“my heart is stirred by a noble theme” · 2016. 3. 21. · cliff goldstein never disappoints in...

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Vol. 191, No. 12

Affordable Health Care

LLUMC Performs 500th Liver Transplant

Feel the Rhythm—Smell the Roses

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April 24, 2014

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“MY HEARTIS STIRRED BY A NOBLE THEME”

P o e t r y

b y A n d

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“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.

17 “My Heart Is Stirred by a Noble Theme”LaeL Caesar

Honoring God in verse and rhyme

StrayeuniCe Fisher

23 HymnsLord, We Come Unto Your TableKris O. Widmer

Everlasting Dayray hetLand

Beyond TodayGraCe a. mentzeL

26 Rhymed VerseFree IndeedBrian d. CLendenOn

Let There Be SpringdOris sanders

My Choiceann inGermansOn

The Cathedral WindowFred J. huGhes

4 Letters

7 Page 7

8 World News & Perspectives

11 Give & Take

31 Reflections

17 21 10 6

The Conversion of Harry OrchardA story of intimidation, murder, and redemption

12 Feel the Rhythm—Smell the RosesGeraLd a. KLinGBeiL

Reading the poetry of the Bible without being a poet

18 Free VerseMillenniumJ. BruCe ashtOn

Juxtapositionida rOnaszeGi

CastleseuniCe Fisher

Gray Is a Color, TooandreW hansOn

ARTICLES

DEPARTMENTS 6 GeraLd a. KLinGBeiL

Affordable Health Care

7 CarLOs medLeyCome Boldly

COVER FEATURE EDITORIALS

NexT Week

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, Operations Manager Merle Poirier, Financial Manager Rachel Child, editorial Assistant Marvene Thorpe-Baptiste, Marketing Director Claude Richli, editor-at-Large Mark A. Finley, Senior Advisor E. Edward Zinke, Art Director Bryan Gray, Design Daniel Añez, Desktop Technician Fred Wuerstlin, Ad Sales Glen Gohlke, Subscriber Services Steve Hanson. To Writers: Writer’s 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: Writer’s Guidelines, adventist review, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600. E-mail: [email protected]. 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 prominent photos are © Thinkstock 2014. 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 © 2014, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. Vol. 191, No. 12.

Subscriptions: Thirty-six issues of the weekly adventist review, US$36.95 plus US$44.00 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: [email protected]. OR call 1-800-456-3991, or 301-393-3257. Subscription queries: [email protected]. OR call 1-800-456-3991, or 301-393-3257.

| www.AdventistReview.org | April 24, 20144 (356)

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Vol. 191, No. 7

Into Dark Places

Media Professionals

Meet in Baltimore

The Green-striped

Downy Comforter

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March 13, 2014

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.org

CHURCH.GOD’S

AUTHORITYIN

LIKEJESUS

SErVING

Letters from our reAders

inbox

Three Decisions » Thank you for publishing

Tanya Kennedy’s article “Three Decisions” (Mar. 20, 2014). There is so much pain in families today. Abuse can happen to anyone, young or old, rich or poor. I’m thank-ful Kennedy shared her story. Perhaps it will give someone else the courage to change their circumstances.

DAN SANChEz

Plainville, Kansas

The Middle Space » I was interested in Jimmy

Phillips’ article “The Middle Space” (Mar. 13, 2014). No, I hadn’t heard of Ryan Bell, ex-Adventist pastor who has recently become an atheist, before reading the article. What does Bell expect from his experiment, which takes everything of God out of his life for a whole year? It is a surrender to Satan.

In his column Phillips makes a comparison of the tensions between faith in God and the absence of faith in atheism, and uses this as a

comparison between living the spiritual life and the common struggle we all have with lusts of the flesh.

This seems a little bit like comparing figs with rocks—there is a big difference between atheism and com-mon Christian struggles! Christians may sometimes vacillate, but an atheist is determined to deny God all the time.

In spite of some differ-ences of opinion, Phillips’ column was worth printing and reading.

In that same issue was a great article by Darius Jankiewicz, “Serving Like Jesus,” about Christlike authority in the church. The only thing I took issue with was the statement that “in Christian history the lowly term ‘pastor’ has become a symbol of status.” While this may be true for some, it was my favorite “shepherd name” to be called by my parishio-ners. To me, it’s a title of service!

ERTIS L. JOhNSON

Elk City, Oklahoma

Keeping the heart in heaven

» Thank you for publishing Rex Edwards’ powerful essay on Christian meditation, “Keeping the Heart in Heaven” (Mar. 13). He is

right. It is not enough, as the disciples on the road to Emmaus learned, to talk about Jesus without realiz-ing that He is present.

I especially appreciated the way that Edwards located Ellen White’s counsel about meditation within the over-all history of Christianity, not hesitating to quote, where appropriate, Puritans, Quakers, and Catholics.

Revival in our denomina-tion depends on what some people call spiritual forma-tion—or, if you prefer, sanc-tification, or discipleship. I like White’s term: “compan-ionship with Christ.”

ERIC ANDERSON

Keene, Texas

Evangelist Don Gray » I’m writing in regard to the

news article “Evangelist Don Gray Dies at 87” (Mar. 13). Don Gray was a very special person to me. When I worked in the Southeast Cal-ifornia Conference (1967-1969), I was privileged to share in evangelistic minis-try with Gray. He was the best—truly a man of God and uniquely talented.

DOUGLAS DEVNICh

Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

Let Them Come » Bonnie Mattheus’ article

“Let Them Come” (Feb. 27, 2014) was a happy surprise. I

remember the baby dedica-tion well, but I hadn’t remembered the bright-pink short shorts.

I was Mattheus’ pastor for the final eight years of my 41-year tenure of denomina-tional service. We retired in 1994 and moved to our seven-acre property just north of Russellville, Arkan-sas. My wife went to her rest in 2005; I look forward to being reunited with her at the great resurrection day.

The Review and its prede-cessor has been part of my weekly mail for more than 50 years, and I look forward to its arrival. I also look for-ward to the monthly Ad-ventist World.

Thank you for the story, which served as a reminder of that dedication! And may God continue to use these publications to inform and inspire readers.

ALVIN WILSON

Graysville, Tennessee

A Church Visit » Sandra Blackmer’s edito-

rial “Visiting Churches—the Flip Side” (Jan. 9, 2014) was excellent. It reminded me of an experience.

A hint of fall was in the air when I arrived at church one beautiful Sabbath morning. I knew there would be few of us as most were away at camp meeting. I noticed two vehicles at the church—the pianist’s car and a camper van with Alaska tags.

When I approached the foyer, an elderly, smiling woman held out her hand and said, “Happy Sabbath; I’m Evelyn.” I responded with my name and learned that Evelyn was a nurse and that she and her husband,


reading and just a little more faith to keep going through difficult times.

You would be surprised how many Christians we have in our care. Thank you for the wonderful articles you present. Thank you for helping our patients find hope and renewed faith.

MATT REyNOLDS

Bethesda, Maryland

Epistemologically Concise, Among Other Things

» A famous wordsmith and author once said, “Any writer worth his salt should chal-lenge the reader with at least one new word they have to look up.” Cliff Goldstein never disappoints in this department. His writing is epistemologically concise (imagine covering Leibniz, Hume, Dawkins, Darwin, Hitchens, and Kant all in the same 700 words!), intellectu-ally pithy, metaphysically imaginative, and full of rig-orous logic. I love Goldstein because in every article he describes apodictic faith—pure and simple.

MAx hAMMONDS

Hendersonville, North Carolina

Siegfried, were going to Alaska. I went into the sanc-tuary and met her husband. The pianist had prepared to lead the lesson study, but we hadn’t planned for a sermon. Pastor Siegfried gave us a sermon entitled “At Canaan’s Doorstep.”

We ate together, and I learned that the Neuendorffs had lived most of their lives in Peru. Siegfried had also written a book, Make Me a Blessing.

That Sabbath morning it was our visitors who gave us a blessing! May we all keep in mind that each one of us is responsible for how we feel at church, at home, or away. I will not forget that Sabbath, or the sermon!

EVA SCObIE

Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada

A Parent’s Journey » I am responding to the

article “A Parent’s Journey” (Dec. 26, 2013). My heart goes out to all parents hav-ing similar experiences with their children. The story is also similar to my experi-ences with my own son.

Unless it has been experi-enced, no one can know the sleepless nights, the many tears, and the countless prayers we parents go through when dealing with a headstrong and rebellious child. We parents do our best to raise our children, but they do make their own choices in life, and those choices aren’t always the best.

My son has done manipu-lative and hurtful things to church members, friends,

and family. We have been in countless therapy sessions, and my son has been in jail, in a psychiatric facility . . .

I finally realized that how I prayed for my son was what brought me disappointment more than what I prayed for. Coming to the realization that it isn’t what I want my son to be but rather what God wants him to be—and knowing he’s in God’s pre-cious hands—has given me strength and peace of mind.

I’ve finally found the strength to brace myself for a message that may come tell-ing me my son has been killed because of his choices. But I know that God will help him change when he’s ready to be helped.

NAME WIThhELD

Thanks for helping » I have become a fan of the

Adventist Review. Although Christian, I am

not a Seventh-day Adventist. I particularly enjoy Dixil Rodríguez’s column, Search-ing the Obvious, and was very moved by her personal story “Cartography of Faith” (Nov. 28, 2013). Rodríguez speaks to me on a personal level, and I find my patients are great fans of her work as well.

I work with many oncology patients at National Insti-tutes of Health, and some-times they need inspirational

Correction » The letter attributed to

Donald E. Casebolt in the February 27, 2014, Adventist Review was actually a letter from Zenus Alfa Banda. Case-bolt’s letter appears in the March 13, 2014, Review under Banda’s name. We regret this error of misidentification.

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, specific, timely letters have the best chance at being published (please include your complete address and phone number—even 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: [email protected].

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“It is not enough, as the disciples on the road to Emmaus learned, to talk about Jesus without realizing

that He is present.” —ERIC ANDERSON, Keene, Texas


EditorialsEditorials

Healthy churches

are those that

recognize their

brokenness and

rely completely

on the celestial

Healer.

Affordable Health CareThE POLAR VORTEx NOT ONLy CAUSED hAVOC ON ThE STREETS AND businesses in our region of the United States during this past winter—it also led to a lot of coughing, sneezing, and the general sense of misery in the Klingbeil household.

In March we spent three weeks handing a cold from one member of our family to the next. Everybody partook in one way or another from this “blessing.” We used all types of home rem-edies—from vapor baths, via heating lamps and high doses of vitamin C to hot and cold treat-ments—all to no avail. The problem is that a house full of coughing and sneezing individuals means trouble. Somehow, when we are sick, we do not show the sunny side of our inner beings; we are irritable; we lose patience quicker; and we tend to have a gloomy outlook on life in general.

Fortunately we are blessed with affordable health care. No, I am not talking about the legislative crown jewels of the current administration occupying the White House on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (even though I knew I would get your attention by using this phrase!).

Don’t get me wrong: I am grateful for access to doctors and medical care. But I am not really interested in writing about the best flu or cold medicine or the pros and cons of the Affordable Care Act from an Adventist perspective. Rather, I am interested in the health of my church. After all, an editorial in the Adventist Review is not the place to vent a private opinion or merely share an uplift-ing thought. We do opine and we aim to uplift, but ultimately it’s the place where we can think together about our church; where we can take the pulse and monitor the vital signs of this move-ment. In fact, if you would read early issues of this magazine, you would be surprised at the kind of topics discussed in its pages (from the mundane of a trusted home remedy to the inflamma-tory of political engagement).

What does the doctor’s chart tell you about your local congregation? Is your church a home for you, a safe place, a center for reaching a hurting world that is being entertained and distracted into oblivion? Or do you notice some “coughing” and “sneezing” that suggests serious infection leading to grim irritability and—ultimately—death?

Our immediate reaction could be: Yes, that’s exactly what sister X or brother Y is like! However, let’s not be quick to diagnose the “common cold” in a wayward brother or sister—let’s rather look at the church, the sum of all of us. (And granted, it is always much easier to diagnose a problem in our neighbor.)

Listen to Revelation 3:15-17 in the fresh words of The Message paraphrase: “I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, ‘I’m rich, I’ve got it made, I need nothing from anyone,’ oblivious that in fact you’re a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless.”*

That’s us—whether we like it or not. Oblivious to the seriousness of our afflictions; “doing” religion and ignoring God’s affordable health care; getting busy with religious activities (perhaps even pious ones) and forgetting the source of real health. “I am the Lord, who heals you” (Ex. 15:26) was not only God’s point made to Israel in the wilderness. True health, wholistic health, requires a constant connection to the Source of life and health. Healthy churches are those that recognize their brokenness and rely completely on the celestial Healer. Yes, they may catch a cold now and again; yes, life may be discouraging at times; but they know themselves safe and secure in Jesus’ hand.

The Doctor is in. He is ready to attend—right now (and no, you don’t need to buy a policy at an insurance marketplace!). n

* Texts credited to Message are from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Gerald A. Klingbeil

Come BoldlyIT’S OFTEN SAID ThAT ThE NEW yORK CITy SUbWAy SySTEM IS ONE OF the best in the world. The trains are so efficient that many New Yorkers seldom drive cars. They walk, catch a cab, or ride the subway.

I recently spent a few days in New York and rode the subway several times. The first thing I noticed was the sheer number of people who use the trains. I was also impressed by the incred-ibly talented street musicians who perform, just to get a few dollars to survive.

But what struck me the most was that on more than one occasion, while the train was moving, a person would enter my car from an adjacent car and in a loud thundering voice make an announcement such as this:

“Ladies and gentlemen, my name is ______ ______. I’m a native New Yorker. I grew up in the Bronx and served in the military and was deployed in the _____war. This is not a holdup. I’m not a robber or a thief. I’ve fallen on hard times, and I’m seeking employment. If you can spare any change, it would be greatly appreciated.”

Inevitably, several people would open their pocketbooks and wallets to respond to the bold request. After receiving money, the person moved on to repeat the process in the next car.

I was stunned to see panhandlers take such a bold approach. But after further reflection, the thought occurred to me: Isn’t that how Christ wants to be approached? The writer of Hebrews put it this way: “Come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace” (Heb. 4:16, KJV).

Jesus wants us to approach Him with confidence as we bring our petitions in prayer. It’s His delight to grant our requests, even before we ask. n

Carlos Medley

artist: kreigh collins, 1949

Three Men, Two Marriages, One Mission

In 1891 W. C. White, along with his mother, Ellen G. White, left for Australia. Not knowing how long he would be staying, he left his two daughters, Ella and Mabel, with Mary Mortensen as a guardian. Four years later, in 1895, White, now engaged to marry May Lacey, sent for his daughters to move to Australia. Ellen White suggested Mary come along to continue to care for the girls. However, when General Conference president O. A. Olsen shared that Mary had harbored hopes of one

Mary Mortensen Tripp Armitage

day becoming the girls’ stepmother, and the girls were also supportive of the idea, plans changed, and Mary was left behind. Shortly after, Olsen received a visit from widower George Tripp, who was to leave for mission service to Africa in a few days with his 9-year-old son. Tripp asked if Olsen thought Mary Mortensen might consider marriage even though they had known each other only casually years before. With Olsen’s positive recommendation, Tripp proposed, Mary accepted, and days later they, along with several others, left

for Africa to head the Solusi Mission. In 1897 F. B. Armitage and his wife joined this group at Solusi Mission. One year later malaria claimed the lives of a number of the missionaries in rapid succession, including George, his son, and Mrs. Armitage. Wanting to continue serving the African people, F. B. Armitage proposed marriage to Mary Tripp in 1899. She accepted, and they stayed 26 more

years in Africa, where they had two daughters. Returning to the United States in 1925 because of

Mary’s poor health, they served eight more years in California. She died April 12, 1950, having given most of her life in mission service.

George B. Tripp


World News & Perspectives

n Wo r l d C h u r C h

Creative Outreach Projects Highlighted at Council on evangelism and WitnessEmphasis on results, accountability; pizza restaurant doubles as a church for growing community of SabbathkeepersBy ELIzAbETh LEChLEITNER/ANN

TOP REGIONAL leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist world church heard urban evangelism updates and examples of cre-ative outreach during the Council on Evangelism and Witness report to Spring Meeting.

During a presentation led by Mike Ryan, a general vice president of the Ad-ventist world church, and David Trim, director of the church’s Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research, sev-eral division presidents offered updates on the Mission to the Cities initiative.

Trim noted that there are 396 people per every Adventist worldwide. That ratio, he said, jumps to 547 people per Adventist in urban regions. Some cities of 1 million or more fare much worse, while Lusaka, Zambia, is a bright spot, with the best population-to-member

ratio of any large city worldwide—one Adventist per 19 people.

Paul Ratsara, president of the church’s Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division, which oversees Zambia, said small groups are the key to evangelism in the region. “If we are not reaching the grass roots, then we are just talking to ourselves,” he said.

The church’s South American Divi-sion, under the leadership of President Erton Kohler, is taking a similar approach. The region’s goal is to plant an Adventist church in every one of nearly 7,000 neighborhoods in major cities. Currently there are 2,000 Ad-ventist churches established in these neighborhoods.

In Europe the Adventist Church is focusing on Geneva. While the city isn’t

home to millions, it is influential in the eyes of the international commu-nity, said Bruno Vertallier, president of the church’s Inter-European Division. A team of Adventist young people is working in Geneva in what Vertallier said he hopes becomes a model of out-reach for the region. The group has already planted a church attended by 60 new believers and former Adventists.

Ryan steered many of the presenta-tions toward planning and accountabil-ity. The Adventist world church, he said, pledged to carry out an evangelism plan in every city with a population of more than 1 million, and results are manda-tory. “We want to track progress inten-tionally,” he said.

Blasious Ruguri, president of the church’s East-Central Africa Division, told the story of an Adventist pastor in the region who was beaten for his faith and hospitalized. The pastor’s first move postrecovery, Ruguri said, was to visit the man responsible for the attack and forgive him. The man, then a clergy member of another faith, was so impressed by the pastor’s spirit of rec-onciliation that he accepted an invita-tion to study the Bible. Later the man accepted the Adventist faith. He now directs an interfaith ministry in Nairobi, Kenya, Ruguri said.

In Korea a growing number of Ad-ventist churches are launching vegetar-ian restaurants—ideal settings to spur conversations about health, wellness, and ultimately spiritual wholeness, said Jairyong Lee, president of the church’s Northern Asia-Pacific Division.

Elsewhere in the region, Lee said, a fledgling chain of pizza restaurants is doubling as a gathering place for Ad-ventist believers. “During the week this is a pizza restaurant, but on Sabbath, this is a church,” he said, gesturing to a picture of the flagship restaurant. The restaurants employ Adventist young people and serve as centers of influence. At least 50 people worship in one loca-tion every Saturday.

BOOk DeDICATION: Adventist Church president Ted N. C. Wilson prepares to offer a prayer of dedication for the denomination’s 2015 sharing book, Health and Wellness: secrets that Will change your life. The presentation was delivered on April 8, 2014, at the Adventist Church’s world headquarters.

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review and Herald Board Votes smaller, Leaner ProfileWorkflow and personnel changes to save $1.5 million within a year.By ADVENTIST REVIEW STAFF

ThE bOARD of directors of the Review and Herald Publishing Association (RHPA) moved swiftly Sunday, April 6, to stabilize the financial health of the 165-year-old publishing house at a spe-cially called executive session after year-end reports showed a nearly $943,000 loss for 2013, and continued weakness in the first quarter of the cur-rent year. RHPA board chair Delbert Baker said that the directors were responding to recommendations from management, executive, and finance committees, calling for quick and effi-

cient action to turn around the finances of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s oldest institution.

In a series of coordinated steps, board members voted to affirm a “solvency plan,” authorizing RHPA leadership to take immediate steps to control costs and lay the foundation for stronger sales performance in the second half of 2014. The special session occurred less than three weeks ahead of the regularly scheduled meeting of the 30-member board on April 24. That meeting will focus on broader strategic directions

for the publishing house, including a potential role for the North American Division in shaping literature ministry in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda.

Key items voted by the RHPA board included streamlining production pro-cesses to eliminate redundancies in sev-eral departments of the publishing house; reducing the number of book titles planned for release in 2015; and trimming the editorial and production staff of some RHPA-produced journals. A reduction in force (RIF) of 26 current employees was also authorized by the board of directors, with nearly half of the total being achieved through collab-orative retirement agreements with eli-gible employees. The savings to the publishing house from the workforce reductions are anticipated to reach $1 million in 2014, and more than $1.5 mil-

Dan Jackson, president of the church’s North American Division, offered a new perspective on the 10/40 window, a region spanning northern Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, where less than 2 percent of the population is Christian. “[The 10/40 window] just moved next door,” Jackson said, referring to a mas-sive influx of immigrants and refugees to some North American cities. Now home to 90,000 refugees, the southern California city of San Diego is consid-ered the refugee capital of the world, Jackson said.

There the Paradise Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church counts members from 51 nationalities. While worship services are conducted in English, headset trans-lations and Sabbath school classes are available in Arabic, Laotian, Tagalog, Nepalese, Swahili, French, and Spanish. The church’s refugee ministry also serves food to some 500 people every week, at church and through a delivery service led by a former Buddhist priest who accepted Adventism. A bus from Paradise Valley makes Saturday morn-

ing stops in local refugee communities to pick up residents who want to attend church but don’t have a means of transportation.

Will James, senior pastor of the church, said refugees often battle feel-ings of isolation and loneliness. “Our church has become the loving, caring community they crave,” he said.

Spring Meeting delegates also watched the trailer for a film that dra-matizes the life of evangelical theologian Edward Fudge and debunks misconcep-tions about the character of God and the eternal destiny of unbelievers.

Church administrators endorsed Hell and Mr. Fudge (LLT Productions) and called on regional church leaders to dis-tribute DVDs of the film, host church-sponsored screenings in public venues, and share copies with family and friends.

“This is a powerful evangelistic tool,” said Mark Finley, special assistant for evangelism to Adventist world church president Ted N. C. Wilson.

Another resource church leaders plan

to use for outreach—especially in 2015—is a book on comprehensive health outreach edited by Finley and Peter Landless, director of the Adventist world church’s Health Ministries Department. Health and Wellness: Secrets That Will Change Your Life (Review and Herald Publishing Association) offers simple ways to avoid chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

But “resources without the Source are not enough,” Landless said, referring to the spiritual component of wholeness. With chapters on topics such as forgive-ness, relationships, and mental health, the book covers the spectrum of wholis-tic living.

Wilson closed the Council on Evange-lism and Witness with a call for out-reach that finds expression beyond the margins of plans and PowerPoint presentations.

“I encourage all of you not to just talk about evangelism, but to participate in it,” Wilson said. “Be a visible leader in evangelism in your church and in your community.” n


World News & Perspectives

HErald’s trumpEt

lion in 2015.Review and Herald leadership also

sought and received permission from the board of directors to lease up to 60,000 square feet of the large Hagerstown, Maryland, facility in order to decrease the operational footprint of the publishing house and achieve needed rental income.

Board members listened to several policy change requests formulated by the administration and the executive

and finance committees, and referred those actions on to General Conference and NAD committees. RHPA administra-tors are hoping to build a vigorous online sales portal for products pro-duced by the publishing house. A request was also forwarded to reduce RHPA funding of the church’s retire-ment program to match the level required of the church’s educational institutions.

“Rightsizing the RHPA has been a dif-

ficult but necessary process,” said RHPA president Mark Thomas following the Sunday afternoon meeting. “No faith-based employer ever wants to lose even one employee, but we have a greater mission to continue serving the pub-lishing and printing needs of the world-wide Seventh-day Adventist Church. Keeping that mission in focus required us to take these hard steps to secure this organization and reposition it for renewed growth.” n

BeGINNING AGAIN: Francisco Munoz recently became the 500th liver transplant recipi-ent at Loma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC). LLUMC’s liver transplant program has been active for more than 20 years.

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500th Liver transplant Patient at LLUMCSource: LLUMC

FRANCISCO MUNOz was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center in California several weeks ago barely cling-ing to life and in dire need of a liver transplant. As of April 7, the 52-year-old Coachella resident was undergoing reha-

bilitation and preparing to go home, after becoming the 500th patient to receive a liver transplant at the world-renowned medical center.

“I am very happy to have received a liver and I look forward to being home

again,” said Munoz, a farmworker. “My wish is to go back home and be able to spend time with my children.”

A lifetime of alcohol use, starting when he was a teen, and a diagnosis of hepatitis C, is blamed for the deteriora-tion of Munoz’ liver. He had stopped drinking alcohol and has been sober for a while now, but a toll had already been taken on his liver.

“If I had known how much suffering I would have because of alcohol, I never would have started,” he said. Munoz had been on a liver transplant list, and received a liver transplant on March 1, after being taken to the hospital in very serious condition. He was on life sup-port and in a coma for weeks.

“He would not have made it other-wise,” said Dr. Michael de Vera, his liver transplant surgeon and director of the Loma Linda University Medical Center Transplantation Institute.

Munoz’ survival and positive health outlook is testament to the quality of patient care he received and the com-mitment of the medical staff at the hos-pital, de Vera said.

“It truly is teamwork—a multidisci-plinary team effort on the part of the different professionals and depart-ments within the hospital,” de Vera said. He also stated that the first liver transplant at the hospital was done in 1993, and the program has since matured and improved over the years. n


sound BItE

advEntIst lIfE

When I was a boy, our church school got a new teacher. My parents wanted to make sure I’d get along well with her, so one Sunday morning before the school year started, we went to her apartment for a swim and lunch.

She really pulled out all the stops for lunch, including a glazed Wham with sliced pineapples, cherries, and all the trimmings. I took one look at it and announced, “I will not eat that!” As you can imagine, my parents were embarrassed.

The teacher, however, told me, “Now, don’t worry. I wouldn’t serve you real ham.”

I rose up to my full 9-year-old height and pro-nounced, “The Bible says to avoid the appearance of evil.” With this pronouncement my parents were even more mortified.

The teacher smiled, understanding my principles were positive, not negative, and told me that I did not have to eat any. I had my best school year ever that year.—CHuCk HeSS, GreenBeLt, maryLand

With my husband’s Sabbath speaking appoint-ments, it has become my habit to text our two adult children just to let them know where we will be attend-ing church for the day and what activities are sched-uled. One particular morning I texted the fact that we were “on our way to Portland Stone Tower church. Dad is speaking there today . . .”

I immediately received a return text from our daugh-ter that read “Haaaa! Look at your autocorrect.”

In checking to see what I had texted I saw “On our way to Portland Stone Tower church. Dad is spewing there today.”—SuSAN LOOR, La Center, WashinGtOn

“surely good-ness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and i will dwell in the house of the lord for ever.”—kING DAVID, in PsaLm 23:6, KJV

HErald’s trumpEt

Hi, kids! Herald’s trumpet is once again hidden somewhere in this magazine. If you find it, send a postcard telling us where. Be sure to include your name and address! Then we’ll randomly choose three winning postcards.

In our last contest (Jan. 23, 2014) we had 14 entries! Our three winners were Matthew Imperio, from Riverside, California; Karissa Sharley, from Tieton, Washington; Eliza-beth Struntz, from Umatilla, Florida. Each received a book from Pacific Press. Where was the trumpet? On page 31.

If you can find the trumpet this time, send your postcard to Herald’s Trumpet, Adventist Review, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600. The prize will be a book! Look for the three winners’ names in the July 17, 2014, edition of the adventist review. Have fun searching and keep trumpeting Jesus’ love—and His sec-ond coming!

© T

ER

Ry

CR

EW

S

Walking in this morningis a holiness,inside and out.

The light breakingover the horizonis a new blessingand the rustle of dry leavesa whispered benediction.

My being is a prayer,and every breath I takeof the cool skyis a personal amen.—JeNNIFeR J. COLeMAN, haGerstOWn, maryLand

poEm


Some people love it; others struggle to get it. Poetry is not everyone’s cup of tea—or at least that’s how it felt in school when our English (or,

in my case, German) teacher pulled out the heavy anthology containing poetry.

Intriguingly, more than one third of the Old Testament has been written in poetry.1 Poetry can be found in crucial

locations in the Pentateuch (Exodus 15 and Deuteronomy 32 immediately come to mind, even though there are other places as well) and the historical books (Judges 5; 2 Samuel 22). Poetry is the stan-dard mode of communication in the Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Lamen-tations, and large sections of the prophets.

Poetry in Scripture does not only rep-resent an important biblical genre—it is also located at crucial intersections of the biblical canon.

Who can forget Moses’ song celebrat-ing God’s mighty victory over Pharaoh and the liberation of His people (Exo-dus 15)? Who would switch off the lyric description of the shepherd metaphor in Psalm 23:1? “The Lord is my shep-herd; I shall not want” immediately calls up images of safety and bountiful exuberance that a prose text will strug-gle to convey. Like all other biblical genres, poetry speaks of a Creator who loves colors, a Savior whose blood-stained cross points heavenward, and a Judge whose righteousness is indisput-able and irrefutable. Its presence in Scripture highlights God’s desire to save to the utmost, by any means, and communicates broadly God’s love story with humanity.

What Is biblical Poetry Like?Biblical poetry is mostly found in the

Old Testament. There are smaller poems in the Gospels and the Epistles, yet

rEadIng BIBlIcal poEtry In an agE of

facEBook and twIttEr

Biblical Studies/Read-ing With understanding

by GERALD A. KLINGBEIL


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there is no single poetic book in the New Testament.2 Since few of us read biblical Hebrew and even fewer are familiar with Hebrew poetry as a genre, it may be a good idea to consider con-sciously what appears to be—at least at the outset—a strange way of writing.

Hebrew poetry has three main charac-teristics, namely, it (1) is terse and con-cise; (2) prefers parallelism; and (3) uses

extensively figurative language. Hebrew poetry does not use rhyme or meter as we are accustomed to in English (or Ger-man) poetry. There is, nonetheless, rhythm in biblical poetry; but it does not focus on line endings but embraces sounds and stress and syllables.

The basic unit in Hebrew poetry is called a line (or sometimes a colon, half-line, stich, or hemistich). A line may be a complete sentence, but more often it is part of a larger syntactic unit. Consider the poetic expression of joy and exuber-ance when God finally brings Eve to Adam in one of Scripture’s first poetic lines in Genesis 2:23.

“This (is) now bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh;

this one shall be called wo-man, for out of man this one was taken.”3

Line lengths can vary; Hebrew poetry is not purely a matter of counting sylla-bles or stress in a word. There is a pref-erence for twos and threes (also known as couplets and triplets) in Hebrew poetry. Sometimes a poet used the 22 consonants of the Hebrew alphabet as the ordering principle. We know these specialized poems as acrostic poems; some examples are Psalms 111, 112, or 119 (which actually has an acrostic rhythm of eight verses per consonant, resulting in 176 verses).

Before actually reading a poem together, it will be helpful to review the three main characteristics of Hebrew poetry.

the same thing twice in different words,” as C. S. Lewis noted.5 It is a key technique of moving an idea forward. Psalm 1:1 is a great example of this aspect of parallelism:

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

and in the path of sinners he does not stand;

and in the seat of scoffers he does not sit.”

While the ideas are parallel, there is a clear progression of thought when we consider the verbs used in the text. Walking, standing, and finally, sitting marks an increasingly more intimate relationship with those who have cho-sen evil.

Imagery—or, Paint Me the Picture

Most good literature includes imag-ery—so figurative language is not the exclusive province of poetry. However, because of the terseness and concision of Hebrew poetry, there is often a pileup of imagery. Metaphors and similes become word pictures. Similes are explicit comparisons, as a familiar one in Psalm 1:3: “He [namely, the righteous] shall be like a tree, planted by streams of water.” As we listen to this line, we can hear the gurgling sound of fresh water and see a tall tree whose roots are close to the source of life. Metaphors are harder to catch and decipher.

When David writes, “The Lord is my shepherd” (Ps. 23:1), he writes from his heart and culture. We know that God is not in the agrobusiness. We recognize that God is so much bigger and better than an Israelite shepherd in the time of David. However, the disparity between the two objects invites our engagement. In my particular case, while I like the roman-tic notion of a shepherd leading his sheep, I know very little about the daily routine of shepherds. I may relate better to the metaphor of “God is my IT go-to guy” or “God is my pilot.” Yet, since familiarity also breeds contempt, fresh imagery may actually help us take a second look.

Terseness—or, Keep It Short, Son

Poets are word economists. In Hebrew poetry, lines seldom include conjunctions (“and”), definite articles (“the”), relative pronouns (“that, who, etc.”), or direct object markers. Things can get a bit compact, which also explains the fact that my Hebrew stu-dents usually struggled more when working with poetry than when they translated a narrative text. Ambiguity is definitely a way to stoke up creativity.

At times, poets in Israel were also stingy with their verbs. Psalm 114:4 provides an excellent example of this type of ellipsis:

“The mountains skipped like rams,the hills like lambs.”As readers we intuitively insert a sec-

ond “skipped” or something similar in the second line. In fact, the imagery of mountains and hills romping about like rams and exuberant lambs is not only foreign, but also intriguing. Three verses down we are told why mountains skip and seas flee (verse 3). “Before the presence of the Lord tremble O earth” (verse 7) reminds us of an all-powerful Creator who controls nature and, yet, makes Judah His sanctuary (verse 2).

Parallelism—or, Say It Again, Sam

Hebrew poetry makes frequent use of parallel ideas. Facets of this type of poetry include repetition (also called synonymous parallelism, cf. Ps. 77:11), contrast (known as antithetic parallel-ism; cf. Ps. 30:5), or a parallelism involv-ing grammatical patterns. A good example of this last one is Isaiah 11:3:4

“And-not-according-to-the-vision-of-his-eyes will he judge” is followed by

“And-not-according-to-the-hearing-of-his-ears will he decide.”

The syntax of both lines is very simi-lar—yet at key places a new idea is introduced. “Vision” and “eyes” corre-spond to “hearing” and “ears,” pointing to two important human senses. Paral-lelism, however, is more than “saying



The psalm also includes a number of opposites, also known as merisms (e.g., heaven/earth, sun/moon, day/night, going/coming, now/eternity). These pairs cover time and space and empha-size God’s “comprehensive coverage.”

“Poetry,” somebody once said, “is an event.” Applied to biblical poetry, it marks the moment in which God engages human limitation, questions, distress, doubt, or joy. Reading poetry requires time and involves taking a risk. I need to open my heart to grasp the messiness of life without God. Poetry encourages me to think deeply by not giving quick and pat answers. As in Psalm 121, however, there is one unchanging and underlying founda-tion: my Lord, my Shepherd, my Rock, my Pilot is always around and in con-trol. He’ll take care of me. n

1 Fred W. Dobbs-Allsopp, “Poetry, Hebrew,” in The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, ed. Katharine Doob Sakenfeld (Nashville: Abingdon, 2009), vol. 4, p. 550.

2 Tremper Longman III, “Biblical Poetry,” in A Com-plete Literary Guide to the Bible, ed. Leland Ryken and Tremper Longman III (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993), p. 81.

3 Genesis 2:23 happens to be one of the first poetic lines in Scripture. Unless otherwise noted, all transla-tions in this article are the author’s. I have chosen to use “wo-man” to reflect the close proximity between Hebrew ’ishah, consisting of the term for man, ’ish, and the feminine noun marker -ah.

4 For this example I am indebted to Dobbs-Allsopp, p. 552.

5 C. S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms (New York: Har-court, Brace, 1958), p. 3.

6 If you don’t own so many different translations, you can always go online and read them for free at www.biblegateway.com.

GeRALD A. kLINGBeIL IS AN

ASSOCIATE EDITOR OF THE

adVentist reVieW AND ENJOyS

DABBLING WITH POETRy—PARTICU-

LARLy HyMNIC POETRy—AND MUSIC.

HE HAS WRITTEN AND RECORDED DOZENS OF SONGS.

More can be said about Hebrew poetry. However, instead of reading about poetry, a better idea may actually be to read some poetry together and develop some helpful reading strategies.

Let’s Do ItI have chosen Psalm 121 for our lab

work on Hebrew poetry. The first step to engaging Hebrew poetry is to find at least five different translations. Use a very literal translation (such as the NKJV), a more middle-ground dynamic translation (NIV comes to mind), and a paraphrase (I like The Message).6 There are many more versions, of course, but find a good spread. Note the differences and “taste” them.

Reading poetry is not just an intellec-tual enterprise—it should involve all our senses. In fact, since most biblical texts were originally written to be read aloud, reading poetry aloud will help you grasp its message. English Bibles usually include a title. In Psalm 121 it is a “Song for Ascents” and belonged to a group of 15 psalms bearing a similar title (Pss. 120-134). They were most likely sung when people traveled to Jerusalem for one of the feasts.

Did you note the difference between verses 1, 2 and verses 3-8? The psalm starts off very personal (“my eyes” and “my help” attest to that) and then moves on to “you.” Six times we are told that God is our guard: He does not sleep, He helps us not to slip, He holds His hands over us—even when sun and moon, well-known ancient deities, threaten us (verse 6). Why would the author of Psalm 121 use so much space describing God’s ability to guard and protect? Could it be that there was some doubt in the author’s mind, or perhaps a sense of not being in control? Clearly moun-tains do not provide a feasible way out (verse 1)—only the Lord, described as the Creator in verse 2, is able to deliver.

helpful Resources for Reading biblical PoetryHere are a number of resources (sorted alphabetically) that discuss biblical poetry.

Each resource provides helpful insights and usually takes a sample from Scripture to illustrate its findings. Some of the resources are more academic in nature than others, but all are readable and understandable. The contributions of Gugliotto, Pfandl, and Rodríguez are written from a Seventh-day Adventist perspective.Dobbs-Allsopp, F. W. “Poetry, Hebrew.” In the new interpreter’s dictionary of the Bible.

Ed. Katharine Doob Sakenfeld. Nashville: Abingdon, 2009, vol. 4, pp. 550-558.Gugliotto, L. J. handbook for Bible study: a Guide to understanding, teaching, and

Preaching the Word of God. Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1995, pp. 36-40.

Longman III, T. “Biblical Poetry.” In a Complete Literary Guide to the Bible. Ed. L. Ryken and T. Longman III. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993, pp. 80-91.

Lucas, E. C. “Poetics, Terminology of.” In dictionary of the Old testament: Wisdom, Poetry, and Writings. Ed. T. Longman III and P. Enns. Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Aca-demic, 2008, pp. 520-525.

Pfandl, G., and A. M. Rodríguez. “Reading Psalms and the Wisdom Literature.” In understanding scripture: an adventist approach. Ed. G. W. Reid. BRI Studies 1. Silver Spring, Md.: Biblical Research Institute, 2005, pp. 163-181.

Schökel, L. A. a manual of hebrew Poetics. Subsidia Biblica 11. Rome: Editrice Pontificio Istituto Biblico, 1988.

Watson, W.G.E. Classical hebrew Poetry: a Guide to its techniques. Sheffield, England: JSOT Press, 1986.


LAEL CAESAR

This present edition of your beloved Adventist weekly paper does more than acknowledge April as national poetry month.

Indeed, it focuses on and is dedicated to a literary medium with which we have enjoyed a long, distinguished, and privi-leged association. Poetry was very much a part of the early years of the church paper we know today as the Adventist Review. No wonder. For genuine poets were part of its editorial staff. Annie R. Smith regularly contributed her haunt-ing and delicate verse to the magazine she served as copy editor:

“’Twas a doleful night, on Calvary’s height, when the Lamb of God was slain;

But Hope’s cheering ray, shone bright o’er the day, when he rose from the tomb again.”

“How long, O Lord, shall we watch and weep, for the rightful Heir to reign?

And the myriad saints in silence sleep, who wait thy return again?”

Chorus:“O Jesus! my Savior! dear Savior

come! Our hearts weary grow, Of thy longer delay—O hasten to

gather us home!”

These are lines excerpted from “The Return,” which Annie indicates that she wrote at Rochester, New York, October 17, 1853. Eight days later, in the maga-zine’s October 25 issue, the poem would already be in print, with the notation “Lilly Dale” indicating the tune to which the words should be sung. Familiarity with that tune attests to her keen sense of how freely the mood and content of

her text would travel through that tune’s meter and cadences. Her talent and yearning for Jesus’ return are still molding the Adventist soul. We still use her voice to query, “How far from home?”1 And we still draw on her inspi-ration to venerate our hero pioneers of enduring faith as we recall how she “saw one weary.” With her, and with them, we still exclaim and attest: “O! What can buoy the spirits up? ’Tis this alone—the blessed hope.”2

In the same issue that featured Annie’s sighs for “The Return,” another Smith employee, her brother Uriah, who would assume the paper’s editorship in

1855 and direct it intermittently for 48 years, was making his own monumental poetic contribution. The October 25 issue ran the second of what would eventually be six focused chapters of heroic couplet published between Octo-ber 18 and December 20. Annie’s hope-ful cheer finds its tonal contrast in the life-or-death solemnity of her brother’s approach to his subject, the Sabbath. Uriah determinedly extolls its establish-ment and perpetuity in such decidedly prosaic chapter titles as “Truth and Error,” “The Sabbath Instituted at Cre-ation,” “The Sabbath a Memorial,” “The Sabbath Not Abolished,” and “Apostolic Example.” His final chapter heaps con-tempt on efforts to set truth aside in favor of mere tradition, and is entitled “Vain Philosophy.” Later comfort with years called days may already be fore-shadowed in the poem’s overall title, as more than 4,700 iambic feet of poetry are labeled “A Word for the Sabbath.” Or Smith may simply be into modesty. By contrast with sister Annie’s consistent acknowledgment of her poems in the

magazine, Uriah’s nearly 1,000 lines go unsigned for two months, until, at the end of his final chapter, two letters appear: U. S. Like sister Annie, he too still blesses poetically from the pages of our hymnal. We share his exhortation when we sing hymn no. 602: “O Brother, Be Faithful.”

Disappointingly perhaps, or reassur-ingly maybe, our recent poetry contest includes no entries of the dimensions of Smith’s “Word.” Respect for our judges’ time precluded it, given our lack of desire to presume upon their Christian kindness. Their distinguished expertise was for us high complement, provided

as it was on an entirely voluntary basis.Deeply affirming as we found that fact,

we were also wonderfully thrilled by the numbers, quality, and breadth of the interests and themes reflected in the com-positions received. Entries were judged in three categories—hymns, rhymed verse, and free verse. And the pages that follow now afford you the opportunity of perus-ing the works that were adjudicated as the best contributions in each of these areas. Poetic giftedness, faith in eternal truth, and the yearning to be home with Jesus are as much features of twenty-first-century Adventist poetry as they were 160 years ago. n

1 Annie R. Smith, “How Far From Home?” The Sev-enth-day Adventist Hymnal (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1985), no. 439.

2 Annie R. Smith, “I Saw One Weary,” The Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal, no. 441.

LAeL CAeSAR, AN adVentist

reVieW ASSOCIATE EDITOR, THINKS

OF THE GLORy OF LISTENING TO

JESUS DO FREE VERSE . . . , OR

RHyMED VERSE . . . , OR ANyTHING

ELSE, FOR THAT MATTER.

Cover Feature

An Introduction


Millennium

First Place Free Verse

Sleep comes hard when everything is so dishev-eled, I know.

All your joints are askew, your gaping cave-mouths gagged with

mountain-crumbs, your oceans wantonly ignoring His “thus far

and no farther” sea-marks.Vast unburied squadrons of the rebel’s

followers, himself and his allies berating each other

through the terrifying darkness.But you’ve borne your curse “for man’s sake”

bravely; you’ve earned repose.Close your eyes. Rest your weary bones.

For morning comes apace, and you’ll want to be refreshed for the endless, exuberant “rest of the story.”

After a score of half-centuries idling in your orbit,

He will come—a third time, no less!—and then,

after one last brief hour of ultimate folly, the healing, cleansing, purifying fire, purging away piling and pipeline, cable and

deep-well punctures.From your shaken core and your jumbled, form-

less void, He can craft Paradise anew—and He will! And you will come forth, as once before, fit to

host beauty, unity, perfection, love unendingly. “And God Himself will dwell with them—”

your restored wholeness will be His eternal home!

Earth, close your eyes. Rest your weary bones.You may sleep a thousand years tonight.

J. BRuCe ASHTON, FOR 50 yEARS A COLLEGE

MUSIC PROFESSOR, LIVES IN ACTIVE RETIREMENT

AND CONTINUES TO TEACH, PERFORM, AND CREATE

WITH BOTH WORDS AND TONES.

Earth, close your eyes. Rest your weary bones.You may sleep a thousand years tonight.

No Abel-blood to stain your pristine vesture.Nor shriek nor moan of rack-mounted, thumb-

hung victim.No stench of quivering martyr-flesh charring

over its pyre.Absent the taste of napalm flung in your face and the fresh, raw abrasions of strip mines, the

sting of acid rain.

Earth, close your eyes. Rest your weary bones.You have received double for all their sins.

Forty days of downpour and upsurge, casting loose your tectonic plates to grind out

later tsunamis, gulping down primeval forests to power behe-

moths of business 4,000 years hence.Staying your axial spin to allow Pharaoh’s

migrating exlaborforce a crucial victory, even backpedaling without protest to reassure

an ailing monarch.

And then He came.You cherished the pad-padding of His sandaled

feet, cradled His ache-weary form as He slept—and

prayed, even gave back His friend Lazarus from your

bosom (How many dead does one earth need to

shelter, anyway?).When they killed Him, you retched, spewing out legions of the holy dead, revivi-

fied to herald His gigantic victory.And when His toes lifted from your skin, it

wasn’t to have been this long—was it?—until . . .

by J. BRUCE ASHTON

(Psalm 90:4; romans 8:22)


Juxtaposition

Second Place Free Verse

I will pluck up,that is, this whole land,

I’m trying not to forget the ravine with the wild, stubborn grapevinesthat never produced grapesonly pain for you, Daddy, trying to get rid of them.

In the ravine I buried Chippiethe chipmunk because he died of a wound, and I wrapped him in one of Mommy’s kitchen towels she let me use.

But I will giveyour life to you as a prizein all places,wherever you go.

Father,I’m trying not to forget.

* Texts credited to NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

IDA T. RONASzeGI, M.F.A., TEACHES THE ART OF COMPOSITION

AND RHETORIC AT SAVANNAH TECHNICAL COLLEGE, AND HAS A

PASSION FOR PRAyER AND WOMEN’S MINISTRIES. WITH HER

HUSBAND, ARPAD, SHE RUNS A CREATIVE STUDIO IN BLUFFTON,

SOUTH CAROLINA.

Our daughter’s words and the Lord’s words from Jeremiah 45:4, 5, NKJV.*

by IDA RONASZEGI

She said,

Daddy,I’m trying not to forget our old house,my room, my window with the blue blinds,

upstairsthe hiding place we’d builtwith the cushions of the old beige sofa—

What I have builtI will break down,

I’m trying not to forget our fort in the backyardon top of the lowly apple tree with small sour apples we picked and nibbled the beginning of each summer—

What I have plantedI will pluck up,

I’m trying not to forgetthe kittens and their moms underneath our deckthat, Daddy, you said we should not feedbut you knew we would because they were hungryand you wouldn’t want Grizzly, Tiger, Puzzles, and Snowballto go hungry. Especially Ears, whose lobes the winter frosthad bitten off—


Castles

Third Place Free Verse

They both dreamed of owning a castle.They both wanted a view.Of course they would both build by the sea.

Wisdom chose a foundation of flinty rock, beautiful, firm and solid.Folly chose a foundation of glistening sand, beautiful, soft and golden.

The house on the sand was built to impress.Though all dark within, spearlike spires and globelike domes gleamed in the sun.

The house on the rock was built to endure.Beams from within brightened all around, for its inner glory reflected the Son.

by EUNICE FISHER

With the night a storm thundered in— a roaring lion seeking its prey, pouncing, clawing at quivering castle hearts.

Rain streamed down in torrents.Winds howled, waves crashed, towers toppled, turrets tumbled, weak walls crumbled and slid toward a tryst with the undertow.

Its fury spent, the tempest scurried away.Pounding surf and crashing waves morphed into a lullaby.

From her lofty homeatop chisel-hewn stone, Wisdom looked out at the scene, at the graceful curve of the windswept beach that cradled a quiet sea.

So peaceful. So beautiful. So . . . empty.

euNICe FISHeR, THE MOTHER OF THREE GROWN

CHILDREN, WRITES FROM PERRyTON, TExAS.

www.AdventistReview.org | April 24, 2014 | 21(37 3)


by ANDREW HANSON

Heavenly Father,

On this blustery, rainy, winter morning

Remind us that gray is a color, too

Of Sunrise

Squirrels

Clouds that bring needed rain

The breasts of doves

The fur of kittens

Rail fences along country roads

Smoke from chimneys

A favorite coat

Remind us that gray is the color, too

Of wisdom

Reflection

Life’s mysteries

Difficult choices

Father of us all, help us to remember that gray is a color, too as we face our individual winters of the soulTimes when the warming sunshine of Your love does not penetrate our clouds.

Amen

ANDReW HANSON IS AN EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF

EDUCATION AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITy, CHICO. HE AND

HIS WIFE, CLAUDIA, HAVE THREE CHILDREN AND SEVEN

GRANDCHILDREN.

Gray Is a Color,Too


Stray


I don’t know exactly why I left.One minute I was present, frolicking and feasting with the flock,the next I was battling the bramble bush.

True, the humdrum pasture fare, so ho-hum, same old, same old, was dull and dry while verdant, tempting blades beckoned from far-off lea.

Heeding long my restlessness, shaggy old rams tried hard to warn— though spears look green, they are not always good.Long, fearsome tales they spun of what befell all those who strayed.But, reasoned I, though evil it may be, what harm a tiny, teensy nip?

Off I went. No backward glance.Watchful ewes took worried note, blathering in vain.I knew they’d tell the Shepherd, and I didn’t even care.

Then I felt myself fall, thick briars clutching at my coat.My pitiful baas, far from listening ovine ears, fell unheard on frigid air, and I grew numb with bitterness.

How long I struggled, without help, without hope, I do not know.I was lost and I would die, a wasted wandering wretch.

And then—and then—I sensed the Shepherd near.Cowering, expecting His wrath, I waited for condemning words that never came.

His hands did not recoil as gently He applied the balm of mercy to heal my loathsome wounds.

Now, secure upon His shoulders, I marvel at His love, thankful that we’ll journey home together.

by EUNICE FISHER

euNICe FISHeR, THE MOTHER OF

THREE GROWN CHILDREN, LIVES IN

PERRyTOWN, TExAS.


Lord, We Come Unto Your

Table 8.7.8.7. with refrain

First Place Hymns

This hymn text is based on the several occasions Jesus set or shall set a table for His friends: (1) the feeding of the 5,000; (2) the upper room; (3) the Emmaus inci-dent; and (4) the future feast in the Para-dise of God. Scripture references are noted.

by KRIS O. WIDMER

Suggested Tunes: The 8.7.8.7. with refrain pattern fits many tunes in the current Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal.

The two I like best are: No. 343, “I Will Sing of My

Redeemer”—tune by James McGranahan

No. 334, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”—NETTLETON

1. On a hillside in the sunlight,Christ, our Lord, took bread and fish.As He prayed up to the heavens, Thousands ate from just one dish.1

Refrain:Lord, we come unto Your table.To the Bread and to the Wine.You’re the one for whom we hunger.Quench our thirst with life divine.

2. On the night He was arrested;Christ, our Lord, took bread and wine.2

“I am Bread of Life forever.Think of Me when e’er you dine.”3

3. In a room with sad CleopasChrist, our Lord, broke bread again.They thought Hope was dead and buried.Then their Guest, He said, “Amen.”4

4. When we gather in the heavens,Christ, our Lord, will serve a feast.5

At the table, long and lovely,We shall dine with our High Priest.

1 Mark 6:34-442 1 Cor. 11:23-253 Luke 22:194 Luke 24:30, 315 Luke 12:37

kRIS O. WIDMeR, PASTOR OF ANTIOCH, CALIFORNIA, SEVENTH-DAy

ADVENTIST CHURCH, LOVES TO PREACH DRAMATIC-NARRATIVE SERMONS,

AND HAS WRITTEN 500 POEMS.


Everlasting Day

Second Place Hymns

Beloved child, the night, the night is near us,Which comes to all the earth this Eden-side,For evening’s sunset-glow must yield to darkness;It’s then that I must go, and you abide.I shall lie down, and not rouse from my slumber;The heavens will be no more when I awake.I’ll wait the days appointed me in number;I am His own; His handiwork He’ll not forsake. Our time to part is but a little testing.And of your grief, I know I well can see,You’ll come and find the place where I am resting,And lay a flow’r in memory of me.What though I sleep? There’ll surely come the

morningWhen all who hear Christ’s voice from grave will

rise;Then you and I will walk in that fair dawning,And pluck the golden flowers ’neath the azure skies. I know not what your life may bring tomorrow,But this I know, true faith will keep you brave,And it may lend you comfort in your sorrowTo think, an angel watches by my grave:For all who sleep in Jesus are of wondrous worth;They know His voice, and soon will hear Him say,“Awake! Awake! you sleepers in the dust of earth,”And rise to reign with Him in everlasting day.

RAY HeTLAND, A FAMILy PHySICIAN, LIVES WITH WIFE,

GLORIA, AND SEVEN CHILDREN IN ALBERTA, CANADA.

The Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal, no. 255—LONDONDERRY AIR

by RAY HETLAND


Beyond Today

Third Place Hymns

by GRACE A. MENTZEL

Beyond today, I do not know the future.Beyond today, God has it planned.But this I know, whatever lies before me,I know the one who holds my hand.For every day I see His weaving,Threads of life go in and out;Sometimes it’s joy and then it’s sorrow,But I will trust and never doubt.

Beyond today, I know I must have trial.Beyond today, God sees each tear.But when my trials are oh, so bitterI can’t explain, but know He’s near.For everywhere I go, He’s leadingAnd trusting Him, I will not stray.For even when my lights are dimming,I will look up; He knows the way.

Beyond today, I know I’ll see His face.For when my life on this old world is over,It’s by His grace I’ll win the race.For there I’ll walk and talk with JesusWhile walking ’long the golden shore,And there I know His love will guide meWith peace and joy forevermore.

Beyond today, beyond todayIf I but trust I will not roam.When I look back and see how He has led me,I know my Lord will guide me home.

GRACe A. MeNTzeL LIVES IN CANyONVILLE, OREGON.


Free Indeed

First Place Rhymed Verse

by BRIAN D. CLENDENON

He was Noble, White-haired, and somewhat Tall;His Voice betrayed a Louisiana Drawl.His Voice so soft; he seemed quite Meek,But don’t misunderstand, not one Ounce was

weak.He talked with his Mouth, but spoke with his

eyes. Every Word rang True: not one Word a Lie. He told of a Room that Years ago he’d been

shown; The more he spoke, the more we seemed alone.

His Eyes spoke to me and mine spoke back. I was White, and he was Black

* * *I WAS SHOWN A ROOM,

BOTH DRAB AND DANK, WHERE SLAVES WERE SOLD. MY SPIRIT SANK. A GREASY RING, ABOUT WAIST-HIGH, ENCIRCLED THE ROOM. MY HEART DID SIGH. I COULD SEE MY PEOPLE KNEELING, HEADS

AGAINST THE WALL, WAITING FOR THE TRADER, THEIR NUMBER TO CALL.

* * *THE INFIRMED FIRST; THE ELDERLY NEXT. IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE WHAT AGE, WHAT

SEX.


THE LAST TO BE CALLED, PARADED, AND SOLD, WERE THE HEALTHY, THE HARD WORKERS FOR,

COINS OF GOLD.I SPIED A DARK MAIDEN, TAWNY AND STRONG. EYES COLD AND ANGRY FROM ALL OF THE

WRONG. HER TIME HAD COME; SHE WAS CALLED TO THE

BLOCK. HUNDREDS OF GREEDY EYES LUSTFULLY

GAWKED. WHISPERS! GIGGLES! THE WHISTLES SWELLED.

“WHAT’LL YOU GIVE FOR THIS DARKlE,” HE YELLED.

“I’LL GIVE YOU FIVE”; “TEN”; “I’LL BID A SCORE!”

“THIRTY.” “FIFTY.” “SIXTY AND NO MORE!”* * *

THE SLAVER STRIPPED THE RAGS FROM HER FLESH.

THE BIDDING LEAPED UPWARD WITH INTEREST AFRESH.

“ONE HUNDRED!” “TWO!” “TWO AND A HALF!” “FOUR!” A VOICE, CALM AND CLEAR, CAME FROM NEAR THE DOOR. ’TWAS A PREACHER; A VOICE NOBLE AND FIRM.

A VOICE SO PURE, IT MADE THE OTHERS SQUIRM.

THE HAGGLING CONTINUED TILL THEY’D FIN-ISHED THE GAME.

THE PREACHER NOW OWNED THE GIRL WITHOUT A NAME.

SHE WATCHED THIS MAN CAREFULLY, AS THE OTHERS CURSED,

AND SHE LOOKED INTO HIS EYES, EXPECTING THE WORST.

“DO AS YOU WILL; I BELONG TO THEE.”

“I BOUGHT YOU, YOUNG LADY, TO SET YOU FREE.”

* * *I STOOD IN THIS ROOM; MY FEELINGS WENT

WILD. I WAS CALM; I WAS SAD; MOST TIMES, I WAS

RILED. BUT AS I THOUGHT OF THAT EBONY MAID, I DWELT ON MY LIFE AND WONDERED MY FATE. I FOCUSED ON THE BLOCK BELOW. WITH THE AGE-WORN PLACES WHERE MY FEET

SHOULD GO, I STEPPED UPON THE BLOCK OF SHAME;

I NOW WAS A BLACK MAN WITHOUT A NAME.* * *

I PICTURED MYSELF IN RAGS AND TATTERS, WHAT WOULD I SELL FOR? BUT THAT DIDN’T

MATTER. THE AUCTIONEER SCREAMED, “WHAT’S YOUR

FIRST BID?” ADULTERY YELLED FORTH, “I’LL START WITH A

QUID.” THE SELLER GROWLED BACK, “YE MUST BE

DAFT! WHAT A PITTANCE FOR SUCH A SPECIMEN AS THAT.”

PREVARICATOR SAID HE’D DOUBLE THE PRICE. ENVY AND HATE UPPED IT THRICE. THIEVERY, ARROGANCE, DISSENTION, AND

LUST DESIRED THE POSSESSION; IT JUST WAS A MUST.

* * *AND AS THE BIDDING DREW TO A CLOSE, SATAN LAUGHINGLY RIPPED OFF THE REST OF

MY CLOTHES. EVERY SIN, EVERY DESIRE, EVERY GUILT THAT I

BORE MADE ME MORE VULNERABLE. AND MUCH MORE THE SCORE.

THEN A VOICE BOOMED FROM THE REAR, LIKE PEALS OF THUNDER, YET PLEASING TO

THE EAR. IT WAS JESUS, THE CHRIST, THAT HAD COME TO

BUY THIS POOR, WRETCHED BLACK MAN. WHY, OH, WHY?

THE PRICE RACED SKYWARD; UP IT SOARED. “SOLD TO THAT MAN!” THE AUCTIONEER

ROARED. “THE SLAVE’S WORTH IS ONLY HIS PRICE.

COME, SIR, REDEEM YOUR MERCHANDISE.” AND AS HE CAME AND PAID THE BILL, I SAID, “MASTER, I’M YOURS. DO AS YOU WILL.”

“I BOUGHT YOU, BROTHER, FOR FREEDOM’S NEED.

BY LOVE I HAVE FREED YOU; YOU ARE FREE INDEED.”

BRIAN D. CLeNDeNON IS A RETIRED NUCLEAR

MEDICINE TECHNOLOGIST WHO LIVES IN CALDWELL,

IDAHO, WITH SHIRLEy, HIS WIFE OF 46 yEARS.


Let There

Be Spring

Second Place Rhymed Verse

Awaken, ye forces of nature. AwakeFrom your long silent doze through the freeze.The noiseless alarm of April’s warm sunShouts aloud, Come, awaken, spring breeze.

Young grasses, wake up! Lift your tiny green headsThrough your grandfathers’ brown grassy tombs.Weave threads of soft green into blankets of lifeWith the aid of spring showers’ new looms.

Brown branches of wood, shatter forth into life!Twigs, be covered with buds of new green.Burst forth into whiteness of bloom, cherry boughs.Blossom, redbuds, in colors serene.

Be crowned, ye drab shrubs, with magnolia pink.Forsythias, swell into gold.Low shrubs, be ye covered with rose-colored blooms.Flower forth into beauty untold.

Wild violets, spring forth and adorn grassy fields.Sprinkle royal-blue purple around.Fair tulips, lift skyward your ruby-red heads.Let grape-scented iris abound.

Ye heralds of cheer, cardinals, shout it aloud.Robins, echo the praises of spring.Let sparrows and starlings, grackles and jaysJoin the colorful chorus on wing.

Come, ye woodpeckers, too. Beat the rhythm in tune.Let the laughter of young children ring.The Master Creator of all nature’s artCommanded it: “Let there be spring!”

DORIS SANDeRS AND HER HUSBAND, LEON, ARE BOTH SEVENTH-

DAy ADVENTIST PREACHER’S KIDS AND RETIRED C.P.A.S. THEy ARE

LIVING IN ST. GEORGE, UTAH. DORIS HAS ENJOyED WRITING POETRy

SINCE CHILDHOOD.

by DORIS SANDERS


My Choice

Third Place Rhymed Verse

They brought in a laughing little boy and placed him on my lap,

But no way would I accept this pathetic little chap.I knew he had Down syndrome—his shirt was wet

with drool.I knew if I took this child I’d really be a fool.

Then I saw a tiny baby, so very, very smallHe would not eat, just slept a lot—was not thriving

at all.He only needed someone to give him lots of care,But that would be too much work for me—I’d better

look elsewhere.

Here is another precious girl, who looked perfect at first glance.

Then they said she had heart trouble, and I cannot take the chance

Of growing to love her deeply—and then what if she should die?

I’d be left alone again, so I had to pass her by.

Next I was shown a tiny lass with curly, reddish hair,Then she began to cough so hard I was filled with

despair.I guessed before they told me: cystic fibrosis was her

disease.When they asked if I would take her, I said, “You

must excuse me, please.”

They showed me all the children, but not one did I choose.

Each child had a flaw or two I used as an excuse.They said I was too critical and did I realize,God created all these children and they’re beautiful

in His eyes.

ANN INGeRMANSON LIVES IN RETIREMENT IN

CANyONVILLE, OREGON. HER WRITING PASSIONS ARE

POETRy FOR GOD’S GLORy, AND CHILDREN’S BOOKS.

by ANN INGERMANSON

I wanted a beautiful little girl with eyes of deep-est blue

And ringlets in her golden hair—she’d be a dream come true.

Or a healthy bouncing baby boy, so cuddly, cute and sweet,

And everyone would admire him as we walked down the street.

I went to an orphanage and thought I’d look around,

But the child I was looking for was nowhere to be found.

I loved children so very much I hoped I could find many,

But I was shown only defective ones, so I did not take any.

First I was shown a pretty baby, but he was totally blind.

I said, “I’m sorry, that’s not the child I had in mind.

How could he be normal if he could never see?I can’t accept this little guy—too much

responsibility.”

They brought in another lad, who looked cheer-ful and bright,

Then I realized he couldn’t walk—his legs did not work right.

So I said, “I wanted a son who would be my pride and joy,

So how could I take this poor, crippled little boy?”

There was a pretty little girl, except that she was bald.

When I found she had cancer, I didn’t want her at all.

She would be in the hospital so much and always getting sick.

It would be too much trouble—another child I’d better pick.


The Cathedral Windowby J. FRED HUGHES

In reciting “the Lord is my Shepherd”From the twenty-third psalm . . . Do we just mouth the words,or know the Shepherd and His balm . . .In cathedrals expensive, a form stone-carved in vain . . .for stained-glass portraits never help broken-glass pain.

Damaged lives He empowers to pick up the pieces . . .fragmented hopes, dream shards, and broken life leasesBut picturesque saviors in windows —classic or plain—are just colored-glass portraits not healing broken-glass pain.

J. FReD HuGHeS LIVES IN

LINCOLN CITy, OREGON, AND IS

THE AUTHOR OF CaLamity’s ansWers:

a neW taKe On JOB’s aGOnies.

Third Place Rhymed Verse


Reflections

AR

TIS

T: I

SA

AC

OLI

VE

R

Praying Till DonneI have a sin of fear, that when I have spunMy last thread, I shall perish on the shore;But swear by Thyself, that at my death Thy SonShall shine as He shines now, and heretofore;And having done that, Thou hast done;I fear no more.1

I am not certain how I prayed until I met John Donne. I say “met” because it seemed he spoke to me—the central, spiritual part of me—as forcefully as if we had actually encountered each other on some London street, and not in the pages of a Penguin paper-back collection, separated by 350 years of silence.

I’m sure I prayed as children everywhere are taught to pray—“in Jesus’ name,” “for Mommy and for Daddy,” and, if the wind was right and sibling conflict at an ebb, for “Davie” and for “Ronnie,” too. There were “the missionaries and colporteurs across the seas,” my inconsistent piano practicing that led to moments of sheer terror on the nights before recitals, and my long-running dread of all things mathematical. Sins loomed titanically on the margins of my world: the unkind cut I said to a classmate; the disrespect I one time uttered to a teacher. My conscience was so tender I found myself one smitten day apologizing to the cat.

But then I met this man who died before my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather—also John—was conceived, and knew at once that he would teach me how to pray. John Donne (1572-1631), the celebrated preacher/poet of the age of Shake-speare, addressed his God with candid pleas and bold requests that voiced the inarticulate yearnings of my adolescent soul:

Batter my heart, three-person’d God; for youAs yet but knock; breathe, shine, and seek to mend;That I may rise, and stand, o’erthrow me, and bendYour force, to break, blow, burn, and make me new.2

Soon enough, I was reciting bits of Donne on long walks home ’cross muddy fields; when clouds as dark and brooding as my fears spit snow and ice along the way; when, in the temple of my heart, I knelt to offer Christ as much as I could give.

And when at 21, I sat—first time—beneath the pulpit in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, I whispered words the former preacher of the old cathedral that once stood upon that spot had taught me how to pray:

And burn me, O Lord, with a fiery zealOf Thee and Thy house, which doth in eating heal.3

Donne became my prayer partner in all those moments when the heart wants more of God, or when, in crisis or in sin, I did not have enough. I prayed his words on interstates when hours of white-lined boredom made me long for focused thought. I prayed his words when, in the casket of my first magnetic resonance imager (MRI), I discovered claustrophobia. I prayed his words when sins more serious than anything I ever said to the cat beset my heart and made me plead for top-to-bottom, stem-to-stern renewal.

Donne gave me what the real poets always give—those words beyond our everyday vocabulary that spin or soar or crawl or weep—and move us past the too-drab confines we inhabit. Somehow, the poet “gets it”—gets it definitively right in just the way we wish we could have said or written it. And who cares if the lines all rhyme, or if the meter moves to rhythms unimagined in all the doggerel that sets the pack a-baying? The poet—my John Donne, your Eliot, or Dickinson, or e e cummings—writes for an audience of one: most often that unhurried heart that wants to see more clearly, hear more carefully, pray more fervently.

Someday, if faults may still be shared in heaven, I will ask Donne’s pardon for the ways I have rewritten him in 40 years of mak-ing what he wrote my own. As grace invariably does, he’ll smile, I sense, and nod his head in agreement with a prayer he fully understands:

Un-Donne, I fear that when I have spunMy last thread, I shall perish on the shore;But swear by Thyself, that at my death Thy SonShall shine as He shines now, and heretofore;And having all Donne, Thou hast Knott, too;We fear no more.

1 John Donne, “A Hymn to God the Father,” Poems of John Donne, ed. E. K. Chambers (London: Lawrence & Bullen, 1896), Vol. I, p. 213.2 John Donne, “Batter My Heart, Three-Person’d God,” Poems of John Donne, Vol. I, p. 165.3 John Donne, “I Am a Little World Made Cunningly,” Poems of John Donne, Vol. I, p. 159.

BILL kNOTT IS EDITOR AND PUBLISHER OF adVentist reVieW.

“my heart is stirred by a noble theme” · 2016. 3. 21. · cliff goldstein never disappoints in...

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