1
IT’S IN THE BOOK
Scene 1
Enter Jim, talking on his cell phone
JIM: Hello, Helen … Yes, I know it’s getting close to Sabbath, but traffic was heavy. I’m almost at the Adventist Book Center now and then I’ll come straight over for our Friday night small group. Remind me what I need to buy, so I can check my list is right…Vegemeat, yes. Lentils, of course.Soya milk, right. G. T. Ng’s latest book —I wouldn’t forget that! What … the Heritage Singers’ Greatest Hits?! I don’t know … Oh, a present for your aunt, okay. But wasn’t there somethingelse ...?
Oh yes, of course, a copy of Working Policy, how could I forget! Yes, I’ll get that first. Thanks, darling, see you soon.
[to himself]
I’m really looking forward to G. T. Ng’s new book! I’m so late… Fortunately it shouldn’t take long—by this time, everyone should already have finished and headed home for opening Sabbath. Hang on—what on earth?!
He looks up and sees a queue coming out of the doorway with a sign saying “Adventist Book Center”. His body language expresses astonishment.
JIM:I don’t believe it, there’s a line!Oh hello, Brother; excuse me, do you know what everyone is queuing for?
CUSTOMER 1 [Reginald]:
Are you joking? They just got in the new copies of General Conference Working Policy! Of course there’s a line. I meant to get here much earlier, but wouldn’t you know, the Pathfinders needed help leaving for their weekend camping trip. I’m Reginald Smith, by the way, from the church over in the next town.
JIM:[amazed]I’m Jim Argent, Reg, pleased to meet you. Look, I don’t quite understand… aqueue? For Working Policy?!
CUSTOMER 2:Well of course, Brother Argent! Who wouldn’t want a copy?!
CUSTOMER 3:Right, I haven’t been so excited since Bob Lemon took a seminar on finances at camp meeting!
REGINALD:Exactly,Olga!Yes, Jim, I’m just hoping we get through for our copies before they close for Sabbath! … But you still look surprised—I mean, why are youhere, if you’re not passionate about WP?
OLGA [Cust. 3]:[Smugly] That’s what they call it you know: WP. I know, my second cousin works for the Office of Adventist Mission at the GC.
JIM:[Disconcerted] Er, thanks, Olga, is it? [Turning to Reginald.] Well, Reg, it’s like this,I’ve recently been elected to the Conference executive committee and my wife suggested I should know something about the church’s policies. [Pauses] Look, are you sure thatthis line is just for Working Policy? Are you sure there isn’t some special event going on?
REGINALD:What, a new shipment of working Policy isn’t exciting enough for you?
LEE [Cust. 2]:
Oh really, Reginald. The queue is for Working Policy, but you’re right, brother Argent, there is more to it than that.
OLGA:Exactly, Lee—it’s amazing: the author’s going to be here autographing copies!!
CUSTOMER 4:Oh, nonsense: Ellen White died in 1915, she can’t be here signing copies!
All the customers in the queue look around now.
LEE:Ellen White didn’t write Working Policy.
CUSTOMER 5: No, everybody knows it was A. G. Daniells.
JIM: I’m pretty sure he’sdead, too.
CUSTOMER 5:[Shocked] Really? [Wistfully] And I was looking forward to telling him how much I liked his book about justification by faith …
REGINALD:He died in 1935. Anyway, he didn’t write Working Policy either.
OLGA:That’s right, it was Jack Blanco.
JIM:Ah, no, Olga, he wrote The Clear Word Bible—or, well, you know, adapted it. Anyway, Jack Blanco didn’t write Working Policy.
CUSTOMER 4:And you’re sure Ellen White didn’t?
JIM, REGINALD, AND LEE:
Yes.
CUSTOMER 4:But I thought it was, you know, inspired.
All the customers exchange looks—some clearly agree, others don’t, others are just confused.
REGINALD:No, look, that’s not right either. It’s just prepared by the General Conference, as a summary of the church’s official policies and procedures.
JIM:I think that’s right.
OLGA:Well, in that case, darling, I’m not sure we need to stay in line. We drove 40 miles to get here; we should probably be leaving.
REGINALD:Oh, no, you’ll want to stay! It’s almostthe author autographing it. Working Policy is produced by GC Secretariat—and Dr. G. T. Ng is here, he’ssigning copies!
The queuing customers are, if possible, even more excited than before.
JIM:Maybe he’ll autograph his new book for me as well!
LEE:I know, right, wouldn't that be great?
OLGA:If we don’t get in soon, though, the ABC will close.
The ABC Manager steps out of the door and makes an announcement.
MANAGER: I’m sorry, everyone, we’re sold out of Working Policy. [Groans, dismay and questions.] We’ll post on our website when another shipment arrives.
REGINALD:Maybe see you next time, Jim.
JIM:Yes, maybe. [Looks at his watch]Oh my, is that the time? I haven’t got any of the food, but I’ve got to get to our small group for opening Sabbath!Happy Sabbath, Brother Smith, Olga, Lee; happy Sabbath, friends.
EVERYONE:Happy Sabbath
OLGA:And good luckgetting a copy of WP!
Blackout
Scene 2: a circle of chairs
Enter Jim Helen Argent, along with Jon & Clara Lawrence, a younger couple;Umberto & Maria Dominguez;and Fred McBride, an older man
JIM & HELEN: Happy Sabbath everyone!
ALL:Happy Sabbath etc[everyone greets each other by name, but only Jim and Helen call Bert by his first name]
CLARA:Who is leading out in this evening’s discussion?
FRED:Tonight, Sister Lawrence, it shall be I.
CLARA:Oh, good, Fred, I mean Brother McBride—you know, we’re glad to have you join us.
FRED:[Stands]As a deacon, I’m delighted to have been invited to join your small group. And I have something special for you tonight. [Holds up a black book.]
OTHERS:Appreciative murmurings
FRED:As the season of Ingathering is nearly upon us, our reading this evening is taken from the Book of “X, Ingathering”, chapter 15 10 “Useof Ingathering Funds”, verses 2 and 3. That’s chapter X 15 10, beginning at the second verse, and I’m reading from the 2011–12 edition:
[He is oblivious to astonished looks all around],
For Policydeclareth that “Ingathering funds are to be used:
“2. To help meet the need for health, education, community service,disaster, food distribution including famine relief and similar projects.
“3. To finance the specific projects for which funds were solicited.Donor and recipient organizations shall both negotiate and mutuallyapprove any changes in respect of any project for which funds have beenraised if it is proposed that such project be canceled, reallocated, or alteredin any …
[The others start to grumble but Bert continues, louder]
… significantway.Consultation and approval for such changes shalltake place prior to implementation of change.”
[Exasperated] Well, really, I can’t recall the last time I’ve endured such noise when reading from holy writ!
CLARA:I’ve never heard anything like that. How can that be our scripture reading?
FRED:Nonsense!
JON:Clara doesn’t mean to be discourteous; but, well, I know you’re far more experienced in the church and have read more of God’s word than me, but I think there’s a mistake. I don’t even recognize what Book of the Bible that reading comes from!
[Everyone nods agreement]
FRED:[Loftily] You are less knowledgeable of the church than I, Brother Lawrence.I am reading from Working Policy.
HELEN:That’s not right!
UMBERTO:That’s outrageous, Fred! I’m shocked!
FRED:But why? These are words of authority!
MARIA:Working Policy isn’t scripture!
[Vigorous agreement from everyone but Fred]
FRED:It is issued by the General Conference, is it not, Sister Dominguez? What’s the problem?
[Maria is too staggered to reply]
UMBERTO:The problem, Fred, is that it’s not the Bible.
FRED:I grant you it may not be the same order of inspiration as the Bible and the writings of Mrs. White, but why else does the General Conference publish it if we are not to take it as authoritative?
HELEN:Fred, I think it’s a compilation of the policies church leaders have agreed should be used to regulate the administration of the church. It’s not a source of doctrine or dogma!
MARIA:And I’m pretty sure it can be changed—whereas the Word of God is the same forever.
FRED:[Aghast] You mean it’s just a collection of administrative procedures, that can be changed whenever it suits people?
JIM:You know,that’s a good question. I wonder how it can be revised?
FRED:What does it matter? I thought this was another installment in the Spirit of Prophecy! Why else do our leaders take so much time at GC Sessions to discuss it? I was there in Atlanta—I know how long they spent on it! I was just sure that this would give me an insight into the divine that nobody else in the church had! I thought this was something unchanging and sacrosanct not mutable and mundane! I’ve wasted my money!
[Dramatically prepares to throw WP away]
JIM:No, Fred, don’t do that! I’ll take it.
FRED:You want it?! [Jim nods] You’re welcome to it. I’m leaving. I’ll see you in church tomorrow, at the offering.
Exit Fred. Lights fade, as Jon & Clara, Umberto & Maria and Helen gather, shaking their heads and obviously discussing Fred’s actions disapprovingly, while Jim picks up WP and goes front stage in spotlight.
JIM:Well, that was a lucky chance! Now, let’s find out more about you…
Blackout.
Scene 3
Lights come up on Jim Helen Argent;Jon & Clara Lawrence;Umberto & Maria Dominguez; Lee & Olga Shupenar; and Dan & ArletteReynolds. They are sitting in chairs, with a couple of small tables around the chairs, with drinks, canapés, etc. on them.
JIM:[To Olga and Lee] It’s certainly an odd coincidence, us meeting like that at the ABC two Fridays ago. Who would have guessed you were old friends of Dan and Arlette Reynolds, who have been our friends for years? And then there you were with them in Church this morning! We’re so glad you could make it over tonight.
DAN:Well, it’s true, isn’t it, that it’s a small world in the Adventist Church.
EVERYONE:Amen! [Laughter]
LEE:[To Clara] And you say he gave a “scripture reading” from Working Policy?!
CLARA & JON:Yes! [Laughter and shaking of heads]
OLGA:Poor old dear. I’m sure he meant well. I wonder what he was thinking?
UMBERTO:Well, it might have been stress, you know. He’s on both the finance committee and the church building subcommittee.
ARLETTE:Yes, but you’re on them as well, Umberto, and you don’t go around trying to cite something from the GC as authoritative when it’s not. [Laughter again]
JIM:You know, it’s interesting, because actually … [He is ignored and subsides]
MARIA:Yes, but it’s still stressful—he’s getting more gray hairs—aren’t you dear?But all for naught so far.
UMBERTO:I’m afraid Maria is right, there’s no prospect of us being able to replace the current church building any time soon, despite its structural problems. We just don’t have enough money: we’ve had two sacrifice offerings and asked for donations, but we haven’t received enough.
JON:Pardon my ignorance, but this is a prosperous community. Couldn’t you go to a few of the wealthier church members and ask them for loans?
DAN:And you know, our church is a big one, other churches’ youth groups and Pathfinders, or women’s groups, often have meetings here. Couldn’t you ask for donations from members of other Adventist churches in the area?
ARLETTE:And if that doesn’t bring in enough money, well, you know that because of the university in the city there are lots of former members who now live across the country, even in other Conferences. If need be, you could ask them for money—couldn’t you?
UMBERTO:Friends, these are all good ideas, but they have come up on the committee. However, we’re not sure if church leaders would approve. Our pastor is fine with it, but he worries about the conference and the union. I wish there was some place we could easily look to find out what church administrators might think about this!
OLGA:Right, but who can read minds?!
CLARA:Still, it seems like this might have come up before—don’t you think the leaders could compile, like, a digest of all the actions the church has taken?
JIM:You know …
HELEN:Yes, and they could divide them up thematically, to make it easier to find out what the precedents are on certain issues.
UMBERTO:That would help us a lot with our fundraising dilemma.
JIM:[Hesitatingly] As it happens …
LEE:And you know, it could be useful in other ways too. For example, our olderson, who is studying theology, is spending the weekend at home, trying to make progress with a term paper on missiology.
OLGA: Yes, poor dear, and he’s really struggling with it. Those people who teach in the Mission Department at Andrews are sohard. He has to write about the way our church has responded to polygamy, both in the past and today.
LEE:Right, and he can find a lot of sources on the history, thanks to that really wonderful website the Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research has. But on the contemporary side, he’s finding it very difficult.
CLARA:Hmph! Polygamy—why is it that men keep wanting extra wives anyway?
JON: I’m sure I don’t know, Clara. But I don’t understand; presumably our church doesn’t approve of polygamy …?
MARIA:It had better not!
JON:So what else is there to discuss?
DAN:I suppose the question is what happens if you convert people who already are in polygamous marriages.
HELEN:Yes, that could be tricky. There’d need to be a policy on that, really.
JIM:[Tentatively] Umm, in fact …
LEE:[Ignoring him] Exactly—and so ifa digest of official policiesdid exist, like the one Umbertoand Helen were wishing for, it would really be useful right now for our older boy. As it is, we’ll just have to hope he finds something online.
ARLETTE:Ah, sons and college. You know, our Roland is just finishing business at Newbold and he wants to work for the church.
DAN:And of course we are encouraging him. But there don’t seem to be a lot of employment opportunities in the church right now, what with the recession and all; and the jobs that are out there aren’t paying much, and so Roland is wondering whether he’d be able to work for the church, whether he’d enjoy it, could make a living, and so on. I really wish our institutions, or conference and union offices, would offer some kind of internship scheme to Adventist graduates, so that they could get a taste of denominational employment, get some training, and then be able to decide whether they’re called to work for the church or not. It would help the church, too, you know, to have business graduates working in financial and business areas. I just wish such a scheme existed, because he would certainly take it up.
MARIA:Itis a good idea. In fact, it’s so good, I wonder if it already exists?
DAN:Well, who knows? And who knows what Roland will end up doing!
JIM:Ah, Dan, you know …
ARLETTE:[Ignoring him, and chuckling indulgently] Children—they aren’t just a burden when they’re little!
OLGA:Don't we know it!Our younger son has finally decided what he wants to do once he leaves secondary school.
HELEN:And …?
LEE and OLGA:[Look at each other first and sigh then turn to the others] Medicine!
OTHERS:Groans and expressions of sympathy
LEE:And of course he’d like to study at Loma Linda—and we’d like that too.
DAN:Whoah, andthe older boy is already at Andrews! Ouch!
OLGA:Exactly. The thing is, he doesn’t want to be a doctor to make lots of money; he’s truly interested in going as a missionary. And the church must want doctors to serve in mission hospitals. So,wouldn’t it be great if the church had some kind of program that would allow students at Loma Linda, who know they want do mission service, to get financial assistance, say on condition that they serve a certain number of years as missionaries once they've graduated? Wouldn’t that be a great idea?
JIM:It’s funny you should say that, Olga …
HELEN:[Hushes him]Really, Jim, this is no joking matter. [To Olga]That would be wonderful.
JON:It would. One of the things that attracted Clara and me to the Seventh-day Adventist church is its strong mission ethos. You know, we’re actually thinking about volunteering for mission service ourselves.
ALL:Make encouraging and enquiring comments.
CLARA:It’s true, we feel like God is leading us in this direction. But you know, though my parents are in their 60s and in good health, Jon’s are pretty elderly; and our children are still so young; and so, we’ve got concerns.
JON:Yes, if we go as missionaries, how long would we have to go for? We’d both want to be able to see our parents regularly, and they want to see their grandkids.
UMBERTO:Of course, very natural!