUTHFIELD, MICH.(John O. Edgar, Pastor)A farewell party was held for theGordon Winship family prior to theirmoving to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Theywere presented with a Bible signed bymost members of the congregation. Theyin turn presented the congregation with aclock which now hangs in the library.On August 11 the annual Southfield—Hetherton picnic was held in Bay City.LAWRENCE, KS.(M. L. McFarland, Stated Supply)Tom and Nancy Forman have themain responsibility for the Red House thisyear; they are also involved in a programof campus outreach on the KU campus.Mrs. Irene Ramsey, the housemother atthe Red House last year, has returned toher home in Dodge City.Several members of the LawrenceFellowship were involved in thecongregation's summer training program.One of the participants, Bob Ulrich,preached on Sabbath evenings.On July 29, the congregationcelebrated the Lord's Supper, with M. L.McFarland and the elders, HaroldMilligan and Bob Catloth, in charge.With school in session again, we arecontinuing the service of a school buswhich picks up any students on campuswho need a ride to church.GENEVA CONG.(J. Renwick Wright, Pastor)Four people have recently joined ourcongregation. They are J. Edward Hindmanfrom Minneola, Ks., Mr. Kevin D.Robinson from Coldenham, his wife,Shelly from Park City, and Mr. LanceRose from Rochester, Pa.By decision of the session, our Sabbathevening fellowship groups meet at 6 p.m.and the evening service starts at 7 p.m.Before each of our morning and eveningservices, we are spending fifteen minutesin learning to praise God through the newPsalter.At our recent family night dinner,three of our young people spoke of theirsummer experiences: Martha McMillanwho was with summer Bible schools,Jonathan Wright who worked in Alaskaand Bruce Spear who visited Japan.The elective adult Bible class,countouu ^0da

COVENANTERWITNESSSpecialFeature:cuecooRsbipasSATAN HATES THE PSALMS. p. 2WHY ONLY PSALMS IN OUR WORSHIP?.. p. 4WHAT ABOUT INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IN WORSHIP? p. 6HOW SHOULD WE USE THE IMPRECATORY PSALMS? p. 9THE ENGLISH METRICAL PSALTER... p. 11MAKING THE MOST OF THE NEW PSALTER p. 14"COME, LET US WORSHIP ..." p. 16

SATAN HATES THE PSALMS!And I don't think we are being sacrilegious in any sensewhen we conclude that SATAN HATES THE NEWPSALTER. We have undergone every conceivable type offrustration in the last several months as we have tried to get thenew Psalter out to God's people. And we are convinced that thePrince of Darkness has chuckled every time we faced anothersetback. And we can't help but feel that he has had some part incausing believers to complain as delay after delay has takenplace. We can't directly accuse him of making the chemicallydefective glue that caused earlier copies to fall away from thecover, even though they were perfectly tight when they left theprinter's. But we are sure he took delight in seeing us suffersuch frustration.But Satan may just have forgotten that we are a bunch ofCalvinists who believe that the SOVEREIGN LORD LOVESHIS PSALMS. And we believe that in so far as we have beenfaithful in translating and setting to music His Word, theSOVEREIGN LORD IS PLEASED WITH THE NEWPSALTER. And we are certain that He will see to it that thePsalter will get out when and how He wants it used.As of now we believe all known difficulties have beenremedied and Psalters are being shipped out promptly. Anyearly copies with binding or other problems should be returnedpromptly to ARA Corporation, 43 Fifth Ave., Koppel, Pa.16136. Include your full address and a good copy will bereturned to you by the printer. Then Satan will have to listen tothose Psalms just when the Lord wants him to. R.W.N.The new format instituted a year or so back, makes theWitness the best tool to keep in contact with our migratoryflock, that are in the undersight of our elders. I for one find itvery convenient to refer to conversationally when subjects comeup among the fellowship. Keep up the good work.Evelyn Rosemary FrantzLafayette, Ind.•Editor:The introduction to "Children and Books" (July 4) saidthat I "sponsored 'Book-Coffees' for women of (my) communitv."I am afraid that this might give a false idea and would2like to correct the matter in the Witness. The women of theNorth Hills W.M.S. sponsored a series of three "Book-Coffees" for the women of their community in the Spring of1973. This proved a very worthwhile venture as many communitywomen came, heard a book review, had coffee, metsome of the women from the church and checked out books. Atleast a dozen women from the church worked on the project andI was one of them.Mrs. James D. (Dottie) Carson•Editor:As I read the articles about women of the church in theSept. 26 Covenanter Witness, I couldn't help but ask myself,"Am I doing my part, am I participating fully enough inchurch activities and really utilizing my own God-given abilitieswhere and when I may be needed?" (Paradoxical, isn't it? Herewe have a woman wanting to do more, whenever it is oftenrightly said that women already do too much!)If other women are affected similarly by articles whichstress the variety of ways in which they can serve the church ofJesus Christ, then, hoping for a like response from men,oughtn't there to be a Witness devoted to the variety of ways inwhich men can serve also?When we hear over and over that men all too often takethe backseat in church activities, why do we continue to giveattention to the Christian woman's role(s)? Perhaps what theChurch of our Lord really needs is a movement just opposite tothe world-wide movement now called "Women's Lib" — aman's liberation movement, so that Christian men can betterframe in their own minds how desperately needed they are inchurch life and will thereby, with God's increase, grow conscience-boundtofill those needs where best they, as individualswith individual gifts and capacities, can.Mrs. Jack PaarPark City R.P. Church•Editor:The article "Abortion on Demand" (Sept. 26) says this:"What about rape or incest? Aside from the fact that a largepercentage of both are 'asked for'. . . ."My curiosity was aroused by this statement, and I went tothe library to try to find research on the subject. I found a bookcalled Sex Offenders, by Paul H. Gebhard, and others, of theInstitute for Sex Research of Indiana University, which waspublished by Harper and Row in 1965.This study confirms that some women have given "initialencouragement'' to the rapist, but the percentage can hardly becalled "large." I quote from page 195 of this report: "In onlyabout 4 per cent of the offenses does there seem to have beeninitial encouragement by the female followed by a change ofheart." (This part of the study was based on 146 cases ofheterosexual aggression against adults.)On page 178 of the report we read: "The heterosexualaggressors are well aware of public skepticism concerning rape,and make use of it in offering their own versions of their offenses.Perhaps more than any other group they give seeminglyplausible accounts of their actions to prove their innocence, andwhile we are interviewing them it is often quite easy to bepersuaded of the validity of their stories. Later, upon examiningofficial records, we may discover that the allegedly willingfemale had to have five stitches taken in her lip."It is being said in women's publications that malepolicemen and male physicians both take a skeptical attitudetoward the rape victim. I would hope that the Christian communitywould not join the secular society in making unwarrantedassumptions about the victim of rape.Rachel GeorgeCOVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Winchester, Kansas.VOLUME LXXXIXNO. 23NOVEMBER 21, 1973CONTENTSARTICLES:Why Only Psalms in Our Worship?What about Instrumental Music in Worship?How Should Wc Use the Imprecatory Psalms?The English Metrical Psalters.Making the Most of the New Psalter"Come, Let Us Worship " .FEATURES:A Word Due."In Truth and Love"Hey Lookit!Glimpses.Bring the Books"Count Her Towers"•1.6.9111 i16•>i12.181920SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, £2, 1 year;£3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years.Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 51221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Covenanter Witness, 800 Wood St.,Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.Known office of publication: Box K,Winchester, Kansas 66097. Secondclass postage paid at Winchester,Kansas 66097.

WhyOnlyPsalmsin ourWorship?J. RENWICK WRIGHTGod's Word clearly states that He is to be worshipped. Hehas given command after command in Scripture to this effect.Let me give you three commands. "Worship the Lord in thebeauty of holiness." ' 'He is thy Lord and worship thou Him.""Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His holy hill." Also:worship includes praise. Let me mention two of God's commandsabout this. "Sing praises to God, praises to God, singpraises, sing praises unto our King." "Make a joyful noiseunto God, all ye lands; sing forth the honor of His name. MakeHis praise glorious." Furthermore, God has defined how He isto be worshipped, and He is not to be worshipped in any otherway.TWO VIEWS OF WORSHIPThis last statement merits detailed consideration, for thisis where the difference comes in between Christians. The 20tharticle of the Church of England reads like this — ' 'The churchhath power to decree rites and ceremonies . . . and yet it is nolawful for the Church to ordain anything contrary to God'sWord written." You see the position that is taken there. Youcan have anything in the worship of God that is not contrary toScripture. That principle has been condensed into this formula— "What Scripture does not forbid, it permits."It is a very different standpoint that is taken by theWestminster Confession of Faith. It teaches that for every partof every kind of worship we require God's appointment, eitherin the form of direct command, or of good and necessaryconsequence, or of approved example. It says further that we arenot at liberty to introduce anything else in connection with theworship of God, except what comes under the heading of meredecency and order — such circumstances as the fixing of theCOVENANTER WITNESS

time when worship shall begin, the place of meeting, theseating arrangements etc. etc. You'll find this in the Confession,chapter 2. Section 1. "The acceptable way of worshippingthe true God is instituted by Himself, and so limitedby His own revealed will, that He may not be worshippedaccording to the imaginations and devices of men, or thesuggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or anyother way not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures." Thisprinciple has been condensed into the statement, "WhatScripture does not prescribe, it forbids." And it is interesting tonote that this was the standpoint of both John Knox and JohnCalvin. Knox wrote in his "Refutation of the Mass" — "Allworshipping, honoring, or other service invented by the brainof man, in the religion of God, without His own expresscommandment, is idolatry." And Calvin says, "The rulewhich distinguishes between pure and vitiated worship is ofuniversal application, in order that we may not adopt any devicewhich seems fit to ourselves — but look to the command of HimWho alone is entitled to prescribe." And then adds, "I knowhow difficult it is to persuade the world that God disapproves ofall modes of worship not expressly sanctioned by His Word.''So we have two opposing principles — which of them isBiblical? The answer is that No. 2 is Biblical — "WhatScripture does not prescribe, it forbids." There are positivestatements in both the Old and New Testaments of thisprinciple, and there are illustrative instances and applications ofit which show how necessary it is to adhere carefully to it, andhow God punished people who departed from it.OLD TESTAMENT WORSHIP2. We are not commanded to sing anything other thanWhen Moses was about to make the Tabernacle — and its Psalms in praise to God. This may seem an astonishingpurpose was worship — God said to him, "See that you makeall things according to the pattern that was shewed thee in thestatement in view of the quotation from Col. 3:16 which hasjust been made. It requires reenforcement. Greek was theMount." When Moses was on Mt. Sinai, you see, God gave mother tongue of the people to whom most of the Newhim not only the moral law, but the regulations concerningworship, and God said to him, ' 'What thing soever I commandyou, observe to do it. Thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminishfrom it." Deut. 12:32. In worship people were to do as Godcommanded, and there was to be no deviation from what Godhad prescribed, either in the way of addition or diminution.Now take some examples of people who disobeyed thiscommand. Lev. 10: If. There you read of Nadab and Abihu,Testament epistles were addressed. The Greek translation of theOld Testament, commonly called the Septuagint, was theirBible. If they examined the Psalter in that version they wouldfind the words "Psalm," "Hymn" and "Song" employed assubtitles of the different poems collectively called the Book ofPsalms. Some of them were called "Psalms", others werecalled "Hymns", and others "Songs" — so you can easilydeduce what is meant by the Psalms and Hymns and Songswho offered fire before the Lord which He had not commandedthem to use, and we read, "There went out fire from before theLord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord." Thiswas not because they had done something in worship that wasmentioned in Col. 3:15 and Eph. 5:18 — the entire psalter isexpressly forbidden — what they had done had not been expresslyforbidden — their error lay in not keeping strictly towhat the Lord had commanded. Again, Uzziah the Kingpresumed to go into the temple of the Lord to burn incense, apart of worship which had not been appointed for kings to do,and immediately "the leprosy rose up in his forehead .because the Lord had smitten him." God really enforced thisprinciple.About the author: J. Renwick Wright, pastor of theGeneva Reformed Presbyterian Church in Beaver Falls,Pa., presented this material originally as a part of a seriesof lectures at the St. Lawrence Family Con fere rice, 19~"2.NEW TESTAMENT WORSHIPWhat about the teaching of the New Testament, thenYou find there that Christ, the Head of the Church appoints allthe parts of New Testament worship, and when men appointobservances of their own without any commandment fromHim. He pronounces in Mark 7: 7ff their worship as having novalidity. "In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrinesthe commandments of men" — and He condemns them forlaying aside the commandment of God, that they mav keeptheir own tradition. Is there not a close likeness between thisaction condemned by Christ, and the action of those who layaside the Divine command to sing Psalms, and sing other songsin God's praise?PRACTICAL APPLICATIONNow apply this principle to the matter of praise. Here aretwo statements that are eminently Biblical: 1. We are commandedto sing Psalms in praise of God. They were directlycommanded to be used in the worship of the Church under theOld Testament. Ps. 105: 2. ' 'Sing unto Him, sing psalms untoHim." Ps. 98: 5. "Sing unto the Lord with the harp, with theharp and the voice of a Psalm." This command was reiteratedin the New Testament. Col. 3:16. "Let the Word of Christdwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishingone another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singingwith grace in your hearts to the Lord." So God has commandedus to sing Psalms in His worship. We must do so.meant. And it is interesting too, that in every instance but onein the New Testament, the word which is translated"spiritual" means "Of the Holy Spirit" — and grammaticallythat word can cover all three terms — we are to sing inspiredPsalms, and inspired Hymns and inspired Songs. The words"Psalms", "Hymns" and "Songs" seem to have been interchangeableat that time. Josephus, the Jewish historian.writes about the Hymns of David. Augustine in his"Retractions" speaks of Hymns chosen out of the book ofPsalms. Clement of Alexandria, one of the earliest of the churchFathers, when commenting on Col. 3:16 says, "The Apostlehas called the psalm a spiritual song." So - - there is plenty otevidence that this interpretation is correct.Two more things remain to be said before we leave thispoint. 1. Believers were not commanded to compose praises inthese verses — thev were commanded to use those alreadycomposed. 2. It is "the Word ot Christ" which is to dwell inus richi y — and where do you find the Word ot Christ? It is inGod's inspired Scriptures, or in human compositions;' The'Continued on next pane.)NOVEMBER 21. 197}5

Colossians and Ephesians would receive the Word of Christ asthey sang the Psalms and Hymns and Songs of the Psalter.ADDITIONAL EVIDENCENow there are additional reasons for singing Psalms onlyin worship. One is that they are so full of Christ. He saidHimself that it was written of Him in the Psalms. You have hisdivinity in Ps. 45. His incarnation in Ps. 8. His work as aprophet is described in Ps. 40, as a priest in Ps. 110, as a king inPs. 72. You find His betrayal in Ps. 41. His trial in Ps. 35. Hiscrucifixion in Ps. 22. His resurrection in Ps. 16. How thrillingit is to sing of our Savior as God Himself wrote of Him!Another is that He sang them. Another is that they are in everyway sufficient for our needs. Yet another is that singing themcontributes to pure doctrine and Christian unity.COMMON OBJECTIONSLet me answer some questions which may be at the backof your mind. "The Psalms are 3000 years old — surely theyare out of date?" Never — for God is always the same, and theneeds of the believer are the same in every generation. Aren'tthey rather obscure and hard to understand? So is arithmetic, sois grammer when you first start it — but we don't throw themout of the school curriculum because of that. The Psalms aren'tas hard to understand as the book of Romans — shall we set itaside? But surely the Psalms are unsuitable for children? Notany more so than any other part of the Word. There are thingsin every book in the Bible which need Christian maturity tograsp, but there are other parts that a little one can easily get —and so it is with the Psalms. Are those of us who have beenbrought up on them any the poorer for it? Are the Psalmssubchristian in some ways? That is a very serious criticism tomake of the word of God. Isn't the Old Testament of equalvalidity with the New? Are we to say that there is error in thePsalms, and some parts of them are not of God? — which iswhat this objection comes down to.Some say, "But surely there are hymnic elements in theNew Testament? Hasn't Form Criticism discovered fragmentsof Christian hymns in some of Paul's writings and Peter'stoo?" It may be that Paul and Peter quote from Christianpoetry at times, though that can't be established with certainty— but there is no evidence at all that such poems were eversung in the praise of God. That is a gratuitous assumption.Others add: "We make up our prayers in worship —Why should we not make up our praises?" There is warrant inScripture for making prayers — there is none for makingpraises. God has furnished us with a book of praises, He has notfurnished us with a book of prayers. We have the promise of theSpirit's help in composing our prayers, there is no such promisefor the composition of praises. "Why then," some ask "arethere so few exclusive psalmsingers now? True, but is themajority always right? Which would you rather be with — withthe minority inside Noah's ark, or the majority outside?"Athanasius against the world" — that's what they said aboutthis early church father when seemingly the whole Christianworld had denied the doctrine of the divinity of Christ, and healone held to it. He was in a severe minority, but he held to thetruth — and whether people will hear us, or whether they willforbear, we are to hold to the truth too.Let me close by asking this question. How better could wepraise God than by using His own songs? If He wrote them,they must be the best. Why not give him — the best? He isworthy of it.•Don 'tyou just love organ music? Thereis something about an organ — it is almost anorchestra in itself. You can do so much with it— produce such a variety of musical sounds— and all so beautiful, fust because it can beso beautiful, some people feel that it iseminently suitable in the worship of God.We should use anything that helps us toworship better, " they say. "When I comeinto church, the music from the big pipeorgan gives an aura of reverence in the atmosphereand 1 feel more disposed to worship.When we rise to our feet to sing and ivhen thegreat chords of praise come crashing out fromthe array of pipes, it really makes me sing myhardest. The organ does help me to worshipbetter — we should use it. " And yet theCovenanter church and others all over theworld say ' 'No. You shouldn 't use it. '' Thismatter must then be studied in the light of theWord of God.6 COVENANTER WITNESS

J. RENWICK WRIGHTWhat About Instrumental Music in Worship?COMMON GROUNDInstrumental music, as such, is certainly permissible,and should be used for the glory of God. It is one of the giftsof His common grace. It is interesting that Scripture records(Gen. 4:21) the origin of instrumental music without noteor comment. It neither approves nor condemns it. It simplyaccepts it as one of the facts of life. We can gather fromScripture that its use was always popular. Laban said to Jacob— "Why did you flee secretly and deceive me, and did nottell me, so that I might have sent you away with timbrel andwith harp." So Scripture never raises the question as towhether instrumental music is permissible in itself — thequestion it does bring before us is — Is it permissible in theworship of God?Well, this is where we come up against the greatScripture principle which governs all the worship of God —the principle which we have already established in theprevious article — Why praise God only with Psalms?Whatever Scripture does not command in the worship ofGod it forbids — we are not at liberty to use in God'sworship what we feel helps us. We are to worship Him onlyas He has commanded us.ARE INSTRUMENTSCOMMANDED IN WORSHIP?When we turn to the Old Testament we find that thereis no evidence that instrumental music was used in God'sworship from the time of Adam up to the time of Moses.There was certainly no command to use it. We find that inMoses' time he was commanded to make two trumpets ofsilver. Numbers 10: 2. Their purpose was not for worship. Itwas to call people to worship — like our church bells, or tosound an alarm in time of war, or to call people to a feast.i Continued on next page.)About the author J. Renwick Wright, pastor of theGenera Reformed Presbyterian Church in Heater Falls,Pa., presented this material originally as a part of a seriesof lectures at the St Laurence Family ( onterence. 19" 2A hi i nt tlie piituri Wuuc.J Instruments :n tlh S/1 /< , nth ( Lntur\ Inthe ton i ' left IS shnu n „ :. mull f;ft i-reur: u :th ,; h t-lli>u s up, r..t, Jhtlh ",',;« ^Jtcd iff'/MtL the pL\ir /'/., Knlit, :rr.trurn, r:t ,ri lh,tjhk is a elditelinrj The tnuneubr \hupid tu>\ :n th, Imur nehttt-rrhr is .; trumsheit ••' Cn'm.in "drum lot;NOVEMBER 21, 19"M

Now perhaps you are thinking of what happened at the RedSea, when Israel had got safely through and the Egyptianswere drowned. Exodus 15. We read there "Moses and thechildren of Israel sang this song unto the Lord, and Miriamthe prophetess, the sister of Aaron took a timbrel in herhand, and all the women went out after her with timbrelsand with dances." Weren't these timbrels instruments formusic, and wasn't this worship? Certainly they were instrumentsfor music, but that this was worship is more thandoubtful. If this was worship, this would be women leadingin worship, and in Numbers 3:5-10it was appointed thatmen were to lead in worship. This seems to have been more apatriotic celebration than a worship service.THE TABERNACLEdispensation — He says in Hebrews 13:15 that we are tooffer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, "that is theThis absence of instrumental music from the services fruit of our lips" — that is acapella singing, isn't it?of the Tabernacle continued not only during the wanderingsBut, and this is a legitimate question — if we are toof the Israelites in the wilderness, but right through to thereign of David, andit continued for a part of David's reignsing the Psalms, and they tell us to praise God with thesound of the trumpet, with psaltery and harp, with thetoo — which is worth noting — forif anyone loved instrumentaltimbrel and the dance—what meaning is there for the Newmusic it was David. But he didn't dare to in­troduceit into worship until he got a direct command fromGod. In the later part of his reign he made significantchanges in the tabernacle worship, and tells us why himself.1 Chron. 28:19. "All this the Lord made me to understandTestament church in this? Let me point out that everythingconnected with the sacrificial services of the temple wastypical of Christ and His redeeming work, or typical of theHoly Spirit. The high priest was typical of Christ in HisHigh Priestly office. The sacrifices pictured His offering ofin writing by His hand upon me, even all the works of thispattern." Scripture makesit plain that instrumental musicwas never divinely warranted as an element of worship, untilDavid received instruction to introduce it. 2 Chron. 29:25.Such a great innovation could have been accomplished onlyby Divine authority.TEMPLE WORSHIPNow, when instruments were used in the worship ofthe tabernacle and templeit was wedded to the performanceof sacrifices. You have a clear statement of this in 2Chronicles 29:27f. This describes what went on in thatgreat temple service in Hezekiah's time, when Judahreturned to the Lord. "And Hezekiah commanded to offerthe burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offeringbegan, the song of the Lord began also with thetrumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David, kingof Israel, and all the congregation worshipped, and thesingers sang, and the trumpeters sounded — AND ALLTHIS CONTINUED UNTIL THE BURNT OFFERINGWAS FINISHED." Instrumental music was connected withthe offering of sacrifice.It is the clearest of teaching in Scripture that thesacrificial services have been abolished. The Epistle to theHebrews says, "There remains no more sacrifice for sins."Hebrews 10:26. The sacrifices have gone — what about theinstrumental worship that was wedded to them? Well, hereis a ship that is sinking. The hull is sinking — the funnel isjoined to the hull — isit going to remain afloat while the hullgoes down? That is why we feel sure that instrumentalmusic is no longer commanded for worship, and therefore isno longer valid for worship.WHY USE PSALMS THATREFER TO INSTRUMENTS?Some are bound to say "You carry the singing ofPsalms through from the Old Testament, but you cut outthe instrumental music which some of the Psalms command— what kind of logic is that?" Yes, we carry through thesinging of Psalms from the Old Testament, because there isan explicit command to sing them in the New Testament.Andit must be noted that there is no command in the NewTestament to carry through instrumental worship. Indeedthe Holy Spirit is most explicit and detailed regarding themanner in which we are to sing praise in the New TestamentHimself. The ceremonial washings were typical of thecleansing that comes from His blood. So — since instrumentalmusic was wedded to the sacrificial services wewould expectit to be typical also of some great truth of thegospel. Now what do you find? Think of the joy that filledthe hearts of the temple worshippers, as the cymbals clashedand the flutes played — there was joy that their sins wereforgiven because of the Sacrifice. That joy was intensified bythe music from the instruments. And think of the joy thatfloods your heart when you know that you are at peace withGod, that all your sins have been laid on Christ and you areaccepted in Him — don't floods of joy engulf your soul? Andeveryone of these Psalms that speaks of instruments is apsalm of joy — did you notice that? When you are singingthem you are singing of the joy that increases more and morein the heart of the true believer. Putit most practically thisway — when you sing them you are to rejoice with joyunspeakable and full of glory. That's their meaning for theNew Testament Church.So this is where our Scripture study has brought us.Whatever Scripture does not permit in worship,it forbids.There was no command to use musical instruments inworshiptill the time of David. When it was authorized, itwas a part of the Jewish ceremonial system. When thatsystem was abolished, instrumental music in worship wasabolished too. It was not used as far as Scripture evidencegoes, in the New Testament church, where the praise was"The fruit of our lips." It's use in worship in our daycannot be justified from Scripture. We know that singingPsalms a capella is honoring to God, whenit comes from thepurified believing heart — for He has commanded it.8 COVENANTER WITNESS

Some reflections on the theological issues involvedin the proper appreciation of the imprecatory Psalms havealready been sketched out in the September 12, 1973Witness (study topic number 7, pp. llf). Rather thanrepeat or enlarge what was said there, I'd like in thisarticle to do just two things: to consider the extent of theimprecatory element in the Psalms, and to reflect on thequestion of how the use of such Psalmic imprecation inthe service of worship constitutes genuine praise from thelips of the believer. If we can appreciate these two points,then some of the remaining questions should assumemore accurate proportion.How Should We Usethe Imprecatory Psalms?G. DUNCAN LOWEWHAT ARE THE IMPRECATORY PSALMS?The following is a listing of Psalms and their versescontaining clear imprecatory elements. (The plus signs indicateThough we want to get into surveying the extent Psalms of with especially vigorous or vehement expression.)imprecation in the Psalms, it might be well to deal with a fewpreliminaries. First, as to terminology: by imprecation, as usedin this article, is meant either the calling down of God's wrathBook I - 1 (4-6), +2 (4,5,9,12), \ (7), 5(5,6,10), 6(10), +7(6,11-16), + 9(3 6,12 15 20),and vengeance upon one's enemies, or else the firm and approving10 (15). 11 (5,6), 12 (3), 17 (13), +18reflection that God does so bring retribution upon tbewicked. Second, as to procedure: frequently it works out whenthis subject is discussed that attention is centered upon thosePsalms whose main and inescapable burden is imprecation.(14,26,27,37,42,45,47), 20(8), +21 (8-10,12) 28(4,5), 34(16,21), +35(1-8,26), 36(12), + 37(2,9-22,28,36,38). 40 +14.15), 41 (10).Book II - \-\ (5.7). 45 (5), 52 (5,6), 54 (5,7),Such "classic" Psalms of imprecation, fierce, desperate and+ 55 (9,15.23), 56 (7). +58 (6-10), +59bitter, are, for instance, Psalms 58, 83, 109 and 137. But tofocus attention exclusively upon such Psalms, is to miss a very(5.8,10,12.13), 60 (12), 63 (9,10), 64 (7), 68(1,2,21,23), +69 (22-28). +70 (2,3), 71 (13).important point, namely that imprecatory elements, sometimesBook III — +73 (18-20,27), 74 (11), 75short but quite heartfelt and unmistakable, are scatteredthroughout the Psalms. It is this fact which I wish to demonstrate:that imprecation is not present merely here and there as(8.10), +78 (44-51.55.56). +79 (6,10,12). +83(9-r>. 89 (23).Book IV - 92(7,9,11).94(23), 97 (3). 101 (8)a kind of oddity in the Psalms (nor is it an oddity for the rest ofBook V - 108 (13), +109 (6-15,17 20,29),Scripture either), but that it is one of the standard and normativeelements of our faith.(Continued on next page.)+ 110 (5.6), 112 (10). +118 (10-12), 119 (118So then, let us turn to a consideration of the number anddistribution of imprecatory passages in the Psalms. (You might About the author' Mr Duncan l.oue u rl t d exter/sn elylike to make up your own list here. I found when I was making as a consultant for the 19"3 Psalter Revision ( ommittecup a list that frequently I had to decide by rule of thumb He cum ntly sen i - as Assistant to the Supt rintendent whether or not a passage was explicit enough to warrant inclusion.Perhaps you will come up with a somewhat different holds t/h HP and I'h M dtgnes from \\\ stnunsterthe Ruornuti Pre.s/ntt nan Ihrnn. Pittsburgh Pa lienumber.)Seminal y.NOVEMBER 21. 19739

119), +120 (3,4), +129 (5-8), 132 (18), +135(8,10,11), 136 (10,15,17-20), +137 (7-9), +139(19-21), +140 (9-11), 141 (10), 143 (12), 144 (6),145 (20), +149 (6-9).Of the 150 Psalms, then, 66 contain clearly imprecatoryelements (i.e. about 40 per cent of the Psalms fit this catagory).And 26 Psalms (i.e. about 17 per cent) are strongly imprecatory.The above count depends upon the presence of explicitimprecatory passages. But the Psalms have a variety andsubtlety of expression that often eludes a too-neat system ofclassification. Let me suggest adding to our consideration agroup of Psalms which, while they do not contain explicitimprecatory passages, do suggest that imprecation was not farfrom the Psalmist's thoughts. Here we find the Psalms whichdwell upon the character of the wicked, their cruelty, injusticeand deceit. These Psalms take up this theme with an intensityand involvement which is an unspoken but nevertheless quiteplain expectation and desire that God deal with them as they sorichly deserve.The following is a list of Psalms without explicit imprecatoryelements but which strongly suggest that imprecationis not far from the Psalmist's thought. Book I — 4, 13, 14, 22,25, 31, 38; Book II —42, 53, 57; Book III — 80, 82, 86;Book V — 124, 125, 142.This brings the number of Psalms which either contain orimply imprecation up to 82 (i.e. over half the Psalter).Has it not been proved? Can there be any doubt thatimprecation is a regular and normative feature of the Psalms?The Psalmists, speaking in the Spirit, express their earnest andunashamed desire that God might make them soon to triumphover the enemies of their lives and souls. If we can realize thedepth of this element in the Psalms then the first object in ourstudy is accomplished, and we can turn to the second consideration:how to see the use of Psalmic imprecation as agenuine part of the believer's praise of God.HOW TO SING IMPRECATORY PSALMSPerhaps it seems rather strange to associate the idea ofimprecation with the idea of praise, they are so separated fromone another in our thinking. Praise (so we often think) is a"spiritual," "victorious" and "sublime" thing, a thingwhich cannot exist on the same level with the bitterness of ourpersonal experiences and the anguished indignation of oursouls. Indeed, isn't this the assumption made by most popularhymns? But in the Psalms' frequent reflections upon thecorruption and depredations of the wicked there is no attemptmerely to "rise above" the agonizing reality of desperation;there is no turning to a cheap and easy assurance that "God'sin His heaven, all's right with the world." Things are quiteevidently not all right with the world, and the Psalmist is insistantand urgent in his call upon God to reverse the course ofthe injustice which the covenant people are suffering. Let Godarise and defend His people for the sake of His own greatCovenant name and promises! And right here when we touchupon the Covenant we touch upon the heart of the theologicalissue. Right here we see all the difference in the world betweenman-made and God-made religion.According to the Scriptures God must be offered praiseaccording to the character in which He has revealed Himself asthe God of the Covenant. Above all man must not, under guiseof offending praise to God, merely be offering backhandedcompliments and excuses to himself. Does not God indeeddeclare His wrath against His enemies and the enemies of Hispeople? Therefore it is praiseful to sing the Spirit-given imprecationsof the Psalms — for in so doing one recognizes anddeclares God's own character; one takes his stand upon thepromises and terms of the Covenant. This is the basic connectionbetween the use of the imprecations of the Psalms andthe believer's praise of his God.But there is an additional reason why these things have tobe emphasized, and that is that it is necessary to stand againstthe spirit of humanistic religion which dominates our times.Humanistic and equalitarian religion finds the whole spirit ofimprecation offensive because it implies the reality of God'swrath and of man's sinfulness, and most of all because it impliesthe reality of God's own free grace that divides all mankind intotwo opposing and unreconcilable camps. Humanistic religion istoo proud, too solidly-based upon its own assumed principles ofself-justification, to humble itself before the terrible andgracious God of the covenant. Therefore it is at this very pointthat the Psalmic imprecations demand expression by the truebelievers of these times, because to sing and pray these imprecationsis to declare one's faith before God and to take up theresponsibility of it, a responsibility which men in our age (evenmultitudes of so-called Christians) characteristically shirk.To be a follower of Christ is to live and act in theknowledge that he shall play his part in judging not only thisworld but even the heavenly powers (1 Cor. 6:2,3). It is to liveand act in the knowledge that he stands only by God's grace,having been separated out from that unregenerate mass towardwhom God still reserves His wrath (Rom. 9:22-24). If one isunwilling to take his stand with God in condemning the corruptand rebellious world, then what understanding can he possiblyhave of God's grace? Isn't it typical of our age for people to say,"Well, let the children decide about religion when they growup," or, " After all, it's all a matter of choice isn't it?" But tobe a Christian is to recognize that these things are not a matterof choice, but a matter of God's demand. And to be a Christianmeans to be willing to see the righteous and dreadful wrath ofGod fulfill itself upon His enemies according to His declaredintent.Now it is true that there can be an abuse of this condemnatoryspirit. There can be those who, like Jonah, or likethe Jews of Jesus' times, are jealously unwilling to see God'sgrace extend to this or that people. But at the heart these twoerrors (i.e. the error of being unwilling to condemn along withGod, and the error of being unwilling to forgive alone withGod) are the same — it is the failing to recognize and willinglyacknowledge the sovereignty of God's grace in all things. Todeny God's right to condemn and punish is to empty theconcept of God's grace of meaning.To the men of this age the believers' trust in the God ofthe Covenant seems ugly, preposterous and presumptive. Butthe believer continues to place his trust upon God, not upon thesentiments of this world. He knows that he has been enlisted bythe LORD into an implacable struggle. This faith, part of whichis expressed in the imprecations of the Psalms, requires a moraland religious commitment which is totally distinct from merereligious wishful thinking and pious sentiment. This is theconclusion of our consideration, for here we see that thePsalmic imprecations are identical with the Psalmic praises, forthey both are the required responses of faith to the God whocomes to conquer all His enemies and to establish Hiseverlasting dominion.B10 COVENANTER WITNESS

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making the mostofneivpsaLtectheboobofpsaLmssingingTo aid all Christians in giving aBiblical dimension to their praise,the Reformed Presbyterian Church(Covenanter) has published a 1973edition of the Book of Psalms set tomusic.• all 150 Psalms complete• varied tunes and meters,includingchants• new translationsincluding modern English• over 425 selectionsCHARLES McBURNEYAs I write, my copy of THE BOOKOF PSALMS FOR SINGING is on thetable in front of me. With a little gentlepersuasion for some of the front and backpages, it lies flat any place I open it. Ifyours doesn't, I recommend a bit ofcareful breaking in.Of course, this is my "work copy,"already accumulating little checks andcomments that keep me from presenting itto anybody I want to impress with theopenness of the format and the readabilityof the type and music. If your marginalnotes are neater than mine (I hope so!),your copy can perhaps serve both purposes.If I hadn't been in on all the committee'sarguing and deciding (On mostmatters all or most of us agreed —finally!), I'm sure I would be confused byAbout the author: Charles McBurney,chairman of the 1973 Psalter Revision the absence of page numbers and theCommittee, strikes home effectively in recurring all-caps "LORD." It's too badthis article as he reminds us of the need the introduction couldn't include all theto improve our public praise to God. arguments, too, but they aren't asMr. McBurney is Assistant to theAcademic Dean at Geneva College,Beaver Falls, Pa.necessary for your survival as those explanationson pages iii-v. This introductionwasn't intended just to fill upspace!The list of committee members hereunder "Authorization" keeps remindingme that all the ideas, tunes, and decisionsthat went into this Psalter were wellpopulated.We decided against reportingon each page what people contributed, butwe hope you want so much to know whocomposed the music for 27C or 23D or117B or 83C or 135A or any others youhaven't encountered before that you willuse the alphabetical index of tunes startingon page 441 to find out. From there youcan move to the index of composers andsources to discover other contributions ofthe same person. Try it some time. It'sreal fun, and a rich experience with God'sgreatest gifts to Christ's Church —people.A glance at the array of numbers onany page makes me want to recommend ahabit I'm trying to develop — somethingmade possible by those little extras theintroduction calls "small superscriptnumbers." That something isdistinguishing between a stanza, the linesor words necessary to get through themusic once, and a verse, the phrasesidentified by indentation and number in14 COVENANTER WITNESS

mv AV Bible. In referring to part of Psalm103 I can say, "Verse 9," to locate apartof the third stanza of 103A. Once I get thefeel of it and can persuade everybody elseto use the same lingo, maybe we can allquit saying "verse" when we mean"stanza," even though I've been doing itall my life.Our biggest problem in format waswhere to put the words. What we havecome up with is, in our judgment, the bestpossible arrangement for singing. With alittle practice and concentration, I'mfinally getting to where I can locate thedisjointed syllables fast enough to read thewords aloud at normal speaking speed, andI would urge you to do the same, byyourself or with others. Thoughts becomea little better connected sometimes whenwe put them together faster than we do indeliberate singing.What I really like about words in themusic score is the way this arrangementencourages phrasing by meaning,breathing where the sense calls for itinstead of just where the music line ends.It should be much easier to phraseeverybody's favorite 23 A or B, forexample, when "He makes me down tolie in pastures green" isn't broken after"lie" by the end of a brace of music. I'meven hopeful we'll see there's no commain "and Thy rod and staff me comfortstill." I find it really exciting to try to keepenough wind above my diaphragm (I'vediscovered musicians don't talk muchabout my lungs) to take in an unpunctuatedstatement like "Goodness andmercy all my life shall surely follow me."If I can, anybody can! Let's allow thewith-the-notes arrangement of words tohelp us get the right-phrasing habit.My main proposal for getting the mostout of the new Psalter is PLAN. If you'relike me, you have great fun just flippingthrough the pages and stopping whensomething catches your eye, or justopening the book "some place" to seewhat happened there. I just did, and therewas 118C, a great old favorite with achance to sing "Hosanna" that I don'thave in the "old" Psalter nor anywhereelse in this one! But I know from experiencethat's no way to get the most outof any book, especially a book of the Bible.Why not PLAN to sing every word onevery page in the Psalter. In privatedevotions, maybe? Bible-singing is anexcellent prelude (or interlude orpostlude!) to Bible-reading and prayer. Orfamily worship, in case you want to makesure some one besides the Lord is listening— with approval. There are 438 selections,so one a dav and two each SabbathNOVEMBER 21. 197^will fill up a year with a few extras forspecial occasions. Once through eachyear!That may be too slow a pace for you.Maybe a Psalm a day, or ten minutes,through the book every four months or so.But whatever the speed, do it. When youencounter a tune that is beyond your skillor experience, study the words carefullyand be ready to respond with understandingwhen your precentorschedules that one to teach you. Whereyou find two tunes for the same words, ortwo versions for the same Psalm, experiencewith both will help you choosethe one most appropriate for you or to theoccasion for singing.Some of our pastors are already"explaining the Psalms in course" eachSabbath morning, and that suggests to meanother sort of planning, especially forPsalms like 25, 34, 51, 73, and a numberof others which are broken into delightfulselections but which also have a unity thatcan be recovered, at least in measure, byusing all the sections in a single worshipservice. Some of these longer Psalms(17ABC, 22 FGHI, 31ABCD) involve atune we didn't sing in the "old" Psalter,and the preacher ought to warn us inadvance so we can alert the precentor andhave him teach it to us. I suppose youmight unfortunately have a pastor withoutperspective or a precentor without purpose,or even a congregation witboutdesire to prepare for worship. If so you aresurely ready to do something desperate,like planning a congregational party inhonor of your precentor and giving him alist of new tunes he has to teach you, ormaybe even asking your pastor to put inthe bulletin a Prepare-to-praise-God-withtheselist of Psalms for the next week, ormonth. Maybe you can get him to startplanning to sing with the sort of system heuses (I hope!) in planning to preach.Don't think I'm talking just aboutplans for learning new tunes. Important asthat is, it's only a means, not the end.Plan to study systematically in prayermeeting or Sabbath School (What a serieswe have in the September Witness) thePsalms you are going to sing in praise toour Lord during public worship, using thetunes and chants you learn by diligenteffort and repetition.Trv to get others excited about 84B or38A or 116C or 135B or any otherrefreshing setting that has special appeal toyou, and look for opportunities to setfamiliar enough with it that singing it informal worship will be an exercise of praiseinstead of patience. Ayree to learnsomebody else's 19B or 41C or 5-d3 orother new find if somebody else will learnyours. But always be sure your preacherand precentor know you are gettingsomething ready that will enrich theworship service.Please, though, don't get so involvedin the new that you neglect the familiar.The new Psalter has been designed to addto your favorites, not to substitute forthem. If we aren't singing more —selections, whole Psalms, stanzas, tunes— a couple of years from now, the bookwill have failed in one of its major purposes.Remember that the main reasonmost of the old favorites are in the newPsalter is that nobody wants or knows howto improve on them.The subject assigned me for this articledoes suggest some emphasis on introducingthe new, however, so let memake one more generalization: TAKETIME. Assimilate new tunes and versionspurposefully, gradually, thoroughly. Ifigure it will take ten years for a diligentcongregation to prepare for effective use ofeverything in the book. Start now, butdon't plan to finish in a month or a year,or quit swimming after the first splash.There are some priorities, since youcan't do everything at once. 1 amespecially concerned about the fact that tosing some Psalms or Psalm portions at allyou will have to learn a new tune. Most,but not all, of the new versions arealternates, and so are many of the new orless familiar tunes, but those which aren'tshould come early in your plans. Psalm 2is top priority for that reason, and I wouldurge 19B, 3^AB, iOC. 17A, 86B, 96Band other such frequently used Psalms asmeriting prompt attention. Your pastor orprecentor already has a list of theseprepared by Louise Copeland, so ask to seeit and get a head start in preparation.You have probably noticed how muchof the planning I've suggested involvesrehearsal. Evenif that word suggests someinappropriate similarity between worshipand entertainment, I still believe in it. Thedictionary says to rehearse is "to practicein preparation for a public performance,"and public worship for which there has notbeen careful preparation by all the performers is simply not ready for presentation. I remember how eagerly onecongregation rehearsed singing tor, andhow closely they watched the leaderduring, a live broadcast ot their Sabbathmorning sersice. Was the radio audiencethat important"'' Of course, maybe theLord hadn't been listening before thebroadcast, either. But you don't believethat, and neither do I. He hears everyrehearsal, too, let's not toryet! •15

uCome, J2et Us Worship...y>ROBERT McMILLANWhen you drive across the big skycountry of Montana, you have theoption of staying on Interstate 90through Deer Lodge and past the grim,grey walls of the penitentiary, or oftaking Route 10A through Anacondaand Philipsburg. I was driving west bymyself in September, 1968, and sincethere was little difference in mileage, Ielected to drive through Anaconda. Mytrip had begun in Baltimore, Maryland.My wife, Jadwiga, had stayed in theEast to be present for the arrivals of ourfirst grandchildren. As it turned out,Matthew Stephen Vos was born September30, and Melissa Kay Hemphillarrived November 8.The drive east had been delightful,but driving back to Seattle all thosemiles by myself was another story.There was little to break the monotonyof the throb of the engine and the soundof the wheels. By the time I reachedAnaconda I was ready for an adventure.The most prominent feature inAnaconda, and visible for miles beforeyou reach the town, is a tall stack,558 1 /2 feet high, the largest stack inNorth America. It was built in 1902 asa part of the Anaconda Copper CompanyReduction Department.I turned into the business section tofind some lunch and spotted a huge,old, red brick hotel. It turned out to bethe Marcus Daley Hotel, built in 1889by Marcus Daley, a rich copper baron.He was convinced that Anaconda wasgoing to be the state capital, and hewanted to build a hotel worthy of thesenators who would patronize its diningroom and sleep in its bedrooms. Thebarroom was modeled after a bar in aprominent New York City hotel, withan elaborate mahogany bar and a hugemirror. The oak floor was laid in aninteresting pattern with an inlay ofDaley's racehorse Tammany,reproduced in wood, done by Tiffany'sin New York. It was once a grand place.But Anaconda didn't become thecapitol, and Marcus Daley died in 1899.In 1959, the old hotel was shabbyand run down, and was about to berazed. But people began to protest thedemolition. A committee wasorganized, funds solicited. The oldMontana hotel was purchased,remodeled, and renamed. Today, youare surprised, when you walk in, by theplush carpeting, and the attractive,modern dining room.The Chamber of Commerce has anoffice in one corner of the hotel. Thesecretary supplied me with brochurestelling the story of the area andsuggested things of interest that wouldbe worth a visit. I had no thought otherthan to get back to Seattle, but she waspersuasive.She told me about a ghost town notfar off the highway above GeorgetownLake — a town named Southern Cross,16 COVENANTER WITNESS

Montana. She said that there was abeautiful chapel built there in themountains and that she often went upthere to worship because of the serenityand beauty and peacefulness of thesurroundings.I was persuaded, and I am glad that Iwas. Driving west from Anaconda, yousee many old abandoned mines, manyplaces for tourists to camp, and you areimpressed by the beauty of GeorgetownLake nestled in wilderness country justbelow the Continental Divide. Finally Ireached the chapel. Built in 1965 ofnative stone it stands out from itssurroundings — a ghost town. It isn'tbuilt to accommodate ghosts, but toprovide a ministry to the live touristsand campers. For example, in 1967,more than 6,000 persons visited thechapel. It is under the care of apresbytery, and during the months ofJune, July and August, a UnitedPresbyterian minister from Chicagopreaches there each Lord's Day.The chapel was built by Mr. andMrs. John W. Bowman of Sterling.Illinois, as a memorial to their son,Timothy Dillon Bowman. Thedescription of him in the memorialvolume in the chapel may be somewhatidealized, but he must have been thekind of a son any parents would delightin an excellent student, a fineathlete, and determined to be aminister. But he was killed in 1956 atthe age of 18. (A friend in college askedhim to drive his girl friend back to herdormitory. He consented; there was anaccident, and Timothy was killed.)Mr. and Mrs. Bowman had oftenridden horseback around this ghosttown of Southern Cross and had longbeen impressed by the beauty of thearea. They conceived the idea ofbuilding a chapel in memory of theirson. The Anaconda Company grantedpermission for the chapel to be built ontheir property.That Wednesday afternoon, at7,000 feet it was chilly enough for ajacket. I signed my name in tbe guestbook and noticed that someone elsefrom Seattle had been there the sameday. How quiet it was! But the ghosttown wasn't altogether uninhabited. Alittle dog and an elderly lady came out ofa house nearby and looked at me for amoment.The able men who composed theWestminster Confession of Faith, livingin an age when the Roman church wasedifice-conscious, felt constrained towrite:"Neither prayer, nor anvother part of religious worship.is now under the Gospel eithertied unto, or made more acceptableby any place in whichit is performed, or towardswhich it is directed: but God isto be worshipped everywhere,in spirit and truth. . ."(Westminster Confession ofFaith, Chapter XXI, Para. VI.)But while one place of worship is asacceptable to God as another, subjectively,the worshipper finds someplaces much more conducive to worshipthan others. The believing soul standsamong the giant Sequoia trees and feelshimself drawn to praise and prayer.That beautiful stone church, standingon a mountain at 7,000 feet elevation,overlooking Georgetown Lake,overlooking the forested wilderness andthe Continental Divide, brought aprayer to my lips:"O Lord our Lord, howexcellent is thy name in all theearth!" (Psalm 8:1.)I was in one of the most beautifulspots in all the world, and there was noone to share it -- except God."Converse with man makessharp the glittering wit. Butman with God must speak insolitude."There were typed notices posted inthe chapel announcing that Mrs.Bowman, who with her husband hadyiven the chapel in memory of her son.had died just a few davs before. September13. 19oSThe chapel was called St. Timothy'sChapel because the son was namedTimothy after the honorable Timothy ofScripture. The bronze tablet calledattention to 2 Timothy 1:2-"To Timothy, my dearlybeloved son: grace, mercy, andpeace, from God the Father andChrist Jesus our Lord."SEQUELMy wife Jadwiga was told about mvAnaconda adventure. When I stood inthe chapel on the mountain, she was inBaltimore, helping to care for a newgrandson. It was four years before wehad the opportunity to visit SouthernCross, Montana, together. In June,1972. I showed her my discovery andshe was as delighted as I had been. Itrespassed in the pulpit and read fromthe pulpit Bible. We sang a Psalm in theempty chapel, and prayed. Somemonths before, we had experiencedsorrow. It was appropriate to writesomething in the guest bcx>k. I signedour names and added this line:"Today, in this hallowedspot, dedicated to a son namedTimothy, we think of our sonin-law. James Melvin Vos.killed in an accident, December29. 1971."About the author: Robert McMillan.pas/or of the Seattle R.P congregation,.shares a rich experience with us. Wehope our readers will be able to identifywith and share in what he has saidNOVEMBER 21. 197^

EVANGELICAL PRESS (EP) ITEMS+ + William Heath, 70 year old heir ofa Coco-Cola vice-president, claims an"invisible directive" from God, assuringhim that he is one of the "144,000"Jehovah's Witnesses "who will go toheaven and serve as king with Christ."+ + The radical Children of God(COG) organization of the "JesusPeople" has dropped its %l l A million libeland slander suit against parents of some ofits members. It seems that a court order toproduce their financial records as evidencein the suit had something to do with thedismissal of the suit.+ + Six Senators and one representativehave appeared before a Senate subcommitteeon Constitutional Amendmentsin support of a "Prayer amendment."+ + Nine bills have been introducedinto the business of the current Congressto provide for "prayer in publicbuildings."+ + Gallup says that 53 per cent of theAmericans they surveyed supporteuthanasia (mercy killing) for personswith incurable diseases, if the patient andthe family request it.+ + The "continuing PresbyterianChurch" in the South, is to be formallyorganized in Birmingham, Ala. December4, 1973, according to the decision ofdelegates who met in Asheville, N.C. inAugust.+ + In Barstow, Cal. the parents of an11-year old boy died as a result of hisparents throwing away his "life-savinginsulin tablets." In this case Assembliesof God ministers of the area have found itnecessary to declare that the parentslacked "wisdom and discretion." "Weare ashamed to be associated with this,"said the Rev. Thomas Trask.+ + Leonard Boche, director of theMinnesota Commission on AlcoholProblems, says, "We are surprised at thelow level of teetotalers," when a survey(2500 Minnesotans were questioned)revealed that 8 out of 10 people over 14years of age, are users of alcoholbeverages.imp&ebI Rev. Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010+ + President Tietjen has been"suspended" as head of ConcordiaSeminary, but continues in office whilethe legality of the suspension proceduresare determined. And+ + Dr. Preus, head of the majority inthe Lutheran Church, Missouri Synodthat opposes Pres. Tietjen, has recommendedthat the denomination join theWorld Council of Churches.WESTERN WORLD GURU RALLIESIn London, in Denver (where theU.S.A. headquarters of the Divine LightMission are located), in Columbia, S.A.,and wherever he goes, 15 year old GuruMaharaj Ji is spreading his doctrines of"eternal peace." 80,000 are expected atHouston's Astrodome in November. ' 'Heis the perfect master," his followers say.' 'If you respect Christ, and do not respectMaharaj Ji, you are being hypocritical."He was hospitalized recently with anintestinal ulcer and had to miss ascheduled appearance in Atlanta.NIB N.T.Early reviews are beginning to appearof the New York Bible Society's translationof the New Testament, formerlycalled "A Contemporary Translation"(ACT), but now billed the New InternationalBible. Says F. F. Bruce inChristianity Today, "Here is (a translation)that promises to be better than anyof these (evangelically sponsored translationsof recent appearance)." I hope heis right, for this has been my hope as Ihave followed its progress since 1965, forI have not yet found a translation to takethe place of my American Standard Versionof 1901. It has been, and is, mystand-by as a study Bible. There is apreciseness about it that overbalances itsmechanicalness or stiffness or overliteralness. I assume Bruce refers, whenhe speaks of a version being' 'evangelically sponsored,'' to such as theBerkeley Bible, the New AmericanStandard Bible and the paraphrased LivingBible. This last named, in spite of flashesof felicitous expression, is, in myjudgment, the worst of all so far as integrityto the text of the original is concerned.Calvin D. Linton, professor of Englishliterature, George Washington U., says,"By its combination of integrity, dignityand stylistic felicity, the NIV will read aswell on solemn occasions as in privatedevotions.""MODERATION" DRIVELProgress reports that the ReadersDigest has accepted an ad from a distillery.However, they insist that they have notchanged their policy of "not taking liquorads." This is an ad inserted by SeagramDistillers Co. which shows a specimen ofhandwriting repeated several timesshowing deterioration with successivedrinks, and reads, "When you drink toomuch you can't handle a car. You can'teven handle a pen."I appreciate any achievement that maybe accomplished toward moderationinstead of drunkenness — though I'm notsanquine about results from this ad — forwe ought to pray and labor that "we maylead a quiet and peaceable life in allgodliness and honesty." In other words, Idon't buy this argument that "reformefforts are not the Christian's business,"and that to the extent they are successful,they merely "delay the Lord's coming,"since "the world must get worse andworse." The humanist, like all thecultists, is not as completely bad as it ispossible to be. He holds some partialtruths."CRIMES WITHOUT VICTIMS"The Commission on Church andSociety of the American Lutheran Churchhas produced a paper "to stimulatethinking, promote discussion andmotivate informed action" looking towardrepeal of laws against prostitution,gambling, homosexuality, drug addictionand drunkenness" because they arecrimes without victims, also because thesecases flood our courts and overcrowd ourjails.Perhaps there is a technical connotationto this "crime without a victim"that I don't know about, but I have a hardtime seeing any of these acts as "without avictim." Suicide has a victim, the personhimself, and all these acts injure theperson committing them, but besides thisthey injure others also. No doubt somereview is in order, but not repeal.18COVENANTER WITNESS

inherent in Graham's methodology and his cooperation withunbelievers during crusades.The experience which Mr. Hulse has had with BillvGraham qualifies him to write this short book. It is wellorganizedwith topic divisions marked in the text of eachchapter;it is easily understood by high school graduates.J. Bruce MartinIS THIS REALLY THE END? George Miladin. Mack Publ. Co.,1973. Distributed by Puritan-Reformed. $1.25 (paper).Mr. Miladin wrote this brief examination of eschatology inresponse to recent popular books, such as THE LATE GREATPLANET EARTH. Unlike his contemporaries, Miladin reflects athorough grounding in Biblical prophecy. While not answeringall the questions the reader might have, Miladin provides a verygood introduction to the study of final things. Highly recommendedto those who have questions about the return of Christ,the future of Israel, and other important themes dealing with theend of our age.Robert Benn VincentAIDA SKRIPNIKOVA. Michael Bourdeaux. David C. Cook,1973 (Brit, ed., 1972). 154 pp. $1.25 (paper).When Pasternak, Solzhenitsyn and Sakharov are familiarnames in the West,it is a blessing that the "Centre for the Studyof Religion and Communism" in London has prepared this storyof one young Russian Christian girl's resistance to persecution inthe Soviet Union. Aida, daughter of a Christian pacifist fatherwho was killed by the Communists, was born in 1941. She worksfor the freedom of her people through a minority Baptist reformgroup, Initsiatuvniki (Action Group), which not only has to resistthe government, but the moderates in the Baptist circles. Therecord of her trial, and her able reply to an atheist journalist whoridiculed Christianity are but two interesting features in thisbook; — fragmentary but valuable.S. E. BoyleCOMMENTARY ON FIRST PETER. Robert Leighton. Kregel,1972. 511 pp. $8.95 (cloth).While the name of Archbishop Robert Leighton, whoshepherded the Scottish Church during the reign of Charles II,was not very popular with the Covenanters, he was neverthelessa saintly scholar who left us a delightful commentary on I Peter.He demonstrates a rich understanding of the apostle's message.An Episcopalian, Leighton was probably more Reformed thanmany of us today; his exposition is richly Calvinistic and warmlyChristological. Christian laymen will find devotional andpractical help while pastors will find a wealth of preachingmaterial in this work.Robert Benn VincentBILLY GRAHAM — THE PASTOR'S DILEMMA. ErrollHulse. Maurice Allan Publ., 1966. Distributed by Reiner. 96 pp.Billy Graham has probably preached to more people thanany other man as he makes use of crusades, radio and television.However, there are certain things which the Billy Grahamorganization does which concern Reformed pastors. Mr. Hulsewas a counselor and supporter of previous crusades. Since then,he has come to share the concern and hesitations which otherReformed people have regarding Graham's work. In thisvolume, Mr. Hulse is particularly concerned with the doctrineNOVEMBER 21. 1973THINK ON THESE THINGS: Bible Truths for Faith and Life.John H. Skilton. Presbyterian and Reformed, 1972. 84 pp. SI.50(cloth).In this day of mental distraction and pressure, thisdevotional book gives us some other things to think about. Theauthor firmly believes that in order to solve the problems thatdaily confront people, one's thoughts and perspective must becentered on the truths of Scripture — in other words, to "thinkon these things." The most refreshing feature is that these dailymeditations are theologically Reformed.Carol LoweWORK, PLAY AND WORSHIP IN A LEISURE-ORIENTEDSOCIETY. Gordon Dahl. Augsburg, 1972. 125 pp. $2.95 (paper)"To putit sharply, most middle-class Americans tend toworship their work, to work at their play, and to play at theirworship." Because of this premise, Mr. Dahl, founder of LeisureStudies, Inc., contends that Christians must reexamine their lifestyles and make changes accordingly. His special emphasis is onleisure: what trends in American life create so much leisuretime, what leisure is and is not, and some initial suggestions onhow to achieve a balance in worship, work and leisure. A studydiscussionguide for the book facilitates group consideration ofthe topic. Although the author does not accurately represent theReformed faith, one cannot help but be stimulated by this muchneeded discussion of leisure.Eileen FalkHISTORIOGRAPHY: SECULAR AND RELIGIOUS. GordonH. Clark. Pres. & Ref., 1971. 381 pp. $7.50 (paper).This substantial tome is for serious students of history andphilosophy at the college level. The first part is devoted toconsideration of "secular theories" of history and the second to"religious." The methods of scholarship are scrutinized in eachcase, and Clark concludes that the "religious" historians, notablyBarth and Bultmann, are "inferior" to their "secular" counterparts,such as Collingwood (p. 368). One might well question,in the first place, his secular versus religious distinction, which ofcourse,if exploded, would make his conclusion look a littlehollow. He is dissatisfied with the fact that Bultmann and Co. donot treat the Bible with the same historical method that theywould use in relation, say, to Thucydides' History of thePelopponesian War. He says this at the door of the presuppositionsthey entertain, which lead them to view the Bible asrequiring special treatment — treatment which makes the Biblevastly inferior as an historical document when compared toThucydides.The only answer is to have altered presuppositions and thatmeans conversion, which only God can do (p. 370). The properbasis is the "acceptance of divine revelation, the Biblical plan ofpredestination" such as was held by Augustine.This gives "a more consistent view" which can only berejected by "the presupposition that revelation is impossible."Without revelation history is "Shakespeare's tale told by an idiot,full of sound and fury, signifying nothing" (p. 371). The work isthorough and stimulating for the all too few who will bother tocrack it open.Gordon J. Keddie1')

PHOENIX, ARIZ.(Paul M. Martin, Pastor)Mr. and Mrs. Surrendra Gangadeanhave been received into membership ofthis congregation.Mr. Bruce Martin preached for uswhile our pastor and family werevacationing.On September 23, we had a unionservice with the Evangelical FellowshipChurch and the Maranatha Bible Churchof Phoenix.OAKDALE, ILL.(Robert Henning, Pastor)Looking forward to the election ofadditional elders this fall, Mr. Henninghas preached a series of sermons based onA Manual for Elders. Discussions on theeldership have followed the sermon.Dr. Donald Felker was the communionassistant on Oct. 21.Miss Oreta Everett spoke at ourThankoffering service. Nov. 6.HAROLD KERR CURRYElder Harold Kerr Curry was bornApril 8, 1897, and died February 6,1973. He lived his entire life in theWinchester community, except the years1918-19, which were spent in the UnitedStates Navy in the service of his country.On October 3, 1928, he was united inmarriage to Florence Milligan. To thisunion six fine children were born — allactive in the Christian faith.In September, 1950, he was ordainedan elder and he faithfully fulfilled thisoffice until February 14, 1961, when hewas felled by stroke. He was clerk ofsession at the time of his illness. Herecovered enough that he attended servicesfor many years in his wheelchair, buthe was unable to resume his work as afarmer or his office of elder."Hal" very capably taught an adultSabbath School class for many years.His health continued to fail and he diedin the Hospital Annex, February 6, 1973.Mr. Curry was a faithful elder,husband and husbandman. He was abeloved neighbor and friend of many. Heis greatly missed by his family, friends andthe Winchester congregation.The Session ofWinchester ReformedPresbyterian Church7-tl8 rr.I.N AVc.I'i'T.jBURGH 8,IA.15208ALMONTE, ONT.(Robert More, Pastor)Enrollment at our D.V.B.S. was about60.During our pastor's vacation in theMaritimes, Dana Stoddard, a seminarian,preached during the month of August. Hiswife and son were with him for the firstthree Sabbaths. Jim Braum, a Genevastudent, assisted Mr. Stoddard in theworship on August 26.Larry Falk, who served at Lochiel thissummer, gave a short devotional at ourprayer meeting, August 28. He and hiswife joined us at a social hour followingthe prayer meeting.OLATHE, KS.Although we have no pastor, we arehaving regular services. John Tweed is theacting moderator. Charles McCalla hasministered to us frequently; he was alsoprincipal of our V.B.S. Our former pastor,Dr. Cloyd Caskey, has preached severalSabbaths.The annual congregational picnic washeld Aug. 24 on the church lawn.October activities for the CovenanterDaughters included meeting with theMissionary Guild of Kansas City andpacking a box for Selma.SpecialGift RateNANTIITNOne Year 25 issues$3MAIL ORDER TODAYMail blank below to:Covenanter Witness800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 1522111 My Name Please Print |I Address 1j City State Zip Codej To send a gift subscription, write the name of the recipient ij below and your own name above. Enclose $3.00 for each || subscription and list additional subscriptions on a separate jI sheet. jJ Name of Recipient Please print 1! Address j| City StateLZip Codei20 COVENANTER WITNESS

K-. r. —-T

ORDlocal budget, etc. c.) go over the giving pattern of individualsin their congregation with the view of encouraging thosefailing to respond much in this way. d.) develop an approachto the non-contributors in the church, e.) have an intercongregationaldeacon conference of congregations thatcould get together, f.) take the initiative in publicizing thefinancial needs of the church more than just getting thepreacher to do it. g.) have joint meetings of the Session andDeacons in the Congregation on a regular basis.WHO CARES ABOUT SYNOD'S BUDGET?This information was submitted to us by Dr. StewartLee, chairman of Synod's Stewardship Committee, and wefelt it should be shared with the whole church as they plantheir part of the kingdom work in 1974.R.W.N.A concerned member of Synod has submitted toSynod's Board of Trustees a very thoughtful series ofsuggestions of what the church might consider in attemptingto raise Synod's Budget. The suggestions were prefaced withthese remarks: "Ideally a church or denomination shouldnot have to put on the pressure to gather in the funds neededto carry on the work of the church. If everyone gave histithe, and if everyone gave because he sees the work andneeds of the ministry of the church, there would be no needfor a Stewardship Committee. But we have to face theconditions as they are."Here are the suggestions:1. Distribute to the congregations information on thegiving of each congregation, total giving, budget giving,membership, and per capita giving to both general andbudget needs.2. Publicize to the congregations on a regular basisthe budget needs.3. Try to establish personal contacts with thecongregations, that is, send someone from the outside to acongregation to talk about the budget.4. Make direct appeals to individuals of the church, toadherents not on the church roll, or out-of-bounds members.5. Push for stewardship instruction in thecongregations, urging that sermons be preached on the titheand the needs of the church. Propose Sabbath School talks onchurch finances.6. Congregational quotas could be set for the Budget.7. Promotion of wills, legacies, annunities to themembers of the church.8. Perhaps a reconsideration of the every-membercanvass.9. Propose that big bulletin board charts be kept on aweekly basis to keep the members informed about both localand Synod Budget giving.10. Clarify what is meant by the term Synod'sBudget.11. Make a thrust to the Boards of Deacons — a.) todevelop an understanding of the giving potential of theircongregation based on the tithe, b.) set financial goals, a•Editor:I have to report two misprints in the article "For aTestimony" (Oct. 10 Witness). 1. The photo caption forSinclair Home should read that he is a minister in the R.P.Church, not the Free Church. 2. The photo on page 10 is thatof Rev. Donald Mcdonald, Eaverness, moderator of the 1972Assembly, not Collins. The caption for Mr. Collins should haveread Rev. Prof. G.N.M. Collins.Gordon KeddieWestminster Seminary•Editor:In further reflection on my article on Halloween, I wouldsuggest that if a "Saint's Day" party or a Bible masqueradewere to be held, it should not be associated with eitherHalloween or All Saints' Day. As Christians we should separateourselves from both the pagan-Satanic customs as well as theunbiblical religious observances. These kinds of activities couldbe held at another time of the year and would be more consistentthan having a masquerade or a party on All Saints' Day.Dean R. Smith•Editor :"What about rape or incest? Aside from the fact that alarge percentage of both are 'asked for'. . . ." (Sept. 26 issue).That casual, offhand statement in the article "Abortionon Demand" goes a long way toward demonstrating why theWomen's Liberation Movement is asking for respect from men,along with legal equality. On what verifiable statistics, whatscientific study is that "fact" based? It's one man's wordagainst one woman's word usually, isn't it? The writer of thearticle is in good company, though, with policemen,prosecutors, judges — the almost totally male legal establishment.And this facile assumption that the victim is guilty ofbringing on the crime; do you say that about victims of othercrimes — robbery, for instance, if a window is left unlocked orperhaps embezzlement if the employer didn't have the company'sbooks inspected often enough?How is this statement relevant to the subject of abortionanyhow? Is carrying and bearing a child to be considered aproper punishment?Eleanor Coleman Edgar2 COVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Clarinda, Iowa.SUBSCRIPTIONINFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, £2, 1 year;£3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years. .,Group: Available upon request. *U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 51221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and newaddresses to: Subscription Dept.,Cotcnunler Witness. 800 Wood St.,Pittsburgh. Pa. 15221.Known office of publication: R. R. 3,Box 72, Clarinda, Iowa 51632. Secondclass postage paid at Clarinda, Iowa51632.

HowSynod'sTrusteesOperateA Board of the Church whose purpose and function hastended to be obscure in the past is ' 'The Trustees of the Synodof the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America." Theopportunity of describing some of their duties and responsibilitiesis welcomed.The Trustees were incorporated in 1881 by the Commonwealthof Pennsylvania for the purposes, as stated in thecharter, to own and manage, in trust, property which Synodheld at that time, and also future donations. While the originalofficial functions of the Trustees were to carry out these purposes,additional assignments have been given to the Trusteesby Synod over the years as will be described in this article.Initially, the Board was constituted with six Trustees:David Gregg, Daniel Euwer, Daniel Chestnut, William Wills,Dr. S. A. Sterrett, and John A. McKee. Expansion of the Boardto nine members was later made, the maximum permitted bythe charter, so today the Board consists of David R. Armstrong,Francis S. Buck, Louis D. Hutmire, Joseph Lamont,Jr., Stewart M. Lee, John M. Mitchell, Donald H. Mullinnix,Robert K. McConaughy, and H. E. McKelvy. The Board electsa president, a vice-president', and a secretary. But the Treasureris elected by Synod from the membership of the Board. Committeesare appointed, some of which are standing committees,and some of which are formed for consideration of a specialtopic. Three regular meetings, lasting about seven hours each,are held throughout the year. Powers given to the Board by thearticles of incorporation include the right to use a corporate sealfor official documents, to make by-laws, and to manage fundsand other property as in its judgment shall seem for the bestinterest of Synod. Special instructions can be given to the Boardconcerning the management of funds provided that the instructionsare neither contrary to the laws of the com-4 COVENANTER WITNESS

monwealth nor to the charter. For a more detailed study of thecharter and by-laws, the reader is referred to pages 114-121 ofthe 1970 Minutes of Synod where the charter and by-laws arereprinted.Many people have given funds for the work of the church,either as gifts during their lifetime, or as bequests in their wills.Accordingly, a major portion of the Board's efforts is in themanagement of endowments and other invested funds whichhave accumulated over the years. Most of these funds, receivedas gifts or bequests, have the restriction that the funds be investedwith the income to be paid currently to some departmentof the church. The Board is, of course, obligated to follow theinstructions of the donor, within the legal statutes of theCommonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Investment Committee ofthe Board, aided by a professional investment advisor, ischarged with the responsibility of making and overseeingsuitable investments as well as recommending investmentpolicies to the Board for adoption. One example of a policy ineffect, and of interest to the membership of the church, is thatinvestments are not made in liquor or tobacco companies.When discussing endowments and noticing the amount accumulatedover the years, it should be pointed out thaterroneous conclusions could be drawn by some people. Thesecurities with a value of over $4,000,000 are from restrictedfunds and thus very little is available from these investments forcurrent use. The income from these endowments, distributedfrom year to year to the various departments of the church,reduces the amount which would otherwise have to be raisedfrom current contributions to Synod's Budget. For this yearlyincome the church is very grateful.When donors give unrestricted funds to the church whichare for use, the Trustees investigate the needs of the church andmake recommendations to Synod regarding the distribution ofthese funds.Attention is given by the Trustees in assisting andcooperating with executors of estates. Many estates are fairlyroutine and can be settled promptly. Other estates requireconsiderable thought and action by the Board, and it may take along period of time, such as ten years, before settlement, so thatthe funds can be used by the church. Working with these estatesis another important function of the Trustees which perhaps isnot widely known by the membership of the church.The Trustees also work with deferred giving plans. Oneway in which a fund can come to the church is through abequest, which first becomes a trust for a period of time withthe income to be given to a certain individual. At this person'sdecease the fund is available for the needs of the church. Thismethod may not be widely used, but it can be an important partof a person's estate plan. The trustees now manage such a trustfund which consists of a fairly sizeable amount of money. TheTrustees would be willing to discuss such a trust arrangementwith those who would like to make a gift during their lifetime orto provide for it in their wills.Another type of deferred giving, encouraged and administeredby the Trustees, is a gift annuity. A number ofpeople in the church have purchased annuities which provide aAbout the author: John M. Mitchell is president ofSynod's Board of Trustees, an elder of the Geneva R.P.congregation in Beaver Falls, an associate professor ofbusiness administration at Geneva College. He is also acertified public accountant.guaranteed income for life, and at death the fund is released foruse by the church. There are income tax advantages to purchasersof annuities, and the denominational Treasurer wouldbe pleased to provide further information.The managing and disposing of property received as aresult of a congregation being disorganized also requiresconsiderable time by the Board. It is a principle of thePresbyterian Church Government that a congregation holds itsproperty in trust and cannot divert it from its intended use.When a congregation becomes disorganized, the propertywhich it holds reverts to the denomination of which it was apart. This principle is affirmed by the R. P Book of ChurchGovernment (Chapter III, Section 16) and has been upheld byvarious decisions of civil courts. Property includes land, churchbuilding, parsonage, building contents, cash, invested fundsand securities. When a congregation is disorganized theTrustees work with the Presbytery in accordance withguidelines adopted by Synod for disposing of congregationalproperty. This matter of working with disorganizedcongregations is perhaps one duty which is not pleasant, due tothe unhappiness and hurt feelings on the part of the remnant ofthe congregation when the doors of their congregation close. Itseems that no matter what decisions are made that some peopleare unhappy; indeed, perhaps pleasing to nobody. It is withreluctance that the Trustees step in to pick up the pieces of adisorganized congregation, but it is something which must bedone. Proceeds of the sale of property are added to the buildingloan account for low cost loans to existing congregations forbuilding or expansion projects or to presbyteries for thedevelopment of new work. This account, or loan fund, is administeredby the Trustees (formerly supervised by the Board ofChurch Erection, which was merged with the Trustees in1972). This function is handled internally by a permanentcommittee of the Board, called the Building Loan Committee.Another important task of the Board, recently assignedby the 1973 Synod, is to assume the responsibilities of theformer Stewardship Committeein promoting the needs ofSynod's Contributed Budget. The implementation of thisassignment is being carried out now.Other matters which the Board is concerned with includethe following: to provide for an annual independent public auditof the Treasurer's books; to supervise the duties of thedenominational Treasurer; to keep the denominational FederalIncome Tax exemption up to date; to advise and cooperate withthe Pension Board in setting up the new pension plan; to administerthe denomination's group hospitalization and surgicalinsurance plan; to administer the denomination's accidentinsurance plan; and to fulfill all other responsibilities whichmay be assigned to the Board by Synod.In addition to the above mentioned items, the Trusteesare constantly considering and revising policies and internalprocedures. For instance, a major change in the method ofdistributing income from pooled endowments was instituted for1973. Such a change was under consideration for a number ofyears, and after much thought and research, a change wasfinally adopted.Other policies are under consideration with a view of apossible change. The Board is making progress slowly and iscognizant of the fact that there is much work to be done. It isendeavoring to work as expediently and carefully as possible inorder to plan and execute sound financial policies in the administrationof the business affairs of the denomination.JOHN M. MITCHELLDECEMBER 5, 1973

jf U^PUAy —SAMUEL E. BOYLE(R.P. missionary,Kobe, Japan)9THEBOXNehemiah 10:37 (NASB) "We willalso bring the first of our dough. ''What Aboutthe Lord's Dough?Slang changes rapidly. When Iwas a lad the slang for money was"dough" but today in Hippie culturethey speak of "bread." (It took aboutfifty years to bake the dough into bread.)Various corny jokes were current in myyouth, based on this slang word"dough" for money. A husband andwife argued when the husband told hiswife that she couldn't make bread likehis mother did. She answered, "Thefact is you can't make dough like myfather could." Another: They wantedtheir son to be a well-bred man, so theysent him off to college for a four years'loaf."(I spare you further pain.) What thisverse in Nehemiah tells us is that duringa revival in Jerusalem among the Jewswho came back from captivity thehousewives promised to bring to theHouse of Jehovah, among other firstfruits,their dough from the kitchen.That fact suggests any number ofpossibilities to our imagination — aspictured in the cartoon. ModernChristian wives would find it difficult tomix the dough for home-made bread,not to mention the problem of transportationto the church.The Old Testament ritual ofbringing firstfruits of all that made lifepossible and joyful was a beautiful publicacknowledgment of God's ownership ofeverything. It was an act of willingdedication to set aside a small portion ofthe grain, the dough, the oil and thewine as well as money to the Temple inorder to pledge themselves to live forJehovah, and to confess Him in all theirpersonal and social relations as theSource of all happiness.For convenience we use money, asindeed God permitted Israelites to dolater. But the Israelites were commandedto "redeem" their firstbornsons by a payment of money to theLord, reminding them of how God hadredeemed Israel's firstborn on the nightof the Exodus from Egypt. Everythingfirst belongs to God, and only by God'sgenerosity do we ever have a right toanything. Faithful support of the churchby regular and systematic tithes andofferings is the same spiritual obligationwhich the Israelites fulfilled when theybrought their firstfruits to the Lord.Have we brought our "dough" to theLord faithfully?6 COVENANTER WITNESS

Stimulatinga World-wideChristian CultureThe Christian Church today is beingbombarded by many forces in the culturesof the world. This is not new because aswe read the Epistles we find that the earlyChristians faced the same difficulties.Nationalism is growing and a pride insocial patterns is increasing. Languagestake on new meanings in the midst of suchgrowth. It is important that we recognizethis need as we consider the ChristianChurch. The pure dialect of Greek may beimportant but the Cypriot dialect of Greekis respected in Cyprus. The Chineselanguage is being changed by the communistsand is being used to a greaterextent, but again the dialects are importantas they mark the pride of variouspopulations. Each language is in the midstof changes as communication is becomingworld-wide. While listening to a broadcastof a baseball game in Japan, we heard theword, "home-run", in the midst of theplay by play description. The translation ofthe Bible and other books into a readablelanguage in all nations is a never endingproject.Religion is an important way of life toall peoples. For example, Kyoto, Japanboasts a shrine containing the 1001statues of goddesses. They may lookgrotesque with their ten sets of arms butthey represent a heritage in this society.The Shinto religion is a part of theJapanese culture and there has been aproposal to make recognition of this fact apart of the daily social life. When anational changes his religion in manycountries, this act is virtually a denunciationof those things which are an integralpart of the culture of the country.About the author: Robert Henning isexecutive secretary of the ForeignMission Board of the R.P.C,N.A. He isin frequent attendance at missionsconferences, here and abroad, as wellas making regular visits todenominational works on the field.DECEMBER 5, 1973ROBERT HENNINGWe should think of the Christianheritage of our country which has given usa freedom to do many things that we couldnot do otherwise as Christians. Theprohibition of reading the Bible in theschools was regarded by many as a threatto the tradition of the past without lookingdeeper. Such influence of nationalreligions is true to a greater extent in othercultures.When I arrived in Nicosia, I wasshocked by the change in the skyline infour years. High-rise apartments had beenbuilt and were being built. I had seen somechange in Athens. The same sight occurredin Beirut, Singapore and HongKong. A newspaper article in Japanlamented the fact that the high-riseapartments were changing the culture. Anelderly woman had died in her apartmentand was not found for several days. Wherewas the family unit that would permitsuch a thing?In countries where churches are beingplanned it is difficult to separate thatwhich belongs to the heathen religions andthat which is simply cultural. Cyprus hasprepared a new place of worship inNicosia. Discussions are being held on theremodeling of the church building inLarnaca. The Keiyaku group in Japan isgoing over plans for their church building.They need to carefully consider the areafor entrance which will permit the shoes ofworshippers to be stored during the timewhen tbey are in the church. The finecourtesies of their culture are to be incorporated.In each place consideration isgiven to the fact of what will give the truemark of a Christian Church where theWord of God is supreme.Tradition mixed with materialismstrikes at the heart of the growth of theChurch. Building goes on as usual on theLord's Day. Road crews are seen workingon the Lord's Day. Reflecting the oldmethods of food storage, shopping isconsidered a "seven dav a week" activitveven though it would not be necessarynow. Jobs require participation in companyevents that occur on the Lord's Day.Then there is the pressure of rising livingcosts around the world. The price otautomobiles seems to make themprohibitive in some countries but it isamazing how many people have them.The metropolitan areas trap their citizensin this never ending spiral of desire. Whatabout the Christian who comes out of suchpatterns? How do these ingrained habitsfit in with one's new Christian profession?The Near East is marked withsuspicion. Whom can you trust? Whatabout the suspicion present in Taiwanover the uncertainity of the next step thatRed China will take? It is difficult for thisspirit of suspicion to be kept out of theChristian Cburch.This all may seem dark but I cannothelp but think of the cultures of thesocieties in which the early churchthrived. Was it not as dark? The brightside is that wherever I travelled on myrecent trip there was some inquiry concerningthe Biblical Christianity. Afterspeaking in the Reformed Seminary inKobe, Japan, I was pleased to hear of afavorable reaction. I had spoken on theprinciple of the Reformed faith whichmarks Christianity as dealing with thewhole man. One young man was encouragedwhen he heard this. Onreturning from my trip, there was a letteron my desk from Beirut which was askingthe Church in Cyprus to send a ministerthere to preach to a small group interestedin the Reformed faith. They were soanxious for this that they offered to payexpenses for such preaching one Sabbath amonth.The search that we find present in thehearts of our people in the United States isthe same search that is going on aroundthe world. I thank God that we have themessage that the world needs. TheChristian culture is a challenge to everyculture. It changes cultures but that is tobe expected. It may "rock the boat" insome cultures to such an extent that doorsmay be closed to the presentation of thegospel of Christ. Faith in the hearts of thenationals is the only way to assure thecontinued proclamation of the Gospel.Does our faith show forth the character ofChrist that will withstand the threats otthese conflicts with the world? We mustlabor so that the Christian culture will benoted as a calm, obedient taith in Christwhich will demonstrate the greatness otthe love ot Christ. In this way we will Insettingthe basis tor stimulating a worldwide Christian culture.•

The Parableof theTreesOne of the most spiritually privilegedcounties in the whole of Scotland in a byegoneday was the county of Ross-shire,where the Lord appeared to be pleased toraise up faithful preachers and hearers ofHis Word for many successive years onend. Among the most faithful of thepreachers was Mr. John Porteous ofKilmuir, and among the most faithful ofMr. Porteous's hearers was a woman bythe name of Elizabeth Munro. OneSaturday evening, while visiting at themanse at Kilmuir, the good woman wasafforded, by way of parable andillustration, a conducted tour of thecongregation of which Mr. Porteous wasminister. He had informed her that hiswhole congregation was in his garden, andthen, proceeded to "prove" this byshowing her that the various types ofChristians that were under his care wererepresented in the various trees thatsurrounded the old manse.First stop was a tree that stood almostin the middle of the garden and which waswell-laden with sweet and delicious appleswhich it seemed to bear almost every yearwithout fail. This reminded the old man ofa Christian such as Grissel MacKenziewhose one son had become an eminentminister of the gospel at Tongue andwhose other son had been the faithful8catechist of Creich. She herself had beendescended from the Pope's Legate whohad been sent to Scotland to suppress theReformation, but who had been convertedthrough the gospel that he had oncelaboured to destroy. She herself went onbearing precious fruit under the name ofthe family that the Lord had been sopleased to bless and own.Another tree had ropes fastened to thetops of the uppermost branches withwbich to bend tbem down, and therebyprevent them from being overturned byhigh winds. "Now," said Mr. Porteous,"I have in my congregation someChristians who have superior gifts, andare inclined to soar very high, and wouldbe in danger ' of being overturned.Therefore, to keep them, and render themfruitful, the Lord keeps them lowly bypersonal, or mental, or family, or byrelative afflictions, or other crosses intheir lot."Another tree had its branches helpedup by supporting props. "These," saidthe minister of Kilmuir, "are to keep thebranches from being trodden upon; theyare so laden with fruit that they are bent tothe ground. Some Christians in mycongregation," he went on, "are neartheir everlasting rest. They are so ladenwith the fruits of holiness, that they arebent to the dust with a sense of their uttervileness in themselves; and were it notthat the great Husbandman supports themwith the props of the promises, they wouldbe utterly cast down."Lastly, they came to an old willow treein a corner of the garden. "That tree,"said Mr. Porteous, "when I first came tothis place appeared to be dead. It continuedso for many years, but last spring, to myamazement, I saw a tender twig springingout of it. That is old Samuel Ross inMilton, who for sixty or seventy years wasnot only dead in trespasses and sins, butwas one of Satan's generals in wickedness.But now, in God's sovereign and adorablegrace, he has been plucked as a brand fromthe burning, and in his old age, somefruits of grace are seen manifestingthemselves in him."The setting sun reminded theKilmuir minister that that nightwas drawing near. "Now," saidhe to his old friend, ' T have spentsome hours with you here; now,go home, and spend this night andtomorrow morning at the throneof grace on my behalf, and if I amdry in the pulpit tomorrow, theblame will lie at your door." It issaid that he had "uncommonliberty" on the following day.By permission:The Wicket GateCOVENANTER WITNESS

living in the home — beit relating as husband-wife or parentchild,praying, working or dismissing nurse maids; however,these insights have Arminian presuppositions. Occasionallyread, this type of book can be an encouragement to any familymember.Eileen FalkP GETS C ORNERHOW TO GIVE AWAY YOUR FAITH: Study Guide. Paul E.Little. Inter-Varsity, 1972. 48 pp. $.95 (paper).Paul Little's 1966 book by the same title has been helpful tome through the years. This discussion leader's guide is a practicalaid for using Little's book in a group setting.David R. ArmstrongHANDCRAFT ENCYCLOPEDIA: Creative Handcrafts, Ages3,4,5. Compiled by Eleanor Doan. G-L Regal, 1973. 116 pp. $1.25(paper).A pocket-size condensation for pre-schoolers from theHandcraft Encyclopedia edited by the same author. Simpleprojects which take no special materials are described in detailalong with the recipes for various pastes, clays, etc. Versatile andhandy for the pre-school mother and-or teacher.Carol LoweEVANGELISM, ENTERPRISE OF LOVE. Mariano DiGangi.Pres. and Ref., 1973. 43 pp. $.60 (paper).This booklet contains lectures given at the ReformedTheological Seminary. It is a fine theological introduction toevangelism for this year of evangelistic emphasis. The content isReformed, but the bibliography is not.David R. ArmstrongC. S. LEWIS: IMAGES OF HIS WORLD. Douglas Gilbert &Clyde S. Kilby. Eerdmans, 1973.192 pp. $12.95 (cloth).A portrait, via photographs and minimal verbal communication,of the man C. S. Lewis. Gilbert's photographs andthe reproductions of Lewis' manuscripts vividly introduce theworld in which C. S. Lewis lived and wrote and some of theimaginary world of which he wrote. Delightful!Eileen FalkMORMONISM. A. A. Hoekema. 102 pp. $1.75. JEHOVAH'SWITNESSES. A. A. Hoekema. 148 pp. $1.95. CHRISTIANSCIENCE. A. A. Hoekema. 64 pp. $1.25. SEVENTH-DAYADVENTISM. A. A. Hoekema. 104 pp. $1.75 (all paper).Eerdmans, 1973.To update his earlier THE FOUR MAJOR CULTS and toprovide individual study volumes, Professor Hoekema hasrecently published these four books, each containing a factualhistory of the cult, a consideration of the cult's source ofauthority, an examination of the doctrines in light of Scripture,and a complete bibliography. These accurate works are valuablefor individual and group study.Eileen FalkBLESS THIS HOUSE. Anita Bryant (with Bob Green). FlemingH. Revell, 1972. $4.95 (cloth).The authors' style is personal, casual and open; in turn, tnereader feels that Bob and Anita Green Bryant have invited herinto their home and lives for an evening. The expenences theyshare are their realizations and convictions about cnnstianThe difference between usYour lifeA shell of happinessLike cheeks drained of colorVacant and vain attempts to enjoyWorthless worriesHollow hoursInflated problemsLife to no avail.My lifeAlive with happinessLike a glowing faceFilled and fruitful attempts to enjoySomeone to bring worries toHours swollen with joyProblems not handled aloneLife abundant.You who are my friendsYou sit and tell meYou and God can't make it.It makes me want to cry insideAnd outside too,But I won't let you know it.I'll just try to seeWhat help I can be.I don't know what to tell youExcept God hates sinSo you say "Then God hates me."How could vou stop loving Him.''Why are you so easily swerved by the world.''Come out from among them andBe separate.Yes I know,Sinning is so much fun.But only for a short timeYou know you'll be blessedIf you do not walk with the ungodlyBut vour feet keep running to evil.I hate to see that old man's shadowOverpowering the new flickering lightAnd continually blowing it out.Resist the DevilAnd he will flee.WSarah J. Crawford(Geneva College)DECEMBER 5. 19739

f/ii •1\\ - - > '/f/A' \ur/'iinpdediRev.Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010North American mission board influenceand support socialism as a preferredeconomic option and violence as aChristian possibility for social change."J. Samuel Escobar, President of thesponsoring organization, and a frequentcontributor to IVCF's His and otherevangelical magazines, feels that Dr.Henry's report needs to "be com­CHRISTIANA TSAIThe author of Queen of the DarkChamber is now 83. Her China bornAmerican mentor, China Mary Leaman,spent 60 years as a missionary in China,then in 1949 came to America with blindMiss Tsai to live with two other invalidsin the family homestead in LancasterCounty, Pa. Here she wrote her book,published in 1953, now in its 33rd plemented, however, to avoidprinting. "God brought Chinese officers,seamen, students, even prisoners," shesays, "and friends from many lands andthroughout America to my bedside. Thereare thrilling experiences to recall to giveGod the glory."In 1966 the property of the Leamanhomestead was deeded to Ambassadors forChrist, Inc., which ministers principallyto Chinese students. During the touristseason, the Strasburg Rail Road, oldestshort line in the country, makes 14 runsdaily over a 9 mile round trip, carryingover 300,000 sightseers to the "Dutchcountry." The Leaman property is aproductive farm, with the buildings beingremodeled so that Christian groups under"Ambassadors for Christ, Inc."leadership can come for Christian EP Service."fellowship and witness.Miss Tsai is now working onanother book, Go On Witnessing.misunderstanding."His concern is along theline that "Any informed observer of theLatin American situation knows thatNorth American categories cannot beapplied to a society that in some places hasbarely come out of the feudalistic structureit adopted when mediaeval Spainconquered it four and a half centuries ago.Words like 'democracy' and 'socialism'have to be qualified when an Anglo-Saxonuses them for Latin America."Reuben Lores, President of LatinAmerican Biblical Seminary, is not quiteso ironic. "As faculty members," hesays, " . . we unanimously protest theirresponsible and distorted reference tothis institution in a recent news releasesent out through RNS and featured by theAs to the comment that ' 'violence (is)a Christian possibility for social change,"Mr. Lores says that Dr. Henry has notindicated whether the violence referred tois similar to "the American Revolution,the assassination attempt on AdolphHitler, American participation in WorldARE SOUTH AMERICANCHRISTIANS REVOLUTIONARIES?In South America where there hasbeen vigorous evangelical activity inevangelism, especially on a person-topersonbasis, and through homeWar II, the Viet Nam War, Castroinspiredguerilla warfare, torture ofvisitation, finds itself in some conflict withpolitical prisoners in Brazil, the forcefultheir North American brethren, accordingto an EP News discussion Chile, law enforcement, or what haveoverthrow of the Allende Government inreported in the Oct. 6 issue. Carl F. H. you. .Henry, one of the best known spokesmen "We recognize that it is difficult forfor evangelical Christianity, was invited to some of our white North AmericanSouth America by the "Theological evangelical brethren who live in aFraternity of Latin America."relatively free, democratic, and wealthyHe reported that some professors at society to understand how ChristiansLatin American Biblical Seminary in living in Latin America might prefer oneCosta Rica "currently espouse a compromiseform of liberation theology," and dictatorships and feudal oligarchies of theof the socialist parties here to the militarythat they "take a hard line critical ot political right. . ."10ADDISON LEITCHDr. Leitch, former president of Pitts -burgh-Xenia Seminary, professor oftheology at Gordon-Conwell TheologicalSeminary, whose death was reported "atthe age of 81," wasn't. Correction hasbeen made, that he was 64.ETERNITY MAGAZINE AND"CIVIL RELIGION"Noting that U.S. Representative JohnB. Anderson, an evangelical, says, "TheAmerican civic religion is an eclecticblend of evangelicalism, Protestantism,patriotism, humanism, capitalism andindividualism," Eternity asked fiveevangelical scholars to respond to anarticle on the subject by Dr. WalfredPeterson.Milton Hostetter: "... in most casesthere is little that is biblically Christian insuch actions (of national expressions of areliance on God)."C. Gregg Singer: "I agree A sharpdistinction must be drawn between civilreligion and Christianity. . (Walfred)seems to deny or overlook the evangelicaldoctrine of common grace."W. Stanford Reid: "I would concur. . ."Much of today's civil religion asindicated by Peterson is the same religionagainst which the Christians fought whenthey refused to burn incense to the emperor'sstatue.H. Edward Rowe. "Mr. Peterson doesnot, in my opinion, raise a legitimateChristian concern."Abraham Lincoln quoted the Bibleprofusely in his public debates andspeeches. Was he prostituting religion topolitical ends?"Lee Nash: "The engaging vigor ofWalfred Peterson's attack on America'sinsipid sub-biblical civil religion, carrieshim through the ranks of the foe andbetrays him into the opposite heresy.Right he is in exposing the selfish motives,insincere rhetoric and conformist ends ofthose who promote national 'faith,'. ."Unhappily, however, the firmdichotomy be poses between Christianityand the state suggests, perhaps unintentionally,a return to the old fundamentalistwithdrawal from society andgovernment."Mr. Nash, it seems to me, has giventhe most discerning and helpful response.NATION'S LARGEST BLACKCHURCH GROUPDr. Joseph H. Jackson has beenreelected president of the National BaptistConvention, U.S.A. for his 21st year, inChicago in September.COVENANTER WITNESS

INTRODUCTIONThe Biblical doctrine of stewardship isa subject which the ReformedPresbyterian Church of North Americaneeds to discuss and apply more distinctlyin our day. The state of the society inwhich we live and the discussion duringthe 1973 Synod meeting of the church aretwo factors which make this subject anappropriate and crucial one.Tbis quarter's study topics areprovided to stimulate study, discussionand prayer on these subjects.I. God's StewardshipII. The Basis of Christian StewardshipIII. Stewardship of God's CreationIV. Stewardship of the BodyV. Stewardship of GiftsVI. Stewardship of TimeVII. Fellowship Meeting+VIII. Stewardship of MoneyIX. Stewardship and ChristianWitness to the WorldX. Stewardship and the Return ofChristXI. Stewardship and the CongregationXII. Stewardship and the PresbyteryXIII. Fellowship Meeting++ Appropriate programs for suchmeetings could include having the deaconsshare their plans forthe' year or a specialprogram to discuss practical ways thecongregation can reach out to the communityin terms of aiding those in need.When weGod we mustHe is infiniteLesson No. 1GOD AS STEWARDRonald W. Nickersonspeak of the stewardship ofkeep before us the fact thatand eternal, not a personbound by the limits of space and time.This means that He is totally selfanswerableto no one butsufficient andHimself. He is then no one's stewardbecause He is responsible to no one butHimself.DECEMBER 5, 1973At the same time we see on the pagesof Scripture that there is what is frequentlycalled a "divine economy" whereby Godfaithfully carries out His promises to men.The gracious provision of the rainbowmarks God's oath never to again destroycreation by flood. The regular provision ofthe days and seasons marks God's continuedcare of the world He originallymade and saw as good. Even the institutionof the Sabbath reminds us thatGod faithfully carried out all His holy willconcerning creation and then rested fromthat one activity.Romans 8:28 assures us that all thingswork together for good to them that loveGod. This is so because He sovereignlyworks in all creation to carry out Hispurposes.God owes His creation nothing. Leastof all does He owe anything to man whohas marred God's good work by his sin.Yet both the Scripture and the worldaround us testify to the fact that He faithfullymaintains that which He has made.Heb. 6:18 says it is "impossible for Godto lie." But He is not simply a God oftruth; He is also a God of Grace. Hevoluntarily makes promises to His createdworld and He keeps them. In this sense wemay rightly speak of the perfect stewardshipthat God exercises in carrying out Hisannounced will in the world.All things are done to the "praise ofthe glory of His grace," but not withoutthe ultimate in love and sacrifice on God'spart. What more pointed reminder of thiscan there be that God, who promised toredeem His people, gave His only Son todie in their place.The fullest expression of God's faithfulstewardship of His own promises is foundin the Biblical concept of covenant. Heb.6:17 notes this by saying, "Wherefore,God, willing more abundantly to shewunto the heirs of promise the immutabilityof His counsel, confirmed it by an oath (orcovenant)." God will never default on oneword He has spoken. He will never neglectto do one thing He has promised. BecauseHe depends on no one, He can be totallytrusted. His stewardship is irreproachablebecause in His perfection He always doesthat which is ultimately the wisest andbest.We note this at the beginning of thisseries on stewardship, because the modelof Divine excellence must always be ourstandard. Furthermore, when God choseto reveal Himself in the flesh. He sent onewho ' 'came not to be ministered unto, butto minister. ." Christ is the supremelyfaithful steward who in all things did thewill of the One who had sent him. AndChrist by word and by example savs to us,"Whosoever of you will be the chiefestwill be the servant of all."FOR DISCUSSION:1. Discuss how God, to whom "oneday is as a thousand years," still maintainsa perfect time schedule in theoperation of His universe. How does thisreflect His stewardship?2. Discuss how God's stewardship ofHis promises includes His statementswhich indicate judgment instead otblessing.3. Discuss instances from the lite otChrist which indicate His faithfulstewardship over the gifts that the Fatherappointed to Him in the flesh.4. Choose as a group those Psalmswhich you consider to most adequatelyexpress God's stewardship and then singthem as time permits.Lesson No. 2THE BASIS OFCHRISTIANBruce R. BackenstoSTEWARDSHIPOne of the best known Psalms is the24th Psalm which begins with the phrase,"The earth is Jehovah's, and all itcontains, the world, and those who dwellin it." Jehovah created the entire universeand all the inhabitants of this earth;therefore, all is His. However, He decidedto create mankind to rule His creation forHim. to bear His image by doing so. Manwas created by God to be His steward(Genesis 2:15). Jehovah "took the manand put him into the garden ot Fden tocultivate (serve, till, work; tt. 2: 5)it andkeep it." Man is to work God's creationfor Him. This is the idea ot stewardship. Asteward is one who is plated in charge otanother's affairs, with instructions onhow to carry out the affairs. Examples ofthis mav be found in the followingpassages. Notice the word steward appearsin most ot the passages; however, thewords foreman, guardian and manager or11

tutors and governors will also appear in afew cases. Genesis 43:19; 44:4; Matthew20:8; Luke8:3; 12:42; 16:1-8; ICorinthians 4:1,2; Galatians 4:2 and IPeter 4:10.Having obtained the idea that asteward is one who manages another'saffairs, according to his instructions, itbecomes plain that before the Fall man wasto be God's steward in His creation. Yetafter the Fall man is still to cultivate theground for God (Genesis 3:23), but a newdimension enters the picture. No longer isman able to be a steward because hisnatural desire is to be his own lord.Hence, unless his heart is renewed intofellowship with his Creator, Sustainer andnow Redeemer he cannot be God'ssteward, God's image bearer, bycultivating the ground. It is sinful if doneoutside of fellowship with the Master(Proverbs 21:4, KJV). The matter ofoffering a sacrifice becomes an importantphase in one's service of his Master.Jehovah says that the person who sins is todie. Therefore, Jehovah requires the firstand the best to be offered unto Himself ofHis steward's labor. As an offering for sinman was to bring an unblemished lamb tobe slaughtered and burned in his place andas an offering of thanksgiving man was tobring of the first fruits of his labor(Genesis 4:4; Deuteronomy 26:2).These offerings become important asevidence in the believer's life of his trustin Jehovah for his salvation and hiswillingness to be Jehovah's steward onHis terms. Hence, the basis of theChristian's stewardship is that he wasoriginally created in God's image to beHis steward in His creation; even after theFall he was to do his work for God. Thework of cultivating the ground was to bedone to God's own glory. This issomething man cannot do unless he isrestored to fellowship with Jehovah andthe image of God is restored in the man.Redeemed mankind is then able to onceagain reflect God's image and be hissteward, doing His will in His creation.FOR DISCUSSION:In order to learn more fully man'sstewardship responsibilities asked of himby his Master and Redeemer look again atthe passages below. What master-stewardrelationships and responsibilities areestablished? How are those principlesapplied in today's society and church life?1. Luke 12:42. The context is importantto help understand the versebefore us. Read verses 35-48. Jesus isconcerned with setting before his disciplesthe necessity of being always at the Lord'swork, always ready for him to return.What is required of us?2. Luke 16:1-8. The steward in thispassage is guilty of squandering hismaster's affairs and for this he is going tobe fired. Jesus commends him for hisastuteness at providing friends for himselfwho would take him in were he fired.Various points may be derived from thisparable. Work on them and apply them totoday's affairs.3. I Corinthians 4:1,2. This ispossibly the most important aspect ofbeing a steward for God today. ' 'Stewardsof the mysteries of God." How are we tocarry this out?4. I Peter 4:10. Again we are told tobe ' 'good stewards of the manifold grace ofGod." What is our responsibility here?Pray about specific applications fromthese passages in the time remaining!Lesson No. 3STEWARDSHIP OFGOD'SCREATIONDavid W. BadgerAsst. Prof.(Geneva College)Traditionally, Christians have placedconsiderable emphasis on the financial andparticipatory aspects of stewardship. Thisemphasis was not misplaced; however, inaccepting today's life style, the Christianmust also accept the added responsibilitiesentailed in being a true steward. Theseadded responsibilities involve the care andpreservation of the earth. Our naturalresources are not limitless. We cannotremain indifferent to the degrading of ournatural environment. Included in theseadded responsibilities is the obligation tostrive for better understanding of ourcomplex environment. The Christianmust adopt a life style in which stewardshipenters into a daily consideration of thetreatment of God's creation.That the earth belongs to the Lord isobvious in the 24th Psalm: ' 'The earth isthe Lord's and all it contains, the worldand those who dwell in it.'' Man is simplya tenant, a tenant who must control theproperty in a manner acceptable to theOwner. The Scriptures clearly show thatthe Owner places great value on the earth.He created it. What better way to showinterest in it? The 104th Psalm alone issufficient testimony to the value the Lordplaces on his creation. "He sends forthsprings in the valleys; they flow betweenthe mountains. He causes the grass togrow for the cattle, and vegetation for thelabor of man, so that he may bring forthfood from the earth, . . .0 Lord, howmany are Thy works! In wisdom Thou hasmade them all; the earth is full of Thypossessions. There is the sea, great andbroad, in which are swarms withoutnumber, animals both small and great. Letthe glory of the Lord endure forever;. . .Let my meditation be pleasing toHim; . . "In the New Testament Jesustells us that the lily of the field is betterclothed than man can ever be. God paysattention to all of life, not just that part wechoose to commit to him.Christians have tended to ignore theobvious direction of God and have, in fact,often acted in an environmentallyirresponsible manner without troubledconscience or fear of the Lord. While fearof the Lord can generate wisdom, we mustbe receptive to that wisdom. It is at thispoint that individual conscience mustcome into play, for the Scriptures do notgo into modern day detail.The Lord has placed a burden on me inthis area of environmental stewardship,and I'd like to go out on a limb and makesome specific suggestions for Christianliving. The environmentally-concernedChristian should consider carefully hisown life style and try to influence thehabits and life style of other Christians andnon-Christians. Consider the areas of:a) food and nutrition. How much ofyour food is home-grown? How muchpreprocessed food is consumed? Howmuch food is wasted? Do you really needto eat as much as you do? Try cuttingdown on the amount you eat.b) energy consumption. Do you find itnecessary to purchase a new car every twoor three years? It is not cheaper to buy anew car every two, three or four years. Alittle extra attention during washing canprevent rusting and add years to a car'slife. Schedules for oil and filter changesmust be followed religiously(!) Lowerhighway speeds should be used byChristians. Accumulate errands and makeone trip do. Christian homes should bebuilt using greater amounts of insulation.Before building a home, the Christianshould consider saving as many deciduoustrees as possible. They aid in summercooling and allow solar heating in thewinter. Try putting on a sweater andturning your thermostat down.c) life style. Cut down on unnecessarybuying (particularly at Christmas).Provide wholesome nonpolluting entertainmentfor your family. Recycle asmuch as possible and consider purchasingused equipment. Learn to love dandelions.Consider the noise you make. Plant trees.12COVENANTER WITNESS

Live at a slower place. Beware of progressclothed in shallow motives.A Christian's attitude in all of theseareas must be a positive one. In fact, the will examinefuture depends on influencing andeducating our own children and those ofothers around us. (The extra-nutritionalvalue in the home-grown raw carrot myson consumed this evening is smallcompared to the positive attitude hedeveloped concerning God's creation, ashe helped plant, nurture and harvest thecarrot. The twinkle in his eye as the carrotcame out of the ground was a personal joyfor which I praise God.) II our everyexistence in the future becomes as difficultas some predict, then the very lives of thenext generation may depend on how wellwe revive some of the methods and ideas ofthe last generation. Surely the earth'sresources belong not to one generation,but for all time.In the 24th Psalm where it says"They that wait upon the Lord, shallrenew their strength", that waiting mustbe an active not a passive waiting. Thataction must be a positive one, a waitingfilled with praise for our coming Lord, andpositive action to retain the "fullness ofthe earth." "Let the glory of the Lordendure forever."FOR DISCUSSION:1. If there is to be a new heaven and anew earth, what is our Christianresponsibility to the present one?2. Discuss what practices of your owncontribute to polluting the environment?What should you do as a Christian aboutthem ?3. Should Christians take an activepart in fighting industrial pollution intheir communities?4. Is there a real crisis of naturalresources in our country? What must aChristian do under these circumstances?Lesson No. 4STEWARDSHIP OF THE BODYPaul MartinDECEMBER 5. 1973Often when Christians discussstewardship of the body we bring outseveral texts which talk about the body.Let us look at this subject a little differently.In Galatians 3:24 we read that' 'the law is the schoolmaster to bring us toChrist.'' By the law we know that we havedone the will of God and are brought totrust in Jesus as our prophet, priest andking. By that same law we now know whatthe will of Jesus is for us. In the WestminsterShorter Catechism we read: "themoral law is summarily comprehended inthe ten commandments." Therefore weeach of the Ten Commandmentsin order to know God's willfor stewardship of our bodies. You maywant to read through each commandmentas we come to it.I. We must never set our bodies up asour god. Either along with or in place ofthe Sovereign. Despite what physicalfitness programs may imply, the physicalfitness of our body does not take care of allour problems. We are called to serve God.We are to serve God with our whole body(Deuteronomy 6:5). The call to serve Godmust rule the stewardship of our body. Forexample there are times when our serviceto God may lead to the destruction of ourbodies (II Cor. 11:23-27). The Apostlecould have kept his body from harm byfailing to give that faithful witness to thetruth, but the stewardship of the body isdetermined by our service to God. Namesome ways in which we fail to serve Godbecause of an improper service to ourbody.II. We must never worship and serveour bodies. We worship and serve onlyGod. In advertizing we are taught toworship and serve the body. Illustrate howwe do this. This causes us to be in debt sothat instead of serving God by our workwe are working to pay the bill which wasincured in serving and worshipping ourbodies. (Romans 16:18; Phil. 3:18,19;Ezekiel 34:1-6)III. We take God's name in vain if weconfess allegience to Him yet disregardour bodies. Our bodies are given to us byGod. We are stewards of these bodies. Tomisuse them is to mishandle the things ofGod. God's redemption touches ourbodies. For us to do penance by mutilatingour bodies is contrary to the law ofjustificaton by faith alone. We would takeGod's name in vain bv such an act. Howelse may we break this commandment inregard to our bodies?IV. God has given us one day of theweek for rest for our bodies. If we areoverburdened with Sabbath activities sothat our bodies are not rested for Monday,we are guilty of breaking this commandmentby sinful neglect of our bodies.(Ministers must get their rest anotherday.) It is not a true sign of zeal to by-passa day of rest for the sake of the work. It issinful stewardship of the body.V God has given us doctors, dentists,etc. who have been given understanding asto how we can take better care of ourbodies. We are to honor them and respecttheir directions to us. It would certainly bebest to have doctors who share this view otthe stewardship of the body.VI. In commanding us not to kill Godcommands us to preserve our own life.(Read Westminster Shorter Catechismquestions 68 and 69). This commands usto have good eating habits, properpreventive medical care, proper attentionto medical problems. You might have aChristian doctor speak to the group aboutthis.VI. God commands the chaste use ofour bodies. Proper stewardship of our bodyforbids all unbiblical sexual practices.(Hebrews 13:4).VIII. Our body is a gift from God. Touse it without proper stewardship isstealing. (Eph. 4:28; I Cor. 6:18-20).IX. To confess that Jesus is Lord of allyet to fail to be submitted to His SovereignKingship over the body — eating, healthcare, etc. — is bearing false witness.X. We are not to covet the body ofanother or to be dissatisfied with the bodywhich God has given you. If it is in badshape because of your sin — failure tomaintain it — confess your sin and repentof it.FOR DISCUSSION:1. Be prepared to present facts or drawout what the group knows about theimportance of exercise and diet. What doesthe Apostle Paul mean when he says that"exercise profits for a little (time)."2. Discuss why many Christians whosee the wisdom of abstinence frombeverage alcohol are not careful to avoidintemperance in their eating habits.3. Bring in facts or elicit facts from thegroup concerning the latest evidence ofthe harm done to the body by tobacco,alcohol and drugs.4. Discuss what are the most effectiveways the church can aid youth in avoidingthose habits which would harm theirbodies.Suggested Psalms: 144, 45, 128Lesson No. 5STEWARDSHIP OF GIFTSD. Howard ElliottGod the Creator made man and endowedhim with many abilities or gifts. Itis not within the ability of man to have ordo anything except as that ability has firstbeen conceived of and then transmitted toman from God. The gifts with which Godhas endowed man are numerous and greatin variety. In comparison with the rest otcreation, man has been given tar more13

than any other item of creation.Just what do you have as a part ofmankind? This is hard to fully realizebecause we have more than we know. Tomake a list of all that we have spiritually,temporally, socially would be an unendingtask. Many people find it easier to think ofthings that they do not have.All that we bave is a gift of God. God isa giving God because He is a loving God.John 3:16,27; I Cor. 4:7; James 1:17;II Peter 1:3. If God did not give, therewould be no world, no mankind.And what do we have as gifts fromGod? Some spiritual gifts are: the Son ofGod, John 3:16; 6:32,33; the HolySpirit, Luke 11:13; Acts 8:20; grace,Psalm 84:11; James 4:6; wisdom,James 1:5; repentance, Acts 11:18;faith, Ephesians 2:8; righteousness,Romans 5:16,17; strength and power,Psalm 68:35; peace, Psalm 29:11; rest,Matt. 11:28; glory, John 17:22; eternallife, Romans 6:23. Some temporal giftsfrom God are: life, Isaiah 42:5; food andraiment, Matt. 6:25-33; rain and fruitfulseasons, Isaiah 30:23; all good things,Psalm 34:10; I Timothy 6:17; and manymore.Since God has given us everything,there is no excuse for boasting on our part,we can take no credit to ourselves. I Cor.4:7.There is a great variety in gifts thatGod gives. I Cor. 12:4-6; Romans 12:6;Ephesians 4:11. Not all people have thesame gifts, some will have more thanothers. Matt. 25:14-30; I Cor. 12:8-11.We are to ask for what we think we donot have. Matt. 7:7,11; Luke 11:9,13;John 16:23,24; James 1:5.With a deepening understanding ofwhat we have as gifts from God, our firstreaction should be one of growing appreciationto God expressed in praise andthanks to our generous Father. A secondreaction should be a developing stewardship,or proper use of such gifts. What doyou do with such gifts?First, gifts should be acknowledged,not only to God as is done by praise andthanksgiving, but to ourselves. Somepeople seem not to be purely honest inadmitting their gifts, either because theythink it is the part of humility to claim lackof ability or because they are lazy and donot want to become involved in work touse and develop those gifts. The one talentman in Christ's parable did not want toadmit he had a talent, nor did he want thework of using it for what he must havethought was not for his own gain.Second, gifts should be used,cultivated, developed. God gives them not14fully developed and therefore expects us towork them, to improve our use of them.Christ in His parable of the talents, Matt.25:14-30, is teaching that servantsentrusted with talents from the master areexpected to be more than a holdingcompany. Those servants who put thetalents to work were commended and theone who didn't was condemned eventhough the talent was preserved withoutloss. And Jesus in Matt. 5:14-16 is sayingthat where there is light (talent, ability) itshould not be hidden, but allowed toshine.Here are some Scriptural principles fora proper use of abilities or other gifts.1. Remember God as the giver, Deut.8:18. No doubt each of us has an articlethat was given to us by another and wethink of the giver when we use that article.2. Rejoice in the use of that gift,Eccl. 3:13; 5:19. Be happy as you use it,not sad that it isn't something better, norapologetic that it isn't all that you couldhope it might be. 3. Use it for thebenefit of others. Remove the selfishelement from its use if possible. I Peter4:10. Here is something the more you useit, the more it increases. "Freely ye havereceived, freely give." 4. Accompanythe use of your gift with the spirit of love, ICor. 13:1,2, otherwise it isn't all it oughtto be in your hands. Love lubricates theoperations of gifts. 5. Use the gifts withcare, diligence and concentration,Romans 12:6-8. Gifts may figurativelybecome rusty without use. Regularity ofuse keeps the ability in shape, peakcondition. 6. Special times of refreshmentor overhaul in the use of gifts areuseful, in order to comply with the admontion,"neglect not the gift that is inyou,'' and "stir up the gift of God that isin you."FOR DISCUSSION:1. A steward is one who keeps arecord of, makes good use of and gives anaccounting of what has been placed in hiscare. Does your congregation make astudied effort to employ the differing giftsof all its members?2. How can one tell when he is usinghis gift properly? See Matt. 25:29.3. What purpose do you have for theuse of your gifts? Is it possible to use thelesser gifts to such an extent that the moreimportant ones are neglected?Lesson No. 6STEWARDSHIP OF TIMERonald W. NickersonTime exists by the design of God as animportant aspect of His creation. Hedesigned it as part of the environment inwhich we are to live for His glory.Time is a commodity that we arecommanded not to waste. Time is also aforce that can be employed either for evilor good. In this sense Paul twice says inthe New Testament (Col. 4:5 and Eph.5:16) that we are to "redeem the time."As we consider this matter of wastingGod-given time, it becomes clear thattime is first of all wasted throughselfishness. The non-Christian does notsee this because he thinks time is his ownrather than God's. But the Scripture saysthat the believer is a steward of God'stime. The use of time is definitely includedin Paul's admonition to "do all to theglory of God." Not only the Sabbath isowed to Him, but we must giveresponsible account for each minute of theday. Too often we indulge ourselves anduse up our time in those things whichbring us the most pleasure with littleregard to what God desires. We"schedule" our time on the basis of ourselfish whims and man-centered plans.Such waste of time has the ego or self as itscontrolling factor rather than the Word ofGod.The second form of time wastingoccurs in the way we fail to be goodstewards through inefficiency. If we do noactively and deliberate schedule our timefor God's glory we are undisciplinedstewards. When we say that we would liketo pray more or study the Scripture more,we are often confessing that we have notproperly allowed these important mattersa proper place in our daily schedules.We experience the same problem inour use of time as a church. Paul says weare to carry on congregational activities"decently and in order." This involvesproper planning and maximum use of ourtime. We must plan ahead to properlyinclude all the body of Christ in thoseactivities which really count Spiritually.At the same time much care should begiven to see that the quality of churchprograms is worth the time given to them.A third form of time waste concernsmisdirected effort. Like the lady wholeaves 3 million to care for her tomcat,Christians sometimes use valuable time onmeaningless efforts. We must be sure ofour time priorities. We are entrusted with"kingdom time." There is no such thingas an "idle moment" for the Christian.We must care for ourselves spiritually,emotionally, physically. We must extendthat same care to our families. Then weare to weigh the time given to the churchCOVENANTER WITNESS

and to the community. No one can judgeadequately another's use of time or drawup an infallible schedule of priorities forhim. Each of us is accountable to God forhow we put our prime time to use. Whenwe "redeem" time we are buying it backfrom Satan's idle and evil purposes andusing it to advance the kingdom of God.Christ's days were quickly numbered, butthe effect of his use of them redounds intoeternity. So are we to make our minutescount in service to Him.FOR DISCUSSION:1. Have the group cite familiarScripture passages dealing with the use oftime.2. What role does recreational timeplay in the life of the Christian?3. Draw up a list of priorities thatwould aid the individual Christian. Try toset up a time schedule that would be usefulfor an average day.4. Does your congregation spreaditself too thin because it has too manyactivities?5. Draw up a list of priorities forcongregational activities. Discuss howoften and how valuable are the things thecongregation does together.Lesson No. 7FELLOWSHIP MEETINGLesson No. 8STEWARDSHIP OF MONEYRobert MillikenThere is no problem more difficult forAmerican Christians than how to copewith money and its use. For our culture is,like few others, a culture of materialism.The "good life" is that which moneybuys — the suburban home with two cargarage, the supermarket and shoppingmall, electric appliances, vacations inexotic places, central air-conditioning anda good credit rating. It is comfort, ease,free time and a late model car. And further,it is the prestige and influence thatall this brings with it. In a word,American culture says in a thousand waysthat a person's life consists in theabundance of things possessed. Theproblem is that Jesus flatly contradictedthis value system; he said that life doesn 'tconsist in the abundance of thingspossessed (Luke 12:15). If ourChristianity is to be genuine we shall haveto face up to this collision between ChristDECEMBER 5. 1973and our culture. American society urgesus to value the dollar; Christ commandsus to devalue it.Our danger in the face of this dollardilemma is that we may think it unnecessaryto choose between these conflictingfinancial philosophies. We wouldlike very much to believe the leader of aChristian businessmen's fellowship whoinsists that there is no inherent conflictbetween wealth and heavenly benefits,keeping one eye on Jerusalem, the otheron Wall Street. ' 'First you get saved,'' hesays earnestly. "Then you get wealth.That way you don't have to worry."What we definitely don't want to believe iswhat a different kind of Leader said, ' 'Youcannot serve God and Mammon (wealth,profit)." The businessmen's fellowshipmay sincerely think that their gospel ofaffluence is Christian, but it is not.American, yes; Christian, no. It would,in fact, be difficult to express a contradictionto this philosophy more clearlythan Jesus did: Matthew 6:19-24.And the danger is all the greater for itssubtlety. It is subtle because we, on theone hand, tend to absorb our culturalvalues uncritically and, on the other,because we assume that the culture itself isChristian. It is only in feeling howenormously wrong this is that we shall befreed for honest discipleship. Culturalosmosis will set us against Christ, not inline with him. The important thing to uswill be to get, while his is to give. We willmake a virtue of accumulation, whereasJesus stressed distribution (Luke 6:30-36; 18:22). We need to see the differencebetween a secular society that conditionsus to be "consumers" and the Kingdomsociety in which people are reshaped intodisciplined and compassionate cadres ofsharing. Without this realization we shallbe unable to relate to what the Bible saysabout money, indeed, about the wholestructure of economics according to theKingdom of God. If we cannot feel thesqueeze between American and Kingdomvalues, it can only mean that we arebenumbed by a cultural novocaine; wehave become immunized against thegospel of the Kingdom of God in itsfulness.What shall we say is the Biblical attitudetoward money and possessions? Wemight well begin with this proverbprayer:' 'Keep lies and deception far fromme,Give me neither poverty norriches,Feed me with the food that is myportion.Lest I be full and denv thee andsay, "Who is the Lord?"Or lest I be in want and steal.And profane the name of mvGod."(Proverbs 30:8)This could be looked upon as a God-givenprayer showing us what a balancedconcept of money is in His sight. Perhapsit could even be considered a fuller expressionof what is implied in the prayerJesus taught us, "Give us this day ourdaily bread." If we can enshrine thisattitude in our hearts we shall be, Ibelieve, on solid ground.However, our cultural conditioningbeing so materialistic and our hearts soclever at rationalizing, we shall have towatch lest we end up praying (andworking) so as to get as far away frompoverty as possible and forgetting to staywith equal concern away from riches.There is in all of us, for example, a certaininnate fear of becoming poor; but whoamong us has any genuine fear of affluence?This is undoubtedly one reasonwhy the New Testament comes down soemphatically biased toward giving ratherthan getting. It is not a philosophy likeGnosticism that says matter (and thereforemoney) is evil; rather it is, on thenegative side, a realistic recognition ofman's warped tendencies to be selfish and,on the positive, a vision of compassionatelove for our neighbor.FOR DISCUSSION:On the positive side:1. How will faith in Christ affect ouruse of money and other possessions?James 2:14-172. What is the relationship betweenour response to the gospel and liberality?II Corinthians 9:13 (study 9:6-15).3. According to I John 3:14, love isthe essential evidence of salvation; howwill love express itself concretely? I John3:15-18.4. What made the generosity of theMacedonian Christians so remarkable? IICorinthians 8:1-4. (cf. Acts 2:43-47;4:32-37; 11:27-30; Galatians 2:10).5. Define the "Protestant workethic"as it is understood in modernsociety, how does it differ from Paul'swork-ethic in Ephesians 4:28 and Acts20:33-35?On the negative side:6. What is the central point in Jesus'discourse in Luke 12:13-^4? (cf. v. 15).What event occasioned it? What story didHe tell to reinforce it? State the point otthe storv.15

7 Read I Timothy 6:5-10. If youwere to apply this seriously to your livinghabits for the next year, what differencesmight it make in the way you live and thevalues you hold?8. How might the life of yourcongregation be altered if every memberfollowed the example of Zaccheus? Luke19:8-10.9. Do you see any conflicts betweenthe Biblical value-system in regard tomoney and the dominant value-system ofAmerica? What?10. Our Synod has more than $3million invested in a variety of secularbusinesses; the interest from these investeddollars provides about $120,000annual income for Synod's agencies, isthis policy consistent with, or contradictoryto, Luke 12:22-43? Explainyour answer.Lesson No. 9STEWARDSHIP AND CHRISTIANWITNESS TO THE WORLDJohn H. WhiteAs we have already noted in our studyof stewardship the term has to do witbmanagement or administration. We havealso noted that stewardship is comprehensive.Begin your discussion withGenesis 1:26-28. God placed man overthe world to rule it in obedience to hismaker. Man is the vicegerent of God asthe administrator of the world.Read also Psalm 8:3-9. Man is at oneand the same time infinitely small andincomparably great. The psalmistrecognizes that the dignity and greatnessof man are due solely to the fact that Godgave him his place as ruler in creation.Man's vocation is his glory. But it is aglory under God.Now turn to Hebrews 2. Man hasfailed in his work. It is necessary for JesusChrist to administer the world. In the NewTestament the term stewardship is used todescribe God's action as well as man's.God the father delegates that stewardshipto Christ who as the second Adam undoes,for the elect, that which the firstAdam did. Man is called to excercisestewardship in the midst of God's worldbut he can only do it through Jesus Christ.The church of Jesus Christ isresponsible to witness to the worldconcerning man's stewardship. Thatwitness must contain the followingessential principles. Man is a creature andcompletely dependent on the providence ofGod. But man is fallen and needs to berestored to right relationship to Godthrough Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ hemust participate in the administration oflife and all things given him to control.The Reformed Presbyterian Churchhas always emphasized a witness to thewhole gospel for the whole man. Weshould be concerned about "savingsouls" but there is more to man than justa soul. Our commitment to thesovereignty of Christ over all of life hascaused us to "preach the gospel" to thesocietal aspects of life.In the process of this study readchapter 20 sections 3 and 4 of theReformed Presbyterian Declaration andTestimony (p. 186 Constitution).During the discussion the leadershould attempt to stimulate the group in apractical discussion of how the church canmaintain a witness that is faithful to theBiblical principle of stewardship.FOR DISCUSSION:1. Discuss the relationship betweenGenesis 1:26-28 and Matthew 28:18-20.2. Is it possible for the church to relatethe message of the gospel to man's personalas well as societal need?3. How practically can the churchrelate its witness to the "spiritual" needof men as well as their social and bodilyneeds?4. How can the church have a societalwitness today?5. What are some relevant issues inwhich your congregation could witnesscorporately for Christ?6. Would it be better for the church tochoose one social issue and thus possiblymake its testimony more effective?Lesson No. 10STEWARDSHIP AND THERETURN OF CHRISTH. B. HarringtonAt first thought it might seem that thereturn of Christ has little connection withstewardship. However, the Bible connectsthem closely. One word about the term' 'stewardship." I use it in its widest, mostgeneral sense. Stewardship has to do withour use of life in this world. Our idea ofgood stewardship controls how we use ourtime on earth; how we employ our talent;how we expend (or do not expend) ourenergy.Jesus says that he will return at anunpredictable moment. The wicked will becaught surprised and unprepared. Thepeople of God will be found watching andready. Those engaged in good stewardshipwill not be embarrassed by the return ofJesus. Modern Christians need to givemore thought to the Judge who willreview their present activity or nonactivity.Time remains for me to reformmy ways though these words may neverhave enough time to reach your eyes. Butif they do. think hard my friend.The history of the apostolic churchindicates that the first Christians took thepossibility of Christ's early returnseriously. In fact they changed thepossibility of his early return into a certainty.In doing this they erred and as aconsequence fell into poor stewardshippractices.We learn ol this in II Thessalonianschapter two and other places in the NewTestament. Some Christians had stoppedworking and were just waiting for thereturn of Jesus. They lived from accumulatedsavings or the charity of fellowChristians. I hate to say this, but theremay even have been some stealing. Whenyou think everything will end tomorrow,it is easy to take something on the pleathat the owner will not need it. However,the more serious problem was that theseidle people had to do something. Whatthey did was become busybodies andtrouble makers.It seems that the first Christians inJerusalem expected Jesus to return verysoon. They were thrilled by this expectation.They spent their timepropagating their faitb, praising God inthe Temple, holding prayer meetings, andfellowshipping from house to house. (Acts2) In order that all might have food, manysold their properties and gave the salereturns to the common account of thechurch. Despite many hardships,Christian life became a kind of endlessparty. We are attracted to their example,perhaps envious of their happiness andtempted to do the same. But think. Did allthis contribute to the poverty which madeit necessary for the Gentiles to send giftsto the poor saints at Jerusalem later on? (Ido not suggest this as the whole reason.)Maybe Jerusalem is not the bestexample of good stewardship. Are thescorners of working for a living listening?Christian life is not a drag, but it is not around-the-clock, seven-day-a-week partyeither.The first Christians generally erredin thinking that Jesus was certain toreturn very soon. But the delay of hisreturn soon produced a reaction at theother extreme. While the Apostle Peterwas still alive, he wrote a letter warning16COVENANTER WITNESS

those who no longer seriously believed inthe return of Jesus. (II Peter 3) And whatwas the result of this loss of belief? Theygave themselves over to their own lusts.They began to fill their own desires.Instead of doing the will of God, theyturned to doing their own will and fillingtheir own wants. Doubtless many of thosewants were what we would considerdecent and respectable. We know that lossof faith in the return of Jesus does lead togross sins, but it also leads to more subtleforms of poor stewardship (sin). For instance:luxurious, high consumptionliving when others lack the necessities.What then is good stewardship? Whatis good Christian practice while patientlywaiting the glad day of the return of Jesus?The answer is a subject in itself and isconsidered in other parts of this series.However, I personally find Ephesians4:28; Acts 20:33-35; Galatians 6:10;I Thessalonians 4:11,12; IIThessalonians 3:8,11 especially relevantin these particular times.Finally I should point out, though Ican not comment, that the connectionbetween the return of Jesus andstewardship does not just involve"when" but "why" as well. Will hereturn to set up an earthly kingdom? Orwill he return to personally rule an earthlykingdom already well established? Or is adominant earthly kingdom of Christ out ofthe picture altogether? Answers to thesequestions do affect what we consider to beproper Christian stewardship in thispresent age.FOR DISCUSSION:1. How much should Christians layahead financially for future generations inthe light of the possibility of the Lord'sreturn ?2. Is Christian communal living suchas that suggested in Acts 4:32-35 a viableoption for us today?3. Is it wise for a church to build up alarge stock pile of invested funds in thelight of Christ's return?Lesson No. 11STEWARDSHIP ANDTHE CONGREGATIONDonald H. McBurneySuggested reading: II Cor. 9.There are not many passages directlyapplicable to the question of stewardshipand the congregation. It is interesting thatmost if not all of them, relate to theministry of mercy (Acts 2:44,45; ActsDECEMBER 5, 19734:32-5:5; II Cor. 8, 9; Romans 15:25-29). The following questions aresuggested as a basis for discussion.1. What is the theological basis forcongregational stewardship?The basis of individual stewardship isGod's ownership of everything that wehave. The same applies to the Church but,additionally, the Church as the body ofChrist must do everything in such a wayas to bring honor to Him.2. What are some practical reasons fora high standard of stewardship by thecongregation ?The church encourages individualstewardship by setting a good example.Also, individuals will feel confident thatwhat is given will be wisely used.3. Who is responsible forcongregational stewardship?Of course the session has overallresponsibility for this, but this job may bedelegated to the deacons. The deaconsshould manage the congregation'sresources in a manner that will establishan atmosphere of confidence. Theyshould ask the pastor to preach onstewardship occasionally and the sessionto counsel those who are failing to supportthe church financially.4. How does congregationalstewardship relate to the ministry ofmercy? Refer to the introductoryparagraph.5. How is the diaconate important incongregational stewardship?It has been suggested that if thediaconate had not been established by theNew Testament we would have to inventit. The ministry of mercy as it is presentedin Christ's teaching and example virtuallyrequires a separate body of persons whoare responsible for it or it will be pushedinto the background. It is true that eachperson should individually show mercy tohis less fortunate fellows, but there aretwo compelling reasons for making this acongregational and diaconal function.First, we are to do our acts of mercy in thename of Christ and this is easier to accomplishwhen they are carried outthrough the church. Second, because of itsnumbers and organization, the church hasthe capability to carry out a more effectiveministry of mercy than we can individually.6. In what specific ways can yourcongregation improve its stewardship?This is a do-it-yourself question!7. How well does your congregationmeet the scriptural standard with respectto mercy activity?(Refer to Matt. 25:31-46.)Lesson No. 12STEWARDSHIP ANDTHE PRESBYTERYRonald W. NickersonIn recent years our Synod has tendedto turn over more and more of the administrationof financial matters andchurch expansion policies to thepresbyteries themselves. Denominationalfunds for aid-receiving congregations andfor new mission works are now beinghandled through the presbyteries and theircommittees rather than directly bySynod's boards. Also some presbyteriesare undertaking new work projects whichthey are funding in full or in part. Muchsupervision of pastor's salaries has alsobeen put on the presbytery in recent years.With this change of focus has come a newrequirement of stewardship on thepresbytery level.At the same time some presbyteriesalso are sponsoring conferences where thetotal expenditures run into thousands ofdollars annually. The budgets ofpresbyteries are expanding considerablyand much care needs to be taken as to howthe Lord's money is to be used. Onepresbytery recently figured that itsoperating expenses and outreach programsfor the year would require at least sevendollars from every communicant memberto carry them out as planned. In this casethe salaries of home missionaries aredependent on this amount coming in. Atthis particular meeting of presbytery therewas considerable discussion about whetherit was best to levy a per capita expenseitem on each congregation or to encouragedirect gifts. No simple solution is to befound without careful weighing of hardfacts including the comparative wealth andpoverty of some congregations as well asthe responsibility to give to Synod'sbudget.Presbyteries are faced also with theproblem of priorities that other topics inthis series suggest. Isit the best stewardshipto plan a conference where 300people will spend 510,000 for a week'sfellowship and study or to pay amissionary that amount to sound out thepossibilities in a new field. Good reasonscan be stated on both sides. Presbyteriesare starting to come up with answers, butthey greatly need our prayers.Stewardship ot time on the level ofpresbytery is also vital. Are we sometimesguiltv of not being thorough in importantmatters like licensure examinations anddisciplinary commissions because ot ther

pressure of time? Are pastors spread sothin in their administrative responsibilitiesthat they do not have adequate time toweigh the momentous decisions that apresbytery has to make when it comes tosuch issues as opening or closing acongregation? How much time dopresbyteries find for fellowship andprayer?The presbyter in Scripture is to be awise judge and an administrator who caresfor the flock of God entrusted to him.Unlike earthly judges he must go out ofhis way to look for those situations wherethe doctrine and discipline of the churchneed to be applied. Presbyteries can easilybe bogged down in trivial parliamentarybickering instead of dealing with theweightier matters of the Gospel. Theirstewardship of their oversight vitallyaffects all the congregations and pastorsand elders under their care.January, 1974A CAUTIOUS BELIEVER"Let us fear"Hebrews 4:1Mrs. W. M. RobbThe purpose of the Epistle to theHebrews is to lead Christians to a matureknowledge of Christian truth, to givesafeguards against degeneration, isolationand consequent failure in making progressin the Christian life and to proceed frompoint to point, from an elementary to therichest, fullest and deepest experience.In Hebrews 4:1 there is the word"therefore" which indicates someprevious event. So then, what is thisprevious event and what does it mean to usjust now? Our background is the experienceof the Israelites in the wilderness,and the rest which they were anticipating,freedom from bondage. They had beenbondmen in the land of Egypt. God hadmarvelously and miraculously broughtthem out under the capable leadership ofMoses. There were trials in "that greatand terrible wilderness." They too triedFOR DISCUSSION:1. List items of prayer regardingstewardship of your own presbytery.2. Discuss how you thinkcongregations should give to the work oltheir presbytery.3. Discuss how much time you thinkshould be required of pastors and rulingelders to carry out presbytery projects.4. Discuss what you think yourpresbytery, in exercising its stewardship,should be doing for your congregation.Lesson No. 13FELLOWSHIP MEETINGssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss^18Moses and they tried God, until God said,"Wherefore, I was displeased with thisgeneration, they do always err in theirheart" (Heb. 3:10).Israel in the wilderness is used as anexample and illustration of believers at thepresent time. We who have accepted JesusChrist as Saviour are freed from sin'sbondage and are now being delivered fromthe power of sin. ' 'Just as Jesus, the HighPriest of our confession, who was faithfulto him that appointed him, as also wasMoses'' (3:1-2), so believers are urged bythe solemn warning given to Israel toavoid faithlessness. Believers have theprivilege of hearing God's voice but thereis the sad possibility of hardening the heartjust as Israel did, incurring God'sdispleasure and leading to the sad consequencethat they should not enter Hisrest.We, as God's people, now have agreater leader than God's people hadthen: We have Jesus Christ. (3:3). Moseswas faithful as "a servant'' but ' 'Christ asa son over his house." Then there is theappeal in verse 7: "Hear his voice"Why? "Lest any one of you be hardenedby the deceitfulness of sin." vs. 13.It is, unfortunately, one of the sadexperiences of daily life that sin is sodeceitful as to lead to hardness. As hasbeen well said, sin practices deceit likeJael, who, when asked by Sisera for water,brought forth milk, "butter in a lordlydish", but had the hammer and nailbehind! Let us fear the deceitiulness of sin.What is our encouragement in being a"Cautious believer?" Christianity giventhrough the Son is greater than theMosaic law. Rom. 8:3; Heb. 7:22.Those in the wilderness had the lawwritten by the finger of God on tables ofstone, but its effect was weakened throughthe flesh. Why was this true?I. Its standards are too high for sinfulmen to attain. Rom. 7:18.II. It provides no ground forjustification for sinful man. Rom. 3:20.III. It demands full obedience so thatone offense makes one guilty of violatingthe whole law of God Jas. 2:10.IV. It does not sanctify or give life.Gal. 3:21.Let us then ' 'possess our possessions"and lay hold of tbe Lord Jesus Christ andHis imputed righteousness which meritsour justification in God's sight.Be on guard: Ps. 31:19: A. Howgreat is His goodness in providing ourSaviour! We cannot keep the law perfectlybut we thank God for the law whichportrays to us what Christ has fulfilled andGod wants us to do in the way showingour gratitude through obedience.B. Failure to embrace this promise,i.e. the righteousness of God through faithin Jesus Christ, will result in loss thatcannot be remedied. Rom. 3:23.In Chapters 3:7 to 4:2, the concern,"harden not your hearts," makes anappeal to fear. This is followed by theentreaty to "Hear His voice,'' making anappeal to hope.As we review this solemn and searchingpassage, we can see how the dangeris to be met in the appeals that are made:"Consider" (3:1); "Hear His voice"(ver. 7); "Harden not your heart" (ver.8); "Take heed — avoid unbelief" (ver.2); "Holdfast" (ver. 14); "Fear" (4:1).February, 1974A DILIGENT PILGRIM"Let us labor"Hebrews 4:11Mrs. Howard KeysAs children of God, we are heirs of aheavenly inheritance in Christ Jesus. TheHoly Spirit is the earnest of that purchasedCOVENANTER WITNESS

possession. He bears witness with ourspirit that we have eternal life now andforever. He opens our eyes to God's truthand to His will and way for our life.Thereby, He gives purpose and design toour pilgrimage here on earth while wewait for the full realization of our salvationin the world to come.Our text for this month's studyexhorts us to be a diligent pilgrim. Tobecome a Christian does not take any workon our part; salvation is all of God'sgrace. . . "not of works lest any manshould boast." Our sanctification is not anact but a work of God in our lives. As theSpirit opens our eyes to God's truth, thereare many housekeeping chores that we seeneed to be done in order that Christ mayhave full sway and be able to use us toglorify and honor Him consistently: notthat an ordered Christlike life in any wayearns a fuller salvation, but only that itcontributes to a more efficient, beautifulrepresentative.Often, we wish that life required nohard work, no effort, no striving on ourpart. We would like to get by withoutasking, seeking, and knocking. But life isnot like that. Life is filled with opportunitiesbut usually they lie behindclosed doors and it takes effort to openthose doors. The quality of our life to alarge extent is determined by our persistenteffort' 'to seek first the Kingdom ofGod and His righteousness." This takesdiligent effort because our adversary theDevil's whole design is to tear down anddestroy our soul. His tactics of side tours,impatience, and discouragement aresnares to all pilgrims.Jesus never suggested that ourcitizenship in His Kingdom was an easymatter. Rather, He called for a commitmentthat entails obedience (Matt.7:21), sacrifice (Matt. 8:19-22),separation (Luke 9:61-62), and bearing across (Luke 14:27-33).It is love that motivates us to labor toenter into all the privileges of Christ'sKingdom. His Word is the standard bywhich we know what is the right act bywhich to express our love toward Him andin turn to our neighbor. Then, by God'sgrace, we are given the strength andability to walk by faith instead of sight andto exercise patience until our perfectfruition (the resurrection of our bodies orChrist's coming).No one ever works so well as when heworks for love. Jacob served seven yearsfor Rachel "and they seemed but a fewdays, for the love he had for her. \\ ealways desire to do anything we car. forthose we love. We give ungrudgingly ofDECEMBER 5, 197our time, our energy, and our money, andfind joy in doing so. Love is the secret of ajoyful pilgrimage. "We love Him becauseHe first loved us."Disbelief in the reality of sin, or in apersonal Saviour, or in a complete and fullsalvation, or in the unsearchable riches ofeternal life will open the door to allmanner of wickedness . . for these are afew of the basic truths that make up our"blessed hope" that is the anchor of oursouls. God knows all things and nothing isconcealed from Him, — no hypocriticalfaith or partial acceptance of Christ cansave anyone. Be assured that nothing but atrue, hearty faith can bring salvation andgive entrance into God's eternal restwhich is laid up for his own. (Deut.18:19)Time is too precious to be just spent;it must be invested by diligent pilgrims!Paul's holy ambition as a pilgrim isrecorded in Philippians 3:8-14. As wepress on to know the Lord in a fuller way,what do you find is the most rewardingstimuli that bless your life? What effectdoes a close walk with the Lord have inyour home life, with your neighbors,within the church fellowship? Whatresponse does our glorious salvation andthe precious privileges of the Kingdom callforth in you?March, 1974A CLEAVING SAINT"Let us hold fast our profession"Hebrews 4:14Mrs. Pauline Madison"Let us hold fast our profession"(Heb. 4:14). "Let us hold fast theprofession of our faith without wavering;for he is faithful that promised" (Heb.10:23). Where could you find a morecertain promise? God has told us that HisWord cannot be broken.We have promised before God, and theworld, that we will follow His preceptsand commandments. Our Savior said, "Ifye love Me, keep My commandments."The triune God gives us the strength dailyto cleave to Him, and to hold fast the highprinciples followed by Jesus, our example,during His earthly life. There is no placefor weakness. We must manifest a strongfaith as we seek this daily help. Thedoctrines of Christianity are sound. Theyare eternal. We must lay hold on theScriptures, which are the very Word otGod to us.We must hold fast to our professionbefore others and before ourselves, if weare to motivate others to serve the Lord. Inthe first phase we can exhibit Christianlove to those around us. In loving ourneighbors as ourselves we will be morelikely to influence them. Then we canurge upon them the importance ofknowing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.By persuading individuals to attendchurch regularly, we help them to grow ingrace. Here they receive the finestexhortation, as the minister, in dependenceupon God, rightly divides the Wordof God to us.Also there are the fellowship meetingswhere God's Word is studied under theleadership of a faithful elder. Here, prayeris made for ourselves and others. Acleaving saint exhorts all with whom shecomes in contact by her word andexample.Our greatest encouragement inholding fast to our faith before ourselvescomes from the fact that we have constantaccess to Christ who has provided full andfree cleansing from sin. He has alsopromised us the help of the Holy Spirit,who will guide us into all truth. I Cor.15:57-58.Love and good works are both requiredas we ourselves cleave to our profession.Paul told Timothy to "follow afterrighteousness, godliness, faith, love,patience, meekness." In another place hetold him to "fight the good fight of faith,lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou artalso called and hast professed a goodprofession before manv witnesses." (cf. ITim. 6:17-19.)As we make application to our ownlives (with the world constantly watchingus) do we: 1. gather our householdtogether daily for family worship?2. rejoice when we go to thehouse of God, and keep the Lord's Dayentirely for the Lord?7 >. celebrate thebirth of Christ each day and hisresurrection each Lord'sDay? 4. regularly review the vowswhich we have made publicly? 5. givechildren a Biblical concept of angels? (Seea concordance; see also The Encyclopediaof Christianity, Volume I) 6. treat eachChristian as a beloved brother or sister inthe Lord? 7 give tithes upon the firstday of the week, and thankoffenngs on theoccasion of our thanksgiving? H refuseall "chances" and other lotteries?9. invite others to "taste and setthatthe Lord is good'" > 10. takesenoush the principle that what is notj commanded in worship is forbidden? Eatb| of us knows the area in her lite in whichi she is careless, and can make her own list.19

CountHerTowers..." nf iMARION, IOWARev. Jim Pennington recently assistedcommunion for our congregation.On October 27, I moderated a call forMarion, Iowa R.P. congregation whichresulted in the election of James C.Pennington to be their pastor.S. Ray BlairEASTON AREA, PA.The Easton Area Fellowship inEaston, Penna. began public worshipservices on Sabbath, October 21. Theservices are held in Walter Hall,Moravian Academy on Green Pond Rd. inBethlehem Township between Easton andBethlehem.If anyone happens to be in the areaanytime and would like to drop in eitherfor worship or just to say "hello," writeRev. Ralph Joseph, 2336 Park Ave.,Easton, Pa. 18042 or call 253-8089 fordirections.GENEVA CONG.(J. Renwick Wright, Pastor)The Rev. R. W. Caskey assisted in thefall communion. The College Hillcongregation joined in our Thanksgivingservice following communion.At a meeting of the session, Mr.Glenn B. Masters, a senior in GenevaCollege, was received into full membership.Mr. Stewart McCready spoke on"Roses, My Hobby" at a recent Men'sClub dinner.Mrs. Glen M. George, a kindergartenteacher, had an article, "When KidsHave Visual-Motor Problems,"published in Early Years, a magazine forteachers of pre-school through grade 3.Bill Hemphill has gone to Thailandwhere he will work with the Peace Corpsfor two years.i i itCOVENANT FELLOWSHIP(Paul Wilson, Stated Supply)Members and friends of CovenantFellowship gathered at the Don Gipsonhome for a corn roast early this fall.Rev. and Mrs. Paul Wilson weresurprised by the members with ahousewarming and food shower in September.Daniel Copeland was recently ordainedand installed as a ruling elder. Bob Ulrichand Ron Stegall are student workers fromthe Seminary, assigned to ourcongregation.On October 5, our congregation washost to the other Pittsburgh area churchesfor the Fall Thankoffering. Miss OretaEverett talked about her work in Japan andshowed slides.SANTA ANA, CALIF.(Glenn McFarland, Pastor)Travelers this summer included: RuthPierpoint and Elin Davis — a Caribbeantour; Sadie Henderson and RuthShepherd, the Albert Wylies, and theAlbin Johnsons — several areas of theUnited States; Gordon Betts —Michigan; Mary Gault — Pittsburgh andBeaver Falls; the Lewis Keys, DonaldWalkers, Ray Huisings, Margaret andJudy Wilson, and Lois Copeland —together to Hawaii.The young people earned money forsummer conference trip with a WesternDinner followed by a hilarious program ofskits, "arrests" for non-Western garb,and an "auction."Sick or injured are Mrs. Mary Linton,Paul Lindsay, Mrs. Anna Smith, andMrs. Ladd.Our fall Communion was November11 with Rev. Paul Martin assisting. OnOctober 26 and 27 our congregationwelcomed a visitation team fromPresbytery.BIRTHSRICHARDS, Erica Lea to Mark andShireen (Oakdale) on Sept. 9 in Clinton,Iowa.WILKEY, Beth Ann to Hadley and DawnWilkey (Sterling) on Sept. 20.DEATHPATTON, Delia on Sept. 6. (Santa Ana,formerly Washington, Iowa A.P. Church.)ANNIVERSARIESKEYS, Lewis and Lorena (Santa Ana).25th. Children: Mrs. Janice Leffel, Patricia,Kenneth, Beverly and James.LOWRY, Bill and Joyce (Almonte). 10thon July 20. Children: Wanda, Billy,Stephen.GRADUATIONSHIGH SCHOOLBROWN, Marcia (Olathe) from ShawneeMission North.COPELAND, Dan from Fresno HighSchool (Fresno).COLLEGEBLACKWOOD, Susan from WesleySchool of Nursing with R. N. Degree(Denison).BRAUM, John W. From Wichita StateUniversity with Masters in MusicEducation (Denison).HUTCHESON, Martha (Olathe) fromUniv. of North Carolina with M.S. in PublicHealth.LATHOM,Fred; B.S. in Business Administrationfrom Robert Morris College(Geneva).MELLIES, Joyce Wallace (Olathe) fromSterling College with B.S.BAPTISMSGANGADEAN, Rajendra Nath andDevananda, sons of Mr. and Mrs.Surrendra Gangadean, Aug. 19 (Phoenix).MARTIN, Kara Marie, daughter of Mr.and Mrs. Paul Martin, Aug. 19 (Phoenix).LICENSURESFALK, Larry was licensed by MidwestPresbytery as a candidate for the GospelMinistry on October 9, 1973. He is a seniorat the R.P. Seminary.ULRICH, Robert was licensed by Midwest20 Presbytery as COVENANTER a candidate for the WITNESS GospelMinistry on October 9, 1973. He is a seniorat the R.P. Seminary.

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' 'celebration" of God's reformation of the church by observingHalloween instead. If there are those who disagree with Mr.Smith's contention that the celebration of Halloween is wrongfor Christian participation, a positive alternative forcongregational observance is Reformation Day. It would seemfar more desirable for congregations to attach their fellowshipopportunities to Reformed traditions than to secular traditionsand this is one good opportunity to do that.Wayne LanningBloomington, Ind."Mao's China" is excellent for the facts of China, butvery defective in other respects. (Oct. 24 Witness)Marx did regard religion as a temporary cushion, butdidn't say it must be destroyed. He regarded "atheism" as toonarrow; preferred "humanism."If Mao deifies the State, he is no Marxist. Marx is out todestroy the State, the historic enemy of Society.Mao didn't really need to read Confucius. A two-volumework on "The Economic Teachings of Confucius," by aChinese scholar, published 60 years ago by ColumbiaUniversity Press finds in Confucius all the key principles ofMarxism.Arthur W. CalhounSt. Petersburg, Fla.•Editor:Perhaps a comment on the articles in the October 24Witness would be acceptable.My pastor's ideas on "Trick or Treat," p. 4, interestedme very much. In the second column, if the word "Romana"puzzled your readers, it might be suggested that "Pomona"was probably the word that was intended. That was the ancientRoman goddess of orchards.I was glad to read the articles by J. Paul McCracken andJames D. Carson, as they were former New Testament Greekstudents of mine.This Oct. 24 issue seemed to me to be one of the best inrecent years. This is not merely "a superlative of the recent."Charles M. LeeBeaver Falls, Pa.•Editor:I would like to present a few comments on "Trick orTreat" by Dean Smith (Oct. 24 Witness). I think hispresentation of the real issue behind Halloween was excellent. Itseems evident that the tradition behind Halloween can hardlybe made to include a "neutral" and certainly not a Christianmeaning. Many Christians, however, routinely celebrate thecustoms as harmless tradition. Mr. Smith discusses clearly theimplications behind many of the "Harmless" customs andeven suggests some alternatives to the Halloween party. I wouldlike to offer one more alternative for serious consideration inour churches.I suspect that it was no accident that Martin Luther nailedhis ninety-five theses to the Castle church door in Wittenbergon October 31, in 1517. That was a festive day in the traditionof the Roman Catholic Church, as noted in Mr. Smith's article,and the public reading of the theses was enhanced considerablybecause of the day. But whatever Luther's reasons were forchoosing that day, the result is that Reformation Day is thesame day as Halloween and provides the Church a positivealternative for celebration. In fact, it seems to me that a Churchstanding solidly upon the principles and in the tradition of theProtestant Reformation can hardly afford to neglect the2•Editor:At last we read an article (' 'Circumventing the Church inEvangelism," Oct. 24 Witness) that deals realistically with thechurch's relationship to non-church agencies. As a student on asecular campus, I struggled with a conflict of loyalties to thechurch and the local chapter of Inter-Varsity ChristianFellowship. Inter-Varsity offered much in evangelistic trainingand outreach that I found lacking in the church. The positivesolution Rev. McCracken proposes I find Biblically sound andrefreshing; I look forward to the Covenanter church graduallyincorporating the work of Inter-Varsity chapters and otherssimilar into their own program of evangelism.Vickie BurkePittsburgh, Pa.•Editor:I am disappointed in J. Paul McCracken's article entitled"Circumventing the Church in Evangelism" (CovenanterWitness, October 24).It is nice to propose a solution which seems ' 'hopelesslyidealistic," in which church leaders and leaders of "nonchurch'' agencies get together and agree on a system of churchoversight of these agencies. But how is the Christian to react tothese organizations now? Does "qualified recognition of theirexistence and contribution" mean that we cannot take an activepart in such organizations, but should rather just sit in our pewsand nod approvingly at what they do? I should hope not!First, our recognition of these agencies must entailgenuine rejoicing over the many times that the true gospel ofChrist has been proclaimed by them. Also, if we recognize theircontribution, we should be praying earnestly for them. (Andifwe want to pray intelligently for an organization, we may haveto make some effort to find out what it is doing.) If we find anorganization which is really working to build up the body ofChrist, we may wish to contribute money to it — not instead ofgiving a tithe to the church, but in addition to it. And finally,God may very well call us to work actively in such anorganization. If so, we must not be deterred merely by the factthat the agency is not under the oversight of the organizedchurch. (Yet we should not jump blindly into the work of anyorganization.)Most of these thoughts are the product of the good experiencewhich I have had with Inter-Varsity ChristianFellowship at the University of Washington. I am activelyparticipating in the work of IVCF and have every assurance thatGod has called me to do this. Rejoice with me that the kingdomof Christ is being advanced on the U. of W. campus through theefforts of this organization and others.I pray that every reader of the Covenanter Witness will beprayerfully considering his relationship to these evangelistic"non-church" agencies.See you at Urbana. Maybe.Lee BarclaySeattle, Wash.COVENANTER WITNESS

EDITORRonald W. Nickerson800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 1S221FEATURE EDITORSMrs. David ArmstrongMrs. D. Howard ElliottMrs. Larry FalkRev. Lester E. KilpatrickMrs. C. E. McKissockMrs. C. F. MillicanRev. Dean R. SmithOfficial Publication of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Printed bi-weekly under thesupervision of the Board ofEducation and Publication by thePatterson Press, Clarinda, Iowa.VOLUMENO. 25DECEMBER 19, 1973CONTENTSARTICLES:Bah Humbug"In His Presence . . ""Let's Go and Have Another Drink"My Vodka and My God.My Pilgrimage to FaithFEATURES:"In Truth and Love"GlimpsesHey Lookit!."Bring the Books"Distaff Deductions."Count Her Towers""Count Our Days" . .\7.9.11.14~>12n1617.1819SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATIONIndividual: U.S., Canada, $5.00, 1 year;$8.50, 2 years; British Isles, £2, 1 year;C3.60, 2 years. Other foreign: $5.00, 1year; $9.00, 2 years..T-%Group: Available upon request.U.S. CURRENCY ONLYU.S. and Canada mail to:Board of Education & Publication800 Wood St.Pittsburgh, Pa. 51221British Isles mail to:Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A.12 Knutsford Drive,Belfast, Ireland BT14 6LZPlease give one month's notice forchange of address. Send old and ne*addresses to: Subscription Dept..Covenanter Witness. 800 Wood St.,Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221.Known office of publication: R. R. 3,Box 72, Clarinda, Iowa 51632. Secondclass postage paid at Clarinda, Iowa51632.•

: ' ^ ^ • : ' : • : :DEAN R. SMITHA Hard Look at ChristmasSabbath; but such duties as are to beperformed require that time necessaryf "~ * n rforming them to be devoted to'urpose. When God calls upon usemn fasting or thanksgiving, thetime dedicated to such exercisesi he religiously observed. ''¥-v I 1 m*~>t . . ~* * r* t „wmm•":-. ~;. •>•'•' ';•••••-. : .- ~.';?•?'

When most of us think of Christmas,we think of all the memories associatedwith it. We think of family reunions, thehouse decorated with greens and lights,the Christmas tree surrounded by piles ofbrightly wrapped presents; Christmascarols and perhaps candlelight services;we think of Santa Claus and snow,mistletoe and holiday cheer, bright spiritsand warm feelings. I love Christmas andall of these things associated with it. But Ialso love God and God's Word. What doesGod's Word say about Christmas andabout my participation in Christmascustoms? I find myself torn at this point.My emotional response to Christmasmakes it difficult for me to be objective inevaluating it. Most of us will probablyhave a positive emotional response toChristmas. We must discipline ourselvesto live not on the basis of our emotions,but on the basis of God's Word.We must first evaluate Christmas fromthe standpoint of worship. SpecialChristmas services are common in manychurches, whether it is merely a servicefor singing Christmas carols, or a midnightcommunion service. Deuteronomy12 is a key passage in our whole approachto worship. It clearly directs the Covenantpeople in how to worship God. It sets forththe principle that God alone determineshow He is to be worshipped. InDeuteronomy 12:32 God states:"Whatever I command you, you shall becareful to do; you shall not add to nor takeaway from it" (NASB).God commands His people to do whatHe has commanded in worship, withoutadding to it or subtracting from it. This isthe key principle of worship in theReformation: "Whatever is not commandedin the worship of God is forbidden."This means that our worshipmust be governed and directed by God'sexplicit approval or sanction as revealed inthe Scriptures. We are not to worshipaccording to our own ideas or imaginationor emotions. Nowhere in the Scripture isthere any command for observance ofspecial times and seasons such asChristmas or Easter. Nowhere is there anycommand to place such heavy emphasis onthe birth of Christ.Paul deals with this question inGalations 4:911 where he says. "Butnow that you have come to know God orrather to be known by God, how is it thatDECEMBER 19, 1973you turn back again to the weak andworthless elemental things, to which youdesire to be enslaved all over again? Youobserve days and months and seasons andyears. I fear for you, that perhaps I havelabored over you in vain" (NASB). Paulrebukes the people for their observances ofspecial days and months and seasons. Hedeclares that they are worthless practicesand that they lead to slavery and bondage.Whether the reference is to pagan festivalsor to a continuation of the Jewish festivalsand days, Paul calls it immature bondageand condemns it.In Romans 14: 5 Paul refers to the factthat some men regard one day aboveanother, and others regard every day alike.In this verse the reference seems to be tothe religious benefit of the Jewish festivals.Some Christians thought that the value ofthese festivals continued on. Paul callsthem weak Christians. Others recognizethat there are no longer any special days.We need to recognize that their earlychurch was in transition — moving awayfrom the ceremonial worship into thefreedom of the Gospel. There could havebeen no freedomif there were a commandfor observing special days.Instead of commanding special daysand feasts, God has commanded theweekly Sabbath or Lord's Day as theregular commemoration of the birth, life,death and resurrection of Christ. Manywho emphasize special days are mostnoted for ignoring the importance of theSabbath. Many who emphasize liturgy doso to the neglect of practical and dailystudy of and obedience to the Scriptures.There is no Biblical basis for a religiousobservance of Christmas.As we look at the history of thechurch, we see this is reinforced, for therewere no special days observed until thefourth century A.D. Thus, the specialservices at Christmas, whether candlelightservices, or carol services, or midnightcommunion, while very impressive andappealing, have no warrant or basis in theScripture and should not be observed.About the author: Dean Smith is thepastor of the College Hill ReformedPresbyterian Church in Beaver Falls,Pa. The content of this article was alsoused in a recent sermon to hiscongregation.The OriginWe must recognize that the observanceof Christmas, and also Easter, donot have their roots in BiblicalChristianity, but in pagan tradition.In the year 274 the Roman emperorchose December 17-24 and finallyDecember 25 as the date of the paganfestival of the Saturnalis. Saturn was theRoman god of sowing seed. December 21being the shortest day of the year, theSaturnalia celebrates the sun's conqueringthe darkness, and the days beginning tolengthen again. It was the most popularRoman festival. All work and businesswere suspended. Slaves were giventemporary freedom. Presents were exchanged.Some time around 336 A.D. theChurch of Rome set December 25 as thedate of the birth of Christ. It was an effortto make it easy for the pagans to becomeChristians. The Orthodox churches of theEast observe the birth of Christ on January6. In the Roman Church this has beencalled Epiphany and supposedly marks thearrival of the wise men at the manger f 2days after Christmas. On the part ot theRoman Church, the adaptation of a pagancustom is basically a pragmatic effort togain more converts. There is a compromiseinstead of conversion. The end isregarded as justifying the means. Theobservance of Christmas is basically amodified pagan celebration.The FocusWe must note also the focus ofChristmas. It is basically a focus on theincarnation of Christ — of God becomingman. This is an essential doctrine ofChristianity. But what is the focus of theGospel? It is not on the incarnation but onthe atonement. God and sinners arc notreconciled on the basis of the birth ofChrist, but on the basis of His death. OnlyLuke's Gospel devotes more than onechapter to the record of Christ's birth andthe circumstances surrounding it. Markand John only uive it brief mention andMatthew's focus is primarily on theueneoloyv. The emphasis of the Gospelrecords is not on Christ's birth and itsdetails.All of the articles and books I have(Continued on next pa^e )

ead declare that Christmas is the mostimportant festival of Christianity. Yet Godin His own Word does not focus our attentionon Christ's birth, but on His life,death, and resurrection. The world wantsto view Jesus as a meek and mild baby,virtually harmless. He is not viewed as therisen Savior who claims all power and allauthority and who will someday return tojudge the earth.Even the circumstances of Christ'sbirth are now romanticized. In modernportrayal the stable and manger are seen insoft blue light. The shepherds and kingsare handsomely clothed in the finestgarments. The animals are spotlessly cleanand antiseptic. Instead of being a roughstable with its distinguishable odors, wehave an early version of the Holiday Inn.Thus, we end up with misfocused doctrineand misfocused worship.What About Santa Claus?Saint Nicholas supposedly livedbetween the fourth and fifth centuries,A.D. He was the patron saint ofschoolchildren and sailors, although someof the best authorities state that hisexistence is not attested to by anyhistorical document. He is primarily alegendary figure with numerousmiraculous feats attributed to him. TheDutch Protestants who settled New Yorkreplaced him with a kind, benevolentmagician named Santa Claus. In caseanyone reading this article has anymisconceptions let us note: There isn'tany Santa Claus!What may happen if we teach ourchildren about Santa Claus? The SantaClaus myth reflects the secular concept ofGod. The story of Santa Claus may encouragea false concept of God during theimpressionable years of early childhood.Part of the myth teaches the child a falseview of his acceptability. He had "Betterwatch out, better not cry, better not pout,Santa Claus is coming to town. . ." Santatakes it upon himself to find out who'snaughty and nice. This thinking teachesthe child that he is acceptable on the basisof good works. To confuse things further,the child who knows he has not beenperfect, still never fails to receive Santa'spresents. In addition, Santa is only aroundonce a year, although supposedlywatching and keeping a record. But he isnever regarded as imminent or one whohelps in difficulty.These things can have an adverseeffect upon the child's faith. As he hearsabout Santa from his parents and friends,and of course the ubiquitous departmentstore Santa Claus, he believes the story.As far as he knows, he is being told thetruth. Eventually he discovers that he hasbeen involved in a game — a nice game,but still a game. He discovers that hisparents have really been lying to him allalong. The parents' witness to God maybe placed in the same category as theirwitness to Santa Claus. In being consistentin their witness of Christ to their children,parents ought not to become involved inthe pagan Santa Claus myth.The Christmas tree, Christmas lightsand decorations, the feasting and the othercustoms of Christmas come from a varietyof sources and from many countries. Mostof these customs have long since beendivorced from their pagan origin. If meatoffered to idols cannot be contaminatedbecause the idol is nothing (I Corinthians8), then most of these customs are nowindifferent. The Christian is free toexercise his liberty in the use of theseindividual customs, yet he must be carefulto maintain a consistent witness. Many ofthe customs of Christmas are merely acelebration of winter or of the approachingof the end of the year. It is a time ofreflection on the people and things thathave been meaningful in the last year.This is why greeting cards were originallysent. It may be an appropriate time for theexpression of appreciation.ConclusionsThe Christian must be concernedabout glorifying God in all that he does,including his observance of Christmas. Hemust not make decisions on the basis ofwhat appeals to him emotionally or on thenostalgia of past customs and traditions.We must avoid that which God forbids,such as unwarranted religious observancesof Christmas. We must be careful in whatwe teach our children, lest our practices inone area contradict what we teach fromthe Scriptures. This includes teaching themyth about Santa Claus. Even in observingthose customs which are morallyWhat About Other Christmas Customs? indifferent, we must beware lest wecompromise our commitment to theIn regard to the giving of gifts, there is Scriptures by uncritically observing,nothing wrong with giving gifts to thosewe love. This ought not to be condemnedwithout evaluation, the same customs atChristmas as the rest of the world. Thefor its own sake. However, much of the church must be particularly careful in thismotive for giving at Christmas is supposedlyregard. Customs which individualbecause of God's gift of His Son tous. But God's goodness to us is always theChristians might observe in the privacy oftheir homes might be seen in a muchbasis for our giving to Him, not to others, different light when observed by theexcept those in need.The giving of gifts at Christmas is notnecessarily wrong, but it is a greatlyabused custom whose origin and motive isstill a vestige of the pagan festival. InDeuteronomy 12 God not only warns thechurch at large or given the sanction andapproval of the church.The Christian might better divorce hisobservance of these customs from theentanglement of Christmas and observe,without reference to Christ's birth, apeople to worship Him according to His "Winter Festival" in January orlaw, but also warns against adopting the February. Presents might better bepractices of idolatry. In Romans 12:2 Paul distributed at times significant to thewarns us not to be conformed to the recipients rather than because "it'sworld, but to be transformed and to be Christmas and I'm supposed to."concerned about living in light of God's In whatever we do, we are to glorifyperfect will. We need to be very careful God, and work together for the building oflest we fall into the trap of false worship at Christ's body. While our practices mayChristmas and we must also beware of differ, we are still to fellowship togetherbeing conformed to pagan customs and on the basis of our faith in Christ, and wepractices.are to love one another.•6 COVENANTER WITNESS

"In HisPresence..."For those not acquainted with Miss Elizabeth McElroy,we provide this short biographical sketch. Miss Elizabeth wasone of six children in the Joe McElroy home, Quinter, Kansas.After completing her education at Sterling College, shereturned to her home community to teach sixth grade for oneyear. In 1920, she left the States for language study in Lebanonbefore teaching at the R.P. mission school at Mersine, Turkey.She later was transferred to the girls school in Latakia, Syria.After Miss Edgar retired as principal, Miss McElroy assumeddirection of the school. While principal, she opened a kindergartendepartment. She later resigned from her educationalresponsibilities to carry on Bible work among the women. In1957, her visa to stay in Syria was terminated by the Syriangovernment and she returned to the States. She assisted in thechildren's work in both the Truth-or-Consequences, NewMexico mission and the Denver congregation before retiringand moving to the R.P. Home in Pittsburgh.One September afternoon, we scheduled our annual visitto the R.P. Home in connection with the work of theCovenanter Witness. This year we talked at length with MissElizabeth McElroy, retired missionary to Syria. My first impressionof Miss Elizabeth is her love for people. Having arrivedshortly before the noon meal, we went to her room; immediately,she was introducing us to the residents on thirdfloor. With gentleness and a sensitivity to each Home member,she told us of their attitudes and activities. After lunch, shewanted to provide the same introduction to members on thefirst and second floors, but we had to insist that we reallywanted to visit with Miss Elizabeth herself and try to capturesome of her Christian experiences to share with others whatGod was doing in her life.That love for people undoubtedly developed in herchildhood. Her mother was always having company in thehome. That implanted love for people and that delight inconversing with them motivated her to learn, despite thedifficulties, the Arabic language. The Syrian people became theobject of her love. She told us of a man who once gave a talk andsaid, "You're a martyr to the cause if you don't have anychildren." She thought to herself, "That's a greatstatement!" Immediately afterwards, she told him that she had300 children (the number in the school), all of whom she loved.As in past conversations with her, I saw a woman whotakes God at His Word. Because God called her to minister topeople of another language, Miss Elizabeth trusted God to giveher the ability to learn that language. In her own words,"studying the language was one difficult thing! Whew!" Sheremembers the amusement and the agony of how, when theclass started, the teacher would be sitting, but bv the time theyfinished, he would be pacing from one end to the other saying,"Ach, from way down here;" They would respond "ach."One day, when she and another missionary were having somuch trouble learning Arab'c, they left the classroom and wentonto a high hill from where they could see the greatMediterranean Sea. There they sat and wondered when the nextboat would come, because they were ready to go home. Theyhad a time fighting that, but she clung to the Bible verse, "Ican do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." ByHis strength, she did learn to speak and also to read Arabic.Thinking about missions, past and present, MissElizabeth recalls that in her college, one couldn't help but feel amissionary. Everyone was talking about going to the foreignfield; there was the student volunteer movement which was"pushing and pushing people to go." And she decided to go.She wasn't too concerned about the task until two weeks beforeher departure. Movingly, she recounted how she awoke in thenight and said to herself, "Why, I've never been away fromhome for more than three months and now I'm to go tor fiveyears? What am I thinking about?" But then she talked toherself, "Oh, but I can't change my mind now. I have my shipticket; I don't have my train ticket but I know what ship I amgoing on. Everybody knows I am going. I can't change my mindnow." Feeling like she was in a dungeon, she said, "O Lord,how can I go for five years? Lord, you just will have to helpme.""The Lord immediately took all the fear" and she(Continued on next pa^e.)DECEMBER 19, 19737

"In HisPresence..."(from p. 7)Left: View of the Girls' School in Latakia, Syriawhere Miss McElroy served as principal.remembers those last two weeks as her happiest weeks at home.Her testimony after 37 years of missionary work is that shenever thought of homesickness again; she never was homesick.Those words, "the Lord took all fear," were repeated inother memories that Miss Elizabeth shared with us. On oneoccasion after the mysterious disappearance of a fellowmissionary, Miss Elizabeth reflected how the Lord kept herfrom facing any danger, and yet she admitted apprehension. "Iwas afraid, yes. Because I was afraid, I went and stayed with agirl who was in the hospital. Later I thought to myself, 'Oh, Ican't live this way, I'll try it for two weeks.' " She did just thatand she remembers she awoke only once or twice in the night.Summarizing this incident, Miss Elizabeth affirmed, "All fearwas taken away. That was another time when God took awayfear."Regular mission duties often contained unexpected adventures,some of which brought an opportunity for fear. Oneday, Miss Elizabeth, along with a Bible woman, a teacher andan evangelist, started over to visit another village. Along theway, they stopped to eat. Immediately after they resumed theirjournev, two men on horseback came around a corner andyelled, "Stop!" And stop they did. One man asked the otherpeople to step aside while he talked with Miss Elizabeth. Heasked, "What are you?" She answered, "I am an Americanand I have been here for a number of years. I have friends insome of these villages whom we are going to visit.When he had her open her pocketbook and he saw somefood which had a terrible smell, he asked, "Do you eat that?"She responded, "Yes," to which he quickly replied, "Idon't." It was Arabic food! After he talked to the other people,he made them walk ahead. Walking and walking, they rejoicedAbout the author: Eileen Falk is editorial assistant for theCovenanter Witness. She is married to R.P. SeminarianLarry Falk and is the daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Paul E.Faris of Lisbon, N.Y. She holds a Master's Degree inEnglish Literature from Southern Illinois University.that they had taken time to eat. The more they walked, themore certain they were that they would walk clear to Latakia.Suddenly they stopped in a village. The men sought to findsomeone who knew and could identify the group. Finally, a manconfirmed that he knew the ladies. So the group was released.With glee, Miss Elizabeth exclaimed, "Did we feel free! Wewere quite a little distance from our village, not quite toLatakia, but I tell you, we were free, free, free as the air. It isreally something to be free." While the evangelist was "sowrought up," Miss Elizabeth recalls that she wasn't worryingbecause she was certain that the Lord would care for them.After discussing events of the past, Miss Elizabethvoluntarily began to share circumstances which God hasbrought into her present life. While hospitalized last winter fordiagnostic treatment, she became afraid. She thought "Oh my,I am going to die," and she became more afraid. In the darknessof the hospital room, she said to the Lord, "You have got totake that fear away from me. If you don't, I just won't be able toenjoy life at all." Then she began to speak to herself, "Well,the Lord has provided a way for you to get into heaven, if youbelieve in Him and He has died for you. What about heaven?Why should I have such a fear of heaven?" And then the Spiritbrought the Word to her mind, "m His presence there isfullness of joy and at his right hand, there are pleasures forevermore." Immediately, "the Lord took all my fear away."Today she says, "I just stuck to that promise. And I amsticking to that. I have never again been afraid."We left Miss Elizabeth that afternoon, insisting that wereally should not write about her while she was here to see it.But her words, "I am sticking to that... the Lord took the fearaway," have made such an impression on me that I haverequested that she let me tell this story now. Because of ourconversation, the Psalmist's words, "I sought the Lord, andHe heard me and delivered me from all my fears," have beendeeply engrained in my mind: And I praise God because I haveseen the faith of His saint in depending upon God's faithfulnessto His Word and also the faithfulness of God to deliver Hissaints from fear.EILEEN FALKCOVENANTER WITNESS

• •. JLefy/ Co,FRED H. BAKERAbout the author: Mr. Baker,Executive Director of CalvaryRehabilitation Center, in Phoenix,Az., came to Calvary Rehab in thesummer of 1970 as a resident. Before aserious illness in 1967, he had beenAssistant to the President of KeeblerCo. He is a graduate of Calvin College,Grand Rapids, Mich., and has takengraduate work in alcoholism at theUniversity of Arizona, Tucson. Inaddition to his work with CalvaryRehab Center, he also is a consultant tonon-profit and business organizations.Inquiries about Calvary Rehab Centercan be addressed to him at Box 1005,Phoenix, Ariz S50U1DECEMBER 19, 1973Like every day, there seemed to be alot of bad news in the news today. Thenews behind much of the bad newscontinues to be unprintable or at leastunprinted.The highway fatality, the sex-trianglequarrel and murder, many in the long listof divorces, the suicide had one thing incommon — booze.Even in evangelical churches and, yes,even in churches requiring total abstinence,America's No. 1 drug —alcohol — is the problem behind so manyproblems. When hidden or denied, iterupts so violently, like a volcano thatgives out only a few rumbling hints oftrouble.Within the last few years a prominentBible-quoting congressman died of"natural causes" after a long successionof hospitalizations. Those of us who knowfirst-hand what alcohol can do and does dowould put it differently."Naturally," we would say. "hefinally died." Most of his constituentswere with him to the end; such a Biblequotercould not possibly be an alcoholic.Nineteen of 20 alcoholics still die as theylived — as drinking alcoholics.Alcoholism is an old story: if he hadchosen to do so. the tippling congressmancould have read it in the last verses otProverbs 23. The paraphrase in TheLiving Bible says in part, " .you willstagger like a sailor tossed at sea. clingingto a swaying mast. And afterwards vouwill say, 'I didn't know it when thev beatme up . Let's go and have anotherdrink!' "It took becoming an alcoholic for me tosee what The Bible has to say about the"other side" of drinking, even though inBiblical days only a mild wine and a crude"beer" were available.Back in the days when I drank"responsibly," as I liked to term it, 1knew all about Paul telling Timothy tctake a little wine for his tummy, and howthe Greek word definitely meant wine anathat therefore Christ Himself likelv indulged.So, why shouldn't I?I am one of almost 10 millionAmericans who "knew I would neverhave a drinking problem."Now that I have walked into the darktunnel, with the walls crashing in behindme and no light ahead, I am compelled tc.write about alcoholism and what it means.My compulsion comes naturally. Ihave lost the choice between drinking orabstinence. Although I am now well alonginto my fourth year without a drink, I wUlalways be an alcoholic; anybody whodoesn't understand that I cannot be"cured" doesn't know even the ABC's ofalcoholism. If you don't realize that myusing your brand of mouth-wash couldmean I would die a drunk, all I can ask isthat, as a concerned Christian, you learn alittle more about booze before repeatingfolk tales and pronouncements or giving"advice."My qualifications to write are admittedlylimited. The more I know aboutalcoholism the more I realize, to use thewords of Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholis cunning, baffling and powerful. Asexecutive director of one of the nation'slarger recovery homes for alcoholics, withalmost ^U men in residence at all times, Ihave had a lot of exposure, which has onlvhumbled me. It was within this place Ifound out in 1970 how amazing God'sgrace really is; like many others who havecome from throughout the United States(Continued on next page.)9

and Canada, I discovered that "AmazingGrace" was far more than a black disc inthe top 40 tunes of the day. Thank God,alcoholics can and do recover. UnbelievablyI am sober, not dead, today.I cannot fault Christ's church fordoing so little to help the alcoholic. Wealcoholics do everything we can to hideand deny our problem until, humanlyspeaking, we are beyond any hope ofrecovery. We cry out in desperation"nobody understands, not even God!" Ihad been very active in the Church; thereare those who have said God had used mein those days to lead them to a savingknowledge of Christ as their Lord andSaviour. Yet, in my crisis, it appeared thatmy God had condemned and forsaken me.Distorted thinking? Of course. Befuddled,alcoholic thinking. But how many in theChurch do understand? Very few, too few.Facts should disturb some of thecomplacency.Last year the per capita consumption ofalcoholic beverages in America was 26gallons. Stop, think. Convert that numberinto weeks — a half gallon a week forevery man, woman and child. Beer, wine,gin, vodka, whiskey and the rest.Subtract the kids and the total abstainersand the lowest figure I can comeup with as to the number of those who dodrink is close to 110 million. That almostdoubles the figure to a gallon a week.Beyond comprehension!Estimates vary but it seems reasonablethat about one fourth of those who drinkconsumes three-fourths of the total, orthree gallons in a week. Is it any wonderthat the U.S. Department of Transportationestimates that one of every 10drivers is an alcoholic? Isn't it reasonableto assume that many more are well on theway into a problem?I must submit that the rest of Americahas a problem, too. It cannot understand.It is easy to dismiss problem drinking andalcoholism as "just a sin," but theproblem goes on. There is the oldfashionedappeal to willpower; as analcoholic, I must ask, "Whatwillpower?" I had it, except when it cameto booze; there it was gone."Why not just stop?" asks the onewho has little knowledge of the problem.In a very dramatic way, many alcoholicsdo just that. Our suicide rate is 40 timesthe national average, and we're includedin the average. Twice I had come to thinkthat was the only way I could stop. Insane?Yes and no. To continue is to "feel nopain," until a friendly doctor lists a' 'natural'' cause of death to spare the hurtof family, friends — and the Church! Tostop is to suffer beyond belief. To resumeis such sweet relief.Actually, any suggestion that theproblem drinker "can stop any time he orshe wants to" is an insidious invitation tocontinue drinking. Alcoholics do not seekhelp until that point — "I can stop anytime" — is long past. A Christian friendof mine, now with 27 years of sobriety,put it this way, his memory still vivid:"Nobody feels the pain when falling; it'sthe stopping that hurts so bad."Perhaps the biggest problem,however, is with the individual, and theChurch has many of them, who says, "Itwon't happen to me." We all said that.I remember well the young mother, atotal abstainer until her mid-20's. It wasthat time of the month and she had towork all day at her Church; she couldn'tface it. A friend recommended Geritol, orNyquil, or a little terpin hydrate as atonic; none was on hand, but the magicingredient in each was the same as in abottle of vodka. Purely as a "tonic",really medicinal, she had her "firstdrink." In six months she was up to morethan a quart of vodka a day; not typical,but possible.When I entered Calvary RehabilitationCenter in Phoenix I was 47, well underthe average admittance age of 55; today Iam 51, six years older than the"average" resident. But those teen-agersa visitor might see at Calvary aren't thereto visit dad. They, too, can no longer livewith it nor without it.To you who are non-drinkers, pleaseunderstand how difficult it is to understand,and that you probably do not.Please do not tell the alcoholic man orwoman about going to hell in a hurry; forsomeone who "knows" it's "impossible"to stop, the God who destinesfor hell might show a little mercy if indeeda person stopped — violently. Too manywhom I have known and loved are dead;too many of those still living and hurtingare running away or rebelling against thatGod. Please let those who know thatGod's love can and does extend to thealcoholic do the talking.If you do drink "temperately," Iknow I can't argue you into tbe abstinencethat is a choice of life or death for me.From my own expereince, if you ever"need" a drink — to celebrate, to grieve,to relax, to sleep, to pass that time ofmonth or just to escape a day'sfrustrations, you're on your way. Theblinkers are on, the train is coming fast;will you beat it? I did not.There was a time when I could say,"There but for the grace of God go I."Now I have to say, "There I went!" Mysin was pride; I was the master of my fate;it would never happen to me, but it did. Lncomplete defeat, concerned Christianswho "understood" held out their handsand God gave me the impossible: Victory,as of today. My pride is still too great forcomplacency; I must turn every day backto God for the grace I need, but that's awonderful way to live.+ + +Postscript: Within the week of mywriting this, my father on earth celebratedhis 86th birthday and his 63rd year ofordination as a minister of the gospel, in achurch much like yours, the ChristianReformed Church. He was at his wisestwhen at 82 he did not try to handle myproblem, but admitted he could notunderstand and urged me to go wherepeople did. He just promised to pray.Also, since some may regard my words asrecruitment for Calvary RehabilitationCenter in Phoenix, I'm sorry to say it'snot that way; if someone needs a homeaway from home in a Christian ministry ofmercy, all I can say is that we will try tomake room. Earlier this year we more thandoubled in size, but there are so many andwe are so few. If you can spare a prayer forthose who are there, I know how much itcan do.10COVENANTER WITNESS

Holy Father, Son and SpiritForgive my foolish way,Forgive the pride that led me to prayfor power for myself.Forgive the profane desire to claimcreditFor stepping off the treadmill,That ever-faster-spinning wheel thatgoes nowhere but the grave.Almighty GodThank You for unwinding the twists ofmind,Taking out the kinks, the snarls, thesnagsThat made me thinkMine was really the powerAnd You were but the hazy-seenhandyman,A helper to be sure,But subject to my distorted whimsTo beckon or ignore.0 GodI bemeaned You.Like a ludas I kissed YouBut then I smiled and held Your hand.My betrayal was so much more subtlethan his.He fled.I tried,Unwittingly then,So obvious now,To drag You along my willful way.With my right hand in YoursAnd the sticky kiss of my last sip stillglistening on Your cheek,In my heart of hearts,Befuddled, I guess,DECEMBER 19, 1973odka £&YQodI made You out for a fool.Safely off to one side,You could not possibly see my otherhandReaching out for the quieting gulpI needed more than You.Almighty GodI did not know then as nowMy understanding of You was sowrong,But You understood so well.Your hand held mineWhile I thought I was holding Yours.You led me only into the valley,You kept me from stumbling into thebottomless chasm,The pit that has claimed the minds andbodies ol so many.Thank You, GodWhen darkness filled the valley.When not even shadows could prevail,Your hand was still in mine.I had betrayed, used and abused You.Helpless, hopeless, I surrendered.And then You smiled in love,A smile so bright not even a shadowwas left in the valley.The path back stood out so clear.I had been blind, now suddenly saw.I started to run to the pathBut Your hand stopped me."Take Mv hand again," You said,"The path may be steeper than youthink."Thank You, GodI still do not really understand You.While undeserving. You rescued me.When self-willed. You loved and loveme.Why?"Such knowledge is too wonderful forme,"It is high, I cannot attain it."Almighty GodKeep me now from arrogance ofvictory.From forgetting errors, failures.futilities.From complacency.From forgetting, as I do. Your power.Enlighten, Empower Me, GodTo help others on the deceitfultreadmill,Those I see still running the deadlyrace to nowhere.My voice is too small to be heardAgainst the ceaseless pounding oftheir feet.My hands are too weakTo pull them to safety.Use my lips and fingers as You will.Give them Your power.I hear so many exhausted onesAlmost breathless.Gasping out those words of defiance,Defiance in defeat,"I . can stop anytime I . .want to."As I listen,Frustrated . not knowing what toshout . how to do.Teach me first to pray, to listen, andthen.To act.F.B.

THE NEWEST QUMRAN "SEN­SATION"When Jose O'Callaghan, who teachesin the Pontifical Lnstitute in Rome,published his work concerning a fragmentof papyrus — it is 1 Vi by 1 Vs inches, 13or 14 letters which appear to be parts of 4lines — it was hot news in the religiousworld. For the fragment had been dated asof 50 A.D., and O'Callaghan identified itas a fragment of the Gospel of Mark. Thiswould mean that the Gospel of Mark waswritten earlier than that, possibly as earlyas 40 A.D., just a decade or so after Jesus'ascension. (See Glimpses, 10 Oct. 1973)Now that other scholars have examinedthe evidence presented by O'Callaghan,the great majority, according to aChristianity Today article, conclude thatO'Callaghan's case is far from convincing.Archaeology and students of antiquitieshave turned up information thatis truly sensational, and which has servedthe cause of the truth of Scripture, but the"sensational" always calls for sober andpainstaking examining and weighing ofthe evidence. Gospel evidences do not, asdo some "scientific theories," stand indanger from research and discovery, aswitness Welhausen's blunder, universallyrecognized as a blunder today, but in hisown day lauded as the highest scholarship:"Moses couldn't have written thePentatuch, for writing did not exist in hisday."It is unlikely that many scholars willshift their estimates of the date of writingof Mark. Most estimates fall in the rangeof 50 to 70 A.D. Fortunately, we can getmuch spiritual meat and drink from thisGospel without knowing or consciouslyestimating when it was written.—«v *v sfv sty JIRemember !1Synod's Budget |Today JIImp^ediRev.Lester E. Kilpatrick207 Darlington Rd.Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010MS.I can't think that this designation formembers of the fairer sex is going to comeinto general use. Written, it doesn't comeout too badly, but spoken, '' Mzzz So-andso,"it rather fizzles.CHRISTIAN RADIO IN CHINESEThe "Back to God Hour" was all setto go into China, over the Far EastBroadcasting Company's new powerfulstation on Cheju Island, when word camethat the Korean Government is notauthorizing broadcasting in the Chineselanguage. FEBC officials give assurancethat they "expect approval with each newday,'' and hopefully, by the time this is inprint, that approval will be given."CHRISTMAS!"'Tis the season for righteouspyrotechnics about "the perversions ofthis holy season." Christian magazineliterati have been striving manfully torescue and preserve "the real heart andsubstance of Christmas," but few aresatisfied with their success.To abandon altogether this religiousfestival — which did not appear as areligious observance for more than 150years after the birth of Christ — as ahuman intrusion into what is properlyworship, would be more Biblical, moreapostolic. But that would be terriblyhumiliating for 20th Century Christians.It would seem to be going back tosomething identified today with "dour16th Century Scottish Presbyterianism."It would be terribly disrupting to ourrelationship with the merchandisingindustry. And it would be so inexcusablyunecumenical. So, of course, few will dothat.ARTIt's amazing how much is said andwritten about "art" and "Christian art"(CT) says that "art is not merely adecorative ruffle on the garment of societybut is expressive of its very warp andwoof. . ," but a central point of his articleis that there is an unfortunate "gap"between the artist and his audience. Theartist produces something "great" andthe public doesn't buy it. The result:artists are hungry, so have to leave their"art" and go earn a living. Perhaps thegreatest temptation of the artist is to feelsorry for himself. "People just don'tappreciate me."But your public is not a fool, thoughAlexander Pope said it is. So, stick inthere, Christian artist. We need you —and possibly you need us."YES, VIRGINIA —"The now classic letter, which appearededitorially in the New York Sun in 1897,in answer to a little girl's question, "Isthere really a Santa Claus?" according toa writer in Christianity Today, "wasyears ahead."The Sun editor went on to say, "Yes,Virginia, Your mother, fathergrandparents are all 'Santa Claus.' He canbe found where people are moved by theChristmas spirit to belp their fellow men.The countless charities cause Santa Clausto become 'incarnate' in the hearts ofpeople all over the world."CT's writer has shown that this isexactly the way many modern theologianshandle the Scripture data about JesusChrist. For them, "Just as Virginia mustone day have grown up and found out thatwhile there might be peace, joy, andhappiness in the world, there was really noSanta Claus, so also the Christian whosefaith has depended on a Jesus amputatedfrom history will discover that this 'Jesus'really does not exist and never did."CT's writer classifies the "Yes,Virginia —" letter as part of our "sub-Christian Christmas paraphernalia" andclearly shows how much modern theologyconforms to the pattern of this sub-Christian fantasy.Thank God, we do not have to explainaway Jesus, as being "spiritually alive,"but having no more real existence thandoes Santa Claus. God was and is inChrist.Let no Christian parent give his childthe lie about a "real Santa Claus," andthen have to admit it was a lie. Or thechild may with good reason ask you,and religious art and secular art and "Then are all the miracle stories aboutcommercial art and good and bad art, Jesus, just kids' stuff too?"without our being told what art is, as No child is too young to be told thatthough we know. Maybe we do and the white bearded, red suited clown is justdefinition isn't necessary. Hugh Cook a human with funny clothes and a mask.12COVENANTER WITNESS

so1.-. c-aQJJ= C3 6ft oQJ~ ES °'5 E•5:s I-5 ^g ~ 6-^ -5 cC ii QJQJ C3 I—ia fe MC3QJ. QJ -Cfc ^ ~C 33 CO -CU ~, oc-"' ' o£ JC*0/

The Missionaries ArriveMy home on Hasumiya Street in Nagata Ward, Kobe wasburned to the ground by American planes in March, 1945. Thefive members of our family had to move to Suma in westernKobe where by the kind favor of my wife's friend we shared thespare room. This house was in the historic Ichinotani (FirstValley) region, the site of a famous decisive battle between twofeudal clans, the Genji and Heike over a thousand years ago.Shortly after we moved, the war ended. The sbortage offood made us spend more than half of our energy in trying byany possible means to find food enough to eat. With the end ofthe war, however, we had no more air raids and no blackouts.Although our grief over losing the war remained, we regained amore relaxed sense of happiness.Ichinotani where we lived is in Suma Park facing theInland Sea and distant mountains across the bay. This was aplace of picturesque scenery, with Awaji Island almost seemingto float among the branches of the elegant old pine trees. WhenI came to Suma Park after a hard day's work or on holidays, Ifelt so peaceful and relieved. I enjoyed a happy domestic lifealso, taking walks in the park with my little daughter.Sometimes, too, I would lie on the grass watching the Sanyoelectric line trains as they ran to and fro along the mountainside,or looking out to the bay where ships sailed slowly towardthe open sea.It was about 1950 that Mr. Boyle and other ReformedPresbyterian missionaries arrived in our calm valley. At thetime I was not the least interested in Christianity. At times,while I was resting in Suma Park, an old foreign lady with afriendly smile would hand me a Gospel tract. I would stuff thistract in my pocket without even reading it and then throw itinto a trash can later. At other times the same lady would comeby our house and leave a tract. I was much impressed everySunday to see this lady climbing a steep path up to the SumaPark T.B. Hospital. She was so full of pep and vitality that Ioften said to myself, "My, that is an active old woman!"Later, of course, I found out that this foreign lady was MissMary Adams. Although she did not know Japanese, she wasalways eager to preach the Gospel with a smile, visiting the sickin the hospital and giving them tracts. Miss Adams became arespected and beloved missionary who was famous in Suma.I had a natural prejudice against Christianity. It was myconviction that Christian missionaries did not come to Japanmerely to teach religion, but that they were tools of foreignaggression in Japan. As we Japanese inherited our own Buddhistand Shinto religions, these foreign religions should not beintroduced to Japan. Rather, we ought to resist them with allour might as bad, heretical religions which invade our nation.Before, I had firmly believed that Japan as a divinecountry and nation could never be defeated, yet we lost the war.Ise Shrine which Japanese people reverenced as the ancestor ofour nation was burned to the ground in the war. That was whenmy faith in Japan as a divine nation was badly shaken. After thewar everything began to seem vain, impossible to believe anduncertain. I came to the attitude that if my own family was atpeace and enjoyed a happy life, this was good enough for me.This explains why I did not care at all about Buddhism orChristianity or even agnosticism. It no longer made any differenceto me what people believed. Day after day, day after dayto enjoy peace — is tbat not man's highest blessing? Thus Icame to hold a sort of pragmatic opportunism or realism oregoism. This made me somewhat less severe in my hostility toChristianity, yet I was not willing to believe in it nor even tostudy it.To tell the truth, I once had some contact with theChristian faith before this time. One of my first grade pupilsAbout the writer: Elder Yoshia Nitta is a retired primaryschool teacher and principal. He served the public schoolsof Kobe with rare distinction for many years. OnNovember 8, 1973 he celebrated the 20th anniversary ofhis baptism as a Christian in our Kobe church in Suma.Mr. Nitta has rare ability as an artist and has made manybeautiful handwork projects for use in our SabbathSchools. He has one daughter who is married and has twolittle children. One is shown with him on the right.14COVENANTER WITNESS

whom I had taught for one year moved to Gifu Prefecture. Helater was baptized as a Christian and when the war ended, whenthe student was in the third year of junior high school, he sentme a Christian Bible and hymn book.As this Bible had been translated into a style of Japanesewhich was difficult for me to read, and as I have no ear formusic, I put both books in my bookcase where they becamemoldy. It was still difficult to break through my barrier ofunbelief.In 1951 when my daughter was in primary school aChristian Sabbath School was started near our home and mydaughter attended it. I was not interested in the Christian faithbut I thought it was not wrong for my child to attend if shewished to go. Sometimes she came home with beautiful cards. Iwould look at them admiring their beauty and even read theBible verse written on the cards. At that time the S.S. met onSabbath afternoons. Sometimes I wished to take my daughterwith me to the park, the zoo or to see a movie as it was my freeday. She always preferred to go to Sabbath School. This was adisappointment to me, for I had purposely planned to take herwith me to give her pleasure and she did not wish to go with me.The S.S. became a hindrance and I was a trifle annoyed.MyWife 's IllnessJust after our New Year's dinner in 1952 my wifebecame suddenly ill with severe abdominal pains. She consultedmany different doctors but they could not agree on the cause ofher illness. As she was getting worse day by day, we finally puther in Hyogo Prefectural Hospital for exploratory surgery. Thecause was then discovered and after a five hour operation theobstruction was removed. Her recovery from surgery wasfavorable and she began a steady recovery.After my wife returned home from tbe hospital, she toldme of the visit of Miss Mary Adams with Mr. Masunaga as aninterpreter. They had come to comfort my wife in her sickness.This visit caused me great surprise and gratitude. To think thatMiss Adams had done this kindness merely because my littledaughter was in the Sabbath School. This became the first blowthat cracked the hard shell of my unbelief.When my wife became strong enough to walk about theneighborhood, she sometimes went on Sabbath to the S.S. tomeet my daughter after it was over. She did this only to gainstrength by walking. Then the missionaries asked my wife tovisit the S.S. Finally she began to attend the church worshipservices. At supper afterwards she would tell me what she hadlearned that day from the sermon about the Bible.I still doubted the teachings of the Christian Bible. I knewnothing of its authors so I supposed that they were ignorantmen who had written a lot of stuff such as miracles and otherunbelievable things.During 1953 I was urged three times to attend church sofinally I reluctantly made up my mind to go. On stepping intothe church I found everybody so kind to me. As I was holdingfor the first time a Bible in my hands, I had not the least notionof where "Matthew" or "Philippians" or such books werefound. Members quickly came to help me, trading their Biblesopened to the correct passage for my unopened Bible. Thesinging at the time was from Japanese Psalms mimeographed onsheets of paper, bound together in a folder. It was difficult forme to get accustomed to a church service, but as the people lostno time in helping me, I was both surprised and thankful. Inthis way my wife and I began to attend church quite regularly asDECEMBER 19, 1973well as the adult Bible class. Little bv little we began learningabout the Bible and Christianity.My Smoking ProblemThe only troublesome problem for me attending churchwas that smoking was not permitted and the services lasted twohours. I would take a deep drag on a cigarette before enteringthe church and immediately after church was over I wouldhurry to a small mountain path to get out of sight of the churchmembers and have a smoke. I began to think that mv behaviorwas similar to a comic cartoon.With deeper understanding I saw that the idea of God inthe Christian faith is quite different from the ideas which weJapanese had before. The difference between the Creator Godand idol worship I could vaguely distinguish. When I learnedthe first Shorter Catechism answer, "Man's chief end is toglorify God, and to enjoy Him for ever," a second blow struckat my hardness. I was convinced that this indeed is the aim ofhuman life. This was entirely different from the view of life inJapan that we should give up our lives for what we called theeverlasting Emperor and the Empire. When I came to think thatI should devote all my life not to "gods" nor to men, but to theonly God the Creator, the God of our Savior Jesus Christ forWhom we exist, I realized deeply the meaning of life. I made upmy mind to be baptized.Then it was that I thought about giving up smoking. 1began to smoke when I entered the Japanese army. I often hadnothing to do but to loaf around, so I formed this habit in spiteof myself. I lacked the determination then to stop smoking.Three months after I left the army I did decide to stop smoking.It was easy and I was quite proud of myself for stopping. Ithought then that I could refrain from smoking at any time Iwished. On the contrary I was back at my smoking after but amonth, and for twenty years I was a slave to this habit ofsmoking tobacco. Now, when I wanted to become a Christian, Iwanted to quit smoking, so I decided to stop.I made a five day plan to carry out my determination. Onthat last day the last cigarette of my life was smoked. I did it!Every time I craved to smoke I stood with my arms folded andprayed to Jesus and so endured the craving tillit passed. I wassomewhat sentimental about this last cigarette while I wassmoking it, but I also found after stopping that I felt joy andrelief as though I had been set free from slavery. I felt asifheaven opened widely before me. Since I quit smoking myappetite has been good and especially, to my surprise, I evenenjoy breakfast! Once I decided to be baptized the invisible 1 f >1 \Spirit achieved the task which I could never do by my own willpower.In this way, in spite of myself, by God's urace andblessing my wife, daughter and I were baptized in the IchinotaniReformed Presbyterian Church of Kobe on November H 195^I am sure that through all the rest ot mv life Jesus Christthe Savior and Lord will be with me. As he says in I Cor 10:13,He will prepare a way of escape from every trial we meetAgain, we need not worry and toil too much.Il we takeeverything to the Lord and completely trust in Him, He willopen wide His arms to receive us I was not converted toChristianity out of adversity nor perplexit\, but b\ a comparatively orderly and quiet process. Therefore my laith issometimes weak! Mav the Holy Spirit lead me abundantlyonward for ever. Amen.Translated from Hujashi SumaChurch Paper logos15

THE SYMBOL. R. C. Sproul. Pres. and Ref. Publ. Co., 1973. 160pp. $2.95 (paper).This brief study of the historic Christian faith devotes eachchapter to expounding a phrase from the Apostles' Creed. Wellwritten and Biblically sound, this book might prove useful to anew Christian, especially to one whose background lacks thebasic teachings of the Christian religion.Robert Benn VincentJESUS THE MESSIAH: An Illustrated Life of Christ. DonaldGuthrie. Zondervan, 1972. 386 pp. $6.95 (cloth).Although "it must be conceded that no 'life' in thebiographical sense can be written (of Jesus)," the author successfully"presents an account of Jesus from the perspective offaith." In doing so, the author uses Scripture, historical evidenceand tradition to provide this simple, evangelical, yet scholarlynarrative of Christ's life and ministry.Eileen FalkAUCAS DOWNRIVER: Dayuma's Story Today. Ethel EmilyWallis. Harper & Row, 1973 (also available from WyeliffeTranslators). 126 pp. $4.95 (cloth).For those who have read THROUGH GATES OFSPLENDOR or DA YUMA, AUCAS DOWNRIVER is a followupstory of Rachel Saint, Dayuma, and the Aucas who spearedthe five missionaries on "Palm Beach." As these Aucas learnedfrom "God's Carving," their concern for their downriver enemyrelativesgrew. It was a concern that led them throughdangerous, hard times, in which they risked their lives and inwhich Tona died. This story shows God's providential care,guidance, timing and power in transforming lives as God's Wordreaches them.Ruth FarisJOY: A HOMOSEXUAL'S SEARCH FOR FULLFILLMENT.Barbara Evans. Creation House, 1973. $3.95 cloth.Joy, a record of the correspondence between Pat Booneand an anonymous member of the "gay world," is a deeplypersonal account of a lesbian's escape from her past to find truefreedom and love in Christ. Recommended to mature readers,with caution in regard to its charismatic emphasis.Vicki BurkeWHY DRINK? Jim Hefley. Victor Books, 1973. 32 pp. $.39(paper).An easy-reading summary of scientific truths that certifythe correctness of our Church's decision, reached by ourspiritual ancestors, in favor of totally abstaining from alcoholicbeverages. Nor is the author's Christian outlook omitted, and hisview on so-called "scriptural permissiveness" fits in with the wellknownproblems of health and disease of those days. Thisbooklet will be very informative to two classes of readers: first,those total abstainers who need fresh ammunition in their battlewith the gain-sayers; and secondly, those who still maintain thatan occasional drink never hurt anyone. Highly recommended.R. Paul WrightNEW TESTAMENT TEACHING ON TONGUES. Merrill F.Unger. Kregel, 1971. 175 pp. $1.75 (paper).For a brief work on a highly controversial issue, NEWTESTAMENT TEACHING ON TONGUES is a thorough,convincing case for the position that speaking in tongues was atemporary gift and ceased with the New Testament era. Theexegesis of specific passages emphasizes the meaning andpurpose of the exercise of tongues on each cited occasion. Theauthor is consistent in following through his main tenet: that allmatters of experience, including tongues, must be examined,judged and regulated by the Word of God.The style and format contribute to readability. The authorincludes an excellent, well-balanced bibliography on both sidesof the tongues question. Although I do not consider this workthe final word on tongues,it clarified some important issues fome.James C. PenningtonTHERE ARE OTHER GIFTS THAN TONGUES. SiegfriedGrossman. Tyndale, 1973. 127 pp. $1.25 (paper).Grossmann begins with two good presuppositions — thatall gifts have not ceased because Scripture gives no end to themwithin its pages, and that all believers are given gifts (Matt. 7:1Rom. 12:4ff). But since most Christians don't spend all their timin "church", he addresses his book to believers' use of gifts ineveryday life. By doing so, he negates the whole purpose of thegifts. They are for the harmony of the church which is organic,existing throughout the week; the whole purpose of the gifts andthe church is to bring glory to the Father — the Giver of the gift(Mat. 5:13-16,1 Cor. 12:7,20). On the whole, this light study ofcontroversial area is a weak, slip-shod work that lacks clarity orScriptural authority.Dana StoddardIN PLACE OF SACRAMENTS: A Study of Baptism and theLord's Supper. Vernard Eller. Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1972. 144 pp.$2.95 (paper).No believing Christian who accepts the presence of Christin the visible church can read even the first ten pages of thisbook without righteous indignation. While rightly striking outagainst the abuses of institutionalized Christianity, the author sooverstates his case against the authority of the church in theadministration of the sacraments that there is no incentive toread any further than chapter 1.Although the author has a seminary degree, he admits noability in exegesis and he merely argues from preconceivedbiases against the church as institution. Note the dishonesthandling of Scripture in statements like the following:"Not for a moment would I deny that the NewTestament incorporates a variety of traditions and interpretationsregarding the ordinances. Most of these, Ifeel, are compatible with one another and can be incorporatedinto a single service today. It is true, of course,that there may be a few peripheral notices in the NewTestament which are not consistent with the major tendency,which pull off in another direction, namely thesacramental. These we will ignore, assuming that they areforeshadowings of the completely sacramental mentalitythat will take over with the Hellenization of the churchrather than being the fruit of the normative Judaic-Christian original." (pp. 23-24).In his attempts to be popular in espousing the Brethrenideas of believer's baptism and the bare ordinance of the Lord'sSupper accompanied by foot-washing, Eller is occasionally littleless than blasphemous and frequently crude. This book howevershould be read by everyone leaning away from the high view ofthe church presented in Scripture;if such a reader has any senseat all, he will see the error of his ways because of Eller's picturof the "religionless," non-institutional church.R.W. Nickerson16 COVENANTER WITNESS

dEddisTArfUCTIONSThe first tinge of winter has touchedKansas now, in late October, with coldwinds and clear, sunny days when we seebaled hay lying polka-dotted on theyellow-brown fields, and an occasionalleafy maple or oak raises a golden puffagainst the blue skies. Friends begin tothink of holidays — pumpkins and applesappear to add decor and refreshment to themasquerade at month's end, and a neighbor'spatio shows a neat stack of cordedwood for winter fires, cozy or festive. Wetalk of who's going where for theThanksgiving holiday and hopefully givesome thought to who is going to be invitedhere to our home. Is there a place for the"angel unaware" at our holiday table?Holiday time can be made too busy forreflection, but we can, with determination,take time for it. So now, beforethe rush begins, I'm reflecting, — whenyou read this Christmas will not be faraway, but in reading you may take a littletime for remembering!I like to sit down after the others havegone to bed, and just enjoy the soft lightsof the living room, blue and red andyellow from the lighted tree, flickeringlights and shadows from the fireplace, afew Christmas greetings in my lap to readover one more time. There on the tree is afavorite bulb, shiny blue with snowflakesglittering on it, and as one looks at it theblue expands and the snowflakes softlyblur, and you see your baby lying in frontof the lighted Christmas tree on her firstChristmas, her bright eyes caught by thepoints of light that she sees, content and alittle wonder in her face.DECEMBER 19, 1973Ms@d fep Ube ilelidavsThen there comes to view a snowdriftedcountry road and a blue car slowlymakinga track along it. At the curve theygrind to a halt with spinning tires. Thenthe driver alights with shovel and yard byyard,shoveling and moving, shovelingand moving, they round the bend. Thebright red hood of the child who kepthopping in and out is all that is left of thescene, lying there on top of the snow. Thecar and its occupants are off to Christmasdinner.Next Em inside again around aChristmas breakfast table — always thereis a special treat on Christmas morning —perhaps blueberry muffins or a friend's giftof apricot pastries. There's laughter andanticipation at the thought of gift-openingtime around the tree soon. But worshipfirst is the rule, and what happinesscenters around the realization of God'sgoodness in giving His priceless, unspeakablegift of salvation through HisSon, the Lord Jesus. Home revolvesaround this truth, and we sing and readthe Word and prav humbly, gratefully.and FIRST.A round, jolly face appears, and Irecognize it as one of our "sometime"guests, a German student who comesbringing his gift, a box of candy. We aregrateful for his presence, and he asks ourdinner blessing. In heavily accentedEnglish, he speaks so intimately andpersonally to our Lord, having found himwhen he was friendless and lonely in astrange land. I reflect again, as I havewhenever I have heard him pray, ot thepure communication with God which can(a j>lead others into His presence sorealistically. He has a congregation now— do they experience this under hisleadership in prayer?Our house bulging with familv - fromGrandma down to the youngest grandchild — and greetings and laughter andsome tears also make up my next picture.But how the praise ot God expands whenall are here! Before going to bed that firstnight after all arrived, we sang favoritepsalms and sitting around the living roomon every available seat and on the floor,sang our gratitude to God.Whether you are in the family roomthinking of happy holiday times under thespell ot soft lights, or, the mother ofteenagers, upstairs in bed listening to thehappy sounds of your children and theirfriends singing, talking, with a little guitaror recorded music in the background,there is contentment and gratitude toknow they are sate in the I.ord's will andin fellowship with others of His i hildren.Even jazzy musical tones can lull to sleepif one feels the participants are secure inHim.HOI.ID A YSHolidays God's people had themWith gitt-gising and feasting.Free from work and praising GodThe\ visited each other.Holidays — God's people have themMixed with legend, myth, and truth;Manger star to pagan rite.Careless, we've celebrated.Holidays — God"s people now thenRethink their origins; letL's not in strained reactionNeglect love and reducing!WINIFRED ELLIOTT

GREELEY, COLO.(E. R. Hemphill, Pastor)The State Child Evangelism Conferencewas held in Greeley Oct. 12 and13.Bruce Peterson has enrolled at theUniversity of Northern Colorado atGreeley.Richard Moore has enlisted in the AirForce and is stationed in Texas.Aletta Edgar has resigned her teachingposition and moved to Orlando, Florida.The Rev. H. F. Thompson and Dr.James Carson preached here during thepastor's vacation. The Hemphills visitedtheir sons in California and camped insoutheastern Utah.LOS ANGELES, CA.(James D. Carson, Pastor)People: Rhea Foreman is teachingpsychology in Bluffton, Ohio and GingerWerbel is working on her Master'sDegree at the University of Kansas. ReneeAceves attended our Vacation BibleSchool and now she and her mother,Charlotte, are worshipping with usregularly.Our new pastor, Rev. James Carson,and family arrived the beginning ofSeptember and a week later werewelcomed with a surprise food shower.However, Dottie and Becky Carsonprovided the biggest surprise by notgetting home until the party was half over!September 28 officially marked thebeginning of Dr. Carson's ministry withus as the Ad Interim Commission conductedthe Installation Service with Rev.Glenn McFarland moderating. In Rev.McFarland's sermon he compared Isaiah53 and 54 showing that in order for us torealize the "victorious church" of Isaiah54 we must first, as a congregationbecome one with the "victorious Christ"of Isaiah 53- A reception followed theservice.WINCHESTER, KS.(James Pennington, Stated Supply)Robert Keys is able to worship with usafter open-heart surgery in August. Mrs.Paul Hensleigh is home after a hospitalstay.Mr. Pennington has recently assistedcommunion at Clarinda and Marion,Iowa.ST. LAWRENCE PRES.Walton, New York, where St.Lawrence Presbytery met on October 2and 3, 1973, was at its peak in autumnglory. The first evening was a happy scenewhen many friends of the communityjoined with the Walton congregation towitness the installation of Walton's newpastor, Robert McCracken, by thePresbytery.Presbytery spent much time in thefield of future leadership. A paper,"Program of Oversight For Students ofTheology," was adopted; a packageprogram is included for each of thestudents, which will give a unifieddirection and the opportunity to incorporateit into other courses offered inthe Seminary.Paul Copeland will work in the area ofthe doctrines of the Holy Spirit; all hisassignments in papers and preaching arefrom this area; the assignments and thedates when these are to be presented arenow in his hands so that during theSeminary years he can better direct hisefforts and glean items from other studieswhich will contribute to this subject forPresbytery.The same is true for George Hueber;his area will be the sacraments, especiallythe Lord's Supper; his texts are alsoassigned, the dates given, so that he maybetter use his time and profit by knowinghis goals for the whole course.Men have been assigned to examinethese young men; they must present theirquestions to Presbytery by a certain date.The pastors of the Presbytery are to givetime to these students in interviews and insharing methods which they use in theirministries. It is our prayer tbat we will notneglect our duties to these young menduring these important years of training.Ray Morton was in attendance; he washome from Ethiopia where he has servedtwo years as a missionary under the IrishSynod; he planned later in the month togo to Ireland to begin his last year in theTheological Hall. His concern was hisrelation to our Presbytery; a misunderstandingwas discovered. It was thejudgment of Presbytery that since Sept. 8,1970 Ray Morton has not been under thecare of St. Lawrence Presbytery;Presbytery expressed regret that tbismisunderstanding has occurred from theAd Interim Commission minutes of April20, 1970, but encouraged Ray to pursuehis studies in the Irish Theological Hall inanticipation of licensure and ordination inthe Irish Church under which he has beenserving as missionary in Ethiopia.In the reports from the sessions,Almonte had sent their pastor, RobertMore, Jr., on a deputation to the Torontoarea to investigate the possibility of a newwork there. This was a result of a requestby Covenanters who live in the area. AlsoAlmonte told of the administrators ofBrookdale Farm, a Protestant children'shome, near Wakefield, Quebec who, witha group of the children, have been attendingtheir services. This group alsohelped to swell the St. Lawrence Familycamp this summer. Rev. Robert More, Jr.asked to be relieved as moderator of theLochiel session because of these extraprospective areas of work; also the newbuilding program of Almonte's addition tothe rear of the church is under way.Paul Faris was appointed moderator ofLochiel session under which Larry Falk, aSeminary student, served thecongregation for the past summer.With the programs of the Presbyteryand especially the planning and responsibilitieswhich Synod's Board of HomeMissions now ask us to assume in the areaof church extension and financing ofHome Mission work, we decided that wemust meet more often to better managethe care of all the churches. A ChurchExtension committee has been appointed,and we plan a spring meeting at Lisbon onApril 23 and 24, 1974 in addition to our1974 fall meeting at Almonte on October1 and 2, 1974. Rev. Edward Robson is ourmoderator.Paul Faris, clerk18 COVENANTER WITNESS

BLOOMINGTON, IND.(Jerrold Milroy, Pastor)Rev. D. R. Armstrong, Chicago, wasour communion assistant, September 30.Guest speaker for the fall Thankofferingwas Mrs. Joyce Ream, who told ofher work with Vista in Eastern Tennessee.The social committee entertained uswith a Halloween party at the church,October 26.Results of a congregational meetingare: Session: John Kennedy, John D.Russell, and Ray Wampler; Deacons:James Dixson and Paul Kennedy.STERLING, KS.(Bruce Backensto, Pastor)Howard Elliott was our fall communionassistant. His wife came with him.Rev. June McElroy preached for uswhile our pastor spoke at the WestminsterFellowship Retreat, Nov. 3.Our pastor preached for the UnionThanksgiving service.Elda Patton recently suffered a strokeand is making satisfactory improvement.ATTENTION W.M.S.CORRESPONDENTSArvilla (Mrs. Wilbur) Copeland ofKansas City has agreed to serve as theW.M.S. News Editor for theCovenanter Witness. Besides editing theW.M.S. Topics, she will also beresponsible for any special news itemsconcerning individual societies orpresbyterials. Such items should be sentto her rather than to the Witness. Heraddress: 500 Englewood Rd., KansasCity, Mo. 64118.countS$^BIRTHSASPINWALL, Amy Sue to Jim and Phyllis(Clark) Aspinwall, June 24 (Winchester).POWELL, Michelle Lynn to Darrel andJanice Powell on Oct. 2 (Topeka).DEATHSCANUP, Mrs. John D. (Betty) on Oct. 12(Indianapolis).McHATTON, Elizabeth, 95, on Nov. 13 atPhiladelphia (Elkins Park).DECEiMl- K 19. 1973McLAM,Mary E., 81, on Sept. 8 atLyndonville, Vt. (Barnet).CHANGES OF ADDRESSMr. and Mrs. J. Paul Wilson715 North AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 15221Mr. Gordon KeddieWestminster SeminaryPhiladelphia, Pa. 19118DR. R. ESMOND SMITHOn September 16, 1973, Dr. R.Esmond Smith passed on to the richreward which the Lord provides for thosewho believe on Him and faithfully serveHim in this life. The Session of theReformed Presbyterian Church of LosAngeles wishes to express our sorrow forthis temporary separation from ourbrother and fellow-laborer in the Lord'swork.Dr. Smith's life was dedicated to JesusChrist and to the church. He served forthree years, 1912-15, in our schools inCyprus. Following his return, he enrolledat Rush Medical School in Chicago andreceived his degree in 1918. He wasmarried the same year to Jean Shuman.and they are survived by two sons,Esmond and Marshall.Dr. and Mrs. Smith went to ourmission in Syria in 1921, where we had atthat time a very active and successfulmissionary work. After serving there forseveral years, they returned to the Stateson furlough and in 1929, Dr. Smith wasordained an elder in the Los AngelesCongregation. Returning to Syria again,they served until 1934.Since that time, Los Angeles was theirhome congregation, although Dr. Smithworked at several California state hospitalswhich kept them out of bounds for variouslengths of time.Dr. and Mrs. Smith were particularlyinterested in the youth conferences, bothpresbyterial and national. They were alsovery active in the temperance movementand other orgaizations which endeavoredto promote godliness in public affairs.On September 21, 1968, we had thejoy of celebrating with them their fiftiethwedding anniversary. Mrs. Smith passedaway the following year at their home inLos Angeles. Dr. Smith entered the Homein the summer of 1972. and was there atthe time of his death. His faithful ministryof visitation to the sick and shut-ins will bemissed.The Los Angeles SessionMarch 1, 1974'WORLD DAYOF PRAYERDa time whenChristians everywheregather togetherto pray"Loved, We Will Love,"a Bible-centered worshipguide prepared by theNational Association ofEvangelicals, is availablein booklet form for groupparticipation in churchand community services.WORSHIP BOOKLETMATERIALS PROVIDEDWITHOUT CHARGEPlease send materialsin quantity indicated:Booklets PostersNAME.ADDRESS.CITY_ _SIATE Z PCHURC^sampleonlyV)

1973 ^v,Mt:DBUDG$236,720The 1972 Synod set the 1973 Budget at $236,720. This was done uponrecommendation of the Coordinating Committee. This was decided by theCoordinating Committee after doing the following:1. They received and studied comparitive budgets from eachBoard or Committee.2. They interviewed a representative from each Board orCommittee regarding their budget and programs.3. They considered the denomination's complete finances.4. They took into account that Boards and Committees couldquestion the amount granted on the floor of Synod.5. They kept in mind the procedure whereby a Board orCommittee could request funds from the Undesignated Funds of Synodto offset an unexpected deficit or funds needed for a special program.Urgent; rpcke your contribution nowA $100 gift to Synod's Budget would give the:Board of Church Erection .OV2Board of Corporators, Geneva . 34Board of Education & Publication $16.90Board of Evangelism .80Board of Foreign Missions 25.35Geneva College 10.55Board of Home Missions & Ch. Ext. 1.69Board of Pensions 8.45Synod's Miscellaneous Fund 5.07Seminary Student Aid.OV2Theological Seminary 16.90Witness Committee 9.72Women's Association 4.22Total $100.00$236,720 is only 38 1 / 2 per cent of the $613,980 that these departments haveCi f r% r\ rs tri'r budgeted for their needs for 1973. The remaining $377,260 will come from En-O U U U U t dowments Income, Investments, Undesignated Funds of Synod, Bequests,Assessments, and Tuition & Fees.SynodsBudge20You may give through your congregational treasurer or make your check to TheTrustees of the Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of N.A.COVENANTER WITNESS