Reviewing the Adventist Review

January 10, 2008
Vol. 185, No. 1

GENERAL COMMENTS: If you want to introduce a friend to the Review, this may be the edition. The cover is beautiful, the editorials are written with Christian grace, the review of recent developments at the Loma Linda School University Adventist Health Sciences Center will make you proud to be an Adventist, and there is a thrilling report from Mozambique.

LETTERS: Clifford Goldstein continues to be controversial.

Bill Knott’s editorial, THROW THIS AWAY, is a gentle but forceful reminder that "The secret of successful Christian living is knowing what to throw away, what to forget, what to discard."

Mark Kellner reminds readers of the groundbreaking media influence of “Faith for Today”. TURN YOUR RADIO ON is a heartfelt tribute to the pioneers of Adventist broadcasting.

THE JADE BRIDGE by Rebecca Brillhart is a lovely tribute to the joys, rewards, and necessity of the “Sabbath rest”.

Sari Fordham is simply fun to read. “YOUR SISTER HAS A DIRTY FACE” AND OTHER TEMPTATIONS is a riveting account of adult cynicism, theft, and trust in a God who answers the prayers of little children.

FORTY-NINE GLIMPSES OF GOD, PLUS ONE is a devotional piece by Lynell Lamountain that reminds readers that Heaven is a place "where smiles never fade, where tears never fall, and where love never dies". (The title was a bit puzzling. Only six “glimpses” were mentioned.)

BEHREN, LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT, TO RETIRE: What a career! What a medical institution! What a CEO! My only criticism of the article was Dr. Behren’s picture with board chair, Lowell C. Cooper, on page 19. The fuzzy black-and-white picture looked at first glance to be a newspaper publicity shot of an event in the 1940’s! It was, in fact, a photo taken during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Centennial Pathway.

FRANK JONES, 81, FORMER ASSOCIATE TREASURER, DIES. Paula L. Webber remembers his years of selfless service.

ADVENTIST CHURCH TO OPEN LITERACY CENTERS: "Under a new literacy education program, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Mozambique is partnering with national leadership to address the country's abysmal illiteracy rates. . .Under the agreement, the Adventist Church is responsible for running and staffing literacy centers throughout the country, which will be located at newly built Adventist churches. Church leaders plan to hire an initial staff of 700.” Church leaders anticipate that improving literacy in Mozambique will “build a strong relationship between church members and the communities where they live”. What a testimony to the credibility and community involvement of Christian Adventists in Mozambique! This is a proud day for SDA’s around the world!

TRUTH IS BETTER THAN FICTION by Jennifer Jill Schwirzer is an account of the kind of personal evangelism that changes and enriches lives.

In A FATHER’S JOURNEY, Ivan Blazen shares an autobiographical story of love lost and found. The compassionate care of his father by of Adventists in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, made it possible for him to be reunited with his father who had disowned him when he became an Adventist. It also made it possible for his father to embrace “the God of love” before he died.

BOOKS: Alexis A. Goring reviews “Can’t Keep My Soul From Dancing” by Mike Mennard, Review and Herald Publishing Company. According to reviewer Alexis A. Goring, It’s “not your average young adult devotional. . .It was written with the heart of an artist and skill of an educator.”

ADAPTABILITY by Seth Pierce begins with a funny story about adaptability. When he wrote this piece, Seth was about to become a father for the first time and had yet to really test his own adaptability. As a consequence, his advice lacked the humility that undoubtedly arrived along with his daughter, Madeline Claire, on November 30.