Southside Oracle Archive

Vol. 48, No. 41                  SOUTHSIDE ORACLE                     December 30, 2005

The Bulletin Board

New Bible Classes – New Sunday morning adult Bible classes begin this Sunday. They are: Revelation, Bobby Valentine, teacher; The Parables of Jesus, co-taught by different men and coordinated by Wayne Alexander; and a Ladies’ class, co-taught by different woman (begins January 8^th.) We will meet in the auditorium prior to classes so that everyone can be appraised of the class options.

Congratulations to Sarah Borges on her recent graduation from Cardinal Stritch University with an elementary education degree.

Our tweens (pre-teens) are sponsoring a Bible Bowl at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 8^th. Questions will be on the gospel of Luke. Teens and adults are challenged to put together teams of four each to compete. Since this is the night we have Praise and Palate, the Bible Bowl will replace the singing part of the program. Contact John Giemza for additional details.

Parent to Parent 2000 is a video/discussion program designed to help parents in the rearing of their children. We successfully offered this in the past and plan to repeat it in 2006. It is open to all parents regardless of religious faith and will meet weekly from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the church building in the basement. This is separate from the study group that regularly meets at that time at the church building. The program will begin January 11^th and run through March 1^st on Wednesday evenings, but we need to know if there are enough interested parents to justify the program. If you are interested at all, contact John Giemza.

ATTENDANCE RECORD

(*) first service, 94; second service, 103

Our extremely low attendance figures Sunday reflect the many families away because of Christmas falling on Sunday.

The Rochester College A Cappella Chorus will present a concert at the Northtown Church at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, January 5^th.

A service trip to the Dominican Republic is planned for July 12-19. This is open to those of all ages, but is especially designed for our youth. More details will be forthcoming soon. If you are interested, see Daryl Miller who is planning the trip.

Do-It-Yourself Religion (2)

The January,2006, issue of Christianity Today carries a review of a new book by George Barna entitled, “REVOLUTION: Finding Vibrant Faith Beyond the Walls of the Sanctuary.” Barna is a noted pollster and researcher. In his new book Barna talks about 20 million people whom he calls “Revolutionaries” that live “a first-century lifestyle, based on faith, goodness, love, generosity, kindness, and simplicity” who are pursuing “an intimate relationship with God.”

 According to Barna these “Revolutionaries” are largely doing their own spiritual thing withoug affiliation with any local church. Barna does not object if one chooses to identify with a congregation, but regards the local church as optional. He believes that many are successfully following  Christ in their own “do-it-yourself” religions. As he looks to the future Barna expects to see believers “choosing from a proliferation of options, weaving together a set of favored alternatives into a unique tapestry that constitutes the person ‘church of the individual’.”

 Our contemporary society is geared to the individual. Self-gratification is the purpose of life, self-sufficiency is the means of reaching that objective, so it only follows that if you are among Barna’s 20 million Americans you should develop your own ‘church of the individual’ to satisfy your own personal needs. In that way you don’t have to worry about other people unless you want.

 The concept of living a faith outside the local church denies the very essence of Christianity. From the inception of the church on Pentecost the Christian faith has been a one-another religion. The first congregation faced chronic poverty so its members sold their possessions and had all things  in common. The emphasis was on the body as a whole, not just the individual. Paul recognized this principle when he compared the local church to the human body with all its functioning parts. (Cor. 12:12-26). The New Testament abounds in such injunctions as “Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:10). “Let us consider how to stir on another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of near” (Heb. 10:24, 25). The truth is that we need one another’s encourageme3nt and strength if we are to successfully live the Christian life.

 I would like to make on another observation. I was asked the other day to explain the success of the so-called mega churches. Without in any way denigrating churches that number in the thousands, I am confident that some people attend them because they wish to preserve their spiritual anonymity. One can slip into the audience and be lost in the crowd without any personal involvement or association. This is spectator religion that calls for no allegiance, no responsibility. Of course, you don’t have to attend a big church to have that mentality.

 All congregations have their deficiencies and it is not hard to make legitimate criticisms. But let us remember that the functioning church requires functioning individuals. The welfare of the church begins with me.                                                                           __Monroe Hawley
 

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