This week’s Sabbath School commentary is taken from Spectrum 14-1 (August 1983), and is written by Fritz Guy, research professor of philosophical theology at the HMS Richards Divinity School at La Sierra University. The article originated 30 years ago in the aftermath of the Desmond Ford controversy.
Good News from the Heavenly Sanctuary: God’s Continuing Initiative, by Fritz Guy
I had a dream last night, a dream of General Conference Sessions past and future. I stood in the center of a stadium, packed with people, all captivated by the music and stagecraft in front of them. I looked around and felt a sadness that kept growing inside of me until it was overwhelming.
Some time ago I was sitting in what quite possibly was the most boring church service I have ever been in. (No, I won’t tell you where I was.) There couldn’t have been more than 50 people in the sanctuary, and I’m being generous. We sang no less than 5 hymns. All hymns were sung in a dry, slow manner. The sermon seemed uninspired, barely prepared, and was presented with no sense of conviction. It felt like we were in church for three hours. We were in church for about 70 minutes.
