Opportunities for Service Now

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 7, 1911

Opportunities for Service Now

THE cause of God needs something besides the well wishes of his people at the present time. It needs their determined efforts. There is all the difference in the world between a lukewarm desire and a red-hot purpose. The whole-hearted purpose is what we need right now. The opportunities for helpful

service were never so numerous as now. They are not only about us on every side, but they are insistent in their demands to be filled; and he, whether adult or youth, who does not see about him every day of his life, work for Christ that he ought to be doing, is in a sad condition.

“A thousand doors of usefulness are open before us. We lament the scanty resources at present available, while various and urgent demands are pressing us for men and means. Were we thoroughly in earnest, even now we could multiply the resources a hundredfold. Selfishness and self-indulgence bar the way.”—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. IX, page 38.

A few definite suggestions which should be talked over and some of them adopted this day, are given here. Always prominent among plans of work for the winter months is

Work With Our Periodicals

1. In this work we can accomplish the most good with the same expenditure of energy by directing our efforts along the line of the questions uppermost in the public mind. The special activity of the Catholic Church in this country, and the different phases of religious legislation, are subjects of interest to a larger proportion of the population than we imagine. The people everywhere need educating as to the motives underlying this activity, and concerning the true principles of religious liberty. And we have most excellent material with which to educate them. There never was a moment more favorable for the wide distribution in every way possible of the Protestant Magazine and of Liberty.

From the standpoint of workmanship and attractiveness, these two papers stand in the front rank of periodicals. They are gotten up to attract and hold the attention of the public, and they seldom fall of accomplishing their object. The articles are spicy, well-written, convincing, and short, and squarely upon the topics in which the people are interested. These papers should be ordered by the thousands, and sold, lent, given away, sent through the mails, placed in reading-rooms, depots, libraries, and—to use the time-honored expression which, nevertheless, exactly describes what should be done with them—“scattered like the leaves of autumn.”

These papers are quarterlies, costing twenty-five cents a year for a single subscription, or if ten or more names and addresses are sent in at one time, fifteen cents each; and it is a small company of Sabbath-keepers that can not raise enough in ten minutes for a club of fifty yearly subscriptions.

2. There are hundreds of our people so situated that they can give either the whole or a part of their time to work with our magazines as agents. What a grand thing it would be if every one who could spare the time would undertake the responsibility of an effort to put some of our papers in every home in a certain town or district! Many who have longed to do something effective for the Master but have not been able to leave home, can by this means put a complete series of sermons on the third angel’s message in many families.

3. There are thousands of busy people who can not spare much time from their regular work, but who could devote one or two evenings a week, or Saturday evenings at least, to the selling, lending, or giving away of our papers.

4. There are others who have felt a great burden for the souls of intimate friends and relatives. Why could not these take three, five, or ten copies of some of our papers and undertake to get the truth very fully before their friends during the next six months?

5. There are many people who have absent friends to whom they would like to have papers sent direct from the office of publication. All such can make this arrangement if they wish. In fact, this is one of the very best ways to get the truth before those in whom they are especially interested. By following up this work with tactful Christian correspondence, they may be the means, under God, of saving many.

6. There are many invalids—members of the great “Shut-in Society”—upon whom God has permitted the hand of affliction to rest. These dear children of God have often felt that their hands were tied, that they could do nothing for the Master. But here is their opportunity. They can mail a few papers to their friends and relatives in whom they are particularly interested. One sister, with whom I am personally acquainted, who undertook this work, had the satisfaction of knowing before her death, which occurred last summer, that not less than one hundred persons had accepted the truth as a result of the literature sent and the letters accompanying it.

One of our conference missionary secretaries reported that she had used a club of one hundred of the weekly Signs of the Times, in missionary correspondence with names of interested persons received from various sources. The result was that the least number of persons brought into the truth in any one year during the five when this work was carried on was seven, and one year there were sixteen.

We all recognize that one of the most effectual, and at the same time least expensive ways of reaching the masses with the message, is with our publications. Our canvassers are doing a splendid work, and are meeting with marked success with our subscription books; but our periodicals also have their place, and are doing their work. Many will remember the testimony that came to us a few years ago: “It is a fact that the circulation of our papers is doing even a greater work than the living preacher can do.” And this, no doubt, is because all can have a part in circulating the papers. Letters are constantly coming to the publishers of our periodicals, from persons who have become interested in the message, from receiving a chance copy of a paper in some way. What a blessing it is that we have such a wealth of literature with which to prosecute the work!

7. A good and efficient work may be done by the placing of reading-racks in hotels, depots, and other public places, and then keeping them well filled with our publications. One or two of your number could be appointed to see to the supplying of such racks for perhaps a month, and then others chosen for the next month. The ones chosen could collect an abundance of papers from the families of Sabbath-keepers, and in this way much literature that now goes to waste could be used to good advantage.

8. In many towns Saturday night is the time when the streets are most crowded with people and farmers’ teams. Appoint some one to gather papers, and place one in every farmer’s wagon along the street on this night. Many have been influenced toward the truth in this way.

A Final Word

None of this work should be done carelessly; not even a single paper should be hastily dropped in a farmer’s wagon without a silent prayer going up to God that in some way he will use the message in the paper to reach a heart. “God has set his mighty hand to the redemption of the human race. Through the mysterious union in Christ of the human and the heavenly, he has exalted us to be coworkers with him, through the working of his power in us. It is our privilege to be endowed with the calm strength that proclaims our heavenly parentage, with the holy zeal which by inheritance we share with our Elder Brother. Can it be that like the people ‘who began to make excuse,’ we are indifferent to the honor bestowed upon us? that now when the forces of the world, natural, social, and political, are stirred to unwonted activity, and spiritual Samsons are needed everywhere, faithfulness and love of ease and love of the world shall shear our lives of power? And still the insistent cry of our Lord comes ringing through the centuries, ‘Pray ye . . . the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.’”

“Laborers wanted! The ripening grain Waits to welcome the reapers’ cry. The Lord of the harvest calls again; Who among us shall first reply, ‘Who is wanted, Lord? Is it I?’”

“The Master calls, but the servants wait. Fields gleam white ’neath a cloudless sky; Will none seize sickle before too late,— Winds of winter come sweeping by? ‘Who is delaying, Lord? Is it I?’”