Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

. Peterperish."For Your ConsiderationThe new fiscal year of the National Reform Association begins on November 1, 1955. Following thatdate congregations (a few in advance of it) will begin taking their annual offering for the work of theAssociation. The taking of this offering is endorsedand recommended by Synod. A goal of $10,000 isadopted as the amount the church should strive toreach. This goal is never reached. It would be fine ifit could be reached. It could be reached if all contributors through the church to this work should doubletheir contributions. It would be unfair to ask thathowever, as many are contributing in a very generous manner now. But there are many who coulddouble or triple their annual contributions withoutany tremendous sacrifice being made, and yet theAssociation would be greatly helped thereby.If you contribute a dollar a year, it takes all ofyour dollar to pay for the CHRISTIAN STATESMAN. If you contribute two dollars a year, one goesto pay for the CHRISTIAN STATESMAN and itleaves a dollar for the other work of the Association.If you give $3.00, it pays for printing your copies ofthe CHRISTIAN STATESMAN and leaves $2.00 forthe other work of the Association, and so it goes onup the scale.Some people are unable to contribute more thana dollar, and for some even that may represent aconsiderable sacrifice. Remember the widow and hertwo mites. Those dollars are deeply appreciated. Youmay be sure the Lord takes note of them. We aresure there are others who could give more than theydo and could do so without affecting their otherbenevolent giving in any way. Perhaps it may be thatwe have not kept the importance of this work sufficiently before you, or that you do not realize howmuch this work is dependent upon you.The National Reform Association does not participate in the synodical budget. That is why thesespecial offerings are authorized. That is one reasonwhy it is so important to this work that these specialofferings be not neglected. The Covenanter Churchhas always played a big part in the life of the Association. Without the Covenanter Church the National Reform Association would probably not exist, andwithout the National Reform Association the outreach and influence of the Covenanter Church wouldbe greatly lessened. Think it over when you give. Ifyou are doing the best you can, well and good. But ifyou are able to double or triple what you have beenaccustomed to giving to this work, will you not thinkabout it seriously and prayerfully, and ask if perhapsthis is what the Lord would have you do. J. R. P.GLIMPSES from page 306travel there. Let us hope that this spirit grows and theChristian spirit of fellowship finally prevails.More Bars than ChurchesThe Methodist Board of Temperance reports that thereare now 141,733 more bars, cocktail lounges and liquorstores in the United States than churches, synagogues andtemples of all religious groups. Jeremiah would have weptat hearing such a report. What would Nehemiah have done?What should we do?Lesson Helps for the Week of November 27, 1955C. Y. P. U. TOPICfor November 27, 1955WISHBONES, JAWBONES andBACKBONES(Used by permission of InternationalChristian Endeavor)by Rev. D. Howard ElliottScripture: Psalm 27:4; I Kings 2:7; IPsalms:3:13-18138: verses 1-4, page 338119: verses 1-3, page 28715: verses 1-3, page 2671: verses 1-4, page 17037: verses 25-28, page 94Comments :The topic, Wishbones, Jawbones andBackbones, is an attempt to characterize people, especially Christians. Thewishbones are those who are alwayswishing for better things, yet that is asfar as the improvements go. The Jawbones are those who are always talkingabout things, yet not likely to do verymuch about them. The backbones are312those who are strong in their convictionsand rigid in their practices. The implications might be at first that we shouldnot be characterized as wishbones norjawbones, but only backbones. HoweverI think that there is a place for allthree bones in the Christian's moralmake-up and that to show only just oneof these qualities is to displaycomplete existence.an inFirst there are the wishbones. This isexpressive of the characteristic of desire. Desire is prominent in almost anylife. Where there is no longer desire,that life is practically dead. It is normal to want things and long for betterconditions. How could we have improvements or developments in anything ifsomeone didn't first desire them.It is certainly legitimate and right todesire some things. Desire can be goodas well as evil. There are many good desires expressed by the Psalmist such as"One thing have I desired of the Lord,that I will seek after; that I may dwellin the house of the Lord all the days ofmy life, to behold the beauty of theLord, and to enquire in his temple"(Ps. 27:4). And in the 107th Psalm fourdifferent times he goes over it, "Oh,that men would praise the Lord for hisgoodness, and for his wonderful worksto the children of men."The fulfillment of legitimate desires isseen in Ps. 37:4, "Delight thyself alsoin the Lord; and he shall give thee thedesires of thine heart." Also read Psalm40 :l-4 and Psalm 42.We must have some conceptions andvisions of things being better before wecan expect them to develop that way."Where there is no vision, the peopleSo the exercise of one's "wishbone"may serve some valuable purpose.However just to be wishful withoutanything more to go with it can be sortof deadening. Just to sit and wish maybe one of our most impractical and unprofitable exercises. We can spend ourtime dreaming about big things whileignoring some of the little practicalitems we could be attending to. Has itCOVENANTER WITNESS