The Overflow
Schedule When this paper reaches you, the editor will be in a meeting in Blytheville, Arkansas. His schedule for the next few weeks is as follows: Steele, Missouri, March 15-25; Spur, Texas, March 26-April 4; Levelland, Texas, April 8-15; Tucson, Arizona (Country Club), April 22-29; Medford, Oklahoma, April 30-May 9; Indianapolis, Indiana (Irvington), May 13-23.
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Thinking Toward Unity
Methodism's Bishop G. Bromley Oxnam has some highly stimulating things to say in his newly published book, "On This Rock," concerning the movement toward church unity. He declares that "Perhaps the surest way to progress is to unite the great families of similar tradition first... Whatever may be the method eventually used, certain it is that upon confession of Peter the united church will be built . . . if we are but Christian enough, persistent enough, intelligent enough." And how simple it will all be once men can forget the pomp and show and traditions of earth, and humbly and sincerely accept the authority of him whom Peter confessed.
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One Hundred Percent
With the baptism of Ronald Gagliardi a few weeks ago, the student body of Florida Christian College became one hundred percent members of the church. There is not a student nor a faculty member there now who is not a member of the body of Christ.
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Home To Roost
For many years Ernest Beam of California has been a strong advocate of the "majority rule" idea of church government. On the night of February 14, the Central Church in Long Beach withdrew fellowship from Beam, his father, and three or four others. When the elders announced their decision in the matter, they asked all the congregation who agreed with them to express it by standing up. When brother Beam saw that practically the whole congregation agreed with the elders, he delivered a strong speech against majority rule! We wonder what kind of speech he would have delivered if the vast majority of the congregation had expressed themselves as being against the action of the elders?
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Oops! Our Mistake
A few weeks ago on this page we commented on the great "change" that had come over brother Gene Smith—from the most vicious, violent, vituperator to the sweetest, softest, livingest, and most angelic editor we'd ever known. Seems we were slightly mistaken. Gene resented our little piece, and came back with some touches of the old sulphur and brimstone. He thanks God through a whole page that he has "changed"—but in the same page he manages to accuse us of dishonesty and insincerity several times over. In fact, we believe it wouldn't take too much provocation to cause Gene to snatch off his halo and start belaboring us with it in the same old fashion of yester-year.
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With Apologies To Ogden Nash
A hard to understand situation which Prevails Is that the majority of church members seem to be Females.
I wondered and wondered why this is And then The answer came: it probably lies in the fact that most preachers, in the brotherhood at least, Are men.
— Jack G. Dunn
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We Know What He Meant
"Few things are quite as difficult as trying to preach in a poorly ventilated church. An old fashioned minister was preaching in a tight, unventilated church, in which by some means a window had been left partly open. A good deacon during the sermon closed it. The minister stopped, and turning to the deacon, said in aggrieved and solemn tones, Brother, if I were preaching in a jug, I do believe you would put the cork in."
— Gospel Advocate, 1877
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False Miracles
Remember those incredible "miracles" of last summer in which the Virgin Mary was supposed to have made personal appearances to a Catholic farm woman in Wisconsin, as well as to two or three other people? The public press in America had a field day of the affair, giving it tremendous publicity, running pictures showing scores of thousands of people swarming over the farm, etc., etc. Well, comes now the official Vatican paper, "L'Osservatore Romano," declaring that it was all a hoax and "blind religiosity." Which is one of the most sensible things we have read from a Catholic source in a long, long time.
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We Knew It Would Come
Three or four weeks ago we published an article from brother Charles Holt of Mount Pleasant, Texas, in which he raised some questions concerning the scripturalness of caring for orphan children under institutional arrangements. We knew somebody would get excited. And sure enough one of our readers sends an indignant letter wanting to know how many orphan children brother Holt is caring for! For the information of that reader, and of any others who may be interested, we will say that Charles Holt is personally giving more each month to the support of orphan children than some congregations of a thousand members reporting through some of the orphan homes papers which we receive. If the contributions made to the orphan homes represent all these churches do by way of caring for orphan children, then brother Holt is himself alone doing more than some congregations of many hundreds of members. Any more questions?
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Explanation
The sermon was over, and the service dismissed. One brother shook hands with the preacher at great length, saying he had "enjoyed" that sermon more than any he had heard in years. "Just what was it you especially liked about the sermon," asked the pleased preacher, fishing for still more flattery. "Well, to tell the truth, parson," replied the parishoner, "I hate all kinds of preaching; I like no preaching. And that sermon today was the nearest to no preaching I've listened to in many a year!"