OUR CHANGING WORLD

 

In the August 8 issue of Christian Standard, there were articles by three men of non-instrument Church of Christ background, that particular point being unintentional, I’m sure. Do you know of a “Church of Christ” publication that shows that kind of openness? Our papers are more likely to have one more writeup on “Christian Church Preacher Converted” than they are articles by our brothers across the backyard fence, which is more often than not plied with barbed wire. Well, I say bully for the Standard. Maybe our folk will catch the point someday and look at what a brother writes rather than at what party he hails from. One of the articles, by the way, was on the joys of fasting, by my friend Neil Gallagher, who ministers to the Church of Christ in East Providence, R.I. Says Neil, who writes brilliantly on what fasting every Monday has meant to him, “Fasting makes me acutely aware that my body is a divinely provided building, a home for God’s Spirit. It teaches me to be a good manager of this body. I don’t own it, I just manage it.”

The All-Canada Convention of Christian Churches (Disciples) passed a resolution recently to the effect that they should explore and study ways to reestablish lines of communication with other heirs of the Restoration Movement. Some of our Canadian brethren are thrilled over the implications of this resolution and see it as an important breakthrough Some leading American Disciples were at the convention and witnessed the overwhelming vote in favor of the move. We hope that what happened in Canada will make its way southward, causing us all to be more conscious of the meaning of our heritage. Now, really, does it make sense to compass sea and land in search of union with some denomination and then be indifferent toward unity and fellowship with those of the same historic background?

In a recent interview, Don Finto of the Belmont Church of Christ in Nashville, said: “To have an open fellowship and worship you must allow people to make mistakes before the congregation and to say things that you don’t agree with or say things that you wish they hadn’t said. But they have the freedom to say it and we still love them.”

Charismatics in Christian Churches -Churches of Christ are having an annual conference in Oklahoma City, Dec. 1-4 at the Hilton Inn West. Contact Alex Bills at405-677-0134for information.

John Allen Chalk, onetime preacher for Herald of Truth and now an attorney in Abilene, recently spoke on a Bicentennial program at First Baptist Church, Abilene.

James L. Merrill, editor of The Disciple (Disciples of Christ), wrote of the problem faced by “mainline churches” in reference to repressive measures taken against various sects by the government and others (such as crackdown on tax exemption). He sees a need to distinguish between such legitimate though misguided sects like Jehovah’s Witnesses and fanatical sects like Rev. Moon’s Unification Church. “The rise of cults challenges those of us in the historic denominations to do a more effective job in teaching. Every congregation should provide its people with the biblical and theological foundations that will enable them to recognize gross heresies,” he says.