I am praying for Kevin Jackson and his family to be Christ's ambassadors to the world. For me, CEO stands for: Christ Excels in Opportunities for the world.

Jackson understands that, and we wish him well.

Michel Kordas


QUESTIONING SUFFERING
In the editorial, "Tsunami" (Mar. 10, 2005), I appreciated what William Johnsson said about Jesus identifying with us in our suffering, and that Jesus Himself learned about obedience through His own suffering. Thank you, Pastor Johnsson, for giving us the Bible references (John 9:1-5 and Luke 13:1-5) in support. I notice that Jesus did not dodge the question as to why God allows suffering.

In the first reference Jesus stated that tragedies come in order for the "works of God to be made manifest." (John 9:3). Our part is to offer relief, help, and sympathy--"All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent me," said Jesus, "For there is little time left before the night falls" (John 9:4, TLB). That sounds like organized action that includes ADRA, the Red Cross, and all Christian aid agencies.

In the second reference Jesus stated that God allows tragedies to come in order to wake survivors up to our need of repentance. "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). "Repent!" was the message of John the Baptist. Speaking of calamities, Ellen White proclaimed, "The judgments of God are in the land. They speak in solemn warning, saying, 'Be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh' (Matt. 24:44)" (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 252).

When people ask us why God allows calamities, let us not forget the answers that Jesus gave.

Edward Graves
Lake Elsinore, California


WHAT IT IS
Regarding "It's Not the Message" (Mar. 2005): I left the church when I was 16-17 years old. I specify leaving the "church" as apposed to leaving the "Lord" because I was never with the Lord. I do not blame the church, the people, or the rules; I blame myself.

The authors used some fallacious notions to prop up their position. They wrote: "If any of us ran a business and lost 39 percent of our customers, we would be fired." I guess we should fire God, because He lost 33 percent of His followers in heaven (Rev. 12:4). God gave us the power of choice. He will not force us to love Him; nor will He force us to stay in the church.

The authors seem to confuse understanding the message with knowing the Lord. "They are leaving the church with a good understanding of the message," they write. Cerebral understanding is not spiritual understanding (1 Cor. 2:14). As a youth, I could recite Scripture forward and backward, but I didn't know Christ as my personal Savior. The authors echo the sentiments of many people who don't take responsibility for their actions or choices; it's always somebody else's fault.

It grieves me that the authors only seem to see the church as not being "that kind, friendly, and loving." The article did a disservice to our church and to those who are kind, friendly, and loving.

Our church is not perfect, but we are God's people. We love the Lord, including His message. We are our brothers' keeper; but our brothers and sisters must choose for themselves whom they will serve (Josh. 24:15), and quit blaming everyone and everything else for their wrong choices. The youth--and all of us--must have a living, active, loving relationship with the Lord. Then the back door will stop swinging and the recidivism rate will drop.

Ours is not a popular message. It takes courage and faith to become an Adventist, to become one of God's peculiar people. It's easy to join most other churches. All you have to be is nice.

Randy Warkentin
Tehachapi, California

Whether young or old, people leaving the body of Christ is nothing new.

The Bible records: "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him" (John 6:66).

The apostle John wrote: "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us" (1 John 2:19).

If the dog "is turned to his own vomit again" (2 Pet. 2:22), that's the nature and fault of the dog. It's not the church's fault, nor that of the message.

It's about time we stop building a guilt complex when people leave. Those who leave do not find comfort in the fold because their values and interests are different. The church is not a babysitting nursery. It is an army of God, a fighting force for God's cause. General George S. Patton, Jr., once said: "The army is for heroes who are willing to fight and give their lives instead of being catered to."

The Christian army likewise needs heroes, not bleeding hearts. Christ made it very plain: whoever cannot carry a cross cannot be His disciple.

Joel Abad Santos
Lorna Linda, California

I really appreciated "It's Not the Message," by Gary Hopkins and Renee Drumm; especially the pull-quote, "We have the correct message. We just aren't that kind, friendly and loving." In Sabbath School we discussed missing members and learned that one family that had attended our church for a few months was now attending a neighboring church. It might be for those very reasons.

"Saturday's Child," by Elaine Fithian, is a prime example that we need more than a message. It aptly illustrates the impressions that can be made upon a child, whether with our pursed lips and sideways glances, or our happy, smiling, gentle, comforting ways. In this story tremendous blessings resulted.

"Springtime on the St. Joseph," by Shandelle M. Henson, took me down memory's lane. In the 1950s, while my husband attended Emmanuel Missionary College (now Andrews University), we lived in a small cottage just east of The Grove she writes about. Shortly after reading this article, my daughter and I were going through hundreds of old slides. Imagine my pleasure when I found some showing the shimmering sunlight shining through the trees in The Grove! It brought back memories of many picnics held there, sometimes even in the snow.

Thanks for an inspiring magazine.

Beatrice E. Green


GOOD JUDGMENT, GOOD NEWS
Roland Hegstad's article, "Who Said Judgment Is Bad News?" (Mar. 2005), gave three good reasons why the pre-Advent judgment should be good news: first, "because it's fair;" second, "because it enables us to clear our record before it's opened to the universe;" and third, "because both the defense attorney and the judge are on our side."

Although Hegstad did not cite it as a reason for good news, our faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice and His perfect righteousness will be the only basis for our vindication in the pre-advent judgment. I wish he had mentioned it as a main reason.

The pre-advent or investigative judgment parallels the sinaiatic Day of Atonement. In that once-a-year event, the children of Israel were saved from being "cut off" by the blood of the unblemished sacrifice, not their obedience to God's commandments. The basis for the vindication of God's people in the investigative judgment is the same as in the Israelite Day of Atonement, the blood of the spotless sacrifice.

The pre-Advent judgment is not weighing our good works against our bad deeds, nor it is about who has sinned and who has not, for we all have sinned, and none can pass the absolute perfect requirements of God's justice. Christ-empowered good works are non-salvific. God requires 100 percent obedience of His law 100 percent of the time in order to be declared righteous in the judgment. Our righteousness, according to Isaiah 64:6, is like filthy rags.

Of course, "God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil" (Eccl. 12:14, NIV; cf., 2 Cor.5:10). But when sinners come to God in repentance and faith, God pardons them and considers them righteous on account of Christ's death. Edward Heppenstall rightly declared, "No sin is forgiven that has not been judged by God in the light of His Son's death on the cross" (Edward Heppenstall, "Subjective and Objective Aspects of the Atonement," Frank B. Holbrook, ed., The Sanctuary and the Atonement, p. 241).

The pre-advent judgment is not about what we did, but about what Christ did for us. God's people will be declared righteous in that judgment because God will see Christ's righteousness in each one of those who have maintained faith in the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That's good news!

Diego D. Sausa, Jr.
Fort Myers, Florida


COMMUNION QUESTIONS
It is a shame that the communion service is one of the least attended services of the church (How to End Your Fear of Footwashing, Oct. 19, 2000). It should be the most attended. But for whatever reason--guilt, embarrassment, or shame--it has been this way as long as I can remember (30 plus years).

I do have a question: Why has the Church Manual been changed to include the burial of leftover communion bread? Levitical law, and other places in the Bible, say differently. True, they didn't have bread per se, but it was an offering that pointed forward to Christ's death. And Jesus' body never saw corruption.

I was taught that leftover communion bread was always burned, and wine was always poured out on the ground, I asked several pastors and they thought as I did. They didn't know the practice had been changed.

The Communion Service is really a mini baptism. How great is that?

David Kovalski


IN OTHER WORDS
I always enjoy Clifford Goldstein's columns, and "Judgment Day" (Jan. 17, 2005) is another winner. I particularly enjoyed His reasoning and conclusion presented in the last three paragraphs. His use of the word "absolute" to express what Christ is doing on our behalf is yet another way to express "Christ our Righteousness."

Wayne D. Clark