To Belmont, Indianapolis, Indiana: After a few months of being unsettled as to plans and uncertain as to future, I have cast anchor with a congregation of long standing soundness and long lasting influence for good. The Belmont Avenue church of Indianapolis has achieved much success in the work of the Lord with preachers like Jack Holt, Earl Wm. Wallace Robertson and others.

I anticipate a lengthy and happy work with the good folk who compose the Belmont congregation.

I leave Salem, Ohio where we started a new work. There has been no church of Christ in Salem since the days of the restoration. The city has between 15 and 20 thousand people. The new church is small and will have a struggle for a while, but it will succeed like so many other such works have succeeded in so many other places.

Making Tents: You know, sometimes preachers go out a limb, financially speaking, when they undertake to start a new church in a new place. The prospects for the future regarding financial support did not look very good for me when the Salem work got underway. In fact, things were looking serious for a while. But the Lord provides for his own ... support came from several sources. My immediate problems were eased.

When things looked a little uncertain for me, I took up the idea of becoming a "roofing salesman", then I turned to insurance. My good friend, Thomas C. Hickey, Jr. of Akron suggested that I might knock on a door and offer first of all, life insurance, then try soul assurance, and next, inquire about roofing needs. If I failed in all three of these, he suggested that I might try selling a TRUTH MAGAZINE subscription! How about that! Well, I've about come to the conclusion that the only thing I need to be "selling" is the gospel of Christ ... anybody want to buy a Bible7

Over-Tipped! Recently, when my wife was visiting out of town, I decided to go to a fancy restaurant and eat a fancy dinner. I did not have much cash in my pocket, so I raided the wife's "cookie jar" and got half a dozen silver dollars.

After eating a full course chicken dinner at one of Colonel Sander's establishments, I prepared to pay the bill, which came to $1.81. I did not have change enough to tip the waitress, so I told her to keep the change out of the silver dollars I gave her. I thought I gave her two, but it was three! With a silver dollar and nineteen cents she beamed at me like a "young-un" with a birthday present!

I did not realize that I had "over-tipped" the girl until I was outside--and I was not about to go back in and ask for the return of my silver dollar!

Well, there ought to be a moral here somewhere. One thing about it all, I put cheer in that girl's heart. How much should we tip a waitress? I think 1570 of the bill is the general practice; 10 cents, regardless of the size of the bill for tightwads; $1.00 up for big spenders.

Now, I wonder how much the 15% tippers give to the Lord on the Lord's Day? How about the heavy spenders? I suspect a lot of folks are more liberal in tipping efficient, good-looking waitresses than they are in contributing to the Lord's work!

I could say a lot more here, but I think I have said enough to make you think of this story the next time you "eat out", and to evaluate your liberality next Sunday when you contribute to the Lord's treasury.

A Note on Mark Twain: In the autobiographical notes of Sam Clemens (Mark Twain) the following appears: "Campbellite revival. All converted but me. All sinners again in a week."

Worry Table: 40% will never happen; anxiety is the result of a tired mind. 30% about old

decisions which I cannot alter. 12% other's criticism of me; most untrue, made by people who feel inferior. 10% about my health, which gets worse as I worry. 8% "legitimate" since life has some real problems to meet.

Modernism: "Since they (modernists) had practically abandoned any hope for a heaven after death (and in many instances even the hope for conscious existence beyond the grave), it became their objective to provide on this present earth all the good things which they desired. Their churches became welfare organizations concerned much more with feeding the hungry stomachs of men than in bringing men to a saving acceptance of Jesus Christ. Clubs, societies, billiard rooms and dance halls came to be accepted features in many of the modernist churches. Emphasis was placed on bettering the present life rather than making provision for any other life which might conceivably follow his one." --From "Preaching In the 20th Century "

Those, Blue-Cover Tracts: From whom do you buy tracts? Many sound brethren and some conservative churches are creatures of habit when purchasing literature. Those blue-cover tracts, with the author's name, have become as standard as Camel and Lucky-Strike cigarettes. Why not break the habit and purchase better tracts published by sound brethren? The "Know The Truth" series cannot be beat. Why not "switch brands" and buy tracts from brethren who won't use your money against you?

Mad, But Pulling Together: We usually hear of people pulling against one another when they "fall-out" with one another. Kenneth Rockford of Salem, Ohio has a team of ponies with which he wins numerous pony pulling contest. The secret of success in his team is that his ponies hate each other, but instead of pulling against each other, they try to outdo each other. Might be a good lesson in this.

Sour or Dour Spirits? Some brethren who have not the feeling of urgency about error and innovation accuse us of possessing a "poor spirit" when we "reprove and rebuke" with sterness and firmness. Some brethren who so criticize often get real sour toward us--they are right nice with sectarians, sweet in the pulpit and diplomatic in conversation. Yet, somehow, we bring the animal out in them and they often get vicious in telling us we are "legalists" who possess "poor spirit." Of course, these sweet-to-others but sour-to-us brethren would not feel comfortable with Elijah or Paul. Elijah would have seemed too sarcastic and Paul too stern. Modernism has a way of mellowing militant spirits and softening conviction. When brethren lose the sense of urgency about error; when they surrender contention for compromise; when they become sour toward those who continue to wear the armour of the soldier of Christ, they have become victims of modernism.

Truth Magazine VII: 10, pp. 1,24
July 1963