OUTLOOK
J. F. JOHNSON ? Editor & Publisher
MISS EMMA P. JOHNSON News Reporter
A. WISE Staff Photographer
MISS DIANE CLARK Secretary, Bookkeeper
Mate all checks payable to and mail to:
THE FUTURE OUTLOOK
P. O. BOX 20331? GREENSBORO, N. C. 27420
PHONE BR 3-1758
Second Class Postage Paid at Greensboro, N. C.
10c Per Copy Published Weekly $?.00 Per Year
It's Not Too Early
To Register To Vote
It is not too early to find out if you are properly regis
tered to vote for the City Councilmen. One may be a new
comer or the polling station may have been moved to a
new place, thus making one unaware of the precinct where
he should vote. The Primary Election will be held on April
18, 1967 if there are more than fourteen candidates run
ning for office. The General Election will be held on May
7, 1967.
Quite a bit of dissatisfaction is being discussed about
officials of the government, especially the $10.00 city
license tag, the uptown re-development, the refusal of a
grant of $75,000 for the L. Richardson Hospital, requested
by the hospital officials to the City Council. It is now time
for good citizens to do something about electing the Seven
men to the City Council. They will have the last say to
ward improvement of the city at large.
It is not our policy to tell our readers who to vote
for, but we do stress that all of our readers exercise their
franchise at the polls, especially for our city officials. It is
also stressed that our readers investigate the candidates
so that they will be aware of his platform and the type of
qualities he possesses. I think every candidate has at least
one plank that he would like to inject into our city govern
ment. Be aware of the candidate who has a long drawn
out platform ? one especially for the Negro, and conceals
that which he has in mind for the white. I am more im
pressed with a candidate who seeks office with one good
plank which will benefit all the citizens at large and with
a good sober mind to adhere to any other problem that
comes into existence while serving as a council which will
benefit the majority of the citizens.
We are informing you early. Some of the candidates
have served before. You know what happened. Be aware
in this election. We urge our readers to talk with the can
didate before casting your vote so that you may know
something about his platform, or at least his qualifications.
Remember this : When the seven candidates have been
elected to control our city government they are seated for
two years. Now is the time to find out who you are putting
in office to control your city government before you vote.
Remember the many things which exist that you liked
and disliked with the last city officials. Now is the time to
put into office the person that will readjust all the ill will
that we criticize.
We often state the danger of paid team workers
around the polls for a certain candidate. That is good for
the person who does not know how to vote, but it is bad
to be persuaded to vote for the wrong candidate. That is
why we urge our readers to know your candidate. Call him
up, ask questions. Talk with your neighbors, especially
those who know the purpose of the election.
I heard a lady say, "Yes, I voted against that certain
candidate. I put V beside his name." She wasn't aware
she was voting for the unwanted candidate. I further heard
that many of the ballots have to be destroyed during the
tabulation due to the fact the registrant didn't know how
to vote. I believe in the mass meeting where a large body
of people come together to hear the candidate make his
speech. Someone should have a diagram to show the people
how to vote, especially in our schools and classes where
students are studying civics, political science, and some
classes in history. Diagrams should be drawn on the writ
ing boards so that the children can go home and tell their
parents how to vote.
Children are one of the best advertising medium that
can exist. I remember that all of the schools did just that
for every class in the public school system When it came
that they must vote for a bond referendum to supplement
the teachers' salaries and improve the schools' facilities.
All of the school officials followed through with this plan
on voting day. I still don't believe it will hurt each teacher
in the public school to take about three or five minutes to
tell the students how important it would be for them to
tell their parents when and how to vote for city officials,
rather than a group standing around the polls, being paid
to advise registrants who to vote for. It has been said that
a voteless person is a hopeless person.
This Weed's Sunday School Lesson
HOW SHALL WE PRAY?
PURPOSE OF OUR STUDY
To help adults pray in the
spirit of Christ.
SCRIPTURE
Read the lesson from your Bible: j
Luke 18:1 through 19:27.
We print selected verses below.
Lake 18:1-14
1 And he told them a parable,
to the effect that they ought al
way to pray and not lose heart. 2
He said, "In a certain city there
was a judge who neither feared
God nor regarded man; S and
there was a widow in that city
who kept coming to him and
saying, 'Vindicate me against my
adversary.' 4 For a while he re
fused; but afterward he said to
himself, 'Though I neither fear
God nor regard man, 5 yet be
cause this widow bothers me, I
will vindicate her, or she will
wear me out by her continual
coming.' " 0 And the Lord said,
"Hear what the unrighteous
judges says. 7 And will not God
vindicate his elect, who cry to
him day and night? Will he de
lay long over them? 8 I tell you,
he will vindicate them speedily.
Nevertheless, when the Son of
man comes, will he find faith on
earth?"
9 He also told this parable to
some who trusted in themselves
that they were righteous and
despised others: 10 "Two men
went up into the temple to pray,
one a Pharisee and the other a
tax collector. 11 The Pharisee
stood and prayed thus with him
self, "God, I thank thee that I
am not like other men, extortion
ers, unjust, adulterers, or even
like this tax collector. 12 I fast
twice a week, I give tithes of all
that I get.' 13 But the tax col
lector, standing far off, would not
even lift up his eyes to heaven,
but beat his breast, saying, 'God,
be merciful to me a sinner!' 14 I
tell you, this man went down to
his house justified rather than
the other; for every one who
exalts himself will be humbled,
but he who humbles himself will
be exalted."
Memory ..Selection: Ask, and it
will be given you; seek, and you
will find; knock, and it will be
opened to you. ? Matthew 7:7
Interpreting The Lesson
In the parable of the unjust
judge and the persistent widow
(Luke 18: 1-8) Jesus was teach
ing that one must not become
weary in prayer. The faith and
persistence of the widow finally
caused the judge to vindicate her
against her adversaries.
In this parable the argument
moves from the lesser to the
greater. What the unjust judge
does Is far less than what God
will do. If a heartless judge will
finally respond to and answer a
widow's request, how much more
will God in his infinite mercy
answer our prayers!
The parable of the Pharisee
and the tax collector (or publi
can) contrasts true and false
praying. Here we are taught both
how and how not to pray. We
are not to center our prayers in
ourselves as the Pharisee did.
Nor are our prayers to be ex
hibitions of pride in what we
have done. The Pharisee took
care to exhibit his tithing and
fasting as signs of his piety. On
the other hand, the tax collector
approached God with confession,
penitence, and humility. He
pleaded only for mercy.
The Pharisee saw himself as
big before God when he was 6
little. The tax collector saw him- j
sell as exceedingly little before
God. Jesus said, "Whoever does
not receive the kingdom of God I
like a child shall not enter it" j
(Luke 18:17)). '"To become
again like a child,' " states Jo
achim Jeremias, "means 'to be
come little again,' that is, before
God." This was the position of
the tax collector.
Persistence In Prayer
Faithfulness and steadfastness
are called for throughout a Chris
tian's life but especially in prayer.
The parable of the persistent
widow drives home the truth
that we "ought always to pray
and not lose heart" (Luke 18:1).
One characteristic of Jesus'
life was his faithfulnes in prayer.
He would rise early to go out to
a quiet place for prayer. The
night was not too long for him
to pray. Prayer permeated all he
. said and did.
Prayer for the Christian is not
like an outboard motor that we
can attach to our lives when we
want a special power or gift and
detach when the need is past.
True prayer is not about what
we want but about what God de
sires. Prayer has been called "the
Christian's vital breath." Without
it he expires.
Someone may ask, "Why should
I pray?" The answer is that some
things will never happen except
through prayer. Through prayer
our lives are opened to God in
such a way that he can do for
us what he could not otherwise
do.
[ The reason for our lack Is not
that God is unwilling to give,
| but that we are unwilling to re
ceive. However much they desire
it, parents cannot give their chil
dren an education if the children
will not respond by seeking an
education. The spiritual life re
quires seeking if there is to be
finding. "Ask, and it will be
given you; seek, and you will
find; knock and it will be opened
to you" (Matthew 7:7) is the
command of our Lord. God does
not wish "that any should perish,
but that all should reach re
pentance" (2 Peter 3:9). This
means that the burden of prayer
rests upon us.
Many reasons can be given
why we must persist in prayer
and not lose heart. Sometimes
God's answer may be postponed
in Oder that we may re-examine
our prayers and cleanse our
motive. Because we are sinners,
though saved by grace, we
always need the Holy Spirit to
purify and empower us.
Prayer finds a deeper level
through the valley of waiting.
Through the night of persistent
prayer we come to the dawn of
a deepening consciousness of God.
Perhaps, also, God is anwering
another person's prayer for us
through our own pleading and
waiting.
If we have been seeking and
knocking and if we have been
suffering and pleading for an
other, God's answers to our
prayers are more meaningful.
Persistence in prayer is essen
tial for a Christian in a twofold
sense. He must pray frequently
because of the needs of his own
life. Often he feels he has no
other help than that which comes
from God.
In the second place, as Die
trich Bonhoeffer observes,
"However loving and sympa
thetic we try to be," there are
ilways dimensions of the other
person we do not reach. "There
are no direct relationships, not
even between soul and souL
Christ stands between us; and
we can only 'get into touch with
our neighbors through him.
That is why intercession is the
most promising way to reach
our neighbor." I am sure we
would be overwhelmed if we
knew all the people who have
prayed for us. Persistent inter
cessory prayer is essential for
those who follow Christ.
Sometimes making us wait may
be God's anwer to our prayer.
He knows what is best for us
now and in the future, and we
should never be discouraged in
prayer whether answers come
slowly or quickly. What seems
delay to us may not be delay to
God.
We should not assume that
God's answers to our prayers
always bring bliss. When we pray
for the Holy Spirit to guide us,
he may lead us to a cross for his
sake. When we pray for a burden
to be lifted from our hearts he
may first place another's burden
upon us.
Pharisee and Tax Collector
In the parable of the Pharisee
and the tax collector we look into
the souls of two men. They ex
pose themselves in their prayers,
as we do, in ours. At the same
time we see their idea of the God
they worshiped.
The Pharisee looked upon God
somewhat as his equal and re
minded God of what he did that
proved he was a righteous man.
His tithing and fasting had really
exceeded the legal requirements.
The tax collector stood "far off,"
without lifting his eyes toward
heaven and pleaded for God's
mercy. He sensed the infinite
distance between him and God.
God is holy and righteous, but
he was a liar and a cheat.
The Pharisee was the center of
i his own world. He could not see
either around or through his
"I." He thought of himself as su
perior to everyone else. But the
tax collector turned away from
himself and found God as his
centes.
The Pharisee had the idea that
he could manipulate God with
his legal righteousness. In a
sense he tried to hide from God
behind his own righteousness.
There is never a safe hiding
place for a sinner.
The tax collector, like Isaiah,
saw the holiness, majesty, and
sovereignty of God.
Your idea of God determines
how you regard both yourself
and your neighbor. No man is suf
ficient to himelf as the Pharisee
thought. The man who closes the
door of his life to his fellow men
and to God turns the key of
death. On theother hand the man
who opens the door of his life to
God and to his neighbor finds
new life and joy.
The Pharisee's prayer was
nullified by his spirit of self
righteousness. Jesus might have
said to him "The tax collectors
and the harlots go into the king
do mof God before you" (Mat
thew 21:31).
The tax collector was not de
clared righteous because of his
goodness. In spite of his badness
and because of God's grace and
forgiveness he was justified. The
Pharisee had everything in his
favor except the one thing need
ful namely a penitent heart. The
(Continued on Page S)