The South Gibson Star-Times serves the towns of Haubstadt, Owensville and Fort Branch.
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1467279
Something Newsworthy? Give us a call at 812-753-3553 B-8 Tuesday, May 10, 2022 South Gibson Star-Times "Les Feldick taught that Isaiah 53:2 doesn't mean the Lord Jesus was ugly, but that there was nothing in Him that would attract the Jews to Him as their King and Messiah. What do you say? " I never thought about it that way, but Les is right! Isaiah wrote: "…when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him." In the context, we find a descrip- tion of the Lord just a few verses ear- lier that has to be taken into consid- eration to determine what the proph- et meant: "…His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men" (Isaiah 52:14). This is a picture of the Lord after the scourging they gave Him just be- fore nailing Him to the cross. This somber image of what He endured to pay for our sins is what believ- ers have in mind when the world ob- serves "Good Friday". But that means Isaiah was saying there was nothing in Him that the "people" of Israel (53:8) would de- sire in a king. They rejected Him be- cause they were looking for more of a "champion on a white horse who will save us from our enemies" kind of Messiah. The Lord may or may not have been a handsome man, but Isa- iah wasn't talking about the features that make up physical attraction. God's mercy greater than mental illness in March, Stanford University soc- cer goalie Katie Meyer took her own life. In April, University of Wiscon- sin track star Sarah Shulze took her life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns there is a men- tal health crisis among young people. A recent survey revealed than 4 in 10 teens reported they feel "persistent- ly sad or hopeless." Shockingly, 1 in 5 say they have contemplated suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people. Why are young people taking their lives in re- cord numbers? A letter written by Clayton Steele, a 17-year-old high school student, highlights this crisis. He wrote it to the editor of the Colorado Springs Post Independent. "I am a 17-year- old student in Glenwood Springs, and I am hoping to shine some light on mental health in Glenwood and the surrounding valley. Almost every single student I know is suicidal and mentally ill, and most friends I have, including me, have had at least one suicide attempt. My close friend had an attempt last night that sent him to the hospital. There are no outlets in Glenwood for mentally ill teens and the mentally ill in general. There has been a very big increase in mental health driven crimes recently, too, which I feel needs to be addressed. Clayton Steele." I suspect what he is writing could apply to Anytown USA. May is Mental Health awareness month. Mental illness and suicide are still taboo subjects for many peo- ple. Even fewer people want to talk about suicide. Being diagnosed or la- beled mentally ill is a stigma most people want to avoid. Being labeled mentally ill makes many people feel inadequate. Ask any mental health therapist and they will tell you some people will drive a hundred miles to visit a therapist just to hide the fact they are seeing a mental health professional. What I found so appalling in my ex- periences with suicide is the lack of grace and compassion shown by ma- ny people and clergy. Several church members I pastored committed sui- cide. My first experience was my lay speaker. For privacy reasons, I will call him Nick. I met Nick more than 20 years ago. He was a successful business owner, husband and proud father of two wonderful children. On that eventful day, I talked to him on the phone and just 20 minutes later; he was dead. Nothing in our conver- sation hinted that he was about to end his life. This sent shockwaves through the church and communi- ty. When people die like this, it's like an unfinished symphony. It sounds so good, and then it abruptly stops. You mourn for the ending that should have been. The day of his funeral, the funer- al home was standing room only. An excerpt follows, and I quote. I am not here to condemn or judge Nick. But I would be doing his memory and BUCKSKIN ST� JOHN'S CHURCH OF BUCKSKIN 8260 E. 900 S., Buckskin Sunday school 9 a.m.; Worship ser- vice 10 :15 a.m. CYNTHIANA FIRST UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST Corner of North and Walnut Sunday worship service 9 a.m. FAIR HAVEN CHRIST FELLOWSHIP Church Street, Cynthiana Mike Douglas, Pastor Phone: 812-724-4735 Sunday morning worship 10 a.m.; Wednesday evening 7 p.m. FORT BRANCH BETHLEHEM GENER AL BAPTIST CHURCH 3208 W 525 S, Fort Branch (CR 325 W off of Hwy. 168) Steve Wilson, Pastor Bible study 9 a.m. Sunday worship 10 a.m. FIRST CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE 601 S. Lincoln, Fort Branch Pastor Bryan Holzappel Sunday school 9:30 a.m. Morning worship 10 :30 a.m. FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 212 West Locust, Fort Branch Pastor Corey Atkins Phone: 812-753-4623 Sunday school 9 a.m.; Worship ser- vice 10 a.m. (Communion first Sun- day); Second Cup of Coffee (ladies' group) all ladies welcome, second Wednesday, 9 a.m. FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF FORT BR ANCH 100 W. Vine St., Fort Branch Rev. John Baylor, Jr., Pastor 812-753-4424 Sunday School 9:30 a.m.; Sunday Worship 10 :30 a.m., nursery pro- vided for preschool age and under. Youth Groups for grades 4-12 meet at 6 p.m. on Sunday evenings, Sept. through May. Details on the church website www.fbfirst.org. HOLY CROSS CATHOLIC CHURCH 200 S. Church St., Fort Branch Fr. Christopher Droste, Pastor Fr. Kenneth Betz and Fr. Luke Hassler, Associate Pastors Joe Siewers and William Brandle, Deacons Saturday Mass 4:30 p.m.; Sunday Mass 8:30 a.m. PROVIDENCE PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCH CR 550 S., NE of Fort Branch Mitch Breidenbaugh, Pastor Sunday school for children and adults at 10 :30 a.m.; worship 11 a.m.; For information, call 812-753-3386. ST� LUCAS UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 6777 S. 350 East, Fort Branch Pastor John Heumann Sunday school 9:30 a.m.; Sunday worship 10 :30 a.m. ST� BERNARD CATHOLIC CHURCH SNAKE RUN 5342 E. SR 168 (East of Fort Branch) 812-753-4568 Fr. Gary Kaiser, Pastor Sunday Mass 8:30 a.m. ST� PAUL'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 4222 E. SR 168, Fort Branch Pastor John Heumann Sunday worship 9 a.m.; Sunday school 10 :15 a.m. VERTICAL CHURCH Coal Mine Rd., Fort Branch Rich Clark, Pastor Sunday morning worship services 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Vertical Kids chil- dren's ministry available during both services for children from birth to fifth grade. Ignite Ministry is 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays for students in sixth-eighth grades. WESLEYAN CHURCH 202 E. Vine St., Fort Branch Sunday school from 9:30 to 10 :30 a.m.; Sunday worship, 10 :30 a.m.; Sunday evening worship 6:30 p.m.; Wednesday evening adult Bible study, 6:30 p.m., GIG (Growing in God) Club for ages 5 to 11 (available while school is in session), Teen Group for ages 12 and up. For more information call the church at 812- 677-5007. HAUBSTADT NEW LIBERTY CHRISTIAN CHURCH Hwy. 68 between Cynthiana and Haubstadt Gordon Jones, Pastor Services Sunday 10 :30 a.m. NEW LIFE HOUSE OF PR AYER 208 West Street, Haubstadt Adam and Lindsay Ping Phone: 812-215 -9003 Sunday morning service 10 a.m.; Children's Sunday school during ser- vice; Food Pantry open first and third Wednesdays of the month from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Everyone welcome! IMMANUEL LUTHER AN CHURCH (LCMS) 1-1/2 miles south of I-64 and U.S. 41, Volkman Rd. Rev. Kirk Horstmeyer Saturday evening services 5:30 p.m.; Sunday worship services 8 a.m. and 10 :15 a.m.; Sunday school 9:10 a.m. ST� JAMES CATHOLIC CHURCH Old Princeton Rd., Haubstadt Fr. Christopher Droste, Pastor Fr. Kenneth Betz and Fr. Luke Hassler, Associate Pastors Joe Siewers and William Brandle, Deacons Saturday Mass 5 p.m.; Sunday Masses 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. STS� PETER AND PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH 201 Vine St., Haubstadt Fr. Christopher Droste, Pastor Fr. Kenneth Betz and Fr. Luke Hassler, Associate Pastors Joe Siewers and William Brandle, Deacons Saturday Mass 5 p.m.; Sunday Masses 7 and 10 a.m. ZION UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST Second and Elm St., Elberfeld Rev. Paul Fraser Sunday school 9 a.m.; worship ser- vice 10 a.m. LYNNVILLE BARNET T CHAPEL Stanley Road, Lynnville Don Williams, Pastor Reflections From the Page By Cleoramae G. Stunkel See CHURCH on page 9 South Gibson Church Services Earlier this season, the fronds of the palm-tree were quite to the fore- front as the beginning of Holy Week was celebrated. While the palm is not native to our area, the tree that we generally refer to as a redbud is. The redbud often has a trunk that divides close to the ground, or it may develop as a multi-trunk shrub. According to legend, this was not always the case. At one time, so the story goes, the redbud stood tall, with branches stout enough to sup- port a rope with which a desperate man—as was Judas, after he real- ized to what his betrayal of Jesus had led—could hang himself. Thereafter, the story continues, the redbud's branches were made too thin and weak to aid in any such effort, and its blossoms, hitherto white, became mauve-pink, as if it were blushing in shame over the part that it had played. (This has always seemed to me a somewhat unfair rap to lay on the redbud. What did the story-teller think—that it would pull up its roots and run away?) What-ever—it is this associated legend that leads to the redbud some- times being called a Judas-tree. The dogwood also bears Easter as- sociations, the four white petals of its bloom reminding us of the four points of the Cross, while the brown- tinged notches on the outer edge of those petals remind a viewer of the blood, now dried, which flowed from two palms, two crossed feet, and the thorn-encircled head of the Cruci- fied, there on Golgotha. Another flower presently in bloom is the iris, which also has been brought into the Christian symbols fold, although it was necessary to get past some pagan associations first. The Greeks had a goddess named Iris, who was considered, we might say, to be the patroness of the rain- bow. Given the wide range of col- ors exhibited by the blooms of this flower, we can easily understand how the name came to be associat- ed with them. But flowers have foliage as well as bloom, and the shape of the iris' leaves sometimes led to their being associated with swords. Thus the iris was brought into the fold, to remind us of the words that the aged Sime- on addressed to Mary when she and Joseph had brought the infant Jesus to the Temple to present him to the Lord. "This child," he said, "is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is spoken against, and a sword will pierce through your own soul also"—a prophecy that was sure- ly fulfilled as Mary, with John near- by, stood at the foot of the Cross on Golgotha. All of which helps to account for what might otherwise seem a rather jarring note in an altarpiece painted in the late 1470's by the Flemish art- ist Hugo van der Goes for a chapel in Florence. Much of what Hugo has put into this painting can be found in ma- ny paintings of the Visitation of the Shepherds. There is the Christ-child, lying near the center; the Virgin, in blue, kneeling nearby; Joseph, at one edge of the painting; three shepherds crowding in from the other side; ox and ass positioned quite properly at the manger; and angels at all four corners—all quite expectable. But what is this, set on the floor of the stable, right at the front of the picture? It is a decorated earthenware jar, holding a few stalks of blooming iris, along with several of their sword- shaped leaves. When Paul and Barnabas arrived at Lystra on their missionary jour- ney, they found themselves walking among pagans, to whom they point- ed out that while in past generations God had allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways, he had not left himself without witness, "for He did good, and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons ...." So we ask: are the "blushing" Ju- das tree; the dogwood whose petals bear the impression of bloody nail- marks; the pointed, sharp-edged leaves of the iris, "witnesses" to us? Is it that we are imposing our no- tions on these plants, or is there, per- haps, implicit in those created enti- ties something that we are being led to recognize? Let those who have eyes to see, see. Focus on God, not temptation Insight By Dave Ingler "No temptation has seized you ex- cept what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will al- so provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." (1 Corinthians 10 :13) A proper response to difficult and trying times will always result in our spiritual growth. One par- ticular time in which all Christians must respond correctly is when fac- ing temptation. Like a bridge on a highway, all of us have a load limit when it comes to our ability to handle trials and temp- tations. God has assured us that He controls the amount of all temptation we face and that He will never allow the pressure and allurement of any temptation to exceed the limit that we can resist. Not only has God set a limit on our temptations, but He has also prom- ised us a way of escape from them. This escape begins by taking our fo- cus off the object of temptation and focusing on God and His strength. Much of the appeal and pleasure that we feel the object of our temptation can offer is in our imagination. The Points to Ponder By Curtis Bond See POINTS on page 9 See INSIGHT on page 9 Two Minutes With the Bible By Pastor Ricky Kurth No beauty that we should desire Him