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Vol. 47, No.
50 SOUTHSIDE ORACLE February 25,
2005
The Ministry of
Caring
She
was a Samaritan woman drawing water from Jacob’s well at Sychar. Though it
was not considered proper for a Jewish man to talk to a strange woman,
especially a Samaritan, Jesus struck up a conversation. Soon they were
discussing her spiritual condition. You see, Jesus cared!
It
was late in the day and the country was sparsely settled. Five thousand who
had followed Jesus into the wilderness and had eagerly listened to his words
were hungry. His disciples wanted to send them home. Instead, Jesus fed
them. He cared!
A
sinful woman entered the house of Simon the Pharisee where Jesus was a
dinner guest. With her tears she wet Jesus feet, kissed them, and then
poured oil over them. “How disgusting!” Simon thought. But Jesus knew her
depraved spiritual condition and how she longed for a better life. He
lovingly accepted her acts of dedication. He cared!
Bartimaeus, the blind beggar of Jericho, cried out as Jesus passed by,
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The crowd rebuked him because the
Master was too important to hear a blind beggar. He persisted. Jesus
listened and gave him his sight. He cared!
Jesus stood at the grave of Lazarus, his fiend. The sisters, Mary and
Martha, were weeping. Jesus knew he would soon restore Lazarus to life. He
also knew how Mary and Martha were hurting. Because they hurt, he also
hurt. “Jesus wept.” He cared!
Why
did Jesus make such an impact on the common people? Of course, he was the
Son of God. He was also a great teacher. He healed the sick and gave sight
to the blind. But beyond all these things, Jesus understood how they felt.
He identified with them. By his attitudes and actions he showed that he
cared and for this they loved him.
Jesus taught us how to live. Just as important, he has also showed us the
way. “I have given you an example,” he told his disciples, “that you should
do as I have done to you” (John 13:15). No one can be a true follower of
Jesus without seeking to capture the personal concern which characterized
his ministry. Nor can we fully restore New Testament Christianity unless
the church displays the ministry of caring.
__Monroe Hawley, Searching for a
Better Way, pp. 141, 142
The Bulletin Board
Joint Worship and Congregational Meeting – As announced Sunday we will
have a congregational meeting on Sunday, March 6th. We
will have a single service that day at 11:00 a.m., the usual time for the
second service. There will be no service at 8:30. The schedule will follow
the format we used in October which is:
(1) There
will be one Sunday morning worship at 11:00 a.m.
(2) Bible
classes will begin at 9:30 a.m. followed by a fellowship period before
worship.
(3) We
will have a children’s worship in the basement during the worship hour.
(4) After
worship we will have a sandwich lunch at about 12:30 p.m.
(5) The
congregational meeting will follow the meal at about 1:30 p.m.
(6) There
will be no Sunday evening worship at 6:00 as usual.
The
annual Wisconsin Christian Youth Camp Benefit Dinner and Auction
last Saturday was again a great success. $3800 was raised to benefit
the camp.
Congratulations to Daryl Miller on his being honored at the youth
ministers’ conference held recently in Colorado for his fifteen years
of service as a youth minister. A special plaque from the conference was
presented to him at our second service last Sunday. Daryl has now been with
us as youth minister for five years.
The Sick – Elfriede Wandsnider’s surgery has been postponed and will be
re-scheduled as soon as possible….Remember Gertrude Bahn in your prayers as
she struggles with her physical problems.
ATTENDANCE RECORD
Two
years ago Last year Last week Goal
Bible
classes 143 158
122 170
Morning worship
237 235 *209 250
Evening worship
57 65 43 80
Contribution $4028.30
$4438.32 $4899.38 $4900.00
(*) first service,
133; second service, 76
Men! Be sure to sign up on the bulletin board
for Southside’s men’s breakfast that will be on March 12th. This
is an area-wide breakfast that usually draws over 100 from sister
congregations.
Mark your calendar for the Southside Youth
Rally, March 18-20. We will be needing help with food, lodging, and adult
participation plus that of our young people. Daryl Miller is in charge of
the program
Calendar of Events
February
25 – Men’s night out, Romine’s, 6125 S. 27th, 6:00 p.m.
March 6 –
Congregational meeting after second worship
March 12 –
Area-wide Men’s Breakfast, Southside
March 13 –
Elders/deacons meeting, 4:30 p.m.
March 13 –
Praise and Palate, 6:00 p.m.
March 15 –
Christian Workers’ Meeting, 9:00 a.m.
March
18-20 - Southside Youth Rally
April 15,
16 – Southside men’s retreat, Camp Matawa
April 23,
24 – W.C.Y.C. youth rally with Soul Concern
April 29
–30 – John Clayton seminar
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