Life @ Montrose, May 13, 2010

ADVENTIST HERITAGE PRAYER MEETING SERIES
The class is now in its fourth week but it is not too late to join us for inspirational stories from our Adventist past. So far we've covered the background and rise of the Adventist movement, the life and work of William Miller, and the development of Adventist beliefs and organization. Next week we will be covering the saga of the 1888 Minneapolis General Conference Session.

WESTERN SLOPE CAMP MEETING
This summer's western slope camp meeting will be held from Thursday evening, June 3rd, through all-day Sabbath, June 5th at Spring Creek Adventist School. The meetings will begin with a keynote by our conference president, Elder Gary Thurber, on Thursday evening. On Friday there will be seminars and presentations by our two featured speakers for the weekend, Elder Jim Nix, director of the Ellen G. White Estate, and Gary Gibbs, the associate director of The Hope Channel. Andrea Jacobsen, a highly desired youth speaker from Andrews University, will be with the youth in the youth tent. The ABC will also be coming out and children's programs are being planned. Please plan to save the date!

Dr. George R. Knight, professor emeritus of church history from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, is our featured speaker for our church retreat at Ridgway State Park. We have rented both sides of the pavilion so you are welcome to bring your friends and family for this exciting weekend. We will begin with a Friday (July 9) evening hotdog roast/bonfire followed by a vespers program with Dr. Knight. We will continue with church service at the Pavilion the next morning (July 10), some time for afternoon fun and hiking after a potluck lunch, and then another evening vespers with Dr. Knight. This promises to be a fun weekend where we will learn from one of the best-known writers and speakers in the denomination. Please plan to make sure you are there and if you have friends from out-of-town be sure to invite them to come visit!

I don't know how many of you like ice cream, but I sure do! Last night the Adventurers were able to celebrate the closure of another year of fun and learning about Jesus by taking a walk down to Dairy Queen. I had fun hanging out with our young people as they clearly enjoyed the occasion, too.

What does it mean to be a balanced Christian? I think Ellen White personifies the concept of "balance" as she learned and grew in her own Christian experience. As one of the founders of our church she is a prophetic voice who continues to speak to us through her writings. What I love about her is that, I contend, when she is properly understood her writings accomplish two things: (1) they always point us back to the primacy of Scripture in our lives; and (2) she always reminds us of the importance of keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. If we don't have these two ideas then I believe that we have the potential to misuse or even abuse her writings in a toxic way. Over the next two months I'm really pleased that we are going to have perhaps the two greatest living experts within the Seventh-day Adventist Church on Ellen White's writings here in Montrose, and if you have questions about how to interpret Ellen White or some question about our Adventist past then I would suggest you make sure you don't miss out on Jim Nix's camp meeting presentations (Elder Nix is the director of the Ellen G. White Estate) or George Knight's church retreat.

Speaking of counsel from the Spirit of Prophecy, I ran across an interesting statement that she wrote that goes along with the recent series on peacemaking: "Evilspeaking should be dealt with as a misdemeanor that is subject to church trial and separation from church membership if persisted in; for the church cannot be set in order in any way" (Ms. 74, 1897). What does that mean for us in practical terms? When a person suggests that the church--either our local church or the conference or denomination as a whole--is backslidden, in apostasy, or by passing around pamphlets in church to that same effect (as happened last Sabbath), such behavior fulfills this criteria. During Ellen White's lifetime she had a variety of persons who suggested that the church was in apostasy--most of the time it was because of others who pointed out the sins in others such as those who did not practice health reform the same way that they did (I'm working on an article right now on how Ellen White dealt with those who declared the church to be in apostasy). Such behavior is reprehensible and a disgrace to our church. When such situations arise the plan is for the pastor and elders to meet with such a person or persons, listen to their concerns, prayerfully consider them, and if such behavior is persisted in we are left no other alternative if such criticisms continue to ask such a person(s) to leave. An important part of peacemaking is that when every other option for peacemaking has been exhausted loving correction must be extended because such an individual (or individuals) is hurting not only themselves but the rest of the church family by pushing themselves away from the fellowship of the church. Such a process is always painful, but it is also necessary because as Mrs. White points out we can not have order any other way. I hate to even bring this up but because this has been publicly agitated in our church family I have to also let you know that the leaders of this church take such situations very seriously.

I was reminded of this dynamic yesterday as I was reviewing some notes on the story of the Minneapolis 1888 General Conference Session. One of the problems that as a denomination that we had was preaching the law and our distinctive beliefs to the exclusion of our Christian beliefs--the fact that we also believe in Christ's saving death on the cross and his righteousness that covers us for our sins. Adventist ministers during those early years were known not only for their Bible acumen but that they would go farther by shaming their opponents because they had the truth. As the 1888 General Conference session neared two young ministers, A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner, reminded our church in what Ellen White termed "a more precious message" of the need to keep Christ at the center of what Adventism is all about. Some present wanted to stand by the "old landmarks" but Mrs. White pushed our leaders to listen to what these two young preachers had to say. Some times we need to be open to the possibility of change and that the Lord wants to open our eyes to see new truths that we may not have seen before. We need to always remember that Christ is the center of what we believe as Seventh-day Adventists!

As you come to church you will notice a new bulletin board. A couple of months ago the church board, in my absence delegated me to pick out a new bulletin board--so I chose something that will hopefully be a little more eye-catching and that will specifically highlight church activities and events that are going on in our congregation.

Last but not least, the school board is interviewing three candidates this evening for the teaching position at our school. We will have some conference officials here, too. Let's pray that the Lord will lead through this process. I know the last few weeks have been difficult with a leadership transition at our school, but I believe the Lord will help us get through this time and help us find just the right person to help lead and build up our school. Adventist education is so critically important! Also, please continue to pray for Ellie Wing who is still in the hospital, Steve's mother who is slowly improving, and John Watson who is undergoing a second round of chemo.