Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - May/68

Contributor - J. W. Vandenberg

Title - SOS SOS

Topic - Ministers

Are you receiving me? Hello, this is the wireless operator of the next few lines. I am sending out this distress call because there is a real emergency, there is a terrific breakdown, an overwhelming flood and great storms all around! Are you receiving me ? Hello, hello,! We are not sinking, but we are getting quite a bit of water in, all men are at the pumps, but it looks as if we are not getting ahead. Do you read me ? I am sending loud and clear, are you receiving me loud and clear ? ?

Of course I am serious, and I also know that I can never misuse the internationally known distress signal: S.O.S. Well, I am not misusing it, since I am not sending over radio or telegraph or telephone or by light signals. I am only sending by typewriter and mail to the printer of Pioneer Monthly, but I wish I could be on international teleprinter, instead of my own typewriter. But wishes don't get me anywhere, so I will change to something solid, not a complaint, but a suggestion; nothing exceptional, but "down-to-earth'

Well, you know the meaning of those three letters: S.O.S., they stand for Save Our Souls. It is the easiest signal in the Morse-code, but never permitted to be misused Anyone in this whole world would immediately react on noticing such a signal. And I hope that something will happen after this one Pastors, as you know, are in the work that has to do with the saving of souls. The only "problem" is, they cannot do any "saving" themselves, yet they can help and reach for the hand of the one who is "drowning". At times the distress is of such a nature that people are blinded, like in the instance of that storm-tossed ship that after days of heavy storms could not determine its position and had to send an SOS because they had run out of fresh-drink water. When they received an answer it said: just drop a bucket, you are in the mouth of the Amazon river.

The minister's work is for a good part done through the preaching of the Word, personal talks and possible discussion ana Bible study at meetings. But the minister is also trained to help and try to provide relief in times Of special distress. And this is not only so in the case of sickness or when a loved-one has passed away but also in such emergency cases and difficulties as marital problems, problems with growing children, very important decisions that have to be made and a host of others, in fact all the things that are part of daily life are a part of the minister's concern. But now comes the important part: how can it be the minister's concern, unless he is told about it? Aha, a simple matter of basic communication! Distress signals do not help, much if no one is receiving them!

And are we here not touching upon the most important reason for 99% of all problems: a break down in communication? Often there exist unnoticed emergencies: in the form of a lack of understanding created willingly or by a slow change of aims and purposes and goals; at times may be a lack of interest disturbs the proper communication between people, between the marriage partners, between parents and children and yes, even between man and God. Think of the difficulties in this world that exist, often because of misunderstanding and cannot be solved immediately, because of a lack of communication; think of the arguments that arose because of misunderstanding between a few or two people; try to visualize what a true communication could accomplish between teenagers and parents; and most important of all: how much happiness had to be forfeited because of a breakdown in communication between man and God!

If we have a tooth-ache we hurry to the dentist, no matter what he charges; if our eyes do not function right or when our back hurts we run to the doctor, yet when we have a spiritual problem or a personal difficulty we walk around with it for days and months and often years, and when it is too late we are forced to end up in the pastor's study, but then it is already too late! I am sure that I am also speaking for my fellow pastors when I say that we would want you to S-eek 0-ur S-ervices, for if your pastor cannot personally help or advise YOU he is most certainly equipped to show you where you can get help. As a minister my first advice is: seek the Lord while He may be found and cast all your burdens on Him. But when you stumble over the railroad track try to move your broken leg off the track, for it seems unreasonable to first let the train cut-off that leg and then ask the Lord to put it back on.

Do you read me? Did you receive my S.O.S.? Communication ? ! ?

Let me say it this way: Sin sick souls Our Servicefield. Occasionally an SOS-scouring pad may be needed but that is still better than a life-long problem. I am suggesting all this as a servant of the Saviour Who alone is the true Saviour of Souls.

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