Southside Oracle Archive

Vol. 45, No. 44                             SOUTHSIDE ORACLE                     January 3, 2003

The Bulletin Board

      Baptized – Elizabeth Leigler was baptized by her father, Tom Brockdorf, at the end of the second worship last Sunday. She lives at 602 Michigan Ave, South Milwaukee 53172.  Her phone is (414) 766-0581.  May God bless her in her service to Him.

      Elders’ Forum – On the fifth Sunday night of each quarter, the elders respond to questions proposed to them.  Sunday night Al Gray dealt with issues relating to the Lord’s supper.  Attendance was excellent.  Because of the interest in the subject, we begin with this issue of the Oracle a series dealing with additional aspects of our observance of the communion meal.  We hope it will be helpful. 

      Our budget for 2003 is posted on the bulletin board.  Please note that it calls for a weekly contribution of $4200, an increase of $200 per week over 2002.

      The Sick – Elfriede Wandsnider will undergo back surgery at St. Lukes’ Hospital this Friday….Lisa Gustafson will go to Cleveland January20^th for probable throat surgery….David Atkinson, brother of Debbie Slaughter, underwent emergency surgery in St. Louis for a brain aneurysm Friday.  Considering the seriousness of the surgery, he is doing well….Esther Christensen and Hope Zettel continue to recuperate from their recent broken bones….Prayers are requested for Jean Jensen’s father, Richard McQuillen, and Linda Stanger’s uncle Fran who had recent heart surgery.  

      New Adult Bible Classes begin this Sunday.  We will have three classes to continue through April.  Rodney Windell will teach the book of Hebrews.  Bobby Valentine will teach the book of Job.  Coleen Windell and Debbie McMillion will co-teach a ladies’ class to begin January 12^th.

ATTENDANCE RECORD

                               Two years ago         Last year      Last week          Goal

   Bible classes                                            128                  133                   143            170   

   Morning worship                                       207                  229                  *232            250

Evening worship                                        56           no count                     75              80

Contribution                                   $2829.72         $3561.04         $2920.88       $4200.00

                                               (*) first service, 138; second service, 94

        The Thursday morning ladies’ Bible class will resume meeting on January 9^th at 10:00 a.m.

      We welcome back Matt and Jessica Ondrejka who have just moved from Searcy, AR.  We will give their address when they are located.

      In Retrospect – As we begin a new year it is appropriate that we look back to the past as we approach the new.  Ten were baptized in 2002 and several families placed membership with us.  We lost Dorothy Schooley and Christine Dabbs by death.  Overall all our numbers increased.  It was a year of transition.  After having preached for Southside for ten years, Glenn Hawley and his family moved to Memphis in July.  Following an extensive search for a replacement, the elders invited Bobby Valentine from Granada, MS to replace Glenn.  He accepted and moved here with his family in late September.  In November the elders and staff met to consider more effective ways of addressing the spiritual needs of the membership.  To this end some positive steps have been taken, but much more remains to be done.  It is the desire of the elders that every member will be vitally involved in the spiritual life of the church.  We begin 2003 as a united congregation.  Let us pray that with God’s help will make the new year one that will bring glory to His Name.

      It actually happened!  A preacher reported to a group of students who were studying the Bible an incident which he said was true, an incident that reflects the ignorance of some church members.  A Sunday school teacher said to the preacher,  “I can understand how God saved people out of the great flood with an ark, but tell me, how in the world could the Hebrews carry it through the wilderness for forty years?”  How do you classify?

                                                                                                                      __Selected

The Lords Supper (1)

The Supper Instituted

      They had been with their teacher for three and a half years.  It was spring and Jesus’ disciples were sharing the Passover meal.  Every faithful Jew observed this feast annually to recall how God had delivered His people from Egyptian bondage over a thousand years before.  In the midst of the meal Jesus did something unusual.  He broke some of the unleavened Passover bread and gave it to them and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”  After so doing He took the cup of the Passover meal and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Cor. 11:24,25.) 

      Doubtless the disciples did not fully comprehend what they were doing. Certainly they didn’t expect Jesus to die within the next twenty-four hours. It is likely that only later did they recall how Jesus had asked them to share with one another the simple meal as they had shared it with Him when they ate the Passover.

      Why did Jesus institute this observance?  Surely it was because He knew how prone human beings are to forget the important things.  And what could be more important than the sacrificial offering of the Christ?  This was Jesus’ way of giving us an opportunity to reflect on what He has done for His followers.  “Do this in remembrance of me.”  And so, two thousand years later, we remember Jesus when we meet around His table – lest we too forget!                              __Monroe Hawley