Evening star., 1942-06-20

sense of emergency and immediacy
and stern reality. They viii not
have done their full work with us
unless they have driven us to our
knees in dependence upon the hv-
ing God; and to our feet, to do
service 20 our fellows in the things
of the spirit.
The Message Of the Mount.
This lesson, upon THE Task
Committed to the Disciples" is
straight out of the scenes of the
resurrection and ascension Of Jesus.
1t is His final word to His friends.
The scene was the Mount of Olives,
where now stands the impoverished
Russian Church of the Ascension,
with its high tower that gives the
best view of all of Palestine.
For the ascension is big with
the truth Of a resurrected, ever
living Christ 40, ! am with YOU
all the days"-the dark and dis
oouraged days, as well as the days
of spiritual glow and ecstasy. He
who now reigns above also dwells
in the hearts Of His friends, as
their all-spfficient Helper and Com.
fort. When we let our minds rur
back and out upon the theme O!
the millions and billions Of dis.
ciples throughout the ages who
have found Christ a living anc
present reality in their lives, WI
are thrilled by a new consciousness.
OF the church universal and eternal
Lest any defeatism and discour.
agement creep into our hearts, VIZ
are reminded that the ascension
means final victory. True. Jesu.
had met with opposition through.
out His ministry. He was sur.
rounded by powerful enemies. A
the last they nailed Him to {
cross. But after all that He aros
from the dead and assembled int
Heaven. He was vindicated as vic
tor over both life and death. Ant
His message to His disciples was n
requiem of a defeated man but tn
clear and confident command of
Conqueror, with the whole world 70
His field. 1t is the triumphan
Christ to whom we should pray i
these War-Weary days.
Shocked Into Solidarity.
Current events have taken us a,
to school for new lesson in geog
raphy-and We find ourselves righ
back at the Mount of Olives, wher
the ascending Jesus talked to Hi
disciples in world terms. Belatedly
We have been shocked into an aware
ness of Malaga and India and Chin
and the Philippines and the island
of the sea and Libya and the Bal
kans and Russia and the Greek isle
and Madagascar and Ethiopia an
Eritrea and a dozen other strang
places beside. With a shock W
have learned a new solidarity wit
all the world" Contemporary his
| tory, like a schoolmaster with roc
has come along to repeat the grea
teaching Of Jesus, that the Who'll
world is our field and that there
no room in His Kingdom for pro
vincialisrn.
| Clearly marked out for Chris
tians is the scope of their interes
and activity. After explicitly affirm
ing His own authority, the Kin
commanded. Go We therefore an
make disciples of all nations" TIL
changed life which the gospel pro
vides-sweeter, purer, more helpful
and brotherly-is to be shared witt
the uttermost man. Nobody. dar
disown foreign missions today, whel
our men, bearing both guns an
truth. are ENJOYS to the farthes
reaches of geography. Their mission
is to make ready the earth for
new life of solidarity, a unife,
realm wherein the teachings of tn
everything Christ will be brough
nearer to realization.
The Sunday School Lesson for
June 21 is, "The Task Committed
to the Disciples" Matthew
| xxviii.l6-20; Mark xvi.14-20;
2 Luke xxiv.49-53.