Pointer's to Progress

THINK IT THROUGH

How can we best minister to our jun­iors? Is spiritual entertainment the answer? Novel and interesting approaches are always effectual, but how far can we wisely go? These are real questions especially at camp meeting time. Our answer will have far-reaching effects on the future of the church.

If to hold the attention of our young adolescents we have to conduct their meetings in the atmosphere of a modern ocean liner or a "Fast Express to Heaven"—complete with pilots, sailors, engineers, and conductors—or have the rostrum decorated as a firehouse complete with fire helmets and other appointments, it can hardly be wondered at if the service in the home church seems rather dull to them. Then the question comes, Will our Sabbath school and youth division leaders in the home churches have to be continually on the search for new and more novel atmosphere creations? To com­pete with the television atmosphere is impossible, but how far can we go? Would the Youth Leader of Nazareth work along such lines were He here today? Think it through. Our juniors are the church of the future.                                                                              

EDITORS.

MEASURELESS TREASURE

Some years ago I visited a sheep ranch down in Patagonia, Argentina. During our conversa­tion the attendant told me that he had to care for about twenty thousand sheep. Instantly I figured the value of the sheep. They were worth about a quarter million pesos (perhaps seventy thousand dollars today). What capital was entrusted to that man! What a responsibility to feed all those sheep, to keep them healthy and growing!

Many a worker in God's program carries great responsibilities. Some are entrusted with the ad­ministration of a sanitarium, perhaps worth mil­lions of dollars. Such administrators deserve our respect.

But the Lord looks at every human sheep, or lamb, according to his age, as of such fabulous value in the light of eternity that all the treasures of this world cannot compensate for him—so valu­able that He gave His life to redeem such souls.

"One soul is precious, very precious, in the sight of God. Christ would have died for one soul in order that that one might live through the eternal ages."—Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 73.

"God wanted them, else He would not have sent His Son on such an expensive errand to redeem them."—The Desire of Ages, p. 668.

Every worker, therefore, is entrusted with meas­ureless treasure—the lost souls in his territory, which may be half a million or more. As an under-shepherd, how are you administrating this tremendous treasure for the great Shepherd above?

"This work is to be a determined work. The lost sheep are all through the country where you are. You are to seek and to save that which is lost. They know not how to recover themselves."—Evan­gelism, p. 462.

We cannot be entrusted with a greater honor and responsibility than that of persuading the lost to come to Christ, for their value is greater than all the treasures of this world. Whatever position we may have in the Lord's vineyard, let us endeavor to begin our work each day with this thought in mind.

W. S.

HOW TO WHISPER

There is no reason for anyone to whisper on the platform during a service. There may be an occasional excuse, but never a reason! Lack of adequate plan­ning and explanation before entering the service may be an excuse, but a tragic one.

Probably there will always be some who feel it necessary to pass some remark during the service, but what a tragedy to do it before an entire congre­gation. It is a disconcerting practice that cannot be too strongly condemned.

But it is even worse when a person with a natur­ally deep, low voice does not know how to whisper and emits a continual drone of tone to the one next to him like a hive of swarming bees!

Someone has suggested, we hope incorrectly, that ministers and officers of the church are the group most guilty of this practice of talking aloud during services—not only on the platform but about the doorways and during workers' meetings. Do our ser­mons on reverence bog down because we have not learned the art of whispering, or because uncon­sciously we have felt that our office gives us the privilege (?) of being irreverent?

Perhaps a few suggestions on how to whisper will not be out of place. Actually, public speakers and actors properly trained can learn to make a whisper heard in the back of a large auditorium. But the volume of a whisper can also be so con­trolled that only the person next to you can hear it. And it is actually much more intelligible than speaking in a quiet, low tone of voice.

When we whisper there is just one principle to be kept in mind—the vocal cords are completely at rest, and there is no tone. When we speak ever so quietly, the cords are still in use, and the more quietly we speak the less intelligible it becomes, be­cause at that low volume the tone interferes with the clarity of the almost whispered enunciation.

Try it for yourself. Say these words, "How to whisper," very, very quietly. Now repeat them, with still less volume but still using a little tone from the vocal cords. You can eventually say them so quietly that the use of the cords will actually inter­fere with clear articulation.

Now leave the throat and cords completely at rest and say the same words, but using the mouth and lips only. Notice immediately how much more dis­tinct it is. Now you are whispering!

Repeat the words even more quietly, and very slowly, still leaving the cords at rest—"How to whisper." It is still distinct. Yet you can turn around and whisper very loudly—still without the vocal cords—and the back row of a congregation will hear you quite distinctly.

Now that we have learned to whisper, let us remember that the best way to convey information on the platform, if it must be done, is to write a note!                                                                 

B. C.