MY EDGE MAG
spring 2016
Tell the world ELLEN’S TOP FOUR
ON SET with TELL THE WORLD From
SHAME to NAME
proc•la•mat•ion prok-luk-mey-shun (noun) 1. Official announcement of a matter of great importance. 2. To “Tell The World.”
I•DEN•TI•TY identity (noun) 1. The characteristics of determining who or what a person or thing is. 2. Distinctiveness and ownership. 3. Me and my church.
ABOUT US MYEDGEMAG is published quarterly by the Youth Ministries Department of the Seventhday Adventist Church (AUC) Limited. While all content is subject to copyright, permission is nevertheless granted by the publishers for content to be copied and reproduced by churches, schools and individuals for the express purpose of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. We simply ask that you credit MYEDGEMAG as your source.
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2 // E D I T O R I A L
W
HEN I FIRST HEARD THEN AUSTRALIAN Union Conference president, Pastor Chester Stanley speak, it was on a stage in a city venue addressing an auditorium full of young adults. He pulled out a newspaper clipping and referred to an article to suggest that our nation’s wealthy lifestyle was not making us happier but leading to selfmedication. Bold call. The message stuck in my mind for a few reasons: 1) the article was cut out from my favorite newspaper, 2) it referenced the work of my favourite Australian researcher (who, as it happens, I quoted in our Consumerism issue back in Autumn) and, lastly, 3) I remembered the moment because the next couple of times I heard Pastor Stanley preach, he pulled out that same newspaper clipping again! I came to see that Chester loved to share how the unique message we have as a Seventh-day Adventist Church is still so relevant and needed to help answer cultural issues of our society today. So it’s no surprise to me that this issue of MYEDGEMAG marks the launch of one of Chester’s big dreams: a fully dramatised wide-screen feature film that tells the story of how our church began and the unique messages that came with it. The film is called Tell The World and, at its heart, it was intended for us as young Adventists. “Our young people need to get to know this story. They need to see how God led. What better way than to bring our story to life on the screen,” says the former Pres.
It’s only natural then to ask the question in this issue—Why? Why is it important for us to know how our church began? In this issue of the magazine, we do our best to answer just that. Both Trent Martin and Daniel Matteo remind us of where we as a church came from and what that means today. In her opinion piece, Amanda Bews, brings light to disappointments and mistakes, and then Ellesha Knight brings a contemporary understanding of Ellen vs World, particularly on the subject of our health choices. While Tony Knight takes us behind the scenes to explain the making of the film. And finally, Nathan Brown so beautifully writes about how both your story and mine is so simple and similar to that of all believers of Jesus, our Saviour, since humanity first met Him all those years ago. I’ll be keen to hear what you think. Of the movie. Of our church history. And, most importantly, of how we go about listening and hearing from God today. I hope you feel encouraged to do so. And if you already have, only to learn you got it wrong, I hope you can still smile and know that mistakes are only our beginning.
The cover photo was taken by Jessica Symes <www.jessigned.com>, and modelled by Monique Sherar, Kate Marshall, Jackson Davis, Robert Kocur and Jason Stanton.
B RYA N J . ROB ER T S writes from Melbourne where he volunteers, works, performs and collaborates in digital spaces, teams, church & planet.
BUT WHY TELL THE WORLD?
W
E HOSTED A SPECIAL SCREENING OF THE new feature film Tell the World for a number of young people including members of EDGE-COM, the editorial committee for MYEDGEMAG. When we asked them what they thought and felt about the film, here’s what they had to say:
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT OUR STORY AS A CHURCH?
“It gives background as to why we believe what we believe. I know it’s from the Bible but I guess this gives context as to why and how these things were so important for our church founders. As such, this gives us a reason to continue our belief today.” “So they understand their heritage and the origin of their belief structures. So they can question and discover what they believe for themselves. But I don’t think it should be used to promote identity as separate from the body of Christ, the church.” “It’s important to celebrate growth from failure, that God can use us even when we misunderstand and get things so wrong.” “To be firm in our convictions, and understand WHY we value the things we do. How are we supposed to guide others if we don’t even know why we’re doing this?”
WHO DID YOU CONNECT WITH/RELATE TO THE MOST? WHY?
“William Miller. I felt his struggle on a personal level, being a somewhat unwilling mouthpiece yet wanting to uphold truth.” “None of them really. Because of the historical nature, I wasn’t thinking of how I would act or feel, but more about who they were and what they believed.” “The people in the pub that were so skeptical of what was going on. Sitting around talking about Miller isolating himself at home, having started this crazy movement and wondering what it was all for.” “Mr Miller. It’s easy to feel as though you are not significant enough to take on the Lord’s work. Faith wavers, but we are never alone and we will never be abandoned or forgotten.”
WHAT SCENE TOUCHED YOU THE MOST? WHY?
“When God responded to Miller’s statement that he would preach when someone asked him to. When he was asked, he wanted to back out. I guess I can relate to being reluctant, but eventually giving in to God.” “Ellen White’s children dying shows the tension of God providing and taking away—and of life not being perfect even when following what you believe to be God’s will in your life.” “The morning of October 23, 1844, when Ellen Harmon was mourning, weeping from the horror of God not showing up. Also the scene in which Joseph Bates received some cash in the mail.“ “When Joseph Bates receives money from someone when his family are struggling. It signifies that God will never put you in a position you can’t handle and He will provide no matter how much we doubt He will.”
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
“A lot! I now know some of what Ellen saw in her visions, but mainly it’s just given me a greater understanding of what happened to begin our church.” “The differences of opinions. Miller’s desire not to set a date.” “That God works through all of us, including farmers, people with disabilities, young women. Also that people can really misinterpret scripture.” “The history of Seventhday Adventists, how we became known as the SDA Church, and where our core beliefs came from. God has given us one job and we are all capable, no matter how inadequate we might feel.”
WHAT WAS YOUR “TAKE-HOME MESSAGE” FROM TELL THE WORLD?
“Our history is important—and it’s something that needs to be known and shared.” “How sincere these people were in seeking God and trying to find the truth.” “That despite pain of sacrifice, loss of hope, loss of loved ones, accident and disabilities, God can do great things and establish a movement.” “No matter what the “world” tells us, stand strong in the faith. We’ve been asked to share the message, and the rest will be taken care of. Trust always.”
T E L L T H E W O R L D // 3
“What Do you
Hear . . .” I
F YOU ARE ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Google+, Tumblr, Pinterest or any of the other countless social media platforms— forgive me if I forgot your favourite—you’ll be bombarded with stories from around the world every day. Some, we can agree, are irrelevant: just this morning, my Snapchat dished up a Cosmopolitan magazine article entitled “10 Tiny Lies It’s OK to Tell Your Partner!” While others bring a positive influence. Take “Project Strong Woman”, for example, run by one of Adventist’s finest, Shauna Ryan, who decided that simple affirmation is a powerful tool that can unleash the power within. “Project Strong Woman” aims, through real-life stories, to inspire, empower and celebrate the drive and passion that each individual woman has and can use to make an impact in this world.
As Adventist young people, we have a story so outrageously positive that we have carried with us for more than 150 years.
Then there are stories of the terror that seems to have our world in its grips. We instantly get news from the other side of the world when a bomb has gone off or a shooting has occurred. These major incidents spark mass movements of people, not only on location but also all over the world, to rise up together against the oppression and fear that innocent people are facing. As members of this diverse international community, we are a part of responding together to the stories we hear. We take comfort in the strength that comes with numbers and use this peoplepressure to combat the negativity in our world. As Adventist young people, we have a Story so outrageously positive that we have carried with us for more than 150 years. Despite their primitive resources, our pioneers made every effort they could to go and share the message that Jesus is coming soon. By contrast, we have the ability to tell the world about Jesus in seconds, with the simple touch of a button. Let’s take the lead from our founders and get the world excited about Jesus’ soon return—a story that our world really needs to hear. 1. http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/facebookadvertising-statistics/ 2. http://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/03/health/teenstweens-media-screen-use-report/ 3. http://writtent.com/blog/storytelling-matters-datadriven-explanation/ LUKE HASSAN is studying Applied Science/ Master of Dietetics at Latrobe University, and loves his car a little too much.
04 // C U L T U R E W A T C H
If you want some positivity on your newsfeed for a change, like â&#x20AC;&#x153;Project Strong Womanâ&#x20AC;? on Facebook or Instagram.
As of February, 2016, more than 3 million individuals/businesses use Facebook Advertising.1
On average, teenagers access media for 9 hours a day.2
Every 60 seconds, 700,000 google searches are performed.3
C U L T U R E W A T C H // 05
from
shame to “S
HAME!”—THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT to myself every time my parents made me go to church with them. I was an awkward 13-year-old with a moderate weight problem, an obsession with painting toy soldiers and a mullet. These things did not make me popular at school. I had enough problems. But to make things worse, every Saturday my parents made me dress up in a lame shirt and pants and go with them to a large Seventh-day Adventist church in the middle of Toowoomba City. As if I wasn’t weird enough! Not only was it right across the road from the largest park in the city, but several of my friends from school lived close by. Every Sabbath I dreaded the day when they would see me there and ask me at school on Monday, “Are you one of those Seventh-day Adventists?”
06 // F E A T U R E A R T I C L E
Well, that was about 20 years ago, and now that I’m a Seventh-day Adventist minister you would think all of those issues would be over for me. But it’s interesting how these early experiences impact us psychologically, isn’t it? Because, if I’m really honest with myself, I still get the slightest pang of embarrassment when someone asks, “Oh, you’re a pastor? What denomination do you belong to?” I am sharing this with you because I know I’m not alone. In our hearts, we all have a deep longing to be liked and accepted. In our society today, it is unpopular enough to be a Christian. But Seventhday Adventism is considered by many to be a strange group on the fringes of Christianity. In fact, despite all our hard theological work to the contrary, there are many who still assume we’re in the same bag as Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses. We don’t like to be thought of like that. We have a desire to be cool, to be accepted and liked by people, and that drives us to feel shame about our name and identity, if what we are is not seen to be popular. However, the deeper I study the Scriptures, theological scholarship and Christian history, the more I am convinced that we have nothing to be ashamed of at all. For early Seventh-day Adventists, our name was extremely and eternally important. It was designed to point out the things that most of Christianity had forgotten. It was supposed to lead a person who was a real truth seeker to go back to their Bibles and ask the hard questions. Most of all, it was supposed to help people find salvation through faith in Jesus and a real relationship with Him. That’s why it surprises me how many Seventh-day Adventist young people I meet actually have no idea what our name even means! How can we stand up for who we are, when we don’t even know what we are standing up for? I hope I can help us with that now. First of all, what does “Adventist” mean? Did your mum ever buy you one of those cardboard calendars at Christmas time? You know, the ones with the little tear-away windows in them, with the little pieces of chocolate inside? You’re given one every day to count down the “sleeps” until Christmas morning. Those things are called “Advent calendars,” because they are counting down the days until the commemoration day of Jesus’ birth. The word “advent” simply means “coming.” When Jesus came to earth as a Baby and was laid in that manger, it was His first “coming” or “advent.” But we also know that He promised that He would come again! In John 14:3 (NKJV) He declared: “I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” Throughout the whole New Testament, this is the continuous hope of the Christian faith. In fact, even throughout the Old Testament, the “Day of the Lord” is always the hope of Israel (see Zechariah 14). God’s people longed for the day when God would come to judge, fight against His enemies and rescue His people. All of Scripture, from beginning to end, points forward to the time when God will finally step in and solve the problems of sin, evil and death forever. In fact, the last word that we hear from Jesus in the Bible is: “Surely I am coming quickly.” (Revelation 22:20). Therefore, an
“Adventist” is simply anyone who takes Jesus at His word and believes that He will soon return. But what about “Seventh-day”? Have you ever noticed that all of our relationships are made in time? From the time you spend texting your boo to the all night D&M you have with your best friend, all of our relationships are built on the foundation of time spent in communication. When people who are very ill or dying, really consider their lives, I have never heard a person say, “Man, I wish I spent more time at work” or “I wish I had spent more time on Facebook.” People always say things like “I wish I had spent more time with the people I love.” Right back in Genesis 2:1-3, we find that Jesus created holy time to spend with us. As soon as He completed His crowning work of creation—that’s you and me!—He set aside the seventh day Sabbath as a special, blessed, sanctified time to be in relationship with humanity. And by the way, I think it’s very cool that we were made on the sixth day. It means that we did absolutely no good works on those first six days to earn the right to be in God’s presence. He did all the work—and all we had to do was rest in His love on the seventh. What does that tell you about how He saves us? Throughout the Old Testament, this “Seventh-day special day was Adventist” is not God’s sign of loyalty and love, finding its just the name way into the very of a church. heart of the Ten Commandments (see Ezekiel 20:12). Through the life and teaching of Jesus, He kept and exalted the Sabbath (see Matthew 12:1-12; Mark 1:32; Luke 4:16). Even after the cross, He rested in the tomb over those Sabbath hours and rose on the first day of the week to begin His priestly work anew (see Luke 23:54-56, 24:1). In the book of Hebrews, we discover that the Sabbath reminds us each week of the salvation we enjoy every day and is a little piece of the divine rest we will enjoy in the glorious Kingdom of Heaven forever (see Hebrews 4:1-11). The name “Seventh-day” teaches us that Jesus wants to know us as Friend! Knowing and understanding this, on what basis should I ever feel ashamed of our name? Jesus has given us so much truth, hasn’t He? We are so blessed and should feel honoured. We have the urgency of telling the world that Jesus is coming soon, while at the same time we have the security of His forgiveness, love, acceptance and friendship because of what He did for us on the cross. “Seventh-day Adventist” is not just the name of a church. It is a purpose, a movement and a mission. It holds truth, pathos and power and I want to live and die wearing it with honour and conviction. DA N I E L M AT T E O is assistant pastor at Edmonton, Weipa, Cairns and Mossman Seventh-day Adventist Churches and the chaplain at Cairns Adventist College.
F E A T U R E A R T I C L E // 07
490 YRS (70 WKS)
483 YRS (69 WKS)
3½ Y
457 BC
AD 27
DECREE TO REBUILD JERUSALEM
JESUS WAS BAPTISED
2,300 YRS
“
A clean plan S
O A LONG TIME AGO, THERE WERE SOME people who read their Bibles and came to the conclusion that Jesus was coming back to earth on a Tuesday, in the Northern Hemisphere autumn of 1844. People got excited, but nothing happened— and we now call it “The Great Disappointment.” But there was a guy named Hiram, who was in his 30s and sported a sensational, flaring beard. He had a vision from God on the Wednesday (the day after). In the vision, God showed Him that everyone had been totally correct that something happened the day before, but utterly wrong to have assumed it would be the Second Coming. They’d jumped the gun. They were overly keen, and it blinded them from the truth. So what did happen that autumn day in 1844? Let’s start with two verses from the Bible.
08 // B I B L E S T U D Y
By doing this, you will TAKE AWAY THE SINS that make BOTH the MOST HOLY PLACE and the PEOPLE OF ISRAEL unclean. —Leviticus 16:16
”
Basically, God told Moses that in Heaven there’s a Temple—a place where He has established a process whereby messed-up people (like you and me) can be made right with God. Awesome, right?! We’ll call this the Master Plan. This plan is necessary because God isn’t keen for us to continue the unhealthy spiral of jealousy, hatred, lust, cheating and greed into perpetuity. That’s bad. And it’s gotta stop.
In order to communicate the Master Plan, God figured we’d understand it if we could see it. Enter the earthly Temple (or tabernacle)—God’s physical explanation of the plan. Entire books have been written on the Temple and its various processes, but simply it was all about Jesus and how He fits into the Master Plan. So coming back to our Bible verse, the take-home message is that there is a period of time when Jesus will be busting to put an end to suffering and sin in our world, and will finish the process of making us right with God. God had a name for all of this: The Day of Atonement. This day was all about cleansing the Temple from our sin. But the question remains, when will this process take place?
1 ,810 YRS
7 YRS (1 WK) RS
3½ YRS
AD 31
AD 34
AD 1 84 4
JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED
STEPHEN WAS STONED
FINAL PHASE BEGINS
“
Would you like an in-depth study on this topic? Visit <http://goo.gl/yHmwt8>.
For two thousand three hundred days; THEN the sanctuary will be CLEANSED. —Daniel 8:14
”
Go back and take a look at the whole chapter of Daniel 8—it’s a fascinating read! But, as a hint, that 2300-day prediction referred to a certain autumn day, a long time after Daniel wrote his book. But what actually happened on that day? Another hint: it WASN’T the Second Coming. What happened was that Jesus began that last part of the Master Plan—or the Day of Atonement. He began “cleansing the sanctuary” (another name for Temple), a process of final reconciliation and preparation for ending the sin problem once and for all.
“
Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. … but Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. —Hebrews 7:25-27 (NLT)
”
So what does all this mean for you, a Seventh-day Adventist Christian? It means that you’re incredibly valuable to God. It means that Jesus willingly died for you, so that you could be released from your compulsion to do hurtful things to others. And it means that for you, at the centre of what it is to be a Seventh-day Adventist is Jesus, with His love for humanity. As a Christian movement, Seventh-day Adventists have sometimes strayed from our roots. We started with Christ, but we’ve often found ourselves bathing in legalism, religious pride and a self-centred way of thinking. But at the genesis of our movement as a people is the powerful love of Christ. This is who we are. This is why we exist. So let me give you something you can take home and enjoy in the future. I’ve often done life by putting myself before God and my loved ones. But when I love like Christ, I truly live. I’ve frequently expressed a mentality of judgment upon people who do things I don’t like or who don’t follow my churchy traditions. But I’m over that too. And while I still struggle with letting go of my ways and my ideas, I desperately want to embrace Christ and His way. I’m seeking new light in my life, because that’s what being a Seventh-day Adventist is about. T R EN T M A R T I N is the associate director for Youth Ministries in Victoria. His interests include science, woodworking, hiking and his dog, Lucy.
B I B L E S T U D Y // 09
SYNC : history in the making
quotable
To Second Advent Believers… were I to live my life over again, with the same evidence that I then had, to be honest with God and man I should have to do as I have done.... I confess my error, and acknowledge my disappointment; yet I still believe that the day of the Lord is near, even at the door; and I exhort you, my brethren, to be watchful, and not let the day come upon you unawares. —William Miller
let’s
unpack that
pioneers
On page 15, Nathan Brown suggests that both “missteps and trials, arguments and outrages” and “disappointments and disagreements, misunderstood beliefs and missed opportunities” were faced by both the early Christians and early Adventists. In what ways does Adventism face similar challenges today? Brown also suggests that in spite of this “the good news of Jesus was proclaimed and our world changed for the kingdom of God.” Does God still work through flawed human organisations to achieve his purposes on this earth? How can we still contribute to what God is doing through our Church without getting discouraged?
Those who enter the work at the present time know comparatively little of the self-denial and self-sacrifice of those upon whom the Lord laid the bur¬den of His work at its beginning. The experience of the past should be told them again and again; for they are to carry forward the work with the same humility and self-sacrifice that characterised the true workers in the past. —Ellen White
In Culture Watch (page 4), Luke Hassan suggests that “we, as Adventist young people, have a Story so outrageously positive that we have carried with us for more than 150 years. Our pioneers made every effort they could, to go and share this message.” How would you respond to someone who suggested that the message of Adventism has lost its momentum? What is it about our Adventist message that makes it still relevant today? How can we present our message in a way that is appealing to this generation?
GOogle it
Check it out . . .
. . . some of the hipster beards on the bios at The Adventist Pioneer Library: <www.aplib.org/?page_id=12>.
. . . stories of Adventist pioneer women that braved new frontiers to tell others about Jesus: <www.adventistheritage.org/article/136/resources/pioneer-stories>.
10 // Q U E S T I O N S & C O N V E R S A T I O N S
Conversation
Starters
Ask someone oldeR Why are you an Adventist? Have you always been an Adventist or did you convert from another religious denomination or no religion at all? Do you think you would choose Adventism even if you didn’t grow up an Adventist? What makes you proud to be an Adventist?
Ask
someone younger
Have you heard of the “Great Disappointment” or William Miller? Do you how Adventism started as a movement? Do you think it’s important to know about our beginnings as a Church?
trusted Ask afriend Do you ever feel embarrassed to tell your friends that you’re a Christian? What about telling them you are an Adventist? Have you ever deliberately avoided situations where your Adventist beliefs might be questioned?
Ask your -self Why am I a Seventh-day Adventist? Is it something I’ve inherited from my parents or do I really believe in the Adventist mission? How can I make a contribution to what God is doing through the Adventist Church? Who can I talk to about getting more involved in my local church?
Conflicting Ideas The Bible says, “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren” (Deuteronomy 4:9, NLT).
VS.
After God describes the way He has led and protected Israel in the past, He says—prophesying Israel’s coming Saviour— “But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?” (Isaiah 43:18, 19, NLT).
Making It
Personal Daniel Matteo confesses (page 06) that “inside our hearts we all have a deep longing to be liked and accepted. . . . We have a desire to be cool, to be accepted and liked by people, and that drives us to feel shame about our name and identity.” What are some of the warning signs in your life that reveal an inner longing for acceptance? Has this inner longing ever made you feel ashamed about your Christianity or Adventist identity? What practical steps can you take this week to fight back against your own constant need for acceptance? Amanda Bews (page 12) outlines a number of examples of unfortunate mistakes that didn’t turn out so bad. She suggests that, “Life brings disappointments, some great and some small. It is what we do with these disappointments and mistakes that form our character.” What are some of the “great disappointments” in your life? What disappointment are you struggling with now that has the potential to become transform your character? Who can you talk to in order to get the support and help you need to deal with disappointment and help you grow from your mistakes?
LY N DEL L E P E T ER S ON writes from Sydney where she works as a pastor and lives with her pastor husband, Adrian. She believes all good ideas start with the question why and that breakfast food can be eaten at any time of the day.
Q U E S T I O N S & C O N V E R S A T I O N S // 11
12 // C R E A T I V E A R T S
The artwork was created by Wes Hendricks. For more of his work search @westhebear on Instagram.
C R E A T I V E A R T S // 13
this is your story
14 // D I S C I P L E S H I P
A
SMALL GROUP OF BELIEVERS, trying to work out together how to faithfully follow Jesus in their lives. Their expectations of God’s kingdom had been cruelly disappointed with the crucifixion of Jesus. Then they were bewildered and confused but also sparked by a new and different kind of hope after they encountered the resurrected Jesus. But they had been left alone again, still trying to work out what it all meant, what it would mean to live as Jesus’ disciples after He was no longer with them. He had said they had a mission—but they were still trying to work out what that meant and to whom.
A small group of believers, trying to work out together how to faithfully follow Jesus in their lives. Their expectations of God’s kingdom had been crushingly disappointed with the non-return of Jesus—their “Great Disappointment”—then they had been bewildered and confused but gradually renewed by a new understanding of their hope. They had been left alone, still trying to work out what it all meant, what it would mean to live as Jesus’ disciples after they had seemingly been so wrong about Him. Perhaps they still had a mission to the world—but they were trying to work out what that meant and to whom.
A small group of believers—perhaps you and your friends, your family or your local church—trying to work out together how to faithfully follow Jesus in your lives. In our stories, there have been severe disappointments, so you should not be surprised if there continue to be times that leave you bewildered and confused but also provide opportunities for renewing and renewed understanding of the hope we have. At times, you might feel left alone, like you are trying to work out what it all means, what your mission looks like in your time and place, and how you might really make a difference for God.
So together they prayed, studied the scriptures again and began to work together in their small community of believers, then gradually so much further beyond it. They re-told the stories of Jesus, appreciating them anew with each re-telling. God worked with them, offering guidance at times, while at other times the direction was not so obvious. In the meantime, they set out to share what they had experienced and learned, and to act on what they knew.
So together they prayed, studied the Bible again and more deeply, and began to work together in their small community of believers, then gradually so much further beyond it. They re-told the stories of Jesus and re-studied the promises of the Bible, appreciating them anew with each re-telling. God worked with them, offering guidance at times, while at other times the direction was not so obvious. In the meantime, they set out to share what they had experienced and learned, and to act on what they knew.
So together you pray, study the Bible some more, and begin to work together in your small community of believers, then gradually beyond it. As you re-tell the stories of Jesus and of past believers in our story, you find both new reasons for hope and the reality that we have always been trying to work it out. And you find God working with you, sometimes obviously, sometimes not so noticeably. And while it might not all be worked out, you can begin to share what you do understand and to act on what you do know.
The story of the early Adventist church is a story of becoming. It is a picture of a church growing in its faith, its understanding, its mission and its impact. There were disappointments and disagreements, misunderstood beliefs and missed opportunities, but also sincere disciples and remarkable faithfulness. Because, despite and amid it all, the good news of Jesus continued to be proclaimed and positive differences were made in our world for the kingdom of God.
This is your story—the story we are writing together today, informed by the stories of our history. Amid the uncertainties, disappointments and questions you might have, the constants remain: the presence and love of God with us and for us; His Word as a guide to our faith and our lives; the challenge of working out our faith together and growing in our understanding and impact; and our mission to be His witnesses and agents for His kingdom in our world.
The story of the early church—as it’s recorded in Acts—is less of model of a complete and all-sorted-out church and more a picture of a church growing in its faith, its understanding, its mission and its impact. There were missteps and trials, arguments and outrages, but also sincere disciples and remarkable faithfulness. Amid all of this, the good news of Jesus was proclaimed and our world changed for the kingdom of God. ***
***
***
N AT HA N B ROW N is book editor at Signs Publishing Company in Warburton, Victoria, and author of Why I Try to Believe.
D I S C I P L E S H I P // 15
You’re
Wrong N
OT THE WORDS WE LIKE TO HEAR, ARE THEY? Here are a couple of examples you might be familiar with. A question is asked in class. The answer is obvious, so you put up your hand. The teacher’s pointing finger lands on you and you call out with certainty. Her reply? “Good try!” Your mind’s eye is flooded with a variety of flashing “Game over” signs. Something inside you dies a little . . . but she has already moved on—because you were wrong. When you hear your mum yell from the other room using your full name— including the middle one— you can usually assume you’ve done something wrong, right? Throughout history, there have been some huge “You’re wrong” moments:
On October 22, 1844, groups of Millerites were waiting expectantly for the return of Jesus. They knew He was coming that particular day because William Miller had done all the sums. Many had sold everything they owned because they were convinced they were right.
throughout history, there have been some huge “you’re wrong” moments.
Albert Einstein is now considered a genius but his teachers thought he was mentally impaired.. Guess they were wrong! When Alexander Bell offered his newly patented telephone to the telegraph company Western Union for purchase, they said, “The device is inherently of no value to us.” Two years later, they offered $25 million for it but were turned down. Guess they were wrong too. These are some unfortunate mistakes and most disappointing for those who made them. But not all “You’re wrong” occasions are bad. Some have actually changed history in a really good way! In 1928, Alexander Fleming went on holiday and mistakenly left the lid off a petri dish. On his return, he discovered a blue-green mould. This substance became known as Penicillin and was the beginning of modern antibiotics.
16 // O P I N I O N
While on a hiking trip in 1941, Swiss engineer Georges de Mestral was picking annoying burrs clinging to his pants. On closer inspection, he found the burr’s hooks would cling to anything loop-shaped. He wondered if he might be onto something. The result? Velcro. A combination of the words “velvet” and “crochet.”
Then 17, Ellen Harmon was among those waiting for Jesus to come back. They were all so excited. But the hours ticked down, day turned to night and time ran out. Ellen said she spent the night in tears.
Looking back now, it is easy for us to see why these people were wrong. The Bible says: “But the exact day and hour? No-one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows” (Matt 24:36,) But it was not all for nought! This great disappointing mistake paved the way for people to search the scriptures with renewed vigour. Out of this awful moment in church history, people turned to the Bible and started looking for new truths that led to a revival of faith. A M A N DA B EW S is a kiwi based in Melbourne. She is the author of two YA novels—Heaven Sent and Summer Fades—and is currently working on her third manuscript. More information about her books is available at amandabewsbooks.com.
this great disappointing mistake paved the way for people to search the scriptures with renewed vigour.
O P I N I O N // 17
with
tell the world W
ALKING ONTO THE SET OF TELL THE WORLD WAS LITERALLY stepping back in time, such was the authenticity and attention to detail of this benchmark historical production. In July, 2013, as one of the Executive Producers of the film, I was privileged to visit the Upper Canada Village, outside of Ottawa in Canada, one of the principal locations for shooting Tell the World. There I met with the actors from the film, chatted with the crew, and witnessed first-hand just what it takes to make a film of this type. So let’s take a peek behind the scenes of Tell the World.
Stephen MacDonald
(JAMES WHITE)
Stephen drove a horse-cart for the first time, and discovered he’s not very good at it. At his own admission, his co-actor Tommie took her life in her hands each time he took the reins. “The big thing I took away was the power of faith that the Seventh-day Adventists have. It’s unwavering . . . The whole story is about commitment to a faith, and never giving up hope even when it may seem hopeless.”
18 // I N T E R V I E W
Timothy Paul Coderre (JOSEPH BATES)
Tommie Amber Pirie (ELLEN WHITE)
Timothy read Joseph Bates’ biography before he auditioned for the part. Having spent 25 years in the military himself, he related well to former sea captain Joseph Bates, and applied his own military experience to the role.
The thing that resonated most with Tommie was Ellen’s health message— how she spoke out about eating clean, not eating meat, alcohol, artificial stimulants. “It’s true—living a clean healthy life allows for happiness, clarity. . . . Most definitely I’m a vegetarian and I eat clean as much as possible. It’s very important to me. I drink way too many cups of coffee, so there are certain things. I mean there is a line. At the end of the day, I’ll never be Ellen White.”
“Tell the World is the story of belief and strength in the face of adversity. I think it’s a human story and it’s an important historical and moral story that serves as a lesson today and certainly as poignantly as it must have for the individuals at the time.”
“There are many words that encompass Ellen White. Strong. Wise. Fearless. Certainly uncertain. . . . There’s something about her being a woman in a community of men that were telling her that she was crazy, that she was nuts. . . . Despite any conflict or controversy that came her way she says, ‘I don’t care what you think. This is what I know!’”
2x FILM SHOOTS SUMMER + WINTER Wardrobe manager, Sue Fijakowska, adjusts Ellen Harmon’s (played by Tommie Amber Pirie) wedding gown.
42
DAYS PRINCIPAL
PHOTOGRAPHY
The Director, Kyle Portbury, going over the script with Timothy Paul Coderre (who plays Captain Joseph Bates) and Michael Mancini (who plays Joshua Himes).
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WEATHER SICKNESS
DAYS LOST BECAUSE OF
DAYS LOST BECAUSE OF
Deeply dejected Hiram Edson (played by Mark Slacke) suffers ridicule whilst walking through his village on October 23, 1844.
95 ACTORS 157 CREW 1000 EXTRAS
200+
170
2 HRS
34MIN
PAGES OF
SCENES FILMED
SCRIPT
36OC
MOVIE
One of the actors, dressed in her costume and wired with a microphone, waiting for her turn on set.
One of the three Alexa high definition digital camera’s used on set at Ottawa.
LENGTH
-25OC
HOTTEST
COLDEST
TEMP ON SET
TEMP ON SET
EARLY ADVENT HYMNS ARE INTO THE ORIGINAL 10 WOVEN
Executive producers on set (L-R): Tony Knight, Chester Stanley, Allan Lindsay, Ken Vogel and Kingsley Wood.
MUSIC SCORE
1 MINI - TORNADO SWEPT THROUGH THE SET BUT ACTORS WERE ABLE TO DODGE IT, WAIT & KEEP FILMING
Lead actor Bill Lake (who plays William Miller) was cast only five days before principal shooting began.
Director, Kyle Portbury, with the Director of Photography, Peter Moss (Breaker Morant, My Brilliant Career, Far East, ABBA—The Movie), set up a shot.
T ON Y K N I G HT lives in Melbourne, Victoria, and is the Resource Centre Manager at the Australian Union Conference. He is also one of the Executive Producers for the Tell The World movie.
I N T E R V I E W // 19
Ellen’s E top four
VERY SECOND DAY WE COME UP WITH A NEW HEALTH FAD THAT CLAIMS THAT IT will make all of our wildest fitness dreams come true. Somebody somewhere formulates an idea so strange that we think it must be true, because being healthy must be complicated. The Bible laid out some guidelines for what we should and shouldn’t be eating. But we started to miss the mark on a few things—and God noticed. So He contacted a teenager (cue Ellen White) to help point us in the right direction. Through her, He presented us with “the health message.” And lucky for us, it’s actually pretty simple! This year we’ve already had a few weird fads. Like the one where eating nothing but potatoes for 12 months will help us lose weight and develop a rippling six pack. Or rubbing strawberries on our teeth twice a day will soon produce a Colgate smile. While there’s some truth in the strawberry one, most fads are pretty empty. Usually we can figure out that if you drink kale juice every morning, but eat cheeseburgers for the rest of the day, you won’t get that luminescent glow you’re after. But even though we’re pretty discerning, there have still been a few fads we’ve gotten really caught up in.
#2. #3. #2.
#1. #1.
What we said: Alcohol and tobacco can sort of be good for us.
When tobacco was first introduced in the 15th century, we thought that, because it came from a plant, it must have been healthy. So we used it for fighting off the common cold, headaches, fatigue, chest infections and even for cleaning our teeth. Much like this, we also discovered alcohol and labelled it as a good “antioxidant” because it came from fermented fruit. We grabbed these fads and ran with it, only discovering years later how wrong we were.
What Ellen said: Refrain from tobacco and alcohol. Ellen passed on the message that “tobacco and liquor stupefy the user.” We figured this out for ourselves and it didn’t really bother us, so we continued on. But we ignored the next part about these substances “causing irritable tempers, poisoning blood, creating disease, and polluting our morals.” Ellen warned us about these substances weakening our organs and destroying our relationships—the exact opposite of what we thought it would do. 20 // L I F E C O A C H I N G
What we said: Caffeine gets me through the day.
This one isn’t news to us—and opening up Instagram between 7 and 9 am will prove this. A recent survey conducted by Nespresso revealed that 87 per cent of Australians admit to giving specific instructions with their tea or coffee orders (think strong or double shot—42 per cent— or “not too hot”—15 per cent). We use the caffeine in beverages, including energy drinks, as a stimulant to wake us up in the morning, sustain us through the day, and to comfort us when it’s raining. Australia’s second largest city, Melbourne, has even been voted as having the best coffee in the world—so this isn’t just culture, it’s pride.
What Ellen said: The effect of caffeine heads in the same direction as liquor and tobacco. While we’re over here thinking caffeine is a good motivator, Ellen warned us about exactly what would happen if we continued caffeine consumption: “It gradually impairs the energy of the mind and the body . . . it causes headache, sleeplessness, heart palpitations, indigestion, trembling.” It’s a long list. Caffeine has a quick effect on the body by increasing our heart rate and stimulating our brain. However, the aftermath is huge! No-one ever experienced withdrawals from giving up their daily apple. Caffeine withdrawal gives us a slight indication of how our bodies have become so severely dependent on this drug, but the issues going on inside are far greater than what we see on the outside.
#3.
What we said:
Animal products are vital for a healthy diet.
Most body-builders will tell you that you can’t create decent muscle tone without the consumption of meat and animal products. But only recently have vegan and vegetarian body-builders become recognised, showing greater form and improved stamina than those on animal proteins. Meats and animal products aren’t what they used to be, and our health message tells us exactly why we should avoid these as much as possible.
What Ellen said: Meat and animal products will become more harmful over time. Ellen advised that the consumption of animal products and meat was damaging to our health, and would only become increasingly worse. How come? These days, we are no longer slaughtering our own animals and cooking them over a fire pit in our backyard. Instead, we are massproducing livestock, pumping them full of growth hormones to make them bigger, forcing antibiotics down their throats even when they are not sick, just to prevent any infections that might occur from us overworking their bodies. We no longer feed them organics, instead we feed them concoctions of deceased animals so that we don’t have to waste money on proper food. By the time the meats and dairy products reach us, often all we get is synthetic fats, hormones and medication. This is where we need to exercise caution in where our food is coming from, and how it’s being cultivated.
#4. #4.
But even though we’re pretty discerning, there have still been a few fads we’ve gotten really caught up in.
What we said:
A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.
A typical example of this is Vitamin Water. This drink is owned by Coca Cola, and recently had a lawsuit filed against it for false advertising. It was labelled as a “healthy” option, when it actually contained twice as much sugar as your average chocolate bar, increasing the risk of diabetes, stroke and heart disease.
What Ellen said: Sugar clouds the mind and causes injury to our organs. Ellen states that sugar is actually far more damaging than spoiled meat, which gives a pretty clear indication of how potent it is. Sugar “clogs the system, irritates the digestive organs, and affects the brain directly,” being shown to stimulate the brain in a similar way to cocaine and causing just as much destruction. To find all of this in more detail, have a look at Ellen White’s book Counsels on Diet and Foods. Unlike many of our health trends today, Ellen’s instructions have remained the same since the day she received them. We are so lucky in the way that we have been given a health message so clear and so relevant, that we can trust 100 per cent. While today’s world complicates health and tries to sell us quick-fixes, we will always have direct access to what is good. Ellen White was chosen specifically for the job of handing this down to us, and even if she wasn’t aware of what we would be up against today, God was. He knew exactly what we would face, and He gave us the knowledge we would need to handle it. EL LES HA KNI GHT lives in Melbourne, Victoria, and is studying a Masters of Occupational Therapy at La Trobe University.
L I F E C O A C H I N G // 21
sodium Youth
invercargill Youth Group
I
INVERCARGILL CHURCH IS BLESSED with self-motivated and enthusiastic young people. We have chosen to be called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sodium Youthâ&#x20AC;? as our sole reason for existence is to empower young people and to be caring through service to others, to discover our potential and live a life of significance. Our main purpose as Sodium Youth is to engage with other young people in a meaningful service that leads them to experience a sense of self-worth, physical and social development, and increasing their appreciation for the local community. Sodium Youth goals are to be a physically and socially balanced youth group where one can discover their potential and significance.
As Sodium Youth, we love connecting with the community. We go out into the . . . we love neighbourhood to knock on connecting with doors and offer free services, such as car washing, moving the community. furniture or gardening. Every year, through the Random Act of Kindness project, our whole church packs boxes of goodies for elderly in the community and we as young adults go out to deliver these grocery boxes. We have many other interesting programs planned for the year, including fellowship parties, outreach, ice-skating, and swimming. We also have a number of community projects happening this year where we plan to connect with the community and share the good news of Jesus Christ with others around us. So please pray for us!
22 // Y O U T H G R O U P
Basketball Competition, Northern Australia
Young Adult Conference, South Queensland
Pathfinder Expedition, North New South Wales
www.NAyouth.adventist.org.au www.facebook.com/NACSDAYouth Coming up // Mega Maggi Camp September 23-26, 2016
www.SQyouth.org.au www.facebook.com/SQyouth Coming up // Youth Rally November 19, 2016
www.NNSWyouth.com www.facebook.com/nnswyouthministries Coming up // STORMCo Trips September 26 - October 7, 2016
Shred It Greater Sydney
Bible Camp, South New South Wales
Winter Retreat, Victoria
www.SYDNEYadventistyouth.com www.facebook.com/sydneyadventistyouth Coming up // Youth Rally September 17, 2016
www.SNSWyouth.adventist.org.au www.facebook.com/SouthNSWYouth Coming up // Youth Bible Camp November 25-27, 2016
www.VICyouth.com www.facebook.com/vicyouth Coming up // Youth Rally October 15, 2016
West Coast 4WD Camp, Tasmania
Youth Rally, South Australia
Youth Rally, Western Australia
www.TASyouth.adventist.org.au www.facebook.com/tasyouth Coming up // Youth Camp October 28-30, 2016
www.SA.adventist.org.au www.facebook.com/SAyouthministries Coming up // Revolutionize Conference September 5-10, November 4-5, 2016
www.WA.adventist.org.au/youth www.facebook.com/wayouth Coming up // Youth Rally November 5, 2016
iThirst Camporee, South Pacific Division
Basketball Tournament, Dunedin, New Zealand Union
Converge, Australian Union
Black Transparent Box is not part of logo.
MINISTRY.
www.youth.adventistconnect.org 02 9847 3221 Coming up // Move With The Power IV September 27 - October 1, 2017
MINISTRY MINISTRY.
www.NNZC.org.nz/youth www.SNZyouth.adventist.org.nz Coming up // Youth Congress January 2-7, 2017 MINISTRY.
MINISTRY.
MINISTRY.
MINISTRY.
www.AUCyouth.com www.facebook.com/myedgemag Coming up // Converge February 10-13, 2017
Australia-Wide 18+ Festival
10-13 February, 2017 // Stuartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Point, NSW
apply online at aucyouth.com PHOTO TAKEN BY CHARMAINE PATEL, AT CONVERGE 2016
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