OUR CHANGING WORLD

 

In the May 16 issue of Gospel Advocate there is an article that asks the question “Is History Repeating Itself?,” which points to that division in the Movement that separated Churches of Christ from Christian Churches. The author fears that history is repeating itself and that another division is probable. It will be for the same reason as he sees it: the Christian Churches neglected the New Testament and the Churches of Christ did not. He names the offenders: “Some have been so influenced in their thinking on this subject by Carl Ketcherside, Leroy Garrett and others of like mind that they are emphasizing ‘the union of all Christians’ to the neglect of the New Testament as the only true basis for such a union.’” The phrases in quotes are given as the abiding principles of Alexander Campbell. The author calls upon the faithful to take a stand upon “The New Testament as the basis for unity,” as if the Christian Churches, Ketcherside and Garrett object to this while Campbell and the Churches of Christ support this. There is a big difference between a plea for unity based upon the New Testament and a call for unity based upon one’s opinions and deductions drawn from the New Testament, including even the silence of the New Testament. When Campbell called for unity based upon the New Testament he referred only to those things that are clearly and distinctly set forth, catholic principles he called them in that all Christians can agree upon them. That is where I stand. I will buy a plea for unity based upon what is explicitly set forth in Scripture, but not a unity based upon a conformity to Church of Christisms —or any other kind of isms.

One of our readers sends in his renewal, along with a club of new subs, and describes himself as “a non-class brother who is not anti.” That well describes the beautiful change that is coming over so many of our people in Churches of Christ. They may remain non-class, non-instrumental, or non-cups (which is their God-given right), but they are no longer “anti” in that they do not make such things a test of fellowship or a condition for accepting their sisters and brothers in Christ who differ with them on such matters.

You may know that Houston is one of the leading medical centers of the world, but you may not know that Churches of Christ now have a resident chaplain in the vast Medical Center there. The program is directed by a board the members of which are not all “mainline” Church of Christ, one exception being G. B. Shelburne, Jr., an elder in the Main St. Church of Christ in South Houston, which is non-class, who is worthy to sit on anyone’s board. Our Houston brethren also provide apartments for those who must be with loved ones in the hospital, free of charge.

To contact this program: Churches of Christ Medical Center Chaplaincy, 4011 W. Bellfort, Houston, TX 77025. By the way, can’t we understand why folk suppose that we too are a denomination? And isn’t that OK? What is not OK is our denial of it and the reasons for so doing.

A letter from a graduate student at Harvard, a Ph.D. candidate in astronomy, reveals that his research focuses upon “the dynamics of superclusters of galaxies.” Not simply galaxies, not even clusters of galaxies, but superclusters of galaxies. One would suppose that such research would not only be dazzling but reverential. The poet in Psa. 8 said that when he considered the heavens he was moved to ask “What is man that God is mindful of him?” We hope as much for the Harvard student.