Southside Oracle Archive

Vol. 50, No 41                   SOUTHSIDE ORACLE                    December 28, 2007

The Bulletin Board

Our Bible School Program - "We want to express our appreciation to these individuals who are undertaking the ministry of educating our young people in Sunday School. A sincere thank you to those who have taught or have been a substitute teacher. Anyone interested in becoming more involved in teaching, please see me." Mark Orlovsky. Current teachers are: cradle role, Linda and Adrienne Stanger; 2 & 3 year olds, Michelle Walker & Leslie Benson; 4 & 5 year olds, Jennifer Koepke; 1st and 2^nd grades, Danny Giombi & Mike Shuster; 3rd & 4^th grades, Jan Alexander; 5^th & 6t^h grades, Julia Hawley. Teachers for the trimester beginning January 6th are: cradle role, Melanie Werner; 2 & 3 year olds, Sarah Borges; 4 & 5 year olds, Nina Miller; 1" & 2"^d grades, Danny Giombi & Mike Shuster; 3 ^rd & 4th grades, Bob and Connie Slye; 5^th & 6th grades, Julia Hawley.

New Adult Bible Classes for the next four months also begin January 6th. They are: "In the Image of Christ", a ladies class taught by Glynda Giemza; "Isaiah," Jeff Hill, teacher; and "Romans," Wayne Alexander, teacher.

York College Concert Choir will sing at Southside at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 5^th We will provide housing and meals for the choir members. If you can help, see the sign-up sheet or talk with Linda Stanger or Daryl Miller.

Southside Blood Drive - Sarah Borges is in charge of a blood drive at Southside on January 19^th. It will be from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. If you can contribute blood, come to the church during those hours. To make an appointment or for further information, contact Sarah at

(414) 243-1122.

                                      (*) first service, 136, second service, 75

Men's Night Activity. "All men and boys are invited to a Sheepshead and game night on Saturday, January 12^th.  We will meet in Southside's fellowship hall at 5:00 p.m. to eat, with games beginning at 6:00 p.m. Please sign up an the men's bulletin board." Brad Stanger.

Calendar of Events

January 5 - York College Concert Choir, 7:00 p.m.

January 14 - Praise and Palate, 6:00 p.m.

January 15 - Christian Workers' Meeting, 9:00 a. m.

January 19 - Southside Blood Drive, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

January 25-27 - Spirit Fest, Duluth, MN, for youth

February 16 - Camp auction and dinner for Wisconsin Christian Youth Camp

February 24 - Southside area-wide men's breakfast, 9:00 a.m.

March 2 – 50th anniversary of the Southside Church

March 28 - 30 - Southside youth rally

July 11, 12 – 50th anniversary celebration and reunion of Southside Church

In Defense of Thomas

Christians claim that Jesus literally died and came back to life again. That causes many people to shake their heads in unbelief. The resurrection idea just doesn't square with human experience. From what we can see bodies lie permanently buried beneath the grass of the perpetual care cemeteries.  Not one casket lid has popped open for us to see, yet the New Testament writers ask us to commit our entire lives to one who is said to have risen from the dead.

Do we have any convincing proof of the resurrection claim? My candidate for the outstanding apologist of the New Testament is Thomas. He's even been nicknamed "Doubting Thomas." Maybe that's why I like him. I have never been too fond of nicknames.  I have some childhood memory of nicknames that were derogatory at best and next to obscene at worst.      Maybe that's why I get defensive when people start putting down "doubting Thomas."

Thomas is the prototype of the objective thinker. He wasn't about to buy into a program that was rooted in wishful thinking. He thought the other apostles were being stampeded into accepting a pipe dream. In effect he said, "Hold it right there. I'm not buying the illusory propaganda you guys are putting out." Thomas wanted to see some hard evidence to back up the claim. "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my fingers where the nails were, I will not believe it" (John 20:25).

Thomas doubted, but then Thomas saw. He stared at the discolored skin around the healed up wounds. He had the opportunity to run his fingers over the ridges formed by the scars. Thomas knew it wasn't an apparition. He obtained his empirical proof.  Because Thomas chose to be hard nosed, he received the kind of evidence that can be verified by human sensing mechanisms. Pragmatic, skeptical modern man now has a valid reason to believe.  Somebody believed who was just as hard to convince as he is. Wishful thinking didn't energize the early church. The resurrection was accepted by people who first doubted, then saw, and then believed. Thanks for doubting Thomas. You made it easier for us to believe.

                                                                                               Norman Bales

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