4 October 2001 Editorial:
A Little Dream

Larry Kirkpatrick

Earlier this week, before waking Monday, I had a little dream. I make no claims about this dream, but would like to share it with you, for I find in it a lesson for this hour.

In the first scene, I had stopped in to visit a pastor friend of mine, but for some reason he was not in his home. But there were five other pastors and high church officials in his home. I commenced to ask them one by one what they would be preaching on the coming Sabbath. "Will you be preaching a matter from prophecy, or something else?" I queried. Every one of them answered, "Something else."

In the second scene, I was journeying home from that visit and saw a man crossing a stream that became a mighty river. Inadvertently it seemed, he began to wash down the river out of control and towards the rapids. For some reason, I began to follow him out across the river, which was strange, since my destination lay on the side of the river I was already on. As I had made my way part-way across, I too was swept down the river, with some gentleness at first and then with much more harshness.

As the water rushed with ever more swiftness and fervor the further it went, I found myself cast upon an island in the midst of the river. A dangerous rushing torrent intervened between myself and the right side of the river, the one upon which my destination was near. In the loud rushing of the water, boards and debris and random things swept past. A board with nails sticking out of it whipped by, and I grabbed it.

In all the noise I looked across to the bank of the river which was my destination, and to my great relief saw a pastor friend of mine. He pointed me to a place where I might hazard a crossing just a bit further on. He left, he said (I could make out his words by reading his lips above the churning noise), to summon his church to prayer for my safe crossing. When I saw that place I was dismayed. Fast and furious the water ran over the rocks and I was not anxious to cross over at that place at all. I stayed where I was. When I looked again, the water had greatly abated there, almost looking as if I could cross! But I waited, and it went down even further, until I could just walk across at that place, which I finally did.

Still, my pastor friend was out of sight. But as I continued walking, I met him on the road back, and we rejoiced together at my safe crossing. As we walked towards his church, it occurred to me to ask him what he would be preaching on the coming Sabbath, a prophetic topic or something else? He was the only pastor who answered, "prophetic." We arrived safely at his church and they insisted on taking pictures of me, standing there wet and beaten, and holding in my hand the board with its nails angrily sticking out. They all came and signed the board and it became a reminder of answered prayer. Thus ended my dream.

As I already noted, I make no claims for this dream; I simply share it with you reader along with a lesson I potentially derive from it.

We are the heirs of a prophetic movement. But you might never know it, as so few of us present the prophetic elements of the message Sabbath by Sabbath. I wonder if we have not, for some odd reason, left the only side of the river upon which we are safe and sought to cross over to a side that looked more refreshing somehow, more pleasant somehow, but we've been swept away in the tide of wrong ideas and wrong attitudes about the Lord's message for this time. Some of my colleagues are not so sure that we have rightly understood the prophecies. Consequently, they do no preach on them. Can you imagine that? Seventh-day Adventist ministers who don't understand and present the prophecies?! If I am speaking to you brother pastor, may I say, whatever the seeming obstacles, there is help and safety in the place of prayerful study. These matters should be a meaningful part of the sermonic fare. Let preachers preach such and church members remind and request for such. Our people are hungry for this, and in need. The river runs higher and higher, and higher still. (Last modified 4 October 2001.)

Pastor Larry Kirkpatrick is an ordained minister of the gospel. Since 1994 he has served in the American Southwest as pastor to several churches. He received his BA in Religion from Southern Adventist University in 1994 and a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in 1999 with a specialization in Adventist Studies. While in Michigan he was employed by the General Conference at the White Estate Berrien Springs branch office. More important than his scholastic preparation has been his immersion in the biblical and Spirit of Prophecy materials. He is author of the 2003 book Real Grace for Real People. Presently he serves as Pastor of the Mentone Church of Seventh-day Adventists, located near Loma Linda, California. Larry is married to Pamela. The couple presently live in Highland, California along with their two children, Etienne and Melinda.