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Title
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Bank, Milton H.
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extracted text
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MINISTERIAL DELEGATEtS QUESTIONNAIRE
1956 Conferences
,.
Pl~~
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type answers
PERSOl,iAL INFORI1ATION:
Your name__~I~1i~l~t~~~n~H=ar~o~l~d~B~ank
~~---------------------------------------------Ad~ress ______5
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Place of Birth _____C~a_rr_o_l_l_t_o~n.,_}_"l_·c_l_1i_~_
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Wifets name before marriage __~F~
er
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v----------------------------------Her place of Birth __~C~l~e~y~
eJ~an
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Ohi~·o~--------------------------------------
Names of Children
Hil ton Harold II, Thomas Ri chey, 1 iilliam Otto, James Harshall ,
Susanne F:laine
CONFERENCE RELATIONSHIP:
Your Annual Conference ____~D~e~t~r~o~i~t~---v-----------------------------------Present Appointment
Central het hodist Church, 1)ontiac
v!hen admitted on trial--~1~9~3~
3 -------------------------------------------
•
In what other conferences have you held membership __~n_o_ne.________________
Hhen did you transfer to your present confe!'ence ________________________
EDUCATION:
3oston
College "Raldt·r.in-1,-Jallac:aegree ~Year.1.2.1?_Seminary University Degree.m;1LYear.....1235
Other schools and nature of work, degrees, etc.: Boston University Graduate
School . Defree MA, 1934
Honorary degrees and schools granting them:
Baldl·rin-r:Jallace - Degree-DD, year 1951.
\.fHAT CONFERENCE POSITIONS DO YOU HOLD: (Such as an office in Conference
Committees or Boards •) Hernber of The Board of 1·.ini sterial Training and
Qualifications, The Board of Even felism, Council of Social Education and Action,
Con ·erence Pro-Tam, Trustees of Adrian Collece, Bo,qrd of dan~crers of Chelsea Hethodist
J-fome, District Board of Church Location and Chair man of the Fl int District Board of
WHAT POSITIONS DO YOU HOLD ON ANY GENERAL BOARDS OR AGENCIES:
Education.
•
WHAT POSITIONS DO YOU HOLD I N WHAT INTERDENOMINATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
•
HAVE YOU BEEN A DELEGATE OR RESERVE TO ANY OTHER GENERAL OR JURISDICTIONAL CONFERENCE? (Please give dates or conferences) No •
General----------------------------------------------------------------_________________________________________________________
J\~risdictional
Reserve----------------------------------------------------------------PRESENT MEMBERSHIP IN FRATERNAL ORGA~ITZ ATIONS, CLUBS, CIVIC GROUPS,
ETC • :
Hember of The Iliivanis Club of Pontiac, The :Soard of Direc :.o rs of the
Pont-iac Y.H. C.A., The Advisory Cont'l:i ttee planning the emcr8"ency 1-1elfare procram
for Pontiac in Civil Defense .
l-THAT CONVICTIONS OR OPINIONS DO YOU HAVE ABOUT ANY OF THE PERTINENT
IS SUES NOW FACING THE CHURCH!
l. The missionary cause of the Chur ch nrust advance that .sm adequate Christian
•
-vritness may shape and influence the outcome of the critical issues of our day.
2. The Church must not forsake its historic stand of being the champion of soci al
justice.
3. The ruling of the Supreme Court in the area of public school educ a t i on ought
like-;-ii se to apply in our churches. Inte=-r a tion in our churches shoulci. accompany
inte ~-rat,ion in the schools •
LIST ANY HOBBIES AND RELATE ANY INTERESTING EXPERIENCE HITH Tlilll'I:
Photo rraphy ann fishing .
DESCRIBE HUMAN INTEREST FACTS ABOUT YOUR
amusing experiences, famous relatives or
activities, religious experiences, etc , ,
likely to make the most readable part of
please try hard to fill this request.
LIFE, such as trips, honors,
unique family tie s, spouse's
etc. (This information is
the Advocate' s writeup so
A dele eate to the Ecumenical i·.etbodist Conference held in Oxford, Enr,.land.
Ac com-o.:m.ied on t his trip by my 1:Tife.
•
ANY OTHER INFOIU1ATION:
(Use additional sheets of paper if necessary.)
J.
,
'
P e r s o na l In f or c :::.tic n She0 t
COi-'Ii1IS SION ON PUBLIC REL:.TIONS
a nd METHODIST I NFOnM~TI ON
De t r oi t ~ nn u n l Confe r e nc e ,
THE UNITED i·1ETHODIST CI1Un C~f
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i n dic a t e t ha t cha nce-- t o
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I f ::t tra ns f e r t o De t r oit Co nf c r o nc o , whe n _____________________ an d
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Ed uc :1tion :
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10 . Educ a tio n
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f CO n f e r CnC C COl...o,...l 1· t t
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D A:"'K, MILTON HAROL D-CT., Dct.,
.
1933; F ., 1936) 1933 S chool; 1936 O:I:t·
· - - - <Vay ; 1938 D etroi t : Na rd in P ark (Assoc.~ ;
"1939 D et roit: :\a rc! in · P a rk ( A ssoc. ); 19, 1
H :tncock · L :·lU rium ;
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DETROIT CONFERENCE - INFORMATION SHEET
FLINT DISTRICT
Date.__~Atto~r
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:.:__.:..______...:.____ Birth Date Nov • 1 0 , 19 1 0
Narne of P~ s tor_....:M
!1 4 9, / 1 &f
Charge Now Serving P onti a c: Centra l
Hours of Worship 9 : OQ
~~ ~,..
&
10:4:: A M.
Education: 1 • . High School Sagi naw Eas tern Hi gh Scboo l
2. Colleges
Baldwin - ~!A. l l ace
Jun e 1928
1928• 193 2
3. Seminary Bos ton Un i versit y , Schoo l of Theol ogy
1932 - 1936
/
Degrees Atta ined~·...l:l.!w_--:b::~~....ll.a.J..l..L.f._..l..;t.,';U-t---.l:;lQ...JLW~~~~~~-r-------M. A. , 1934 ; S . T . B., 1935 ; one yea r residence wor k t oward
u.
Experience: 1. Status in the Detroit Conference___:.F:...:u::.:l=-1=-m
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m .:::::
b.:::::
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r_____-r-- - - - -
3 . Charge s serve d Ho l brook Mass .
1938 ; Detroit : Na rdin Pa rk ,
n 1945 ; Trent on , 1945- 49 ;
1 9~~·
~
4. OtherExperiences~D~e~1~e~g~a~t~e~~~~~~~~~~~~~C~o~n~f~e~r~e~n~c.::::e~
Gx:fl or d, mgland ,
Areas of Service :
1. In the Conference
Board of Ministeria l Trainin and
Qu a lific ation s .
Commis s on on Worl d Serv i ce and F inance .
Board of Ev ange l i sm.
of ~d u cation . Trus t ee for the
A
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u
1 n.
1empornry , eer inE Com~i t t~e for Pe
ion Pro ~ram .
2 . Un the LJistnct -:-:oard o f I~~ i nis f;ev :ja l Tr a i n ing ; Cha irman , .Boa r d
of Bduc a ti on ; Commission on £vangelism ; Boar d of Church
Loc a tions;
3 . Community Ser vice Pas t president of th e Ponti a c Area Cotmcj 1
of Churches ; Membe~, Committee of the Citizens ' Advis ory
Board ; Chairman of Y . M . C~A. Christian £mphas is Committee
and member of Board .
4 . Other___ _ _______________ _ _____ _ __ __ _ _____ __
~
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Date of Marriage Se ot ember 3 . 1933
·. ··
Family: 1. Name of Wife Fe rn R. Bank
~
~ /9~.fBirth
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Date Oct . 26, 1908
Schools attended Wes t Hi h ·schoo l
Cleveland o. · Wes t e rn e se rv e Un tmers ity, 192 -1927 ; Ba l dwin .Wa l l a-ee Colleg e ,· 1930193·2 . f •• B. 1932
e
2 •. Names of Children:
-Lt ·.-
··
~H lton
Harold oan k I I
Birth Date Aug. 11, 193 5
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Birth Date Ma r cb 2$, 1938
-William Otto Ban k
Birth Date Dec . 15 , 1941
=··James 'Ma r sba ll. Ban k
Birth Dqte Nov . 1 0. 1943
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____ ·Birth. Date~---------. .
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Interest Areas: (Where you have a high degree of interest 1 or perhaps special. training··.· ..
for a given task in the ministry) Pre a ch i ng, an d oastor al eounse·ling (Fh D
work wa s done · i n the fi e l d of Pas t or a l P sy chology )
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Date recei ved on tr~al__::l:..:...'-'-------------_:_------------.....--------Dat e · ordai ned D<i:! acon____:l~9:.:3::.....4~------------Local Deaco.n ._- - - - - - -- - - - Date ordained Elder _ __;;;l~9""'3_
- 6' - - - - - - - -- --Local Eld~r _ ____,__,- - - - - - -Enc lose personal picture.
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I. CHURCH MEMBERSHIP
Total at
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of Pastorate
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Total at end of Pastorate (or prese nt )
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Prof ession of Faith . f irs t year
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Profe ss ion of Faith. final year
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Con f erence Remova I s_._ f•1rst _y_ear·!: J~J
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Quar t erly_ Conference Removals. final year!
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II . CHURCH SCHOOL
Total Membership
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first yea r
Tota l Membe rship , final year
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Ave raq e Attendance . firs t y_e ar
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Aver aqe Attend ance
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Ill. BUILD ING
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Indebted ness Re ti red
f i rst _y_ear
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Indebtedness Re t ired, fina l year
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Bui I di ng Improvement. f i rst yea r
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Building
l m~rovement.
f i nal year
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Pastoral Support
ll
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IV. FINANCES
Pastoral Support
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first year
final year
Tota'J Budget. first year
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Total Budqet. final year
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V. BENEVOLENCES
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World Service. first year
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World Service_._ final _year
Other than Apportioned
first year
Othe r than Apportioned , final yea r
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Total at start of pastor ate
Total at end of pastorate
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Profession of faith ,1 st yr.
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Profession of faith ,f inal yr.
Quarterly Conf. removals 1st yr.
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Quarterly Conf. remo vals final y~.
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II.CHURCH SCHOOL:
Total membership 1s t yr .
Total membership fin al yr.
Average attendance 1st yr.
Average i"ttendance final yr.
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IV . FINANCES
Pastoral Supports , 1st yr.
Pastoral Support ,final yr.
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V. BENEVOLENCES
World Service ,1st yr
·world Service ,final yr.
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BUILDING
Indebtedness retired 1st yr.
Indebtedness retired final yr.
Bui:u ~:u-::~ .... provemfnt,lst yr .
Building Improvement final yr.
Total budget , 1st yr.
Total budgP.t: , fin<"'l y r. -
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Other than apportion ed final yr. i
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NAME
DATE /.J. -Z_-~S
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res e nt )Profe ssion of Fa ith
Profe ssion of Fa ith
I
first y ear
fin a l e ar
Quarterly C o nfer e nce Rem ovals
I
1st r.
final yr
II. CHURCH SCHOOL
Tota l me mbe rshi
Avera e att e ndance first ear
Avera ge att endance , fin a l yea r
III.
BUILDING
Indebt edn ess retired
. Indebt e dness retired
Buildin
Bu ild in
rovement
r oveme nt
fir st ear
fi nal e ar
I
I
first e ar
fina l e a r
IV. FI NANCES
Pa s tora l s up ort
Tot a l b ud get
Total budg et
I
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first year
first year
final ear
V. BENEVOLENCES
World Ser vice fir st yea r
World Se r vice1 fi na l ear
I
1
Other t han apportioned , f ir st
Othe r than apport ioned fi na l
I
ear
.._
SUSAN DIANE ORTO, dau g hter of
Mr. and Mr. Richa rd Orto of Detro it,
and JAMES MARSHALL BANK, son
of Dr. and Mrs. Milton H. Bank of
Pontiac, were married June 4 in the
chapel of the Central Methodist Church
in Pontiac by the groom's fath er, who is
pastor of the church. Nancy Schiller
was maid of honor a nd Claire Ostrem,
bridesmaid, with Susanne Bank and
Janet Orto, junior bridesmaids.
The
best man was Irving Schlyfes tone and
the ushers were Geor ge Sarros, William
Bank and Clark Davis. Following the
ceremony the couple left for a honeymoon in northern Michigan and will
make their hom e in Boston in the fall.
The bride attended Wayne ·S tate University and the groom, who is a graduate
of Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea,
J/!tf/bbMrs.
James M. Bank
Ohio, will return to the Boston University School of Theology for his second
year and also will serve a student
charge.
Dusoso, a nd Eric Duchene, a fr iend of
the g room. Following a r eception, which
was attended by Miss Barbara McClure
and Mr. and Mrs. Philip Rice of Pontiac, the bride and groom left for a
MISS HILDA 0. DUSOSO, daughter
of Attorney a nd Mrs. Hendrik Dusoso of
Antwerp, Belgium, and WILLIAM 0. jf/
BANK, son of Dr. and Mrs. Milton H. j
Bank of Central Methodi st Church, Pon- 1 (p
tiac, were married July 12 in Saint Lau-CP
r entius Church, Antwerp, Belgium. They
were attended by the bride's sister, Else
fj'
W ILLIAM 0. BANK, son of Dr. and
Mrs. Milton H. Bank of Pontiac, received the degree of Doctor of Medicine
from the Univers ity of Michigan Medical
Mrs. William 0. Bank
short honeymoon in Greece and H eidelberg. The couple will return to Michigan the last of Augus t, and Mr. Bank
will complete his last year of Medical
School at the U. of M. , and the bride
will r eturn to her teaching position at
Isaac Crary Junior Hig h School in Waterford Township. They wi ll reside in
Ann Arbor.
Dr. Wm. 0. Bank
School Friday evening, June 9. He r eceived a B.A. degree from Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, Ohio, in 1963. Dr.
Bank and hi s wife planned to leave
shortly after graduation for Portland,
Oregon, where he begins his internship
at Emanual Hos pital.
DR. AND MRS MILTON H. BANK ~
of Pon tiac Central, a nd daughte r Suz- I
a nne, a ttended the gr aduation exe rcis~s at Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea,
OhiO. T he Ba nks' youngest son, J a mes
Mar shall, a member of the graduating
class, has enrolled a t Boston University
School of T heology. 1·- 't - ~/ f)
.DR. MILTON BANK of Ann Arbor West
Side Chu~ch and BERNICE WHE ELER
were mar ned F ebruary 14 by Dr. Bank's
son, Rev. J a mes Bank, in Boston.
Mem oria l Service Held for
Mrs. Bank a t Central, Pon, 2>c_-3-b fJ
A .memor ial service was h eld f or Mr s.
Milton H. Bank at Centr al Un ited
Methodist Chu rch on t he e vening of
August 28. A la rge number of f riends
participated in the service in honor of
the beloved wife of the church's f orme r
senior pastor. Ba nk famil y members
a t tending we r e Dr. Milton H. Bank, his
daug hter Susanne; hi s son, Rev. J a mes
Bank; an d his da ugh ter-in-law, Mrs.
Thomas Bank.
Directing the ser vice were t he mini sters of the church: Ca rl P r ice, Ronald
Tallman, and R ichard Clema ns. In addition to hymns, scriptur e a nd pr ayers,
the ser vice included a lit any of r em embr a nce, a solo " Let Not Your H ear t
Be Troubled" sung by Nancy Pusk as,
a nd memorial tributes •by Mr. Clemans,
George Yansen, and others in the
cong r egation .
MISS SUSANNE BANK, ~_p~;l of
Dr. Milton H. Bank of Ann Arbor West
Side Church, is spending the summer in
France with the Youth for Understanding.
Dr. Bank's sons include MILTON ll who
will r eceive his Ph.D. from Georgia Tech
September 4 and become professor of
Aeronautical Engineering at Monterey
Naval Academy in California on September 20; JAMES who has received the
Lucinda Bidwell Beebe award fo r out standing sch olarship at Boston University
an d will study in Cambridge University
in England for a year; THOMAS, chief
data processor for the U.S. P olaris AntiMissile System; and WILLIAM, resident
Doctor in Radiology at Emanuel Lutheran
Hospital in P or tland, Oregon . Guests of the
William Banks this summer have been he r
parents, Judge and Mrs. Hendrik Dusoso
of Antwerp, Belgium.
DR. MILTON BANK of Ann A r b or West
S I.de Chur.c h and BERNICE WHEELER
were married F ebruary 14 by D : J3 nk'
son, Rev. J ames Bank, in Bos ton.-3; ;
s
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HONO RED AT SOUTH LYON
Dr. and Mrs. Milton Bank were honored
by the South lyon Church, June 5, when
more than 500 persons gathered on the
occasion of Dr. Bank's retirement after
more than 43 years in the active ministry.
He anno unced his retirement due to
health reasons. The couple plan to spend
their winters in Arizona and will reside at
their home at Lake Louise during the
summer months. The congregation presented them with a gift of money and the
refreshments featured a cake decorated
with a replica of the South lyon Church .
Photo, courtesy, South lyon Herald.
People
THEiR UVESAND EVENTS Tl-
DR. MILTON H. BANK will be in Mercy
Hospital, San Diego, California, for ten
days. Unexpected illness made it necessary
for him to enter the hospital while he was
visiting his son, Chaplain James M. Bank,
who is about to move with his family to
Melrose, Massachusetts.
"'1-//~/
J1
Pontiac Central Building Fundt~~;
Crusade Goes Over the Top
~~~G
The fina l report meeting on Tuesday
evening, May 24, in the Crusade for
Ch r ist an d His Chu t·ch at P ontiac Central became a Vi ctory Celebration when
team reports we r e compiled. The more
than 300 workers led by F redel'ick J .
Poole, general chairman, r ejoiced as
the report went over the top of the
maximum hoped for goal to nearly
$265,000, the largest amount of money
ever raised at one time by t he congregation.
This m oney is to be pa id ove r a period of · 156 weeks wh ich is par t of the
plan to have the chm·ch debt-free in six
years. Every fam ily was visited and invited to prayerfully cons ider and accept
its worthy share in the crusade.
When it became known that the total
had gone beyond the target goal, a spontaneous service of praise began with the
singing of the doxology. Hymns, testimonials an d prayers followed as the
wor kers expressed the ir joy in victory.
The service closed with a fellowsh ip
ci rcle, prayer and benediction by the
pastor, .Rev. Milton Bank.
At the refreshment table, Dr. Poole
presen ted each worker with a rose a
token of appreciation. Appreciation ; !so
was expressed to Dr. Thomas L . W illi ams of the Board of Missions who was
the director of the crusade.
DR. MILT~N H. BANK, a retired UM
min1ster of t e betro1t Conference, has
retired as an associate minister of First
~
Congregational Church in Saginaw. His
~/ wife, Dr. Dorothy H. Bank, is closing her
I' I practice of 57 years as an optometrist in
the city of Saginaw. She was a pioneer in
c; the field of developmental vision for chill dren . They are moving to an apartment in
0 Independence Village in Frankenmuth.
q
F E RN R. BAN K (Mrs. Milton H.
Bank) was born in Cleveland, Ohio, October 26, 1908, the daughter of Thom as T. an d Minnie E. Richey. She was a
gr aduate of West High School in Cleveland and attended Cleveland Tea chers'
College. She gradua ted cum laude with
an A.B. degree from Baldwin-Walla ce
College, Be r ea, Ohio, in June 1932. Fol lowin g graduat ion from college, s he
served as a Direttor of Chris tian Education in a Lat·ger Parish Plan in Cana seraga, New York. On September 3,
1933, s he marri ed Mil ton I:I. Bank. They
began their ministry in Holbrook, Massachus etts. Since returnin g to Michigan,
th ey have served churches in Onaway;
Detroit Nardin Pa rk, a ssociate minis ter; Hancock; Trenton; Pontiac, where
they built the new Central United Meth odist Church; and Ann A1•bor West Side
United Methodis t Church. She died in
Women's Hospita l in Ann Arbor Augu st
23. Surviving are he r hu sband ; four
sons: Milton H. Bank II, a Lieutenant
Commander in the United States Navy,
res iding in Atlanta, Georgia; Th<m1as R.
Bank, a ·civilian P rogram. Analyst .for
the United St ates Navy 111 Mecha•mcsburg, Pennsylvan ia ; Lieutenant Willi am
0. Bank, U.S.N., a Navy fl ight su rgeon
in Pensacola Florida ; and Rev. James
M. Bank wh~ ·has a teaching fellowship
to complete •his Master's Degree at Boston University School of Theology. She
is also surviv!:!d by a da!Ughter, Sus·a nne
E. Bank at •h ome; a sister, Mrs. E t hel
Funk of Sarasota, Florida; >Uh1·ee grandsons; and one granddaughter. 'Dhe funeral service was held in the Wes t Side
Church, Ann Arbor, Aug us t 27. Ass isting with the sen·ice was Rev. Wallace
D. Robinson, associate n1ini ster, and distri ct s uperintendents, Rev. Joseph T. E dwards of the Ann At·bor District, and
Rev. John W . Mulder of the Sag inaw
Bay District. The sermon entitled " Go
Down Death" was delivered by her son,
Rev. James M. Ba.nk. Bul'ial wa s in
Cleveland. Rev. Alfred C. Kreke of
Bedford, Ohio, a fl'iend of the family,
assisted her son in the graveside se rvice.
Cj / S / ~ ff
S E R M 0 N
8 R 0 KE N
T H I NGS
Scripture Texts
Mat thew 21 :42
I I Cor i nthians 5: 17
Psa I m 51 : 17
Preached at
Wes t Side United Me thod ist Church
Ann Arbor, Michi gan
Octobe r 22 , 1972
By
Dr . Milton
H.
Bank
B R 0 K E N
T H I N GS
This sermon on 11 Broken Things 11 is based on three texts:
Jesus said to them, Have you never read in the
scriptures:
'~he very stone which the builders rejected
has become the head of the corner; this was
the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our
eyes? 11 (Matthew 21:42)
'~herefore,
if any one is in Christ, he is a
new creation; the old has passed away, behold
the new has c orne • " ( II Cor i n t h i an s 5 : 17 )
'~he
sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken
spirit; a broken and contrite heart, 0 God,
thou wilt not despise." (Psalm 51:17)
God Loves Broken Things
God loves broken things. You and I prefer the things
that are new and unbroken. \l}hen things break, we throw
them away, or if you are like me and can't bear to throw
anything away, you store them in the basement or garage.
1 can barely get my car in the garage because of the
broken things that I have stored there. But God loves
broken things.
1 am sure that God also loves new things, for He is the
creator. He loves the new spring grass, for He spreads
it like a carpet over much of the earth. He loves the
rosebud which lasts but a short while, but where else
can you find such extravagant, unsurpassed beauty? He
loves a new born baby, for what is so precious and holy
as the smile of a little baby? In our love or that .
which is new, we are like God.
But we are not like God in His love for that which is
broken; that which has been shattered to bits. We despi s e and neglect that which has been broken, but God
does not. !,'hat a message of hope that is for everyone
of us!
God loves broken human lives, broken hearts. Almost
everyone has a broken heart. We do not wear our oroken
hearts on our coat sleeves for all to see. We hide
them away, but they are there none the less. A Methodist Bishop addressing a class graduating from one of
our leading seminaries said, "If I had my ministry to
live over again, I would preach more to broken hearts."
Countless numbers of people began life with high ambitions of what they would become, but for tragic reasons
that befel I them they have been condemned to live life
at its second best. Sooner or later all of us must
struggle to go on with life after suffering the reeling blow of losing one who was dearer than life itself
to us. The world abounds with broken hearts~
We are all Christians who have entered into covenant
with God, promising to be His people and do His will,
but when we s ur vey our lives we are downhearted, for
they are filled with broken promises to God. But God
does not despise us. He still loves us. Let us see
why.
God Can Mend Broken Hearts
God still loves us, because He can mend broken hearts.
The miracle of creation is not only that we were
created, but also that we are continually being created. God can take the sorry pieces of broken lives and
broken hearts and make them whole again.
In my first parish in New England, a couple had designed and built a beautiful home. Among the furnishings of that home, I fell in love with their beautiful
kitchen chairs, and I was told about them. When the
husband's mother sold the homestead, she found some
old kitchen chairs that were marred with pieces bro ken
and others missing. She threw them out on a pile of
rubbish, but when the son saw them he asked for them.
He took them home and put the broken pieces together
again. He turned out new rungs on his lathe to replace
those that were missing. He mended the broken parts
so skillfully that you could not find where the breaks
had been. Then he sanded the chairs with loving care.
When he had finished, his wife, an artist, took over.
She lacquered the chairs and stippled on them apples
and pears in red and gold. Now they were among the
broken pieces of my life to You, God. I have made
such a sorry mess of my life that I doD't know what
to do with it. Take these shattered pieces of my
1 i fe and do whatever you wi 11 with them. 11 \·/hen we
come to God offering up our lives to Him in this manner, a miracle takes place. God can make our lives
whole again. He can use us in a way -that he could not
have used us before.
beauties of that home, exquisitely lovely, but also
very practical and useful.
God can do that very same thing with your life. He can
take you off the junk heap of life and make you a new
and beautiful being. 11 lf anyone is in Christ, he is a
new creation, the old has passed away, behold the new
has come.'' God is the great restorer. His word to
you is "Behold I make all things new."
A man once watched a potter shape a beautiful, lovely,
graceful vase on his wheel. Suddenly he took the '
clay and lumped it together in his hands and threw it
away. When the observer cried out, 'Yhy did you do
that?," the potter explained, "The clay was full of
lumps, and I could not work with it."
In Maine there is a man who has become nationally famous
for restoring things that have been broken: antiques,
china and porcelain. This man has taken rare pieces of
Wedgewood and bone china and has repaired, repainted
and glazed them so well that you cannot find where the
break was or where he added new material. Such a person
is like God. He can see the beauty in the broken. He
sees the possibilities in that which has been rejected.
God has given us a Savior. He was rejected and despised
by men. "But the very stone which the builders rejected
has become the head of the corner. 11 And 11 if anyone is
in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away,
behold the new has come." God through Christ m~ds
broken lives and broken hearts. He makes them whole
again.
God Can Use Broken Things
God still loves us in spite of our broken lives and
broken promises to Him, because God can use broken things.
Sometimes we hear of self-made men. It may be that we
he~ a wife coasting that her husband is a self-made
man, or in some instances it may be the boasting of the
man himself. I have never heard such a boast, but what
1 have thought is that God could have done a much better
job on him.
The 11do it yourself" fad doesn't work with human life.
We s o often make a sorry mess of our lives; or they are
crushed by Joss; or shattered by adversity. When we
realize that failure has come because we have been trying to make ourselves, then there is hope for us. We
can take these broken pieces of our hearts and lives
and offer them up to God. We can say, ·~ere, I give these
l
~
J
You and I are like that clay. Ve are filled with
lumps of pride, self-conceit and arrogance, so that
God cannot use us. We have to be crushed and kneaded
like dough to have the lumps removed; or perhaps we
have to be deeply hurt before God can truly use us.
Look at ' those who have done most to advance the cause
of Jesus Christ. Peter was self-confident and impetuous, but Jesus said to the disciples, "One of you
will betray me." Peter replied, "Not I, Lord. Although all the rest forsake you, you can count on me. 11
Jesus said, "Oh Peter, Peter before the cock crows,
you will have denied me three times."
Do you mean Peter, the big fisherman betrayed Jesus?
No, not Peter! And to a giggling servant girl, and
to the soldiers of the high priest? You've got to be
kidding! But when Peter had denied Jesus a third
time, Peter looked into the sorrowing eyes of his
Master and his heart broke. God took Peter's broken
heart and made of it a rock on which He has built His
Kingdom and His Church.
Paul was devoted to Jewish law; trained to be a Pharisee. He was dedicated to stamping out Christianity.
As Stephen died under a rain of stones, he heard him
pray, "Lord do not hold this sin against them.•• Paul
must have thought, '~hat sin? Have I not been doing
the very wi 11 of God? 11 In answer he hurried off to
Damascus to mop up further pockets of Christian resistance. It was on the way to Damascus that he encountered the risen Christ who changed his spirit, broke it,
and for a time blinded him. God took broken Saul and
made Paul out of him. Through him the gospel was
advanced throughout the Western world and proclaimed to
the Gentiles. God could use him now that he was broken
as he never could use him before.
Or remember Augustine who was such a great s inner. He
disregarded the prayers of his Chri s tian mother. He
had a re ady answer for everything except the persistent
love of God. His soul was not satisfied with his evil
way of 1 ife. One day when he was in the garden of his
friend, he heard children outside the wall singing as
part of the game that they were playing, 11Take up and
read .•• He took up an open book that 1ay on a garden
bench nearby and read from Paul's letter to the Romans,
·~ot in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and
licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But
put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision
for the flesh, to gratify its desires. In following
these instructions the man whose life God could not
use became the greatest interpreter of the Christian
mes sage of the early Church and one of the greatest of
all time.
So it was with Francis of Assisi, pampered son of a
we alth y merchant, and so it was with John Wesley who
for many years was too proud a man to be useful to God
and so it has been with countless men and women to this
ve r y day. God can use broken lives and broken hea rts.
God Can Love Broken Hearts
Above all else, God still loves us because He can love ~
br oken hearts. The psalmist saw the vain ways in which
men and women were worshipping God. He asked himself
how he might come properly before the Lord. 11 For thou
hast no delight in sacrifice; were I to give thee a
burnt offering, thou wouldst not be pleased. Then he
remembered, The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken
spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, 0 God, thou wilt
not despise. 11
What is a broken, contrite heart? We may be at our
wits end, crying for help; we may be afraid, but not
be contrite. We may beg for for9iveness, but not be
contrite. To be forgiven, we must forgive others.
To be forgiven, we must make amends. To be forgiven,
we earnestly seek to be changed. To be contrite is to
be deeply, sincerely sorry for doing wrong, for being
wrong before God. It is to be broken in spirit, but
ready to be used by God.
Is your heart like flint? Let it be broken. Then
give your broken heart to God, and He will mend it and
use it in His service.
we were in England ~ttending the Ecumenical
Methodist Conference, I heard Dr. Leslie Weatherhead
tell of a boy in Leeds who was left without a father.
One day before going to work, the mother warned the boy
not to go near a grating which workmen were erecting
nearby. He disobeyed, as small boys will, and fell
from the grating. He was seriously injured and taken
to a hospital where he overheard an indiscreet nurse
telling his mother he would never walk again.
~hen
It/hen his mother entered his room, he asked, 11 Mother
do you love me? 11 She answered, 11 0f course I love you. 11
His reply was, 11Then everything is all right. I heard
the nurse tell you that I may never walk again, but if
you forgive me and still love me, I can stand all the
rest. 11
,
So it is between the brokenhearted and God. He loves
you more than ever before, and you can stand a) I the
rest. Offer your broken life to God and He will make
your life whole again and use you as He never could
before.
Bank, Milton H.