Re: Scottish preacher story (urban legend?)

The story is mentioned online at
http://www.ottawamennonite.ca/sermons/exemplary.pdf but does not give the
details and it looks like it comes from the same source as your preacher.

I found 2 other references to Alexander White as a famous Scottish preacher
but without the scientist anecdote:
http://fpch.org/hollywoodpulpit.org/sermon990502.html

and http://www.pbc.org/dp/goins/4454.html

I'd suspect a rather loose definition of "famous," myself.
__
Louise M. Freeman, PhD
Psychology Dept
Mary Baldwin College
Staunton, VA 24401
540-887-7326
FAX 540-887-7121

-----Original Message-----
From: steamdoc@aol.com
To: asa@calvin.edu
Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 14:52:47 -0500
Subject: Scottish preacher story (urban legend?)

My pastor recently used the following sermon illustration:
-----------
Alexander White was one of Scotland's greatest preachers in a previous
generation. One day he noticed that a famous scientist began attending
worship services at his church. White resolved that he would do everything
in his power to win the man to Christ, and for the next several weeks his
sermons were of the sort that he thought would appeal to the scientific
mind.
      One day the scientist came to the pastor and said that he wanted to
join the church, and Dr. White asked him what had convinced him that this
was something he should do. The pastor hoped that the famous scientist would
mention the compelling nature of his sermons, how brilliantly they were put
together, and the logic of his arguments for the faith, but he never
mentioned them. Instead, the scientist told how an elderly woman spoke to
him on the steps of the church one Sunday, and asked him, quite simply,
"Sir, ar e you a Christian?"
      He replied, "Well, I am thinking about it."
      And the woman said, "Oh, do come further in than that. Jesus Christ
means the world to me!"
      Then the noted scientist said to Alexander White, "As I looked at her
radiant face with those shining eyes, I knew that she had a secret which I
didn't have, and I wanted it with all my heart."
-----------------
 
When I asked who the "famous scientist" was, I was told that his source (a
publication called "Lection Aid") did not give the name. The lack of
specificity leads me to think that this might be an "Urban Legend". He has
had other urban legends in sermons in the past (a story about the founding
of Stanford University after an Ivy League President turned away a shabbily
dressed couple that turned out to be Mr. & Mrs. Stanford; the now-debunked
story of a Columbine fatality affirming her faith immediately before being
killed). To his credit, he is willing to correct himself when these things
happen.
 
Does anybody here know more about this story? It doesn't fit either of the
2 famous Scottish scientists (Kelvin and Maxwell) that I can think of, and
so far Google has not turned up any evidence that an Alexander White was
"one of Scotland's greatest preachers."
 
Of course it is a nice story to illustrate that evidentialist apologetics is
generally overrated in the church, and incarnational witness is generally
underrated. Which is of at least some relevance in science/faith
discussions.
 
Allan
Received on Mon Jan 23 17:03:33 2006