Clicktivist to Activist

www.adventistreview.org 

November 21, 2013 

ADRA Aids Philippine 

Quake Relief 

Highest Flight Ever 

Married, but Alone 

on the Sabbath 

9 

22 

26 

From 

Clicktivist 

to Activist 

Taking caring 

to another level

(1046) 

Iflights in the history of aviation. 

Air Force One 

Jim Swindal was the pilot of a Boeing 

707 with the tail number 26000. The 

Secret Service called it “Angel,” but most 

of the world knew it simply as Air Force 

One. It was John F. Kennedy’s flagship aircraft, 

loaded with elegance and $2 million 

worth of high-tech hardware. It featured 

offices equipped with electric typewriters, 

and subscribed to 15 magazines and five 

daily newspapers. Its presidential bedroom, 

catering to times when the chief 

executive had to cross many time zones all 

at once, included a special bed with a mattress 

designed for Kennedy’s bad back. 

Colonel Jim Swindal had already logged 

some 75,000 miles on Air Force One in a 

little more than a year since its commissioning. 

He was dedicated and loyal, both 

to the presidency and to this thirty-fifth 

president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Earlier 

in 1963 he had flown his hero to Germany 

for the president’s famous “Ich bin 

ein Berliner” speech. 

22 

COVER FEATURE 

18 From Clicktivist 


Janelle Collins 

Can the world’s problems 

be solved in front 

of a keyboard? 

HIGHEST FLIGHT eVer 

Swindal had to take off from Dallas 

for the worst two-hour-and-eighteenminute 

flight of his life. The last hour 

on the ground had been pure agony for 

Swindal and everybody else: a hot, perspiring 

delay while Lyndon Johnson who did participate. “Three years in the SOArINg HIgHEr than 

taking 41,000 feet. But a trip that lifts us 

Jackie Kennedy was one of the few 

flight, and not even Swindal’s breath- 

waited for Texas judge Sarah Hughes to White House,” Manchester states, “had 

free from every last trace of this world’s 

drive out to the airport and swear in the given [Jackie] an abiding respect for her 

air Force one 

ugliness and hate, a trip beyond the 

new chief executive. There in the tail husband’s office. She understood the 

stars. Jesus promises us, “In my Father’s 

area of Air Force One was a large coffin, symbols of authority, the need for some 

Secret Service agents track its every move; from it all. He wanted to lift him higher house are many mansions. . . . I go to prepare 

a Britannia model, solid bronze. Kennedy’s 

semblance of national majesty after the 

people stationed in unmarked cars along than he’d ever been before, remove him a place for you. And if I go and prepare a 

bullet-riddled remains were in it. disaster, and so she came.” In the 

the route visually confirm its passage from the pain of earth, the danger of bul- 

place for you, I will come again, and receive 

Kennedy loyalists and Johnson staffers famous black-and-white photo by Cecil 

overhead. And this flight carried the dead lets and snipers and angry posters and you unto myself; that where I am, there ye 

filled the plane, sick to the soul as they Stoughton where Johnson is sworn in, 

body of the former president and also the cruel editorials. And so he did. In all his may be also” (John 14:2, 3, KJV). 

grappled with painful tragedy and awkward 

the widow of John Kennedy is standing 

new president. There was no backup, no life, Kennedy had never been so far above Paul knew much about assassinations; 

transition, as one administration right there next to him.* 

vice vice president. And 26000 had no earth before; the 707 roared toward the in fact, his own life ended tragically. But 

ended and the other one began, there in 

“Behold, I come 

military escort 

quickly 

for this trip. On the 

. . .” 

stars, climbing at the incredible rate of in 1 Thessalonians he writes about how 

the sticky humidity of the 707 with the Flight 

ground below, the Pentagon set Air Force 4,000 feet per minute. Swindal didn’t we’ll soon be lifted up, caught up in the 

disconnected air-conditioning. 

Then at 2:47 in the afternoon, CST, Air 

bases on standby alert, with pilots 

level off until they were at 41,000 feet, clouds. And then we’ll head out for a 

Our mission is to uplift Jesus Christ by presenting stories of His 

William Manchester’s standout book, Force One lifted off from Love Field. Just 

“belted in and ready to go.” 

approximately eight miles above the celestial journey that takes us far beyond 

The Death of a President, helps us focus: three hours and nine minutes earlier 

Captain Swindal had to fly that plane carrying 

news the dead body of his hero. His It was present workings, help the universe. for To knowing 

a city that’s home. It’s a 

scarred world and its miserable Friday. the clouds, to a city that’s the capital of 

Who should participate? Who should be the plane had touched matchless down for a victorious 

love, 

in the picture as Lyndon Johnson is 

sworn in? LBJ had already expressed in a parade. Spirits had been high; cel- 

November, with early sundowns. Flying west 

long, long way away, and frankly, we 

ebration and sunshine Him and confetti better, and to east hope to Washington, in D.C., His Air Force One soon return. 

want it to be a long, long way away from 

What a flight 

general announcement to the whole were in the air. Now nothing but darkness 

and tears. 

in darkness that made the gloom more that’s going rows of tombstones at Arlington 

was quickly immersed in shadows and then 

earth and sin and death and the endless 

plane: “If anybody wants to join in in the 

swearing-in ceremony, I would be happy Air Force One is the most secure plane 

unbearable. “It was the sickest plane I’ve ever 

National Cemetery. God’s angels will 

and proud to have you.” But Swindal in the world. Every trip is exceptionally 

been on,” Mac Kilduff, a Kennedy advisor, to be! 

gather His children together from the 

and many others were simply too griefstricken 

guarded in terms of its flight path. The 

told people later. But no one seemed to feel it 

four winds of heaven and lift us up to 

to join in. Their president was plane zigs and zags, taking unorthodox 

as did the captain. Manchester writes: “No 

meet our Lord in the air (see Mark 

lying in the box. 

routes for utmost secrecy. On the ground 

aircraft commander had ever been charged Flight—Again 

13:27). “And so shall we ever be with the 

with so grave a responsibility, yet he wondered 

Fifty years later our world is just as Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17). 

whether he could make it to Andrews. horribly scarred and miserable. It still Shout “Hallelujah,” friend of mine. 

He was near collapse. ‘It became,’ in his harbors assassins and hurt of every What a flight that’s going to be! n 

words, ‘a struggle to continue.’ ” 

kind. Hate is as cheap as the Internet. 

Swindal had clearance to take his Leaders fall to bullets or scandals. Terrorists 

* Quotations from William Manchester, The Death of 

a President (London: Pan Books, 1967). 

beloved president home at 29,000 feet, a 

obliterate our tallest buildings 

pretty standard level even today. Flights and slaughter our most innocent 

DaviD B. Smith is the author of 

often climb up to these levels to avoid infants, loved ones, and friends. We 

Finding Waldo and Rachel MaRie, 

turbulence. But with all that ache in his keep visiting more hospitals, attending 

stories set in his home country 

heart, and with the defiant skyline of more funerals, and standing in more 

of thailand. Lonnie meLa- 

Dallas just behind him, with all the cemeteries than we ever wanted to. We 

Shenko is a revivalist for the 

hatred of people, the cities, and angry need a Swindal flight. 

columbia union conference. 

civilizations just below him, spreading Except that what God’s Word promises 

out in all directions, Swindal 

is infinitely better. Not Dallas to Need 

wished he could take his Washington, D.C., not a Boeing 707, not Pix 

beloved president away two hours and eighteen minutes of 

18 22 8 6 

ARTICLES 

14 Dear Father . . . 

Sylvia Renz 

A son tries to answer 

his father’s decadesold 

questions. 

22 Highest Flight Ever 

David B. Smith and Lonnie 

Melashenko 

The night Air Force One 

carried a president’s body 

DEPARTMENTS 

4 Letters 

7 Page 7 

8 World News & 

Perspectives 

13 Give & Take 

17 Cliff’s Edge 

2 5 Back to Basics 

www.AdventistReview.org | November 21, 2013 | (1047) 23 

EDITORIALS 

6 Bill Knott 

Go Ask Erica 

7 Gerald A. Klingbeil 

Invisible Web 

ON THE COVER 

Southern Adventist University 

graduate student Catie Whiting 

shows a picture to children 

in a Masai village in Kenya 

during a mission trip in 2013. 

(Courtesy of Sharon Pittman) 

26 Married, but Alone 

on the Sabbath 

Katherine Carey 

A day of worship—for 

her but not for him 

29 The Life of Faith 

30 Etc. 

31 Reflections 

Next Week 

Cartography of Faith 

Not knowing where we’re 

going can be so traumatic that 

we can’t enjoy the journey. 

Publisher General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists ® , Executive Publisher Bill Knott, Associate Publisher Claude Richli, Publishing Board: Ted N. C. Wilson, chair; Benjamin D. Schoun, 

vice chair; Bill Knott, secretary; Lisa Beardsley-Hardy; Daniel R. Jackson; Robert Lemon; Geoffrey Mbwana; G. T. Ng; Daisy Orion; Juan Prestol; Michael Ryan; Ella Simmons; Mark Thomas; Karnik 

Doukmetzian, legal adviser. Editor Bill Knott, Associate Editors Lael Caesar, Gerald A. Klingbeil, Coordinating Editor Stephen Chavez, Online Editor Carlos Medley, Features Editor Sandra 

Blackmer, Young Adult Editor Kimberly Luste Maran, KidsView Editor Wilona Karimabadi, News Editor Mark A. Kellner, Operations Manager Merle Poirier, Financial Manager Rachel Child, 

Editorial Assistant Marvene Thorpe-Baptiste, Marketing Director Claude Richli, Editor-at-Large Mark A. Finley, Senior Advisor E. Edward Zinke, Art Director Bryan Gray, Design Daniel 

Añez, Desktop Technician Fred Wuerstlin, Ad Sales Glen Gohlke, Subscriber Services Steve Hanson. To Writers: Writer’s guidelines are available at the Adventist Review Web site: www.adventistreview.org 

and click “About the Review.” For a printed copy, send a self-addressed envelope to: Writer’s Guidelines, Adventist Review, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600. 

E-mail: revieweditor@gc.adventist.org. Web site: www.adventistreview.org. Postmaster: Send address changes to Adventist Review, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740-7301. Unless 

otherwise noted, Bible texts in this issue are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Unless 

otherwise noted, all photos are © Thinkstock 2013. The Adventist Review (ISSN 0161-1119), published since 1849, is the general paper of the Seventh-day Adventist ® Church. It is 

published by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists ® and is printed 36 times a year on the second, third, and fourth Thursdays of each month by the Review and 

Herald ® Publishing Association, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740. Periodical postage paid at Hagerstown, MD 21740. Copyright © 2013, General Conference 

of Seventh-day Adventists ® . PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. Vol. 190, No. 32 

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www.AdventistReview.org | November 21, 2013 | (1027) 3

inbox 

Letters From Our Readers 

Value in Brevity 

»» 

Stephen Chavez’s editorial 

“Beyond Words” (Oct. 24, 

2013) about using Holy 

Spirit-directed brevity in our 

communications is timely. 

There is value in completeness, 

but sometimes more so 

in brevity—it often invites 

further inquiry. The widely 

known columnist Walter 

Winchell was fond of telling 

this story of enforced brevity: 

A young cub reporter on a 

big metropolitan newspaper, 

assigned to write obituaries, 

was writing overly lengthy 

accounts many paragraphs 

long on the deaths of people 

of no particular station in 

life. Fed up with his wordiness, 

the editor threatened, 

“One more obit like this and 

you’ll be fired!” 

The reporter’s next assignment 

was to write about a 

death in a hotel. He reported 

it this way: “John K. Brown 

looked up the elevator shaft 

of the Jones Hotel today to 

see if the elevator was on its 

way down. It was. Age: 46.” 

Thereinafter the editor 

had no problem with the 

reporter’s obituaries. 

Brevity, yes, but that’s not 

our biggest problem. It is 

merely opening our mouths 

to speak a word for God’s 

truth “in season.” 

Herbert Ford 

Angwin, California 

Clergy Appreciation 

»» 

I appreciated the Review’s 

inclusion of “Seven Things 

Pastors Wish Their Congregation 

Would Do” on page 7 

of the October 24 edition. 

On an October Sabbath 

this year one of my congregations 

(I pastor two churches) 

gave me a public affirmation 

for Clergy Appreciation 

Month, as well as a very nice 

gift. This congregation does 

the same at Christmas and 

for my birthday. I feel very 

loved and appreciated by this 

congregation. 

On the other hand, my 

other church has never had 

any kind of public affirmation 

of my ministry, nor have 

I ever received any kind of 

gift for Clergy Appreciation 

Month, at Christmas, or my 

birthday. I know that I’m 

appreciated because I hear it 

from an individual member 

now and then, but it’s never 

been done in a public way. 

It’s amazing how different 

one congregation can be 

from another. Perhaps your 

article will inspire more 

churches to express their 

appreciation to their pastors. 

Name Withheld 

The Adventist Church 

Is Intentional 

»» 

I love that the Adventist 

Church is intentional in its 

planning. I love that its 

intentionality leads to strategic 

planning through surveys 

of Adventist members 

worldwide, Bible study, and 

the guidance of the Holy 

Spirit, as reported by Elizabeth 

Lechleitner in “Major 

Survey to Inform Adventist 

Church’s Next Strategic Plan” 

(Oct. 24). 

I also love the idea that 

“more Bible reading and 

prayer will probably be in 

every Adventist strategic 

plan until the world ends.” I 

pray that we, as members of 

the Adventist Church, will be 

intentional as well! May we 

study our Bibles and pray 

with the intent of getting to 

know Jesus our Savior better 

and of loving Him more 

fully! 

Betty Villarreal 

West Richland, Washington 

www.adventistreview.org 

October 17, 2013 

OctO ber 17, 2013 

Vol. 190, No. 29 

Adventists Lauded by 

Humane Society 

Building Bridges 

Following the 

Message 

»» 

I’m writing in regard to 

Arthur Chadwick and Ingo 

Sorke’s cover article “What 

on Earth Happened in 1844?” 

(Oct. 17, 2013). It is well documented 

what occurred to 

those believers who had 

responded to God’s prophetic 

words found in Daniel 

8:14. Another question is: 

What was our omniscient 

God doing by the message 

He sent to earth as presented 

in the tenth chapter of Revelation, 

for it describes the 

experience of those who 

embraced the prophetic 

Wi ling Hearts 

8 

14 

26 

preaching of Daniel 8:14? 

God was at work—from 

those believers He would 

launch His “remnant” people 

who “must prophesy again.” 

The 2300-year prophetic 

period has passed. Earth has 

entered Daniel’s “time of the 

end.” The message to be proclaimed 

is found in Revelation 

14:6-12. If Seventh-day 

Adventists were to abandon 

this mission, we would 

become a part of Babylon. 

Let us turn and live 

according to the appeal 

made by the everlasting gospel. 

We must not let Satan’s 

warfare turn us from the 

God-given mission (see Rev. 

12:17). Then through the 

heavens we can beam the 

message from tower to 

tower, saying, “O earth, it is 

the last, last hour. Jesus is 

coming again.” 

David Manzano 

Harriman, Tennessee 

The Prophetic 

Rendezvous of 1844 

»» 

Elijah Mvundura’s “The 

Prophetic Rendezvous of 

1844” (Oct. 17) is one very 

difficult article to read. I 

found that the language 

4 (1028) | www.AdventistReview.org | November 21, 2013

nearly choked my understanding 

of this work. I “got 

the drift” of the conclusion, 

but I would’ve appreciated 

reading it without needing 

to have a Thesaurus at my 

fingertip. Maybe a second or 

third reading will help clarify 

it more. 

Janice Schnurr 

via e-mail 

Allure of the Church 

»» 

Jimmy Phillips’ article 

“Allure of the Church” (Oct. 

10, 2013) has started a train 

of thought. As I think of the 

life of Christ, the lives of the 

apostles Paul and Peter, and 

the lives of our early Seventh-day 

Adventist Church 

pioneers, I notice this: Their 

lives were characterized by 

self-denial and self-sacrifice. 

It is crucial to realize that 

self-denial and self-sacrifice, 

which are also frequently 

mentioned in the Spirit of 

Prophecy writings, apply to a 

host of things, from luxury 

cruises to personal adornment, 

men’s toys, tickets to 

commercial sporting events, 

elaborate homes, and fancy 

cars. 

There are people having 

trouble putting food on the 

table, or who are struggling 

to send their children to our 

schools. There are AIDS 

orphans and famine victims 

in Africa. These people could 

benefit from our self-denial 

and self-sacrifice. 

We would do well to heed 

these words from Ellen G. 

White: “Should we dress in 

plain, modest apparel without 

reference to the fashions; 

should our tables at all times 

be set with simple, healthful 

food, avoiding all luxuries, 

all extravagance; should our 

houses be built with becoming 

plainness, and furnished 

in the same manner, it would 

show the sanctifying power 

of the truth and would have 

a telling influence upon 

unbelievers” (Testimonies for 

the Church, vol. 5, p. 206). 

Does self-denial and selfsacrifice 

cause people to be 

sad-faced and joyless? It 

didn’t seem to do that to 

Jesus, Paul, or Peter—or 

Ellen White. 

Donald E. Casebolt 

College Place, Washington 

Theological Articles 

»» 

Thank you for your recent 

magazine editions containing 

articles on theology 

dealing with 1844, 1888, and 

other issues that have 

divided the church for many 

generations. I refer to the 

topics of “last generation 

holiness,” “universal legal 

justification,” and the nature 

of Christ’s humanity. (Actually, 

the human Christ was 

not like Adam either before 

or after the Fall. He was 

unique.) 

These are topics and questions 

that need to be dealt 

with. Thanks for being brave 

enough to tackle them. 

Beatrice Neall 

Ooltewah, TN 

Still Reading 

»» 

I’ve been a reader of the Adventist 

Review since my college 

days (1953-1958) as copies 

were available on the monitor’s 

counter in the dorm 

lobby. I would pick one up as 

copies of The Youth’s Instructor 

were placed in each room by 

the Friday monitor. 

I loved the Review then, and 

I’m still reading it. I’ve been a 

subscriber for many years. 

Thank you for this 

magazine. 

Lydia Valido 

Waipahu, Hawaii 

Understandable 

»» 

Thank you for printing 

Andy Nash’s “No One Close: 

The Finest Adventist Author” 

(Sept. 19, 2013). This article 

has shown me how I can 

compare Ellen White’s writings 

to the Bible to see how I 

“Brevity, yes, but that’s not our biggest problem. It is 

merely opening our mouths to speak a word for God’s truth 

in season. 

” 

—herbert ford, Angwin, California 

“I pray that we, as members of the 

Adventist Church, will be intentional 

as well! 

” 

—Betty villarreal, West Richland, Washington 

can get God in my life. I’ve 

read parts of the Bible again 

and again and never really 

understood it. But now I will 

be able to read a section of 

the Bible then 

see what 

White has 

written about 

it. I can now 

understand 

what I’m reading and how I 

can relate it to my life. 

Thank you so much for 

showing this awesome way 

to me, I can now understand 

God’s word and share it with 

others better. 

Amber B. 

Niles, Michigan 

We welcome your letters, noting, 

as always, that inclusion of a letter 

in this section does not imply that 

the ideas expressed are endorsed by 

either the editors of the Adventist 

Review or the General Conference. 

Short, specific, timely letters have 

the best chance at being published 

(please include your complete 

address and phone number—even 

with e-mail messages). Letters will 

be edited for space and clarity only. 

Send correspondence to Letters to 

the Editor, Adventist Review, 12501 

Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 

20904-6600; Internet: letters@ 

adventistreview.org. 


Editorials 

Bill 

Knott 

Each edition 

shines with 

clarity and 

grace. 

Go Ask Erica 

Jack and Marcia stand beside the shepherd at the sanctuary 

door, eyes alight with holy joy, hair still damp from the still waters of the baptistry. Erica, not quite 

4 and resplendent in her favorite purple dress, dances around them excitedly, knowing only that 

something big is happening and that she and her parents are at the center of it. 

The line of church members greeting the newly baptized couple at the exit is deliberately slow. 

This isn’t a moment to be rushed. The congregation hasn’t witnessed the baptism of an undivided 

family in six years, and there is—even though this is an Adventist church—an unmistakable 

mood of celebration. 

* * * * * * 

Jack and Marcia take the off-ramp from the interstate on their way to the Saturday “Price- 

Buster Day” at the Eastfield shopping mall. Erica, suddenly alert, points excitedly out the rear 

passenger window as the Camry passes within hailing distance of the modest brick church. “Are 

we going to Sabbath school, Daddy? Are we, are we?” she squeals in anticipated delight. “It’s been 

so long, Mommy. And I wonder if my favorite lamb is still there—you know, the one with the 

brown nose? Why don’t we go there anymore?” 

* * * * * * 

It is the least-acknowledged fact of our life together, the topic we would rather not discuss. 

Fully 25 percent of those who join our fellowship by baptism or profession of faith have disappeared 

within the first 12 months of membership, taking with them their hope, their joys, and 

gifts the Spirit intended us to have. 

“It’s just the price of doing the Lord’s business,” someone says in explanation. “You win some; 

you lose some. It’s that way in every human enterprise.” 

“No church bats 1,000 percent,” another quickly adds. “It’s not our fault that they fell away 

from faith and stopped coming to church. They probably never really understood what they were 

doing in the first place. Being an Adventist isn’t always easy, you know.” 

All of which seems remarkably clear-eyed and sensible, unless your name is Jack or Marcia—or 

Erica. So long as we continue to congratulate ourselves on the fact that most of the flock is still 

intact, we will not sorrow overmuch when some wander off and get lost; when wolves pick off the 

stragglers or the doctrinally unsure; when chairs go empty and woolly lambs remain unloved in 

the Kindergarten room. We did the best we could. 

Really? 

Among the ways of caring for the newest members of the church is a highly effective way of 

bringing all that Adventism has to offer to their mailboxes every week. For 15 years, thousands 

of generous Review readers have been sponsoring a one-year subscription—36 faith-filled, hopeinspiring 

issues—to those who have just joined this movement. Each edition shines with clarity 

and grace—with news, and Bible study, and stories of God’s everyday salvation. 

The New Believer plan takes your $15 gift, matches it with gifts from other ministry partners, 

and helps thousands of the “youngest” members of the flock find their feet in those challenging 

first months. Those who experience that kind of steady, strong support through this magazine 

and from fellow members invariably stay. 

One hundred dollars blesses six; $500 blesses 33. One thousand dollars keeps the equivalent of 

a small church—67 new believers—safely in the fold. 

Not those we win . . . but those we keep. That’s how the Shepherd counts His sheep. 

Send your gift of any size in the attached envelope by Christmas, and we’ll send you a KEEP HIS 

SHEEP lapel pin to wear with joy—and commitment. Send a love gift of $100, and we’ll send you 

a copy of Bradley Booth’s new book, Showers of Grasshoppers and Other Miracle Stories From Africa, to 

thank you for your caring. 

Are these new believers worth it? 

Go ask Erica. n 


Invisible Web 

God’s invisible web connecting Adventists all around the 

world is truly amazing. I was recently privileged to participate in an Adventist Heritage Tour 

organized by Sue Patzer from the North Pacific Union Conference. On our first day, I met Shirley 

and Larry Panasuk of College Place, Washington. Before his retirement, Gary worked for the 

United States Department of Agriculture as part of its embassy staff all around the globe. From 

1990 to 1995 Shirley and Larry had been stationed in Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey, a country with 

very few Seventh-day Adventists. He told me how he had received a phone call one day from a 

young Turkish woman who announced that she was a Seventh-day Adventist and was looking for 

Adventist brothers and sisters. Her name was Melek. 

When he mentioned that name my wife, Chantal, and I looked at each other. Could it be? Melek 

and her young daughter, Pelen, had been our neighbors in our first year of married life living in a 

tiny flat on the campus of Helderberg College, South Africa. Melek’s conversion had begun with a 

South African Adventist tour group. Melek had been their tour guide, and God had found her in 

Turkey. Friends helped her study at Helderberg College, and she later went to Andrews University, 

where she met her husband, David. Both have been active in service for Jesus over the past 20 years. 

Why do I tell you this story? God’s timing and His web design are impeccable. This particular 

part of God’s web connected an American couple serving in Turkey, a Turkish woman searching 

for peace and purpose, and a German studying in South Africa. God not only owns the cattle on 

a thousand hills—He knows every one of His creatures and wants to make us part of His divine 

web. I am looking forward to the time I will see God’s intricate web design of my life, the impact 

that I have had on others and that others have had on me. 

Standing around the throne of the Lamb promises to be exciting. n 

Gerald A. 

Klingbeil

World News & Perspectives 

photo: Courtesy La Sierra University 

REACCREDITED: La Sierra University recently received a three-year accreditation from the Adventist Accrediting Association. 

■■NORTH AMERICA 

La Sierra University Receives 

Adventist Accrediting 

Association Renewal 

BY MARK A. KELLNER, news editor 

La Sierra University (LSU), a Seventhday 

Adventist-owned educational institution 

in Riverside, California, received a 

three-year accreditation through 2016, 

following a vote by the Adventist Accrediting 

Association (AAA) board, which met 

Wednesday, October 9, in Silver Spring, 

Maryland. 

Formally known as the Accrediting 

Association of Seventh-day Adventist 

Schools, Colleges, and Universities, the 

AAA is the denominational accrediting 

authority for all tertiary and graduate 

educational programs and institutions 

owned by Seventh-day Adventist 

Church entities. The organization meets 

twice each year to receive reports and 

take actions to certify the uniquely Adventist 

identity of the church’s 112 

institutions of higher learning. Colleges 

and universities are typically accredited 

for specified periods of time, and 25 

institutions were considered at the 

October 9 meeting. 

The maximum term granted for 

accreditation is five years, Lisa Beardsley-Hardy, 

director of education for the 

Seventh-day Adventist world church 

and chair of the AAA board, said. The 

three-year accreditation was granted 

following an April 2013 AAA committee’s 

report of “good progress” by La 

Sierra administrators in addressing 

items brought to their attention during 

a 2010 AAA site visit. The AAA action 

Wednesday also specified that another 

“focused visit”—the terms of which 

Beardsley-Hardy did not specify— 

would take place after the first year of 

the new accreditation term. 

The La Sierra accreditation decision 

was made after “a thorough and careful 

deliberation,” Beardsley-Hardy said. She 

also expressed “optimism that they 

[La Sierra] will continue to make 

progress.” 

Commenting on the action, La 

Sierra University president Randal R. 

Wisbey said, “La Sierra University 

appreciates the AAA board recognizing 

the good progress that the university 

is making and its grant of full 

accreditation through 2016. We will 

continue to build on the many commendations 

of the visiting team and 

will continue to follow through on 

their recommendations.” 

According to the AAA handbook: 

“Through the accreditation process, the 

institution demonstrates how it aligns 

its efforts and resources to provide the 

best academic education possible— 

while also nurturing faith in God and 

preparing students for positions of 

leadership in their communities and 

churches. The accreditation process 

helps the institution accomplish these 

goals.” 

The accreditation issue—which 

includes denominational recognition by 

the church and qualifies a school for 

denominational appropriations—arose 

following a two-year controversy over 

La Sierra’s teachings on origins. Beginning 

in 2009, critics—including some 

church leaders, laypersons, and LSU 

students—claimed that the school 

taught the theory of evolution to biology 

students as the explanation for the 

origin of life (see Adventist Review, Apr. 

15, 2010, http://bit.ly/1dQ JcEw). n 


■■Philippines 

Outpouring of Prayer and Support in 

Wake of Devastating Typhoon 

ADRA preparing initial response; GC president Wilson calls for united prayer 

BY ADVENTIST NEWS NETWORK staff 

photo: Moises Musico/ADRA Philippines 

Seventh-day Adventists worldwide 

are rallying support and prayers in 

the wake of what is likely the Philippines’ 

worst natural disaster, and one of the 

most powerful recorded typhoons to 

ever hit land. 

Super Typhoon Haiyan barreled 

across the central islands of the archipelago 

beginning November 8, flattening 

entire towns with 195-mph 

sustained winds and a massive storm 

surge more often associated with a tsunami, 

news reports said. 

With cell towers toppled, widespread 

power outages, and roads clogged with 

debris, communication—especially to 

remote rural areas—remains “very challenging,” 

according to a situation report 

from the Adventist Development and 

Relief Agency (ADRA), the church’s 

humanitarian arm. 

“We are still trying to connect with 

our people, pastors, church members, 

and loved ones in the hardest-hit areas,” 

said Adelaida Ortilano, ADRA Philippines 

office coordinator. 

General Conference president Ted N. 

C. Wilson, in Manila for the church’s 

Southern Asia-Pacific Division year-end 

meetings when the typhoon struck, 

DEVASTATION: A family sifts through 

what is left of their home after supertyphoon 

Yoland hit Northern Cebu 

photo: Moises Musico/ADRA Philippines 

urged Adventists worldwide to join him 

in “special prayer” for those in the central 

Philippines “who received such a 

devastating blow.” Wilson also led a 

prayer service for the victims during a 

large rally in Manila on Saturday. 

“Certainly this is the time for the Seventh-day 

Adventist Church to show 

Christ’s compassion and power to help 

rebuild lives,” Wilson said in a statement 

from the Manila International Airport. 

ADRA aid crews have been on the 

ground in the Philippines since last 

week, tracking the typhoon’s anticipated 

path and poised for rapid assessment, 

ADRA officials said. 

Moises Musico, ADRA program officer 

and emergency coordinator, stationed in 

Bohol before the typhoon hit on Friday, 

immediately left to assess destruction in 

northern Cebu. “The damage we are seeing 

so far is huge and scattered. . . . We 

are expecting huge numbers of damaged 

homes and displaced residents,” 

Musico said after an initial assessment. 

ADRA’s emergency management team 

is focusing on northern Cebu, Bohol, 

and Iloilo, where aid workers are preparing 

to distribute shelter, food, and 

clean water. 

SEEKING SHELTER: Survivors attempt to 

build a temporary shelter from debris after 

super-typhoon Yolanda devastated parts 

of the central Philippines. 

The ADRA Philippines office owns 

water purifiers, deployed to provide 

potable water to devastated communities, 

officials said. A technical support 

team from ADRA Germany is expected to 

assist in the implementation of this 

purification system. 

ADRA Philippines is planning to send 

an appeal for donations to regional 

ADRA offices around the world. Needs 

are “overwhelming,” a news release 

from the office said. Emergency funds in 

the country are dwindling because of a 

series of recent disasters, including 

October’s 7.2 magnitude earthquake. 

Philippine president Benigno Aquino 

declared a “state of calamity” in the 

country on November 10. Philippines 

officials estimate that at least 10,000 

people may have died in the storm. If 

confirmed, it would make Typhoon Haiyan 

the country’s worst recorded natural 

disaster. 

The Adventist world church expects 

to contribute funds to relief efforts, Wilson 

said. As news of the super typhoon 

spread, Seventh-day Adventist congregations 

around the world already began 

a response. In Vancouver, British 

Columbia, Canada, the Vancouver Filipino 

Seventh-day Adventist Church held 

a special prayer service November 9, and 

was visited by local media. 

“Most of my family is there where the 

typhoon path is. The last time I heard 

from them was just when the typhoon 

hit. I have not heard from them today. I 

am worrying, I am praying for them and 

I hope that all of them are OK,” Vancouver 

Filipino Adventist Church member 

Johanna Trinidad told the Canada-based 

Global News service. n 

—with additional reporting by Adventist 

Review staff 



■■WORLD CHURCH 

Annual Council Ends With Flurry of 

Administrative, Ministry Actions 

BY ELIZABETH LECHLEITNER, Adventist News Network 

Deacons and deaconesses in the 

Seventh-day Adventist Church—a force 

of 700,000 who support church activities 

worldwide, particularly in congregations 

lacking a full-time pastor—will 

now be supported by the church’s Ministerial 

Association, thanks to an October 

16 vote by Annual Council 

delegates. 

The move was one of several actions 

taken on the final day of the yearly gathering 

of Seventh-day Adventist leaders 

from around the world, held this year in 

Silver Spring, Maryland. 

Jonas Arrais, associate secretary for 

Elders and Ministerial Training, asked 

delegates to officially place deacons and 

deaconesses under the auspices of the 

association, which already supports 

church pastors and local elders. 

Arrais explained that fewer than 

30,000 pastors oversee the Adventist 

world church’s 140,000 congregations. 

The church’s 250,000 elders are often 

recognized—rightfully so—as surrogate 

pastors, he said, but the work of 

the church’s 700,000 deacons and deaconesses 

often goes unacknowledged 

and unsupported. 

“When Jesus came to earth, He came 

to serve. The ministry of Jesus as a servant 

is the model for the ministry of 

deacons and deaconesses,” Arrais said. 

“They have a deep spirit of service. We 

need to recognize, we need to value, the 

work of these volunteers.” 

Delegates approved the request 

unanimously. 

At the meeting, Andrews University 

president Niels-Erik Andreasen introduced 

a new Bible commentary to be 

published by the university’s press in 

2015. The commentary is a companion 

to the previously released Andrews Study 

Bible, Andreasen said. It is being edited 

photo: Ansel Oliver/Adventist News Network 

CHANGES PROPOSED: Adventist Church 

undersecretary Myron Iseminger introduced 

several suggested policy adjustments 

at Annual Council on October 16, 

2013. 

by former Biblical Research Institute 

director Ángel Manuel Rodríguez and 

written by an international team of Adventist 

Bible scholars. 

Andreasen said the new commentary 

would deepen readers’ understanding 

of biblical themes, going section by section 

rather than verse by verse. Verses, 

he explained, were not added to the 

Bible until later, making thematic study 

of the Scriptures essential. 

Delegates each received a printed 

sample of selected portions of the commentary. 

The General Conference is 

assisting Andrews University in funding 

the project. 

During the meeting, GC president Ted 

N. C. Wilson took to the microphone to 

draw attention to the “distinction” 

between church and institutional structure. 

Some church entities, he said, now 

use the title “vice president for finance” 

instead of the traditional “treasurer.” 

Similarly, he said, some church administrators 

now favor “vice president for 

administration” over “secretary.” 

“This is not as it should be. Please use 

the correct nomenclature,” Wilson said. 

“When you use the other nomenclature, 

you are setting up a presidential system. 

Within the church, we report to the 

Executive Committee, not the president. 

We work in consultation.” 

Later delegates approved several 

reorganization requests from local 

church administrative units. The Indian 

Ocean Union Mission and Botswana 

Union Mission will each become union 

conferences, a move that recognizes 

self-sufficiency in leadership and 

finances. 

“It hasn’t been easy to gain union 

conference status in some parts of the 

world,” said Pardon Mwansa, a general 

vice president of the General Conference. 

“This is a huge accomplishment. 

Congratulations and blessings.” 

Delegates also approved the reorganization 

of the Kenya Union Mission into 

two union conferences—the East Kenya 

Union Conference and West Kenya 

Union Conference. Similarly, the Tanzania 

Union Mission will split into the 

North Tanzania Union Conference and 

the South Tanzania Union Mission. 

Delegates also voted to grant union 

mission status to the North East Congo 

Attached Territory. All reorganizations 

will go into effect by December 31, 

allowing the newly created administrative 

units to send delegates to the 2015 

General Conference session. 

Earlier in the week, Annual Council 

delegates also voted to receive a statement 

from the recent International 

Urban Mission Conference, in which the 

church pledged to make significant 

efforts to reach large cities, particularly 

those without a Seventh-day Adventist 

presence. The statement calls for a 

“twice-yearly reporting and assessment 

system that informs the church about 

urban mission objectives, activities, and 

progress.” 

Delegates this week also celebrated 

the success of the Great Controversy 

Project, an initiative to distribute copies 

of The Great Controversy, authored by Adventist 

Church cofounder Ellen G. 

White. More than 142 million copies 

have been distributed since the initia- 


tive launched in 2011. 

Many people joined the Adventist 

Church through the initiative, including 

Marcelo Pereira dos Santos and his family, 

from Brazil. “We understand that 

this is only the beginning of a new life,” 

said dos Santos, who addressed delegates 

from the stage. “I hope my life and 

testimony will be useful to many brothers 

and sisters who have not yet realized 

the infinite love of God.” n 

—additional reporting by Mark A. Kellner 

■■WORLD CHURCH 

Ten Years On, 

Adventist 

Church’s Hope 

Channel Claims 

Global Victories 

New Philippines channel 

launched during Annual 

Council report 

BY MARK A. KELLNER, news editor 

Devir Magaad uses his own strength 

to operate a pedicab—a tricycle with a 

large seat for passengers and cargo— 

through the streets of Cagayan de Oro 

City, capital of the southern province of 

Mindanao in the Republic of the Philippines. 

For that arduous work he makes 

perhaps US$5 per day. 

Although Magaad is not yet a member 

of the Seventh-day Adventist 

Church, he was so inspired by the Adventist 

message and the potential for 

Christian television via a new Hope 

Channel Philippines, that he’s committed 

to donate 50 Philippine pesos, about 

US$1.16, weekly to help the outreach 

grow. 

“I’m here to willingly give my donation,” 

Magaad says to a camera filming 

his visit to a Seventh-day Adventist 

Church office. “I feel so happy to help 

the Lord’s work.” 

That spirit, augmented by the commitment 

of millions around the globe, 

has propelled Hope Channel, a General 

Conference-owned network now consisting 

of 15 different satellite and 

broadcast operations spanning the 

globe and using a dozen or more languages. 

Delegates to the 2013 Annual 

Council heard a report celebrating the 

PHOTO: Brandan Roberts/ANN 

PHILIPPINES EXPANSION: Alberto C. Gulfan, president of the church’s Southern Asia- 

Pacific Division, explains the plans for Hope Channel Philippines to Hope Channel executives 

Kandus Thorp, vice president for programming and international development, 

center, and Brad Thorp, Hope Channel president. 

tenth anniversary of Hope Channel’s 

launch, which took place at the 2003 

yearly business meeting, and witnessed 

the formal launch of the Philippines’ 

station. 

Brad Thorp, Hope Channel president, 

recalled “a history of miracles” in the 

course of developing the network. In 

the past few years Germany adjusted its 

broadcast standards to allow “single 

point-of-view” religious stations to 

operate in the nation, something that 

hadn’t been possible in more than six 

decades. Thorp noted that Hope Channel 

Germany was the first such station 

licensed by the government there. A 

similar license was approved in Bulgaria, 

and an application is pending in 

Russia, he added. 

Hope has added service for the Middle 

East/North Africa region, India and 

China, Thorp said. The organization 

now has 65,000 hours of programming 

available for broadcast. And such programs 

are bringing results, he added, 

quoting Erton Köhler, South American 

Division president: “Every week, thousands 

of people come into Adventist 

churches because of the Hope 

Channel.” 

But it was the story of the Philippines 

opening that likely had the most 

emotional impact on the Annual Council 

audience. The three Seventh-day Adventist 

Church unions in the country, 

along with the Southern Asia-Pacific 

Division, headquartered near Manila, 

have established three media centers to 

serve production needs. However, 

licenses and related costs had to be 

met, a total, division president Alberto 

C. Gulfan said, of 520 million Philippine 

pesos, or approximately US$12 

million. Broadcast licenses have 

already been obtained for five of the 

nation’s largest cities, and 36 more 

applications are due to be filed, Thorp 

added. 



Thus was born a campaign to get 

100,000 of the Philippine’s 1 million Seventh-day 

Adventists to pledge 20 pesos, 

about 46 cents U.S., every Sabbath for the 

next five years. It is to this campaign that 

pedicab driver Magaad is donating. 

“When I first saw that [video] clip,” 

Thorpe said, “I wept. This is the vision 

of taking the gospel to the cities.” n 

■■north america 

Kenyan Adventist Wins NYC Marathon’s 

Women’s Section 

Also, Colorado Adventists raise funds for vulnerable children 

Seventh-day Adventists 

played several roles in 

the 2013 INC New York City 

Marathon on November 3, 

2013. A Kenyan Adventist 

won the women’s division of 

the race, along with a U.S. 

$500,000 prize. 

Also, two Adventists from 

Colorado ran to help vulnerable 

children around the 

world. 

Kenyan Priscah Jeptoo not 

only participated in her first 

New York City Marathon 

that day, but also finished 

photo: AP/Kathy Willens 

Need caption head: Priscah Jeptoo (center) a 

Seventh-day Adventist from Kenya, poses with 

fellow competitors after winning the women’s 

title at the New York City Marathon on November 

3. Jeptoo is a member of the Adventist Athletic 

Association in Kenya. 

first, with a time of 2:25:07. She crossed the line 49 seconds 

ahead of the second-place women’s finisher, Buzunesh 

Deba. With the victory, Jeptoo earned the World Marathon 

Majors women’s title, and the $500,000 bonus that comes 

with it. 

Jeptoo’s church pastor, Noah Kipkoeth Chumo, says that 

the church prayed for her. “We are very thankful for Priscah. 

She and her husband are very dedicated and committed to 

the church.” Chumo explains that Jeptoo’s husband has 

been called to be a deacon in the church next year, adding 

that “when she comes back from New York, we will have a 

special celebration.” 

(Editor’s Note: The January 2014 issue of Adventist World magazine 

will feature a longer report on Jeptoo’s win.) 

Among the 50,000 other enthusiastic runners were David 

Kennedy (right), pastor of the Newday Christian Seventhday 

Adventist Church in Parker, Colorado, and his friend 

and church member Scott Miller. The Coloradans ran with 

Team World Vision to raise awareness of vulnerable children 

worldwide. 

Kennedy said, “Our church has worked with World Vision 

for the past 10 years in Rwanda, so we’ve seen firsthand the 

Photo: Courtesy of David Kennedy and Scott Miller 

GOING THE DISTANCE: David Kennedy 

(right) and Scott Miller ran the New York 

City Marathon to raise money for vulnerable 

children. They attend the Newday Seventh-day 

Adventist Church in Parker, Colorado, 

where Kennedy is the pastor. 

way they are able to transform a community through child 

sponsorship. When we were invited to run the New York 

City Marathon to raise awareness and money for child protection, 

it was a win-win—support a fantastic organization 

that does incredible work rescuing and protecting vulnerable 

children, and get to run one of the most epic marathons 

in the world.” 

The 32-member Team World Vision collectively raised 

more than $208,000, with donations still coming in. Kennedy 

exceeded his personal fund-raising goal of $6,100, and 

finished the race in 3:44:52. Miller exceeded his goal of 

$5,000, and finished the marathon in 3:43:46. “That money 

will be used in places such as Bangladesh and Cambodia to 

fight child slavery and sex trafficking,” Kennedy said. 

During the race, when things got tough, he said, “We 

thought of children in dark places all over the world, and 

that gave us motivation to keep running. We were running 

for them.” 

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization 

that tackles the causes of poverty and injustice regardless of 

religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. n 

—reported by Adventist Review staff and Diane Thurber 


poem 

Lilacs 

The sun set slowly 

As the teardrops spilled on 

Lilacs she caressed 

In trembling hands. 

Theirs had been a marriage to 

remember, 

A love affair grown sweeter with the 

years. 

We’ll soon be climbing mountains hand 

in hand 

Together was the thought she savored 

As she pictured sun-filled, glory-morned 

tomorrows. 

They would see the Master they both 

loved 

Together, and would share more com 

mon joy— 

Of things God has prepared 

For those who love Him all the way to 

death 

And wait with patience 

For His blessed return. 

—Ritchie Worley, Smithfield, North Carolina 

Sound Bite 

“Anyone can be a 

member. But it 

takes a real commitment 

to 

Jesus Christ to 

be a disciple.” 

—Pastor Hal Butman, Berkeley 

Springs, West Virginia 

adventist life 

Our children, Judy and Jimmy, were the first grandchildren 

in the family. My two brothers, Bill and Roy, 

were visiting around Christmas and wanted to hear 

their prayers at bedtime. At that time, there were two 

important things on the children’s minds: our big yellow 

cat that had sore, frostbitten ears, and my husband, 

who was a smoker. 

We all knelt down, and when it was time for Jimmy 

to pray, he said, “Dear Jesus, Please help Daddy’s ears 

to get well and the kitty to stop smoking.” My brothers 

clapped their hands over their mouths until the prayer 

was over and they could laugh. 

—Genevieve McIntosh, who submitted this prior to 

passing away in 2012, was from Pensacola, Florida 

adventist life 

We are looking for brief submissions in these 

categories: 

Sound Bites (quotes, profound or spontaneous) 

Adventist Life (short anecdotes, especially from 

the world of adults) 

Camp Meeting Memories (150 words or less) 

Jots and Tittles (church-related tips) 

Please send your submissions to Give & Take, Adventist 

Review, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, 

MD 20904-6600; fax: 301-680-6638; e-mail: 

marank@gc.adventist.org. Please include phone number, 

and city and state from which you are writing. 

© terry crews 

November 21, 2013 | (1037) 13

Heart and Soul: 

Biblical Studies 

Dear 

Father . . . 

A letter marking a changed life 


BY SYLVIA RENZ 

Steve Creitz © www.goodsalt.com 

My dear Father, 

When you hold this letter in your 

hands, you will have already greeted my 

brothers and will have heard that I am 

still alive. I know it must be hard to 

believe. You saw my coat, ripped and 

splattered with blood. You thought I was 

dead—torn to pieces by a wild animal. 

But the blood on my coat was not mine. 

A little lamb died, and I am alive. My 

heart bursts with joy over the thought of 

seeing you again. I have longed to see 

you for many years. I wish you would 

come to me with the whole family. I have 

already prepared everything for you: 

houses, herds, stables, and apartments 

for the shepherds. Everything is ready, 

and your new home will be in the best 

part of the country, in Goshen. 

If you still doubt the news, please step 

outside your tent. You will see a carriage 

with Pharaoh’s coat of arms. It’s my carriage 

I have sent to you, so you may 

travel comfortably to Egypt. Lose no time 

in departing, because the famine will 

last another five years, and I do not want 

my family to suffer any longer. Come to 

me in Egypt, and I will take care of you, 

because I am at the source of food. 

Father, you must be shaking your head 

right now. Let me explain to you what 

has happened in the past years. 

*** 

But first things first: please forgive my 

brothers. I forgave them long ago for 

what they did to me. Forgive them as 

well. We were all young and foolish 

then. They allowed anger to take control 

of them. They saw your great love for 

me and were jealous. I was immature 

and boasted with your love, as if I were 

better than they were. Remember, you 

made me that special coat with long 

sleeves. It was truly fit for a prince, and I 

wore it with pride. But I didn’t realize 

the pain it caused my brothers. They felt 

second-best. 

Do you remember the two dreams? I 

dreamed that my brothers’ sheaves 

would bow down before my sheaf, and 

that the sun and moon and 11 stars 

showed me reverence. I didn’t know 

then what those dreams meant, but I 

felt good about them. You know me: I 

was never satisfied with being mediocre. 

I wanted to reach the very top, and 

you mostly supported me in this. The 

second dream went too far, you said, 

but I did not make it up. It came to me, 

unbidden, but not undesired (sigh). Yes, 

I admit that I was arrogant and vain. But, 

thank God, life has taken care of that. 

*** 

How long has it been? Twenty-two 

years? You also have probably never forgotten 

that day. You sent me to look for 

my brothers. They had roamed far, seeking 

fresh pasture for our sheep. After 

not hearing from them for a long time, 

you got worried. I got lost on the way, so 

it took me a few days to find my brothers 

and our herds. 

I have traveled 

to you so many 

times in my 

thoughts. 

The very sight of me made them 

angry. Maybe they thought I was spying 

on them. I had done it often enough, 

and now I am sad about it, because it 

created a wall between us. 

But now this wall has been torn 

down, because we are reconciled to one 

another and have forgiven one another. 

So I plead with you: forgive them also. Forgive 

them for lying to you. They broke 

your heart when they told you I was 

dead. In reality they dumped me into a 

dry cistern. I thought that would be my 

end; the walls were so steep—I never 

would have been able to get out on my 

own again. That night in the cistern was 

terrible! My only consolation was in 

seeing the stars. They shone unwaveringly 

upon me, and I felt as if they were 

calling to me: Do not be afraid. Above the 

starry sky is a living God. Do not be downcast. 

God sees you. God cares for you. Initially, 

however, it didn’t seem as though 

God cared. 

The next morning my brothers pulled 

me out of the cistern. They were still 

angry. They wanted to get rid of me. Fortunately, 

they did not kill me, but sold 

me to traders. Father, please do not 

punish my brothers. They did not know 

what they were doing. They wanted to 

hurt me, but God used it to shape and bless 

me. After all, that’s what really counts, 

isn’t it, Father? 

The slave traders treated me like livestock. 

They tied my hands and dragged 

me along—no use weeping and wailing. 

They made camp for the night quite 

close to our tents. I was so hoping that 

one of our shepherds would come along 

and see me. He would have set me free, 

and I would have returned to you 

immediately. But no! None of our people 

were to be seen. 

Then our path led through the mountains 

of Seir. Your brother, Esau, lives 

there and requires a toll from all the 

traveling caravans. But his soldiers did 

not recognize me. At first I was bitterly 

disappointed and thought God had forgotten 

me. But now I know: I needed to 

come to Egypt. And you will also understand 

why I had to come here. 

*** 

In Egypt one of Pharaoh’s officers 

bought me. Potiphar was the captain of 

the royal bodyguard. He had a big house 

and many slaves. At first I was given 

humble jobs to do. I took great pains in 

doing them well. Father, I thank you 

that I learned to work at home. You 

taught me to do tasks thoroughly and 

conscientiously. And I have felt every 

day, every hour, that God is close to me. 

I did all my work with God watching 

over me, and I was successful. Gradually, 

I gained the trust of my master. 

Potiphar promoted me to his personal 

assistant and left me to manage his 

entire household. 

It was an exciting time! In Potiphar’s 

palace I met famous Egyptians, military 

commanders, and officials, because everyone 

with name and rank was Potiphar’s 

guest. I stood quietly in the background at 

these feasts, but my ears and eyes were 

wide open. I learned about politics and 


what’s important in ruling a country. 

All looked well. Unfortunately Potiphar’s 

wife had her own plans. She 

thought she was in love with me. She 

constantly tried to flirt with me—a 

slight touch of my hand, a coy look in 

my direction. But I did not give in to her 

advances. Could I disappoint God or 

deceive my master, who trusted me? 

One day she laid a trap for me, and 

when I refused, she screamed for help 

and accused me hysterically of wanting 

to rape her. She put on a great act, but I 

am not sure that Potiphar believed her. 

However, he had to watch his reputation, 

so he had me arrested and put into 

prison. Not the prison for common 

criminals, but the prison for political 

prisoners. 

*** 

The first few months were hard, but 

before long the prison master figured 

out how he could make life easier for 

himself. He began giving me more and 

more responsibility. I had free access to 

the political prisoners. At that time I 

learned even more about politics, diplomacy, 

and the intrigues at court. 

I spent more than two years in prison, 

when suddenly I was taken before Pha- 

raoh. He needed me to interpret his 

dreams. Word had gotten out that I had 

correctly interpreted the dreams of the 

palace baker and cupbearer. Pharaoh 

was greatly disturbed by two dreams 

that God had sent him. And God showed 

me what He wanted to tell Pharaoh. God 

warned the king about a devastating 

seven-year-long famine. However, the 

harvests in the seven years preceding 

the famine would be abundant. 

I suggested to Pharaoh that grain 

should be stored up in these plentiful 

years. Then we would have enough for 

the years of hardship that would lie 

ahead. 

Surprisingly, he liked my suggestion. 

Not only that, he appointed me as his 

second in command. Pharaoh realized 

that God sometimes speaks through 

me. He 

even gave me a new name: Zaphenathpaneah, 

which in Egyptian means “God 

speaks, he is alive.” Would you have 

ever believed it possible that the most 

powerful ruler of the world would recognize 

the Creator-God? I still 

marvel at it. 

The people in Egypt have been very 

diligent. In the seven years that the harvests 

were plentiful, they brought so 

many sacks of grain to the storehouses 

that we stopped counting them. Today 

everyone is glad that we have these provisions. 

Not only Egyptians buy the 

grain; many people come to us from 

Canaan, and I am glad that I provide so 

many people with food, even our family. 

*** 

Maybe you are asking yourself: 

“Joseph, you could have contacted me 

long ago. Why didn’t you send me a 

message? Why do I only hear today that 

you are alive and have become a powerful 

man in Egypt?” 

Father, I have traveled to you so many 

times in my thoughts. I have dreamed 

so often of putting my arms around 

your neck and crying on your chest! But 

what would have happened if I had just 

come and stood outside your tent? 

I have written many papyrus sheets— 

only to discard them immediately. I felt 

that it was still too soon for us to be 

reunited. If I had been in a hurry to come 

to you, I would have ruined God’s plan. 

Imagine if, 22 years ago, I would have 

managed to escape from the slave traders 

and come back home. What would 

you have done to my brothers? What 

would you have said to them? You 

wouldn’t have changed them. They 

would have hardened their hearts even 

more against you and me—and God. 

And later on, if I had run away from 

Potiphar and returned to Canaan, we 

would all be dead by now—starved to 

death. I sensed that I had to wait longer. 

I wanted God’s go-ahead, the right time 

for our family to be reunited. 

*** 

When my brothers came, I recognized 

them immediately. They bowed down 

before me, showed their respect, and 

suddenly I saw my two dreams again. 

Yes, they were being fulfilled before my 

eyes. I knew that God had led me to 

Egypt so that I could keep you all alive! 

At first my brothers were afraid of 

me. I was very strict with them. I had to 

find out if they had changed. I cannot 

have a gang of robbers and violent men 

in the country. As the second in command 

of the country of Egypt, I cannot 

allow my family to cause scandals. You 

must understand that. 

I put them to the test, and I know 

now that they too have grown. They are 

no longer jealous or spiteful; quite the 

opposite. They look out for one another 

and stick together. Would you believe 

that your fourth son, Judah, even 

offered his life in exchange for Benjamin’s? 

But I will tell you that story 

another time. 

Now get ready, Father, and come in 

the carriage that I sent you. Don’t pack 

anything; you will get the best of everything 

that Egypt has to offer. Just come 

quickly, for I cannot wait any longer, my 

dear Father! I want to finally hold you 

in my arms. 

Your Joseph n 

Sylvia Renz works for the 

German Voice of Prophecy in 

Alsbach-Hähnlein, Germany. She 

is an accomplished author and 

has published numerous books 

for children and adults. 


Cliff’s Edge 

“This Gospel” 

Again and again Scripture authenticates itself, giving us more 

reasons to trust it, even the parts that present a reality so much grander than the narrow parameters a 

rationalistic twenty-first-century worldview easily allow. 

The text in question is so familiar that we often overlook the powerful validation of faith it presents. 

Speaking with His disciples a few days before the cross, Jesus opens to them world events leading to the 

Second Coming. Amid it all He says, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world 

as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14). 

Reading the text now—with Christianity having more adherents than any other faith, and a presence 

in most every country—we can easily forget what a bold, even daring prediction this was when spoken, 

or decades later when recorded. 

For starters, when Jesus made that prediction, what was the status of the “this gospel,” not in 

terms of being spread into “all the world” but in terms of simply being understood? At that 

point, who but the Godhead knew the plan of salvation? Even those who might have had an 

inkling about what the sacrifices pointed to surely didn’t expect a crucified and risen Messiah. 

One powerful argument in favor of the resurrection of Jesus is that no one would have concocted 

the story of the resurrection, because no one expected a crucified and risen Messiah, 

especially one dying as atonement for the world’s sins. Then, even after Jesus gave 

His followers 40 more days of instruction, some would ask before His ascension, “Lord, 

are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6), which shows that 

“this gospel” wasn’t fully understood by those He called to spread it. 

Also, how many were believers in Jesus when He first spoke those words? Perhaps a few thousand 

Jews throughout the Jewish nation and some scattered Gentiles, an insignificant number in 

contrast to the world’s millions. When Jesus made that prediction, Judas hadn’t yet turned Him 

in, nor did He yet face the reaction of His followers at His arrest: “Then everyone deserted him 

and fled” (Mark 14:50). Hardly an auspicious beginning of a movement whose message was to be 

heralded worldwide. 

Besides the wrath and opposition from other Judeans, the early church would soon be hated, 

hunted, and persecuted by Rome, the greatest power the world had seen to that time. In the 

ensuing centuries the empire tried to eradicate this Jewish sect arising from the troublesome 

province of Judea. When Rome couldn’t eradicate Christianity, it co-opted it instead, and “this gospel,” 

with scattered exceptions, all but vanished for more than a millennium. And unless you call the Crusades 

or the attempted forced conversion of the Jews (often under the threat of death) “evangelism,” the gospel 

hadn’t made a whole lot of progress outside the European continent in the sense of fulfilling Jesus’ bold 

first-century prediction about it. 

Then, of course, with the Protestant Reformation “this gospel” was rediscovered. But it took a few more 

centuries before the great missionary movements began to spread it worldwide. Today Christianity in one form 

or another is the world’s largest religion, and its adherents can be found in most every country. Seventh-day 

Adventists have established work in 209 of 233 countries recognized by the United Nations, making the church 

perhaps the most widespread Protestant denomination in the world. And though many areas that need mission 

work remain, with today’s technology it’s not hard to imagine “this gospel” being proclaimed everywhere. 

Again, think back almost 2,000 years ago with Jesus, surrounded by a handful of followers in a world that 

not only had never heard of Him, but was often hostile when it did. Nevertheless, He made an exceedingly 

implausible prediction that, though taking long centuries, is coming true. We have been privileged in seeing 

a prediction all but fulfilled, which earlier generations of Christians would have had to take only as a great 

leap of faith. 

Thus with all the other solid reasons for belief in Jesus, we can add Matthew 24:14, powerful evidence for 

rational, twenty-first-century minds regarding truths that go far beyond rationality itself. n 

Cliff 

Goldstein 

Clifford Goldstein is editor of the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide. He is also featured on the Web site 1844made 

simple.org. 


Cover 

From Clicktivist 

BY JANELLE COLLINS 

Maybe you’ve seen 

them—those Facebook 

posts beseeching viewers 

to read a story or 

look at a picture. Most 

of the time the photo or text evokes 

empathy, and for a moment we are 

moved to action—to donate by clicking 

here or to offer a quick prayer before 

scrolling further. Some causes even 

send donors gift boxes that include 

such items as T-shirts and bumper 

stickers. Awareness and activism, however, 

are not synonymous concepts. 

In a time of information overload, 

most of us are aware of the suffering 

millions of people experience, both 

locally and globally. While there are 

some who have become comfortable 

with the idea that texting a $10 donation 

to a humanitarian organization 

will suffice, Adventist young adults 

today are taking the great commission 

of “Go ye therefore” to heart. 

Days of Our Youth 

Steve Erich, a senior business administration 

major at Andrews University, 

felt a call to serve while in high school. 

“During my senior year, Rio Lindo Academy 

sent a group of students on a mission 

trip to India. At the end of the trip 

we spent a couple days in Kolkata. There 

I was first introduced to International 

Justice Mission—an organization that 

works alongside local lawmakers and 

police to enforce antihuman trafficking 

laws in countries all around the world 

that struggle with this issue,” Erich 

recalled. 

While Erich believes social media is 

an ideal way to promote humanitarian 

causes, he understands that it can also 

hinder people from truly being active. 

“It can give people the false impression 

that they are helping. Recent terms such 

as slacktivist or clicktivist have popped up 

Photo: Courtesy of Luther Whiting 

because of this. There’s been a rise in 

organizations offering petitions that 

can easily be signed online,” he 

observed. “Now a petition with 1,000 

signatures is seen as quite small and 

weak, and it needs 50,000 or even 

100,000 in order to be noticed.” 

Erich, who currently serves as operations 

manager for the Stoplight Project, 1 

believes his opportunity to be an agent 

for change starts while he is young. “The 

past five years have shaped me and are 

now propelling me outward. Without my 

experiences volunteering and advocating 

for justice during this time, I would not 

have the opportunities I have now to do 

what I love,” he says. “The important 

thing is not to plan to do something in 

the future, but to begin doing it now.” 

Hands-on 

Javier Melendez, also an Andrews 

University student double-majoring in 

social work and young adult ministry, 

lives a similar hands-on philosophy. “I 

don’t think any type of social media can 

really convey the true reality people face 

when swallowed up by injustice. It’s 

something that we have to witness and 

experience ourselves, which means 

spending time with the people who are 

being oppressed,” he says. Melendez is 


SURVEYING THE WORK: Southern 

Adventist University graduate 

Luther Whiting surveys a project site 

in Afghanistan on horseback. 

currently involved in a project in Benton 

Harbor, Michigan, to help the 

impoverished Hispanic community 

connect with resources that will assist 

them with moving out of poverty—and 

he hopes to do much more. 

“I plan to get certified to teach the 

Bridges Out of Poverty 2 and the Getting 

Ahead 3 framework so that I can help 

bridge the gap between different economic 

classes. As I learn more about the 

issues of poverty, I’m starting to find 

my passion and niche.” 

Melendez also wants to share his 

desire for service. “I would like to see 

others find their passions and niches as 

well. I encourage people to find that 

thing that makes their stomach turn, to 

find whatever injustice they are unable 

to watch, so that they can take a stand 

and fight.” 

A Full Commitment 

Shanna Crumley, a recent graduate of 

Pacific Union College, labeled herself a 

“passive” giver, but recently discovered 

she could do more than simply give 

money. “I felt it wasn’t enough. It was 

helping from a distance, from inside a 

bubble of convenience. But I wanted to be 

more actively involved in the causes I supported.” 

After years of halfhearted service, 

Crumley decided it was time for her to 

commit more fully to making a difference. 

“I decided to apply to the Peace 

Corps 4 after I spent last summer with 

ADRA (Adventist Development and 

Relief Agency) Argentina. 5 My time with 

ADRA was a turning point, both personally 

and professionally. I got hooked on 

a different kind of development, the 

kind that empowers and enables people 

to change their circumstances.” Crumley, 

who graduated with a degree in 

intercultural communication and Spanish, 

looks forward to her two-year service 

in the Peace Corps. “I get the feeling 

that I’m going to find a whole new host 

of causes and connections.” 

For Crumley, activism isn’t just something 

to do—it comes from a basic 

human desire. “I think there’s an underlying 

spiritual need to connect and contribute 

to humanity. To see the point of 

activism, I have to believe in the fact that 

I can do something that matters. . . . You 

also have to believe that we have a 

responsibility to improve our world.” 

Lifetime Activist 

Luther Whiting was a business 

administration major at Southern Adventist 

University when he began a nonprofit 

organization called Noshaq. “I 

started my nonprofit in Afghanistan 

because I couldn’t have imagined any 

other reaction to the horrific things I 

witnessed there while interning for 

ADRA in the country’s Central Highlands,” 

Whiting said of the organization 

he founded at the age of 19. 

Whiting realized that social media 

could be an asset if used correctly. “I 

used social networking to raise awareness 

and financial support for our organization,” 

he says, adding that he 

employed pictures and multimedia presentations 

to spread the word about his 

organization, and also went on speaking 

tours. Whiting was featured in newspapers, 

local TV ads, and even held a fundraising 

event. 

Whiting believes that there’s no better 

time to serve than when a person is 


Today’s youth aren’t 

sitting on the sidelines. 


Photo: Austin Ho 

young. “Your years as a student place 

you in an ideal incubator for acting on 

your dreams. You’re surrounded by a 

large network of fellow young people to 

plan, scheme, and dream with,” he says. 

“To miss out on service involvement 

during school is to miss the stop to one 

of life’s most epic adventures.” 

Though Noshaq is no longer active, 

Whiting—now a staff assistant for U.S. 

Senator Susan Collins (Maine)—hopes 

to continue being involved in the causes 

closest to his heart. “I don’t know what 

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Andrews 

University Business Administration 

major Steve Erich (left), who also 

serves as operations manager for the 

Stoplight Project to help end human 

trafficking, discusses program strategies 

with other members of the nonprofit 

organization. 

adventures await me, or if Afghanistan 

will reenter my life. But I sincerely hope 

that service will remain a prominent 

part of my life and career.” 

A Generation of Doers 

Paddy McCoy, the campus chaplain of 

Walla Walla University, believes that the 

young people he encounters in his ministry 

are far more passionate than 

they’re given credit for. “I see a very 

active group of young adults who want 

to do something and get their hands 

dirty. Sure, there are those who feel that 

as long as they donate here or there 

they’ve given their service. But by and 

large, this generation is waiting to be let 

loose,” he said. “They are not a complacent 

generation.” 

In his many years of youth ministry 

McCoy has witnessed a change that he 

describes as “incredible” in how stu- 

dents use social media. “Today’s socialmedia 

generation can accomplish 

grassroots movements that have a huge 

impact in a very short amount of time,” 

he says. “The opportunities that social 

media provide to get the word out, to 

fund-raise, and to promote causes . . . 

are quite astounding.” 

McCoy believes that younger and 

older generations can work together to 

bring a message to those who need it. 

“If others can help them see how and 

where to help and meet the greatest 

needs, then they are willing to do 

it. They also need help knowing how 

best to take the good-news message to 

other places,” he said. 

Sharon Pittman has found much of 

the same attitude in her work with 

young adults. She is director of the 

newly minted Master of Global Community 

Development program at Southern 

Adventist University, 6 “Engaging 

students in mission-focused ministries 

is an ‘easy sell,’ Pittman says. “They see 

the often harsh and hurting world and 

are highly motivated and looking for 

opportunities to make a difference. As 

an Adventist professor, my job is to link 

their passion and skills to opportunities 

to engage in sustainable service 

learning ministries.” 

Pittman’s own involvement in service 

began at an early age. “As a missionary 

kid growing up in Pakistan, where my 

parents work at our Seventh-day Ad- 

Benefits of 

Volunteering 

INFORMATION COMPILED BY JANELLE COLLINS 

There’s nothing quite like giving back. Whether 

it’s volunteering at a soup kitchen or going on a 

short-term mission trip, lending your time to care 

for others is part of our God-given mission. And 

there are personal plusses as well. Here are five 

benefits of giving back:* 

Developing a New Skill—No matter 

your professional field, volunteering can 

provide access to a whole new set of skills. 

From technology to conservation methods, 

volunteering offers a wide range of opportunities 

for you to grow your skill set or use 

what you already know in new ways. 

Meeting New People—After a few 

years in the same town, industry, or church, 

your social circle becomes set. Volunteering 

can introduce you to new groups of people 

and is a good opportunity to meet others 

outside your faith. This offers the opportunity 

to witness to those you otherwise 

wouldn’t meet. 


ventist hospital, I often came to school 

to find that mothers had abandoned 

sick and dying babies during the night,” 

she recalls. “Early on, I was impacted by 

the idea that the life of each child of God 

is precious, whether young or old.” 

These early experiences led her to pursue 

a life of service to help instill that 

same passion in others. “I have always 

dreamed that one day I could start a 

graduate program where people who 

desired to do so could learn to build 

skills to help others.” 

The Southern Adventist University 

masters program combines faith-based 

studies with development strategies to 

help students learn how they can make 

the biggest impact in their communities 

and around the world. 

Go Light Your World 

Pittman believes that activism is a way 

to fight off our natural propensity toward 

selfishness. “It is easy to be self-absorbed 

and internally focused,” she says. “Sharing 

a biblical model for abundant life 

requires that we set aside our selfishness 

to reach out and care for the long haul.” 

McCoy shares a similar view when it 

comes to setting aside self for the good 

of others. “We make the time for all 

sorts of things we believe to be a priority. 

I’m just wondering what would 

happen if once a week we got involved 

in our community for an hour instead 

of watching TV, or if we supported an 

Organizations Looking for Volunteers 

Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA): .............................www.adra.org 

Adventist Volunteer Service (AVS): ................................. www.adventistvolunteers.org 

Adventist Community Services (ACS): .............................www.communityservices.org 

Maranatha Volunteers International: ............................................ www.maranatha.org 

Volunteer Match: .............................................................................. www.volunteermatch.org 

United Way: ..................................................................................................... www.unitedway.org 

He Said Go: ................................................................................ www.hesaidgo.net 

Adventist Mission: .........................................................................www.adventistmission.org 

Habitat for Humanity: ....................................................................................www.habitat.org 

Adventist Frontier Missions: ................................................................. www.afmonline.org 

online ministry instead of online shopping. 

Christianity in North America, by 

and large, has a bad reputation. But 

when Christians get involved and love 

others, that bad rep begins to change. 

That’s what I’m living and working for.” 

There’s a demand for change in the 

world, and it should be the burden of 

Christians to meet that need. These 

young adults have made it their aim to do 

more than donate funds or share a Facebook 

photo: they’re spreading a message 

of healing and restoration to a dying 

world. n 

1 

http://thestoplightproject.org. 

2 

www.bridgesoutofpoverty.com. 

3 

www.gettingahead.org. 

4 

www.peacecorps.gov. 

5 

www.adra.org. 

6 

https://www.southern.edu/gcd. 

Janelle Collins recently 

graduated with a degree in 

Need 

journalism from Andrews 

Pix 

University. She wrote this 

article while a 2013 summer 

intern for Adventist Review. 

LEARNING FIRSTHAND: Javier 

Melendez poses with a boy he met 

while serving in Madagascar in 

2013. 

Photo: Courtesy of Javier Melendez 

Gaining a Sense of Achievement— 

Even if you enjoy your work, it’s still a job 

and earns a paycheck. But giving your time 

to something you aren’t being paid for and 

seeing the joy it brings others can create a 

sense of accomplishment that can be far 

more satisfying than simply earning wages. 

Exploring New Career Options—School 

isn’t the only place to discover career passions. 

Volunteering for a nonprofit organization 

can help you discover new interests and 

explore other fields you may never have considered. 

If you’re thinking about a career 

change, volunteering can be a perfect opening 

to see what else is out there. 

Teaching Opportunities—Not everyone 

is able to teach in a classroom setting, but 

that doesn’t mean you can’t be a teacher. 

Hundreds of nonprofit organizations offer 

volunteers the opportunity to mentor kids. 

Through these programs you can pass on 

your practical skills as well as general life lessons, 

blessing others with your acquired 

knowledge. This can encourage youth you 

come in contact with to “pay it forward” — 

and volunteer when they get older too. 

* Sources: www.unitedway.org/take-action/benefitsof-volunteering 

and www.worldvolunteerweb.org/ 

resources/how-to-guides/volunteer/doc/benefits-ofvolunteering.html. 

LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE: 

Shanna Crumley, who recently graduated 

from Pacific Union College with 

a degree in Intercultural Communication 

and Spanish, describes her summer 

working for ADRA Argentina as a 

turning point that led her to commit 

more fully to mission service. 

Photo: Courtesy of Shanna Crumley 


Devotional 

By DAVID B. SMITH AND LONNIE MELASHENKO 

It happened 50 years ago this month: 

perhaps one of the most wrenching 

flights in the history of aviation. 

Air Force One 

Jim Swindal was the pilot of a Boeing 

707 with the tail number 26000. The 

Secret Service called it “Angel,” but most 

of the world knew it simply as Air Force 

One. It was John F. Kennedy’s flagship aircraft, 

loaded with elegance and $2 million 

worth of high-tech hardware. It featured 

offices equipped with electric typewriters, 

and carried subscriptions to 15 magazines 

and five daily newspapers. Its presidential 

bedroom, catering to times when 

the chief executive had to cross many time 

zones all at once, included a special bed 

with a mattress designed for Kennedy’s 

bad back. 

Colonel Jim Swindal had already logged 

some 75,000 miles on Air Force One in a 

little more than a year since its commissioning. 

He was dedicated and loyal, both 

to the presidency and to this thirty-fifth 

president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Earlier 

in 1963 he had flown his hero to Germany 

for the president’s famous “Ich bin 

ein Berliner” speech. 

National Tragedy 

Now, on a crushing Friday afternoon, 

Swindal had to take off from Dallas 

for the worst two-hour-and-eighteenminute 

flight of his life. The last hour 

on the ground had been pure agony for 

Swindal and everybody else: a hot, perspiring 

delay while Lyndon Johnson 

waited for Texas judge Sarah Hughes to 

drive out to the airport and swear in the 

new chief executive. There in the tail 

area of Air Force One was a large coffin, 

a Britannia model, solid bronze. Kennedy’s 

bullet-riddled remains were in it. 

Kennedy loyalists and Johnson staffers 

filled the plane, sick to the soul as they 

grappled with painful tragedy and awkward 

transition, as one administration 

ended and the other one began, in the 

sticky humidity of the 707 with the disconnected 

air-conditioning. 

William Manchester’s standout book, 

The Death of a President, helps us focus: 

Who should participate? Who should be 

in the picture as Lyndon Johnson is 

sworn in? LBJ had already expressed in a 

general announcement to the whole 

plane: “If anybody wants to join in in the 

swearing-in ceremony, I would be happy 

and proud to have you.” But Swindal 

and many others were simply too griefstricken 

to join in. Their president was 

lying in the box. 

HIGHE 

Jackie Kennedy was one of the few 

who did participate. “Three years in the 

White House,” Manchester states, “had 

given [Jackie] an abiding respect for her 

husband’s office. She understood the 

symbols of authority, the need for some 

semblance of national majesty after the 

disaster, and so she came.” In the 

famous black-and-white photo by Cecil 

Stoughton of Johnson being sworn in, 

the widow of John Kennedy is standing 

right next to him.* 

Flight 

Then at 2:47 in the afternoon, CST, Air 

Force One lifted off from Love Field. Just 

three hours and nine minutes earlier 

the plane had touched down for a victorious 

parade. Spirits had been high; celebration 

and sunshine and confetti 

were in the air. Now nothing but darkness 

and tears. 

Air Force One is the most secure plane 

in the world. Every trip is exceptionally 

guarded in terms of its flight path. The 

plane zigs and zags, taking unorthodox 

routes for utmost secrecy. On the ground 

22

ST FLIGHT EVER 

Soaring higher than 

Air Force One 

Secret Service agents track its every move; 

people stationed in unmarked cars along 

the route visually confirm its passage 

overhead. And this flight carried the dead 

body of the former president and also the 

new president. There was no backup, no 

vice vice president. And 26000 had no 

military escort for this trip. On the 

ground below, the Pentagon put Air Force 

bases on standby alert, with pilots 

“belted in and ready to go.” 

Captain Swindal had to fly that plane carrying 

the dead body of his hero. It was 

November, with early sundowns. Flying west 

to east to Washington, D.C., Air Force One 

was quickly immersed in shadows and then 

in darkness that made the gloom more 

unbearable. “It was the sickest plane I’ve ever 

been on,” Mac Kilduff, a Kennedy advisor, 

told people later. But no one seemed to feel it 

as did the captain. Manchester writes: “No 

aircraft commander had ever been charged 

with so grave a responsibility, yet he wondered 

whether he could make it to Andrews. 

He was near collapse. ‘It became,’ in his 

words, ‘a struggle to continue.’ ” 

Swindal had clearance to take his 

beloved president home at 29,000 feet, a 

pretty standard level even today. Flights 

often climb up to these levels to avoid 

turbulence. But with all that ache in his 

heart, and with the defiant skyline of 

Dallas just behind him, with all the 

hatred of people, the cities, and angry 

civilizations just below him, spreading 

out in all directions, Swindal 

wished he could take his 

beloved president away 

from it all. He wanted to lift him higher 

than he’d ever been before, remove him 

from the pain of earth, the danger of bullets 

and snipers and angry posters and 

cruel editorials. And so he did. In all his 

life, Kennedy had never been so far above 

earth before; the 707 roared toward the 

stars, climbing at the incredible rate of 

4,000 feet per minute. Swindal didn’t 

level off until they were at 41,000 feet, 

approximately eight miles above the 

scarred world and its miserable Friday. 

What a flight 

that’s going 

to be! 

Flight—Again 

Fifty years later, our world is just as 

horribly scarred and miserable. It still 

harbors assassins and hurt of every 

kind. Hate is as cheap as the Internet. 

Leaders fall to bullets or scandals. Terrorists 

obliterate our tallest buildings 

and slaughter our most innocent 

infants, loved ones, and friends. We 

keep visiting more hospitals, attending 

more funerals, and standing in more 

cemeteries than we ever wanted to. We 

need a Swindal flight. 

Except that what God’s Word promises 

is infinitely better. Not Dallas to 

Washington, D.C., not a Boeing 707, not 

two hours and eighteen minutes of 

flight, and not even Swindal’s breathtaking 

41,000 feet. But a trip that lifts us 

free from every last trace of this world’s 

ugliness and hate, a trip beyond the 

stars. Jesus promises us, “In my Father’s 

house are many mansions. . . . I go to prepare 

a place for you. And if I go and prepare a 

place for you, I will come again, and receive 

you unto myself; that where I am, there ye 

may be also” (John 14:2, 3, KJV). 

Paul knew much about assassinations; 

in fact, his own life ended tragically. But 

in 1 Thessalonians he writes about how 

we’ll soon be lifted up, caught up in the 

clouds. And then we’ll head out for a 

celestial journey that takes us far beyond 

the clouds, to a city that’s the capital of 

the universe. To a city that’s home. It’s a 

long, long way away, and frankly, we 

want it to be a long, long way away from 

earth and sin and death and the endless 

rows of tombstones at Arlington 

National Cemetery. God’s angels will 

gather His children together from the 

four winds of heaven and lift us up to 

meet our Lord in the air (see Mark 

13:27). “And so shall we ever be with the 

Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17). 

Shout “Hallelujah,” friend of mine. 

What a flight that’s going to be! n 

* Quotations from William Manchester, The Death of 

a President (London: Pan Books, 1967). 

David B. Smith is the author of 

Finding Waldo and Rachel Marie, 

stories set in his home country 

of Thailand. 

Lonnie Melashenko is a 

revivalist for the Columbia 

Union Conference. 


Back to Basics 

When Anger Is Sin 

Have you ever been the recipient of an evil eye? You know, the look 

that is sharper than a dagger and more damaging than a rattlesnake bite? The angry glances intended to kill, 

if not the body, at least the spirit? In fact, if looks could kill, we would be a nation of dead men and women 

walking, because we are all angry with ourselves or others—some for a lifetime. 

We see it in government dysfunction at the national level, in random acts of domestic and societal violence, 

and in divisive discourses from the pulpits of so-called Christian churches where pastors malign and 

threaten to maim those who believe differently. 

However, before we jump on the bandwagon of blaming the other side, let me remind us that this 

national behavior is a reflection of the personal brokenness that exists in all our lives today. This brokenness 

results from a disposition of sin inherited by every human born after the Fall (Ps. 51:5), and is 

most often manifested in actions that emphasize the belief that “I am my own god.” It has been 

perpetuated from generation to generation. As those living in the last days, we have inherited the 

cumulative effect of humanity’s repudiation of divine directives for reconciliation. 

Condemnation for this disposition of sin comes when the Holy Spirit brings to our attention 

the fact that Jesus came to deliver us from it. Yet we refuse to allow Him to do so. From that 

moment, followed by persistent rejection, we begin to receive the seal of condemnation. “This is 

the verdict,” said Jesus about that critical moment: “Light has come into the world, but people loved 

darkness instead of light” (John 3:19). 

So where do we go from there? We must immediately decide to let God heal our personal brokenness, 

then obey His divine directives and be reconciled with one another. 

In the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-12), also known as the Christian Magna Carta and constitution of the 

kingdom of God, Jesus told His disciples—then and now—that His kingdom code is deeper and more 

personal than the laws of the scribes and Pharisees. For instance, His kingdom code is to honor God, 

not just with behaviors that can be observed and measured, but with thoughts, motives, and attitudes, 

the unseen evidence of being. Jesus calls us, His followers, to commit ourselves not simply to external 

requirements that make it appear as if we are doing the right thing, but to an inner allegiance to His 

kingdom code that includes our thoughts, motives, and attitudes toward things such as anger (cf. Matt. 

5:21-26). 

Jesus didn’t say that anger—the normal, agitated outburst to offenses or reaction to hurt, harm, and 

hostility—is a sin. He Himself was angry when He saw how God’s house of prayer had been transformed 

into a den of robbers. 

The apostle Paul, who wrote more about anger than anyone in the New Testament, urged, “In your anger 

do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Eph. 

4:26, 27). James adds this caveat: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become 

angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:19, 20). 

Here’s the lesson for us today: It’s OK to get angry, but not to let it seethe and simmer until it boils over. 

Instead, practice the “go” of reconciliation, because it’s a divine directive (Matt. 5:23, 24). It’s also important 

and urgent enough to interrupt our worship of God. This is usually the last thing we want to do, especially 

when our pride causes us to assert that divine principles are at stake. But we must be reconciled with one 

another because unresolved anger is sin; and like all other sins, it destroys us. 

Our lives should be guided by Alma Bazel Androzzo’s classic lyrics: 

“If I can do my duty as a Christian ought, 

If I can bring back beauty to a world upwrought, 

If I can spread love’s message, as the Master taught, 

Then my living shall not be in vain.” n 

Hyveth 

Williams 

Hyveth Williams teaches homiletics at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary. 


Adventist Life 

Married, but 

Alone on the Sabbath 

BY KATHERINE CAREY 

Amanda is a member of a 

suburban Seventh-day Adventist 

church. It’s Sabbath 

afternoon, and she’s 

stretched out on her living 

room couch reading the Adventist Review. 

In the background, her husband, Kevin, 

watches an international golf tournament 

on television. She sits with her 

back to the screen, aware of who is winning 

because of Kevin’s occasional comments. 

But she stays immersed in her 

reading despite the continuous chatter 

of the sports announcer. This is a typical 

after-church Sabbath for Amanda. 

Ironically, she is reading an article on 

Sabbathkeeping. She finds it both amusing 

and frustrating, because most of the 

advice does not fit her life with Kevin, 

her unchurched spouse. For 15 years 

Amanda has attended church alone— 

one of the many “church widows” in an 

average North American church. But she 

has sisters all around the globe. 

We don’t know the percentage, but a 

large number of Adventists are married 

to nonmembers, and most of them are 

women. Although the principles presented 

in this article apply to husbands 

as well as wives, it will primarily 

address women. Church researchers tell 

us that the majority of Adventist members 

are women, limiting the number of 

men available for marriage. 

For such women Sabbathkeeping is a 

challenge. It’s most difficult in cultures 

in which the female is viewed as having 

less equality in the marriage relationship. 

She may be subject to the whims 

and needs of her husband to the point 

that Sabbath is like any other day. 

Should she refuse to serve him, her life 

Living with an 

unbelieving spouse 


would be filled with tension, threats, or 

even abuse. If she is fortunate, she has 

an understanding partner who allows 

her to attend church, which in some 

countries can fill the whole day and 

provide spiritual fellowship. 

Not all religiously divided homes 

involve spouses. We’ve heard stories of 

children and youth who became Adventists 

in spite of uninvolved or even hostile 

parents and siblings. Their Sabbaths 

can be especially tough. In many 

instances their families mistreat them 

or force them to leave home. These, of 

course, are the extreme cases. Most converts 

to Adventism 

don’t face such overt 

familial persecution; 

but almost all religiously split homes 

will face challenges on the Sabbath that 

often require some sort of compromise 

from the ideal. 

The Influence of 

Spiritual Fruits 

A Bible text that many Christian 

spouses cherish is 1 Corinthians 7:14: 

“For the unbelieving husband is sanctified 

by the wife, and the unbelieving wife 

by the husband” (NKJV). 1 A caring and 

loving spouse sanctifies by influence. 

The fruits of the Holy Spirit act as a witness 

to God’s character: love, joy, peace, 

forebearance, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, 

and self-control (Gal. 5:22, 23). 

These spiritual fruits may sound 

intimidating because none of us is a 

perfect human being. Trying to live up 

to such a high standard can be a burden 

in an environment of conflicting values. 

So how do we reach those lofty, lifechanging 

behaviors in a marriage? We 

can’t do so consistently on a daily basis. 

It’s always a struggle, and Sabbathkeeping 

remains one of its biggest tests. The 

following are some important guidelines 

for working through these difficult 

issues that this writer has learned 

from years of experience: 

Make prayer and study of the Word a 

priority. Prayer opens the mind to the 

influence of the Holy Spirit, who 

changes our thoughts and lives in accordance 

with God’s will. But too often we 

give in to our selfish desires. When that 

happens, it’s important to ask for forgiveness 

before the day ends. 

Never nag or try to change the other 

person. Many homes have broken up 

because the believer expects her husband 

to follow her practices and accept 

her ideas. I remember a friend who married 

an agnostic and then pressured 

him to give 10 percent of his salary to 

her church every Sabbath. Being a kind 

man, he did so for a time, but such an 

expectation wore out his patience. Why 

should he pay to support ideas he 

didn’t believe in? The same logic applies 

to the husband’s use of his time. How a 

believer relates to her spouse on Sabbath 

can be vital to his appreciation for 

it in the future. 

Linking pleasant memories with Sabbath 

makes it worth anticipating. Presented 

as a day for family, children 

associate it with happiness—and so can 

spouses. Nature trips offer an enjoyable 

way to spend Sabbath. But don’t expect 

the spouse to talk of religion or avoid 

secular conversation; and don’t scold 

him for it or any other Sabbath lapse. 

Sabbath trips will be remembered by 

the family, perhaps forever. Consider an 

occasional whole day. It’s not good, however, 

to miss church more than a week at a 

time, except for vacations. Nonattendance 

can become habitual, and the believing 

spouse needs church fellowship. 

Granted, most entertainment doesn’t 

fit the goal of a sanctifying Sabbath, but 


we can still find appropriate, creative, 

and fun things to do together. 

Worship with others and make lasting 

church friendships. These friends are 

our support group. Sabbathkeeping can 

be done in conjunction with other 

women who attend alone. An evangelist’s 

wife told me about a group of women in 

Russia who worship in the apartment of 

a single woman each Sabbath and spend 

the whole day. This weekly spiritual 

retreat avoids the problems of Sabbathkeeping 

at home (if it doesn’t leave the 

husband feeling abandoned). Such a 

practice may not work everywhere, but it 

does offer a unique alternative. 

Never say your spouse is unsaved or 

believe your marriage is a mistake. 2 

What if your spouse believed you were 

lost? How would that affect your life 

together? Yet I suspect many wives 

believe this and even voice it to their 

unchurched husbands. Imagine, too, 

how you would feel if your spouse 

believed your marriage was a mistake. 

Don’t argue over religion. It never 

helps, because it doesn’t change minds; 

instead, it reinforces individual opinions. 

This is particularly true on the 

Sabbath, which can easily become a day 

associated with confrontation. 

Most religiously divided marriages 

occur between a believer and an 

unchurched spouse. It’s unusual but 

not impossible, however, that two 

strong believers find themselves in an 

interfaith marriage. When a woman 

marries a staunch believer of another 

faith, it’s important that she respect 

that faith. If she ever expects her husband 

to attend church with her, she 

ought to be willing to attend his church. 

The couple must make it a point not 

to argue over differences but emphasize 

similarities. By praying and studying 

together, they open their lives to the 

Holy Spirit. Neither one should insist 

on a particular interpretation of the 

Bible unless their partner requests to be 

part of such a discussion. Remember to 

listen to each other: we can learn from 

another’s faith journey. 

Understand and discuss in a nonthreatening 

way an unchurched husband’s 

reasons for discomfort with 

organized religion or Christianity. Many 

do not trust religion because of negative 

experiences. Perhaps they grew up in a 

rigid home in which religion was more 

toxic than helpful; or it could have been 

a home in which religion was either 

nonexistent or scorned. Many Jewish 

husbands have been raised with a distrust 

of Christianity. I know a Jewish 

man whose grandmother was forced to 

convert to Catholicism in prewar 

Europe, which left him with a dislike for 

structured religions. We can be knowledgeable 

of, and sympathetic to, a 

spouse’s experience with religion, and 

respect his feelings. 

Consider compromise. Compromise 

is not always negative and is necessary 

for peace and respect in homes in which 

husband and wife have differing beliefs. 

The Adventist wife must decide what 

things can and cannot be compromised. 

We know to avoid tasks identified with 

the working world for Sabbath to be 

Sabbath; that generally means not 

laboring at home or on a job. But there 

is no overall formula that works for 

everyone; no one-size-fits-all Sabbathkeeping 

in these nontraditional homes. 

The Adventist spouse must prayerfully 

consider what will work best in her particular 

situation. 

Plan ahead. To arrive home after a 

joyful time in church among friends 

who love the Lord can be a letdown on 

Sabbath. When a wife walks through the 

door, she may be met by a blaring television 

and a rush to make lunch. It’s as if 

the Sabbath has come to an end! But it 

hasn’t. It’s actually just a prayer away. 

Nothing can crush Sabbath joy more 

quickly than an unprepared response to 

the day. Many church families plan Sabbath 

activities on Friday afternoon. The 

spouse of the unchurched must plan 

even more carefully. If there are children, 

it means guiding them to enjoy 

Sabbath. It becomes a problem when the 

spouse differs on what children should 

do, and the believing wife often has to 

accept the husband’s decision, because 

she does not parent alone. 

Unfortunately, the husband may 

never feel comfortable with his Adventist 

wife’s choices for Sabbath, and 

acceptance of this fact is one of the 

pains in such a relationship. 

Worth the Wait 

As the Amandas of Adventism can tell 

you, being married to an unchurched 

husband or someone of a different faith 

is a lonely road on which one frequently 

feels isolated. Those who treasure the 

joy of conversing about faith matters 

can only imagine what it’s like when 

such insights are out of bounds. It’s 

akin to residing in a different dimension 

from one’s mate; the inability to 

share spiritual insights and truths is 

painful—the thing you hold dearest in 

life cannot be comprehended by the 

person you love. It’s a situation that 

causes some to drift away from their 

church and faith. 

Yet, there are instances in which this 

type of marriage works well. It takes 

two mature and loving adults who are 

able to work through their differences 

on life’s most important relationship— 

their relationship with God. It may take 

years, but for those who endure, it’s 

worth the wait. 

It’s all about acceptance, respect, 

hope, faith, and love—and the greatest 

of these is love. n 

1 

Texts credited to NKJV are from the New King 

James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by 

Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights 

reserved. 

2 

Ellen G. White, The Adventist Home (Nashville: 

Southern Pub. Assn., 1952), p. 106. 

Katherine Carey is a pseudonym. 


The Life of Faith 

Jews, Christians, and Psalm 110 

In biblical interpretation, one can be right for the wrong reasons, 

and wrong for the right reasons. There’s an important passage in Scripture about which I believe Christians 

have been right for the wrong reasons, and Jews have been wrong for the right reasons. 

Psalm 110 is crucial to the Christian faith because its interpretation is traceable to Jesus Himself. In a 

fascinating exchange with His own Jewish people, Jesus raised the tantalizing possibility that the Jewish 

Messiah was more than human: 

“While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ‘What do you think about the Messiah? 

Whose son is he?’ 

“ ‘The son of David,’ they replied. 

“He said to them, ‘How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him “Lord”? For he says, 

“The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.’ ” 

“ ‘If then David calls him “Lord,” how can he be his son?’ 

“No one could say a word in reply” (Matt. 22:41-46). 

This exchange, which “delighted” the crowds (see Mark 12:37), has been less than delightful 

to Jewish theologians through the centuries—in part, because Christians often present it 

wrongly. In fact, our Bibles have contributed to the problem. 

Many versions of the Bible translate Psalm 110:1: “The LORD says to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right 

hand’ ” (NKJV). 1 LORD (all capitals) indicates Yahweh, while Lord (capitalized) indicates Adonai; 

both are divine. In essence, eager Trinitarian Christians have explained this verse as: God [the 

Father] says to God [the Son], “Sit at My right hand.” 

Unfortunately, this has resulted in Christians being dismissed by Jews as naive and careless with 

Scripture. Why? Because the second “Lord” in verse 1 should not, in fact, be translated adonai 

(Hebrew for divine Lord) but adoni (Hebrew for human lord). 2 This verse should read: “The LORD 

says to my lord” (NIV). 

Our Jewish friends are right. They are also wrong. 

There’s another “Lord” in this psalm. He can be found in verse 5, sitting at the right hand. He is the 

Lord, Adonai. But at whose right hand is Adonai sitting? Who else, but Yahweh’s? 3 What? How can a 

human lord sit at the right hand of Yahweh in verse 1, and a divine Lord sit at the right hand of Yahweh 

in verse 5? How can one figure be both human and divine at the same time? 

It’s the Jewish reminder of careful exegesis that, ironically, makes Psalm 110 even more powerful than 

what many Christians have realized and taught. Indeed, it’s the human nature of “lord” in verse 1 that sets 

up the cosmic punch line: the divine nature of this same “Lord” in verse 5. The revelation is startling: This 

Messiah is not only from earth; He’s from heaven. He’s not only the Son of man; He’s the Son of God. He’s 

not only the offspring of David; He’s the Root of Jesse (Rev. 22:16). 

This is precisely the point Jesus was making all along. n 

Andy 

Nash 

1 

Texts credited to NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All 

rights reserved. 

2 

The Hebrew term adon can mean either a human lord or divine Lord. But when adon appears with the possessive “my” (adoni in Hebrew), it 

always refers to a human lord or master (even angel), not to God (see, for example, 1 Sam. 29:8; Ex. 21:5; Gen. 18:12; Joshua 5:14). 

3 

Some have suggested that in verse 5 adonai sits at the right hand of a human lord, meaning that we’ve gone from a human at the right hand 

of Yahweh in verse 1 to a divine Adonai at the right hand of a human in verse 5. While this is possible, it must be asked: Did these figures somehow 

switch seats? If so, why? Also, if the “LORD” (Yahweh) of verse 1 is the same figure as the “Lord” (adonai) of verse 5 (who’s described as the 

“Lord” who will crush kings and judge the nations [verses 5, 6]) would the LORD (Yahweh) also have to drink from a brook along the way (verse 

7)? Does it not make more sense that the lord (adoni) invited to sit at the right hand of Yahweh in verse 1 is the same Lord (adonai) seated at the 

right hand of Yahweh in verse 5? 

Andy Nash is a professor and lay pastor. He’s leading two tours to Israel next summer. Contact him at andynash5@gmail.com. 


Bookmark 

Creation Health: A Journey of Discovery 

CREATION Health: A Journey of Discovery, 

Chris Blake, Florida Hospital Mission 

Development, Orlando, Florida, 

2013, 228 pages, US$14.99. Reviewed 

by Stephen Chavez, coordinating editor, 

Adventist Review. 

Health is hot. You can’t go anywhere 

without seeing an article, an ad, a 

program about eating healthfully, losing 

weight, beating addictions, or 

reducing your risk of heart attack, 

stroke, or various forms of cancer. 

A generation ago Adventists 

were well-known for speaking out 

against smoking, using illicit 

drugs, and drinking alcohol. 

Indeed, in many venues ours was 

the predominant voice in opposing 

these habits. 

Now it’s not only Adventists 

who lobby against corporations 

that promote tobacco, alcohol, 

and factory farming. Some might 

wonder whether we have anything 

to offer, or if we’ll ever 

have the influence we 

once had. 

CREATION Health 

is one response. The 

book, written by wellknown 

author Chris Blake, is 

an exposition of the CREATION 

health outline adopted by the General 

Conference Health Ministries 

Department and embodied by the Florida 

Hospital Health System. CREATION 

health (choice, rest, environment, activity, 

trust, interpersonal relationships, 

outlook, nutrition) is the twenty-firstcentury 

child of the NEWSTART health 

system, used so well and so effectively 

as part of the Adventist health message 

in the last half of the twentieth century. 

The book CREATION Health defies 

description. It’s not a textbook; it’s not 

literature; more than anything it’s a 

workbook, packed with more information, 

activities, questions, and quotes 

than can be absorbed in one setting. 

And that’s the idea. This isn’t a book 

to curl up with and read straight 

through; it’s a book to digest, a little at a 

time, preferably with friends or fellow 

church members in small groups. 

According to Robyn Edgerton, Mission 

Development director 

for Florida Hospital and editor of 

the book, the book is designed to go 

where Adventists aren’t generally 

invited: government agencies, county 

health departments, community recreation 

centers. 

And why not? With the current 

emphasis on health and health care, 

employers, employees, and individuals 

are increasingly looking for ways to 

stretch their health resources, to find 

cures that are simple, effective, and 

lasting. 

CREATION Health’s message is overwhelmingly 

positive. It’s not a book 

about prohibitions. It’s a book of prescriptions: 

“eight universal principles 

for living life to the fullest.” Author 

Chris Blake uses three words to describe 

the book: accessible, deep, practical. All 

the principles begin with the Bible, but 

they don’t end there. They move into 

our lives and touch those areas 

where we live, work, recreate, 

share relationships, and enjoy 

life. 

The only drawback to this 

book can be stated in one 

word: accessibility. As of this 

writing (the first week of 

November), the only way to 

get copies of this book is to 

call Mission Development at 

Florida Hospital and order 

them. The phone number 

(407-303-7711) isn’t even tollfree. 

For a generation used to 

one-click shopping, this is a 

huge disadvantage. Books 

can also be ordered from 

CreationHealth.com, but 

when I went to the site I 

couldn’t find a link with 

which to order the book. 

CREATION Health is ideal for smallgroup 

Bible studies, prayer meetings, 

Sabbath school classes, youth and young 

adult groups. It’s also a great, nonthreatening 

way to introduce people to 

the practical truths of the Bible. The 

writing and activities are engaging and 

thought-provoking, providing many 

opportunities to make personal 

applications. 

If only it were available on Amazon. 

com or at Adventist Book Centers. n 


Reflections 

Fissures in Fine-China Christianity 

“OK, girls. Can you help me get dinner ready?” My mother spoke 

quickly as we moved from the car into the house. “Mindy, will you please set the table?” 

Still wearing my favorite church dress—the one with pale-pink roses and soft cream lace trim—and filled 

with 12-year-old self-importance, I led the two girls into the kitchen. I felt sure I knew all there was to know 

about Sabbath dinner preparation, and I was ready to impress. 

We had five small guests eating with us—siblings ranging from 3 to 11 years old. They came from difficult 

circumstances: their mother was in jail, and their father was in charge yet absent, intent on a very public 

affair with another woman. As the pastor’s family, we had invited to take them to church and to dinner with 

us afterward. 

The flash of steel and the fast motion of the knife in my mother’s hand quickly chopped a buffet of green, 

red, and yellow vegetables for a fresh relish tray. Hymns played from the stereo, and rich savory smells 

escaped from the oven door as the vegetarian roast was reheated. My mouth was already watering. Breakfast 

seemed so long ago. 

I started confidently toward our country-blue china hutch, its glass doors revealing an array of beautiful 

dishes, glass goblets, and bowls. While their brothers roughhoused and played in the living room, the two 

girls stood awkwardly, faces grimy and clothes stained, in the middle of the dining room. Their eyes tracked 

my every movement. 

From inside the cupboard I began to pull out my mother’s wedding china. White and 

richly delicate with gleaming silver trim and a lacy flower design, it caught the light as 

I counted out the plates we would need. One, two, three, four. . . Next, I would count 

out the matching fancy silverware. I already knew what my table-setting finale 

would be: the tall crystal candlesticks. Their glittering cut glass, catching and 

refracting the light, would surely awe my two young friends. 

All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mother motioning to 

me. She was shaking her head. What’s wrong? I wondered. Am I in trouble for something? 

But once she had my attention, she simply smiled and opened one of the 

kitchen cupboards, silently motioning that I should use our everyday plastic 

blue dishes. 

At first, I stood there confused. Why did my mother not want me to use our special 

Sabbath china? She was the one who had taught us that Sabbath was a special day, 

a day to honor God by using only our best. I looked from my mother’s face to the two 

little girls silently watching me and then back into my mother’s eyes. Suddenly I 

understood. 

That Sabbath we ate from our scarred and battered everyday plastic dishes, and I learned 

an important lesson. Without saying a word, my mother had taught me the importance of 

being careful with people’s feelings. That day I realized that showing God’s love to others 

might not always mean offering your best. It is about making your guests feel comfortable and 

at home. 

In the same way, our churches can have the most beautiful stained glass, the shiniest grand piano, and the 

richest upholstered pews; but unless people—all kinds of people—feel welcome, we are not truly sharing 

God’s marvelous love and providing them with a safe church home. Even though that Sabbath dinner happened 

more than a decade ago, I remember the powerful lesson my mother taught me that day. There are fissures 

in fine-china Christianity, and truly caring about people’s feelings is how we genuinely honor God. n 

Mindy Liebelt writes from Lincoln, Nebraska.

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