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WHY IS IT?

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 28, 1878

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 52, No. 22.

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WHY IS IT?

By J. E. Green

I have been wondering why our T. and M. meetings are so poorly attended. At our last district quarterly meeting three churches ought to have been well represented, but one of them failed to have any representative there (this same thing occurred too in July), but had a good report; one church was represented by two sisters, but did not report in season. The meeting was held with the third church, but most of the members who lived at a distance were not present.
I wonder if it is impossible to have our meetings better attended. I know that it is sometimes very difficult for our brethren who are farmers to leave home; but in the majority of cases one or more from each household might attend the meeting. “The horses have to work so hard it seems cruel to drive them so far on the Sabbath.” Well, would not the Lord bless us accordingly, were we to let our teams rest a part or all of the sixth day, that they might come up to the Sabbath refreshed and ready to carry us to these gatherings which those at the head of the work have seen proper to appoint? Is it necessary for us to work ourselves and teams so hard all the six laboring days, up to their closing hours, that we cannot attend upon the Lord’s work on the Sabbath? I had to work very hard in order to leave the family comfortable during my absence, and the long ride on sixth-day afternoon looked like quite an undertaking; but I was well paid for my effort. The Lord was there, and it is good to go where the Lord deigns to meet with us.
Brethren and sisters, the time of our next district quarterly meeting is approaching, and let us try to have it well attended. Time is short, and soon our last quarterly meeting will have passed; soon we shall be called to hand in our last great report, and I wonder if we shall all be ready to hand it in with joy. Soon the grand and final meeting of God’s faithful ones will open, and I wonder if any of us will be too tired or too busy to attend it.
Jefferson Co., Wis.
J. E. GREEN.