Off Guard

INTERESTING films have been produced with the aid of concealed cameras, making it possible to record the re­actions of people who did not know they were being photo­graphed—people caught off guard.

Would it not be interesting, and perhaps helpful, to turn some sort of candid lens back upon ourselves, our everyday living, our consistencies and inconsistencies—as we appear off guard?

I thought so. For that reason a number of years ago I asked a prayer meeting audi­ence to cooperate by filling out a question­naire of my own making. This was a typi­cal Seventh-day Adventist group in a typi­cal Seventh-day Adventist church—fine, loyal people, or they would not have been there. I did not feel they were any more in need of whatever good might come from this survey than any other group. I only wanted to know some things that I felt these unsigned questionnaires might reveal. A few of them felt they had been tricked, shall we say, into the answers they gave. But is it not necessary sometimes to be caught off guard, if we are going to get a candid and accurate look at ourselves? On the first page of the questionnaire we asked these questions:

1. Are you a baptized church member?

2. Have you ever been converted?

3. Have you at some time surrendered your life to Christ?

4. Do you stand when general calls for reconsecration are made?

5. Do you stand when the call specifies that you are willing to go wherever He calls?

6. Have you ever shed tears in the church service or prayer meeting?

7. Have you ever wept in your private devotions?

8. Do you have a burden for souls?

9. Do you wish that sometime next month we could have a baptism of fifty souls in this church?

10. Do you have any unsaved loved ones?

11. Have you ever requested prayer for any of them?

12. Do you belong to a popular church?

13. In your opinion, will your church at some time in the future be less popular than it is now?

14. Are you willing to give your life, if necessary, for your Master?

15. Would you like to see a revival in this church?

Boxes were placed beside each question so that the answers Yes or No could be checked. In that way no handwriting could be identified. It was requested that no one turn to the second page until all had con-pleted the first. On the second page were these questions:

1. Do you believe our church service should close promptly at or near twelve o'clock?

2. Are you restless if the meeting runs over?

3. Do you feel it your duty to attend special meetings at the church?

4. Do you think there should be more than one such meeting in a week?

5. Do you think that a special meeting should ever be called on Saturday night?

6. Should those who conduct a Sabbath afternoon meeting be thoughtful enough to allow time for people to get their eve­ning meal before time to leave for the eve­ning entertainment?

7. If you have (or if you did have) a car, would you be willing to stop by regularly to bring an interested person to church?

8. Would you be willing to act as a spiritual guardian and friend to a new member?

9. Do you think we have too many ac­tivities?

10. If your prayers for your loved ones should be answered immediately, would it affect your economic status adversely?

11. Do you believe that church activ­ities should ever require missing meals?

12. If a revival meeting were to be held in this church, would you be willing to make a solemn promise to attend every night for two weeks?

Questionnaires were in. The next week we discussed the results. Some strange in­consistencies were revealed between the answers on page one and the answers on page two. Twenty-one sheets were turned in. All twenty-one were baptized church members. Nineteen said they had been con­verted. Two said they did not know. Inter­estingly enough, seven said they belonged to a popular church. But eighteen were sure that in the future the church would be less popular than now.

But now notice. All twenty-one said they had shed tears in a public meeting; twenty, in their private devotions. Twenty said they had a burden for souls, and all twenty-one wished for a baptism of fifty. Evi­dently all were in earnest.

But thirteen of these insisted the church service must close at or near twelve o'clock. Six said they were restless if the meeting ran overtime. Twelve felt there should be only one special meeting a week. Seven felt a special meeting should never be called on Saturday night.

I realize they were caught off guard. Had I explained ahead of time the possi­ble inconsistencies, some answers would have been different. It had not occurred to them that a baptism of fifty souls would certainly involve some special meetings, and that some meetings might have to run overtime. The baptismal service itself, if fifty were involved, would extend far be­yond normal time limits. Would some be restless?

Notice this. Eighteen said they were will­ing to give their lives for their Master, but only eight felt that church activities should ever require missing a meal. Un­doubtedly they thought we were speaking of what should be a normal routine, but giving our lives for God is hardly a normal routine. We ought to ask it honestly. We who are willing to give our lives—how many meals are we willing to miss? Are we in danger of being tripped up, as Peter was, willing to give our lives but failing to recognize the smaller issues at hand?

All twenty-one wanted to see a revival in the church. Only eleven would promise to attend every night for two weeks.

Their hearts were right. Twenty were willing to bring an interested person to church regularly. The other had no car. Three were honest enough to say that if their prayers for their loved ones were answered immediately, it would affect their economic status adversely. But they were still praying anyway!

Those were the results—in one of the finest groups I have ever known. How would we have done if some candid camera had been turned on us—and caught us off guard? Would there be any discrepancy between what we say we are willing to do and what in practice we are willing to do, between what we want from the church and what we are willing to put into the church, between our desire for revival and our willingness to bring about revival? It might pay us to think it through!