Avoid Theatrical Display
I have a message for those in charge of our work. Do not encourage the men who are to engage in this work to think that they must proclaim the solemn, sacred message in a theatrical style. Not one jot or tittle of anything theatrical is to be brought into our work. God's cause is to have a sacred, heavenly mold. Let everything connected with the giving of the message for this time bear the divine impress. Let nothing of a theatrical nature be permitted; for this would spoil the sacredness of the work.
"I am instructed that we shall meet with all kinds of experiences and that men will try to bring strange performances into the work of God. We have met such things in many places. In my very first labors, the message was given that all theatrical performances in connection with the preaching of present truth, were to be discouraged and forbidden. Men who thought they had a wonderful work to do sought to adopt a strange deportment and manifested oddities in bodily exercise. The light given me was, 'Give this no sanction.' These performances, which savored of the theatrical, were to have no place in the proclamation of the solemn messages entrusted to us.
"The enemy will watch closely, and will take every advantage of circumstances to degrade the truth by the introduction of undignified demonstrations. None of these demonstrations are to be encouraged. The precious truths given us are to be spoken in all solemnity and with sacred awe."—Ellen G. White MS. 19, 1910. (Quoted in "Methods of Labor," a mimeographed pamphlet of wide circulation.)
Not Excitement, but Solid Work
"Those who have the outpouring of the gospel of Christ which comes from the heart imbued by His Holy Spirit, will give light and comfort and hope to hearts that are hungering and thirsting for righteousness. It is not excitement we wish to create, but deep, earnest consideration that those who hear shall do solid work, real, sound, genuine work that will be enduring as eternity. We hunger not for excitement, for the sensational; the less we have of this, the better. The calm, earnest reasoning from the Scriptures is precious and fruitful. Here is the secret of success, in preaching a living personal Saviour in so simple and earnest a manner that the people may be able to lay hold by faith of the power of the word of life."—Ellen G. White Letter 102, 1894. (Quoted in leaflet, "Preach the Word," pp. 3, 4.)
Preach the Truth With All Solemnity
"Do not divest the truth of its dignity and impressiveness by preliminaries that are more after the order of the world than after the order of heaven. Let your hearers understand that you hold meetings, not to charm their senses with music and other things, but to preach the truth in all its solemnity."—"Gospel Workers," p. 356.
"While they are to labor earnestly to interest the hearers, and to hold this interest, yet at the same time they must carefully guard against anything that borders on sensationalism."—p. 346.
"God's servants in this age have been given most solemn truths to proclaim, and their actions and methods and plans must correspond to the importance of their message."—Id., p. 356.
Outward Display Not to Characterize Our Work
"In our efforts to reach the people, there is danger of adopting methods that will not produce the best results. Plans may be followed which seem to excite much interest for the time ; but the effect proves that the work is not abiding. . . .
"There is danger of depending too much on outward display to attract the people. The mission of Christ was not conducted in this way. Outward display is not to characterize our work. We must not give the impression that we link amusement with the solemn work for this time. If the workers have a real love for souls, they may find more effective methods of labor. . . .
"Outward attraction and display encourage sensational ideas by which some of the workers may be spoiled for any effective service."--Ellen G. White in General Conference Daily Bulletin, March 2, 1899.
Work Without Theatrical Display
"How shall we carry on evangelistic work in large cities ?—As you are carrying it on in____________ , without the parade that some who are deceiving their own souls, are inclined to think necessary. The truth that we have to proclaim is the most solemn truth ever entrusted to mortals, and it is to be proclaimed in a way that corresponds to its solemnity and importance. There is to be attached to it no fantastic display. Such display meets the minds of some, but how few are really convicted and converted by a fanciful blending of display with the proclamation of the solemn gospel message for this time. The display counterworks the impression made by the gospel message."
"Our success will depend on carrying forward the work in the simplicity in which Christ carried it forward, without any theatrical display."
"We are to keep as far from the theatrical and the extraordinary as Christ kept in His work."—Ellen G. White Letter 53, 1904. (Quoted in "Public Evangelism," pp. 105, 106.)
