Bethel University - Spire Yearbook (St Paul, MN)

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16 THE BETHEL HERALD ENGLISH DEPARTMENT THE OUTLOOK By Anton E. Sjolund It is only natural for us who are leaving the school and going out on the field to stay to inquire into the possibilities of the future. The war clouds are still hovering over us. The sun has hidden its face and refuses to shino in its former luster. Will this Egyptian darkness forever remain over us, or will the world see another bright day? What of the future?—is the question that now so seriously confronts us. This subject is most perplexing. But altho the war situation today is not as favorable as it might be, it has never entered into our minds that the Christian church should lose, and still less is it true that we have felt like giving up. Should the Church of Christ and we as His servants give up because of the awful conditions in the world at the present time? Never! Wc are more determined than ever to hold fast. The religious condition of our land is far from satisfactory, but as long as there is life there is hope. We need a clear vision and a warm heart. We must also possess courage and faith that can conquer the world. Christian work was not meant for a coward or a lazy man. But above all we should remember that it is God's work, and that He holds the reins in His hands, and for Him all things are possible. To succeed in the cause of Christ one must be linked up with heaven. “What of the Christian ministry, is it doomed? asks Robert L. Kelly. He answers, “No, the Christian ministry is not doomed. It is passing thru a somewhat startling stage of transition and it is facing an opportunity to which the history of the church has no parallel. This sounds really encouraging. Many pity us because we are commencing our career in such unsettled times. It is true that we are living in a time such as the world has never seen, but wc cannot think of throwing up our hands and leave the battle front against the Devil and all his hosts for that. We have reason to thank God that wc are accounted worthy to be Ilis ambassadors in such a time as this. We are not equal to the task in our own strength, but “if God be for us, who can be against us?” It is Christ in us and Christ thru us that spurs us on. And besides this, “the love of Christ constraineth us and his marching orders are “Go! and we must obey our King's command. No doubt the task is great, but the forces which support us are also great. Our churches are and should be willing in this crisis to make an extra effort that the Gospel of Christ might be spread and His kingdom come. We believe there is a bright side to the ministry. Isaiah’s words are true even today: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy Cod rciynctliWe have no reason to be downhearted, we have no sad news to tell. Our message is the story of the crucified and risen Saviour; it is good news, glad tidings. We could not be persuaded to give up our work, for “who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?— Nay, in all this we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” “There is absolutely nothing in the near or distant future which the minister need fear,” said James Elmer Russel some six years ago. The same holds true today. The spirit-filled man need fear nothing. The same author also says, “Not every fully consecrated man can be a Moody or a Philips Brooks or a John G. Paton; he will simply be the best man God can make of him, and will accomplish only, the special work God expects him to accomplish.” But if we are faithful to our trust we will pray God to raise up and prepare men, who can, like John Knox, stir a nation. The present war presents a problem as well as great opportunities in Christian

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THE BETHEL HERALD 15 RAPPORTOREN Prof. David Gustafson holl ett patriotiskt foredrag i Central tisdagen den 16 april och den 28 april ett historiskt foredrag for ungdomsforeningcn i samma forsamling. Den 28 april predikade Victor Larson i Scandia, Minn. Broder Larson har jakande besvarat kallelsen att fortsiitta som assiste-rande pastor i St. Paul forsta under som-marferierna. Anton Siolund predikade i Enfield, Minn., den 21 april, i Lake Norden, S. Dak., den 28 april, i El Salem, Wis., den 5 dennes oeli i Scandia den 12 dennes. Broder Sjolund, som graducrar i Ar, har erh llit kallclse fr n New Bedford, Mass., som stadigvaran-de pastor. Linus Johnson predikade i St. Francis ocli Burns den 28 april. Talade vid ungdomsmd-tet i Betania den 21 april. Han har er-hftllit och antagit kallelsen att tjana for-samlingarne i Burns och St. Francis under sammarmhnaderna. A. Lilicmark predikade i Rush City den 21 april och den 5 maj och i Mankato den 28 april samt 12 dennes i Anoka, Minn. Broder Liliemark, som ar graduant, har jakande besvarat kallelsen att tj na forsamlingen i Galesburg, 111., som pastor under somma-ren. Hilton Liml predikade i Harris, Minn., den 21 april; den 28 april vid Payne ave.-missionen. Han kommer att tjana forsam-lingen i Lake Norden, S. D., under somnm-ren. David Anderson predikade vid Payne ave.-missionen den 5 dennes. Han har annu icke bestamt sig for n got fait under sommaren. Benjamin Coleman kommer att tillbringa sommarferierna i Spring Vale, Minn., som ar bans hemort. Han kommer att dar vara behjalplig I verksamheten under fritiden. Sciuinuriostudeiitcrmi voro inbjudna att som gastcr vara narvarandc vid ett “surprise givet av Ministerial Students Association At deras larare Rev. Adolph Olson i dennes hem den 10 maj. Besdkare ha bland andra under m naden varit pastorerna Eric Schestrom, Chicago, C. E. Bergfalk, Grove City, och F. Elmgren, Rush City. Minn. John G. Johnson predikar varannan son-dag i Kerkhoven, Minn. Den 21 april predikade hail i Watertown, Minn. Broder Johnson, som utg r som graduent, har jakande besvarat kallelsen att tjana forsamlingen i Kerkhoven, Minn., som stadigvarande pastor. Den S dennes holls under ledning av Alexis litterara fbrening en lhrorik och trevlig debatt over tesen: “Beslutat, att de protes-tantiska samfunden skola forenas till ett organiskt belt . For en ingen h ller sitt sis-ta mote for detta hr den 29 maj. Allmanhe-ten inbjudes. Gypsy Smith, som nyligen anlant fr n Frankrike, dar ban over tvft Ars tid ver-kat bland soldaterna, talade i de respektiva tvillingstaderuas Auditorium den 9 och 10 dennes. Hans amne var “Just Behind the Firing Lines in France . We quote som of his pithy statements: “I would rather have a sensation in church than a stagnation”. “The little Gypsy tent with Christ in it is a beautiful temple of God, while St. Paul’s Cathedral without Christ is only a glorified quarry . “ 'Over there’ it is not creed that counts, but Christ . “There is religion in the handshake . “I was asked the other day; if there is a new religion coming out of the trenche?. 1 answered: No, but it is a resurectiou of the old religion.” Dr. Arvid Hngstroin har nyligen besokt Chicago och omnejd. Hail predikade i Moline och annorstades. For narvarande be-soker ban statskonferensen i Kansas. Han kommer att besoka de fiesta konferenserna under de nhrmast forest ende m naderna. G. A, Gustavson predikade i Reynolds, Minn., den 21 april. Ovriga sondagar i Watertown och Delano, Minn. Han kommer att tjana forsamlingen i Watertown under sommarm naderna samt har jakande besvarat kallelsen att predika varannan sondags eftermiddag i Delano, Minn. C. Geo. Kricson predikade i Wood River, Wis., den 21 april och den 2S april i Grandy och Rush Point. Broder Ericson kommer att under sommarferierna tjana fdrsamling-eil i Wood River, Wis.

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THE BETHEL HERALD 17 work. And we cannot help but believe, that after the war we will also have a worthy task. Thousands will long for the heart-healing gospel of Jesus Christ. It will be our privilege to tell the Story. In an editorial in the “Louisville Courier-Journal” by Henry Watterson, we find in part this striking passage: (We quote “The Christian Workers’ Magazine ) “Surely, the future looks black enough, yet it holds a hope, a single hope. One, and one power only, can arrest the descent and save us. That is the Christian religion. Democracy is but a side issue. The paramount issue underlying the issue of Democracy, is the religion of Christ, and Him crucified; the bedrock of civilization, the source and resource ol‘ all that is worth having in the world that is, that gives promise in the world to come; not as an abstraction; not as a huddle of sects and factions; but as a mighty force and principle of being. The Word of God. delivered by the gentle Naza-rene upon the hillsides of Judea, sanctified by the Cross of Calvary, has survived every assault. It is now arrayed upon land and sea to meet the deadliest of all assaults, Satan turned loose for one last, final struggle. If the world is to be saved from destruction—physical no less than spiritual destruction—it will be saved alone by the Christian religion. That eliminated leaves the earth to eternal war. For fifty years Germany has been organizing and laboring to supplant it with ‘Kultur,’ the genius of infidelity. Her college professors have been obsessed with it. Iler universities have seethed with it. In acclaiming ‘Myself and God,’ the Kaiser has put the imperial seal upon it. When our armies have run it to its lair—when they have crushed it—naught will have been gained unless the glorious banner of the Cross is hoisted even as Moses liftted up the serpent in the wilderness— and the misled masses of Germany are bade to gather about it and beneath it as sadly as they collect the debris of their ruin for the reconstruction of the Fatherland. So in spite of the dark clouds we go out, not expecting to be defeated, but to conquer in the name of the great Commander, Jesus Christ, who sends us on. OIK MINISTER’S SERMON The minister said last night, said he, Don’t be afraid of grlvin’; If your life ain’t worth nothin’ to other folks, Why, what’s the use of livin’?” And that’s what I say to my wife, says I, There’s Brown, the mis’rable sinner, He’d sooner a beggar would starve than give A cent toward huyin’ a dinner. 1 tell you our minister is prime, lie is, But I couldn’t quite determine, When I heard him a-givin’ it right and left, ..Just who was hit by his sermon. Of course there couldn’t be no mistake When lie talked of long-winded prayin’. For Peters and Johnson they sat and scowled At every word he was sayin’. And Hie minister lie went on to say, “There’s various kinds of cheatin’, And religion’s as good for every day As it is to bring it to meetin’. I don’t think much of the man that gives The loud aniens at the preach in’. And spends his time the followin’ week In cheatin’ and ovcrreachin’.” 1 guess that dose was hitter enough For a man like Jones to swallcr. But I noticed he didn’t open his month But once after that to holler. Hurrah, says I, for the minister— Of course I said it quiet-— Give us some more of this open talk. It’s very rofreshin’ diet. The minister hit ’em every time, And when he spoke of fashion, And riggin’ out in bows and things, As woman’s rulin’ passion. And coining to church to see the styles, I couldn’t, help a-wliikin’ And nudgin’ my w ife, and says I, That’s you, And 1 guess it sot her tliinkiii’. Says 1 to myself, the sermon’s pat, But man is a queer creation, And I’m much afraid that most of the folks Won’t take the application. Now, if lie had said a word about My personal mode of shinin’, I’d have gone to work to right, myself, And not set tlier a-grinnin’.