A Life that Matters
by Nathan Brown
It’s how all the good stories end and, at least in a general sense, it’s how the big story of our world ends. The good guys are victorious; the bad guys defeated; the wrongs are made right; the world is renewed and restored; “…and they all lived happily ever after.”
But the closing lines of The Great Controversy don’t use this classic formulation. Instead, it goes like this: “From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love.”
There is obviously something bigger going on here than just the characters in the story having all their adventures completed, trials overcome and problems solved. We are reminded that the real Hero of the story is a God who loves.
And it also wakes echoes of where the story began. The Great Controversy is the fifth and last in the “Conflict of the Ages” series that began millennia and 3500 pages earlier with the opening lines of Patriarchs and Prophets: “‘God is love.’ His nature, His law, is love. It ever has been; it ever will be.”
The big story of the “Conflict of the Ages” and the great controversy is the love of God. Ellen White gave away the ending in the first page of the first book of the series. And the epic story in between — particularly focused on Jesus, the Desire of Ages — is the story of that love being worked out amid the history, tragedy and brokenness of our world.
We might be tempted to assume this is more a story of a higher plane and another place. The workings of God’s love and its final victory can sometimes feel like the business of a distant heaven that we might get to experience for ourselves at some time in the future, if we can sustain that much hope. But in Ellen White’s progressing understanding and urging, this love is as much about transforming the present as it is about final re-creation.
For a variety of reasons, I have been reading quite a lot of Ellen White’s writings this year and I have been struck repeatedly by the significance she recognised in life here and now. One of her major themes is this life matters. The choices, priorities, attitudes, actions and lifestyle we adopt make a difference for today and forever, for us and for others — and this emphasis continues to be seen particularly in the Adventist church’s expansive health, education and welfare work around the world.
A few years ago, I was fascinated to discover the record of Ellen White’s funeral held on Sabbath, July 24, 1915, at Battle Creek (Life Sketches of Ellen G White, pages 462–480), particularly the address by then-General Conference president A G Daniells. Daniells had worked with her for most of the last 25 years of her life, first in Australia in the 1890s and on their return to the United States at about the same time, with Daniells becoming General Conference president in 1901 and continuing in that role until after her death. He knew Ellen White well and offered an inspiring summary of her life’s work.
In his eulogy, Daniells recognised the God-given inspiration that sparked Ellen White’s ministry and emphasised her focus on the Bible and Christ as the central foundations of all that she did, spoke about and wrote. He recognised in White’s writings the role of the Holy Spirit “to make real in the heart and lives of men all that [Jesus] had made possible by His death on the cross” (page 472) and the role the church should also play.
Daniells also pointed to the broader focus of Ellen White’s ministry and writings — the implication of her understanding of the nature of God and His mission that life matters now in so many ways: “Through the light and counsel given her, Mrs White held and advocated broad, progressive views regarding vital questions that affect the betterment and uplift of the human family, from the moral, intellectual, physical and social standpoint as well as the spiritual” (page 473).
He used remarkably strong language to summarise her call for action in the world in response to the issues of her day: “Slavery, the caste system, unjust racial prejudices, the oppression of the poor, the neglect of the unfortunate,—these all are set forth as unchristian and a serious menace to the well-being of the human race, and as evils which the church of Christ is appointed by her Lord to overthrow” (page 473.)
When we re-discover the life and work of Ellen White, we find a strong belief in both the love of God and that our responses to that love matter. In the stories of her life, we also find a life that mattered, a remarkable pioneering woman who lived her life for the God whose love she came to understand more and more, and risked herself to contribute to the mission of the church and care for those in need. Trusting the final joyous ending, we are called and inspired to work toward it now in those same kinds of ways.
Nathan,
Thanks for this article.
How things end (particularly books) gives us a sense of the author's purpose and priorities.
That thought occurred to me recently, when I noticed that the Bible ends this way:
"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."
Nathan,
Why are so many in our church so fixated on looking back on the life and ministry of Ellen White instead of seeking the indwelling and empowerment of the Holy Spirit so that we can each have an effective ministry today?
Because you gotta worship something and she is the closest to the Blessed Mary that Adventism has.
🙂 !!!
Elaine,
For most SDAs Ellen White (or her writings) plays the same role as Tradition does in some other churches: she gives us concrete examples we can follow. I don't think that is a bad thing, as long as we remember that tradition gives us a great place to stand, but can also crush us should we end up under it. I don't believe most SDAs want or need a BVM to worship. What they want is guidance from a source they trust, one that feels familiar and predictable. Which is perhaps also the answer to William's question.
Kevin,
It seems the Holy Spirit is yearning the we become familiar with Him. Though He is not predictable in terms of means, His willingness to engage and instruct is. Have we forfeited our intimacy with Him by an over-dependence on lesser lights?
Many people fear anything they can't control. The Holy Spirit may be the ultimate example of that. He moves to his own agenda, which we often don't know or share. Much easier to read a collection of books where we already know what they will say and what they will ask of us. I think many of us would like to be led by the Holy Spirit, but only on our terms and only if it is safe. Unfortunately, the Bible is full of stories where God is not predictable, or even safe.
Kevin,
Meeting the Holy Spirit quickly overcame my fear. Since then He has led me to do a lot of things that I would not otherwise have imagined. Let's just say that it has been an addictive adventure where I far prefer being controlled by him than being without Him.
I was not born and raised as a Christian only becoming an Adventist as an adult. Early in my new experience, I realized that I had not been vexed in my childhood, as my church friends had been, by being beaten with the correction stick of Ellen White. While I found comfort, guidance, and God’s love in her words, some of my friends found it very difficult to accept anything she said because of the previous stripes of chastisement they had received at home. The Devil made certain that he fashioned a big enough stick so that their spiritual scares would be life-threating.
It became evident to me, in my walk with God, that He has always used prophets to communicate with, and guide, His people. This, the Devil hates, but the prophet problem is not a new one—nor is the stick of the Devil used to detour all who would take the name of God upon their lips. The professed people of God—with few exceptions— have treated the prophets He uses to call us from danger to safety, with extreme prejudice: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to her, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!” Matthew 23:37. Did you notice that the mechanism God uses for gathering His children under the protection of his mighty arms is the prophets?
Again we read in 2Chonicles 20:20; “Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.” It seems evident that in order to prosper, it is imperative that we believe His prophets.
Some may say that Ellen G. White is not a prophet and it's everyone’s free choice to make that decision. If she is not a prophet we must ask, who has God sent to guide His last day people? It makes little sense to believe that the final work appointed to humankind would end without direct guidance from the Lord. “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8. His greatest desire is to continue calling us from danger to safety through His prophets.
Jim,
Well said. Still, I ask: Why do we as a church treat the writings of Ellen White as if they were the last revelation that God would send to His church? If we are truly God's church, would it not be consistent for Him to keep sending prophets to guide us? So, while taking guidance from the counsels from the past, should we not also be looking for the new guidance He sends?
Logically and theologically we should be looking for a multitude of contemporary prophets, pragmatically we don't want that level of trouble. Prophets are always at their best when they are no longer with us.
I am grateful for the commitment and calling on Ellen White's life. What a blessing that has been. At the same token, from my reading of the NT, certain texts have bothered me like:
"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers" (Eph 4:11). They are all listed in the plural!
From my reading of Acts, I noticed that there were prophets in the church of Antioch (Ac 13:1) and prophets in Jerusalem (Ac 11:27), some that had trans-local ministry (Acts 15:20). There were prophets down in the Corinthian church (1 Cor 14:32) and over in Thessalonica (1 Thess 5:19,20). There were prophets all over the place!
I have come to the conclusion, they are handy folk to have around (not forgetting apostles, evangelists pastors and teachers), especially if the church is going to come to "the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph 4:13).
I'd be interested if any of you have/know prophetic people in your midst?
Jim, you have written a mature and practical response to the naysayers. On a personal level the writings of our co-founder (now called) are beautiful and refer to the Bible throughout. In fact much of it is biblical quotes. It speaks with depth and feeling and to the heart of those willing to listen. It opens the way to spiritual living and experience and to knowing Christ as the focus of our lives. The best, of course, is in the books which often picked up the best inspiration writng of the time and added to it.
The problems are the way the material has been used: compilations taken out of context; comments originally focusing on certain situations but made to fit all by controlling parents, teachers, or others in authority positions; cultural comments now irrelevent. You cannot blame the writer–it is the people. Don't hate the messenger, but those who recycle it in their own image! I do not believe these writings should be quoted in pastoral sermons as they give the idea of some sort of guru and insider information as well as pastoral incompetence and lack of creativity. We can't change the past, but we can begin a new future of respect and a willingness to listen.
Ella,
Ellen White actually gave very specific direction to pastors and editors that her writings were not to be quoted in an sermon or article. Nor were they to be the basis for any doctrine or teaching because we are to study scripture and base everything we teach and believe on the Bible alone.
Nathan, I don't know if I've commented before, but I love almost every single one of your columns. Thanks for writing.
If folks could be entirely honest and reflective regarding what they have seen and experienced within Adventism, they would have to agree that it is possible to find Jesus Christ while reading Ellen White and it is also possible to lose sight of Jesus while reading Ellen White; thus is the paradox of Ellen White. In one quotation Ellen's words can be in lock step with the Pharisaical, self-righteous, self-works oriented tone of Christ's own contemporary church, and in another quotation she can completely disagree with the Pharisaical tone and import of one of her own, other published statements and can bless her reader with glimpses of Jesus.
Yes, Jesus is still the answer and the Holy Spirit, is today being poured out on the "five wise virgins", on those who are desperately hungry for more of Jesus; Ellen White or no Ellen White, SDA Church or no SDA Church.
If one believes that salvation is only achieved for Seventh-day Adventists through the mechanisms and machinations of the SDA Church; meaning total, blind devotion and loyalty to Ellen White no matter what she ever said or did, instead of relying upon one's relationship with Jesus alone, relying upon Jesus who gives us strength to stand for even the tiniest bits of truth, then some day, maybe too late and hopefully not, the majority of the body of Seventh-day Adventists could possibly discover that the enemy to their souls has come to reside within their gates, that "some day" when they recognize that religion alone does not save, that "some day" when they recognize that their precious Adventism has become in too many ways, no different than Roman Catholicism or Mormonism or any other "ism" religions, whereby the "church" effectually impresses upon the people that salvation comes through the mechanisms, machinations, and dependency upon the religious institution.
I agree with much of this, because so many seem to worship the church and are concerned about its identity, unity, etc. They find their identity in an organization rather than in Christ. People are baptized into a church rather than into Christ.
As for EGW different emphases at different times, we can also find that in the Bible. These are all lights that lead us to Christ and teach us to live the sanctified life. The Word, of course, is primary because it is the story of Christ.
Ella,
I think you touched on an imporant issue when you mentioned identity. A significant part of the Adventist church's identity is built on the proof texts about God communicating with His people through prophets. Thus the ministry of EGW is used as evidence to claim exclusive (or limited) right to claim the Adventist church is God's only true church in the last days. However, given the time that has passed since her ministry ended and the absence of another apparent prophet since then, it is becoming increasingly logical to question if the basis for the church's claim remains valid.
If there were another "prophet" to arise, he or she would not be accepted by the church, even if they would speak according to the Word.
Actually I am aware of individuals in various parts of the world who have made prophecies on a personal or local level within the church. If brought to the attention of leaders, they are consistently denied as authentic without listening to them. Granted some of these have turned out to be false with self-centered motives, but not all. It is sort of like UFOs–you can explain most of them, but there are the ones that can't be explained away.
The same goes with "new light." Have you ever heard of anyone being taken seriously who brings a fresh idea to BRI or other authoritity? We stopped progressing theologically a long time ago–probably after White died. She is probably the last church leader who was able to change her mind!
It is possible that some of this might be happening in the seminary, but it isn't well known or admitted.
Ella come on. Trying to decipher "truth" from the the utterances of modern day prophets is just as difficult in trying to figure out who are the "true" psychics and who are the charlatans. If an SDA prophet arises today, indeed they would be ignored and if they pressed their point would most likely be taken to the LLU Behavioral instututed and sedated.
That may be one reason God apparently has not sent us another prophet. I remember the lament of Jesus as he looked over Jerusalem and wept because of the sins of God's people and how they killed the prophets. Maybe we wouldn't kill them today, but ignoring them has the same result of us not receiving intimate and timely messages from God.
I am grateful for the commitment and calling on Ellen White's life. What a blessing that has been. At the same token, from my reading of the NT, certain texts have bothered me like:
"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers" (Eph 4:11). They are all listed in the plural!
From my reading of Acts, I noticed that there were prophets in the church of Antioch (Ac 13:1) and prophets in Jerusalem (Ac 11:27), some that had trans-local ministry (Acts 15:20). There were prophets down in Corinth (1 Cor 14:32) and over in Thessalonica (1 Thess 5:19,20). There were prophets all over the place!
I have come to the conclusion, they are handy folk to have around (not forgetting apostles, evangelists pastors and teachers), especially if the church is going to come to "the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph 4:13).
I'd say, prophets (as they are meant to function in a NT paradigm) were meant to be a normal part of the Christian church. I'd be interested to know if any of you have any prophetic people in your midst?
I know personally of one individual who may be a prophet, as his visions were rational and biblical. His pastor at the time accepted this, and he was an elder and SS teacher. However, the pastor after that did not, and made his church life miserable. (This last pastor BTW was trained through Amazing Facts.) He was ridiculed and his church offices taken away. Finally, after taking up for one of the members and being put down by the pastor, he began a home church. There are no other churches in this remote rural area close enough to attend on a regular basis. When asked he speaks at other churches.
His vision presented a Christ of great love that begged His people to come to Him, and that our country would be facing a crisis, and the second coming would be near. This was from April 1999 to April 2004 with a total of 35 visions. I know they lacked the rigidity of traditional Adventism. Dependence on Christ was the theme.
I think prophet does not always mean foretelling and visions, however. It can mean an inspired individual who loves and knows Christ, who can give that message and provide fresh direction and ideas. We often call this "a prophetic voice."