April 1, 1928

WHAT OFFEREST THOU?

“Cursed be [he who} . . . voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing, tf ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil?¹’—Malachi 1: H, 8.

TO MAKE a covenant with God and carry it out is the most serious piece of business in which any human being can engage. To the Christian it means eternal life or eternal death. Yet how many, apparently, there are that fall into the same listless or selfish attitude toward God as did the Israelites. All of the consecrated ones at this time have made a vow or covenant with Jehovah to do his will. His will for his people is expressed in his book, the Bible. Many scriptures have been called to our attention in The Watch Tower during recent years proving unquestionably that the only reason Jehovah has his saints on earth at this time is that they may be witnesses that he is God. That is God’s will for us. To spend our time, efforts and strength somewhere in the ranks of the Devil’s organization so as to have our own home, money on tap with the bank and all the comforts people enjoy who are not consecrated would make us as guilty as the priests among the Israelites. Any old, blind, lame, or sick animals they couldn’t use very well for their own comfort, they tried, in their offerings, to palm off on God Almighty. But any one who does that is fooling only himself, and it may result in eternal death. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”—Matt. 6:33.

To do nothing more than attend meetings for the comfort of mind and joy of heart derived therefrom would certainly not be witnessing to the people that Jehovah is God, that Jesus, the King of earth, is here and that the Devil’s organization is to be destroyed. On the contrary, it would be a selfish course, taking the kingdom interests committed to us and using them solely for our own enjoyment. Some figure, of course, that any time they can not use for their own comfort, they may use in a service drive occasionally. But that in our judgment, dear brethren, would be exactly what the Israel-itish priests did when they offered to God only the left-overs, that for which they could not find any use for themselves.

Not so, however, with David, king of Israel, the man after God’s own heart, when Oman offered to give him animals and material for offering unto God. “Nay,” said he, “I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings without cost” —1 Chronicles 21: 24.

METHODS OF WORK

What results do you expect to get during the summer ? Each worker, in answering this question, will necessarily have to state the exact amount of time he expects to devote to the field work during the coming months. There is certain territory that is accessible during the next six months that is difficult to reach during the other seasons of the year. We refer to the towns that lie quite a distance from your class, the rural sections. This territory we must break up into six divisions. For instance, April will be the most favorable time to reach the towns directly on the railroads. May is the time to reach the larger towns, and especially the scattered parts of city territory. June with better weather brings better roads. To work the farms, it is necessary to obtain automobiles; therefore we recommend that the friends use the amount of money which they formerly spent in holding public meetings, hiring halls, paying for handbills, etc., to hire automobiles for Saturday and Sunday work. July is an excellent time to canvass the farmers whose farms lie way back from the main roads; also summer resorts, amusement parks, automobile camps, etc. August is the time to go over all of this territory, and especially to re-canvass the summer resorts, for each new month brings new visitors. September is the time to close in toward the city territory, and especially to work those towns in which large public schools are located. Stress in your canvass that education in an understanding of the Bible is neglected in all school and college courses.

Six Sections to Be Considered

In dividing your summer work, it is necessary to remember that there are six different sections to be canvassed, and too, sections of as many different conditions as well as makeups of people. In the letter of instructions to directors we have gone into some detail as to how to plan the work of each month. We urge that you endeavor to have some part in each division as above set forth. Rural sections are practically untouched for six months. It is possible to reach every home in your class assignment at least once each year, and for the most part, twice each year. To do so requires that each worker make about twenty-five calls a week. Holiday canvassing and Sunday work allows time in addition to your regular canvassing, and with this extra amount of effort practically all classes could canvass their rural sections twice during the summer. The first canvass will place many books, especially if you are directed to the territory when the people have money. The second canvass will reach those who were unable to buy though knowing that they should have literature and who since your first canvass have made a mental note that they would get those books sometime.

Appreciates Worker’s Service

More and more do we find people appreciating the services of the workers and no doubt many regard them highly as indicated in the following letter.:

“Yesterday a lady told me that she would never forget my little visit, that she would remember what I had said as long as she lived, and that just as soon as she could she would have those books.

“Today a very smart man followed me to the door, after taking a combination of the Harp, Deliverance and Creation, and said, 'I’ve enjoyed your little visit so much. I’m very glad you came.’ ”

Agnes B. Goddabd.—Springfield, Mass.

Offer Books

The work last fall with the Freedom booklet reached many homes that have not been reached with the canvass for the other publications. Let the work of the coming summer be with books. If you have difficulty in selling books and think that you can sell only booklets, leave all of your booklets at home once or twice and sell only books until you get the habit. Then you will more easily sell books and maybe one or two extra booklets at the same time. Since the people have had a taste of our literature in the Freedom booklet, they will want the books. From the point of service we urge the workers to offer books, the best literature that the Society has, and let the people choose what they wish. This is a better procedure than for the workers to decide what the people should have or read.

During April and May there is a tendency throughout this country toward unemployment. Factories have been running preparing goods for summer sale, and other factories dependent upon the farmers have not become active. Do not be discouraged, however, because of the seasonal unemployment. Emphasize that the books are more necessary than much of the temporal necessities. Bring home to the people the full meaning of the Lord’s words, “Man shall not live by bread alone.” Emphasize that pleasures of this life and the abundance of its good things do not bring to them the contentment of heart and mind and comfort contained in the message of the kingdom. We think that you, too, will find conditions much as outlined in the following letter:

The Bread of Life

“It is indeed remarkable how the people manage to get some of the literature in spite of the hard times being experienced here in the coal fields this winter. I get into many homes where the people are really suffering for need of food and clothing, and in such cases, if they express any desire for the message, I usually give them a booklet of their choice.

“Saturday afternoon I worked in a section of the city which I dreaded going into most of all. It was composed chiefly of Irish Catholics. I was canvassing right around one of the big shrines where the true God is not being worshiped. It was very cold, but I got inside often enough to keep fairly comfortable. By the Lord’s grace I disposed of thirty-seven books and booklets and had several very encouraging experiences. I felt repaid a hundred times for the apparent extra effort required to get started that day.

“On Sunday I was out a few hours working in a short block which had been canvassed only a few months ago for the booklets, and to my surprise I placed one full set of seven volumes, three Creation, two Harps, one Deliverance, two Hell booklets and one Lord’s Return.”

A. K. Smoker.—Hazleton, Pa.

Plan Well for Sunday Work

Sunday work during the coming six months should be undertaken in much of the well-planned fashion as already outlined for the summer work in general. Territory conditions differ. In some sections of your territory, morning work is most advantageous; in other sections, late afternoon and evening work will bring the best result; and in still other sections, particularly where they are given to inviting friends from the city, work immediately after dinner will bring the best results. But, taking everything into consideration, Sunday is one of the most opportune times for canvassing. It is certainly the time when most of the friends are available for service and, consequently, well-directed work on Sundays is sure to reach a great number of people. Plan the Sunday work during the summer months in the rural sections, and recognizing that the day is the Lord’s day, bring to the people a message that will help them. Oftentimes Sunday morning work brings you to the people before they get to their churches, and the money that they intended for the collection box is spent for a message that will endure and benefit them.

Sunday Evening Calls

Sunday evening work is frequently the best time to reach the rural. Particularly is this the better time during the heavy harvesting season; for, though farmers will go to the fields on Sunday, they make it a habit to quit the field earlier and go to their homes for the late afternoon and evening. It is then that you will find the farmers near the houses. If then, in your territory, the best results are obtained Sunday morning and > late Sunday afternoons, probably arrangements can be made to hold the class meeting out in the open. Workers could take their Watch Towers with them and assemble at a given place for the study meeting and then go to the field refreshed and invigorated and stimulated anew with the message of the kingdom.

Vacations

The coming summer months will bring vacation periods. If you plan to spend your off time at home, consult with the director about territory. Tell him your choice of territory, or that section which would bring to you the most diversion and recuperation. If you plan to go to other cities for your vacation, write the service department and serve in connection with other classes. This will enable you to go back to your own class with additional ideas and thus bring to you viewpoints and methods as applied in other parts of the field.

Plan to make the coming summer months one of the greatest witnesses for the truth in your territory. Plan for the time you will engage in the service each week. Plan to make your efforts the most productive. With

such forethought all of the rural territorjTifls-signed to the class can be reached at least twice during the coming summer. In your workers’ meetings keep ever to the front the progress that is being made, for worker cooperation will accomplish a great and wide witness.

“We find Sundi^' to be our best day n.ow, for the people 'seem to be looking more for . entertainment, liave more time, and also the subject seems to fit the day, besides finding, the men home. These are the ones that seem to be doing most of the buying.

"I only wish that I could go faster and reach more people, for I find so many who are so hungry. No wonder we have a lot to do, when we realize that the remnant is the mouthpiece for the whole body at present. No wonder our great Father, Jehovah God, provides such complete protection, for there is not a stone left unturned by Satan to stop this great proclamation of ‘Who is God ?’ ”

Agnes B. Goddard.—Springfield, Mass.

Workers’ Meetings

Workers’ meetings are very essential. We find that workers’ meetings are not being held because the class feels that they can not meet more often than they are already minting. In such instances we urge that the workers’ meetings be held Wednesday night, preceding the testimony meeting. If about forty-five minutes or a half-hour could be devoted to a discussion of canvasses, and of ways and means of service, workers would soon realize the profit from such meetings in better results obtained in the field. We therefore urge that workers arrange for a service meeting before the prayer meeting and, if necessary, extend the time of the Wednesday evening meeting to an hour and fifteen minutes or an hour and a half; but for the most part this extension of time will hardly be necessary. Too often testimony meetings are almost Quaker-like. There is too much silence between testimonies. If testimonies were brief and to the point, they could probably be given in fifteen or twenty minutes and the remainder of the time devoted to the workers’ meeting. The workers’ meeting is for the purpose of discussing the worker’s part in the field work. The leader should always be a brother who is active in the field work. The director should appoint the leaders for workers’ meetings. The leader should draw suggestions from the workers as to how to go about the work. He should arrange for one worker to canvass another and the others to note the points emphasized; and from all of the points mentioned, to take note of the many talking points of the books and construct their canvass out of the points that are found to bring the best results.

One workers’ meeting each month should be concerning the quota and the plans for service. Every workers’ meeting should announce the plans for the week-end work. The second meeting of the month should discuss the plans for work as outlined to the director in the letter of instructions from the Society and as covered in the workers’ Bulletin. The third meeting should be devoted to canvassing methods, talking points, the people’s interests, etc. The fourth meeting should be a summary of what has been done during the month. At this meeting reports should be made as to whether the class is going to reach its quota for the month. It should also bring to their attention what hindered them from doing as much as they planned to do, consequently, what additional effort will be necessary in order to accomplish that part of the year’s work that was assigned to be done during that month.

An hour’s time is not too long to devote to such consideration of field work, but it should be kept to the discussion of ways and means. The workers’ meeting should not be taken up in elaborating what the worker said and what the other person said in return and what the worker said back. Rather it should discuss plans and ways and means of witnessing to the people in the territory assigned to the class.

May the Lord bless you and direct your efforts to make known the blessings of the coming kingdom and to tell the people that ‘Jehovah is God’.

Your brethren and fellow servants in the Lord,

Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society