The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1958-12-12

contamination DR.. Foreman
What she was looking for was q
spectator religion. and Christian
ity is not a spectator religion. =
spectator sport Is n you look at
but don't play. A spectator religion
is n where you just think
Buddha. the founder of the religion
this lady chose, is nearly always
pictured sitting down land very fat
he gets, too). The object Of life for
the Buddhist Is to escape life.
tBuddha himself started out by
DESERVING his family The object
Of life for the Christian Is to take
his part in It. and by the way he
takes part In II to change It.
ITO b With Him"
A religion which would be an
action and no thought, would be
as one-sided as a religion all
thought and no action. A Christian
who never drew aside from the
crowd, who never tried to get q
perspective on life, who never once
asked himself. What am ! doing
here ? What does life mean? Would
be an unbalanced Christian. Just Al
unbalanced as one who took out
all his religion in meditation. There
are two significant statements by
Mark Ter phrase. but illuminat-
ing which illustrate the two
sidedness Of Christianity from the
very first. When Jesus chose the
Twelve. Mark says he appointed
them TO be with him" MARK
3-14), ard ITO be sent out" Firat
Of all they had 10 be with him
There would have been no use If
sending them out before they were
Well acquainted with him, learn.
ing his mind and his purpose. II
was important then and no less a
today that a Christian, to be d
service In the world. must live In
timately enough with Jesus 80 that
when he does active service ne will
serve in the spirit Of Christ and not
only his own.
TO Be Sent Out"
Dreaming Is easier than doing
Plans can be made with less effort
than production. If Jesus had ap-
pointed his apostles simply to be
with him, and nothing further. he
would have founded what Buddha
did. an order Of monks. Now there
have been monks in Cnristendom.
even "contemplative" monasteries
from which no monk ever energies
into the world again. But the lead
ers of Christianity, from Jesus On,
have never supposed that contem-
plation is the first and last word
for Christians in this world. One
Of the last things Jesus said in the
Upper Room, was. II appointed
you that you should go and bear
fruit ..." The very last thing that
Matthew records Jesus as saying
was a sentence beginning with tho
word Co" Now II a Christian has
really been with Jesus. il he has
absorbed his spirit and accepted
his truth. he will in a real way take
Jesus with him wherever he goes
More correctly. Christ takes him.)
Our Lord multiplies himself
through these dedicated lives
The Call Today
All that has been said Is true FOR
all Christians. But just as, in those
days, some men, the apostles. were
chosen as set-apart men with their
whole energies given to the Chris
tian witness, SC in these days, God
calls some Christians to some form
Of special full-time. set-apart serv-
Ice. Some are called to be evangel-
lists, some pastors and teachers al
Paul said. But young people do net
always realize that ministers ara
not the only kind of full timers
there r Most churches have 3
variety of places open for Chris
tians Of many different kinds OF
talents. If you will write to your
denominations headquarters and
ask what openings there are now,
here and abroad. for full-time
Christian service, you will be sur
prised-and very likely challenged
by the human needs which arc
crying, right now. for the help
which the church is prepared to
give ... If they a nnd the ded1-
Gated people.
BIASED on outlines copyrighted ~
the Division Of Christian Edneation,
National Council Of tho Churches Of
Christ In the q. s. A. RAlAaseA BY
Community Press Seryice.)
fsllD EVNfA Arrvrr mr.