The Ohio Independent Baptist, December 1955

Page Eight THE OHIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIST D cemb r 1955 CHATS WITH PASTORS' WIVES By :\IH~. ('I ,,\ Hg;s.;('E E . } IA, 0~, ,Jr . ARTICLE No. 1 111 a11s\\·e r to n1c111.,· r eq uests " ·e r e procln ce a SC'riC's of . eve 11 a rtiel es \\Titt e n excln si,·el y for this 111cl!rn zin l' in 19-11 by thC' \\'ife of Dr. ClarC'nte ":'llaso n, th C' n president of Phil ade lphia ~ <: hool of 'th e Bible. l mnu'diatel .,· aftC'r th e arti<·I s haw heC'n r eprinted ll'e plan to r C'proclu<:e a second se ri es of seven al'til'ks \\Titt en h.,· ":\In,. :;\lason fo r this maga zin e in U)-1-:-l, titled-" Chat. ,\\Tith Yo1111°· P eop le." (Ed– it or ) Th e pastor's \\'ifr is an Ameri– <·a 11 instituti o11 . She is th e in – l' ' ·itablc snbjrc:t of conver ation. bot h pro and c·on. by C'YC' r.v congTe– g-ation ancl tommn11 it.,·. If: she \\'ears hlatk. slw is too plain; if she wea rs reel . he ·s " ·o rlclh·. If . he ·: friend – !.,·. sh e · too fo1.'~vard: if . he's shy a nd r et iring·. he' a " nob. " If sh e take· an achve part in the <: hmch life . . he · bo sy: if h e tays in the backg-r·ound. h e ha: no pir– itual ambition . ":\!any a church fa mil.'· not on l.'· ha '' roa t preach– er " at undav dinn er. but also a liberal icl e or cl er of '· roast prea ch– ('!'· ·ll'ife. · ' :.[uch ha. been writt en through th e y ea r. con cerning the pa. tor, hut th e fi eld of th e pa . tor's wife ha been , acll:r n eglect ed . So in the e littl e chats which " ·e . hall haYe tol!'ether from month to month, I am goin g to \\'rit e of th e thintts " ·hi ch con ce rn th e pa . - tor · · \\'i fe and h er relationship to the \\'Ork . Th e articles are to he \\Titten n ot only as s ugge. tions to pa. ·tor 's wi,·es. bu t al. o for th e people in th e p e" ·, that the.'· ma.'· und erstand more fully her prob– lem a nd he more sympath eti c of their solution. First of all mav f sa,· to each of you. as pastor ·s \\' i \'(< it i.- my :t r ong- e:o n\'i ction that ll'e haYe a ro,\·al C'alling-- a holy and sacred task. J kno,,· there arr some ,\'ho cl o not : re \\'ith me in this. hut wh o fee l the \\'i fe of a minist e r has a harcl li fr: on<' ll'hi c h i11Yoh·e.- seYe re sa<:rifi<:e ancl has Yen· littl e com– p ensation this side or' /.d ory. I do not feel that way about it. Oh yes. as r said in the beginning. \\'e ar(' in a position ,,·here e: ritic:ism is ce r – ta i11 to <:orne our wa.,·. '\\Te fre– q uentl.'· are c·al lecl npon to go ,rith– out many th ings, \\'hiC'h otlH' l' \\'Olll – <'n to11sicler essc' 11tials of li fe, y et I :,,till fec,l that ou r work and our opportun itic,.- far ont \\'eigh any hard hip \\·0 eYer haYe to undergo. I .-hall not forget the fi rst morn– ing- that r (•i-] )ll(• r' · a br iclr to th e thnrch in Phil adelphi a ,,·here my hnsband ,ms th en pastor. '\Ye had been married about a month before in my home. in a littl e mid-we t ern town . I had Yisitecl the east r l'l1 sraboa rd only b,·ice hefore and stood i 11 sorn ewhat trern bl ing awe of what I <:onsider ed th gr eat clig-– nity of '' Easterners . '' 'l' he emo– tion \\·hich \\'elled up in my h eart that mornin g a. I crossed th e threshold of th e church , and toocl for just a moment and looked at the gath ering- co ng r ega tion , would be cl ifficu lt to expr e . 'l'hese . trangr face. \\·e re my lrn band ·s '' p eople,'' and from that morni ng on would be min e als . 'J'h e e wer e our flo ck. preciou friend. for whom the Lord would hold us r e ponsihle throu2:h– out all ete rnity. Althouirh J had r eceiYecl what' th e " ·o rlcl " ·011lc1 c·onsidcr a splendid C' cl utation. I felt so inad equat e. so helpl ess to ·ope " ·ith the p1·ohl e1m; r kne,,· la.v a hea d. 'l'h er e. in th ose bri ef f lee t– in!l moments that lllOl'llin g. [ C:0111 - rnitted nn-self afresh to the Lord fo r this gTcat task unt o " ·hi e:h Ifr had e:allccl me. l\I,v husband intro– clu<:ed me to a11 w,h Pr and ll'Cnt at on ce to the study bac· k of the pul – pit. Imrn C'diat el.'· a kincll.'· Yoicr saicl: '·_.\ncl wher e d o You wi sh to hC' seated , :. l rs . l\Iaso,i' ?" lf' hel' C' clid T? fn the most in c·onspicn ous pew at thr rPar ! l11 1t reali zin g th at the rear in anv C'hurc·h is no pla e:e for a Christ ia;1. if one r rall.,· ,,·ants to wo rship , I took a d ee p breath ancl an . ,,·c reel. · · f i\'P l'O\\'S from th e front , pl ease. " Four \\·eeks p1·0,·iouslr th e aisle which led to the altar in nl\' home churc h had seemC'cl interrni;ia blr, hut this - this one seemed to ·go 011 fore,·er. f oft en laugh n o"' as J think of thC' sta~:e \\'hispcr ,\'l1iC'h , d espite thC' soft 11 ot rs of th e organ, r ca(·hrcl nff ear: · ' Th er e he is : that 's th e gi;·l he " ·e nt out wes t to rnarr)' ." .\ ml. sure C' nough , the re I was– clreaclfully , hy and oTos lY io·no– rant of ,\·ha t {,,a.- d e1~ia11cl ~cl ~f a pastor 's wi fe, bnt g·lad a11cl 1·<'i:Hl,r t o begin th e happie:t )'ears of 111,,· life. 1 'o m Qualifications I Io,\'C' \'C' I', wh at are some of the q ual ificat ions of the mini t er 's: \\'ife: '\Ybat are :ome of the– " musts " whi ch are expe ·ted of her ! After th irteen y ear. I think the ve ry first and l!'r eate t e en– t ial of: al l i., TTIA'l' SHE K~O\\ l ·x~n . '1 1 .AKABLY. \ :\TD WI'l'II DEEP C l~R'l' .A L\' T,Y, 'l' HNl' GOD HAS CA IJLED llER TO THIS ,~r\ RT IC ( lu \R p AR'l' OF IIIS SERVT 'E , .J l'S'l' AS URELY A,' IIE lL\ C \.LLED HER Ill! BAXD. ::\ f any a g irl i. a mini ter' wife, not be au e h e can ay, '' I know the Lo1·d has laid his hand on me," but bccau. e s he f ell in love and married a minister . 'l'here are d es– perate cla.,·s " ·hi ch li e ahead \\·h en one needs to know beyo nd any shado,,· of a doubt , thi. and thi. only. is what th e L or 1 ha. for me. Then. f think another general q11alific:atio11 is, TI IAT , 'ITE RE \T['.,.\LLY IX 'l'ER L~S'L'ED IX NPIR ITl ',\I J THJ:\'US . Xo t just because her husband is inter e tecl. hut lwcause th e things of Chri. t a r e food ancl cl rink to h er al. o. I Io,,· fr equ C' ntly we see some ple11- did .'·o u11g man ,,·ith a burning pas– sion for souls, and y et chained h.,· th e e: lanking fettC' rs of a wife ll'h o. e attitude is constanth-. · ' 0 h darling clon 't get too excited about sou ls, yon ,,·ill burn yourself ont. '' Or, perhaps she is XO'l' 'l'E::\1- P ERA:'IIEX'l'AL,LY foil fTKD '1'0 f l IS '\YORK. I kn ew on e voun\!· IJ1·icl e ll'hO had bec.'n spoiled at home. wh o thre " · a tantrum be– fo r e the ,,·hol e choir, tamped he1: foot ancl sa id: '' John , if you " ·on'tr. do what I \\'ant. I '11 REA:\[. , ., ( Ile. houlcl haYe let her se r eam. ) .,\ ncl W l' mu t not forget tlw qualifi cati on of FRIEXDLI~E ·~. just good o ld-fa.-hion ccl onrte. y. I think you Jllll ·t r0ally lik e' p e0pk,