"We must not deceive ourselves into thinking that digression cannot happen to thee church of Christ. It can and will happen unless elders of the congregations take heed unto themselves and to the flocks over which they are overseers and feed the church with the pure and unadulterated truth of God.

I do not know of any church of Christ yet which has a swimming pool in the "sanctuary"; but by reading the bulletins of churches, we can learn that some go very, very far out in promoting different kinds of entertainment and recreation. It seems that some churches of Christ today believe that unless they mix entertainment with the worship and work of the church they cannot keep the young folk in fellowship. That is a very erroneous idea. Young people, if taught correctly, will have respect for God and his worship and will not expect to be entertained in the work of the Lord. It is not the fault of the young people, however; it is the fault of the older people who are leading the younger ones. They should teach the younger ones the purpose of the church and the seriousness of the work and worship instead of leading them to believe that it is stimulated by worldly entertainment. We need to put on the whole armor of God so that we will be able to stand in the evil days. Recreation is good, but it is not the purpose of the church to promote it. The church is the pillar and ground of the truth. Its purpose is to preach the gospel to the whole world and to care for the needy. God's word does not change. It is relevant for every age and just as adequate for this century as it was 2000 years ago."

W. L. Totty - The Informer (12-19-7 1)

TRUTH MAGAZINE, XVI: 15, p. 12a
February 17, 1972