Reviewing the Adventist Review

March 26, 2009
Vol. 186, No. 9

GENERAL COMMENT
Pastor Erick Cerritos, 33, was murdered in Guatemala, a place where 12 church members have been murdered, 100 extortions and 10 kidnappings have taken place since 2008. All of us should daily and prayerfully remember Adventist pastors and believers whose dangerous, unflagging and confident faith inspires the world.


BOUQUETS
Even in this excellent issue, the following six pieces deserve special mention. Ray Adams’ editorial, FOUR ELEGANT WORDS, elucidates the subatomic world of the Higgs boson.

The SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH TURNS 150 reported by Megan Brauner, is accompanied by six historic pictures that bring to life “the way it was”.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER by Frederick Dana, suggests that it is possible, even desirable, to go back to a New Testament Model in which, according to Ellen White, “God calls for workers who will be producers. There is a world to be warned. Why are the ministers who should be laboring in special service earnestly to open new fields and raise up new churches hovering over the churches which have already received great light and many advantages which they do not
appreciate?"

BORN IDENTITY by Jimmy Phillips suggests that as the church works to “retain and reclaim” young people it must “build a spiritual identity grounded in Jesus. Form a social network of believers. . .Start a softball team, host a cookie decorating night, or plan a midweek pizza outing. Connect the church to real life, and emphasize practical service. Applying the principles and values of the kingdom of God means being actively involved in mission work”.

The two articles, INTELLIGENT DESIGN by Leonard Roy Brand and TRUE SCIENCE OR DOGMA? By Sean D. Pitman provide thoughtful and rational arguments for “the possibility that there is a Creator”.


EDITORIAL COMMENT
Hyveth Williams’ PUTTING AWAY CHILDISH THINGS is an essay badly in need of editorial direction. Too many ideas are crammed into too little space. The result is cliché driven confusion. Editors, all published writers should be able to count on a professional “second look”!