|
Vol. 46, No. 41
SOUTHSIDE ORACLE December 26, 2003
The Bulletin Board
Baptized – Marcian Waszak was baptized December
18th after the ladies’ Bible class. (Please
contact us for her address and phone
number.) We welcome her into our
spiritual family.
New arrivals – Two babies were born Friday of
last week. They are Meghan Barbara Lynn, born to Don and Wanda Capitonoff
at St. Francis Hospital, and Ethan, born to Dan and Heather Lukas at St.
Joseph Hospital. We pray for God’s blessings on these new babies.
“New Beginnings” is the title of a new Sunday
morning adult Bible class to be taught by Bobby Valentine beginning January
3rd. It is a class on the basics of Christianity and is designed
for those who have been baptized in the last two or three years and for
newcomers to Southside. Those who do not fall into the above
classifications should attend another class instead. The class will be
limited in size to improve communication. The other classes taught at the
same time starting in January will be “Galatians”, Wayne Alexander,
teacher, and “The Pastoral Letters” (Timothy and Titus), co-taught by
Dana McMillion and Rodney Windell.
Fifth Wednesday Group Meeting – Every fifth
Wednesday our midweek Bible study groups all meet together. This year it
coincides with New Year’s Eve. A special program is planned for all who can
attend. It will include a prayer session in which prayer requests that have
been submitted will be honored. A box on the table in the side foyer is for
any requests you may have or for thanksgiving which some may wish to offer.
Rocky Slaughter is in charge of the program. Plan to attend even if you are
not currently a part of any of our study groups.
The Sick – Elfriede Wandsnider remains in St.
Luke’s Hospital, room 3252.
The Parent to Parent
video/discussion is planned beginning Saturday, January 31st.
This is for parents of children of all ages and we encourage friends and
neighbors to attend. For specifics see the printed flyer or talk with John
Giemza or Daryl Miller.
The York College Concert Choir will sing at
Southside at 7:00 p.m., Friday, January 9th. We will be housing
over fifty people overnight and are in need of homes to sleep them. You
will want to attend to hear this group. If you can help, see the sign-up
sheet on the bulletin board in the foyer.
ATTENDANCE
RECORD
Two years ago Last year
Last week Goal
Bible classes
110 138
130 170
Morning worship
221 220 *207 250
Evening worship 35 57 74 80
Contribution $8908.30 $5549.06
$4044.87 $4200.00
Bobby Valentine will preach Sunday morning for the
Brentwood Church. Monroe Hawley will bring the lesson at Southside.
Just a Word!
I was listening to a radio talk show yesterday as I was driving. The
topic of discussion was homosexual marriage. A current New York Times
poll indicates that nearly two-thirds of Americans oppose legal recognition
of homosexual relationships as marriage.
I
must confess that personally I deeply resent the unremitting effort of the
gay community to redefine marriage. I don’t appreciate anyone trying to
push something down my throat. However, my emotional reaction is not the
issue, which is, “What is marriage?” One lady caller said in essence, “I
don’t see what’s the big deal. Marriage is just a word.”
Just
a word? I realize that for some people marriage isn’t much more than “just
a word” because they treat the marriage vows with so little respect. But
these folks don’t speak for most of us. At Southside we have six marriages
that have lasted over fifty years. Don’t tell us that marriage is “just a
word.” Marriage is not just a group of letters put together. It is a
God-given relationship that has profound meaning. It should not be
denigrated by forcibly redefining it to mean something that many of us
believe to be wrong.
__Monroe E. Hawley
“I’d Finish My Ball
Game”
A group of men was playing ball when one
had a sobering thought. “What would you do,” he inquired, “if suddenly you
were made to know that this would be our last day on earth?”
There were several different answers to
the questions. Some would rush immediately to those they had wronged and
make things right; some would run to pay up obligations that were past due.
But one man thought seriously for a moment and said, “I think I would finish
my ball game.”
No, this man was not blaspheming; neither
was he being cute and witty. He was simply stating his philosophy of life,
and when you think of it, what a wonderful philosophy it is! How marvelous
to live one’s life in such a way that one is always ready for today
to be the last one on earth. How wonderful to live in such a way that our
obligations are always up to date, apologies have always been made as soon
as they are needed, and one’s conscience kept constantly clear through right
living.
If one’s spiritual house is always in
order, he would feel no fear nor regret if he were called from this earth
when he was playing ball. And when one is “looking for and earnestly
desiring the coming of the day of God” (2 Peter 3:12), his house is
constantly in order. What a blessed
peace! __Selected
|
