Meanings of the Sabbath for Worship in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church

This study investigates the meanings and significance of the seventh-day Sabbath for worship in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In recent years, both the day and concept of Sabbath have attracted ecumenical attention, but the focus of scholarship has been placed on Sunday as the Lord's Day or Sabbath with little consideration given to the seventh-day Sabbath. In contrast, this project examines the seventh-day Sabbath and worship on that day from theological, liturgical, biblical and historical perspectives. Although not intended as an apology for Seventh-day Adventist practices, the work does strive to promote a critical and creative conversation with other theological and liturgical traditions in order to promote mutual, ecumenical understanding. Historical research into the origins and nature of the principal day for weekly Christian worship provides a starting point for discussion on Sabbath. Reconsideration of the relationship between Judaism and early Christianity in recent studies suggests that the influence of Judaism lasted longer than previously supposed, thereby prolonging the developmental process of Sabbath (seventh day) to Sunday. A possible coexistence of Sabbath and Sunday in early Christianity offers an alternative to perspectives that dichotomize Sabbath and Sunday from Christian antiquity onward, and thus for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, suggests biblical and historical validity for their Sabbath worship practice. Recent theological perspectives on Sabbath and Sunday are examined, particularly those of Karl Barth, Jürgen Moltmann and Pope John Paul II. While all three of these theologians stress the continuity of Sabbath and Sunday and speak mainly to a theology of Sunday, they do highlight the significance of Sabbath—which is relevant to an interpretation of seventh-day Sabbath worship. The study concludes that the seventh-day Sabbath is significant for worship in the Seventh-day Adventist Church because it symbolizes the relationship between God and human beings, reminds humanity of the creating and redeeming God who acts in history, and invites persons to rest and fellowship with God on a day sanctified by God.

Memorial Services in honor of the late John B. Finch

Various memorial addresses.

Missionary life among the cannibals : being the life of the Rev. John Geddie, D.D., first missionary to the New Hebrides : with a history of the Nova Scotia Presbyterian mission on that group / by George Patterson.

http://www.archive.org/details/cannibalmission00pattuoft

Peace and Peacemaking in Paul Against the Backdrop of Greco-Roman Conceptions of Peace

Peace in the ancient world has been studied primarily from the perspective of pacifism and questions related to war and peace. This study employs a socio-historical method to determine how peace was understood in itself, not just with respect to war. It demonstrates that the Greco-Roman world viewed peace as brief periods of tranquility in an existence where conflict was the norm, while Paul regarded peace as the norm and conflict as an intrusive aberration. Through a historical and literary survey of Greco-Roman thought and culture, this study shows that myth, legend, religion, education, philosophy, and science created and perpetuated the idea that conflict was necessary for existence. Wars were fought to attain peace, which meant periods of calm, quiet, and security with respect to the gods, one's inner self, nature, others who are insiders, and others who are outsiders. Despite the desirability of peace, genuine peace was seldom experienced, and even then, only briefly, as underlying enmity persisted without resolution. While Paul supports the prevailing conception of peace as tranquility and felicity in relation to God, self, nature, and others, he differs as to the origin, attainment, and maintenance of peace. In Paul, peace originates in God and is graciously given to those who are justified and reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. God removes the enmity caused by sin and provides the indwelling Spirit to empower believers to think and behave in ways that promote and maintain peace. This study also examines how three social dynamics (honor-shame, patron-client, friendship-enmity) affect Paul's approach to conflict resolution with Philemon and Onesimus, Euodia and Syntyche, believers who are prosecuting one another in civil courts, and Peter. Rather than giving specific procedures for resolving conflict, Paul reinforces the believer's new identity in Christ and the implications of God's grace, love, and peace upon their thoughts, words, and behavior toward one another. Paul uses these three social dynamics to encourage believers in the right direction, but their ultimate accountability is to God. The study concludes with four strategic principles for educating the church and developing an atmosphere and attitude within the church for peacemaking.