OUR CHANGING WORLD

 

I attended a community-wide Thanksgiving service at a Presbyterian church in which a woman minister (Methodist) was the speaker. I happened to sit next to a Visitor to our city who was also a woman minister (Presbyterian), who told me afterward that it was unusual indeed to be a woman minister in a small Oklahoma town. Ours is indeed a changing world, even in Oklahoma and Texas. It is a change that might bring more  responsible and  more  meaningful preaching to the pulpit. Business people in our city ran a full-page ad in our local paper inviting everyone to the Thanksgiving service, and the house was full. Insofar as I could tell I was the only one present from the Church of Christ, which is bad news, but the good news is that we have many in the Church of Christ in our city who would not  have  been  uncomfortable  in  an ecumenical service like that. Our problem is that we have such a habit of exclusivism that it is difficult for us to break away and enjoy the fellowship of other Christians. And there are still so few who will dare to lead  us  in  new  directions.  We  are consequently a terribly deprived people. Self-deprived!

Buff Scott, Jr. is one of those who would lead us into greener pastures, as he does in his publication The Reformer, 1003 Pilot Ave., Cherokee, IO 51012 He writes things like ''We need to differentiate between the ecclesia of Jesus Christ and the non-instrument Church of Christ or 'church of Christ.'" The sub rate is $3.00 per annum.

Given O. Blakely, 10701 W. 124th Ave., Cedar Lake, IN 46303 has proposed Project Plus 60, which he envisions as a means of tapping the wisdom and experience of some of the older leaders among Christian Churches/Churches of Christ in hopes of enriching our own faith and reaching out to a lost world. He wants to start  with  Fred  O.  Blakely,  Dwaine Dunning, Don DeWelt, Seth Wilson, Carl Ketcherside, and Leroy Garrett. When I saw that list, I remembered that 30 years ago four of those men (the last four) met in a debate over instrumental music  But even that far back it was different. I wrote Carl that I thought we should approach the discussion with the attitude that Seth and Don were as much our brothers as we were to each other and that no lines should be drawn. Carl opened the debate by reading that letter, which I did not know he was going to do. It set a tone for the debate that was so different that the large gathering was far more impressed with the way we treated each other than the arguments we made, which were not all that great.  It did something else, for it helped us to see that we  can  accept  each  other  and  enjoy fellowship  together  and  let  things  like instrumental music be determined by each congregation's preference and opinion. We hope Given Blakely's project will provide other such liberating experiences, leading our people to higher ground and greater vision. Write to him for more information.

Ouida served 25 people at our home on Thanksgiving, all her kith and kin. We borrowed chairs from our church and had folk at three tables. We had everything here from a pig farmer (her brother) to an otorhinolaryngologist  (a nephew),  mostly Church of Christ folk, from left to right. They were here in part to see Ouida's mother, who lives with us. I was glad when they came and glad when they left, and happy that they didn't take Ouida with them. Ouida offers to entertain my clan, but I could muster no such number that could bear to be with each other that long. But we will be going into Dallas Christmastime to my only sister's home where "the five of us'' (there were ten of us) will get together once more with our families. We wish for you all a happy holiday season.