See Missions Rally Program for Sabbath, May 16
~ @he Church Officers’ Gasette
Vor, XVIII
JUNE, 1981
No. 6
The Church Officers’ Gazette
Tssued monthly
Printed and published by the
REVIEW AND HERALD PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION
at Takoma Park, Washington, D. C., U. 8. A.
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EpiTor - - - - - - - - TT. BB. Bowen
ASs0CIATE EpiToRs - - H. T. Burrorr, J, A. STEVENS
ASSISTANT EDITOR - - - - - Emma B, HowELL
EDITORIAL COUN(CLL
J. L. McELuany CC. K. Mryers I, Korz M. E. Kern
Entered as second-class matter, January 20, 1914, at the post office at
Washington, I, C., under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879.
Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in
Ser, 1103, Act of October 8, 1917, authorized on June 22, 1918,
Church Officers’ General
Instruction Department
Special Appointments for the Month of
June
Home Missionary Day... Jue. 6
Sabbath School Rally Day... coreiiiicivveeeedune. 13
At the Lord’s Table
1, “In the quarterly service should the bread and wine be
passed to all the ehildren in the congregation, even the small
children who are not members of the church?”
No. Denominational principles would net permit of any
such letting down of rules in so solemn a matter as the par
taking of the bread and wine representing the death of the
Lord Jesus. It should be borne in mind that the Seriptures
gpeak very emphatieally upon this point. Those who partake
of these emblems, mot discerning the Lord's body, eat and
drink condemmation to themselves. These emblems should be
parvaken of only by those who understand the Importance of
the sevice, and in the spirit of humility and self-examination
and ever contrition of heart for their sins, In this spirit par-
take of the emblems representing the broken bedy and spilled
blood of the Saviour. A careless spirit came into the church
at Corinth, and the apostle Paul in his instruction rebuked it,
He said:
“Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you nef, that ye
come together not for the better, but for the worse.” “Where-
fore, my brethren, when ye come logether to eat [the Lord’s
gupper}, tarry one for anether, And if any man Inmger, let
him eat at home; that yo come not together unte condemna-
tion.” 1 Cor. 11:17, 35, 34.
Then he goes on fo describe the proper service when the
emblems of the death of Jesus are partaken of:
“As often as ye cat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do
show the Lord’s death till He come. Wherefore whosoever shall
eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily,
shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, But let
a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread,
and drink of that eup. Tor he that eateth and drinketh un-
worthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not dis-
cerning the Lord’s body.” Vorses 26-29,
As a general rule the emblems should be passed ouly lo
those who are members of the church. Only those children
wito have been haptized, therefore, would be cligible to par-
take of the Lord’s supper.
2. “In the feot washing, should all the children he allowed
to take part, members of the ehurch as well as nonmembers?”
The same rule would apply te the ordinance of feet washing
as to the bread and wine. Only members of the church are
supposed to take part in this ordinance. Otherwise it might
very easily be degraded, and instead of being a spiritual up-
lift, would prove to be a curse to the participants.
3. “In-the Sabbath scheol on the last Sabbath in the year,
should the newly elected secretary take the minutes of the
meeting, or should the old secretary take the minutes and hand
them to the new secretary to be rcad the first Sabbath of the
new year$”
The Sabbath School Department suggests that the old see-
retary should finish up her work even on the last Sabbath of
the year by taking the minutes of the Sabbath gchool the same
as if she were to continue. In the event of a change of sec-
retaries, the new secretary would read this report the follow-
ing Sabbath, and possibly refer to it as the report of the
former secretary. T. E. B.
Sabbath Keeping
Tne truths of the Bible continually instruct and arouse us.
Here we are taught the gospel of love, the gospel of peace,
the gospel of kindness, the gospel of work, and the gospel
of rest.
In the providence of God, provision is made for rest as
well as work. Christ was Interested in the strong mau, the
wise man, the sick man, the sinful man, the working man,
and He did not forget the tired man. Ou one occasion He
invited His diseiples to accompany Him into a desert place
to “rest awhile.” God Himself rested after six days of labor,
and He set apart and hallowed the seventh day as the Sabbath.
The word “Sabbath” means rest.
Rest is a physical necessity. He who works should rest.
The best preventive of disease is rest properly combined with
exercise,
Rest is a mental mecessity. The memory in its retentive-
ness, the will in its vigor, the mind in its clearness and logical
faculty, all need rest,
Rest 1s a religious necessity. It takes time and thought to
pray and worship. It takes time to form a symmetrical Chris-
tian life and be fitted for heaven.
The sacredness of the Sabbath hours, and the method of Sab-
bath observance by those who recognize God’s claims, is mads
clear by the prophet Isaiah. He says, regarding this hely day:
“If thou . .. call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord,
honorable; and shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways,
nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and TI will cause
thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee
with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the
Lord hath spoken il.” Isa. 58:13, 14.
Let us observe some outstanding expressions in the text:
“Call the Sabbath a delight.”
“Not doing thine own ways.”
“Nor finding thine own pleasure.”
“Nor speaking thine own words.”
These ingpired statements are full of meaning, and are
worthy of our prayerful congideration. We are to “call the
Sabbath a delight,” not, however, by finding our own pleasure,
but instead by delighting in the Lord,
“The Sabbath a Delight”
God gave to man the Sabbath as a memorial of His creative
power, that he might discern Him in the werks of His hand.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament
showeth His handiwork.” The Sabbath day 13 not to be em-
ployed in indolence or folly, but in joyful contemplation of
His wonderful works." It is our high privilege to study the
messages of God, written for us in nature; to enter the fields
and groves, to go over hill and dale, under the open sky, and