OUR CHANGING WORLD

 

The other day Ouida called me to our backyard to show me her garden of irises. She planted the bulbs months ago and now there is a rich stand so thick they will eventually have to be thinned out. The main attraction was the first full bloom of a single iris with several others about to break out in full glory. It was dominantly lavender in a network of rainbow colors, an unusually large iris, the perfect flower. We were captivated by its stunning beauty and marveled at God’s handiwork. How could such beauty spring out of the ground like that! That single lovely flower standing alone in our other-wise not-so-beautiful backyard seem to be saying that in spite of all the ugliness in the world it had its job to do. Not a bad way to view things, stand and bloom where you are, doing what God intends for you. That may be as good a definition of beauty as any. Ouida is not only busy with gardens front and back, but is still redecorating our home. She still says that not having her mother to care for takes some getting used to.

Stephen Bilak Church of Christ missionary to the now former Soviet Union, recently reported on the changes that have taken place since he went there 30 years ago. Back then the Soviet Union was a closed society, and the only way to reach the people with the gospel was by radio and by smuggled copies of the printed word. In recent weeks his ministry has delivered 40,000 copies of the New Testament to Ukrainians in their own language. He has received 7000 letters of appreciation from people who received free Bibles, while a few years back such letters could not have been posted. A radio station is broadcasting for free some of Stephen’s tapes. He can now set up offices for operation behind what was once the Iron Curtain, and in one office he has a hard-to-get telephone furnished by the governor. The ministry is now free to go ahead with such plans as the publication of tracts and hymnals, and video tapes in the vernacular of the people on how to study the Bible. PTL!

Arnold Hardin, Scyene Rd. Church of Christ, 2920 Prairie Creek, Dallas, Tx. 75227, edits a newsletter called The Persuader, which is a dramatic illustration of how freedom can break out in the most unpredictable places. Arnold has always labored among “the Antis” or “Conservatives” and is presently with a church of that persuasion. His mail-out, intended especially for his own group, is a hard-hitting defense of the gospel of grace. He says things like, “Salvation by grace through faith was authored in heaven and ratified on Calvary. Salvation by law/works was authored by Satan and appeals to the vain foolish pride of sectarian minds and practices. How badly a correct view of grace is needed!” You can get on his mailing list free for the asking.

The Encyclopedia of American Religions sent me a copy of a description of “Churches of Christ (Non-Instrumental. Ecumenical)” that it had published, asking for any corrections that should be made for future editions. This journal was cited as the contact point, and the “organization” is described as taking a strong stand on unity, reaching out to a broader fellowship, and concluding that the Churches of Christ had become another sect. I do not know who wrote the description. I wrote to them and advised that while there is a renewal movement among Churches of Christ those involved do not consider themselves as separatists, but as part of the mainline churches. I explained that while there are 36 congregations listed in The Churches of Christ in the United States as “E” churches, meaning Ecumenical, they consider themselves regular Churches of Christ and not a separate faction. It is simply a persuasion or movement within the larger body, and those 36 churches come nowhere near representing the far flung effort for ecumenicity in main-line churches. I told them that I was uncomfortable with my journal being associated with a separatist group, for that was the very thing we seek to avoid, and that the article should be entirely dropped in future editions or referred to only as part of the several divergent persuasions within Churches of Christ. I pointed out that all persons referred to in the article, which included Norman Parks and myself, were members of mainline churches and not a separate Church of Christ.

We are pleased to announce that Lyndsay A. Jacobs, the immediate past president of the World Convention of Churches of Christ, has been named the new general secretary of that organization, which is an umbrella convention for all branches of the Stone-Campbell movement. Lyndsay is a New Zealander, but he and his wife Lorraine, who will serve as associate general secretary, will move to Nashville for this assignment. This convention, which attracts Campbellites from some 50 countries, meets every five years, the next convention being in Long Beach, Aug. 5-9 of this year. This is a ministry you should know about and take part in. I have been a part of the World Convention for many years, serving presently on the executive committee, and I have written the study guide that will be used at the Long Beach convention, which Ouida and I plan to attend. For further information write to the WCCC, 100 N. Central Expwy, Suite 804, Richardson, Tx. 75080. The office will move to Nashville later this year.

The Christian Science Monitor has coined a new word to identify a new dimension of America’s reading habits. Besides the millions of illiterates in this country, a problem with which we are all acquainted, there are many millions more who are aliterates, referring to those who can read but won’t or don’t. Hard core illiteracy is about 5%, functional illiteracy is about 15%, a disturbingly high number. Aliteracy may run far more than illiteracy. One reason is that Americans are overworked and have no time to read. Another reason given is laziness. A study by the American Booksellers Association found that last year 60% of American households did not buy a single book. The Monitor believes the solution lies with the schools where the habit of reading must be ingrained. It cites a high school in suburban Chicago as a model where everything stops for 15 minutes a day while everyone, from janitor to principal, reads for pleasure.

The Institute of Christian Studies in Austin, Texas will host its eleventh annual Ministers Sermon Seminar May 25-28. The goal of the seminar is to aid the minister in the task of biblical preaching. Lectures will focus on the relationship between insights derived from biblical studies and sermon preparation. An emphasis of the seminar is the process by which biblical texts can be made applicable to today’s world. Mike Armour of Dallas is one of the speakers.