www.adventistreview.

org

March 21, 2013

A Faith of Donts? Church to Receive $45 Million in Reparations The Perfect 10

6 8 14

PEOpLE LEAVE THE ADVENTIST CHURcH ONLY BEcAUSE THEYVE HAD A BAD EXpERIENcE, RIGHT? NOt anYmOrE. A nEW StUdY IndIcatES tHat mOrE and mOrE cHUrcH mEmBErS arE LEaVInG BEcaUSE tHEYVE cHanGEd tHEIr BELIEfS.

Behold, I come quickly . . .

Our mission is to uplift Jesus Christ by presenting stories of His matchless love, news of His present workings, help for knowing Him better, and hope in His soon return.

18
COVER FEATURE 18 Beyond Belief
ANDY NaSH

24
ARTICLES 14 The Perfect 10
CEcILIa LUcK

8
DEPARTMENTS 4 Letters 7 Page 7 8 World News &
Perspectives

6
EDITORIALS 6 WILONa KaRIMaBaDI 7
LaEL CaESaR

A Faith of Donts?

Do those who leave the Adventist Church still consider themselves Adventists?

A young adults take on the Ten Commandments

Righteousness

24 One (Happy) Meal

LEONORa SPENcER

With a Pie on the Side The word compassion takes on a whole different meaning.

13 Give & Take 17 Cliffs Edge 23 Back to Basics 29 Etc. 30 Journeys With Jesus 31 Reections
NeXt WeeK
A Poem in Progress What to do when signs seem to indicate were going in the wrong direction.

26 In the Wilderness:
The Epidemic
GERaLD A. KLINgBEIL

ON THE COVER
We used to say, Once an Adventist, always an Adventist. New research is showing thats no longer true.

The children of Israel lose their focus, then nd it again.

Publisher General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Executive Publisher Bill Knott, Associate Publisher Claude Richli, Publishing Board: Ted N. C. Wilson, chair; Benjamin D. Schoun, vice chair; Bill Knott, secretary; Lisa Beardsley-Hardy; Daniel R. Jackson; Robert Lemon; Geoffrey Mbwana; G. T. Ng; Daisy Orion; Juan Prestol; Michael Ryan; Ella Simmons; Mark Thomas; Karnik Doukmetzian, legal adviser. Editor Bill Knott, Associate Editors Lael Caesar, Gerald A. Klingbeil, Coordinating Editor Stephen Chavez, Online Editor Carlos Medley, Features Editor Sandra Blackmer, Young Adult Editor Kimberly Luste Maran, KidsView Editor Wilona Karimabadi, News Editor Mark A. Kellner, Operations Manager Merle Poirier, Financial Manager Rachel Child, Editorial Assistant Marvene Thorpe-Baptiste, Assistant to the Editor Gina Wahlen, Marketing Director Claude Richli, Editor-at-Large Mark A. Finley, Senior Advisor E. Edward Zinke, Art Director Bryan Gray, Design Daniel Aez, Desktop Technician Fred Wuerstlin, Ad Sales Glen Gohlke, Subscriber Services Steve Hanson. To Writers: Writers guidelines are available at the Adventist Review Web site: www.adventistreview.org and click About the Review. For a printed copy, send a self-addressed envelope to: Writers Guidelines, Adventist Review, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600. E-mail: revieweditor@gc.adventist.org. Web site: www.adventistreview.org. Postmaster: Send address changes to Adventist Review, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740-7301. Unless otherwise noted, Bible texts in this issue are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are Thinkstock 2013. The Adventist Review (ISSN 0161-1119), published since 1849, is the general paper of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is published by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and is printed 36 times a year on the second, third, and fourth Thursdays of each month by the Review and Herald Publishing Association, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740. Periodical postage paid at Hagerstown, MD 21740. Copyright 2013, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. Vol. 190, No. 8 Subscriptions: Thirty-six issues of the weekly Adventist Review, US$36.95 plus US$28.50 postage outside North America. Single copy US$3.00. To order, send your name, address, and payment to Adventist Review subscription desk, Box 1119, Hagerstown, MD 21741-1119. Orders can also be placed at Adventist Book Centers. Prices subject to change. Address changes: addresschanges@rhpa.org. OR call 1-800-456-3991, or 301-393-3257. Subscription queries: shanson@rhpa.org. OR call 1-800-456-3991, or 301-393-3257.

www.AdventistReview.org | March 21, 2013 | ( 2 2 7 )

in box
Thank you for printing
Must Love God

LETTERS FROm OUR READERS

We wanted our marriage to be more than just two people having a wedding. We wanted a marriage that could be used by God for His service. Four months after we were married, I was asked to come out of retirement and pastor again. The Lord exceeded my expectations and has given me a wife who has a heart for the ministry and health evangelism.
CHarles SHultZ

Kimberly Luste Marans article Must Love God (Feb. 14, 2013). After I lost my wife to cancer, someone suggested an Adventist online dating site. I appreciated the ease that I could check out the 938 women between the ages of 52 and 72 who had registered. I was given a percentage of how close they came to what I was looking for in a wife. I told the Lord that I was too old for this dating thingI asked Him to just pick someone out for me. He picked out Linda, and we are very happily married. I am so glad that we spent a great deal of time writing and talking on the phone before we actually met. In this way we had learned enough about each other before chemistry was brought into the relationship. I lived in Oregon, and Linda lived in Virginia, so there was little chance that we would otherwise ever meet. We both prayed the scary prayerif this relationship would bring glory to God, bless it. If not, break us up.

Richmond, Virginia

Gerhard Pfandl has written

Moving in the Same Direction

an article about unity and division in the church (see Moving in the Same Direction, Feb. 14). Pfandl certainly had some good points, including the fact that unity comes from common faith and experience more than organization. In that vein, it is important to have a clear vision of what it means to be Seventh-day Adventist. Otherwise, there comes a point at which a big tent becomes too big. May it

never be that an Adventist is dened merely in terms of observing Saturday and a loosely dened profession of Jesus Christ. Second is the statement on the remnant. George Knight has ably pointed out substantial differences between statements in the 28 fundamental beliefs and the baptismal vows (The Apocalyptic Vision and the Neutering of Adventism, p. 78). The fundamental beliefs articulate the remnant in general terms of a message, whereas the vows state it in terms of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. Knight points out how many can accept the former but perceive the latter as overwhelming conceit. The nal point ties into Galatians 1:8, 9. If you take that text literally, even the third angel of Revelation 14 must be anathematized if it preaches a false gospel. Incidentally, that text factored greatly in making the Reformation possible. Martin Luther used that text to say that the true foundation of the church was the preaching of the gospel, not the papal ofce being descended from Peter.
Ron THomsen

Here are my thoughts in

Let Me Serve You

response to Gerald Klingbeils editorial Let Me Serve You (Jan. 24, 2013). Sharing in the foot washing can be a warm time of prayer and service. It is not, however, the Communion. It is not what Jesus our Savior instructed us to do in remembrance of Him. More and more our members seem to be putting a stronger emphasis on the foot washing than on the emblems of the cross. The Communion bread and juice are our reminders of Christs shed blood and body crucied for us. This was how He gave Himself to save us, and not in the washing of feet. Foot washing overshadows the Communion remembrance service, and is given too strong a focus. I do not think Jesus intended foot washing to be more than a very important lesson on humility both for His disciples at the moment and for us who have followed.
Susan Stormont

Buchanan, Michigan

Katy, Texas

It is not what Jesus our Savior

instructed us to do in remembrance of Him.

susan stormont, Buchanan, Michigan

Ronny Nalins article

Unstoppable Growth
Unstoppable Growth (Jan. 10, 2013) was fantastic and

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well written! It went right to the core of our Laodicean condition. My thanks to Nalin for his insights. As an aside, I read almost every article printed in almost every edition, and I appreciate the Review very much. Monte Sahlins Church Trends feature suggested that I should send you an e-mail and let you know!
Lorna Peterson

Manteca, California

Bill Knotts January 10 edi-

Share the Tide

torial entitled The Blooddimmed Tide was excellent and should be shared with a broader audience than those who are readers of the Adventist Review. How can we make a dent in violence if it is promoted on a continuous basis by Hollywood, video games, etc.? Knotts well-written editorial should, in my opinion, be shared widelyand not just in Adventist circles. Thank you for thisand otherexcellent articles.
Fred C. ScHniBBe

College Place, Washington

Eric Andersons article

What Is a Mystic?

that was used, especially given the half-truths, misunderstandings, and false accusations that have been circulating in recent years. For example, accusations have been leveled against emptying the mind. When a Christian (mystic or otherwise) empties their mind, that person is very specically emptying the mind of self, and opening the mind and inviting Christ and His Spirit to come in and ll it. Anderson was very careful in his choice of words, and he gave very acceptable denitions for his usage of them. I appreciated his vulnerability and example in sharing his personal journey with Review readers. A mystic is one who is devoted to seeking the mystery of godliness, which according to Pauls words in 1 Timothy 3:16 is great: He appeared in the esh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. I want to say with the inspired apostle, My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:2, 3).
Merle J. WHitney

Eric Andersons What Is a Mystic? While it is true that we need a much deeper personal experience with God, is it necessary to repeat the same mistakes that occurred around the turn of the twentieth century with our churchs brush with pantheism? Do we really wish to see Gods judgment poured out on our institutions again for drinking the forbidden, mystical waters?
Daniel Winters

cially since Alice, my wife, is no more, and the Review now helps to ll the companion gap. Alice had roots going back to the Sisley family of girls, from England, whom Ellen White predicted would be missionary-mindedand so it was. Our family was able to serve three years in Benghazi, Libya, and short terms in other countries. Keep up your good work it cheers me.
Don FaHrBacH

Osaka, Japan

Munising, Michigan

Thank you for posting Gerald Klingbeils article The Gehazi Syndrome: Suffering Familiarity With the Holy (Adventist Review posted this article online on February 8, 2013, www.adventistreview. org/article/6025/archives/ issue-2013-1503/the-gehazisyndrome; the article originally appeared in the May 2010 Ministry magazine). The four points included at the end of the article were most helpful.
Eric Ollila

The Gehazi Syndrome

In the December 27, 2012,

Correction

obituary for Dr. Frank Strickland, his sister Ruth Sipkens name was misspelled. We regret the error.

We welcome your letters, noting,

as always, that inclusion of a letter in this section does not imply that the ideas expressed are endorsed by either the editors of the Adventist Review or the General Conference. Short, specic, timely letters have the best chance at being published (please include your complete address and phone numbereven with e-mail messages). Letters will be edited for space and clarity only. Send correspondence to Letters to the Editor, Adventist Review, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600; Internet: letters@ adventistreview.org.

Bay Roberts, Newfoundland, Canada

What Is a Mystic? (Jan. 10) was excellent and long overdue, and I highly commend editor Bill Knott for including it with the terminology

Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania

I just want to thank you for

the splendid articles the Review produces week after week. I am comforted, espe-

Thank You

I am writing in regard to

www.AdventistReview.org | March 21, 2013 | ( 2 2 9)

Editorials

A Faith of Donts?
So wHere do your cHildren go to scHool? a classmate in
grad school asks. A private schoolSeventh-day Adventist, actually. Im Seventh-day Adventist, I reply. Oh, yes, I had a friend back in the day who was Adventist. I cringe, knowing what would come next. Yeah, we hiked together through Yosemite one summer. She wasnt allowed to use a blowdryer on Saturday, she says. And there it was. Oh, youre Seventh-day Adventist, my new Jewish friend says. I dated an SDA guy. It made it pretty easy on Sabbath. Well, that was slightly better. Sort of. Over my life there have been many similar conversations with new friends who nd out which church I belong to and ask the questions I dread hearing. So youre Adventist, right? You guys dont _________, and you dont _________, and you dont eat __________, and you dont __________, and you dont drink _________, right? Feel free to ll in the blanks. And even in our own circles, there have been too many unhelpful statements that include the word dont: Dont wear lipstick. You wont go to heaven if you wear lipstick. I heard that one from a friend who was told this at boarding academy. And in a beginners Sabbath school classroom a girl (now a grown woman and mother of three) recalls being extremely distressed at hearing the following: Dont misbehave now, because naughty children dont go to heaven. Huh? Is this what we are really all about? Of course not. But how many on the outside know that? Youve likely been in similar situations. You tell someone you are Seventh-day Adventist, and either they know of us and start listing the donts we may be known for, or we are confused with another faith groupalso dened by the donts they are known for. And Ill be the rst to fess up that in my younger days if someone at the neighborhood playground asked why I was unavailable on Saturday, my answer never explained things in a positive light. Well, I wont be here because we dont come here on Saturday. I cant watch that cartoon with you because we dont watch cartoons on Saturday. Forgive the childish answers, but how adept were any of us 5-year-olds at explaining adherence to the fourth commandment and knowing what the word Advent meant? Perhaps weve all been guilty of perpetuating the notion that our belief system is best dened by a running list of all the things we dont do. Arent you tired of that? Its time to ip the switch on being dened by all the things we dont do, because you and I know thats not who we really are. Do others know that? I realize there are those among us who may nd it enhances their spiritual walk to adhere to a clearly articulated list of behaviors and activities they choose to refrain from. But we need to remember that if our job is to impact people for Christto show them who He really is through the difference He makes in our livespracticing a faith of donts says nothing. Serve, listen to, understand, educate, and immerse yourself in people who need youpeople who happily live well outside your comfort zone. Build up a broken person through the outpouring of Someone who lives within you. Put aside the lists and parameters that serve as a primary source of how you operate in this world, and let Jesus do the talking in any way He sees t. Dont you want someone to say (and if they already have, Im thrilled): Oh, youre a Seventhday Adventist? You folks are the ones that do___________, and do__________, and you do live ____________, and you really helped ____________, and that made our lives better? Feel free to ll in those blanks here and in your daily lives with more Jesus and less dont. n

Wilona

Karimabadi

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Righteousness
WHen God says rigHteousness, He means Business. WHicH means that Hes serious about it, and that Hes talking to Wall Street. Righteousness is not more natural to God than is business. The two do not pertain to distinct and incompatible worlds where Chicagos commodities trading contrasts with Solomons Temple, or New Yorks stockbroking opposes Moses wilderness tabernacle. In reality, unscrupulous business dealing is only one more variety of human, lthy-ragged righteousness, regardless to how many bucks it seems to make. The book of Proverbs may not be seen as Christianitys exhaustive statement on a theology of righteousness. But it does provide strong evidence that for God righteousness is demonstrated in exemplary business conduct. Business and righteousness have a common origin. Their single source is the One whose successful start-up, named Universe, operates exclusively on His personal investments, while allowing Apple and Exxon to play bit parts in His Earth subsidiary. Agriculture and economics are for Him the very stuff of righteousness. In Proverbs, cash ow, cultivation, and going to work early are all inextricably linked together as proofs of righteousness. More than any other Old Testament text, Proverbs focuses on the righteous person. By way of illustration, the Hebrew term tsaddiq, which labels him, occurs more times (67) in the 915 verses of Proverbs than it does in Psalms (52 times in 2,461 verses). These numbers demonstrate the intensity of focus on righteousness in a book that gives attention to such matters as respect for property and boundary markers (Prov. 22:28; 23:10), and the value of precious metals in relation to heavenly wisdom (Prov. 3:13-18; 8:10). Ultimately, the wages of unscrupulous scheming is punishment. In Proverbs God talks righteousness by talking business. When God says righteousness, He means business. n

Lael

Caesar

World News & Perspectives

including Jewish, Protestant, and Roman Catholic communitiesthat are sharing in a US$3.1 billion settlement from the government. Prime Minister Necas, according to media reports, called the settlement an act of justice following a restitution plan approved by the Czech parliament in 2012. By signing these agreements, we complete steps to remedy the property damage the Communists caused, Necas said at the ceremony. In the early nineties we as a state came to restitution as the most efcient and just means to achieve the transformation of our economy. The church had been excluded, but today we have completed this act of justice. Necas, who also leads the nations Civic Democratic Party, said the deal laid new, modern ground for relations between state and church. Under Communist rule, for example, Roman Catholic priests salaries were paid by the state, which maintained strict control over that churchs operations. The Seventh-day Adventist Church refused state payments until 2008, when accepting such money for overall purposes, but not salaries, became a prerequisite for receiving property settlements.

photos: Tom Kbrt, Czecho -Slovakian U nion Conference

DEAL SIGNED: Seventh-day Adventist pastor Mikul Pavlk, Czecho-Slovakian Union Conference president, signs an agreement with Prime Minister Petr Necas of the Czech Republic on February 22, 2013, in Prague. The Adventist Church will receive US$45 million over the next 30 years as reparations for property seized under the former Communist regime, which ended in 1989.

CZEcH REPUBLIc

Adventist Church Signs Pact for US$45 Million in Communism Reparations

Over 30 years, Czech Republic will repay movement for theft of property.
By MarK A. Kellner, news editor
THe SeventH-day Adventist Church in

the Czech Republic will receive US$1.5 million annually for the next 30 years, a total of US$45 million, under a pact signed by church leaders and Prime Minister Petr Necas on February 22, 2013, in Prague. Seventh-day Adventist pastor Mikul Pavlk, Czecho-Slovakian Union Conference president, was one of several ofcials of religious organizations that signed an individual agreement with Necas. Signing the Treaty Settlement means the legal process is complete, and we now have redressed the property damage committed by the Communist regime against the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Pavlk said. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is among 17 religious organizations
8

CHURCH LEADERS: Representatives of 17 religious organizations, Jewish, Protestant, and Roman Catholic, gather in the ofce of the Czech Republic for the ceremony. Adventist pastor Mikul Pavlk is second from right in the rst row.

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Adventist ofcials in Prague said the church lost property worth US$52.1 million when the Communist regime seized its holdings in 1952. The Czech republic, church ofcials said, is the last formerly Communist nation to reach a settlement of this kind with religious organizations.

Opposition Social Democrats tried to block the arrangement, seeking a court injunction hours before the individual agreements were signed. Though not granting an injunction, the state constitutional court is expected to issue a ruling on the Social Democrats complaint, media reports indicate.

J. P. Lorenz, a pastor, organized the rst Seventh-day Adventist congregation in Prague in 1902. A union conference was organized in the area in 1919, according to the Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia. n with reporting from Tom Kbrt, Czecho-Slovakian Union in Prague

NOrTH AMErIca

Vegetarian Diet Report Is Launched at Loma Linda University

Adventist school hosts Sixth International Conference on Vegetarian Nutrition.
By HerBert AtienZa, media relations specialist, Loma Linda University Health, writing from Loma Linda, California
A groundBreaKing report on the

benets of a plant-based Mediterraneanstyle dietnews of which captured global headlineswas released at a scientic conference held at Loma Linda University. A session at the Sixth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition

(6ICVN) saw the rst public presentation of an international headlinemaking landmark study by Spanish researchers that made a head-to-head comparison and determined that plantbased Mediterranean diets are better at reducing heart disease risks than a lowfat diet.

Miguel ngel Martnez, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., lead investigator of the study called PREDIMED, for PREvencin con Dieta MEDiterrnea (Prevention With a Mediterranean Diet), said 6ICVN was a good place to unveil his studys ndings because they stand on groundbreaking research conducted at Loma

GLOBAL SENSATION: Tony Yang (standing), assistant vice president for public affairs at Loma Linda University Health, addresses a news conference, held in conjunction with the Sixth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition, to announce the ndings of a new landmark study on plant-based diets. The study garnered global headlines and media attention. Sitting on the panel (left to right): Dr. Miguel ngel Martnez, lead investigator for the PREDIMED study and professor at University of Navarra, Spain; Dr. Joan Sabate, 6ICVN chair and chair of the Nutrition Department at Loma Linda University School of Public Health; and Dr. Sam Soret, associate dean for public health practice at Loma Linda University School of Public Health.
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World News & Perspectives

Linda University, such as the landmark Adventist Health Study and a study on walnuts and heart disease. It is a good opportunity to celebrate the ndings from these studies from two decades ago; its like closing the loop, he said. Our ndings are very supportive of the research of those pioneering studies at Loma Linda. More than 800 scientists, researchers, and public-health experts gathered for the 6ICVN event, organized by Loma Linda University School of Public Health. The event is held every ve years and is the premier gathering of the worlds experts in plant-based nutrition and health. At this years gathering, held February 24-26, 2013, at Loma Linda University Drayson Center, delegates participated in dozens of seminars, workshops, and presentations exploring such topics as

DELEGATES WELCOME: Dr. Richard Hart, president of Loma Linda University Health, welcomes more than 800 delegates to the Sixth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition, held February 24-26, 2103, at Loma Linda University Health. Next to him is Dr. Joan Sabate (center), 6ICVN chair, and chair of the Nutrition Department at Loma Linda University School of Public Health, and Dr. David R. Jacobs, Mayo professor, division of epidemiology, University of Minnesota.

LARGE ATTENDANCE: More than 800 delegates attended the Sixth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition, held February 24-26, 2013, at Loma Linda University Health. 10
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the link between diet and longevity, how plant-based diets can help prevent and treat major chronic diseases, and the sustainability of plant-based diet lifestyles. I have been attending the Vegetarian Congress since the fourth one, because Im a vegetarian and there are many new things that I learn, said delegate Hiroshi Yamaji, 52, of Tokyo, director of health ministries for the Japan Union Conference of Seventhday Adventists. I feel very blessed by the lifestyle I have, he continued. I have been a practicing vegetarian since I was born, and I see the benets in it. I am glad there is now strong scientic support for it. Delegates received a rousing welcome from Loma Linda University Health ofcials at the start of the events. Its a real privilege for Loma Linda to be identied with this congress, which is the premier international conference for research in plant-based diets, said

EXHIBITS A DRAW: Delegates to the Sixth International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition check out the exhibitor booths during the event, held February 24-26, 2013, at Loma Linda University Health.

Richard Hart, M.D., Dr.Ph., president of Loma Linda University Health, during his welcome. Loma Linda has pioneered efforts that now allow us to gather here. Vegetarianism is no longer an Adventist thing or a novelty. It has become a science-based way of life for many people. Joan Sabate, M.D., Ph.D., 6ICVN chair, and chair of the Nutrition Department at Loma Linda University School of Public Health, noted the event has grown each time, and this years attendance easily surpassed the expected 700 delegates.

The interest from both the Adventist community and the scientic community is increasing, Sabate said. Vegetarian nutrition is one of the stalwart research themes of Loma Linda University School of Public Health, said Tricia Penniecook, M.D., M.P.H., who is dean of the Loma Linda University School of Public Health. During the congress, scientists, practitioners, academicians, students, and members of the community at large learned more about how a vegetarian lifestyle can be taught and implemented in practical ways. n

NOrTH amErIca

One Project Draws Adventist Leaders to Chicago

Two-day meeting celebrates supremacy of Jesus within movement.
By One Project staff
WHy would 750 leaders from around the world meet for two days in the Windy City, Chicago, Illinois, in early February? The answer was simple: Just Jesus. Leaders and laypersons of all ages gathered for the One Project on February 11, 12, 2013. This was the third gathering of the One Project in North America (Atlanta 2011, Seattle 2012, Chicago 2013). With spaces capped at 750, seats

SPEAKER: Timothy Nixon, associate chaplain at Andrews University, addresses delegates at the One Project conference.
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11

World News & Perspectives

were sold out a few months in advance of the gathering. The mottoJesus. All.is born from the One Projects mission to celebrate the supremacy of Jesus within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. When we dreamed up the One Project, the love for Jesus was overwhelming. When we prepared for each gathering His love was overwhelming. When we experienced the gatherings we get to bask in the presence of His overwhelming love, said Japhet De Oliveira, cochair of the One Project board. Our gatherings follow a really simple process. With 20-minute reections on Jesus, followed by our immediate live responses, and then the facilitator-led table recalibrations. Like Ellen G. White, we nd Jesus to be the desire of the agesevery ageincluding this one. We desire His love, His truth, His leadership. When I rst heard about the One Project, declared Rod Long, of Sydney, Australia, I wondered how we would talk about Jesus for two days. Now I

wonder how we will ever exhaust that subject! The program elements reect my experience: Conversations I had about Jesus (and there were lots), how Jesus intersects with all aspects of my life and experiences, and how the One Project recalibrated my Jesus perspective. De Oliveira said, Each year Alex Bryan, cochair of the One Project, suggests a subset theme and for 2013 it was Just Jesus. It is part of our Seventh-day Adventist DNA with Jesus followers like the late and dearly loved Morris Venden. We simply cannot stop talking about Jesus, and Just Jesus is more than enough. At the Chicago gathering, the movements Hope Channel arranged for live streaming of the One Project to 450plus sites across the globe. One gentleman came to the Chicago gathering, but because of a brain injury he suffers from sensory overload. As a result, he was only able to join the larger group during the reections while the lights were dimmed and the sound was

focused. During the recalibration (group discussion) after each reection, he would have to leave the room. His brother, who was participating via the live streaming, joined him via phone, and they were able to dialogue one on one for a recalibration of their life in Jesus. On April 5, 6, 2013, thanks to the support of the Norwegian Union and working closely with Pastor Victory Marley, the One Project will be offering the rst gathering in Norwegian with limited English translation. In July the One Project will be in Newcastle, Australia, and then in early November it will be on the campus of Newbold College in England. All of these gatherings are limited in size. The next North American gathering, Seattle in February 2014, is already at 50 percent capacity. Other site locations under consideration are Brazil, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, and many other options in the U.S.A. For more information, visit us at www. the1project.org. n

AROUND THE TABLE: Delegates to the One Project conference exchange ideas during breakout sessions. 12
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SE RMO N i N s E VE N

What motivates sacrice? Do you agree with this?

shA R E W i Th Us

A DV ENTisT LiFE

This past fall my son Javad came home from school excited about an upcoming eld trip to a local farm and pumpkin patch. Please, come with us! I want you to take care of my classmates and me, he said. Since he actually remembered to tell me about this ahead of time rather than the day before, I told him I would ask for the day off to go on the trip. He replied, Ask your boss [Bill Knott] to let you go. If hes a Christian, he will!
Wilona Karimabadi, ELLIcOTT CITY, MaRYLaND

Sacrice is about love, not about courage.

We are looking for brief submissions in these categories: Sound Bites (quotes, profound or spontaneous) Adventist Life (short anecdotes, especially from the world of adults) Jots and Tittles (church-related tips) Camp Meeting Memories (short, humorous and/ or profound anecdotes) Favorite (Church) Family Photos (must be high resolution min. 1000 px JPEGs) Please send your submissions to Give & Take, Adventist Review, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600; fax: 301-680-6638; e-mail: marank@gc.adventist.org. Please include phone number, and city and state from which you are writing.

Thi NK AB OUT iT

This is the story of four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybodys job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody would not do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
AUTHOR UNKNOwN, SUBMITTED BY Edson Simon, CLacKaMaS, OREgON

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13

terrY crews

40 Below

TEN
BY Cecilia LucK

THE

PERFECT
thE cOmmANDmENtS ARE StiLL RELEVANt FOR TODAYS pOp cULtURE.

PERfEcT THEN, pERfEcT NoW:

etween the ages of 7 and 10 I was involved in a number of childrens musicals at church. One song in particular is still ingrained in my head, and heart, after more than 20 years. The song The Perfect 10 puts the Ten Commandments into a rhyme. Then the chorus says that theyre just as true as they were way back when. God hasnt changed over the course of history, and neither have His laws. What is the one thing that currently dominates the majority of our time and energy? Pop culture. Its everywhere: the Internet, movies, television, music, magazines and books, video games, etc. It seems Hollywood has done its best at trying to turn these laws into suggestions recommendations that can be disregarded as long as the reason is deemed acceptable. But these laws are practical and pertinent. Using the Ten Commandments as our guide, lets embark on a quick journey to see just how these laws apply today, and how they can help us get back (and stay) on track toward our future, eternal destination.

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Number 1: You shall have

no other gods before Me (Ex. 20:3).* Not long before the Mount Sinai experience, the Israelites had been released from their bondage in Egypt, a country whose polytheistic religion would have denitely been ingrained in their minds. Not only this, but the land they were promised was also inhabited with worshippers of gods other than God. Through the biblical account we see how easily the Israelites were taken in by the surrounding inuences. Egyptian life did rub off on them. So at Sinai, God rst reminds the former slaves of His place in their life. We arent much different today. No other gods may have taken a different meaning these days, but what were doing is basically what the Israelites were guilty of anything that takes higher priority than God is, in fact, a god. It comes down to balance: time on the computer and entertainment, necessities and enjoyments, both have their place, but God must come rst.

worship. Again, the Israelites were surrounded by idols while slaves in Egypt. Anubis, the god of the afterlife, and Ra, the sun god, are just a couple of the many deities worshipped and physically represented throughout Egypt. By telling the Israelites not to make any idols, God was turning their minds back to Him, the Creator. The Creator God alone is to be worshipped, not any created thing. We may possess items that hold sentimental value for us, but unless we form unhealthy attachments to them, they arent objects of worship. The second half of the commandment states that God visits the iniquity of the fathers on the children, but shows lovingkindness to those who love Him and keep His commandments. Is God saying that every son or daughter of a drunk, an adulterer, an abuser, etc., will be visited with iniquity? No! We arent held responsible for the sins and mistakes of our parents. The notion that we are responsible for the actions of our predecessorsand that we should be punished for itis prevalent in Hollywoods lm industry. But the truth is, we are held accountable to God only for our own actions. If we dont learn from our parents sins and mistakes and we follow in that path, then we are held accountable.

example of how God should be respected and honored in our everyday conversations.

Number 4: Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy (verse 8). The Sabbath was, and still is, a blessed and holy gift. After six days of creating, God set aside the seventh day for rest and enjoyment ofand withHis creation. Today we cant seem to stop for anything. Unfortunately for some, Sabbath is their busiest day. Remember . . . God commands us to remember. Take this time to remember all that God has done. God also commands us to restthis is a test of obedience. Take this day to enjoy a break. Climb a tree. Call a friend you havent spoken with in a while. Shut off your computer. Forget about the demands and problems, and all that pop culture offers that follows us through the other six days. Remember the seventh day and rest in it. Also, remember that its lawful to do good on the Sabbath (Matt. 12:12). So restand go do some good. Number 5: Honor your father and your mother (Ex. 20:12). Sometimes this commandment is easier said than done. To honor means to have a high respect or esteem for

Number 2: You shall not make for yourself an idol (verse 4). You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments (verses 4-6). In the rst part of this commandment an idol is dened as an image or representation of a god as an object of

Number 3: You shall not take the THE BiBlE iS clEaR. ItS A mAttER name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Of pUttiNg whAt wE ARE Lord God will not SUppOSED tO DO iNtO pRActicE. If leave him unpunished wE DO, GOD wiLL hONOR thAt. who takes His name in vain (verse 7). Ancients believed that Gods name was so sacred and holy it was not even to be someone. We dont see this often in the spoken. Today His name is so disreparent/child relationships portrayed on spected that its nauseating. I cringe TV or lm, and rarely do we nd this every time I hearor seeit being mishonor toward parents in everyday life. used. The misuse is so rampant that its Just watch any major reality show hard to block it out. How many times, involving kids, parents, and competifor example, have you seen omg in tion, and youll see what I mean. texts or on Facebook or Twitter? Its like And how are children, no matter their a breath of fresh air when a movie, TV age, supposed to honor the parents who show, or a message board is free of it. neglect and/or abuse them? Or parents We cant force others not to take His name who dont teach them proper values or in vain, but we can do our part in being an morals? Perhaps honoring the Father in
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what is right: honor the vows made on the wedding day, stay faithful.

heaven in spite of the circumstances would compensate for the honoring of earthly parents who dont honor their role as they should? For parents who dont share the same belief system or wont admit to the change they needlove and honor them where they are, even if you dont agree. As I said, its easier said than done, but it will make those relationships smoother in the long run.

Number 8: You shall not steal (verse 15). The excuses for stealing are many, but there is no good reason. As we see in pop culture, stealing not only refers to material possessions (we can surely recall, for example, stories about celebrities caught shoplifting); there are other things that can be stolen as well: time, love, ideas, etc. In the end its true: the one who steals never prospers. Number 9: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (verse 16). Theres a reason Solomon, in Proverbs, puts a lot of focus on two evils: lying and gossiping. They hurt. They destroy relationships. They break trust. They damage reputations. In todays society these consequences arent often considered. With our broken human nature, we do this without thinking. Once again, the blatant acceptance of this behavior has contemporary media and entertainment written all over it. (Have you glanced over the tabloids at the grocery store lately?) We are surrounded by the worlds seeming approval of it. Even if done with the best intentions, bearing false witness still has negative effects. The character of a person can easily be damaged. And whether the information about a given person is true or not, we know exactly what we are supposed to do. The Bible is clear. Its a matter of putting what we are supposed to do into practice. If we do, God will honor that. Number 10: You shall not covet your neighbors house; . . . or anything that belongs to your neighbor (verse 17). A want or desire isnt necessarily a bad thing, especially when its something like a better-working car, a good education, etc. It really depends on what the desired object isand our reason for the desire. We also tend to want not only what is not ours, but also something that belongs to another personand the object of desire is not ours to want.

Number 6: You shall not murder (verse 13). From childrens video games to PG-13 and R-rated movies, our society has become desensitized to murder and violence. We loathe terrorists who murder innocent people, yet we have no problem sitting through a movie in which murder is portrayed as both a crime and as justice served. We cant ignore murder. Its a very real part of our sinful world. But we can prayerfully sensitize ourselves again to the reality that murder is disgusting and deplorable. Its life being taken. How can we not be sensitive to that? Number 7: You shall not commit adultery (verse 14). How is it that society has come to the place that we actually feel sorry for the one committing adultery? Again, Hollywood has done a good job of making adultery seem socially acceptable. We may sympathize with the one who feels something lacking and sees the need to cheat on their spouse, thereby excusing their behavior. This is not acceptable. I dont know the stresses that married people sometimes experience. I am, however, the product of a home in which divorce as a result of adultery occurredand I know its damaging effects. In spite of what pop culture has deemed all right, people need to do
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While there are a plethora of modernday examples I could use, my mind keeps going back to David. He didnt banish that initial thought of desire like he should have. And even though he was a man after Gods own heart, the breaking of this commandment led David to break the sixth, seventh, and eighth commandments as well. This all started with the simple act of desire for another mans wife who was not his to desire. When we do see this in modern media, we should, no matter what the venue, be brought to a higher state of contemplation and contentment for what is ours. The more content and thankful we are for what God has blessed us with, the less the want of anything that isnt ours to desire will enter our minds.

Be the Change
The Ten Commandments are still relevant. And here is something else to consider: how we interact with the modern media enemy. Sure, we can choose, for example, not to own a television, or try to avoid the negative inuences that come out of pop culture. But the disregard for Gods commandments isnt just going to disappear if we ignore it. Those evils are still going to be created, shown, read, heardand theyll inuence those who watch and read and hear them. Its not just about us avoiding it. Its about trying to change contemporary mind-sets for the good. Try to make a difference. We can be the positive change in pop culture. Isnt this how Jesus, through His life on earth, showed us how to be? He came face to face with sin and interacted with the perpetratorsand He changed things. He didnt ignore His surroundings. We should do the same. n
* All biblical quotations and references in this article are taken from the New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Cecilia LucK writes from Collegedale, Tennessee.

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Cliffs Edge

Erst Kommt Das Fressen . . .

In TO HAVE AND HAVE NOt Ernest Hemingway eXpressed witH paper and
ink some moral dilemmas of esh and spirit. I dont know who made the laws, said a man who committed sina crime, actuallyto feed his family, but I know there aint no law that you got to go hungry. A boy, a Cuban revolutionary, declared that he would do anything to free his country from tyranny: I do things I hate. But I would do things I hate a thousand times more. To eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil implied that those who ate would know good from evil, but the distinction isnt always so distinct. Erst kommt das Fressen, wrote German Communist Berthold Brecht, dann kommt die Moral (First comes food, then comes morals). We might utter gut-stuffed protests against Brecht, but who could argue that ones discernment between right and wrong blurs on an empty stomach (especially your childs)? Mark Twains Huck Finn convinced himself that his own soul was damned to hell because he helped Miss Watsons slave escape. In the 1600s Thomas Hobbes said that good and evil have no meanings apart from what humans, in a specic time and place, decide it is. Four hundred years before Christ, Socrates battled moral relativism pretty much for the same reasons people battle it today, 2,000 years after Christ. Niccol Machiavelli argued that the political leader must learn how not to be good. Nietzsche said that we have to get beyond good and evil, because these concepts have worn out their usefulness. From The Rules of the Game, a pre-World War II French movie, a character says, The truly terrible thing about this life, monsieur, is that everyone has their own reasons. In 2010 atheist jihadist Sam Harris in The Moral Landscape sought to establish a scientic basis for morality, claiming that morality should be considered an undeveloped branch of science. Eighteenth-century philosopher JeanJacques Rousseau called conscience thou infallible judge of good and evil, which helps explain the German Reich chancellors sentiment: If I live my life according to my God-given insights, then I cannot go wrong; and even if I do, I know that I have acted in good faith. In the Foundation of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785) Immanuel Kant attempted to create a basis for morality on pure reason, before, and even apart from, experience or consequences. He thought he found it with the Categorical Imperative, his metaphysical law for morality: Always act according to that maxim whose universality as a law you can at the same time will. In other words, do only what you want everyone else to do. Sounds nice, but what if you universally will that everyone with one Jewish grandmother die in Auschwitz? Morality is either like sunshine, coming from above, transcendent; or it comes from within us, human creations such as free funk jazz and abstract expressionism. If the latter, then if all humans decided that anyone with one Jewish grandparent deserved death, how could it be wrong? If moralitys a human concoction alone, as subjective as tastes in music or in shoes, then Stalins gulags are no morally worse than the American prison at Guantanamo Bay. Im not denying that atheists dont or cant live by moral codes that make them good citizens, in some cases better than their theistic neighbors. (After all, when was the last time an atheist ew a jetliner into a skyscraper?) Atheists just cant base morality on anything absolute. Maybe they dont want to, but this subjectivism can end up justifying a lot of wrong. The only answer is a morality from above, one transcending culture, prejudice, jurisprudence, tradition, logic, custom, even conscience (see the chancellors quote). Thats what Gods moral law, the Ten Commandments, is: a transcendent universal morality, the eternal template for good and evil. The law shows us exactly how God Himself denes these things. Of course, were still stuck with human subjectivism: some who believe in Thou shalt not kill go ape over abortion but have no problem with lethal injection; others, vice versa. So were not done with the debate, but at least with Gods law we have the absolute starting point. n
Clifford Goldstein is editor of the ADULT SaBBaTH ScHOOL BIBLE STUDY GUIDE. His latest book, SHaDOw MEN, is available from Signs Publishing in Australia.

Cliff Goldstein

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Cover Feature

PEoplE lEavE THE AdvENTiST CHuRcH oNlY BEcauSE THEYvE Had a Bad EXpERiENcE, RigHT? NOT AnYMORE. A nEw STUDY InDIcATES ThAT MORE AnD MORE chURch MEMBERS ARE lEAVInG BEcAUSE ThEYVE chAnGED ThEIR BElIEFS.

P
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BY ANDY NASH
icture a Seventh-day Adventist church somewhere with 200 members attending. Over time, 100 of these members will leave the church and in a sense be replaced by 100 new membersand then some. (The Adventist Church is one of the fastest-growing denominations in the world, and the fastest in the United States.1) But the 100 church members who leavethe ones who used to worship and fellowship, eat haystacks, and sing Side by Side with us: Why do they leave? Past studies indicated that if someone left the Adventist Church, it was almost always because of bad experiences or relationships, not because they changed their beliefs. In a 1998 report, Why Do Adventists Quit Coming to Church? prepared by the Center for Creative Ministry, Adventist researcher Monte Sahlin wrote: Three out of four leave for reasons having to do with their relationships with people and groups, while less than one in ve leave because they no longer believe in some teaching of the church. Sahlin cited the work of other Adventist researchers, including Roger Dudley, director of the Andrews University Institute of Church Ministry. Generally speaking, said Dudley, poor interpersonal relationships in the church were the primary reason members left. Very few people, added Gottfried Oosterwal, then-director of the Institute of World Mission at Andrews University, indicated that they had left because of a disagreement over doctrine. Many had questions and doubts, but no basic disagreements with the main tenets of the Adventist faith. Even more emphatic was Harold K. West, Florida Conference ministerial director, based on his 1975 study of departing church members There was absolutely no proof, said West, that anybody left the church because they no longer believed in the doctrines. Interviews with former Adventists supplemented the centers 1998 report. After my baptism, said one former member, I would wait each week in the foyer. No one would talk to me, no one spoke. The church I attended, said another, was so cold I could ice-skate down the aisles.

Its the Theology, Not the People

While relationships will always factor into any church members experience, a new study suggests a shifting landscape in which more and more people are leaving the Adventist Church primarily because theyve changed their beliefs. The study, Former Seventh-day Adventist Perceptions of the Seventhday Adventist Church, was conducted in 2011 by Southern Adventist Universitys School of Business under the direction of marketing professor Lisa Goolsby. Goolsby was approached by Pastor Jerry Arnold and member Ken DeFoor of the Collegedale, Tennessee, Community church about exploring the reasons members are leaving the church. More than 600 former Adventists from throughout the U.S. were invited to answer questions online; 190 participated. When asked why they quit attending the Adventist Church, 49 percent of

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respondents cited disagreement or disenchantment with Adventist doctrine, while another 10 percent cited their own lifestyle choices being out of harmony with church teachings. Only 38 percent of responses cited a bad personal experience or other reason for leaving. (The respondents were able to cite more than one reason.) When respondents were invited to give open-ended feedback about their departure from the Adventist Church, 68 percent of the comments concerned Adventist doctrine, 47 percent concerned judgmental attitudes or other problems within the church, 31 percent concerned cofounder Ellen G. White, and 15 percent concerned legalism. (The respondents were able to submit multiple comments, which were then categorized.) I could no longer stay within a system, wrote one respondent, that I knew to be unbiblical and with which I disagreed. . . . The tipping point came when I realized we couldnt expect our sons to tell us the truth if we were modeling a lack of integrity by being active members of a church they knew we no longer believed. . . . We did not leave because we were in any way hurt, angry, bitter, or disgruntled. We left with great grief and great loss, and we left because the Lord Jesus revealed Himself to us so compellingly that we knew we could not dishonor Him by remaining in a system that does not know who He really is or what He really did. There are many SDA churches, wrote another former member, that

are open, loving, and focused only on Christ, but this is not the problem. The problem is with the doctrine of the SDA Church. The doctrinal beliefs of the SDA Church are completely unbiblical; this is the reason I will never attend an SDA church again. If Adventism, said another, would catch hold of the truth of grace and It is nished, it would be a great package. I . . . cherish my memories of growing up in a warm, family-based, healthy, safe environment. Independent Bible study led me down a different path. Another respondent encouraged much more investigation into the fact that many have left because of doctrinal [reasons] and often, no other reasons. There is too much focus on people being hurt. . . . Doctrinal issues are ignored. Doctrinal differences werent the only reason cited; the experiential element was still very much present. A divorced single mom with special-needs children described feeling ostracized by church members who were snobbish. She said that members with money seemed more accepted.

attitudes that prevail in my area. Still, compared to previous studies, the shift toward beliefs as the leading reason for leaving was striking. One former member wrote: Its the theology, not the people.

Asking Questions
Pastor Arnold, who helped initiate the study, said the data align with what hes seeing up close and personally. I have had conversations with many young adults who do not embrace every teaching of the Adventist Church, Arnold said. Some have perspectives that are not reective of the ofcial teaching of the Adventist Church. Some understand the ofcial teaching and disagree with it on some points. Arnold said the two subjects that he gets asked about most are the doctrine of Christs ministry in the heavenly sanctuary and the proper use of Ellen Whites writings. People still leave the church over their feelings being hurt, Arnold said. But one of the main underlying factors is the mistreatment they got because they were questioning. If we can keep a positive relationship with them while they are processing things, it communicates that they are welcome and wanted in our fellowship. DeFoor, who left the Adventist Church and later returned, said he represents a boomer generation that had difculty separating salvation in Christ from personal behavior such as Sabbathkeeping. I know we say that the church doesnt teach this, DeFoor said, but certain
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WE lEfT WiTH gREaT gRiEf aNd gREaT loSS.

Another former member described the church as failing to reach out to his family in their time of greatest need. An inactive church member wrote, Although I consider myself an Adventist, I do not currently attend the local church due to the judgmental, resistant

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people give the strong impression that it does teach this. Based on his outreach to other former Adventists, DeFoor said that the Adventist Church needs more emphasis on the teaching and preaching of the Gospels. We need to understand that it must be Jesus rst, DeFoor said. That will lead us to a better understanding of our heavenly Father. Goolsby said the Adventist Church isnt the only faith community seeing a transient membership. She cites a 2008 Boston Globe article, stating that 44 percent of Americans have left the religion traditions in which they grew up.2 Social media has connected our lives, Goolsby said. We are now more aware of what our friends, family, and contemporaries are doing, thinking, and feeling. If those friends have issues or questions about their church or their belief system, they are generally speaking out through social media. This causes people who might not otherwise have questions or issues to suddenly start asking some of the hard questions. Goolsby said a fundamental question to consider is whether the Adventist Church is a one-size-ts-all religion. Does the member, she asked, have to take it all or take nothing? And how does that t with the plan of salvation? Sahlin, who wrote the 1998 report, said that his current research also reects changing perspectives among former Adventists. The relational issues are not as acute as they were in the seventies, eighties, and nineties, Sahlin said. They are still there, but there is this newer issue of how people experience Christian faith. Sahlin said that newer faith issues among Adventists are largely driven by the evangelical critique of Adventismthat its based on salvation by works because of its insistence on the Jewish Sabbath and because of an extrabiblical prophet from which they get their doctrines. Many Adventists today, Sahlin said, arent prepared to handle this critique. The fallout of our own theological debates of the 1980s and 1990s, he said, was a new generation that is uncertain
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about its faith and not well equipped to respond to the evangelical critique. Sahlin said that Adventists have quit making their own biblical critique of the evangelical faith, such as that found in The Great Controversy, Ellen Whites 1911 work. We have tried not to be different, said Sahlin, noting that in the more recent church-published Great Hope, critiques of other denominations are largely absent.

A New Challenge
The reality of members leaving because of doctrine poses a newyet oldchallenge for the Adventist Church. How should we respond? Here are ve suggestions: 1. We should reembrace conversa-

I Had To STudY mY WaY ouT of THE AdvENTiST CHuRcH BEfoRE I could STudY mY WaY Back iNTo iT.
tions about doctrine. The Adventist Church was founded on doctrine, even at the expense of relationships. In the mid-1800s, members of other Christian churches (including Ellen White, a Methodist) spent entire nights comparing the teachings of Scripture with the teachings of their own churches including eternal torment in hell, Sunday sacredness, and a new teaching, the secret rapture. When these members left their home churches to become Seventh-day Adventists, their existing relationships were often strained. Ironically, some of their spiritual ancestors are now leaving the Adventist Church to return to these same teachingsand experiencing the same relational strain. Rather than feel defensive or judgmental, we should welcome respectful dialogue about Scripture with others. It will benet everyone. 2. We must provide the best possible scriptural answers to honest inquiries.

Former Adventists tend to be a sharpminded group that demands solid exegesis, not pat answers. It isnt enough to say the pope changed Sabbath. We must rst show from Scripture alone how Sabbath rest and salvation rest continue to coexist in the New Testament, just as they did in the Old Testament.3 We must also be willing to explain the uncomfortable but historical truth that the early Christian church began to distance itself from the Sabbath largely for the purpose of distancing itself from the Jews.4 At a time when both Christians and Jews are asking questions, sincere questions, about each others faith,5 the Adventist Church is perfectly positioned to teach and model the Judeo-Christian faith of Jesus Christ: one that celebrates new treasures as well as old (Matt. 13:52). 3. We should clear up false understandings. For a myriad of reasons, many former Adventists seem to have serious misunderstandings of Adventist beliefs. One survey respondent wrote: Keeping the Sabbath does not save anyone. Another respondent wrote that she believed Ellen White was inspired by Godbut that she is not our way to salvation. I dont think you have to believe in her to be saved, she wrote. Its truly sad that these former members were taught so erroneously; that they attended our churches and never learned of the all-sufcient grace of Jesus Christ. We must all bear responsibility for this and think about the messages were sending to our children and our members. Consider, for example, how often we pray Thank you for the Sabbath compared to how often we pray Thank you for Jesus. Many survey comments falsely reected an impression that Ellen White dreamed up Adventist beliefswhen in reality her own study and writing complemented, and often trailed, that of other Adventists. Former members, to be fair, have to recognize that its human nature for gifted spiritual leaders to end up becoming too important to their most ardent supporters. Recently an evangelical congregation decided that a certain womans teach-

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ings had become too inuentialso they banned all classes using her materials. The woman? Beth Moore, a leading Christian writer and teacher. The churchs problem wasnt Beth Moore; the churchs problem was nding a sense of balance. The same is true for us. 4. We must recognize that sometimes the enemy is us. We can all think of toxic Adventist congregations or ministries that we frankly wouldnt recommend to anyone. Rather than urge members (or former members) to endlessly stick it out in bad-apple Adventist churches, we should encourage them to nd a healthier Adventist churchor plant a new one full of grace and truth in fresh airspace. New organisms grow faster anyway. We must also recognizeand so must former Adventiststhat every faith community has toxic elements that poorly represent the wider group. The Baptist Church deals with deluded members who scream God hates you at soldiers and gays. Even when functioning normally, every faith community has its strengths and weaknesses. One former Adventist described her childrens experience in their new denomination: I found the strict rules, severe guilt, and the concept of burning forever in hell a terrifying concept to foist upon children. Truly every church, like every church member, at some point cries out: Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Rom. 7:24, 25). 5. We should at least honor the integrity of those who have left. Right or wrong, it takes courage to leave what youve always known. Even as we grieve the departure of those who used to worship with us, we should honor their integrityespecially when compared to Adventist thought leaders and members who reject the authority of Scripture, stay in the church, and try to force it into their own image. This type of member does much greater damage to the kingdom of heaven than former Adventists who retain a high view of Scripture and are seekers for truth.

WHERE THEY AgREE/ WHERE THEY DiSagREE

Former Adventists levels of agreement with Adventist doctrines (from highest to lowest): The life, death, and resurrection of Christ (71.58 percent support all of the doctrine; 28.42 percent support part or none of the doctrine) The Trinity (71.05 all; 28.95 part or none) The Lords Supper (65.79 all; 34.21 part or none) Creation (64.74 all; 35.26 part or none) Second coming of Christ (60.53 all; 39.47 part or none) The experience of salvation (56.84 all; 43.16 part or none) Baptism (57.89 all; 42.11 part or none) New earth (55.79 all; 44.21 part or none) Unity in the body of Christ (55.79 all; 44.21 part or none) Marriage and the family (55.26 all; 44.74 part or none) Death and resurrection (55.26 all; 44.74 part or none) Spiritual gifts and ministries (52.11 all; 47.89 part or none) Stewardship (50.00 all; 50.00 part or none) Christian behavior (48.95 all; 51.05 part or none) The law of God (47.89 all; 52.11 part or none) The Sabbath (45.79 all; 54.21 part or none) Millennium and the end of sin (44.74 all; 55.26 part or none) The great controversy (44.74 all; 55.26 part or none) Christs ministry in the heavenly sanctuary (40.53 all; 59.47 part or none) The church (36.84 all; 63.26 part or none) The gift of prophecy (36.32 all; 63.68 part or none) The remnant and its mission (28.95 all; 71.05 part or none) In the Adventist Churchs earliest days, there was no creed but Scripture; the only litmus test was the nal authority of the Word of God. It should be no different todayas long as someone continues to prayerfully plumb the depths of Scripture, there should be room for them in this church. As one returned Adventist put it: I had to study my way out of the Adventist Church before I could study my way back into it. We should not feel threatened by such journeys. Perhaps the former members who pose the most confusion are those who now seem to nd their identity in being former Adventistsnot unlike divorced persons forever identifying themselves as someones former spouse. Ironically, publications and Web sites centered on being former Adventists have grown wearisome even to other former Adventists. Its like theyve just moved their chairs to the other side of the table, said a former member. The message that seems to emanate from these groups is that Adventists cant possibly know the assurance in Christ that they do. This is a bold assertion to make about anyone. Even as Adventists have been guilty of misjudging others, former Adventists should be careful about doing the same toward the people they used to worship with. Members who have left would do much better to keep their focus on Christ and their new Christian communities and
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avoid the inherently negative spirit of former Adventist groups.

Is It Join Hands or Sing Songs?

At the close of the survey, respondents were asked: Would you try the Adventist Church again? Forty-six percent said they would. These 46 percent are more than a gure. Theyre moms and dads who squeezed into tiny cradle rolls chairs next to us. Theyre old roommates who still show up at alumni weekend. Theyre boomer men and women who battle lingering frustration about the way they were raised and still arent sure who the real Adventists are. Theyre good, sensitive people who hated worrying about the time of trouble but who arent too wild about eternal hellre, either. Theyre Christians who, deep in their hearts, are ne with most Adventist doctrine, with most Adventist culture, with most Adventist peoplebut who simply wish for an Adventist Church in

which Scripture is authoritative and Jesus Christ reigns above all. Theyre also the people who can help get us there. We would be blessed to have them back. n
1 G. Jeffrey MacDonald, Adventists Back-to-Basics Faith Is Fastest-Growing U.S. Church, USA Today, Mar. 17, 2011. 2 Ellen Goodman, Shopping for Religion, Boston Globe, Feb. 29, 2008, p. A15. 3 For a more in-depth discussion of New Testament Sabbath references, see Andy Nash, Unrest Over a Rest Day, Adventist Review, Feb. 9, 2012. 4 Christians must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honouring the Lords Day; and, if they can, resting then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ (Canon XXIX, Council of Laodicea, A.D. 364). 5 In Why the Jews Rejected Jesus (New York: Random House, 2005) Jewish author David Klinghoffer writes: No authentic Messiah would inspire a religion that ended up calling upon the Jews to reject the manifest meaning of Sinai (p. 215).

Andy Nash is a journalism and religion professor at Southern Adventist UniversitY. His new book is called THE HaYSTacKS CHURcH (Review and Herald Publishing).

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Back to Basics

Rock Solid
Last montH was BiZarre! THe pope resigned. A meteorite strucK
Russia, injuring about 1,500 people. The world-famous South African Blade Runner, Oscar Pistorius, was arrested for murder. Things are looking pretty shaky. The world needs a rock on which to lean. The human family has always been fascinated with rocks. In the book Patriarchs and Prophets Ellen White painted a poignant picture of the one Moses struck in the wilderness (Num. 20:8-11). Popular legends circulated among the rabbis of Pauls day. They told elaborate, almost grotesque, stories about it; some suggesting that the rock was round, like a beehive, and rolled along the desert behind the people, stopping where they halted in their journey so that they never thirsted again. Some said the smitten rock was a divine act unique to their society and sufcient to assure salvation for their people. Paul detected the development of a similar attitude regarding Christianity among the believers in Corinth and addressed it in his rst letter to them. He made a daring challenge to such erroneous concepts and underscored the danger that closely resembled the errors of Israel. He wrote, For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from a spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did (1 Cor. 10:1-6). Paul used the experience and privileges of ancient Israel to emphasize that they were all under a cloud of salvation. They followed their human leader with such dedication that Paul described them as those who were baptized [immersed] into Moses when they passed through the divided waters of the Red Sea. They also ate the same spiritual food, a kind of communion, or Lords Supper; and drank the refreshing water that owed from the smitten rock to quench their thirst, water being a symbol of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). But they failed to realize that the Rock was Christ. Not a likeness of Him, but Christ Himself. To Paul, that Rock was not simply something familiar and common, but something more intimate and tender: Christ our Righteousness. Yet many of those who witnessed the miracle of the smitten rock in the wilderness failed to see this. They fell by the wayside. They suffered the ultimate punishment for sin: not making it to the Promised Land. The same can be true of us if we do not accept Christ as a person with whom we develop an intimate relationship that is driven by faith. When we lack the power of a vivid imagination, we too can doubt His promises and make the same mistake as ancient Israel. We can forget that it is Christ, and Christ alone, who girds us with mysterious strength to meet the challenges of life. It is Christ who supplies all our needs and inspires new hope every moment of every day. It is Christ who is ever-present, and from whom nothing can separate us (Rom. 8:37-39). He is our rock and our salvation. God has given our generation a greater opportunity than was afforded the Israelites: Christ has been revealed in Jesus, the one who was smitten for us, and by whose stripes we are healed (Isa. 53:1-6). Christ lives in His believers. From His gracious lips come invitations beckoning us to know Him more intimately, trust Him more completely, and enter into the joy of His fellowship more consistently. Those invitations dare us to count on Him, lean on His strength, and bask in the light of His truth. Then we too shall drink and keep on drinking of that spiritual rock. Unlike early Israel, we know that Rock is Jesus Christ, who offers salvation to all who believe (John 1:12).
Hyveth Williams is a homiletics professor at the Seventh-daY Adventist Theological SeminarY.

Williams

Hyveth

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Adventist Life

One (happy) Meal

TRUSTInG GOD FOR OUR DAIlY BREAD

With a Pie on the Side

BY LEONORA SPENCER

n July 2005 the rain came down, the wind blew, and suddenly and unexpectedly I was without a doubt displaced. (Displaced sounds more palatable than homeless.) Abruptly, my car became my new home. I could not believe it! Life as I knew it had changed. What at rst seemed to be an easy resolve, overnight became a relentless nightmare. It was hard to accept that my insurance company, which happily received my payments annually, had become my worst enemy, Living out of my car was interesting, to say the least. Many nights I fell asleep in my back seat with a hammer for protection and a ashlight to see what I needed to hitall the while asking, God, where are You? and pleading, Please help me. Throughout my life Ive experienced some very exigent situations; yet no matter what happened, I could always nd enough faith and Scripture to see my way through. This time, however, the events were unprecedented.

Broadening Perspectives
This sudden new life as a reluctant vagabond resulted in my questioning everything and everyone, including God. Before then I had presumed that if I were ever in dire need, I would be able to turn to obvious resources. Not so. I did, however, uncover a group of choristers singing similar tunes of Im praying for you. I came to abhor those words. I didnt want anyone to shoo me away with Im praying for you. Instead I needed someone to stop and simply pray with me, or perhaps ask, What can I do to help? During that time I found it difcult to pray for myself. My faith also was derailed by those who, like Jobs comforters, suggested that my predicament was the result of some secret sin or that God was trying to teach me a lesson. Out of sheer frustration, if not anger, I countered with such comments as: Since were all sinners bound to experience adversity, what will happen when its your turn? Perhaps, I pon-

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dered, my lesson might be an opportunity for others to show compassion or to help in some way. Obviously, though, their words and actions indicated that my situation involved only me.

Until the Storm Passes

I was born to a country girl who once witnessed a person get struck by lightning. She therefore taught her children and grandchildren an unwavering code of conduct during a storm: Be still until the storm passes! Until the storm passes that is what my state of affairs had become: a storm, a really bad storm. So I did what I had been taught; I became very still. In the silence I came to understand that life is not ultimately about the storms or the losses. Instead, its about learning to trust God. We need to be still and to submit our

I NEEDED SOmEONE tO pRAY WITH mE, OR pERhApS ASK, WHat can I do to Help?

lives completely to Him. When I nally totally surrendered my life to God, He impressed these words upon my heart: Lord, teach us to pray (Luke 11:1) and Give us today our daily bread (Matt. 6:11). As I meditated on these Bible verses, I realized that in spite of my circumstances and regardless of all of my questions, the Holy Spirit had given me the words I needed to begin to talk to God again. And so I began: Give us today our daily bread. This scripture illuminated my path and allowed me to see the bread: gas in my car; clean clothes to wear; a sample pair of hose; stamps found; food court samples; a kind representative for my lender, who gave me a few months of reprieve; a call from a caring friend; a buy-one, get-one-free sale; friends who opened their homes to me; a free oil change; and on and on and on. Day

by day, whatever I needed, God provided!

Thankful in All Circumstances

I truly am thankful for my time of homelessness. It was a two-and-a-halfyear journey that Ill never forget. It taught me to consider, catch sight of, and, above all, appreciate my daily breadand to trust God more fully than I ever had before. In the end I lost my two-year battle with the insurance company. When I received the news, I distracted myself by cleaning out my car. And wouldnt you know it, I found what I needed for that day: enough change for one (happy) meal with a pie on the side! Gods Word is sure! Thank You, Lord, for our daily bread. n
Leonora Spencer is a writer residing in Georgia.

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Biblical Studies

Wilderness
the Epidemic
Not Again!
BY GERALD A. KLINGBEIL
This is the second installment of a series of articles focusing upon the book of Numbersa must-read for those waiting to enter the Promised Land.1Editors note. ot again! Young Michal turned around to see who had uttered these words so passionately. She had been busy since early morning. It was Friday and tomorrow it would not be there. It was whitish and sweet like cake with honey. Michal loved itbut then she had not known much else. When it had rst been found around the camp somebody had wondered manna?what is it?and that had become its name. Michal liked manna, and mother had become quite the expert in preparing it in different ways. At times she would grind it into some type of our; on other days she would boil it in a pot or bake it into a cake. Nobody had seen manna growevery morning it was just there, like the few dew drops on the forlorn grass shoots. I am sick and tired of this sweet, soft nothing, Michal heard the female voice speak again. I wish I could eat something else. Oh, do you remember the wonderful sh dish with onions and garlic that your aunt used to make for us? another voice said wistfully. Yes, and those melonswerent they just delicious? Egypt, well, those were the good ol days. There was silence as people bent down and picked up more manna for the Sabbath. Michal searched to link the voices to facesbut was unable to do so. She loved manna and sneaked a handful of the sweet stuff into her mouth. It tasted likewellmore. Yes, it was sweet, and yes, it had a unique texture. But when Michal closed her eyes while eating, she could smell and taste a different land, with green pastures and soft winds rippling through the treetops. She thought she could hear the noise of lazy waves lapping on a shoreit just sounded like freedom.2

In

the

N
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Complaining seems to be part and parcel of human nature. Not again! my Hebrew students would exclaim when I reminded them of their weekly quiz. Not again! we shout when we wrestle with the why. Not again! is usyou and Ishaking our heads (and at times our sts) at God. Not again! became a trademark of Israels wilderness experience. Numbers recounts numerous occasions someone complained about something. In Numbers 11:1 the people complain about something. Scripture is not clear, but in response God sends re that consumes some on the outskirts of the camp. In typical fashion Israel cries out to Moses, who in turn intercedes before the Lord on their behalf, and the re subsides (verse 2). Only one verse into chapter 11 the mixed multitude (or rabble, as verse 4 states) decide that they have had it with mannaand crave the culinary riches of Egypt: Who will give us meatand sh, and cucumbers, and melons, and leeks, and onions, and garlic? (cf. verse 5). The list could go on and on. A people in the wilderness, unhappy about food, water, leadership, Gods direction, andultimatelythe future. A people who had heard the voice from the mountain, who had marched through the waters, who had seen Gods mighty actsand yet this all didnt seem to matter when it came to the nitty-gritty of

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daily life. Their God seemed to be far removed. Their trust was underdeveloped. Their commitment was vacillating. Somehow that sounds familiar. We too struggle with the reality of God in the nitty-gritty of daily life. We too are quick to shout and screamand murmur when we feel that life is not fair. We too, at times, raise our sts toward heaven and shout Why? completely forgetting that God sheds more tears about our pain than we can ever produce. The book of Numbers has a very unique structure, pivoting around the two generations of Israelold and new. Interestingly, a quick scan of the rst 10 chapters of Numbers results in many references to faithful compliance: God tells Moses (and, by extension, Israel) to count all the men aged 20 and above check (1:54). God organizes their living space and the camp arrangementcheck (2:34). When God wants a census of the Levites, Moses and the people comply (3:16). The rstborns are to be numbered and redeemedcheck (3:42). When the Levites need to be formally ordained for their special ministry, Moses and the people follow through (8:20). Every time there is a fulllment formula that sounds something like this: And X did Y according to the word of the Lord. God speaksMoses and the people comply. What else is needed? It worksdont x it. And yet, isnt there more to this life with God? The master-slave mentality

still seems to shine through here. Obedience, yes, but is there not another important element that should characterize the human-divine relationship? Beginning in Numbers 11 the facade begins to crack. Instead of obedience (or at least compliance) we nd complaints, suspicion, and even open rebellion. Everybody is affected. It starts with the mixed multitude and catches on with the people, affecting even Moses as he complains to God about his lot of leading a wayward people. Miriam and

ThEiR GOD SEEmED tO bE fAR REmOVED. ThEiR tRUSt wAS UNDERDEVELOpED. ThEiR cOmmitmENt wAS VAciLLAtiNg.
Aaron weigh in and criticize not only Moses leadership but also his marriage and tribal loyalty. When the going gets tough, when the time gets longer, erstwhile obedient Israel suddenly becomes suspicious, complaining, and doubleguessing Israel.

X-ray of a Complaint
An example of the anatomy of murmurings can be found in Numbers 12.

The chapter follows a veritable collection of complaints described in Numbers 11. It seems that murmurings tend to multiplythe spirit behind them is contagious. You remember the colds or us that affect the entire family during wintersomehow they always catch on! In Numbers 12 the rst two verses teach a signicant lesson: The purported reason of the complaint may not always be its true cause. The Hebrew text in verse 1 tells us that Miriam and Aaron talked against Moses because of his Cushite wife. Twice the ethnic origin of Zipporah is mentioned, which is another way of pushing our nose into the problem: A Cushite, a foreigner, an outsidercan you imagine that? However, while Moses marriage (and questions of inuence) may have been an issue, the real complaint goes much deeper: God does not only speak through MosesHe has also spoken through us. The core issue of Aarons and Miriams murmurings did not involve some abstract theological point of contention concerning revelation. Miriam and Aaron felt cut outthey wanted to belong to the inside circle. Verse 2 closes with the ominous: And the Lord heard this, reminding us that there is a heavenly dimension to our complaints and murmuringsespecially when they happen inside the church. Gods response to this complaint is quick and decisive. After Aaron, Miriam, and Moses have gathered at the entrance of the tabernacle, the Lord
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comes down in a pillar of cloud. This is a crucial moment affecting divine leadership and communicationthus Gods swift response. Apparently Aaron and Miriam had not been part of the 70 elders that God had empowered to share Moses leadership duties in Numbers 11:16-25. Perhaps they were jealous of Moses privileged standing with God. Perhaps they had gotten used to being the top dogs and now felt unappreciated. The Bible is not entirely clear as to the true reason for their murmurings. However, Scripture is unequivocally clear about Gods response. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? (Num. 12:8). Here is another valuable lesson from Numbers 12: When we murmur and mumble against other people (or God), we forget who we really are and what our position in life is. We are not the center of the universe. We are frail human beings with large egos, often lacking sound judgment and a true recognition of our place in life.

The Domino Effect

Epidemics are not very selective. In the fourteenth century the Black Death raced through Europe and decimated the population of an entire continent by an estimated 50 percent. The spirit of murmurings and complaints is similar to an epidemic. Within a worldwide church it multiplies quickly (unfortunately the relative anonymity of the information age often makes the infection rate more rapid). While we may complain about one thing, the real issue at stake is often not mentioned and represents a hidden agenda. In our murmurings and railings against God (or anybody else) we

Leprosy
Can you imagine the shock on everybodys face as the cloud lifted? Miriam was covered with whitish patches on her skin: leprosy. Everybody stepped backaghast. Leprosy meant isolation. Leprosy meant no access to God through the sanctuary.3 Leprosy meant dying every day while everyone watched from afar. Aaron pleads for his sister and Moses (the object of their murmurings) prays to the Lord. This is not a nicely formulated prayer spoken in well-measured cadences. It is a shout of anguish, a cry that reverberates down through the ages. Please heal her. The Hebrew text employs the same word used to describe Moses intercession during the earlier murmuring attack noted in Numbers (11:1). It had already appeared in similar contexts in Exodus 15:25 and 17:4 when Moses cried to God to provide water for the people. I like this valuable lesson from Numbers: Our murmurings cause pain (both for ourselves and for others). God heard Moses anguished cryand restored Miriam.
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WE ARE fRAiL hUmAN bEiNgS with LARgE EgOS, OftEN LAcKiNg SOUND JUDgmENt AND A tRUE REcOgNitiON Of OUR pLAcE iN LifE.
often forget who we really areclay, fragile earthen vessels, a race in rebellion. Ultimately, our murmurings always cause pain. We hurt people. We wound ourselves, and we cause pain to the One who gave Himself so that we would be able to choose life. Yet, there is another type of domino effect.4 It moves more quietly and may not always be clearly visibleyet it is as powerful as the epidemics (past and present) that ravage entire continents. Sixty-three years ago, somewhere in a neighborhood of post-World War II Cape Town, South Africa, an overworked and worn-out woman, pregnant with her sixth child, lay in bed, sick and worried. A devout Catholic and married to a hardworking husband who was not really interested in religion, with a house full of hungry and lively children, she felt very discouraged.

An Adventist neighbor had put her name down for prayer at an evangelistic meeting that was underway in town. The evangelist, a native of England, in turn visited the family and offered to pray. His soft-spoken prayers reminded Eileen of Gods unending love. A Bible study ensued, marked by many visits and shared scripture and a husband who slowly began to discover this God of Scripture. Following many months of Bible studies Eileen and Albert decided to be baptized and began a lifelong journey of spiritual growth. A visit and loving prayer changed the course for an entire family touching many generationsmy wifes extended familyfor Eileen and Albert were my wifes grandparents. Both of them have passed to their restthey await the coming of Jesus somewhere in a cemetery in Cape Town. Yet, their decision changed not only their lives, but also my wifes andultimatelymy life. Stemming the tide of negative sentiments takes courage. Speaking out when the majority roars for blood requires pluck. Numbers teaches us that we can avoid this epidemic of negativity and murmurings. We are called to stick to the Master and walk humbly before God. We are invited to consciously decide to be the positive inuence in the midst of a sea of negativity and criticism (remember Caleb and Joshua!). Its not an easy taskbut its Gods way: one kind act, one encouraging word, one gentle hug that generates another kind act and more encouraging words and many gentle hugsand ultimately beats the epidemic. n
1 See Gerald A. Klingbeil, In the Wilderness: Of Tassels, Wanderings, and the Promised Land, Adventist Review, May 10, 2012, pp. 20-22. 2 This ctional narrative is based on Numbers 11. 3 Thats most likely also the reason Aaron was not struck by leprosyit would have made the priestly service impossible. 4 Gerald A. Klingbeil, The Domino Effect, Adventist Review, Apr. 26, 2012, p. 6.

Gerald A. Klingbeil is an associate editor of the ADvENTIST REvIEw who has seen the antidote against the epidemic at work in his own life.

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Bookmark

Life Is Good: The Best Is Yet to Come

William G. Johnsson, Review and Herald Publishing Association, Hagerstown, Maryland, 96 pages, $8.99, softcover. Reviewed by Stephen Chavez, coordinating editor, Adventist Review. The question many people are asking about religion today is not Is it the

truth? but Is it relevant? An increasing number are deciding that religion is not wrong or misguided its just irrelevant. William Johnsson, former editor of Adventist Review, has produced a book that in fewer than 100 pages doesnt argue the existence of God; it merely explains how some of the simplest life experiences point inexorably to the reality of a loving, personal, divine Being. In a personal, nonthreatening, nonjudgmental way, Johnsson explains his

convictions about life and the hereafter. He acknowledges that after looking at the same evidence, people may come away with different conclusions. In fact, the rst half of the book examines the claims of some of societys greatest skeptics. But he concludes: We live in perpetual trust that Someone bigger than we are has drawn us to Him. For anyone whos struggled with doubt, or those who know someone who has, this book is an invaluable, thought-provoking resource. n

At Rest
BIEBER, F. W. Billb. Apr. 13, 1916; d. Oct. 29, 2012, College Place, Wash. He served as a religion teacher at Oshawa Missionary College and as MV and educational superintendent of the British Columbia, Wisconsin, and Northern Union conferences. He also served as principal of Wisconsin Academy and president of the South Dakota and Idaho conferences. He was predeceased by his wife, Viola; and one son, Billie Bruce. He is survived by one daughter, Sherene Bieber. FRAME, Robert R.b. Nov. 23, 1915, New South Wales, Australia; d. Nov. 5, 2012, Hendersonville, N.C. He served in the treasury ofce of the South Pacic Division, then as secretary-treasurer and later as president of the Papua New Guinea Mission. He served as assistant treasurer, secretary, and president of the South Pacic Division, associate secretary of the General Conference, and president of the Adventist Media Center. He is survived by his wife, Peggy; one son, Peter; one daughter, Judy; and two granddaughters. LELAND, John H.b. Mar. 1, 1924, San Diego, Calif.; d. July 30, 2012, Ooltewah, Tenn. He served as a medical recruiting ofcer for the KentuckyTennessee Conference and as a practicing physician in Crestwood, Kentucky. He also served in prison ministry at the Kentucky State Penitentiary. He is survived by his wife, Floreen; two sons, James and John; three daughters, Joleen Horine, Jennifer Huck, and Anne Blanchard; 10 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. MARTIN, Chester L.b. Sept. 5, 1918; d. Oct. 28, 2012, Port Charlotte, Fla. He worked in printing for Washington Adventist University and the Review and Herald Publishing Association. He is survived by his wife, Camilla; one daughter, Sharon F. Dickson-Kadel; three grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. MARTZ, Dowell Edwardb. Sept. 29, 1923, Livonia, Mo.; d. Feb. 9, 2012, Bakerseld, Calif. He served as a physics professor at Pacic Union College. He is survived by his wife, Mabel; two sons, Martin and Marc; and two daughters, Merri and Marjorie Emerson. MILLER, Henry R.b. Feb. 15, 1930, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.; d. May 18, 2012, Mesa, Ariz. He served as a teacher in Easton Elementary School in Pennsylvania and Thunderbird Elementary School in Arizona. He is survived by his wife, Anna; one son, Hugh R.; and one step-grandson. MOORES, Robert M.b. Aug. 4, 1944, Oshawa, Ont.; d. Dec. 14, 2012, Halifax, N.S. He served as secretary-treasurer of the East African Union and Maritime Conference; as treasurer of the China Island Union Mission and TransEuropean and Northern Asia-Pacic divisions. He also served as an auditor for the West and East Indonesia unions and the Far Eastern Division. He is survived by his wife, Eileen; three daughters, Heather Harrington, Holly Bruestle, and Merrilee Moores; one brother, Clarence; one sister, Glenda Madgwick; and three grandchildren. PATCHEN, Glenn A.b. June 26, Coeur dAlene, Idaho; d. Nov. 5, 2012, Wenatchee, Wash. He served as an obstetrician/gynecologist. He is survived by his wife, Valerie; two sons, Greg and Garth; one daughter, Genelle Pepple; one brother, Gary; one sister, Gloria Kupferman; and seven grandchildren. RICHARDS, Sibyl P.b. Apr. 24, 1923, Mobile, Ala.; d. June 11, 2012, Westeld, Ind. She served as a teacher at Battle Creek Academy and as girls dean at Wisconsin Academy. She is survived by one daughter, Mary Ann Smith; and three grandchildren. SHANK, E. Ruthb. Nov. 7, 1932, Clayton, Ohio; d. Apr. 18, 2012, Sebring, Fla. She served as a parish nurse for Florida Hospital Heartland in Avon Park and Sebring. She is survived by four sons, John, Joe, Eirek Heintz, and Donald Trembly; and one daughter, Disa Gibbons.
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Journeys With Jesus

A Seless 6-Year-Old
It was a typical day at scHool. I was Halfway tHrougH my mornings
work of teaching pianohalfway through listening to scales, nger exercises, hymns, and gospel songs, reading chord charts, and teaching improvisation. Some students had practiced hard, and some hadnt. Some kids were incredibly gifted, and some made up for that lack by diligence and perseverance. The morning had gone wellnothing earth-shattering, just the normal routine of daily life. I stepped out of the music room into the hallway to nd my next student, little knowing that my morning was about to change. The teacher had just dismissed her multigrade class for recess, and I paused to watch the exodus. Children ran down the hallway, eager to get to the gym for playtime. Their voices rose as they laughed and argued, as kids everywhere do. I smiled as little girls joined hands to play jump rope, while the boys started shooting baskets in a corner. What a joy to have freedom from classes for a moment. Doesnt every child love recess? (Doesnt every teacher love recess?) As I turned to enter the classroom, the moment happened. Just as I reached for the door handle, the door opened suddenly, and I found myself looking down at a very cute little guy. Navy-blue pants and a light-blue polo. A short, almost buzzed, cut of blond hair. He was our only rst grader this year. Good morning, James.* How are you? My question came out almost automatically. Rhetorically. I smiled at him and turned to enter the classroom. His response stopped me in my tracks. Hi, Miss Jill. How is your day going today? Had I just heard right? Had a little boya rst graderactually asked about my day? I let go of the handle and allowed the door to shut behind me. We were alone in the hallway. Oh, there was lots of commotion, but we were somehow shut inhe and Iin this moment of time. I stooped down and looked into his brown eyes. Thanks for asking, James! My day is going very wellespecially now. How about you? The moment had almost passed for him. He was already reaching into his locker for his midmorning snack. Oh, its going really good. He pulled out his lunch box. Still blown away by his interest in others, by his unselshness, I tried again. And whats made your day so good, James? He grinned as he munched on some crackers, crumbs on his ngers and around his mouth. Thats easy. I have food right here to eat, and I have two good friends. Food and friends. Thats a pretty good combination, I thought as he ran off to play. But in reality he had much more than that. Oh, he had a good home, good parents and siblings; but somehow I sensed that wasnt all. His was an unselsh heart. A caring heart. A heart that thought of others even though he was only 6 years old. As I entered the music room with my next student, the day seemed different. Brighter somehow. All through the rest of the morning I pondered the sermon I had seenlived out through the life of a child. What was God, through this experience, calling me to do? Was He asking me to get out of myself? Yes. Would my worldview change if I lived each day speaking an encouraging word, seeking to lift up my sister or brother, searching for ways to bless others? Absolutely. Wasnt this our gospel commission: Go, therefore, and teach and love others; preach and show Jesus; baptize and live His life (see Matt. 28:19, 20)? Its a calling Hes placed on my heart. What about yours? n
* not his real name Jill MoriKone is a music teacher, a church pianist, and a host on the 3ABN TODaY cooking segments.

Jill Morikone

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Reflections

The Beauty of Scars

I Have worried too mucH in my life, even aBout little tHings sucH as
scars. As ridiculously vain as it may sound, the imperfections of scars annoyed me, for they told the secrets of my less-than-graceful moments. At the end of my sophomore year of college I shattered my patella while horseback riding. The orthopedist offered me a choice: surgery or take my chances with casting. The former choice, he added, would leave a visible scar. I found myself in the casting room moments later. Why? Because scars scared me. That changed one day when my perspective shifted through the words of a dear friend. Kimi was one of my roommates in an apartment of four during a mission service year in Pohnpei, a Micronesian island in the Pacic. After a day of teaching, the four of us could often be found discussing life. On this particular day I was selshly lamenting over yet another scar when Kimi nonchalantly said, Scars just mean you lived. I dont think I ever told her how much those words meant, how they changed my view. But it was true. Scars have a way of telling a small piece of our life story. The scar holds a memory, an adventure, a risk, and a point in time. To live greatly, scars are often required. However, scars run deeper than mere discolorations or raised, jagged lines on the surface of your skin. Emotional scars cannot be hidden. The face speaks volumes from stone-cold eyes to a single tear to a grimace to a furrowed brow to disengagement, etc. And sadly, our world is full of such scars. While I have learned to take Kimis advice and accept my external scars, I nd myself reserved in other venues of life. Im honored to hear others candidly express their stories, yet I often limit what I share. While grateful that life has been kind to spare me from the jading of emotional scars, I continuously nd myself putting up walls. Perhaps its my personality, or perhaps my old fear of scars overshadows things. I build walls because walls prevent scarring. Walls also prevent you from living fully. There are survival scars. When I consider the cancer survivor, the multitrauma survivor, the prisoner of war, the mother saving her child, I see their scars as badges of honor. They have conquered their scars and emerged stronger than before. I nd myself admiring their characters, and the scars suddenly look beautiful. When I ponder what it means to live a truly great life of valor, of honor, of compassion, and of altruism, I think of Christ. Then it struck me. Christs perfection allowed His hands to be pierced and scarred by nails in order to save us, to erase our lthy scars eternally. His scars removed ours. Now, His scars remain in representation of the gift. I picture Christs hands in my mind, and Ive decided His hands hold the most beautiful scars our world has ever seen. I keep thinking that I should not let the beautiful scars be without cause. Perhaps I should give more. Perhaps I should risk more. Perhaps I should stop letting walls prevent me from living an authentic life of purpose. Kimi was right. Scars mean you lived. I understand now what I could not before: scars hold true beauty. And I need to wholeheartedly clasp Christs scarred hands in thanks. n
Stacey Cunningham writes from Loma Linda, California.

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