Southside Oracle Archive

Vol. 50, No. 17                   SOUTHSIDE ORACLE                   June 29, 2007

The Bulletin Board

            Service Project - Every summer some of our youth and adults are involved in a service project. Last year a group went to the Dominican Republic. This year's project involves construction at the Wisconsin Christian Youth Camp. This Tuesday twelve left for Fallhall Glen. Six are youth and six are adults. They will return on the weekend.

            Wedding Bells - Congratulations to Kevin Williams and Sarah Geers who were married by Glenn Hawley Sunday afternoon at O'Donnell Park.

            Camp Notes - Junior camp at Fallhall Glen ends this Saturday and the middle session begins Sunday. Campers from Southside planning to attend are Mitchell Orlovsky, Rachel Orlovsky, Maggie Mahan, Rebecca Dickson, Pauly Shilts, and Haley Shilts. Mark Orlovsky will serve on the staff the first week and Corinna Orlovsky will go the second week.

            Sunday speaker - Monroe Hawley will preach at the morning services Sunday and also in the evening.

ATTENDANCE RECORD

(*) first service, 134; second service 83

            Midwest Encampment - For many years there has been a family encampment at Lake Geneva. It is moving this year to the Green Lake Conference Center at Green Lake, WI. The dates are August 6 - 10. The speakers will be Tony Ash, Bob Hendren, Jerry Taylor and Eddie Sharp. If you are interested in attending, see the information on the bulletin board.

Calendar of Events

June 17 - 30 - Junior Camp, Wisconsin Christian Youth Camp, Fallhall Glen

June 26 - July 1 - Youth/adult service trip, Fallhall Glen

July 1-14 - Middle Camp, Wisconsin Christian Youth Camp, Fallhall Glen

July 8 - Praise and Palate, 6:00 p.m.

July 15 - 28 - Intermediate Camp, Wisconsin Christian Youth Camp, Fallhall Glen

July 29 - August 11- Senior Camp, Wisconsin Christian Youth Camp, Fallhall Glen

August 6 -10 - Midwest Family Encampment, Green Lake

How Good is Your Word?

            A word much in the news is perjury.      It is a legal term defined as "the willful utterance of a false statement under oath or affirmation, before a competent tribunal." We could call it "legal lying." Those who might otherwise lie are hesitant to do so before a judge or jury because of the penalty attached.

            Lying is a way or life for some people. I've known folks who would lie even when the truth would serve them better. I've heard some declare, "I will swear this on a stack of Bibles," which usually means, "I don't always tell the truth, but placing my hand on the Bible will place me in jeopardy with God if I lie when I do so."

            What does the Bible say about lying? "Do not lie to one another" (Col. 3:9). "Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor" (Eph. 4:25). "...all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death" (Rev. 21:8). We should tell the truth, not just because we are afraid of what will happen if we do not, but because it is the right thing to do.

            Jesus teaches, "Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply `Yes' or `No'; anything more than this comes from evil" (Matt. 5:34-37).

            What is he talking about? I don't think profanity is under discussion, though it is surely wrong. Nor do I think that he is telling us that it is wrong to swear in a court of law, though some might deduce this from the statement. What he is saying is that one who always tells the truth should be so known for his honesty that he doesn't have to swear "by God" or "by the Bible" in order for others to know where he truly stands. That being the case, the dedicated Christian doesn't need to worry about perjuring himself because he says the same thing whether he is under oath or not.

            In bygone days business deals were often conducted by a handshake. It was said that a man's word was as good as his bond. That has all changed. In our litigious age in which people are ready to sue at the drop of a hat, we hesitate to make any agreement without writing it down and precisely spelling out all the terms. In our world this is necessary, but let us still be known to others as people who will not lie because we are following Jesus.

Monroe Hawley

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