Von. 28 
JULY, 1941 �
No. 7 
CHeurcH Officerr 
INSIUNimm•72h 
Maligning God's Chosen Leaders 
HEN any man that had a 
controversy came to the king 
for judgment, then Absalom 
called unto him, and said, 
Of what city art thou/ And he said, 
Thy servant is one of the tribes of 
Israel. And Absalom said unto him, 
See, thy matters are good and right; 
but there is no man deputed of the 
king to hear thee. Absalom said 
moreover, Oh that I were made judge 
in the land, that every man which 
hath any suit or cause might come 
unto me, and I would do him justice!" 
2 Sam. 15:2-4. 
Thus began a conspiracy in Israel 
that caused David, Israel's greatest 
Icing and most beloved, to flee from 
his throne for a time, and resulted in 
the death of many, including Absalom, 
the conspirator, who was caught by 
his head between the branches of an 
oak on the battlefield. This was 
God's answer to this insurrection 
against the Lord's anointed. 
A Lesson in Disloyalty 
Miriam, the older sister of Moses, 
had been used of the Lord to aid in 
saving the babe's life down by the 
bulrushes of the Nile. She had also 
led in the song of praise to the Lord 
when Israel's hosts reached the Ca-
naan side of the Bed Sea, had even 
been inspired with that praise psalm, 
and had likewise become known in 
Israel as a prophetess; yet when she 
and Aaron spoke against the "Ethio-
pian woman whom he [Moses] had 
married," and further said, "Hath the 
Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? 
hath He not spoken also by us?" 
God's answer was an audible rebuke 
from out of the cloud at the door of 
the tabernacle. He said: 
"Hear now My words: If there be 
a prophet among you, I the Lord will 
make Myself known unto him in a 
vision, and will speak unto him in a 
dream. My servant Moses is not so, 
who is faithful in all Mine house. 
With him will I speak mouth to 
mouth; . . . wherefore then were ye 
not afraid to speak against My serv-
ant Moses?" Num. 12:6-S. 
And when He departed, "behold, 
Miriam became leprous, white as 
snow." 
These experiences are written out 
as warnings to us upon whom the ends 
of the world are come, and make clear 
how God regards those who despise 
and malign the influence and the work 
of His chosen and delegated servants 
who are placed as leaders in the 
church. 
The Withholding of God's 
Reserved Treasure 
The Lord has made provision for 
the extension of His saving gospel 
message unto the ends of the earth. 
This provision is bound up in the re-
turn of His reserved treasure, en-
trusted with His people, which is to 
be brought into His sacred storehouse 
in tithes and offerings. While He 
uses no compulsion, in that He calls 
for "voluntary offerings and the 
tithe," as these "constitute the reve-
nue of the gospel," He points out how 
some, and altogether too many, disobey 
and withhold these entrusted treas-
ures of His because they distrust His 
delegated servants who have been 
charged with the disbursement of 
these funds. Listen to this word: 
"The tithe is sacred, reserved by 
God for Himself. It is to be brought 
into His treasury to be used to sustain 
the gospel laborers in their work. For 
a long time the Lord has been robbed 
because there are those who do not 
realize that the tithe is God's reserved 
portion. 
"Some have been dissatisfied, and 
have said, 'I will not longer pay my 
tithe; for I have no confidence in the 
way things are managed at the heart 
of the work.' But will you rob God 
because you think the management of 
the work is not right? Make your 
complaint, plainly and openly, in the 
right spirit, to the proper ones. Send 
in your petitions for things to be ad-
justed and set in order; but do not 
withdraw from the work of God, and 
prove unfaithful, because others are 
not doing right."—"Testimonies," Vol. 
IX, p. 249. 
Some Things We May Not Know 
It is quite possible that if such 
ones could be informed concerning the 
problems to be grappled with "at the 
heart of the work," or at the confer-
ence or mission headquarters, and 
could learn some of the experiences of 
those who have been made overseers 
over God's work, they would discover, 
to their astonishment, that the things 
which they counted so much out of 
order really came about because of 
some misunderstanding or because of 
lack of knowledge of the facts and 
conditions that entered into the sub-
ject of complaint. These complaints 
more often prove to be only a screen 
behind which the enemy hides to lead 
believers on into sinning against 
God. Shall we rob God of that which 
He claims as His own because we 
think others are remiss in some service 
due the Lord? 
Expressing Our Gratitude and 
Loyalty to God 
Regarding showing our loyalty and 
expressing our gratitude for - God's 
bountiful love and care for us, we 
2 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
July, 1941 
have the following words of counsel 
addressed to us: 
"God has a claim on us and all that 
we have. His claim is paramount to 
every other. And in acknowledgment 
of this claim, He bids us render to 
Him a fixed proportion of all that He 
gives us. The tithe is this specified 
portion. By the Lord's direction it 
was consecrated to Him in the earliest 
times." "The tithing system reaches 
back beyond the days of Moses. Men 
were required to offer to God gifts for 
religious purposes before the definite 
system was given to Moses, even as 
far back as the days of Adam. . . . 
This was continued through succes-
sive generations, and was carried out 
by Abraham, who gave tithes to Mel-
chizedek, the priest of the most high 
God. . . . God does not compel men 
to give. All that they give must be 
voluntary. He will not have His 
treasury replenished with unwilling of-
ferings."—"Counsels on Stewardship," 
pp. 71, 69. 
And to make clear that this same 
God-given plan is continued for the 
support of gospel laborers in the New 
Testament dispensation, we have been 
given this instruction: 
"In hie first letter to the church at 
Corinth, Paul gave the believers in-
struction regarding the general prin-
ciples underlying the support of God's 
work in the earth. Writing of his 
apostolic labors in their behalf, he in-
quired: 
"'Who goeth a warfare any time at 
his own charges? who plantoth a vine-
yard, and eateth not of the fruit 
thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and 
eaten not, of the milk of the flock? 
Say I these things as a man? or saith 
not the law the same also? For it is 
written in the law of Moses, Thou 
shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox 
that treadeth out the corn. Both God 
take care for oxen? or saith He it alto-
gether for our sakes? For our sakes, 
no doubt, this is written: that he that 
ploweth should plow in hope; and that 
he that thresheth in hope should be 
partaker of his hope. 
"'If we have sown unto you spirit-
ual things,' the apostle further in-
quired, 'is it a great thing if we shall 
reap your carnal things? If others 
be partakers of this power over you, 
are not we rather? . . . Do ye not 
know that they which minister about 
holy things live of the things of the 
temple? and they which wait at the 
altar are partakers with the altar? 
Even so hath the Lord ordained that 
they which preach the gospel should 
live of the gospel.' 1 Cor. 9:7-14."—
Id., pp. 69, 70. 
Of God's requirements of His peo-
ple who are living as we do down in 
the last generation, we read: 
"God requires no less of us than 
He required of His people anciently, 
His gifts to us are not less, but 
greater, than they were to Israel of 
old. His service requires, and ever will 
require means. The great missionary 
work for the salvation of souls is to 
be carried forward. In the tithe, with 
gifts and offerings, God has made 
ample provision for this work. He in-
tends that the ministry of the gospel 
should be fully sustained. He claims 
the tithe as His own, and it should 
ever be regarded as a sacred reserve, 
to be placed in His treasury for the 
benefit of His cause, for the advance-
ment of His work, for sending His 
messengers into 'regions beyond,' even 
to the uttermost parts of the earth." 
Id., p. 71. (Italics ours.) 
Special Appointments 
for July 
Home Missionary Day, 
July 5 
Foreign Missions Offering, 
July 12 
Midsuanmer Offering for 
Missions, July 19 
Educational Day, 
July 26 
Matching Faults 
IT is a very human practice among 
all of us, when our faults or weak-
nesses are called to our attention, to 
recall or notice how many more and 
much worse faults are in others, and 
forthwith excuse our own. And to 
excuse a fault is to decide not to try 
to overcome it. But We can never be 
much or do much in this world as 
long as we cherish a known fault. 
Reversing this habit of snatching 
faults brings much better results in 
character building. When you see 
what is wrong in another, which is 
the easiest thing imaginable to see, 
try finding some fault of your own 
that is just as bad or worse. Jim has 
a hair-trigger temper, and flies up, 
at the least provocation, telling peo-
ple just what he thinks of them. In-
stead of congratulating yourself on 
always being able to keep cool—
which may be of no particular credit 
to you since you inherited a judicious 
temperament—say something like this 
to yourself: "But I have a stubborn 
disposition, and am too proud to give 
in when I know I'm in the wrong. 
I suppose my mulishness is just as 
exasperating to him as his flare-ups 
are disagreeable to me. His explo-
sions are soon over, he forgets them 
easily and quickly, and never holds a 
grudge, while sometimes I am grouchy 
for days on end." 
This sort of matching game may 
be made very fascinating. It makes 
for liberality in dealing with our fel-
lows, a fine appreciation of character 
values, and a determination to rise 
above petty criticism. Such matches 
strike love fire and help to warm up 
cold shoulders. 
But a still more excellent way is to 
try to match ourselves with the match-
less Jesus, bo overwhelmed by the 
contrast, find His forgiveness; and 
with beam-free eyesight, see clearly 
the better way to east mote faults out 
of other people's eyes. 
R. B. THERBER. 
01 �
5V 
"Carricraxes the stuffed owl in the 
taxidermist's shop—'Head not on 
right, body not poised right, etc. If 
I could not stuff an owl better than 
that, I would go out of the taxidermist 
business?' Just then the owl blinked 
an eye, and moved a bit." 
"LET Israel hope in the Lord: for 
with the Lord there is mercy, and with 
Him is plenteous redemption. And 
He shall redeem Israel from all his 
iniquities." Ps. 130:7, 8. 
—7be CaurcS Officers'ri 
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COMMAS. COUNCIL 
M. E. HENN - - - - H. T. Eimmax 
Entered as second-class matter, Janu-
ary 20, 1914. at the post office at Wash-
ington, me., under the Act of Congress 
of March 3, 1879. 
Vol. 28, No. 7 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
3 
NEIGHBORHOOD EVANGELISM 
Suggestive Program for Sabbath 
Service, July 5, 1941 
OPENING SONG: "Make Me a Blessing 
Today," No. 500 in "Christ in 
Song." 
CHURCH MISSIONARY REPORT. 
MISSIONARY OFFERING. 
SONG: "While the Days Are Going 
By," No. 486 in "Christ in Song." 
SERMON (or Readings) : "Neighbor- 
hood Evangelism." 
SPECIAL MUSIC: "Win Them One by 
One" (or other selection). 
PLANS FOR INTENSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD 
CONTACTS WITH LITERATURE (Pres-
entation by church missionary sec-
retary). 
CLOSING SONG: "My Actions Will 
Show," No. 650 in "Christ in Song." 
BENEDICTION. 
Note to Leaders 
In preparing for this service, it 
would be advisable for the leader to 
review Home Missionary Series Leaf-
lets Nos. 11, 22, and 24, entitled, 
"The Home Bible Study League," 
"Community Circulating Library," 
and "Bible Service Training School," 
as these particular phases of mission-
ary endeavor are especially applicable 
to neighborhood evangelism. In addi-
tion to these, special emphasis should 
be placed on extending invitations to 
neighbors to attend our church serv-
ices or evangelistic meetings. The 
branch Sabbath school work is also 
a neighborhood feature. The Dorcas 
work also operates throughout the 
neighborhood. In fact, "Neighbor-
hood Evangelism" embraces every 
phase of personal missionary work. 
The stirring question, "Why Are 
We Alive?" as set forth in the article 
by Elder C. B. Haynes, opens the way 
for calling attention to what can be 
and should be systematically carried 
on in every neighborhood. Our hope 
and prayer is that as a result of this 
missionary service, the Community Cir-
culating Library plan may become an 
Why Are We Alive?" 
By C. B. IIAYNES 
E apostle Peter makes men-
on of the purpose in the 
Christian life, as follows: "As 
evely man bath received the gift, even 
so minister the same one to another, 
as good stewards of the manifold 
grace of God. . . . If any man minis-
ter, let him do it as of the ability 
which God giveth: that God in all 
things may be glorified through Jesus 
Christ." 1 Peter 4:10, 11. 
Why are we alive? God has some-
thing fey us to do, and He has made 
it possible, in the provision He has 
made in Jesus Christ, for us to do it. 
He is waiting for us to begin. There 
is no other reason why we are alive 
than that. When He is through with 
us, and there is no longer any possi-
bility of our doing anything for God, 
we will not be alive. Life ends when 
God is through with us. Since life 
is not ended for us, it follows that 
God has something for us to do. That 
is a simple bit of philosophy; yet it 
is well to begin to think it over 
seriously, and to inquire most ear-
nestly, "What has God for me to do? 
Why am I alive?" 
It is our duty to study how to 
carry out God's will in our lives. Is 
it not a satisfaction to you to know 
that God-has prepared a program for 
your life? To me, it magnifies and 
glorifies life to know that God has 
established and 'enlarged factor in 
every community. 
GEN. CONF. HOME MISS. DEPT. 
Sermon at a lay evangelistic Insti-
tute. 
something for me to do, and that 
God is willing something for us every 
moment of time, I believe that God 
in heaven has a will with respect to 
us individually. There never can come 
one instant of time into your life, 
when it would be true for you to 
say, "God has no will, no plan, for 
me this day, this hour, these five 
minutes; consequently in these five 
minutes I can do just as I please." 
That is never true. Always, minute 
by minute, God is willing something 
regarding ns; and always, minute by 
minute, you are either doing God's 
will or you are going contrary to it. 
Does that fact mean anything to you? 
Does it not mean that the greatest 
question in human life should be in 
our ,ninds continually—the same 
question that Paul asked on the road 
to Damascus when he was stricken to 
the ground—"Lord, what wilt Thou 
have me to do?" 
There is no instant in human life, 
in work or in play, that God would 
not have you assume this attitude 
toward life—"Lord, what wilt Thou 
have me to dog" The instant we 
awaken in the morning, our thought 
should be, "Lord, what wilt Thou 
have me to do?" What art Thou will-
ing for me today? That is the right 
attitude for every Christian to assume 
—"not My will, but Thine." We are 
alive for the one purpose of doing 
the will of God and glorifying Him. 
Every man has been equipped with 
some kind of ability for the imparta-' 
tion of wisdom, knowledge, discretion, 
judgment, and sound sense; and, as 
our text reads, "As every man bath 
received the gift, even so minister the 
same one to another, as good stew- 
4 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
July, 1941 
ards of the manifold grace of God." 
Some portion of the manifold grace 
of God has been committed to you. 
It has been given to you for a pur-
pose, that you might minister to some-
one else. Grace has been entrusted 
to you for others. 
By grace, the truth has been 
brought to you. What for/ It is 
a gift entrusted to you to be used 
for others. By grace we were bap-
tized; by grace we have been kept 
through the years; by grace we have 
been endowed with gifts, abilities, 
capacities; and by grace we are alive. 
What for? What excuse can you give 
for being alive? What are you doing 
to carry out your entrusted steward-
ship of the manifold grace of God? 
God is waiting for you to do some-
thing about it. What is it all for 
—this that God has done for you in 
bringing you to a knowledge of this 
truth? 
The greatest question for everyone 
to consider is: Lord, what is Thy will 
for me? And, let me say, there is 
no satisfaction in all life comparable 
to that of knowing what the will of 
God is and living in harmony with 
it every day. This means the individ-
ual experience of knowing just what 
God would have you do, and knowing 
that you are doing it. 
The Debt We Owe 
The church of Jesus Christ is made 
up of many kinds of people. It is 
astonishing how many kinds of _people 
there are; and all are different, and 
all are for a specific purpose. To 
each a measure of grace has been 
given, and as every man hath received 
the gift, so he is to minister the same 
to others. A strict accounting is kept 
of the use made of the "measure of 
grace" which has been given to each. 
The apostle Paul recognized the great 
responsibility involved in being put 
in trust with the gospel. Fie said, 
"I am debtor both to the Greeks, and 
to the barbarians; both to the wise, 
and to the unwise." Rom. 1:14. Do 
you think that Paul was any more 
of a debtor to the people among whom 
ho lived than we are today? 
Paul enumerates a long list of 
creditors—Greeks, barbarians, the 
wise, and the unwise. His heart was 
filled with a yearning to discharge 
his debt to all mankind—the people 
around him, the people of the state, 
the people of the nation. To all men 
he owed a debt; he recognized that 
he was to share with them the mani-
fold grace of God. 
Every one of us needs to recognize 
that same relationship to God. We 
are debtors. We owe men something. 
The message of truth which God has 
given to us, we are to share with oth-
ers. We aro to speak as mouthpieces 
for God; we are to be as transmitters, 
microphones. We have no other busi-
ness in life than that of faithful 
stewardship. We have a message 
which has been prepared and placed 
in our hearts and our hands, and we 
are to pass it on—not adding to it, 
or taking from it, but just giving it 
as it is. 
"If any man speak, let him speak 
as the oracles of God." You arc not 
interpreters of God; you are witnesses 
for God. It is not your message you 
are to give. It is God's message. 
Keep yourself out of sight, and wit-
ness for Christ. Consider the atti-
tude of John the Baptist. People 
came to him and said, "Who art thou/ 
that we may give an answer to them 
that sent us." The reply was, "I am 
the voice." He did not claim to be 
the Messiah, he did not claim to be 
Elias; just "the voice of one crying 
in the wilderness." John 1:22, 23. 
In other words, John replied: Never 
mind me. Get your eyes off me. I 
am only a voice crying in the wilder-
ness; I am a witness; I am only one 
sent with a message. 
Of John the Baptist, it is said, 
"There was a man sent from God, 
whose name was John." John 1:6. 
There should be no higher ambition 
in life than to have that said of us. 
"A man sent from God"! What an 
honor. Wherever we go, whatever we 
do, we are in God's service. If every 
Christian would take that attitude 
toward every detail of life, what great 
things God could accomplish through 
His people. 
We are alive for the ono purpose 
of doing the will of God, "that God 
in all things may be glorified through 
Jesus Christ." Let us be more dili-
gent in discharging our duty as 
"stewards of the manifold grace of 
God," recognizing that we are debtors 
to the members of our family, to our 
neighborhood, to our community, and 
to mankind everywhere. We can only 
pay the debt by a life of undivided 
purpose to know and to do the will of 
God and to stand as a witness for 
Him. 
The Circulating Library Plan 
TFIE Circulating Library plan is 
one of the most effective and fruitful 
instrumentalities in soul-wining en-
deavor, because of the fact that the 
successful development of this plan 
provides for the use of the varied tal-
ents of the entire church body in 
harmony with the instruction from 
the messenger of the Lord. 
"God expects personal service from 
everyone to whom He has entrusted 
a knowledge of the truth for this time. 
Not all can go as missionaries to for-
eign lands, but all can be home mis-
sionaries in their families and neigh-
borhoods."—"Christian Service," p. 9. 
"Our publications are now sowing 
the gospel seed, and are instrumental 
in bringing as many souls to Christ 
as the preached word. Whole churches 
have been raised up as the result of 
their circulation. In this work every 
disciple of Christ can act a part."—
Id., p. 146. 
Thorough organization is the im-
perative need in this phase of mis-
sionary work, for, without most care-
ful and prayerful preparation, close 
supervision, and a constant checkup 
as the various steps are taken, the 
plan will produce very meager results. 
In fact, success in this venture de-
pends upon thorough preparation, 
hard work, and systematic weekly re-
porting by the members of the various 
bands to the leader, who, we might 
say, acts as a sort of spark plug. 
In our Syracuse church, this Cir-
culating Library work has been 
brought to a high state of perfection 
through the co-operation of the pastor, 
Bible worker, and church member-
ship, and has resulted in the addition 
of many to the church. In fact, 
the bulk of the baptisms of 1940 in 
this center were the direct result of 
this method of labor. It should be 
borne in mind that this work, prop-
erly organized and fostered, will pro-
duce a triple blessing, inasmuch as 
the pastor, the Bible worker, the 
church members, and those who read 
the books and accept the message ob-
tain a rich experience in the things 
of God, thus adding much to the spir-
ituality of the church. 
The first step in carrying out this 
plan is, of course, to get the people 
to solemnly dedicate themselves to 
the work by consecrating their lives 
to God for service. Then, literature 
Vol. 28, No. 7 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
5 
bands are formed under proper leader-
ship for prayer and study. 
A survey of the territory will deter-
mine the size of the bands. The Syra-
cuse plan called for the working of 
the city by sections. Fifty workers 
were sent out to canvass the section 
of territory selected, and systematic 
effort was the watchword. This pre-
paratory literature consisted of six 
numbers of the small Present Truth 
Leaflets which were distributed in 
four visits, and placed in the hand of 
the prospect, never put under the door 
or in the mailbox. At the last visit 
with the leaflets, the name of the in-
dividual was secured, if an interest in 
more literature was manifested. The 
individual was never asked to sign 
the card, but the worker took the 
name. Experience has taught us that 
some people are extremely reluctant 
to sign anything; so the worker writes 
the name, including any interesting 
or helpful information. At the con-
clusion of the distribution of the 
literature, these workers have a two 
weeks' rest, after which they are as-
signed another block of territory. 
A different group of workers, sup-
plied with the information gathered 
by the leaflet workers, now follow up 
the interest created with the small 
twenty-five-cent books, a supply of 
which has been carefully selected. 
One book is left each week. These 
workers are selected and trained very 
carefully. Right here allow me to 
state that both the leaflet workers 
and the book workers make a weekly 
report to the general leader at the 
meeting for that purpose. In other 
words, these workers return to the 
meeting place and report immediately 
upon the completion of their day's 
activity. This is important in the 
successful working of the plan, and 
pays large dividends in continued in-
terest in the task in hand. 
Bible Classes and Church Services 
After the books have been distrib-
uted for sixteen weeks, Bible classes 
are formed and conducted at the 
church on a convenient afternoon. 
Thus these interested persons are led 
to attend a Seventh-day Adventist 
church after confidence has been es-
tablished. This class is in the charge of 
the Bible worker, who leads these peo-
ple in study until one day she asks the 
question: "How many could attend 
class on Saturday morning I" Hands 
go up, and as a result the interested 
people attend a Bible class in a Sev-
enth-day church on Sabbath. In Syra-
cuse the church is so arranged that 
folding doors separate a side room 
from the main auditorium. This Bible 
class meets with the main Sabbath 
school for the opening exercises, but 
has its own session by itself, following 
the Shuler outlines, and again joins 
the main school for the closing exer-
cise. To this class is held out the hope 
of one day being promoted to the big 
school, and they eagerly look forward 
to this occasion. When the classwork 
is completed, which takes them 
through the doctrines of the message, 
a suitable certificate, properly sealed, 
stamped, and signed, is presented to 
them. 
A Sunday night evangelistic service 
is conducted at the church, and these 
interested people fill the auditorium 
weekly, without advertising of any 
kind, except the personal invitations 
that are extended by the literature 
workers to the people whom they have 
contacted. Forty stanch, fully trained 
members were added to the Syra-
cuse church last year as the direct re-
sult of working this Circulating Li-
brary plan. Other churches are also 
working along these lines with grati-
fying results. 
Systematic, painstaking effort in 
this simple plan will always produce-
excellent results, and the possibilities 
aro unlimited. However, proper prep-
aration of people, territory, and litera-
ture, with constant reporting of prog-
ress and, above all else, the closest 
supervision of every phase of the plan 
by the leaders, is most imperative, if 
greatest success is to be realized. 
This plan produces excellent results. 
Also, it has the advantage of enlisting 
the interest of the entire church and, at 
a very modest cost, sounding the warn-
ing message to the multitudes who, in 
most instances, would not otherwise 
be contacted. Please remember that 
this plan can be modified to meet the 
need in any church, regardless of size. 
This plan is beautiful in its simplicity. 
"To every nation and to every individ-
ual of today God has assigned a place 
in His great plan."—"Education," p. 
178. 
This Circulating Library plan 
offers the opportunity to leaders to 
assign a place to each church member. 
W. H. HOWARD, President, 
New York Conference. 
Union Springs, N. Y. 
Literature Distribution in 
Neighborhood Evangelism 
In every religious movement in the 
annals of Biblical history, we find that 
God has always provided the facilities 
necessary for the accomplishment of 
His purpose. 
Martin Luther, in the early dawn of 
the Reformation, recognized the force 
of the printing press, and in a few 
weeks all Europe had received the 
Reformation message through his 
tracts. Luther's printed messages 
went like wildfire, and the success of 
the Reformation was due largely to 
the invention of printing. Seventh-day 
Adventists recognize the printing 
press as an outstanding factor in the 
success of spreading the third angel's 
message to all parts of the world. 
The Catholic Church is awake to the 
importance of the molding influence 
of the printed page. On the door of a 
large Catholic cathedral was conveyed 
this message from the Pope of Rome: 
"Build churches, establish sanitariums 
and hospitals, erect orphanages and 
homes for the aged, give of your 
means to the poor, give to the church 
and to missions, go to mass; do more 
of these things, but if you neglect to 
use the mightiest weapon of the 
church—literature, you fail to take 
part in the most important task of 
the church today." 
Many years ago the messenger of the 
Lord wrote these words: "Papers and 
books are the Lord's means of keeping 
the message for this time continually 
before the people. In enlightening 
and confirming souls in the truth, the 
publications will do a far greater 
work than can be accomplished by 
ministry of the word alone."—"Man-
nal for Canvassers," p. 8. 
"Let literature be distributed judi-
ciously, on the trains, in the streets, 
on the great ships that ply the sea, 
and through the mails."—"Gospel 
Workers," p. 353. 
On automobile trips, tracts and peri-
odicals especially can be distributed 
freely among the people along the 
lines of travel. Every church member 
who travels should reserve some space 
in his traveling bag for missionary 
literature. Fellow travelers on trains 
or boats are always glad to accept 
reading matter. Many times the hours 
hang heavily for those who travel. 
We should improve the opportunity of 
placing literature in their hands, and, 
6 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
July, 1941 
as opportunity is presented,. engage 
in gospel conversation with those who 
seem interested. By thus improving 
opportunities, we may distribute large 
quantities of literature, and quite 
frequently certain publications can be 
sold. 
Systematic Literature Distribution 
Experience has shown, however, that 
systematic distribution of literature 
with definite follow-up work has pro-
duced more permanent results. Usu-
ally, a definite series of literature is 
selected to be distributed to the same 
homes over a period of time, prepara-
tory to a series of public meetings, 
cottage meetings, Bible studies, or a 
community Bible school. Careful con-
sideration should be given to the selec-
tion of the persons who are to distrib-
ute the literature. While it does not 
require a great deal of ability or ex-
perience to do the work, members 
should be chosen who are consecrated, 
of good reputation, clean and neat in 
appearance, and who are willing to 
take suggestions and follow plans. 
Both Senior and Junior members of 
the Missionary Volunteer Societies can 
well be enlisted in literature distribu-
tion. They should be organized and 
instructed. Thus their youthful ener-
gies can be directed into channels of 
service. 
Just how to engage in literature 
distribution most successfully is a 
very important matter. Shall we dash 
up onto the porch of the house and 
leave the literature to share the fate 
of the many handbills that are thus 
delivered? Or shall we follow the 
better plan of ringing the doorbell 
and delivering the literature in person, 
calling attention to the nature of the 
paper and stating that we will call 
again with the next number? After 
the first contact, if no one is at home 
when the call is made, d is permis-
sible to leave the literature attached 
to the doorknob by a rubber band. 
In case there are those who are not 
interested in receiving the papers and 
request that no more copies be deliv-
ered, the request should be courteously 
complied with. 
No one should be assigned more ter-
ritory than lie can care for properly. 
It is a mistake to assign too large a 
territory to one person, as it often 
leads to careless distribution. The 
missionary committee of the church 
(or the church board) should lay 
plans, assign the territory, and choose 
those who are to distribute the liter-
ature. If a literature band is already 
functioning in the church, however, 
these band members should lead out 
in this line of work. Many times, Sab-
bath afternoon is the only time avail-
able for our members to distribute lit-
erature, and the work may be appro-
priately carried on at that time. 
Before delivering the last paper in 
the series, the distributor should, 
either by a questionnaire card or by 
personal interview, ascertain those who 
are interested, and arrange for fur-
ther reading matter, Bible readings, 
cottage meetings, or a community 
Bible school. The teacher of the 
community Bible school, or the one 
who is to give the Bible studies, 
should be qualified to teach. 
Many have found the use of the 
projector to be a help in presenting 
Bible subjects in the homes of the 
community, or in conducting a com-
munity Bible school. The filmstrips 
for the projector are usually supplied 
from the loan library of the confer-
ence. Projectors can be purchased 
through the local conference office at 
a reasonable discount. 
TUNIOR BROADCASTERS: 
An enthusiastic group of boys and 
girls, identified as Junior Broadcasters 
by a club pin which they wore, called 
at every home near the church. They 
distributed literature, announcing: 
"Here's some good news, a cheering 
Bible message absolutely free. It's 
good Sunday reading!" 
Week after week the Junior Broad-
casters gave out leaflets and invited 
the neighbors to attend the effort. 
Several months later the juniors were 
thrilled when eighteen persons were 
baptized, many from their neighbor-
hood route. 
"KNIT ONE"—WIN ONE: 
"Knitting's an opening," said one 
sister. Each week she spent the after-
noon at a friendly knitting circle in 
her neighborhood. When the club 
tired of its knitting, she showed a 
doctrinal film with her small projector. 
A simple explanation of the texts and 
pictures interested the group. 
Much of our literature distribution 
might be classified as casting our 
bread upon the waters, "for thou shalt 
find it after many days." "In the 
morning sow thy seed, and in the 
evening withhold not thine hand: for 
thou knowest not whether shall pros-
per, either this or that, or whether 
they both shall be alike good." Eccl. 
11:6. 
This promise was verified in the 
experience of one of our brethren in 
Kansas, who sent the Signs of the 
Times to his brother, who was not a 
Christian. After eighteen years, with 
some hesitancy as to whether or not 
to send it another year, he finally did 
so. The result was that his brother 
accepted the messago, began keeping 
the Sabbath, and joined the church. 
This is an example of tact and perse-
verance in systematic literature distri-
bution and follow-up work, which al-
ways has its reward, whether we see 
it or• not. 
"God will not permit this precious 
work for• Him to go unrewarded. He 
will crown with success every humble 
effort made in His name."—"Gospel 
Workers," p. 192. 
L. G. JORGENSEN. 
They decided to make this pictorial 
recess from knitting a regular part of 
their meeting. As the weeks have 
passed,• the group has grown, and a 
number are attending church each 
Sabbath. 
A COOKING INTRODUCTION: 
One day while talking over the back 
fence a neighbor complained, "Oh, 
what are you going to have for sup-
per tonight? It's so hard to make 
something different!" Our sister 
mentioned a number of vegetarian 
dishes. 
"But when you don't have meat, a 
meal is much harder to plan!" 
"I'll tell you what! Bring your 
family over tomorrow night, and try 
one of our vegetarian suppers." 
Soon afterward the entire neighbor-
hood heard of the tasty and health-
ful supper that night. At the sug-
gestion of the neighbor our sister 
taught simple principles of healthful 
cooking and gave various recipes for 
Neighborhood Adventures 
Vol. 28, No. 7 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
7 
vegetarian dishes. Scores of our 
Crisis books on health were sold in 
this cooking class. Friends 'were 
made. Bible studies have followed. 
NEVER BECOMES Now: 
While selling small books in one 
neighborhood a brother was constantly 
on the lookout for interested ones. 
One day a neighbor who lived en a 
near-by street recognized the books as 
Adventist literature. She stated, "I 
never could be an Adventist. I can't 
keep Saturday and Sunday, too. 
More than that, when Christ came 
He did away with that old law!" 
Not long afterward when this 
brother stopped again, she wistfully 
said, "I wish I had someone to study 
the Bible with me and explain it to 
me. I want to know it better." 
Weekly Bible studies were arranged, 
and this woman who described her-
self as never being able to become 
an Adventist is now a member of 
Our church. 
ADVENTISTS BY TELEPHONE: 
Have you ever heard of making 
Adventists by telephone? One faith-
ful sister, unable to leave her home, 
decided one day to telephone the folk 
who lived in her small town. She 
described the book "The Bible Made 
Plain" and told what it meant to her 
in her Bible study. When she said 
that she was desirous for every fam-
ily in town to have a copy for their 
use, and that she was trying to do 
some missionary work this way, scores 
ordered this Bible question-and-
answer book. Repeat telephone calls 
encouraged reading and the asking of 
questions. 
Boosrmt: 
The books in our Community Cir-
culating Library aroused the interest 
of a family who lived near one of our 
churches. Tactful Bible studies were 
given. The wife, who was a sales-
woman, later described Seventh-day 
Adventists as "fine Christians who 
don't press you to join their church, 
but who gladly study the Bible with 
you." 
Now she is enthusiastically inviting 
friends to come to the interesting 
Bible studies that are being held in 
her home. 
TWO-WAY HEALING: 
While Ingathering, one of our so-
licitors told a sick woman of our 
health treatments. Daily she came 
back and gave treatments. She al-
ways left one of our books. Soon 
the patient requested Bible studies 
and invited in some of her friends. 
Several from this group rejoiced in 
the power of God to heal, not only 
their frail bodies, but their sin-sick 
souls. 
A BIBLE LAWN PARTY: 
One of our believers decided to 
capitalize on the popular idea of lawn 
parties. Fired with soul-winning 
ardor, he advertised on a sign in 
front of his house, "Bible Lawn 
Party—Colored Pictures." Twice a 
week during the summer he conducted 
a gospel sing on his lawn and showed 
a doctrinal film. The interest which 
was developed was deepened by a 
Bible Community School held during 
the winter months. 
Your neighborhood needs this mes-
sage! 
Like Christians of old in Jeru-
salem, unite in a mighty house-to-
house visitation crusade, so that soon 
it will be triumphantly proclaimed, 
"The world is filled with the message 
of a soon-coming Christ." 
Emotions are no substitute for ac-
hons. Excuses do not take the place 
of going. Intentions do not replace 
doing. 
"Thousands of hearts can be 
reached in the most simple, humble 
way."—"T esti/monies," Vol. VT, p. 115. 
JOIN THE SOUL-WINNING 
NEIGHBORHOOD ADVENTURERS. 
J. ERNEST EDWARDS, 
Ho-me Missionary Secretary, 
Potomac Conference. 
__ 
)4. 
• 
The Lord's Prayer 
(As Nand in possession of a soldier 
during the Clortl War) 
''Twos, to Thy mercy seat our souls dolt 
gather, 
To do our duty unto Thee, OUR 
FATHER, 
To whom all praise, all honor, should 
he given, 
For Thou are the great God WHO 
ART IN HEAVEN. 
Thou by Thy wisdom rul'st the world's 
whole frame; 
Forever, therefore, HALLOWED BE 
THY NAME. 
Let nevermore delay divide us from 
Thy glorious glace, but let THY 
KINGDOM COME. 
Let Thy commands opposed be by none, 
But Thy good pleasure and THY 
WILL BE DONE. 
And let our promptness to obey be even 
The very same 1N EARTH AS IT IS 
IN HEAVEN. 
Then for our souls, 0 Lord, we also 
pray 
Thou wouldst be pleased to GIVE US 
THIS DAY 
The food of life wherewith our souls 
are fed, 
Sufficient raiment and OUR DAILY 
BREAD, 
With every needful thing do Thou re-
lieve us 
And of Thy mercy pity AND FOR-
GIVE US 
All our misdeeds for Him whom Thou 
didst please 
To make an offering for OUR TRES-
PASSES. 
And forasmuch, 0 Lord, as we believe 
That Thou wilt pardon us AS WE 
FORGIVE, 
Let that love teach wherewith Thou 
dolt acquaint us 
To pardon all THOSE WHO TRES-
PASS AGAINST US; 
And though sometimes Thou find'st we 
have forgot 
This love for Thee, yet help, AND 
LEAD US NOT 
Through soul or body's want to despera-
tion, 
Nor let earth's gain drive us INTO 
TEMPTATION. 
Let not the soul of any true believer 
Mal in the time of trial, BUT DE-
LIVER, 
Yea, save, them from the malice of the 
devil, 
And both in life and death keep US 
FROM EVIL; 
Thus pray we. Lord, for that of Thee 
from whom 
This may he had, FOR THINE IS 
Tilt KINGDOM, 
Tnis world is of Thy work its wondrous 
story. 
To Thee belongs THE POWER AND 
THE GLORY, 
And all Thy wondrous works have ended 
never, 
But will remain FOREVER AND 
FOREVER. 
And thus would say eternally, AMEN." 
8 
The Church Officers' Gazette 
July, 1941 
rig 
Essentials in the Personal Life 
of the Soul Winner 
p
EOPLE everywhere are feeling, 
as never before in history, a lack 
of security. The supreme question of 
our day in every land is a question of 
life and death, for this old world of 
ours is shaken to its foundations. 
Ten years ago the International 
Missionary Council met in Jerusalem 
and voiced in no uncertain terms its 
faith and belief in a new and better 
world order which they claimed had 
been born amid the destruction of 
the great World War 1. As a 
result of this new order, the Chris-
tian church could in faith and confi-
dence build on a sure foundation of 
peace and security. In short, a new 
era had been ushered in, and the 
Christian church was about to realize 
its much-talked-of and long-hoped-for 
reign of peace, when men would turn 
from war and bloodshed and sin to 
world betterment. 
In a recent council of this same 
organization it was stated that "today 
this faith is shattered. Everywhere 
there is either war or rumor of war. 
The best in man has broken forth in 
unbelievable brutality and tyranny. 
Conflict and chaos are on every hand. 
This outward confusion of man's life 
reflects in the confusion of men's 
hearts and minds. Many have lost all 
faith. They have lost faith in reason, 
in truth, in honor, in decency—in even 
the possibility of peace and the power 
of right. They are overwhelmed by 
a sense of utter despair; . . . others, 
bitterly disillusioned, rest their confi-
dence in the science of man's power, 
yet secretly they feel that such con-
fidence is vain. In the meantime, 
want, ignorance, superstition, and fear 
hold their sway over the lives of count-
less millions. The cry of the multi-
tude is for deliverance, for peace, for 
the quiet home life. They know not 
where to turn, in whom to trust." 
Mankind's greatest need is Christ. 
Only He can bring peace to sin-sick 
and troubled hearts. 
We need not enlarge upon these 
statements, for we know all too well 
that what has been stated is true. But 
the question that faces the church in 
its march toward the kingdom is this: 
What are we, as individual members 
of the church, doing to bring Christ 
to our fellow men, to our neighbors, 
our friends, so many of whom have 
not accepted the Lord Jesus, and 
whose outlook is dark indeed? For 
darkness has covered the earth, and 
gross darkness the people. Thank God, 
the advent people have a message full 
of courage and hope. Life eternal is 
offered to all, and glorious shall be 
the end for those who accept the gra-
cious promises of salvation. 
Brethren, I have been pondering the 
question of the power which God has 
made available to the people who rep-
resent His church. Jesus said, "All 
power is given unto Me in heaven and 
in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach 
all nations: . . and, lo, I am with 
you alway, even unto the end of the 
world." Matt. 28:18-20. Yes, here is 
limitless power—power from the Foun-
tainhead, which we may freely use as 
we present the beauties of the gospel 
to men and women all around us. 
I believe that we have come to the 
time in our experience when we should 
renew our consecration to God as never 
before, so that we may experience in 
our own lives the power which God has 
made available to us. Then we can 
draw men to Christ. His power is 
abundant, but our needs are many. 
I. We need to be clean vessels 
through which His Spirit may flow out 
to others. We need to put away every 
besetting sin. 
2. We need to understand, through 
Bible study, God's will and purpose 
for us. 
8. We need to experience the love of 
God in our hearts, that, as a people, 
we may be drawn closer together in 
that unity which characterized the life 
of Christ in relationship to His 
Father and to His disciples. 
4. There needs to be meekness and 
humility, for God uses the humble and 
contrite soul in the carrying out of 
his purposes on earth and for the 
conversion of lost men and women. 
5. There needs to be greater dili-
gence and a stronger determination on 
the part of every church member to 
put forth greater effort—a supreme 
effort—in the work of warning the 
world of the fast-approaching world 
doom and the coming of Jesus. 
6. And finally, we need to under-
stand more fully the exhortation of 
Paul when he stated, "Therefore, my 
beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, un-
movable, always abounding in the 
work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye 
know that your labor is not in vain in 
the Lord." 1 Cor. 15:58. 
Deeply consecrated, and experienc-
ing the power of the Holy Spirit in 
our individual lives, and with our 
hearts burning within us for souls 
still unsaved, we can and will be the 
medium through which God can work 
for lost mankind. �
C. L. TORREY. 
sU 
The Saviour's Example in Soul 
Winning 
In "Testimonies," Volume V, page 
132, we read of the devotion of our 
Redeemer to saving souls: "The 
apostles caught the zeal of their 
Master, and firmly, steadily, zealously 
went forward to the accomplishment 
of their great work, fighting against 
principalities and powers, and spirit-
ual wickedness in high places." I want 
a greater desire to win men to Christ. 
I wish we might catch the zeal of the 
Master as the apostles did. 
In "Ministry of Healing," page 18, 
we read: "Jesus carried the awful 
weight of responsibility for the salva-
tion of men. He knew that unless 
there was a decided change in the 
principles and purposes of the human 
race, all would be lost. This was the 
burden of His soul, and none could 
appreciate the weight that rested upon 
Him. Through childhood, youth, and 
manhood, He walked alone." The 
greatest soul winner was a lonely man. 
"It was heaven to be in His presence." 
Vol. 28, No. 7 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
9 
This is another strong statement. He 
has granted to men the privilege of 
being partakers of the divine nature. 
This is the highest honor, the greatest 
joy that it is possible for God to 
bestow: To think that we poor, sinful 
mortals can share in that heavenly 
work of winning sinners to Christ. 
This is the greatest honor that God 
can bestow upon man. He chooses to 
make us coworkers with Himself, that 
we may share the blessings and the 
joys which result from this. 
I believe that when the Lord Jesus 
is reigning in our hearts and in the 
hearts of our church members every-
where, there will be a mighty move-
ment for the winning of souls. If 
Jesus is reigning in our hearts, Ho is 
not concealed. When He entered into a 
certain house, He could not be hidden. 
If He is reigning in our lives as 
Lord of lords, my friends, He cannot 
be concealed. 
It makes no difference how much 
ability we have, or lack of ability, 
the Lord Jesus can use it all for the 
salvation of souls. There is no more 
important theme that we can study 
than how to win souls to Christ. 
One December the brethren asked 
me to go to Southern Junior College 
to hold the Week of Prayer meetings. 
There were forty-five students in the 
school who made no profession at all, 
but before the week was up the Lord 
helped us to win every one of them. 
One young girl was there who told 
me of a great conflict that was raging 
in her soul, but she was unwilling to 
yield to the Lord and forsake all her 
wrongs. I talked with her and prayed 
with her, urging her to confess and 
forsake her sins. I thought perhaps I 
urged her a little too strongly, but she 
finally reached the place where she 
gave her heart to the Lord, and in just 
one week from that time she was in 
hor grave. When we are talking to 
someone we never know where that 
one will be on the morrow. How per-
severing we should bel We should 
never leave a soul alone until we 
know he has made his calling and 
election sure. 
I dictated letters to a stenographer 
for two years before I asked her 
whether she was enjoying a good 
Christian experience, and she told me 
she was just on the verge of giving 
up everything as the struggle was so 
great. Often there are people in our 
offices who are not enjoying a good 
experience and we know nothing about 
it and pay no attention to them. One 
young man said to me, "I came here a 
Seventh-day Adventist. No one in this 
whole institution has asked me if I am 
enjoying a good experience. Now, I 
am coming to you because I need 
help." It is surprising to find the 
number of people around us who are 
going down step by step, while out-
wardly they seem to be having a good 
Christian experience. 
There is not a single thing in us 
that will win a soul to Christ. We may 
have personality and natural endow-
ments, but we cannot look at that 
and say, "I am a soul winner." God is 
not dependent on our ability or our 
lack of it. When wo come to the 
place where self will not enter into 
our work, the Lord will work mightily 
through all those who are willing to 
surrender to Him and take a humble 
place wherever Ho can best use us. 
We do not love people enough. We 
need to love them as the Saviour did. 
We must learn to love people who 
almost repulse us. I heard a story 
once of an earnest young Christian 
man who was a soldier during the 
Crimean War. A man asked him, 
The Response of Foreign-Speak-
ing People to the Gospel 
Invitation 
WHILE it is usually somewhat diffi-
cult to reach the foreigners in our 
cities with the truth, yet when once 
they accept the message, they quickly 
adapt themselves to their new religion 
and are wholehearted in their obedi-
ence to the truth. Jesus becomes very 
real to them, and they openly rejoice 
in the new fellowship that they have 
with Him. In the same way, the hope 
of the second coming of Christ is ac-
cepted as a part of their experience, 
and they earnestly look for His com-
ing. For the most part the foreigners 
have been trained in frugality, but in 
the Church they aro among our most 
liberal givers for missions, with large 
weekly per eapitas, and are faithful 
in tithing their income and savings. 
They also carry a burden for making 
the truth known to their own na-
tionals. 
"How is it that you are a Christian 
and a soldier?" and he told the fol-
lowing experience: "We had a young 
man in our company who was an 
earnest, godly young man, but we 
made life miserable for him. One 
evening I came in with my boots all 
covered with mud, and the young man 
was kneeling by his cot in prayer. 
I took off one of my boots and threw 
it at him and hit him on the side of 
the head, but he took no notice of it. 
Then I threw the other boot at him. 
But he took no notice of that either. 
I went to bed feeling guilty. The 
next morning when I awoke, there 
beside my bed sat those boots all 
polished and clean." There is nothing 
so irresistible as love, and that deed 
was the means of the second soldier's 
conversion. 
If we show an interest in people and 
love them for the Master's sake, we 
will be able to win them for the 
Master's sake. The same longing for 
souls that He felt, we are to manifest. 
I hope and pray that God will in-
tensify this same longing in our lives. 
It means crucifying self to be one 
with Christ in His plan of mercy, and 
going forth to seek and to save the 
lost. �
E. F. HACKMAN. 
With the restriction of immigration 
that has been in effect for a number 
of years, greatly reducing annually 
the number of immigrants who come 
to our shores, we have found that the 
development of our foreign churches 
is slower than in former years. We 
have found, too, that our methods of 
labor have had to be changed. In 
working among the foreign-speaking 
groups, we now have to work for their 
children, who are American born, as 
well as for those who immigrated 
from other lands. The same is true 
within the church, where we have 
many young people and children born 
of immigrants. A few churches have 
been slow to recognize the change of 
condition and have, therefore, lost 
most of their young people, who have 
either had their membership trans-
ferred to English-speaking churches or 
have gone out into the world entirely. 
Such a trend means a constantly di-
minishing membership. 
4.—n-mi—n—,,,,—..--.....-.N.n....-...napp
.N.ii.....milinriy•....11.1.1•NPItl•MN•al40 
I �
I 
Departmental Activities 
10 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
July, 1941 
We are finding now that it is more 
productive to have the foreign-lan-
guage worker in his evangelistic pro-
gram preach in English on Sunday 
night, and have one foreign-language 
service during the week. With this 
method a worker can hold meetings 
in a foreign section, appealing to the 
older and the younger of their own 
language group, and to all others who 
speak and understand the English. 
Circulars which announce the meet-
ing are printed in English, and news-
paper advertising is conducted in the 
foreign-language paper. 
To hold the young people in the 
church, most of our foreign-language 
churches have services in English as 
well as in the foreign language each 
Sabbath. Usually the foreign-lan-
guage service begins at 9 A. Sr., with 
Sabbath school at ten o'clock and the 
service in English at eleven-fifteen. 
This arrangement has worked very 
well. 
In this day, with nearly all the 
European nations at war and many 
of their nationals in this country af-
fected by that war, a real opportu-
nity is offered to us now to carry the 
message of hope and courage to those 
who live in America. Many are long-
ing for the light and truth found in 
the third angel's message. Our re-
sponsibility is to make known that 
message to them. 
W. A. NELSON, President, 
Greater New York Conference. 
hI 
96 
A Good Investment 
Fon some time, before learning of 
the Community Circulating Library 
plan, I followed a book-lending system 
in connection with my evangelistic 
efforts, using the small Crisis Series 
books. Each worker was instructed to 
lend a book to each person who mani-
fested interest in the truth. These 
loaned books were often eagerly pur-
chased at the time of seine future 
visit of the worker. "For how much 
could I buy this book?" became a 
familiar inquiry, "For only twenty-
five cents you may keep the one I 
lent you," the worker would explain. 
But when no request to purchase the 
book was made, the worker would in-
quire, "Have you read the book that 
I lent you?" or, "Have you finished 
reading that excellent little book I 
loft with you?" When this book was 
returned to us, it was not offered for 
sale, but was kept for lending when-
ever we would find an interested per-
son who we felt needed the particular 
information that the book contained. 
In this manner we have lent out many 
of the Crisis Series books, and par-
ticularly those entitled "Twelve Great 
Signs," "The Christian Sabbath," and 
"The Marked Bible." 
I have baptized a goodly number of 
persons who were definitely helped to 
a decision for Christ by reading the 
books that were lent them. In a num-
ber of cases I think no other method 
would have established the person in 
this blessed message of God. It is 
my opinion that the money spent for 
books to be lent is a good, sound in-
vestment. 
Not long ago I learned of a boy, 
fifteen years of age, who had been 
supplied with the books in tho regular 
The Need of Training 
"IF a man must bo trained to run 
a locomotive, why not to run a prayer 
meeting? Is the way to heaven less 
important than the way to Now York? 
"A man must be trained to teach 
Roman history; why not to teach a 
mission study class/ Are not mis-
sions transforming the world more 
than the Romans ever did? 
"We insist on efficiency in the 
world's work; why not in church 
work? Is it not plain that the con-
cerns of our endless life are infinitely 
more important than the digging and 
delving, the buying and selling, the 
losing and gaining, of this instant on 
earth; and is it not the height of 
folly to educate man elaborately for 
the last and not at all for the first? 
"Yet, in general, even now, the 
average Christian is not doing any 
definite and systematic work for 
Christ; and the Christians who are 
working definitely and systematically, 
stumble, the most of them, upon their 
work, and blunder along blindly for 
lack of training. 
"If the average Christian were 
trained in giving, the mission boards 
would need to advertise that they had 
more money than they could use... . 
If the average Christian were trained 
in look-out committee work, all the 
Community Circulating Library plan. 
These books had been lent to him 
by one of our faithful sisters, and as 
fast as one book was read, it would 
be exchanged for another. One day 
I ,was asked to visit this young man 
who had manifested considerable in-
terest. I found him well informed on 
all the fundamental doctrines. He 
was keeping the Sabbath as best he 
knew, but he did not know our posi-
tion in regard to the use of tobacco. 
When I explained this matter, and 
prayed with him, he immediately gave 
up the tobacco. By following up this 
ease with Bible studies, we were able 
to win six members of the family to 
the truth. 
I am convinced that if all our peo-
ple would own and operate a lending 
library, many souls would be won to 
the truth. �
ROY EDWARD GRIFFIN. 
carpenters and masons in the land 
would be kept busy enlarging the 
churches and building new ones. 
"The world puts us Christians to 
shame. All occupations are crowded 
but the highest of all occupations. 
Professional schools are lengthening 
their courses and stiffening their re-
quirements, but Christians rebel at 
the simple elementary requirements of 
the Christian Endeavor pledge."-
-Amos B. Wells, in the Northern 
Union Encourager. 
ft it 
Strengthening the Weekly 
Church Missionary Service 
THE success of the weekly mission-
ary period is first of all dependent 
upon a strong, working missionary 
program. In our first-Sabbath monthly 
missionary days, careful check should 
be made on this program. See that 
the church is organized, and that each 
one has a part in some phase of the 
work. The missionary secretary should, 
without fail, be called upon to read 
her report of the work reported during 
that former month. This should be 
checked with the year and the month 
preceding, for a comparison. Plans 
for the coming month should be laid, 
with the very definite objective in 
mind of increasing the work and the 
reporting in the future. 
Missionary Leadership 
Vol. 28, No. 7 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
11 
Then, week by week, during the 
missionary period the missionary pro-
gram should be followed up. Oral 
reports should often be given. Have 
your members report especially their 
good successes. Nothing breeds suc-
cess like success. Always say some-
thing about the reports. Note how 
they are coming in. Study these re-
ports yourself. Especially call atten-
tion to the fact if some individual is 
showing real improvement in his re-
porting—the name need not be men-
tioned. Use the GAZETTE for the 
weekly missionary period, but apply 
the material therein to your own situ-
ation. Do not read that material week 
after week. Make it interesting and 
lively, and cause the church members 
to feel that they are getting some-
thing very valuable. You can do this 
with God's help. 
The second item of importance in 
the matter of making the weekly mis-
sionary period a success is the proper 
functioning of the band organization. 
God asks the question, "Why do not 
believers feel a deeper, more earnest 
concern for those who are out of 
Christ? Why do not two or three meet 
together and plead with God for the 
salvation of some special one, and then 
for still another?" Then He gives us 
some counsel. "In our churches let 
companies be formed for service. Let 
different ones unite in labor as fishers 
of men. Let them seek to gather souls 
from the corruption of the world into 
the saving purity of Christ's love. The 
formation of small companies as a 
basis of Christian effort has been pre-
sented to me by One who cannot err." 
—"Testimonies," Vol. VII, pp. 21, 22. 
In most of our churches the Sabbath 
school classes serve as the missionary 
bands. The leaders of these mission-
ary bands are not necessarily the Sab-
bath school teachers. The church mis-
sionary committee may see fit, and 
often does, to choose other members 
of the Sabbath school classes for such 
leaders. 
These missionary band leaders 
should be called to meet with the mis-
sionary committee at least once a 
month, when plans should be formu-
lated and the organization perfected. 
Reports should also be made of the 
progress of each band. As far as 
possible, problems should be presented 
and worked out. For instance, such 
problems as, How can we get a cer-
tain type of church member working 
and reporting? should be given due 
consideration. 
It would be well for the band lead-
ers, week by week, to total up their 
own band reports and to call attention 
to the weekly progress. The band 
leader should study, pray, and work 
to the end of making the reports lively 
and interesting. It is his privilege to 
present such thrilling experiences him-
self, and to picture, for example, what 
two Bible studies each week by his 
band members would mean, that his 
band members will be fascinated with 
the soul-winning possibilities and will 
want to build up a large band report 
for the glory of God. It might be 
well, once in a while, for the church 
missionary leader to turn the whole 
time of the weekly missionary period 
over to the band leaders to spend with 
their bands. If this is done, band 
leaders should be carefully instructed, 
so as to use each moment of the time 
profitably. 
W. N. WHIT'TONBERO. 
The Divine Compulsion 
is interesting to note that each 
time the Saviour• uses the little word 
"must" in connection with His own 
life and plans, it refers to evangelism. 
That was the one thing He must do. 
To His mother He said, "I must be 
about My Father's business." To 
Zacchaeus He called, "Come down; 
for today I must abide at thy house." 
To His disciples He said, "Other sheep 
I have, which are not of this fold: 
them also I must bring." 
Just as this was one thing Christ 
must do, so a similar work is assigned 
to all His followers. Let us consider 
for a moment how great that work is. 
According to the world repolt for 
1938, there were 36,744 baptisms dur-
ing that year. We rejoice in this, 
splendid showing, but let us not for-
get that there are fifty thousand times 
that number of other sheep yet to be 
reached. Them also we must bring. 
Really that is the one big thing which 
this church must do in 1941. It is 
well to ask, therefore, how we may 
best do this work. We read: "If we 
follow in Christ's footsteps, we must 
come close to those who need our min-
istry. We must open the Bible to the 
understanding, present the claims 
of God's law, read the promises to 
the hesitating, arouse the careless, 
strengthen the weak."—"Gospel Work-
ers," p. 336. Heaven's plan involves 
coming close to those who need our 
help, opening the Bible to their un-
derstanding. 
In letters, reports, and visits in the 
field we have rejoiced to see an ever-
increasing number engaged in this 
blessed work of opening the/Bible in 
the homes of the people. From the 
Northwest a conference president 
writes, "Our people are now giving 
from five to six hundred Bible studies 
a week, and practically every worker 
is conducting an effort to follow up 
the openings created by the lay forces 
in his district. As a result, 66 per 
cent of the membership in this con-
ference are now reporting missionary 
work." A union secretary reports that 
as rapidly as possible they are organ-
izing Bible workers' training classes 
for greater evangelism in all his 
churches. The response is most en-
couraging. More than 250 of the 
churches in the union have organized 
Bible training classes. A world divi-
sion field reports a gain of nearly 
10,000 Bible readings in a recent 
three-month period over the same pe-
riod of a year ago. 
More and more emphasis is being 
placed upon service while in training. 
The course prepared by the depart-
ment designed to train lay forces in 
the giving of Bible readings to their 
neighbors is becoming what it really 
should be—a practical course which 
combines active soul-winning labor 
with the instruction and study of 
methods. While studying denomina-
tional history, Bible doctrines, and 
ways and means of doing Bible work, 
the student is also engaged in a sys-
tematic literature distribution, in as-
signed areas of service. As we thus 
draw close to the people and open 
the precious word to their understand-
ing, we are truly following in Christ's 
footsteps. This is a work that must 
be increased to even larger propor-
tions. Like Him, we, too, must be 
about our Father's business. 
W. H. GERGHERM. 
12 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
July, 1941 
. How the Message Came to Me 
.1.___.._._,.__.._.._._.,_.._...._.._.._.,_.._,......._______..._.4. 
The Remarkable Conversion of 
a Jewess 
(The Personal Experience of Celeste 
Kaplan) 
MY father was a rabbi, and he 
taught me to love God and to read the 
Hebrew language. I knew nothing of 
Jesus Christ or the gospel. As a child 
it was my habit to read from the 
Jewish prayer book, and often, after 
following my reading lesson carefully, 
I would find an apple or a penny 
placed beside me. To my childish 
comprehension, it appeared that God 
had sent me these gifts from heaven, 
because I had been good and obedient. 
Our family was very poor,, and we 
lived in the crowded Jewish section 
of the city. At night we children 
would often climb out of the attic 
window and lie down on the slanting 
roof to sleep, where we could breathe 
• the fresh air. As I looked up to the 
heavens above and viewed the many 
stars, it seemed to me that heaven was 
very near. I refer to these incidents 
in my early life to show that the love 
of God was ever present with me, even 
as a small child. 
At thirteen years of age I was left 
an orphan. This meant that I had to 
leave school and go to work. In my 
heart there was a great love for oth-
ers, and my own experiences of pov-
erty and need led me to sympathize 
with the unfortunate; and as I pro-
gressed in my work and earned money, 
I considered it a joy to deny myself 
and share what I had with the desti-
tute. In the rear of my flower store 
I reserved a place where the poor 
could come to receive food and cloth-
ing. This interested my customers, 
and they assisted and encouraged me 
in the work. My business prospered, 
and I was happy in being able to do 
more and more to help the sick and 
the needy. 
As I went about my daily work I 
would pray to my heavenly Father to 
lead me and guide me and show me 
His way. I had no idea what the 
answer to my prayer would mean, but 
the Lord knew the longings of my 
heart, and in His own time and way 
He brought me in touch with Jesus. 
It was my nature to be always on 
the go, caring for my business and 
looking after the distressed. I do not 
remember that anybody ever spoke to 
me of salvation through Jesus Christ, 
but God's Spirit impressed my heart 
in a very definite way, through a num-
ber of remarkable experiences. One 
night, as I was on my way home from 
the store, I observed a beautiful light 
in the heavens. For three nights I 
saw this light, which appeared in the 
form of a beautiful cross plainly vis-
ible near the full moon. I was so 
impressed by the sight that I called 
the attention of some of my Jewish 
friends to it, and they, too, marveled, 
and sought for an explanation at the 
planetarium in Philadelphia. How-
ever, no satisfactory explanation was 
made to use, and I silently pondered 
what the meaning might be. 
But my heart was filled with pride, 
and I sought to find pleasure in dress-
ing like the world and following the 
customs of worldly people. One day I 
was strolling along the boardwalk at 
a popular bathing resort, wearing a 
modern bathing suit, when suddenly I 
seemed to hear a voice speaking to me. 
At the sound of the voice I felt a 
sense of shame come over me, because 
of my immodest appearance. I im-
mediately sought seclusion in my ho-
tel, amazed at the change which had 
taken place in my thoughts and feel-
ings. After dressing in street attire, 
I wandered out along the beach in 
the early evening, when suddenly I 
heard sweet singing from a distance. 
I followed the voices, and found my-
self standing in front of a group of 
Salvation Army workers, who were 
conducting a meeting on the sand just 
below the boardwalk. These people 
had been singing there for years, but 
I had never before stopped to listen 
to them. This night God had arranged 
an appointment for me. 
As I looked about the audience, I 
saw a Jewish mother and her little 
girl, and I approached the woman and 
asked why she allowed her child to 
sing the Salvation Army songs. The 
Jewish woman understood the reason 
for my inquiry, for she knew that 
Jewish people do not look with favor 
upon Christian singing or the gospel 
message. The woman explained that 
these people were good neighbors and 
friendly people. But this did not 
satisfy me. Then I looked around a 
little more, and saw an elderly Jewish 
man singing with all earnestness, and 
the words of the song were about 
Jesus and His love. I tried to got 
close to this man, so that I could talk 
to him, but the people were pressing 
in. 
Suddenly I heard, for the first time 
in my life, the reading of that portion 
of Scripture found in the eleventh and 
twelfth verses of the first chapter of 
John: "He came unto His own, and 
His own received Him not. But as 
many as received Him, to them gave 
He power to become the sons of God, 
even to them that believe on His 
name." It seemed that in that instant 
the Holy Spirit made me to under-
stand the meaning of those words, and 
I knew that they referred to Jesus, 
the Son of God. 
I opened my heart to welcome Jesus 
Christ, to receive Him and to be made 
a new creature, and I had the witness 
within my soul that He had accepted 
me. 1 did not consider what such a 
decision would mean in loss of friends 
and business acquaintances. All I 
know is that in my heart I believed 
what the Scripture said, and God 
poured out His Spirit upon me and 
gave me the courage to take my stand 
and to acknowledge Jesus as my per-
sonal Saviour. I was overjoyed, and 
while the people sang "Abide With 
Me," I remembered that this was a 
song I used to sing at school, and now 
I really knew the meaning of the 
words— 
"Abide with me! fast falls the eventide; 
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me 
abide! 
When other helpers fail, and comforts 
flee, 
Help of the helpless, 0, abide with me." 
I can truly say that in that moment 
the Christ of the ages became very 
real to me. I wanted the Lord as my 
helper, and I sang it out loud. 
There is much to tell as time went 
on, but this I can say: I did not have 
a Bible, there was no minister to help 
me, but God Himself opened my blind 
eyes and let me see Jesus. I heard 
Vol. 28, No. 7 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
13 
Weekly Church M 
that "whosoever will, may come and 
drink of the water of life freely," and 
I wanted.to have that experience more 
than anything else. 
The Lord filled me with His joy and 
with the Holy Spirit, and immediately 
I began to proclaim the good news. I 
talked with the people who sat on the 
piers, and I told everyone who would 
listen of the wonderful discovery and 
experience which had come to me. 
Then I wanted to return to my home 
in the metropolitan city, and tell all 
my Jewish customers and friends that 
July 5—Neighborhood 
Responsibilities 
ALL through the history of man-
kind we find that God has committed 
the gospel plan into the hands of 
men and has held them responsible 
for passing it on to others. To the 
disciples, Jesus said, "Freely ye have 
received, freely give." This is the 
attitude to be maintained by all who 
have a knowledge of light and truth. 
In considering the matter of 
"Neighborhood Responsibilities," it is 
well to observe the Saviour's definition 
of the meaning of a neighbor. We 
read: "The question, 'Who is my 
neighbor?' is forever answered. Christ 
has shown that our neighbor does not 
mean merely one of the church or 
faith to which we belong. It has no 
reference to race, color, or class dis-
tinction. Our neighbor is every per-
son who needs our help. Our neighbor 
is every soul who is wounded and 
bruised by the adversary. Our neigh-
bor is everyone who is the property of 
God."—"The Desire of Ages," p. 503. 
It is therefore evident that we need 
not go far to find opportunity to dis-
charge our responsibilities as Chris-
tians. 
All around us "there are many who 
need the ministration of loving Chris-
tian hearts. Many have gone down to 
ruin who might have been saved, if 
their neighbors, common men and 
women, had put forth personal effort 
for them. Many are waiting, to be 
personally addressed. In the very 
family, the neighborhood, the town 
I had found the Lord Jesus as my 
personal Saviour. My relatives be-
came alarmed and thought that I was 
losing my mind; others concluded that 
my high-strung, impulsive nature had 
got the best of me, and that it would 
not be long before I would renounce 
my new religion. But I praise God 
because He is able to keep that which 
is committed to Him, and that during 
the last four and a half years His 
grace has been sufficient, and He has 
kept me faithful. 
(To be continued) 
1...11U.4
1111t1111.1 
issionary Services I 
where we live, there is work for us 
to do as missionaries for Christ"—
p. 141. 
To be a "good neighbor" is a very 
desirable tribute for any Christian to 
possess. 
-Very much is involved. The 
Christian's place of abode in any com-
munity, even though it be a small 
apartment in a modern apartment 
house, should send forth an influence 
which will impress hearts as to the 
genuineness of Christian profession. 
This influence may be manifested in a 
thousand ways, and may embrace 
every phase of missionary endeavor. 
It is said that "the first Protestant 
missionary to Japan, during his serv-
ice in the Land of the Rising Sun, 
was brought into touch with members 
of the royal house of that country. 
During one of his furloughs in Eng-
land, he was visited in his apartment 
by some members of the emperor's 
family who were touring in Europe. 
They chatted for perhaps an hour, 
and then left. Later in the day an-
other group of Japanese called. 'Oh,' 
exclaimed one of them, 'you have been 
entertaining royalty here today 
'What makes you think so?' the mis-
sionary queried. 'Why, there is a 
perfume manufactured in our coun-
try for the exclusive use of our royal 
family. No one else is allowed to use 
it, and its fragrant odor is in evidence 
in this apartment, so that we can tell 
that you have had members of the 
royal house to visit you here."' Do 
we, who are members of the royal 
family of heaven, leave behind us a 
fragrance which bespeaks the sweet 
savor of Christ, the King of glory? 
July 12—Daily Opportunities 
Tan prophet Isaiah gives us a 
beautiful insight into the daily life 
of our Saviour when He dwelt among 
men We read: "The Lord God hath 
given me the tongue of the learned, 
that I should know how to speak a 
word in season to him that is weary: 
He wakeneth morning by morning, He 
wakeneth mine car to hear as the 
learned." Isa. 50:4. Such was the 
beginning of each day of the Saviour's 
life. The first awakening thoughts 
were a prayer to know how to improve 
the opportunities of the day for min-
istry to the weary. Just so the Chris-
tian life is to be lived one day at a 
time. 
It is essential, however, to take time 
to listen to the voice of duty for each 
day. Concerning this, there is a defi-
nite promise and assurance, stated, as 
follows: "Morning by morning, as the 
heralds of the gospel kneel before the 
Lord and renew their vows of conse-
cration to Him, He will grant them 
the presence of his Spirit, with its 
reviving, sanctifying power. As they 
go forth to the day's duties, they have 
the assurance that the unseen agency 
of the Iloly Spirit enables them to be 
'laborers together with God' "—"Acts 
of the Apostles," p. 56. 
How greatly we need this daily 
morning preparation. To the house-
holder in the city the daily opportu-
nities are many and varied. The sales-
man, the grocer, the milkman, the col-
lector of cast-off supplies, the hungry 
beggar or the expert—all these make 
up the weary throng to whom the 
Master would have His representative 
speak "a word in season" for Him. 
Are you prepared to meet these op-
portunities, with a good supply of 
literature close at hand to confirm 
your personal witness for truth? 
On the front doors of some houses 
we see signs tacked up which bear the 
warning words: "No peddlers;" "So-
licitors do not ring the bell;" "No 
agents admitted." No searching for 
opportunity to "speak a word in sea-
son to him that is weary" would seem 
to be indicated here. One good Sev-
enth-day Adventist sister put a sign 
on her door which read, "Agents wel-
come here." Imagine the surprise of 
the weary peddlers and agents as they 
turned the corner and were greeted by 
such a welcome. Surely it must be a 
(The suggestions for the missionary services this month are furnished by W. A. 
Butler, associate secretary of the General Conference Home Missionary 
Department.) 
14 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
July, 1941 
queer person who lives here; and with 
happy curiosity they knock at the 
door. "Come in!" is the cheery greet. 
ing, and each is permitted to tell of 
his business or his need, while the 
housewife listens with understanding 
sympathy. Seldom are purchases 
made, but, finding themselves in the 
hands of a Christian salesman, they 
are implored and often persuaded to 
"buy the truth, and sell it not," and 
to accept the gift of free literature. 
The Christian zeal and courtesy mani-
fested by this woman and her husband 
have resulted in many soul winning 
contacts and have led some to full 
acceptance of truth. 
The good Master sends us many op-
portunities. Let us make sure that 
Our ears are open to hear His bidding 
morning by morning. 
July tn—rilisalottary Experiences 
A 
CARErulAA 
planned literature 
campaign was in operation in one of 
our large churches. The territory 
within a vast radius had been mi-
nutely districted, and every block and 
each house had been definitely as-
signed to consecrated lay members 
who had volunteered their services for 
a definite time each week to deliver 
literature in a systematically Sr. 
ranged manner. Each week, for six 
weeks, these literature workers were 
to "march around the walls" of their 
particular Jericho, expecting that crc 
the last round was made the honest 
in heart would become manifest and 
require further personal attention in 
the giving of Bible studies or con-
ducting cottage meetings. For the 
first two or three weeks all the work-
ers apparently had about the same 
experience, in that very few people 
refused the literature, although the 
majority appeared simply courteous 
and showed no particular interest. 
Was it really worth while? Did peo-
ple have any desire for truth? Such 
worn the oft•repeated questions which 
persistently arose. But on one Sab-
bath, just before the distributors 
started out, the leader read a letter 
which had been received during the 
week. He would not giro the name or 
the address of the writer, but only 
stated that it was written by some 
person who had been visited by the 
literature workers. The letter had 
been sent to the publishers of the little 
paper, and read as follows: 
"Gentlemen: I have before me a 
little paper published by you. I have 
no idea where I got this pamphlet. 
It has only four pages, although there 
may have been more, as it is not 
paged and I have no way of knowing. 
One article is on the history of the 
world, and I have road it and compared 
references. I am greatly interested to 
learn more about this subject. I am 
the widow of a minister whose belief 
in the prophecies as sot forth in Dan-
iel and Revelation was very strong. 
The condition of the whole world 
causes me to think that the establish-
ment of the kingdom of God is very 
near. I shall bo awaiting your answer, 
and shall be glad to receive any litera-
ture you may send me, and shall pay 
for same." 
Only a brief letter, but what new 
courage it put into the hearts of the 
workers! Each worker wondered and 
fondly hoped that the writer of the 
letter was living in his or her district, 
and that in some way personal con• 
tact would bo made. Anyway, it 
proved that there were seekers after 
truth who appreciated the literature 
and wanted more. Of course arrange• 
ments were made whereby the pastor 
visited the woman and arranged for 
the needed help; but this first omen 
of interest gave great impetus to all 
the workers to be faithful, even 
though results were obscure. 
It is for the encouragement im• 
parted by the recital of missionary 
experiences that a few moments are 
allotted in the church missionary seam 
. ce. 
July 20—Unwarranted Excuses 
Dr is said that once the great most 
cal conductor, Sir Michael Costa, was 
leading a rehearsal. There were a 
multitude of players, and off in a far 
corner was a man with a piccolo. 
Said this man to himself: "With all 
this tumult of organs and drums and 
trumpets and cymbals, it makes no 
difference what I do;" so he stopped 
playing the instrument. Immediately 
Costa threw up his hands and ordered 
silence. Then he inquired, "Where is 
the picettlor The ear of the master 
musician had detected tho missing 
note of the little piccolo in the great 
orchestra, and the music could not go 
on without it. 
We often excuse ourselves for hay. 
ing failed to take part in the mission-
ary program of the church, on tho 
grounds that what we arc able to do 
is so insignificant that no one will 
miss our little contribution. But there 
is a work for each one to do, and no 
other person can do your part. Just 
as the notes of the piccolo were 
missed by the great orchestra leader, 
so our great Master detects a missing 
note in the orchestra of personal 
service. 
"Because they are not connected 
with some directly religious work, 
many feel that their lives are useless; 
that they are doing nothing for the 
advancement of God's kingdom. But 
this is a mistake. If their work is 
that which someone must do, they 
should not accuse themselves of use-
lessness in the great household of 
God. . . . Wherever we may be, 
Christ bide us take up the duty that 
presents itself. If this is in the home, 
take hold willingly and earnestly to 
make home a pleasant place. If you 
arc a mother, train your children for 
Christ. This is as verily a work for 
God as is that of the minister in the 
pulpit. If your duty is in the kitchen, 
seek to be a perfect cook."—"Christ's 
Object Lessons," p. 359. 
So there is no basis for excuses. 
Even the smallest tasks may be done 
to advance the kingdom of God, and 
all may have a share in the doing. 
The same writer tells us, "The Lord 
does not judge us according to the 
elevation of our various Spheres, 
but according to the faithfulness with 
which we fill them."—"Testimontes," 
Vol. PI, p. 439. 
We also read 
that "all are doing their duty and 
honoring their religion as much while 
working at the washtub or washing 
the dishes as they are in going to 
meeting."—/d., Fol. IV, p• 590. 
There aro many ways open to us to 
reveal the love of Christ. "Visit the 
sick and suffering, and show a kindly 
interest in them. If possible, do 
something to make them more com-
fortable. Through this means you 
can reach their hearts, and speak a 
word for Christ. . . . Other lines of 
usefulness will open before those who 
aro willing to do the duty nearest 
them. It is not learned, eloquent 
speakers that are needed now, but 
humble, Christlike men and women, 
who have learned from Jesus of Naza-
reth to be meek and lowly, and who, 
trusting in His strength, will go forth 
into the highways and hedges to give 
the invitation, 'Come; for all things 
are now ready.'"—Id., Pot �
p. 18. 
Vol. 28, No. 7 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
15 
young IPeopie s 0epartment 
of Missionary Volunteers 
The Crusade for Youth in 1941 
S
OME years ago Elder J. L. 
MeElhany said: "God's move-
ment can never be finished 
without our young people. I 
want to lay that down as a funda-
mental principle. The future of this 
cause depends upon our youth. The 
Missionary Volunteer movement is the 
whole church organized to save our 
young people and train them for 
service." 
This Crusade for Youth in 1941 is 
apart of God's plan to prepare the 
church for Jesus' coming, and your ef-
forts in your crusade for youth in 
your church will be richly repaid. 
Elder 0. Montgomery, at a meeting 
in Oklahoma City, February 5, 1924, 
said: "There is no more fruitful field 
than the young people in Seventh-day 
Adventist homes. The most fruitful 
field I know of in all the wide, wide 
world is among our own young people 
in our own churches." 
We ought to cultivate and make 
the most of this "the most fruitful 
field." The Missionary Volunteer So-
ciety, called into being for the pur-
pose of winning other youth, will ful-
fill its mission as it engages in this 
Crusade for Youth in 1941. 
M. V. Leaflet Binders 
EACH M. V. Society executive com-
mittee should have for its own use 
the special binder containing the M. V. 
leaflets, Each committee ought to 
take time to give careful study to the 
material contained in these leaflets in 
order that it may carry forward its 
work intelligently and effectively. 
This binder contains thirty-nine dif-
ferent leaflets. As other leaflets are 
published, they can be incorporated in 
thp binder. This binder of black 
keratol is obtainable from the General 
Conference M. V. Department for $1. 
Please send cheek with order. 
w. P. 
4.V 
HE is happy whose circumstances 
suit his temper; but he is more ex-
cellent who can suit his temper to any 
eircumstances.—Efumw. 
"If"—for Missionaries and 
Others 
Jr you can hear God's call when those 
about you 
Are urging other calls and claims on 
you; 
If you can trust your Lord when others 
doubt you, 
Certain that He will guide In all 
you do: 
If you can keep your purpose with clear 
vision, 
Bear lack of sympathy, yet sympathize 
With those who fail to understand your 
mission, 
Glimpsing His world task through 
your Master's eyes; 
If you can work in harmony with others, 
Yet never lose your own distinctive 
aim, 
Mindful that even among Christian 
brothers 
Methods and plans are often not the 
same ; 
If you can see your cherished plans de- 
, �
feated, 
And tactfully and bravely hold your 
peace, 
And be undaunted when unfairly treated, 
Praying that love and good will may 
increase; 
If you can trust to native Christian 
brethren 
The church you've built in lands across 
the sea, 
Seeing in them, as in your growing chil-
dren, 
Promises of the men that are to be; 
If you can lead these eager, weak be-
ginners 
By patient, loving care, your life, your 
prayer, 
For failures and mistakes not judge as 
sinners, 
But make their growth in grace your 
earnest care; 
If you can share with humbler folk your 
virtue, 
If nobler souls are richer for your 
touch, 
If neither slights nor adoration hurt 
you, 
If all men count with you, but none 
too much , 
If you can fill your most discouraged 
minute 
With sixty seconds' worth of patience 
true— 
Yours is the task, with all the challenge 
in it; 
You'll be a missionary—through and 
through. —Eve/ye Walmsley. 
The Officers' Council 
THE responsibility for directing the 
work of the Young People's Society 
of Missionary Volunteers does not rest 
upon any one individual, but upon the 
entire staff of officers. And in order 
for the work of the society to be a 
real success, the officers must meet to-
gether regularly and frequently for 
prayer and counsel. Shied the society 
meetings need to be planned at least 
a month in advance, the officers should 
meet at least fifteen or twenty minutes 
every week for prayer and counsel to-
gether, and have at least one major 
executive meeting a month to arrange 
for the programs and assign topics. 
In larger societies it will probably be 
found necessary to have more than 
one major meeting of Ehe executive 
committee during the month. 
The executive committee also con-
stitutes the nucleus for the Prayer 
and Personal Workers' Band of the 
society. All members of the band who 
are not members of the executive com-
mittee should have the opportunity to 
meet with the officers in this way. 
The ideal time for the band to meet 
is just prior to the regular society 
meetings, and in a room other than 
the one provided for the society meet-
ing. This will prevent confusion and 
interruption as those who are not 
members of the band gather for the 
services. 
The responsibility for the leader-
ship of specific society meetings 
should rotate among the leaders and 
the associate leaders. This gives op-
portunity for all to develop their 
leadership ability, and lends variety, 
which is always appreciated and con-
ducive to success. 
The regular functioning of your 
executive committee will determine the 
success of your M. V. Society meetings 
throughout the year. 
C. LESTER BOND. 
The Song Service 
NOTHING will do more to encourage 
the members of your M. V. Society to 
be prompt in their attendance and to 
prepare their hearts for the messages 
to be delivered during the hour of 
meeting, than a good song service. A 
chorister with a pleasing personality 
and ability to direct music correctly 
should be chosen. Careful thought 
should always be given to the selec-
tion of the songs as well as to the 
way the singing is conducted. Often 
the tendency is to drag the singing, 
but the hymns should be sung at a 
OFFICERS' NOTES 
July 
* • * 
OR THEY seem to, anyway. 
• * * 
BUT DID YOU ever notice 
THAT THE, "locals" run just 
AS FAST 
EXPRESS TRAINS go pretty 
FAST, 
16 
moderately fast tempo, and never 
should the pianist syncopate the music. 
Here are some ways to add interest 
to the song service and get everyone 
singing: 
1. Occasionally choose songs that 
will emphasize the subject matter of 
the program. 
2. Teach a new hymn from time to 
time,' from either the songbook, a 
mimeographed sheet, or a projection 
on a screen. Learn a new song each 
month, perhaps. Sing it each week 
until the young people know it well. 
3. Teach the group some choruses 
—not the cheap, doggerel type with 
poor words and even poorer music. 
"Into My Heart" is a sample of a 
good chorus. 
4. Now and then have a special 
number during the song service—a 
solo, duet, trio, or an instrumental 
number. 
5. Occasionally relate the history of 
some famous hymn. Material can be 
secured from your public library. 
6. Add variety by having certain 
groups in the audience sing a stanza. 
7. Have a theme song. Select two 
or three appropriate songs and then 
ask the members to vote for the one 
they like best. Use it every week just 
as the officers take their places in 
front of the audience. 
The song service is to help the mem-
bers of the congregation have an ap-
preciation of the best in sacred song 
and hymns. Considerable care should 
bi exercised in choosing hymns with 
music and words which are entirely in 
keeping with the highest ideals. God 
cannot be worshiped and exalted by 
music which goes to the feet instead 
of appealing to the heart and the 
mind. Let us remember that "music 
hath charms." "Melody, both vocal 
and instrumental, is for the raising 
up of men's hearts and the sweeten-
ing of their affections toward God." 
C. LESTER BOND. 
Well-Planned Socials 
By nature we are social beings, and 
especially during the adolescent years 
young people crave social contact and 
recreation. This part of the young 
people's work is no less important 
than any other. In fact, many of 
the youth find their first interest in 
religious things through the social 
activities provided by the Young Peo-
ple's Society. Great care, therefore, 
should be exercised in planning for 
every social gathering that is held 
under the auspices of the society or 
the church. 
Every society, large or small, should 
have a social secretary who will have 
the direct responsibility of planning 
and leading out in this phase of the 
society activities. However, he should 
work in close counsel with the execu-
tive committee, of which he is a mem-
ber. The social secretary should be no 
less consecrated or devout than the 
devotional secretary of the society. 
He should be a genuine Christian, 
The Church Officers' Gazette 
with balanced judgment, and should 
keep in the middle of the road. 
Every social gathering should be 
well and carefully planned, and should 
be the result of much study on the 
part of the social secretary. Source 
materials should be supplied him from 
society funds. Every Missionary Vol-
unteer Society library should contain 
a number of worth-while books on 
social gatherings and games, the most 
important of which is "Social Plans 
for Missionary Volunteers." 
At least one social each month 
should be conducted by every Mission-
ary Volunteer Society. In urban dis-
tricts where there are few recreational 
pursuits that are not questionable, it 
may be necessary to conduct society 
socials more frequently than that. A 
good slogan for every society to re-
member in connection with its social 
activities is "Social to Save." 
C. LESTER BOND. 
I Was Wondering . . . About 
Stops and Starts 
(and the Summer Slump) 
* * • 
BETWEEN STATIONS? 
* * • 
YES, SIR, you watch them 
AND'SEE. 
IT'S THE stops the locals 
MAKE THAT use up the time. 
• * • 
STOPPING AND starting are 
GREAT LITTLE time takers. 
• * * 
I WAS WONDERING if it 
ISN'T THE stops and the starts we 
MAKE IN life • • * 
THAT USE up much of 
OUR ENERGY, • • * 
AND MARE our trip slower 
TIIAN IT ought to be. 
• * • 
IN CHURCH work, for example. 
• • * 
IF WE would just go along 
ALL THE time, 
• * • 
PULLING STEADY and strong, 
INSTEAD OF high-speeding so 
MANY THINGS 
• « • 
FOR A few weeks, 
• * • 
AND THEN slowing 'way down, 
* • * 
WE'D GET a lot 
MORE DONE. « • * 
OF COURSE there are some 
THINGS TO be done in their 
SEASON. AND all that. 
* • * 
MIT WE don't need to 
BE SO stoppy and 
STARTY IN our work. 
—McAlpine. 
July, 1941 
Distribute Responsibility 
In the Missionary Volunteer organ-
ization we have a slogan which reads, 
"To save from sin and guide in serv-
ice." The principle here set forth 
should be applied in a practical way 
to every Missionary Volunteer Society. 
Earnest effort should be made to win 
every young person of the church to 
the Lord Jesus Christ. Following that, 
he should be trained to fill his place 
in God's great program of service. 
The society, therefore, is a train-
ing school in which the youth become 
qualified to do efficient work outside 
of the society. This can be accom-
plished only when every society mem-
ber is given an opportunity and en-
couraged to take part. 
In every society there are young 
persons who are better qualified than 
others to speak in the meetings. How-
ever, these qualified young people 
should not be called upon again and 
again to the exclusion of those who 
are not so competent. In connection 
with the society meetings, something 
can be found for everyone to do if 
he is given the proper encouragement. 
For the boy or the girl who is timid 
and hesitant, first try giving him just 
a verse of Scripture to read in connec-
tion with a Bible reading that is being 
conducted. A few weeks later he may 
be encouraged to memorize a short 
poem. Following that, his courage 
has strengthened, and with a bit of 
coaching, he may study a short article 
and present it very satisfactorily as 
a talk. All this will require time and 
patience and perhaps assistance on the 
part of the leaders, and yet in the 
end it will prove to be time exception-
ally well spent, and will bear fruitage 
in a surprisingly satisfying way. 
C. LESTER BOND. 
God's Radiogram 
A BM ocean liner had started on 
its voyage, with thousands of pas-
sengers. A small lad, a refugee from 
another shore, was on board. The 
little fellow had been left in the charge 
of the stewardess, She had been 
very kind to him during the days of 
the voyage. Now, however, he felt 
lonely and homeless as he saw his 
fellow passengers preparing to em-
bark. It would be just an hour or 
two at the most when the steamer 
would dock. 
The little fellow's heart failed him, 
and his lips began to quiver as he 
thought of home. He jumped with 
fright when one of the ship's officers 
loudly called his name. He was al-
most too scared to answer, but the 
officer had already learned to know 
him. "There's a message for you 
from your Uncle Jacob," he said. The 
(Please turn to page .10) 
The Church Officers' Gazette �
17 
Vol. 28, No. 7 
July 5 
How a Christian Shows His 
Patriotism 
BY C. L. LONGACRE 
Note to Leaders 
For additional material, please con- 
sult the Junior topic for July 5, p. 24. 
Patriotism 
PATRIOTISM is defined by Webster 
as "love of country" and "devotion to 
the welfare of one's country" and "the 
virtues and actions of a patriot." To 
be "patriotic" means to be "zealously 
and unselfishly devoted to the service 
of one's country; as, a patriotic states-
man; patriotic vigilance." A "patriot" 
is defined as "one who loves his coun-
try and zealously supports its author-
ity and interests." 
What concerns our young people is 
how they as Christians can manifest 
their patriotism. Patriotism, like 
Christianity, is often misinterpreted, 
misunderstood, and misdirected. In 
the Spirit of prophecy we read that 
the Jews, when they plotted the death 
of Christ, regarded themselves as 
patriots and saviors of their own 
nation. Pilate was told that if he 
refused to put Christ to death, he 
would not be Caesar's friend, and he 
would bring ruin upon their nation. 
That was a misguided patriotism. It 
was a patriotism which did bring ruin 
and destruction upon them and their 
nation. 
A patriotism which means blind 
loyalty to a nation, whether right or 
wrong, has caused more wars of ag-
gression and oppression than any other 
one factor. There are many false 
ideas entertained on the subject of 
what is true patriotism, as well as on 
the subject of loyalty and liberty. 
Loyalty to country and loyalty to a 
friend do not mean the condoning of 
faults and wrongs, but, as the Scrip-
tures say, "Faithful are the wounds 
of a friend; but the kisses of an 
enemy are deceitful." A person is an 
enemy who does not correct you in 
love when you are wrong. 
There are many people whose pa-
triotism is animated and vociferous on 
the Fourth of July. Some loudly 
I 
proclaim the virtues and the benefi s 
of the Constitutional guaranties of 
human rights, equal justice, and eiv I 
and religious liberty, and indulge in 
patriotic platitudes and generalities in 
orations to the multitudes, and then 
step off the platform and forget all 
about the Constitution and the Bill 
of Rights the other 364 days of the 
year. If you remind them that cer-
tain of their actions are contrary to 
the guaranties of human rights under 
the Constitution, they will tell you 
that the Constitution is "old-
fashioned," it was "framed in the 
horse-and-buggy age," and is "out-
moded." There are men who take a 
solemn oath to defend and preserve 
the Constitution, and then in public 
life and conduct deride and override 
it, That is a bogus, hypocritical pa-
triotism. 
True patriotism for an American 
citizen and a Christian means living 
up to the ideals and principles of lib-
erty and justice as set forth in the 
Declaration of Independence and in 
the Bill of Rights in the Federal Con-
stitution. 
Christian patriotism is an ideal, a 
principle, and a way of life, governing 
our relationship to the state. In Amer-
ica patriotism is synonymous with 
Americanism. Americanism and 
Christian patriotism stand for liberty 
for all men and the equality of all 
persons before the law, with special 
privileges to none. Christian pa-
triotism recognizes that all religions, 
whether right or wrong in creedal 
teaching, should enjoy equal protec-
tion under the civil laws of the land, 
with no favors to any. 
A Christian shows his patriotism 
by being loyal to great fundamental, 
moral, and spiritual considerations, 
rather than being loyal to partisan 
polities or to political leaders who may 
depart from fundamental principles. 
John Milton truly said, "None can 
love freedom heartily but good men; 
the rest love not freedom, but license." 
It is equally true that Christianity 
gave the true conception of freedom 
to the world, and placed the correct 
value upon the rights of the individ-
ual. Uncontrolled independence and 
unlimited power do not belong to the 
individual, according to the Christian 
philosophy of life. Christian liberty 
is controlled by Christian principles. 
Liberty and freedom as they pertain 
to the Christian are centered in Christ, 
and controlled by Christ. Any liberty 
that we take which is not controlled 
and sanctioned by the teachings and 
the life of Christ, is license to do 
wrong. It is uncontrolled liberty, 
running wild and running amuck. 
When we surrender essential truth 
and ignore our mutual obligations to 
society and its welfare, to gratify a 
selfish wish or to satisfy a carnal 
idea which has captivated our imagi-
nation, we are bound to come to grief 
ultimately. It is impossible to be 
unchristian, in our attitude and anti-
Christian in our thinking and at the 
same time claim to be Christians by 
profession. 
It is essential, in order to meet our 
obligations in life, that we understand 
how true Christianity deals with the 
problems of liberty and the correct 
attitudes of patriotism. Christianity 
is not governed by temperament or 
sentiment, but by fundamental prin-
ciples and by faith in those principles. 
Likewise true patriotism is not con-
trolled by mere feeling and spasmodic 
emotion, but by faith in ennobling 
ideals of country and government 
which govern the proper relationship 
of man to man. Love for God and 
love for country must manifest them-
selves within certain well-defined 
bounds, or either may prove a curse 
to the world instead of a blessing. 
Misguided and uncontrolled zeal for 
God and for country, even in a right-
eous cause, frequently leads to reli-
gious persecution and unjustified vio-
lence. 
Christian patriotism, when rightly 
applied, seeks by means of liberty 
under law to promote peace and hap-
piness for each and for all, regardless 
of religious faith or political affilia-
tion. 
The Best Way of Showing Our 
Patriotism 
THE best way that a Christian can 
manifest his patriotism toward his 
country is by being (1) a good Chris-
tian, and (2) a good citizen. 
A good Christian always respects 
those who are placed in authority in 
civil government as ordained of God 
to function in civil things only. A 
good citizen always respects those who 
18 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
July, 1941 
are called of God to function in spirit-
ual things only. A patriotic Christian 
renders to Caesar the things that are 
Caesar's, and to God the things that 
are God's. He seeks to obey all the 
laws of the land which are not in con-
flict with the obligations that he owes 
to his God as supreme. But he does 
more than merely be good. 
Some folk believe that they should 
render no more to Caesar than they 
are compelled to do along legitimate 
lines, such as the payment of taxes. 
Some Christians believe that it is im-
possible for a Christian to function 
in any civil office in the government, 
and that therefore they should never 
vote on any issue, not even to place 
in public office good men, who stand 
for right principles. But the Bible 
and the Testimonies clearly teach that 
no Christian or child of God has a 
right to shun the responsibilities that 
he owes to God, to his country, and 
to society. The Lord never puts His 
approval upon a hermit who shuts 
himself up and isolates himself from 
the evils which exist in the world. 
The messenger of the Lord has 
said: "Many deplore the wrongs 
which they know exist, but consider 
themselves free from all responsibility 
in the matter. This cannot be. Every 
individual exerts an influence in so-
ciety. In our favored land, every 
voter has some voice in determining 
what laws shall control the nation. 
... The advocates of temperance fail 
to do their whole duty unless they 
exert their influence by precept and 
example—by voice and pen and vote 
—in favor of prohibition and total 
abstinence. We need not expect that 
God will work a miracle to bring 
about this reform, and thus remove 
the necessity for our exertion. We 
ourselves must grapple with this giant 
foe, our motto, No compromise and 
no cessation of our efforts till the vic-
tory is gained."—"Gospe/ Workers," 
pp. 387, 388. 
Mrs. E. G. White told us that not 
only should we vote in favor of good 
laws, but we should vote to put in 
public office good men who stand for 
religious liberty, for temperance, in 
opposition to Sunday laws, and in 
defense of human rights. But she did 
not stop here. She counseled our 
youth thus: 
"Dear youth, what is the aim and 
purpose of your life? Are you am-
bitious for education that you may 
have a name and position in the 
world? Have you thoughts that you 
dare not express, that you may one 
day stand upon tho summit of intel-
lectual greatness; that you may sit 
in deliberative and legislative coun-
cils, and help to enact laws for the 
nation? There is nothing wrong in 
these aspirations. You may every one 
of you make your mark. You should 
be content with no mean attainments. 
Aim high, and spare no pains to 
reach the standard."—"Rundamentals 
of Christian Education," p. 82. 
"Many a lad of today, growing up 
as did Daniel in his Judean home, 
studying God's word and His works, 
and learning the lessons of faithful 
service, will yet stand in legislative 
assemblies, in halls of justice, or in 
royal courts, as a witness for the King 
of kings. Multitudes will be called 
to a wider ministry."—"Education," 
p. 262. 
"From the humblest lot 
those whom He has seen faithful have 
in time past been called to witness for 
Him in the world's highest places,"—
/Od. 
The Christian shows his patriotism 
in statesmanship, not in partisan poli-
tics. Political affairs are confined to 
three distinct phases in the operation 
of government. The first definition 
of politics as given by Webster is: 
"The science and art of government 
. . . dealing with the organization, 
regulation, and administration of a 
state, in both its internal and exter-
nal affairs; . . that branch of ethics 
dealing with the ethical relations and 
duties of states or social organiza-
tions." 
In this field the Christian can func-
tion as a statesman, exactly as Joseph 
did in Egypt, as David and Solomon 
did in Israel, as Daniel and the three 
Hebrew worthies did in Babylon, and 
as Nehemiah, Mordecai, and Zerub-
babel did in Persia. The civil govern-
ment is ordained by God; and those 
who serve the government as out-
lined above, dealing with the science 
and the ethical relations and duties of 
states, are called "God's ministers, at-
tending continually upon this very 
thing." Rom. 13:6. 
The second definition of politics by 
Webster is a phase of politics in 
which the Christian cannot engage, 
and is the kind of politics which is 
denounced in the Spirit of prophecy. 
writings. Webster, in speaking of 
this phase of polities, says: "In a 
bad sense, artful or dishonest man-
agement to secure the success of po-
litical candidates or parties." In this 
field the artifice and the intrigue of 
the politician are practiced for selfish 
ends. 
The third definition for politics as 
defined by Webster means to play 
politics by evil scheming in private 
affairs. In this field, not infrequently, 
some church members are found to 
scheme and play politics in a sinister 
way to gain their selfish ends in 
church affairs. The Christian cannot 
take part in either of the last two 
phases of politics. 
The Christian is bound to adhere 
to right principles, and to maintain 
the cause of right and essential jus-
tice, when oppression and injustice are 
rampant in the land. 
Abraham, the father of the faith-
ful, is set forth as an example of 
being wise in diplomacy and of ren-
dering a great service to the country 
of which he was a citizen. 
Mrs. White wrote: "Rich in faith, 
noble in generosity, unfaltering in 
obedience, and humble in the sim-
plicity of his pilgrim life, Abraham 
was also wise in diplomacy. . . The 
worshiper of Jehovah had not only 
rendered a great service to the coun-
try, but had proved himself a man of 
valor. It was seen that righteousness 
is not cowardice, and that Abraham's 
religion made him courageous in 
maintaining the right and defending 
the oppressed. His heroic act gave 
him a widespread influence among the 
surrounding tribes. . . His example 
is a rebuke to self-seeking, mercenary 
spirits. Abraham regarded the claims 
of justice and humanity. His con-
duct illustrates the inspired maxim, 
'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy-
self!' "—"Patriarchs and Prophets," 
pp. 134-136. 
A Christian cannot divorce himself 
from the cause of justice, liberty, and 
humanity when the oppressed and the 
evildoer through violence trample the 
innocent underfoot. He cannot con-
sistently refuse to serve his country 
when his country calls him into its 
service in time of dire need, so long 
as his government does not ask him 
to violate his conscience or do any-
thing that is inconsistent- with funda-
mental Christian principles. Loyalty 
to God means loyalty to humanity 
and its needs, loyalty to justice, to 
liberty, and to the cause of right. A 
Vol. 28, No. 7 �
The Church Officer? Gazette �
19 
challenge from God comes ringing 
down the centuries, "Who will rise up 
for Me against the evildoers/ or who 
will stand up for Me against the 
workers of iniquity?" Ps. 94:16. 
July 12 
To What Are Your Ears 
Tuned? 
BY C. A. RUSSELL 
SONG SERVICE. 
OPENING SONG: "Wonderful Love of 
Jesus," No. 245 in "Christ in Song." 
SCRIPTURE READING: Psalms 19. 
PRAYER: Followed by the Lord's 
prayer in unison. 
ANNOUNCEMENTS. 
REPORTS 
OFFERTORY. 
SYMPOSIUM: "Tune In," Part I. 
RECITATION: "The Record Kept." 
SYMPOSIUM: "Tune In," Part 
RECITATION: "Sing." 
CLOSING SONG: "The Helping Word," 
No. 559 in "Christ in Song." 
CLOSING PRAYER. 
Notes to Leaders 
Please encourage the talks to be 
given as talks, instead of merely being 
read. At least ask that the stories 
and the illustrative material be thus 
given. I am convinced that there is 
too much reading and too little speak-
ing in our Missionary Volunteer So-
ciety meetings. 
Recitation: "The Record Kept."—
This is familiar, but its beautiful mes-
sage will never grow stale. Encour-
age the one who recites this to 
memorise it perfectly, so that there 
need be no "prompting," and that it 
may be rendered in a well-modulated, 
clear voice. It is a literary gem, and 
should be given in a manner that will 
touch hearts. 
Tune In 
Part I 
"TUNE in." This is a common ex-
pression in these days when there are 
almost as many radios as there are 
families. Tune in to what? Almost 
anything is offered. There is a wide 
variety from which to choose. And 
we choose that which pleases us. That 
which appeals most to us is the thing 
to which we listen. 
God has given us ears. The sense 
of hearing is one of the most pre-
cious of the five special senses. If 
you were obliged to lose one of these 
senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, 
smell—with which would you choose 
to part? Probably you would choose 
to ding to hearing and sight last. 
I once asked a blind man which of 
the two senses he would rather lose if 
one had to be given up, sight or hear- 
ing. He answered promptly, "Sight." 
And he should know, for though once 
he had seen, now he was totally blind. 
You might not agree with him, and 
I'm not sure that I do, but the gift 
of hearing is surely next in importance 
to that of sight. 
That which interests us most first 
attracts our attention. I am reminded 
of a story. Two gentlemen were 
walking along Broadway, Now York's 
most congested street. They were con-
versing as they passed along, dodging 
traffic and trying to keep from bump-
ing into other pedestrians. Suddenly 
one of them paused a second as he 
said, "Did you hear that?" The 
other gentleman said, "Hear what? 
I'm hearing about a thousand sounds 
here in this busy, bustling street." 
"I mean that sound." "What sound?" 
They listened carefully, and coming 
from somewhere, they heard the chirp 
of a little black cricket. Finally they 
located him behind a piece of rock 
that was lying in the gutter. There 
he was chirping away at his cheerful 
song. The naturalist's ears were at-
tuned to the sounds and the songs of 
the creatures small and large in the 
world of nature. The other man could 
hear simply the tooting of horns, the 
rumbling of tthelts, and the babel of 
noises to be heard in any congested 
city street. 
To what are your ears tuned—in 
speech? Language is the vehicle by 
which thought is conveyed. Are your 
ears so delicately tuned that they catch 
and respond to beauties of expression 
as you listen to the speech of others? 
And are they so disciplined that they 
detect the correctness and beauty of 
your own expressions as well? The 
wise man said: "A word fitly spoken 
is like apples of gold in pictures of 
silver." A sermon, a lecture, any kind 
of address, is much more appreciated 
when the thoughts of the speaker are 
clothed in pure and beautiful speech. 
"The right culture and use of the 
power of speech has to do with every 
line of Christian work; it enters into 
the home life, and into all our inter-
course with one another, We should 
accustom ourselves to speak in pleas-
ant (tones, to use pure and correct 
language, and words that are kind 
and courteous.... The Scripture says 
of Christ that grace was poured into 
His lips, that He might 'know how to 
speak a word in season to him that 
is weary.' And the Lord bids us, 
`Let your speech be, alway with 
grace,' �
it may minister grace 
unto the hearers.'"—"Christ's Object 
Lessons," p. .336. 
And are your ears so tuned, is your 
will so disciplined, that you are quick 
to catch the cheap word, the slangy 
expression, impure and vulgar talk? 
And does that same trained will of 
yours take you out of hearing of such 
corruption of pure speech? 
Slang) What a travesty upon lan-
guage. Cultured, refined people do 
not stoop to cheap expressions. 
Sometimes I wonder, when T hear a 
conversation punctuated with the lat-
est slang, if the speaker is lost for 
ideas and is simply filling in. 
"We may not prevent the birds from 
flying over our heads, but we can 
keep them from nesting in our hair." 
So it is with speech. We may not 
be able to prevent others from using 
slang, vulgarity, or profanity, but we 
need not tarry to listen. 
A ball game was in progress. As 
I was passing along the street that 
led past the diamond, I noticed that 
there was a man on every base, with 
apparently a good batter on home 
base. The pitcher wound up and sent 
a fast one over the center of the 
plate. The batter swung, and out flew 
a liner. The shortstop jumped for it, 
the second baseman ran for it, the 
center fielder attempted to stop it; 
but all to no avail. The batter made 
a home run, allowing the three men 
ahead of him also to score. A great 
shout went up. Then there was a 
wrangle and jangle between some of 
the players and the umpire. Presently 
a group formed near the plate, and 
loud words of profanity were heard. 
I thought, This is no place for a 
Christian; so I hastily passed on, 
leaving them to exchange their rough 
language. 
An anecdote is related concerning 
General Grant. The war was on, but 
in an interval of the fighting, a group 
of officers with their wives were en-
deavoring to drown out the thoughts 
of the horror of it all in a little so-
cial gathering. The company had not 
yet begun to mingle, and all the 
women were in one room, while the 
officers were in another. They were 
entertaining themselves with conver-
sation and anecdotes. One young lieu- 
tenant began to tell a story. He 
glanced around the room as he said 
in rather a low tone, "There are no 
ladies present, are there?" General 
Grant, turning to the young officer, 
said, "No, sir, Lieutenant, there are 
no ladies present, but there are several 
gentlemen present." The story was 
never finished. 
Let us never forget the statement 
'made by Jesus as recorded in Mat- 
thew 72:36, 37. (Read.) James tells 
us, "If any man offend not in word, 
the same is a perfect man." How 
can that be? Is it only by our speech 
that we may give offense?, He ex- 
20 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
July, 1941 
plains the meaning in the last clause: 
"And able also to bridle the whole 
body." It is evident, therefore, that 
if we are able under God to control 
our speech, we can conquer our other 
tendencies to evil, 
"Satan cannot read our thoughts, 
but he can see our actions, hear our 
words; and from his long knowledge 
of the human family, he, can shape his 
temptations to take advantage of our 
weak points of character."—"Mes-
sages," p. 828. 
Someone has said: "Three things 
come not back: the sped arrow; the 
spoken word; the. neglected opportu-
nity." And another has said: 
"Wounds made by words are hard to 
heal." Kind words, true words, pure 
words, tender, loving, sympathetic 
words, how beautiful they sound! 
They are indeed like "apples of gold 
in pictures of silver." 
"I expect to pass this way but 
once. Any good thing, therefore, that 
I can do, or any kindness that I can 
show to any fellow human being, let 
me do it now. Let me not defer or 
neglect it, for I shall not pass this 
way again." 
The Record ICejit 
IT was only a cup of water, with a 
gentle grace bestowed, 
But it cheered a lonely traveler upon the 
dusty road; 
For the way was long and dreary, and 
the resting places few, 
And the sun had dried the streamlets, 
and drunk up the sparkling dew. 
None noticed the cup of water as a beau- 
tiful act of love, 
Save the angels keeping the record, away 
in the land above. 
But the record shall never perish, the 
trifling deed shall live, 
For heaven demands but little from those 
who have least to give. 
It was only a kind word spoken to a 
weeping little child, 
But the thread of its grief was broken, 
and the little one sweetly smiled; 
And nobody stayed to notice so tiny an 
act of love, 
Save the angels keeping the record in 
the wonderful book above. 
And she who had spoken kindly went on 
in her quiet way, 
Nor dreamed such a simple action should 
count in the last great day. 
But the pitying words of comfort were 
beard with a song of joy, 
And the listening angels blessed her 
from their beautiful home on high. 
It isn't the world-praised wonders that 
are best in our Father's sight, 
Nor the wreaths of fading laurel that 
garnish fame's dizzy height, 
But the pitying love and kindness, the 
work of the warm caress, 
The beautiful hope and patience and self-
forgetfulness; 
The trifle in secret given, the prayer in 
the quiet night, 
And the little unnoticed nothings are 
good in our Father's sight. 
—Author Unknown. 
if Sad 
"FAILURE doesn't mean lack of 
ability; mostly it means you didn't 
use more than half the tools in your 
chest." 
Tune In 
Part II 
THE most marvelous musical instru-
ment known is the human voice. It 
was not invented; it was created. 
And when that voice is in tune With 
its Creator, those who listen are lifted 
up to Him. We speak of the music 
of the spheres, the symphonies of the 
universe, the harmony of heaven. 
There was a time before sin came in 
to mar this harmony when "the morn- 
ing stars sang together, and all the 
sons of God shouted for joy." 
All nature is vocal with musical 
sound—the singing of the birds in the 
leafy branches, the whispering of the 
graceful pines as they sway to and 
fro in the gentle breeze, the lapping 
of the waves upon tho shore, the music 
of the rippling stream as it dances 
along singing to itself a happy song. 
Why not join in nature's symphony, 
"speaking to yourselves in psalms and 
hymns and spiritual songs, singing 
and making melody in your heart to 
the Lord"? 
We are living in a world with a 
broken heart. Broken hearts and 
broken hearthstones are everywhere. 
Therefore— 
'Do all the good you can, 
By all the means you can, 
In aii the ways you can, 
In all the places you can, 
At all the times you can, 
To all the people you can, 
As long as ever you can." 
The heart that is in tune with God 
will strike no discordant note. The 
ear will be in tune. 
There is something about perfect 
harmony that inspires and lifts the 
soul. When every instrument in a 
great band or orchestra is tuned in 
perfect accord with every other instru- 
ment, the music touches a responsive 
chord in the heart. 
I was standing in the "Court of the 
Universe" at the Panama-Pacific Ex-
position, listening to a concert being 
given by Sousa's band. As one of 
the numbers of the program was about 
to be rendered, six of the players, 
instruments in hand, stepped to the 
front of the stage and began to play 
in perfect harmony a well-known se- 
lection, while the remainder of the 
band played a soft accompaniment. 
Before I realized what was happen-
ing, emotions had been stirred within 
me by the tenderness and the sweet-
ness of that wonderful music. 
She was known as the Swedish 
Nightingale, and her name—Jenny 
Lind. She was singing night after 
night before packed houses in one of 
the capitals of Europe. Early one 
morning she and her maid started for 
a stroll. Their walk carried them far- 
ther than usual, and presently they 
found themselves at the outskirts of 
the city. They were passing a large, 
gray stone building, and Miss Lind 
said, "I wonder what that can be. 
Must be an institution of some kind." 
In a moment they came to where a 
workman was busy at his task. 
"What is this large building?" they 
asked. "Is it an institution of some 
sort?" 
"Why, don't you know? This is 
the almshouse." 
In a moment Miss Lind said to her 
-maid, "I wonder what an almshouse 
looks like on the inside. Do you sup-
pose they would let us in?" 
They passed up the walk and rapped 
at the door. An elderly woman, with 
bent form, wrinkled face, dimmed 
eyes, and dulled ears, met them at 
the door and invited them in. They 
were ushered into a large, bare, cheer-
less room. In one corner four or five 
elderly women were sitting in a 
group conversing. Just then one of 
them said, in a loud voice in which 
deaf people usually speak, "They say 
Jenny Lind is singin' right here in 
the city. Jenny Lind? You don't 
know Jenny Lind? Don't you ever 
read the papers? She is the sweetest 
singer that ever lived; and here she 
is, asingin' right here in our town. 
Sometimes I think I'd be almost 
willin' to die right here in this poor-
house if I could just hear Jenny Lind 
sing once." 
Miss Lind heard her words. The 
old women seemed quite surprised to 
see two strange young women, but 
Miss Lind said, "I heard what you 
said just now, grandma. I sing a 
little sometimes." 
"Can ye? Do ye sing? I was just 
telling these folk that Jenny Lind is 
asingin' right here in this town, and 
I would almost be willin' to die in 
the poorhouse if I could just hear 
Jenny Lind sing once, but it's not 
for us old folks here in the poor-
house." 
"Well, grandma, I will sing a little 
for you if you want me to." And 
Jenny Lind began to sing. As those 
beautiful, clear, flutelike tones passed 
down the corridors and penetrated the 
rooms, the doors opened and the 
women were drawn to the room, 
Jenny Lind sang song after song. 
Finally, when she was obliged to 
go, this same old woman grasped one 
of Miss Lind's hands in both her 
trembling ones as she said with a 
little choke in her voice, "I just don't 
believe Jenny Lind herself could sing 
any better'n that." 
"Well, grandma, I am Jenny Lind." 
In speaking of the incident after-
ward, Mies Lind said, "I have sung 
before the crowned heads of Europe, 
but never in all my life was the very 
soul of song wrung right out of my 
heart as when I sang that morning 
for the dear old women in the alms-
house." 
The ear can be educated as well as 
the eye And both may be made sub-
servient to the will. Whereas real 
music inspires, its counterfeit de-
moralizes. Modern rag, jazz, and 
whirl are but a few steps removed 
from the wild rhythms of the tom-
toms in darkest Africa. The efforts 
of the "crooner," the "blues" wailer, 
the "torch singer," make no appeal to 
Vol. 28, No. 7 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
21 
the ear as real music. Much of that 
which will enter our homes over the 
air, if we allow it to come in, is of 
this demoralizing type. Such is the 
influence of music that the enemy of 
all righteousness has seized upon this 
means of influencing the lives of 
young people. Poolrooms and billiard 
halls are made enticing with instru-
mental music and song. Radios blare 
in barrooms. Worldly amusements; 
the dance, the theater, the movie with 
its talking pictures, the cheap pleas-
ure party, are but illustrations of ear 
training on the lower levels. 
Let us train our ears to high levels. 
"Music was made to serve a holy pur-
pose, to lift the thoughts to that which 
is pure, noble, and elevating, and to 
awaken in the soul devotion and grati-
tude to God. .. . Music forms a part 
of God's worship in the courts above, 
and we should endeavor, in our songs 
of praise, to approach as nearly as 
possible to the harmony of the heav-
enly ehoirs."—"Alessagesi p. a93. 
Sing 
WHEN the mists of morning are Geared 
away 
By the warmth of the rising sun: 
And the fleeting shadows are turned to 
day, 
And another night is done; 
Look up and sing till the arches ring, 
The arches of heaven's blue 
God's on His throne, and He will bring 
His riches of love to you. 
C. A. IlliSsELL, 
Nk 
July 19 
Survey of Work 
Of the Mission-Station Director 
and the Mission Teacher 
BY H. B. LUNDQUIST 
OPENING SONG: No. 71 in "Gospel in 
Song." 
PRAYER. 
SECOND HYMN: No. 194 in "Gospel in 
Song." 
READING: "Gospel Workers," pp. 515, 
519. 
Tax: "Survey of Work of a Mission-
Station Director." 
Tax: "Survey of Work of a Mission 
Teacher." 
TESTIMONY MEETING: Relation of 
missionary experiences by members. 
CLOSING HYMN: No. 224 in "Gospel 
in Song." 
DISMISSAL. 
Note to Leaders 
If possible, get a worker of experi-
ence to help in giving this program. 
if this is not possible, then try to 
give out the parts sufficiently ahead 
of time so that the one who is to 
give the talks may make a study of 
the topics in the books "Education," 
"Gospel Workers," and "Counsels to 
Teachers," to add supplementary ma-
terial. Emphasize the thought that 
the missionary must keep himself fit 
in all ways, not the least of which is 
physically, and that therefore his own 
recreational needs must be eared for 
as religiously as are his spiritual 
needs. �
- 
Survey of Work 
Of a Mission Station Director 
Ir there is one worker above an-
other in the advent movement who 
has a crowded program, it is the 
mission-station director, for he is 
judge, priest, and ruler for the na-
tives, both young and old, entrusted 
to his care. Oh, yes, there is another 
office that he must perform perforce, 
whether he is fully qualified to do so 
or not. I refer to that of doctor. 
Medical help is scarce, and medicine 
is costly, and both are next to inac-
cessible to the poor. 
A. SPIRITUAL LEADER. Au incident 
or two will give point to the need of 
the station director's being a spiritual 
leader. On a certain occasion the 
people of a near-by town requested 
our mission to start medical work 
among them. When the superintend-
ent of our mission hospital visited the 
little village, and tried to reconcile 
the people whose petition the mission 
had not been able to grant, the rep-
resentative of those simple people 
said: "Well, if you cannot open a 
clinic for our bodies, at least send 
us a doctor for our souls." That was 
what they wanted all along anyhow. 
On another occasion, as one of our 
notable Indian missionaries was pass-
ing through a section populated by 
the children of the forest, an old 
chieftain came out to the river's edge,-
and with a -wave of his regal right 
arm, halted the missionary's journey. 
This was his simple, sincere plea: 
"When are you going to come to teach 
us about the great God?" When that 
missionary returned several years 
later, he found not one, but many 
chieftains along that river ready to 
receive the answer to the old chief's 
plea. So, first of all, the mission-
station director must know God, and 
be able to point others to the way to 
heaven, 
B. INTELLECTUAL LEADER. Inas-
much as the mission school is one of 
the most effective evangelizing agen-
cies, a good understanding of the first 
essentials of pedagogy and methods 
does not come in amiss. The educa-
tional superintendent of the field can-
not look after the needs in detail, 
much less oversee the work in each 
mission station. There just aren't 
days enough in the week. So he 
must come prepared to see that the 
teacher does his work well. In each 
of these schools a class for candidates 
for baptism is conducted each semes-
ter. The homes of the parents must 
be visited, and. soul-saving contact 
with unbelieving parents must be 
made. 
Then, too, his native helpers must 
be stimulated to follow a daily pro-
gram of study, visits, and cottage 
meetings. They must be helped in 
solving their personal problems. They 
must be taught the value of time, the 
eternal value of a soul, and the unique 
privilege of working for the children 
and youth. Encourage these young 
workers with the promises made to 
the diligent student: "He who begins 
with a little knowledge, and tells 
what he knows, at the same time seek-
ing for more knowledge, will become 
qualified to do a larger work."—"Gos-
pei Workers," p. 98. 
Let the mission-station director sit 
at the feet of the Master Teacher, 
without which training he will be 
wholly incapacitated to do his work. 
When even the unlettered fishermen 
of Galilee had spent three years with 
Him, "they were no longer ignorant 
and uncultured. They had become 
like Him in mind and character, and 
men took knowledge of them that 
they had been with Jesus. 
"It is not the highest work of edu-
cation to communicate knowledge 
merely, hut to impart that vitalizing 
energy which is received through the 
contact of mind with mind, and soul 
with soul. It is only life that can 
beget -life."—"The Desire of Ages," 
p. 9350. 
C. MISSIONARY LEADER. No, the 
work of missionary leader is not di-
vorced from that of spiritual leader; 
but there are many devout, spiritually-
minded persons who do not know how 
to do missionary work, for whom the 
Harvest Ingathering and the Missions 
Extension campaigns are a bore, if 
not a dread. Let no such one go to 
the mission field. A missionary will, 
of course, delight to do missionary 
work, We are told that "all who sur-
render themselves to God in unselfish 
service for humanity are in co-opera-
tion with the Lord of glory. . . All 
-who consecrate body, soul, and spirit 
to God's service will be constantly re- 
22 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
July, 1941 
eeiving a new endowment of physical, 
mental, and spiritual power. The in-
exhaustible supplies of heaven are at 
their command."—"Gospel Workers," 
p. 513. 
The messenger of the Lord also tells 
us that "the life of Christ's disciples 
is to be like His, a series of uninter-
rupted victories—not seen to bo such 
here, but recognized as such in the 
great hereafter. 
"Those who labor for the good of 
others are working in union with the 
heavenly angels. They have their 
,constant companionship, their unceas-
ing ministry. Angels of light and 
power are ever near to protect, to 
comfort, to heal, to instruct, to in-
spire."—Id., p. 515. 
And as the station director labors 
on with those whose background for 
millenniums has been one devoid of 
culture and Christianity, when it 
seems as if he is squandering time 
and opportunity on unworthy subjects, 
let him take heart with this precious 
promise: "Christ delights to take ap-
parently hopeless material, those whom 
Satan has debased and through whom 
he has worked, and make them the 
subjects of His grace."—/d., p. 516. 
Of course, the missionary cannot be 
long in contact with humanity without 
having to exercise all the knowledge 
he has and can acquire in the healing 
art. Although in the beginning he 
may feel that he hasn't knowledge 
enough to give medical counsel, he 
will soon realize that he knows many 
times more than do these poor, ig-
norant people. If he can come with a 
nurse's training, his usefulness will 
be multiplied many times. He will 
find that access to the soul is gained 
many times through the healing of the 
body. 
Survey of Work 
Of a Mission Teacher 
Ann that has been said regarding 
the mission-station director can be 
repeated for the teacher, Certainly 
he must be a spiritual leader; and if 
he is to be a leader, he must follow 
the very simple, though trite, rules of 
leadership; viz„ 
1. He must know the way. 
2. He must keep ahead. 
3. He must get others to follow. 
In no other work is it so necessary 
to teach by example as well as by 
precept as in that of the teacher. We 
are told that "those who would im- 
part truth must themselves practice 
its principles. Only by reflecting the 
character of God in the uprightness, 
nobility, and unselfishness of their 
own lives can they impress others."—
"Education," p. 41. 
The young man or young woman 
who aspires to teach in the mission 
field will have learned that "educa-
tion calls for something greater, some-
thing more divine, than the knowledge 
to be obtained merely from books. It 
means a personal, experimental knowl-
edge of Christ; it means emancipation 
from ideas, from habits and practices, 
that have been gained in the school of 
the prince of darkness. . . It means 
to overcome stubbornness, pride, self-
ishness, worldly ambition, and unbe-
lief."--"Counsels to Teachers," pp. 
11, 12. 
From this same source we learn 
that the teacher is to be what he ex-
pects his students to become, and that 
his great aim should be the perfecting 
of Christian character in himself and 
in his students. And then we are 
pointedly told: "If the instructors 
have a religious experience themselves, 
they will be able to communicate to 
their students the knowledge of the 
love of God that they have received. 
These lessons can be given only by 
those who are themselves truly eon- 
verted."- �
p. 168. 
Not everyone is qualified to be a 
teacher. We have been told that 
"teachers should not allow one pas-
sionate word or gesture to mar their 
work."—Id., p. 170. "Teachers are 
needed," we are told, "who are able 
to deal wisely with the different 
phases of character; who are quick to 
see and to make the most of opportu-
nities to do good; who possess en-
thusiasm, who are 'apt to teach;' and 
who can inspire thought, quicken en-
ergy, and impart courage."—Id., 
p. 180. 
Although it would seem imperti-
nent to mention it, yet it cannot be 
said too often that the very best-
qualified workers and the most conse-
crated Christians are the ones who are 
to be sent as missionaries. There is 
no place which will more quickly make 
or break a person than the mission 
field. Nowhere will defects show up 
more quickly with more disastrous re-
sults, or intrinsic worth of character, 
likewise, be discovered and rewarded. 
To be a good mission teacher, one 
must have the courage of a Daniel, 
the meekness of a Mores, and the 
purity of a Joseph. A mission teacher 
deals with humanity in the rough. 
But let him ever remember that Jesus 
chose His disciples from the ranks of 
rude fisherfolk of Galilee, men un-
schooled in the learning of the day, 
but men of native ability, who could 
be instructed and molded. And yet 
with these same men he founded the 
Christian church, and put into motion 
a spiritual movement that was to re-
deem the world. Only in eternity 
will the full results of the work of 
the faithful teacher be seen. May 
his number increase! 
PV 
July 28 
Making Christ Real 
Through Prayer 
BY ALFRED W. PETERSON 
OPENING EXERCISES. 
SOILIFTURE READING: John 11:15-23. 
STATEMENT BY LEADER setting forth 
the purpose of this meeting. (See 
Notes to Leaders.) 
BIBLE STUDY: T. "Promises of His 
Presence." �
II. "The Conditions 
Upon Which We May Have His 
Presence." 
TALK: "Bow We May Know His 
Presence." 
TALK: "The Kind of Prayer Which 
Brings His Presence." 
POEM: "Dwell in Me." 
TESTIMONIES OR EXPERIENCES when 
we have sensed His presence. 
CLOSING EXERCISES. 
Notes to Leaders 
The purpose of this study is to help 
us all to realise that prayer is a 
means of making the presence of 
Christ very real to us. We ought 
continually to bear in mind that 
prayer is the union of the soul with 
God, that through the exercise of 
prayer, the life of God flows into our 
life, and from our life purity and 
holiness flow back to God. (See "Steps 
to Christ, p., 98, pocket ed.) It is this 
union of the soul with God that makes 
real the presence of Christ to us. 
In carrying out this program, it is 
suggested that it be arranged so that 
as many as possible may take part. 
flaying part in the meeting and in the 
activities of the society deepens the 
interest of those who participate. This 
material is suggested as an outline, 
and it is hoped that those who have 
a part on the program will draw illus-
trations from their own experience. 
To conclude this meeting, it is sug-
gested that time be given for testi-
monies or experiences, the members 
of the society being called upon to 
relate some experience when Jesus' 
presence was very real to them be-
cause of prayer. 
Vol. 28, No. 7 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
23 
Those to whom talks may be as-
signed will find helpful material in 
the books "Alone With God" and "The 
Life That Wins," both by Mrs. E. E. 
Andrea 
Songs for Today.—Nos. 554, 741, 
555, 300 in "Christ in Song." 
Bible Study 
I. Promises of His Presence 
1. Wan promise did Jesus make 
upon His ascension? Matt. 28:20. 
2. When He said, "I will not leave 
you orphans" (see margin), what other 
promise did He make to His disciples? 
John 14:18. 
3. To whom did He promise to mani-
fest Himself? John 14:21, 23. 
4. With whom does He dwell? Ise. 
57:15. 
II. The Conditions Upon Which 
We May Have Ills Presence 
1. On what condition does Christ 
say that He will be present with wit 
Rev. 3:20. 
2. What attitude must we have if 
Ho is to draw nigh to us? James 4:8. 
3. Through what exercise do we 
draw nigh to Him, and thus enable 
Him to draw nigh to use 2 Chron. 
15:2; Jer. 29:12, 13. 
4. What special _promise is made 
to prayer bands? Matt. 18:19, 20. 
How We May Know His 
Presence 
CHRIST'S presence with us is no 
figure of speech. To him who craves 
His presence, who draws nigh to Him, 
Jesus is very real. We may not be 
able to touch Him and feel the scars 
in His side as did Thomas (John 20: 
27), we may not hear His audible 
voice es did those disciples as they 
walked with Him on their way to 
Emmaus (Luke 24:32), nor may we 
be able to see Him with our physical 
sight as did Mary (John 20:16.18); 
but through the power and the sweet 
influence of His Spirit, Christ is with 
each one of us. John 14:16-18. 
How may we actually know that He 
is with use 
I. The Holy Spirit may be convict-
ing us of some sin. 
2. He may be urging us to repent. 
3. He may be urging us to be obe-
dient to divine requirements. 
It is only through the ministry of 
the Holy Spirit, Christ's presence, that 
men are convicted of sin and led to 
repentance. 
We may know that He is present 
with us because of the strength which 
Tie gives to us in a time of need. 
',Prayer is the breath of the soul. It 
is the secret of spiritual power. No 
other means of grace can be sub-
stituted and the health of the soul be 
preserved. Prayer brings the heart 
into immediate contact with the Well-
spring of- life, and strengthens the 
sinew and muscle of the religious ex-
perience."—"Messages," p. 043. 
"The strength acquired in prayer 
to God will prepare us for our daily 
duties. The temptations to which we 
are daily exposed make prayer a ne-
eessity."—Id., p. 248. 
Just as a swimmer swept by acci-
dent into the river in the night, strug-
gling desperately against the current, 
might feel beneath him the lift of 
the strong arms of an unseen swimmer 
who has hurried to his aid in response 
to his cries, so we, swimming against 
life's currents, may know that He bus 
come to help us because we feel the 
lift of His strong arms beneath us as 
wo struggle against the world, the 
flesh, and the devil. 
"Prayer is the strength of the Chris-
tian. When alone, he is not alone; he 
feels the presence of One who has 
said, to, I am with you alway."—
Itt, p. 383. 
"Through sincere prayer we are 
brought into connection with the mind 
of the Infinite. We may have no re-
markable evidence at the time that 
the face of our Redeemer is bending 
over us in compassion and love; but 
this is even so. We may not feel 
His visible touch, but His hand is 
upon us in love and pitying tender-
ness."—"Steps to Christ," p. 97, pocket 
ed. 
Wherever we are, at whatever time, 
prayer brings to us the companionship 
of Christ. "We may commune with 
God in our hearts; we may walk in 
companionship with Christ. When en• 
gaged in our daily labor, we may 
Ncxy0cY=SX=MOOCDOCaecrat )C,M=S 
A Prayer 
"0 LORD. I pray 
That from this day 
I 
may not swerve 
By foot or band 
lermil Thy command, 
Not to be served 
but to serve. 
"And If I may. 
I'd have this day 
Strength from above 
To set my heart 
In heavenly art. 
Not to be loved 
but to love." 
—A uthor Unknown. 
breathe out our heart's desire, inau-
dible to any human ear; but that 
word cannot die away into silence, nor 
can it be lost. Nothing can drown the 
soul's desire. It rises above the din 
of the street, above the noise of ma-
chinery. It is God to whom we are 
speaking, and our prayer is heard."—
"Gospel Workers," p. 858. 
We may know that Christ's presence 
is with us, that He is abiding in our 
hearts because of the change which 
goes forward in our lives in response 
to prayer. Jesus says: "I am the vine, 
ye are the branches: He that abideth 
in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth 
forth much fruit: for without Me yo 
can do nothing." John 15:5. "The 
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, pow, 
longsufferiag, gentleness, goodness, 
faith, meekness, temperance." Gal. 
5:22, 23. 
Prayer makes Jesus real to us, be-
cause when we pray we feel the power 
of His indwelling life. "Unceasing 
prayer is the unbroken union of the 
soul with God, so that life from God 
flows into our life; and from our life, 
purity and holiness flow back to God." 
—"Steps to Christ," p. 98, pocket ed. 
"Henceforth through the Spirit, 
Christ was to abide continually in 
the hearts of His children. Their 
union with Him was closer than when 
He was personally with them."—Id., 
p. 75. Through this union "He will 
so identify Himself with our thoughts 
and aims, so blend our hearts and 
minds into conformity to His will, 
that when obeying IIim we shall be 
but carrying out our own impulses. 
The will, refined and sanctified, will 
find its highest delight in doing His 
service. When we know God as it is 
our privilege to know Him, our life 
will be a life of continual obedience." 
—"The Desire of Ages," p. 668. 
Yes, even though wo may not see 
Him, His presence may be very near 
to us because of the strength which 
He gives to US and because of the 
change in our lives which His presence 
works in- us: 
The Kind of Prayer Which 
Brings His Presence 
WILL every prayer by any person 
bring a sense of His reality to use 
No. If prayer is to be effective and 
bring to us the sweet consciousness of 
Christ's presence, there are at least 
seven conditions that must be met: 
24 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
July, 1941 
1. We must feel a sense of our 
need. Our need is our greatest argu-
ment. (See "Steps to Christ," p. 95, 
pocket ed.) 
2. We must confess our sins and 
make right any wrongs which we have 
done to others. 1 John 1:9. 
3. We must have faith. Faith is 
belief put into action. Faith means 
co-operation with God. (See "Christ's 
Object Lessons," p. 146, pars. 1, 2; 
Matt. 8:13; 9:29.) 
4. We must have a spirit of love and 
forgiveness in our hearts. Eph. 4: 
30-32. 
5. We must be diligent and perse-
vering in prayer, and not be discour-
aged by a delayed answer. Eph. 6: 
18; Luke 18 :1 ; 1 These. 5:17. 
6. We must ask in Jesus' name and 
in harmony with His will. John 14: 
14. (See "The Desire of Ages," p. 
668.) 
7, We should flavor our prayers 
with praise and thanksgiving. (See 
"Christ's Object Lessons," p. 129, 
par. 3.) 
Thus as we talk with Him, He, 
through the still small voice, talks 
with us. 
Dwell in Me 
DWeLL in me, 0 Thou holy One, 
Make me a temple of Thy love 
While battles here on earth are won, 
And in the better home above; 
So shall Thy name through me have 
praise 
Both now and through eternal days. 
Reveal in me Thy grace divine 
To keep my soul from taint of sin, 
That joy In vicUry may be mine, 
And life eternal I may win. 
That others, too, my life may see, 
And love Thee better, seeing me. 
Upon the altar of Thy grace 
I'd sacrifice each cherished sin, 
That cleansed for Ms abiding place, 
Thy Spirit aye may rule within. 
Thus now and through eternity 
With joyful heart I'll follow Thee. 
—117. R Uarswell. 
SW 
"Dom nothing is negatively serv-
ing the devil." 
sW 
"A BUMBLEBEE sting is quite a 
stimulant, but not very nourishing." 
IV 
SW 
STARS may be seen from the bottom 
of a deep well when they cannot be 
discerned from the top of a mountain. 
So are many things learned in ad-
versity which the prosperous man 
dreams not of.—Spurgeon. 
July 5 
A J. M. V. Is a Good Citizen 
OPENING EXERCISES. 
SCRIPTURE; Rom. 8:16, 17; Titus 3: 
1, 2; 1 Tim. 2:1-3"; 1 Peter 2:13- 
17; Matt. 22:21. 
SIMPERINTENDENT'S TALK: "The 
House That McGovern Built." (See 
Notes to Superintendents.) 
SYMPOSIUM: "A Good Citizen." 
POEM: "Patriots." 
DIALOGUE: "Citizenship in Heaven." 
TESTIMONY MEETING: Let the Juniors 
state their determination to be good 
citizens now and citizens of heaven. 
CLOSING EXERCISES. 
Notes to Superintendents 
Songs for Today: Nos. 51, 49, 48, 
37, 32, 110, in "Missionary Volunteer 
Songs," "The King's Business," No. 
95 in "Gospel in Song," and "A Child 
of the King," No. 514 in "Christ in 
Song." 
Superintendent's Talk: "The House 
That McGovern Built."—The Juniors 
have the privilege of being good citi-
zens right now, and do not need to 
wait until they are any older. "No 
man is a good citizen," said Theodore 
Roosevelt, "unless he so acts as to 
show that he uses the ten command-
ments, and translates the golden rule 
into his life conduct." A good citizen 
must first be a good man or woman or 
a good Junior. If a Junior keeps the 
Junior Pledge and Law, it will help 
him to become a better Junior and a 
better citizen. Teach the Juniors not 
to be troubled if they do not have a 
chance to show their loyalty in some 
spectacular way. God made millions of 
spears of grass where He made one 
tree. Be sure there are enough of the 
little virtues in the life. Small duties 
of patriotism forbid leaving banana 
peels, paper, and litter in the school-
yard, in public parks or streets, or 
around home. They prohibit the 
breaking of shrubbery or railings that 
guard public or private property; the 
writing or carving of letters on seats, 
walls, and public places. They cause 
us to think of others and to try to be 
more helpful and kind to them, radiat-
ing cheer, giving aid to those in real 
want, being friendly with foreign-
speaking people who need friendship, 
and so demonstrating in a practical 
way that we are devoted to the welfare 
of our country. One can also show 
patriotism by having respect for that 
which represents his country—the 
country's flag, the country's ruler. 
The person who exercises his liberty 
to do anything that interferes with 
another's liberty is not a good citizen. 
Never should we allow our love for 
our own countrymen to shut out tl o 
larger love for our fellow men. 
dssignments.-1. Ask one member 
to bring to the meeting the dictionary 
definition of a citizen. 2. Ask every-
one to watch the daily papers and 
bring to the meeting clippings about 
persons and incidents that show qual-
ities of either good "'or poor citizens. 
The House That McGovern 
Built 
(Draw from the story the lesson of 
how little things build a character that 
makes a good citizen.) 
RECENTLY I attended an auction 
sale of real estate, and while viewing 
a piece of property that was under 
the auctioneer's hammer, was im-
pressed by the effect of a simple 
statement that the auctioneer made 
when he was about to let his hammer 
fall for the third time. He had suc-
ceeded in raising the bids until the 
five-thousand-dollar mark was reached, 
but that seemed to be the limit. 
"Gentlemen," said the auctioneer, 
raising his hammer for the third time, 
"I am offered but five thousand dol-
lars for this house—a house built by 
Henry McGovern; who will give me 
fifty-five hundred?" 
A gentleman nodded in the affirma-
tive. 
"Fifty-five hundred I have; give me 
six thousand." 
Another gentleman motioned to the 
auctioneer. 
"Six thousand I have; give me 
sixty-five hundred." 
The former bidder nodded again. 
"Sixty-five hundred I have; give me 
seven thousand." 
"It was strange what a jump the 
bidding tools when the auctioneer men-
tioned the builder," I remarked to a 
bystander, as the crowd broke up. 
"You must be a stranger about 
here," said the gentleman. "McGov-
ern has a great reputation as a 
builder, and justly so. If he builds 
a house, you can be sure that honest 
work has been put into it from the 
cellar to the ridgepole." 
Seventy hundred dollars for consci-
entious work! McGovern, were he to 
learn of it, might well feel proud of 
his reputation. 
A few days later I learned more of 
McGovern, the contractor. A carpen-
ter had come to him well recommended 
as an efficient workman. The first day 
that he worked for McGovern, the lat-
.ter stepped up behind him and ar-
rested his arm as he was about to 
drive home a nail. 
"Why are you using that split piece 
of joist?' 
"The boarding will cover it up," 
said the carpenter. 
gunior Meetings 
VoL 28, No. 7 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
25 
McGovern took out his notebook and 
wrote a few words. "Take this to the 
office and get a -week's pay," he said. 
"I can't afford to keep you any 
longer."—Wellsprzng. 
A Good Citizen 
A good citizen is-- 
1. One who obeys his country's 
laws. 
2. One who is public-spirited, and 
has a keen sense of responsibility for 
the public welfare. He loves his 
neighbor as himself, and is helpful 
and . kindly. He works for the im-
provement of his home and commu-
nity. 
3. One who pays his taxes, and is 
scrupulously honest in the payment of 
his debts. 
4. One who maintains a high stand-
ard of morals for himself, and uses 
his influence for good government and 
cleanliness in his own community. 
5. One who practices religious toler-
ance, and uses his influence to keep 
church and state separate. 
6. Ono who practices temperance, 
and wages unrelenting war against the 
liquor traffic. 
7. One whose fine sense of appre-
ciation and courtesy leads him to give 
due recognition and honor to men in 
positions of responsibility. We ought 
to pray for our public officials rather 
than criticize them. 
8. One who takes a justifiable pride 
in his native land, as did Paul, who 
said he was a citizen of no mean city. 
9. One who pursues a useful occu-
pation, and is industrious in his hab-
its. Abraham Lincoln, a great citizen 
and a world figure, said: "I am not 
bound to win, but I am bound to be 
true. I am not bound to succeed, but 
I am bound to live up to the light I 
have. Stand with anybody who stands 
right. Stand with him while he is 
right, and part with him when he goes 
wrong." 
Citizenship in Heaven 
(Jack and Betty Can have just re-
turned from Junior camp, and call on 
their chums, Jim and Sally Couldn't. 
They meet in the front Yard under the 
big apple tree, and Jack and Betty begin 
enthusiastically to tell Jim and Sally 
about camp and one of their J. M. V. 
programs.) 
JIM: It surely seems good to see 
you back home again. Sally and 
have been lonesome, playing without 
you. I'm sorry we couldn't go this 
year, but we're going to start saving 
our ten dollars to go to camp next 
summer. 
JACK: The first day at camp, I 
missed you, too, Pal, but after that 
we were kept very busy doing many 
interesting things. 
BETTY: 0 Sally, we did have the 
best time of our lives, and next year 
you just must go, tool 
SALLY: What did you do that was 
so much fun? 
BETTY: We must tell you about 
everything, but first we want you to 
hear about our Junior meeting on 
Sabbath afternoon. 
SALLY: What did you do? 
BETTY: Jack, you go ahead and tell 
them. You were the leader, and can 
remember just what you did. 
JACK: All during Junior camp we 
had been having stories at campfire 
about brave and courageous people, 
and the kind of people we'd have to 
be like in order to live in our man-
sions which Jesus is getting ready for 
us. Because we are children of the 
King of the universe, we ought to 
know how to act like a prince or a 
princess if we expect to live with Him. 
Jim: So you were the J. M. V. 
leader! 
JACK: Yes. As good citizens of 
heaven we thought we ought to know 
in what our country believes; so we 
studied twelve principal points of our 
faith. It's easy to remember them, 
because they spell brother and five 
S's: Baptism, Religious Liberty, Ordi-
nances, Tithing, Health, End of the 
Wicked, Righteousness by Faith. 
That spells brother, you notice; and 
now for the five S's—Sabbath, Sanc-
tuary, Second Coming of Christ, State 
of the Dead, Spirit of Prophecy. 
BETTY: It isn't hard to remember 
them when they spell something, is it? 
SALLY: I should say not. I think 
I can say them off myself right now. 
Let's see—Baptism, Religious Liberty, 
Ordinances, Tithing, Health, End of 
the Wicked, Righteousness by Faith, 
Sabbath, Sanctuary, Second Coming 
of Christ, State of the Dead, Spirit of 
Prophecy. 
JACK: Perfect! Well, the Friday 
before our Junior meeting, I assigned 
to each unit of boys three subjects, 
and each boy in the unit was to find 
a text on each subject. That made 
four texts for each subject. You 
ought to have seen those boys hunting 
for verses! They studied their Bibles 
hard. 
JIM: That sounds like an interest-
ing and educational game.. Suppose 
Sally and I look up as many texts as 
we can find, and tomorrow we'll see if 
yours are the same as ours. 
JACK: That's going to be fun. 
Betty and I will have ours ready, too. 
BETTY: But besides knowing these 
texts so that we can be good princes 
and princesses, and represent Jesus on 
earth, we must also climb up Peter's 
ladder given in 2 Peter 1:5-7, and 
that will give us beautiful characters 
—the kind a king's son or daughter 
ought to have. 
SALLY: Here I've found 2 Peter 
1:5-7. (Reads it.) That's a steep 
ladder to climb, isn't it? 
BETTY: Yes, but we learned at 
Junior camp that it pays to try every 
day to be more like Jesus. This old 
world doesn't have anything worth 
while to offer, and we want to be 
royal children to inherit real mansions 
in heaven, don't we? 
JACK: Mother's calling us, Betty; 
so we'll have to go. So long, Jim and 
Sally, and don't forget to study your 
Bibles every day. Then you can be a 
prince and a princess with a castle in 
heaven. 
JIM: Thanks, Jack, and we're going 
to change our name from Couldn't to 
Can, and plan now for camp next 
summer, so that we can learn about 
good citizenship in heaven. Good-by! 
—Julia Leland Nelson. 
Patriots 
lion send us men whose aim 'twill be, 
Not to defend some ancient creed, 
But to live out the laws of right 
In every thought and word and deed. 
God send us men alert and quick, 
Christ's lofty teachings to translate, 
Until the laws of right become 
The laws and habits of the state. 
God send us men of steadfast will, 
Patient, courageous, strong, and true, 
With vision clear and mind equipped 
Ills will to learn, Ins work to do. 
God send us men with hearts ablaze, 
All truth to love, all wrong to hate; 
These are the patriots nations need, 
These. are the safeguards of the state. 
—le. J. Geltman, wu "Junior Worship." 
lg 
July 12 
To What Are Your Ears 
Tuned? 
BY C. A. RUSSELL 
OPENING SONG: "Little Feet, Be Care- 
ful," No. 569 in "Christ in Song." 
SCRIPTURE READING: Psalms 139:1-12. 
PRAYER: Followed by the Lord's 
prayer in unison. 
ANNOUNCEMENTS. 
REPORTS. 
OFFERTORY. 
STORY: "Ears or No Ears." 
POEM: "Nature's Music" (to be re- , 
cited). 
TALK: "Tuning the Instrument." 
CLOSING SONG: "Angry Words! Oh, 
Let Them Never," No. 581 in 
"Christ in Song." 
CLOSING PRAYER: Psalms 19:14, in 
unison. 
Note to Leaders 
We hope that you will urge the 
Juniors to talk and not to read. Also 
encourage one Junior to memorize and 
recite "Nature's Music." If all are 
not familiar with David's prayer to be 
ALFRED W. PETERSON. 
26 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
July, 1941 
used in closing, take a brief moment 
to study it. 
Ears or No Ears 
"EvEs or No Eyes." Did you ever 
read the story about a group of Jun-
iors who were taken for a nature hike? 
When they returned home from their 
hike, Jimmy complained, "Oh, dear, 
my feet are sore. I didn't have a 
speck of fun. What is the sense of 
tramping around all over the country? 
Nothing to see, nothing to hear, and 
once I stubbed my toe on a stone. 
Hope we don't have to take another 
nature hike very soon. Nature! 
Nothing to it." 
That was too much for Frank. 
"Jimmy, you haven't either ears or 
eyes. At least you don't seem to be 
able to hear or see anything. I heard 
seven different songs and saw five of 
the songsters, and I knew them every 
one: And I saw the cutest little liz-
ard. He ran out almost from under 
my very feet. He had a blue tail. 
And I saw a big anthill with hundreds 
of the busy little creatures all working 
so hard to make their underground 
home. And I saw a big black crow 
trying to get away from half a dozen 
other birds. The little fellows were 
so far away I couldn't tell just what 
they were, but they would dart down 
and peck at the old black crow, trying 
to drive him away. They were afraid 
he would disturb their nests, I sup-
pose. And I saw the most wonderful 
tree, all in full bloom; and, best of 
all, I knew what it was. It was a 
tulip tree, straight as an arrow, with 
beautiful, large, tulip-shaped, yellow-
ish-colored flowers. Talk about noth-
ing to see, and nothing to hear! It is 
just because you don't keep your ears 
and your eyes open." 
Now our story is "Ears or No 
Ears." Ears are not fastened to the 
sides of our head for ornaments, If 
no one had ears, and then someone ap-
peared with these peculiar growths on 
each side of his head, we would be 
curious enough to pay an admission 
charge to see him. No, ears are not 
especially ornamental, but they are 
very useful. 
Two mon were walking down Broad-
way, which is New York City's busiest 
street. There were automobiles, trucks, 
and streetcars, and a perfect babel of 
sounds. Suddenly one of the men 
stopped and said, "Listen; did you 
hear that?" 
"Hear what? I can hear a hundred 
sounds." 
"No, but did you hear that tiny 
chirping?" 
"No, I don't hear any chirping. 
Too much other racket." They began 
to search, and, turning over a small 
rock in the gutter, they found the 
little creature which was chirping his 
happiness amid all the babel of 
sounds. Yes, it was a little black 
cricket. The one man loved the things 
of nature. The other was deaf to her 
many calls. 
"What is that?" 
"What? Where? T don't see any-
thing." 
"But didn't you hear anything?" 
"Why, no, I guess not." 
"Where are your ears? Tune them 
up a bit and you will hear." 
The boys were walking down a 
woodsy path to the pasture. 
"There it is again. Hear it? Don't 
you know what that is? It is the far-
away song of the wood thrush. Isn't 
it soft and sweet? Just like a mellow 
whistle." 
"How do you know that is a wood 
thrush? I didn't even hear him." 
"I know by his song. Don't you 
ever listen to the song of the birds, 
or the hum of the bees, or the chatter 
of the chipmunks, or the hoot of the 
big barn owl? The woods are full of 
sounds. You could soon learn to know 
these little creatures by their voices. 
1 think it's fun." 
The boys are almost to the pasture 
,gate now. Bossy is waiting, content-
edly chewing her cud the while. The 
gate squeaks a bit, but so does some-
thing else. Both boys hear it this 
time. It seems to come from a big 
tuft of grass near the gatepost. 
"What was that?" 
"Oh, I know, or I think I do. 
Sounds to me like a little mouse. 
Guess there's a nest in that grass. 
Must be a deer mouse out here in 
Nature's Music 
HDAR the chirping of the cricket in the 
woodpile, 
'tear the singing of the robin in the 
tree, 
Hear the chatter of the magpie by the 
roadside; 
All the air with sound is vocal, don't 
you see? 
Good old Fido barks his welcome in the 
morning, 
Tiger Tommy purrs contentment on 
the rug, 
Children prattle at their games so nice 
and jolly, 
Evening prayers, and then the cot so 
warm and snug. 
Sounds from morning till the night to 
please the fancy, 
Sweetest music from the birds, the 
brooks, the trees, 
Let us tune our ears to nature's joyous 
anthems, 
As In simple, humble prayer we bend 
our knees, 
C. A. RUSSELL. 
the woods. Ever see a deer mouse?" 
"Don't know. Are they different 
from any other kind?" 
"Surely. They have gray bodies, 
and big bright eyes, and big ears, too. 
They live in the woods. Pretty little 
things they are." 
The boys parted the grass, and, sure 
enough, there in the softest bed, made 
of fine grass and lined with thistle-
down, were four tiny babies. Mother 
deer mouse had gone in search of food, 
and her little ones were getting hun-
gry and were squeaking a bit. 
And so it goes. Tune your ears, 
Juniors, to the sounds in God's great, 
wide, beautiful, wonderful world. 
There is so much wickedness every-
where to which we must turn a deaf 
ear. Bad words, cheap songs, naughty 
stories, lying lips. How are your ears 
tuned? Do they pick out of the babel 
of sound the beautiful things which 
God has made for us to enjoy? Kind 
words, tender words, expressions of 
love and gratitude, courteous words: 
"I thank you," "Please pardon me," 
"I'm sorry; I'll try not to do that 
again," "May I help you?" Such 
words falling from the lips of a 
bright-faced Junior sound like music. 
Everybody loves a gentlemanly or a 
ladylike Junior. Be one. What do 
you say? And keep your ears in tune 
with the beautiful, and they will be 
in tune with God. 
Tuning the Instrument 
-WERE you ever at home when the 
piano tuner came to work on the in-
strument? If so, you didn't care to 
stay long. Harsh, discordant notes 
were struck. Finally a beautiful 
chord sounded forth. The strings 
were in tune. And the violin! The 
bow is drawn across the strings. 
Sound is heard, but not music. The 
skilled violinist twists the peg until 
the right pitch is found, and then the 
other strings are brought in tune. So 
it is with -the human voice. When 
things go wrong and we get cross and 
out of patience, the tones of the voice 
are as harsh and discordant as the 
notes of a musical instrument that is 
out of tune. But the kind word, the 
pleasant smile, the cheery greeting, 
these are like strains of sweetest 
music from a rich, melodious instru-
ment in perfect tune. No one can 
measure the value of a kind word, 
look, or act. 
The poet has given us these beauti-
ful stanzas: 
"Kind words can never die, cherished 
and blest: 
God knows how deep they lie, stored in 
the breast, 
Like childhood's simple rhymes, said 
o'er a thousand times— 
Yes, in all years and climes, distant 
or near. 
The Church Officers' Gazette �
27 
Vol. 28, No. 7 
"Sweet thoughts can never die. though 
like the dowers 
Their brightest hues may fly in wintry 
hours; 
But when the gentle dew gives them 
their charms anew, 
With many an added hue, they bloom 
again.'" 
• A little girl was visiting her auntie 
in another State. One day the auntie 
found the little girl in tears. 
"What is the matter, Beanie?" she 
asked. 
"I'm just hungry—" 
Auntie broke in by saying, "You 
need never be hungry in auntie's 
house." And away she went before 
the little girl could finish what she 
started to say. 
Back came auntie with a bowl of 
bread and milk. 
"I'm not hungry for bread and 
milk. I'm just hungry to hear my 
mamma say, 'Come here, Precious, 
and �
kiss mamma.' " �
Poor little 
homesick child! Her ears had been 
tuned to the sweet tones of mother's 
voice, and nothing else would do. 
Let us train our ears until they 
will respond only to the pure, the 
sweet, the beautiful, and will be deaf 
to the harsh, the cheap, and the vul-
gar. God will help us to keep our 
life in tune with His. 
July 19 
Wild Animal Neighbors 
BY ARTHUR yr. SPALDING 
OPENING SONG: "0 Forest Fair !" 
No. 136 in "Missionary Volunteer 
Songs." 
PRAYER. 
REPORT. 
OFFERTORY. 
SCRIPTURE: See Notes to Superintend- 
ents. 
TALK: "Wild Animal Neighbors." 
lifisflussfinz of Vocational Honor. 
CLOSING SONG: "God Cares for Me," 
No. 137. 
BENEDICTION. 
Notes to Superintendents 
Scripture.—Before the meeting, ask 
the Juniors to look up in a dictionary 
of the Bible, a topical index, or a 
subject index in the back of a Bible, 
verses of Scripture which mention in-
teresting incidents that relate to ani-
mals. Ask them to memorize these 
verses and give them in the meeting. 
Vocational Honor.—Call attention 
to the Vocational Honor in Animal 
Study under the Nature Study classi-
fication. See page 104 in "Junior 
Handbook." Interest as many Jun-
iors as possible in pursuing this phase 
of nature study, which can be carried 
on in any locality. 
Wild Animal Neighbors 
MAYBE some of you who are read-
ing this live among lions and tigers 
and wolves and bears—down in Af-
rica, for instance, or in India, or 
Siberia, or Yosemite, or near a local 
zoo. But most of you, I think, would 
say, "Wild animals? Why, there are 
no wild animals anywhere around my 
home." And yet, I think you are mis-
taken. There is practically no place 
you can go where there are not some 
wild animals. They don't trust men 
very much, and they trust boys even 
less, and so most of them don't show 
themselves if they can help it. And 
that is why we are unaware of many 
inhabitants of our land whose bright 
eyes may be peering at us when we 
take our walks, from holes and tree-
tops and grassy coverts and water 
hideaways. 
Time was when the animals were 
not afraid of man. And time shall be 
again when they will not be afraid. 
It is a good thing to practice making 
friends with some wild animals about 
us, for we shall find in such friend-
ships a great deal of information and 
pleasure, and the experience may do 
much toward fitting us to dwell in 
what God calls "My holy mountain," 
where "they shall not hurt nor de-
stroy." 
Of course we shall have to choose 
our wild animal friends rather care-
fully. I would not advise you to begin 
with a grizzly bear; and, in general, 
a treaty of peace with the rats and 
mice would not be good policy, though 
it is true that some very interesting 
pets have been made of the more 
civilized of these rodents. The rea-
son most of these wild animals are 
counted our enemies is that they like 
to live upon the things on which we 
depend for a living, and we find our-
selves in each others' way when we 
come to the getting. How do you 
suppose that can be arranged in the 
new earth, God's "holy, mountain"? 
Did you ever learn Robert Burns' 
poem, "To a Mouse," whose nest he 
broke up while he was plowing? 
"Wee, sleekit, conerin', tim'yous beastie, 
Oh, what a panic's in thy breastie ! 
Thou need na start awa' sae hasty, 
Wi' bickering brattle I 
I wad be Faith to rin an' chase thee, 
Wi' murd'ring pattle ! 
"I doubt na, whiles, but thou may thieve ; 
What then? poor beastie, thou maim 
live I 
A daimon icker in a thrave 
'S a sma' request; 
I'll get a blessin' wi! the laive, 
And never miss't !" 
And that, in plain English (which 
is not nearly so interesting), is this: 
"Little. smooth, shrinking, timid beast, 
Oh, what a panic is in your breast. 
You need not start away so fast, 
With hasty clatter. 
I would be sorry to run and chase you 
With murdering plowstaff. 
"I do not doubt that sometimes you may 
What then?
steaL Poor little beast, you have 
to live. 
An ear of corn in twenty-four sheaves 
Is a small requeSt. 
I'll get a blessing with what's left, 
And never miss it." 
Really, when we come to think of 
it, what right have we to all the fruits 
of the earth? and to hold that the 
robins are robbers when they take 
Some of our cherries, and that the 
rabbits are thieves when they nibble 
our cabbage, and that the mice are 
bandits when they carry away some 
of our corn? It ,is true that we 
planted the cherry tree and the cab-
bage and the corn; but it's the good 
Lord who made them grow and bear 
fruit, and the wild creatures are His, 
too, and He feeds them as well as 
us. And let me tell you that the 
birds do more by far to save our fruit 
crops than they take toll of that fruit 
when it is ripe. If it weren't for the 
birds, we should have no fruit. You 
know how that is, don't you? I won-
der if you could make out a ease for 
the rabbit and the mouse, too. Maybe, 
if we lived more simply and did not 
waste so much in needless eScpenses, 
we could share better with the wild 
things and so pay them for their work. 
I am sorry to have to say, however, 
that ever since Adam and Eve broke 
up the happy concord of nature, there 
has been war in the world, and there is 
bound to be conflict between men and 
animals that choose to live by them-
selves rather than with us. Some of 
the animals, as well as many of the 
insects, multiply so fast that if they 
were left alone, they would take the 
whole earth. Rabbits, for instance. 
Why, one pair of rabbit parents may 
have as many as four our five litters 
28 �
The Church Officers' Gazette 
of five to eight baby rabbits in a sea-
son. Let's see. Start with one pair 
of wild rabbits. By the end of the 
summer there are 42 rabbits; next 
year, starting with 21 pairs of rab-
bits, there might be 882 rabbits; and 
by the end of the fifth year there 
would be more than 8,000,000, all in 
a square mile. It wouldn't pay to 
raise cabbages there. So the Lord—
rather regretfully, I must believe—
had to set part of the creation against 
the rabbits, to keep their numbers 
down. And so it is that dogs and 
foxes and wolves and eats and lynxes 
and weasels and minks and hawks and 
owls and eagles and, oh, many other 
creatures, prey on the rabbits and eat 
them up almost as fast as they mul-
tiply. It does seem as if Molly Cot-
taintail deserves a friend or two, 
doesn't it? 
Now take squirrels. There are many 
kinds of squirrels—real tree squirrels 
and some ground squirrels. There are 
red squirrels, and fox squirrels, and 
gray squirrels, and once in a while 
a black or a white squirrel, which is 
only a variation, or what we call a 
sport, of the gray squirrel. And then 
there are ground squirrels and gophers 
and chipmunks. And if you want to 
consider their cousins, there are wood-
chucks and prairie dogs and marmots, 
depending on whether you live in 
Pennsylvania or Nebraska or Colo-
rado. 
There is a girl who lives near me 
who has made a pet of a gray squir-
rel for the last two years. And isn't 
Spiffy fun! First, Spiffy came right 
in through the window, upon invita-
tion, along with another pet, a little 
black-and-white nuthatch. Both squir-
rel and bird liked nuts, and as the 
table was set with nuts, they had 
more than one squabble about them, 
right in the living room. Rather im-
polite, according to human standards 
—or so they say. But really, do you 
know, the nations of the earth today 
are not merely quarreling, but killing 
one another, over just such things. 
This year Spiffy has a whole family 
of little squirrels, and they think they 
own the house. I suppose you have 
to teach squirrels manners and morals 
just as somebody needs to teach the 
nations. 
If you want a rodent that's not so 
lively as a squirrel, I recommend to 
you old Chucky Groundhog, or Wood-
chuck, as he is called in some sections. 
He's bigger and he's slower than the 
squirrel, and he seems rather stupid. 
I have found Chucky pretty clever, 
though. He knows he can't run fast, 
especially in the autumn just before 
he starts his winter sleep, when he has 
stuffed himself until he is very fat; 
so he keeps pretty close to his bur-
row and makes a run for it at the 
least alarm. Indeed, he often makes 
more than one burrow, and he maps 
out the country he ranges over, so 
that he knows every hole in it where 
he can hide at need. Sometime I 
may tell you about a few woodchucks 
I have known—or you tell me, if you 
make friends with any soon. 
If you live down South, you know 
something about raccoons, or coons, 
as they are usually called, and about 
opossums. They are not very much 
alike, these two, except that they live 
in trees; but they belong in much the 
same country, though the coon has 
a wider range than the opossum. In 
colonial days raccoons were so common 
that the usual headgear of the fron-
tier man and boy was a coonskin cap, 
with the ringed tail hanging down be-
hind. Very picturesque, that coon-
skin cap, but I imagine too warm 
for any time but winter. Coons make 
interesting but not very willing pets. 
They don't like confinement, and if 
they are let loose, they will run 
away. It's interesting to see how a 
coon prepares his food. He always 
washes it very thoroughly, and he 
uses running water if possible. 
Possums remind us of kangaroos. 
They don't look like them or travel 
as they do, but both of these animals 
are marsupials. Do you know what 
that means? It means animals that 
July, 1941 
have a pouch in which to carry their 
young from the time they are born, 
tiny, blind, naked things, until they 
are big enough to live out in the 
world. The opossum is the only 
marsupial in America. In fact, these 
opossum babies become so used to 
hanging on by mouth, feet, and tail 
that even after they are big enough 
to ride on their mother's back, they 
go around with their little hands 
clutching her fur and their tails 
wrapped around hers. One of my lit-
tle granddaughters was given a baby 
opossum for a pet, and that little 
possum used to ride around on her 
head, keeping tight hold of her hair. 
"Take away that rat!" the women 
would shriek when she and her pet 
came into company. "It's not a rat!" 
came from the indignant Benita; "it's 
Egbert Marsupio 
We've only begun to name the wild 
animals that live around us. Let's 
make some lists, and see which list 
fits your locality best. And when you 
have selected one list, see how many 
animals you can add to it from other 
lists or from outside the lists. 
Timm No 1. Meadow mouse, mole, cot-
tontail rabbit, red squirrel, gopher, 
weasel, muskrat, skunk. 
Lism No. 2. Shrew, wood rat, bat, 
fox squirrel, raccoon, opossum, red fox, 
bobcat, black bear, white-tailed deer, 
wild pig, armadillo, manatee. 
Lisa, No. 3. Gray squirrel, mink, 
wolf,
otte, badger,
raart en ,powrocluvpeirnien.e, lynx, gray fox, 
LIST No. 4. Prairie dog, jack rabbit, 
coyote, cony, marmot, beaver, black-
tailed deer, mountain goat, big-horned 
sheep, antelope, bison, cougar. 
List No. 5. Ground squirrel, pack 
rat, chipmunk, sea lion, grizzly bear, 
mountain sheep. 
List No. 6. Seal, walrus, brown bear, 
polar bear, caribou, moose, arctic fox. 
I should like to have as many 
friends among the wild animals as I 
could have, wouldn't you? See if you 
have fed as many wild animals as I 
have, or more: mouse, rat, squirrel, 
rabbit, woodchuck, opossum, black 
bear, black-tailed deer—well, I 
thought there were more than that, but 
I guess not. Of course, I am not 
counting the birds I have fed. And 
I'm not counting the weasels and the 
skunks and the coons and the foxes 
that have at different times fed them-
selves on my chickens. 
But anyway, I like to hunt without 
a gun. I have not gone hunting with 
a gun since T was fifteen years old, 
when, one bright October day, the 
woods all gay and sunshiny and warm, 
I took my .22 rifle and went for a 
stroll along the riverbank. And I re-
member that beautiful little gray 
Vol. 28, No. 7 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
29 
squirrel that popped up on a fallen 
log, and, sitting up there in the sun-
shine, chattered away at me. I drew 
a bead and pulled the trigger, and 
then I ran over to the log. On the 
other side lay my victim on his back, 
his big eyes glazing and his little feet 
spasmodically kicking the air. In a 
moment or two he was still. I gazed 
upon that now silent form which a 
minute before had been as full of 
life and as happy as I in the glory 
of the day. And suddenly it seemed 
as if a shadow fell upon the earth 
and a chill air came. T kicked a hole 
in the soft ground and laid the little 
form in, and covered him up. Then 
I turned away and plodded through 
the unhappy woods where life had 
been stopped by my hand. I have 
never fired a gun at an animal or a 
bird since then. I would rather use 
a camera or my two eyes. For life 
is precious, and I would rather leave 
the wild things about me, unless they 
are too dangerous, to fill out that life 
which the Father of all has given 
them. So far as I can, I should like 
to be their friend. 
July 28 
God's Wireless 
BY J. ERNEST EDWARDS 
OPENING SONG: "My Daily Prayer," 
No. 22 in "Missionary Volunteer 
Songs." 
PRAYER: A series of "Thank You" 
sentence prayers. 
ANNOUNCEMENTh. 
REPORT. 
OFFERING. 
CHALK TALK: "Prayer Definitions." 
TALK: "Combination Set." 
SONG: "Living for Jesus," No. 32 in 
"Missionary Volunteer Songs." 
STORY: "Three S 0 S's."• 
MEMORY GEM: "A Daily Prayer." 
HYMN STORY: "My Faith Looks Up 
to Thee." (See Notes to Superin- 
tendents.) 
CLOSING PRAYER: Use above hynm. 
Notes to Superintendents 
Suggestions for Opening Prayer.—
Things for which Juniors may express 
a "Thank you" to God—Jesus' love, 
angels' protection, parents, the oppor-
tunity to tell others about Jesus, 
Christian schools, good times in Pro-
gressive Classes. 
Chalk Talk: "Prayer Definitions."—
To familiarize Juniors with the most 
graphic definitions of prayer given in 
the Spirit of prophecy, use the black-
board to illustrate these helpful quo-
tations. As the leader directs a forum 
centered around "What Is Prayer I" 
draw outlines of suggestive objects 
for these definitions. From true-to-
life stories or personal experiences en-
large and explain the definitions to 
make them live. This will enable the 
Juniors to visualize the thought and 
aid them in remembering the quota-
tions. 
Hymn Story and Prayer.—Climax 
the program by relating the story of 
how the prayer hymn entitled, "My 
Faith Looks Up to Thee," came to be 
written. Every Junior will be given 
the opportunity to broadcast to heaven 
through this prayer hymn which is 
really a prayer. Sing the first stanza 
in full voice; the second softly and 
fervently. The third is hummed with 
eyes closed as the leader reads the 
beautiful lines. 
Prayer Definitions 
1. "PRAYER is the key in the hand 
of faith to unlock heaven's store-
house."—"Steps to Christ," p. 95, 
pocket ed. 
(Sketch the front of a large warehouse 
on which letter the words, "Storehouse 
of blessings." Then draw a large key. 
Print the words, "Use It," beside the 
key.) 
2. "Prayer is the opening of the 
heart to God as to a friend."—Id., 
p. 93. 
(After drawing a large heart, sketch 
in it an open door. Climax the mes-
sage of the definition by printing in the 
words, "Tell Him All.") 
"Prayer does not bring God down to 
us, but brings us up to Him."—Id., 
p. 95. 
(With a few lines suggest heights by 
a mountain peak and some clouds. Then 
from the valley below draw an arrow 
straight up above the mountain and the 
clouds to express the Uplift of prayer. 
Write in the word, "Up.") 
4. "God hears every sincere prayer." 
—"Testimonies," Vol. III, p. 416. 
(In the lower part of the board 
sketch radio transmitting towers from 
which radio waves extend upward to-
ward the clouds In the clouds write, 
"Prayer is received if—" Have the 
Juniors complete the sentence.) 
Combination Set 
"HELLO, hello! I can't hear you. 
Speak louder, please!" 
After these words, the man pulled 
shut the door of the telephone booth 
and completed his call. Just outside 
the drugstore was a busy corner with 
its noise of the rush-hour traffic. Be-
fore this man could hear his party, 
he had to shut himself in from the 
outside din. 
In broadcasting over the radio one 
must be shut in from the noise about 
him. Every studio is most carefully 
constructed to exclude all disturbance. 
Even the interior walls are made of 
material to absorb every little sound 
created by one's moving about in the 
room. This soundproofing is abso-
lutely necessary, that those listening 
in to the broadcast may have perfect 
reception. 
By prayer we can broadcast to 
heaven. However, we must be even 
more careful than those in a radio 
studio to keep out the noise of sin if 
we wish our message to be received 
in heaven. 
To soundproof this studio of our 
life we must close tightly the door of 
our heart to the din of all worldiness, 
cherished sins, unholy music, trifling 
conversation. 
In the last few years we have hoard 
much about sending and receiving 
sets. Many young people today be-
long to the amateur broadcasting sys-
tem, and at specified hours they talk 
back and forth over the air. Armies 
and ships are likewise equipped with 
radio sending and receiving sets. 
Even our city and State police are 
being outfitted with two-way radio 
sets. 
Strangely enough, our lives are a 
combination set, too. We are equipped 
to send messages and to receive them. 
We have been able to broadcast far- 
ther and receive answers even faster 
than through any set that man has 
invented. 
Modern radio broadcasting is care-
fully supervised by the radio commis-
sion. This agency lays down specific 
rules and regulations by which broad-
casting is governed. Each program 
must meet these requirements. 
In God's word we find similar 
standards and requirements. If we 
wish our prayers to be heard in 
heaven, we must pray according to 
the specifications given us in the 
Bible. Wo must always pray accord-
ing to His will. According to the 
Scriptures there are these sixteen re-
quests which we can make of God, 
knowing that they will be according 
to His will. 
(1) For daily bread. See Matt. 
6:11. (2) For the forgiveness of sin. 
See 1 John 1:9. (3) For the Holy 
Spirit. See John 14:16. (4) For 
deliverance in the hour of temptation 
and danger. See Matt. 6:13. (5) 
For wisdom and understanding. See 
James 1:5. (6) For peaceable and 
quiet lives. See 1 Tim. 2:1, 2. (7) 
For the healing of the sick. See 
James 5:14, 15. (8) For the pros- 
30 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
July, 1941 
perity of the ministers of God and 
the gospel. See Eph. 6:18, 19. (9) 
For those who suffer for the truth's 
sake. See Heb. 13:3. (10) For 
kings, rulers, and all in authority. 
See I Tim. 2:1, 2. (11) For temporal 
prosperity. See 2 Cor. 9:10. (12) 
For our enemies. See Matt. 5:44. 
(13) For all saints. See Eph. 6:18. 
(14) For all men. See 1 Tim. 2:1. 
(15) For the Lord to vindicate His 
cause. See 1 Kings 18:30-39. (16) 
For the coming of Christ and of God's 
kingdom. See Matt. 6:10. 
How many times we have heard, 
"We regret that atmospheric condi-
tions prevent us from bringing you 
Our news correspondent from �
 
(naming this or that foreign coun-
try)." How thrilling it is to know 
that God never says that to us. 
There is no static to disturb God's 
answer. If we do not hear His voice, 
we must look for the inefficiency 
within our set—our own lives. 
Perhaps the faith tube is weak, or 
the power tube has been burned out 
by some cherished sin. Even the 
communion condenser may have be-
come corroded by neglect of Bible 
study. 
There are several ways by which 
God is ever trying to communicate 
with us. We are surrounded by the 
book of nature with its pages opened 
for us to read of His love and care. 
If we listen carefully and have our 
lives atune, we shall hear His still 
small voice say, "This is the way, 
walk ye in it." There is also God's 
letter to us, and if we read its pages, 
He talks with us. At other times 
providential circumstances speak to 
our hearts as we perform some serv-
ice for Him. 
Is now sending and receiving set 
working welt? 
Three S 0 S's 
THE boat was bound from Liverpool 
to New York. On the deck two happy 
children bounced their ball. Suddenly 
the ship dipped, and the ball went 
overheard. Right away the lad 
thought of the captain of that great 
ship. Knowing that he had authority 
and power, the boy thought that the 
captain could reclaim his ball from 
the swelling seas below. 
Up to the bridge he went. "Won't 
you stop the boat, so that I can get 
my ball?" The friendly man tried to 
comfort the little boy in his loss, but 
he explained that it would not be 
po'ssible to atop the great engines at 
that time. 
With resignation, the child returned 
to his playmate and said, "He couldn't 
stop the boat. It's wound up." 
Late that afternoon a fierce storm 
blew up, and the boat began to plow 
through heavy seas. Hugo waves 
broke over the deck where a few hours 
before these two children had played. 
Suddenly the cry, "Man overboard! 
Man overboard!" rang out. The 
whole ship shuddered as its engines 
were reversed. Soon it had stopped, 
and lifeboats were put out to pick up 
the drowning man, who was calling, 
"Help!" In a short time he was 
rescued and was safe aboard the liner. 
The day before the great ship was 
due in New York, the sailors were 
busy rearranging some of the cargo in 
the great hold of the ship. Curious, 
as all Juniors are, the same boy and 
girl left their play to venture near 
the great opening and to watch the 
men below. 
With a sudden lurch of the ship, 
the girl let fall her most precious 
earthly possession, her doll. She said, 
"The captain will got my doll!" The 
boy, recalling his experience, an-
swered, "He can't help you. Don't 
you remember he couldn't stop the 
boat and get my ball?" But quickly 
she ran to the captain and, almost 
blinded by her tears, said, "Won't you 
get my doll?" "Where is it?" asked 
the fatherly captain. Between her 
sobs she told where it had fallen. 
"Just wait a little, and I will get it." 
Turning to a mate, he ordered that 
one of the men be sent for the lost 
doll. 
The boy, the man, and the girl each 
had a request of the captain. Each 
one was answered. To the boy the 
answer was, "No I" To the man over-
board, "Yes. Right away I" And to 
the girl the request was answered by, 
"Wait a little." Daily each one of 
us makes requests of our heavenly 
Captain. 
As He is far away, we must send 
our requests by wireless—prayer. We 
must not be surprised if sometimes 
He says, "Nol" Remember that "No" 
is an answer just as much as "Yes." 
Sometimes Jesus sees that "No" is for 
our best good. 
Even though we do not hear the 
answer "Yes" or "No," let us listen 
closely, for Jesus may say to us, as 
did the captain to the girl, "Wait a 
little." Whatever the reply may be, 
let us always know that Jesus answers 
every sincere prayer. 
"My Faith Looks Up to Thee" 
THE author of the song, "My Faith 
Looks Up to Thee," did not write 
the words for other eyes. It was the 
prayer of his own heart, written after 
an hour of communion with the Mas-
ter, and with a deep consciousness of 
his own needs. Dr. Ray Palmer, the 
author, jotted down the stanzas on 
a loose sheet of note paper, and later 
copied them and carried them in his 
pocket for some time. One day, in 
Boston, he met Dr. Lowell Mason, who 
asked him for some contributions to 
a "Hymn and Tune Book," which he 
was about to publish. Doctor Palmer 
at once thought of the little poem, 
"My Faith Looks Up to Thee," and 
showed it to his friend. Doctor Mason 
asked for a copy; so they stepped into 
a near-by stationer's together, and he 
jotted down the lines without much 
thought. But on a second reading, 
after he returned home, he was much 
impressed with the words, and wrote 
for them the beautiful tune, "Olivet." 
Several days later he met Mr. Palmer, 
and earnestly exclaimed, "You may 
live many years and do many good 
things, but I think you will be best 
known to posterity as the author of 
`My Faith Looks Up to Thee.' " 
Let us sing this song as our closing 
prayer. 
A Daily Prayer 
'Dinner, control, suggest this day 
All that I think, or do, or say, 
That all my powers, in all their slight. 
In Thy sole glory may unite:' 
God's Radiogram 
(Continued front page 16) 
officer continued, "What's the matter? 
Are you afraid? You don't have to be. 
Read your uncle's message—'Uncle 
Jacob is waiting for you at the 
dock.'" 
The little refugee then really suc-
ceeded in giving a rather sickly smile, 
and, playfully pinching the lad's 
flushed cheek, the officer walked away. 
The tears had now begun to trickle 
down the boy's cheeks, but he must 
be brave. Truly, Uncle Jacob was 
waiting for him, and all would be 
well. He brushed his eyes on his 
coat sleeves and watched the points 
of interest along the shore as the 
other passengers were doing. As the 
vessel passed the Statue of Liberty, 
he even manged to cheer with the 
rest, hardly realizing why. 
At last the steamer docked and the 
necessary red tape had to be attended 
to. Soon Uncle Jacob found his 
nephew and in a fatherly way as-
sured him that he would take him 
to his home and would be a loving 
guardian to him. What his mother 
had told him about his kind uncle 
was all true. He had found a home; 
best of all, a kind relative. His 
uncle fondly watched his expressions 
of surprise at his new surroundings. 
When asked at the family board that 
evening how he now felt, the little 
refugee feelingly said, "Kind uncle, 
it is al] like a beautiful dream; but 
it must be true, for here I am!" 
LOUISE C. KLEUSkit. 
Our Foreign Missions 
These pages provide interesting and helpful material for church elders 
and conference workers in promoting foreign mission work, and may 
be used on the second Sabbath of each month when the church offering 
for missions is taken. 
Vol. 28, No. 7 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
31 
The Rescued Baby Boy 
N a recent letter Missionary Max 
M. Webster gives us a little in- 
sight into the heathen supersti-
tions of the natives of Portuguese 
Last Africa who have not accepted 
God's message of salvation. He 
writes: 
"These individuals who have ac-
cepted the truth are willingly leaving 
customs and superstitions that have 
bound them for years. One family, 
when they first came in contact with 
the mission, and before they accepted 
Christianity, lost one of their children, 
whom they buried according to their 
heathen custom. They placed food in 
the grave, and also placed some food 
daily at the parting of the ways, so 
that she would not go hungry. After 
they had accepted the truth, they lost 
a second child, but this one they were 
willing to bury in a Christian way, 
and are now looking forward to Jesus' 
soon coming to reunite them. 
"A woman died in the village the 
other day. Before she died, the rela-
tives called two witches to find out 
who was causing her sickness. They 
placed a pot of water on the fire to 
boil, and chose some whom they sus-
pected of causing the sickness. 
Among these were a sister and the 
mother. The individuals suspected 
had to put their hands in the boiling 
water, and any who were burned were 
considered the culprits. The witches 
were clever enough to call the first 
three to stick their hands in the pot 
before the water was really boiling, 
and therefore they were not burned. 
The mother, however, had to put her 
hands in when the water was boiling 
at full force, and take a stone out. 
Naturally she was badly burned, and 
.was also condemned for the sickness 
and death of her own child. 
"A woman had given birth to a 
child. She was attending the Bible 
class, but was still under the evil 
influence of her parents. My wife 
was not called to attend this case, as 
the woman's heathen parents were 
with her. After the birth, neither the 
mother nor the child seemed to be 
doing satisfactorily. She had stopped 
coming for the medicine which my 
wife was giving, and then my wife 
came to hear that the parents had 
called a witch to point out the one 
who was bewitching the daughter. My 
wife decided to go and see what they 
were doing with the woman. She got 
there just in time to find everybody 
gathered together to hear the decision 
of the witch. The woman with the 
baby had been shut up in the hut 
without food for some days. The cul-
prit was pointed out, but as my wife 
knew the aeeused to be the second 
wife of the husband of the witch, she 
knew that it was the work of the 
devil; so she pointed to the witch 
and said, 'You are the child of the 
devil. I know why you have pointed 
out this woman. 
It is because you 
hate her and wish her to die. If you 
would come to God and have Him 
forgive your iniquities, you would stop 
deceiving these people. We have come 
to you with the knowledge of the 
true God, and it is these things that 
He wants you to stop.' After a study 
and prayer, they all scattered as de-
feated instruments of the devil. My 
wife ordered that woman to be taken 
out of the hut and given food, and 
she attended her every day. God has 
wonderfully restored both the mother 
and the child, and has greatly 
strengthened the faith of the husband 
and the wife, and today they are both 
baptized members. 
"One day when we came out of 
Bible class, a friend told us that in 
a certain village the people had caught 
a woman and were planning to kill 
her. 
It was so. This woman's own 
children had tied her to a tree, and 
planned to kill her, as they blamed 
her for the death of the sister. They 
took one, of their large earthen pots 
full of water and smashed it on her 
head, which left a terrible scar. 
"More than two years ago a mother 
died during childbirth. The child 
lived, but because there was no one 
who would care for the baby, they de-
cided to bury it with its mother. We 
took pity on the infant, with the re-
sult. that we took care of him for 
more than two years. We did not give 
him back to his heathen relatives, but 
to a Christian family who have no 
children of their own, He was very 
dear to us; but we had to part with 
him for his own good. 
"These people are in gross dark-
ness. They are naked, in want, poor, 
and ignorant. All the women are 
dominated by their mothers and 
mothers-in-law, and are compelled to 
follow custom. But my wife has 
proved to many of them that their 
superstitions are only imaginations. 
Many spend money to buy medicine 
in which to wash their babies at birth, 
but they have now seen that those 
who are not washed in medicine live 
just the same. We, by precept and 
example, teach these people to leave 
customs that are harmful, and to put 
their trust in God. We have had peo-
ple here, sick, lying at death's door, 
who, instead of calling on their witch 
doctors for help, have permitted us 
to bow at their bedsides and implore 
God's intervention and His blessing 
on the treatments given, and many 
lives have been saved. Now we have 
a group of women who are living the 
truth, and who are carrying it into 
their villages. They help the help-
less, treat the sick, and teach the ig-
norant." 
The Indian Found It in the Bible 
IN a recent letter from Missionary 
Orley Ford, director of the Guatemala 
Mission, he tells us of one Indian who 
found his way into the truths of God's 
word without help of the missionary. 
He writes: 
"An interesting leading of God was 
seen in a small Indian town of the 
Caehiquel tribe. (There are some 
twenty-six tribes and dialects in this 
small republic, which multiplies the 
difficulties of preaching the message 
to them.) In the last few years one 
of their number, and one of the best 
educated among them, secured a Bible 
and began reading it. In order to 
understand and remember the Bible 
teaching, he took an ordinary stu-
dent's notebook, and after reading a 
chapter he set down a summary of 
the chapter, with its most important 
teaching. In that way he studied 
carefully the entire Bible. Having 
finished, he decided that he should 
be a Christian, and decided to hunt 
for a church and someone to teach 
him more fully. He found a Prot-
estant church in his section, and at-
tended quite regularly for several 
weeks. However, he soon noticed that 
there was a continual spirit and teach-
ing against the law of God and the 
observance of the Sabbath. He de-
cided to talk with the pastor about 
this point, and invited him to come 
to his home. He began to remonstrate 
with him for his attitude against the 
law and the Sabbath, as he said that 
in his study of the Bible he had been 
led to understand that he should keep 
the law of God and the Sabbath. The 
pastor at once curtly told him that 
he was deceiving him in his pretense 
of desiring to have him study with 
him. He said to the Indian brother, 
'You are an Adventist trying to quar-
rel with me and rob me of my mem-
bers.' The Indian wondered how that 
could be, as he had never heard of 
such people. But the pastor con-
tinued, 'You belong to those Advent-
ists in the next town of San Felipe.' 
32 �
The Church Officers' Gazette �
July, 1941 
"As soon as the pastor had gone, 
the Indian immediately started out to 
find these Adventists. He soon found 
the local elder, and told him that he 
was looking for the Adventists. As 
they talked things over, the elder 
found that the Indian had 'discovered 
the major part of the fundamental 
truths of the message. Through the 
help of the near-by church, a Sabbath 
school was opened in the Indian's 
home. Six are already members, and 
others are preparing for baptism." 
A Boy Rescued 
Tuts experience, related by Mis- 
sionary L. G. Maxwell, took place on 
a South Sea island. 
"The war between Christ and Satan 
which began in heaven is still being 
carried on today. As people accept 
this truth they all receive their time 
of trial, their Gethsemane. This is 
also the lot of the native of the 
islands. 
"When a native gives his heart to 
the Lord and comes to a mission, 
Satan works with all his power to 
win him back to the chains of devil-
ism. Often when boys come to a 
mission, they are first possessed with 
devils. This is a sight which cannot 
be described fully, but must be wit-
nessed for its hideousness to be recog-
nized. 
"A boy by the name of Rare came 
to the mission, .and the senior boys 
took it on themselves to care for him. 
One day I told the boys and the girls 
to go down to the beach to get cargo. 
I thought that Rare had gone also, 
but because of a sore foot Rare had 
remained behind alone. This was a 
good opportunity for Satan to take 
advantage of the boy. 
"On leaving my house I heard some-
body crying and screaming as if in 
agony. I made my way to the boys' 
house, and there I found Rare pos-
sessed of the devil. He was sitting 
in the fire, which had not properly 
gontI out, the hot coals remaining 
tbs.°. He was tearing his hair and 
his face, and digging up the ground 
like an animal. I went to the boy 
and spoke to him, but he was beyond 
hearing. I recognized his trouble, 
and felt my own insufficiency to help 
him. But there flashed through my 
mind texts which tell how the Lord 
cast out devils and how the spirits 
cannot stay in the presence of the 
name of Jesus Christ; and so, offer-
ing a short prayer to the Lord, and 
asking to be used of Him, I went 
to the boy, placed my hand on his 
shoulder, and in the name of Jesus 
Christ told the spirits to come out. 
At the very mention of the name of 
Jesus Christ, Rare became •sensible. 
He opened his eyes and looked around. 
I told him to wash himself in the 
river that was running close by, and 
then we knelt together and thanked 
the Lord for saving yet another soul 
for His kingdom. 
"This is not an isolated case. Many 
missionaries can testify of how the 
Lord has helped them in similar cir-
cumstances." 
Kapiti Faithful Unto Death 
MISSIONARY L. G. MAXWELL, of 
North New Zealand, tells us about a 
former native of Emira Island who 
was rescued by the Lord from the 
enemy's strong fetters of sin, to be 
used as a polished instrument in His 
hands in rescuing many others. 
"Kapiti in his heathen state was 
a witch doctor on the island of Emira, 
and claimed to be able to stop a 
motorboat ten miles at sea by witch-
craft. He was a man steeped in 
devilism with all its hideousness; but 
when the gospel went to his island, 
he was won to the mission through 
the power of the Holy Spirit. 
"Later this boy became one of the 
most godly men among our believers. 
It was my experience to work with 
him at our training station at Put 
Put, Whenever a new boy name to 
the mission, Kapiti would take that 
boy into his confidence. He prayed 
with him and told him how the Lord 
had helped him in his own experience, 
and what the Lord will do for those 
who put their trust in Him. Kapiti 
was a wonderful inspiration to the 
boys of Put Put, But the time came 
when he fell sick beyond the power 
of human aid. We did all we could 
for• him, but in vain. 
"Kapiti knew that he was dying, 
and so lie called all the boys around 
him. With his last gasping breath 
he told them not to cry or mourn for 
him. He said that there was a time 
when he was a heathen—a sinner, but 
that now he had found the path which 
took him to the kingdom of God 
through his faith in Jesus. He said, 
`Don't cry, but be of good courage 
and carry on the work, and if you 
are faithful, I will see you in the 
earth made new.' This man was not 
frightened to die, because his eyes 
were ever fixed on the Lord." 
The Lord Knows Where They Are 
THERE are honesthearted ones in 
every land. President G. C. Hinkle, 
with another brother, rode for six 
hours on horseback to find one of these 
jewels back in an interior region of 
Panama. 
"They found that their man was 
recognized as the leading citizen of 
that district. He owned a beautiful, 
large cattle ranch, and had perhaps 
twenty men working for him. 
"It seems that the representatives 
of a lodge were making a drive for 
members through the rural district, 
and they naturally attempted to se-
cure as members persons of means and 
influence. Mr. Espinosa is a religious 
man, and when he was approached by 
these men, he pointed out to them 
that he felt that his social interests 
should be devoted to the church, and 
declared that he had no desire to join 
a lodge. However, they argued that 
the lodge, as they understood it, was 
better than the church, that it vir-
tually took the place of the church, 
and that the church was in error in 
many respects. In order to clinch this 
part of their argument, they presented 
to him a Bible, one prepared by their 
organization. It was a true version 
of the Scriptures, and contained addi-
tional helps. He promised them that 
he would study it and be prepared to 
give them his answer when they re-
turned. 
"Several months later the men made 
their second visit. He opened his 
house to them and made them feel at 
home. Anxiously they awaited his 
answer, After the evening meal, he 
opened the subject by saying: 
"'Gentlemen, I very much appre-
ciate your calling on me and opening 
my eyes to the truth.' This statement 
gave his visitors much encouragement. 
But he further continued: 'You 
showed me things in the Holy Scrip-
tures which I did not know existed. 
I 'have studied over and over again 
the prophecies to which you referred 
me, and have also read other proph-
ecies with deep interest. I have found 
that your statements about the Roman 
church are true. It is not the true 
church, but the fallen church. How-
ever, I must disappoint you by say-
ing that even though you are correct 
in this, yet you have not gone far 
enough. Until you can show me that 
your organization is keeping the com-
mandments of God, and is preparing 
a people to be received by the Lord 
at His second coming, I can have no 
further interest in your lodge except 
to thank you for having started me 
thinking in the right direction,' 
"After telling us this story, Mr. 
Espinosa then told us how he had 
obtained little bits of information 
here and there about the people who 
do keep the commandments of God 
and who are looking for the coming 
of the Lord. He said, 'I am keeping 
the commandments the best I know 
how, but I need more help, and I 
trust that you can stay here with me 
for several days, so that I may be 
taught the true path of righteousness, 
that I, in turn, may be able to teach 
others who are here with me in this 
place.' 
"This is only another demonstration 
that the Spirit of God is definitely at 
work and that He has means, of which 
we have no knowledge, of opening the 
doors and carrying the message to 
honest hearts." 
MISSION BOARD.