Arkansas State press., 1950-01-13

uAtel III week anu WdteTy ldSH-
ion as compared with what they
enjoyed.
Family Living
THE VERY FIRST Christians
lived literally like big family.
This is all the more extraordinary
when you think OF the variety Of
their backgrounds. look up the
list of places mentioned in Acts
2:9,l0 on map Of Asia. Africa
and Europe) A good family is a
unit.
II little Willie comes down
with appendicitis, his parents
don't get out the family ac-
count book and figure out how
much Willie has been worth
TO the family. In dollars and
cents. In his eight years Of life.
Suppose they calculated that his
services, such as they are-carry-
Ing In the wood. feeding the chick
ems. or what not had been worth
about $23.75 since the last time he
was sick, they wouldn't send little
Willie to the hospital with the note
to the doctor: please give our
Willie $23.75 worth of operation.
That's all he has put into the family
budget and that's all we're going
70 let him take out!"
Not by any means. Little Willie
Is taken TO the hospital and what
ever operation he needs. that Is
the one his parents want him to
have. even IL ii costs 20 times what
Willie has been worth In cash. The
family give Willie what he needs.
and they also expect him TO help
out In all the ways he can.
Church Living
NNE OUBLE with our
~ churches today Is that so many
OF them have actually lost this fam.
ily-feeling. The early Christians.
we are told were Of one heart
and soul" Could you say Of your
church that all its members are
OF one heart and soul9
The early Christians. feeling thus
close TO one another. had all
things In common" What do the
members of your church have In
common They meet In one place
once week. Blu, what else? Do
they even speak 10 one another7
II one member Of the congregation
falls sick. do the others find out
about II quickly, and when they find
out what do they do about Il? II
trouble comes 10 a member. do
the other members rally around
him.
p" Does the church say 10 Its
members. ~ the Salvation
Army does Of hard-prcsscd
men, you may be down but
you're never OUT" Some
churches have q pastors or
deacon's fund. 10 be used In
cases Of need.
Contributors 10 the fund are rs
anonymous as are those who are
helped by IL. The idea is for those
who are blessed with large income.
or those who may have special
windfalls, bonuses. extra dividends,
big crops. and so on. 10 chip In
Tor the aid Of all who may run into
trouble.
-
Not All Troubles Are Financial
NATURALLY, not all troubles
~ are financial. Some Of the most
serious troubles have little or moth.
ing to do with money There are
many other kinds Of needs For
example. In any church there will
be lonely people, and you can't cure
loneliness with check, no matter
how big
The minister Is the key man.
he can locate the needs, but he
can't supply them all. Lonely
people. those who have been
through deep sorrow. men try.
ing 10 find the right jobs, young
folks In danger Of serious
temptation church which
Is like family will not let
these people fight their battles
alone.
What we all need is the feeling
that we belong. The church can
make all the difference between
despair and happiness simply by
making every single person in IT
feef tfsat no matter what happens
to him. be still belongs; he is more
than among friends. he is among
brothers -.-.--