The South Gibson Star-Times serves the towns of Haubstadt, Owensville and Fort Branch.
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1469990
B-6 Tuesday, June 7, 2022 South Gibson Star-Times This was the question Philip asked of the Ethiopian prince as he sat reading from Isaiah's prophe- cy (Acts 8:30), and it is a question which we should continually keep asking ourselves as we read the ho- ly Scriptures. There are always those among God's people who do not much care whether or not they understand what they read if only it warms their hearts! To them the Bible is little more than a fetish. Taking only those Scriptures which appeal to them, and leaving the rest, they actually feel themselves quite spiritual and often talk about believing the Bible wheth- er or not they understand it! But such "spirituality" is far from genuine, and such "faith" is blind and superstitious at best. While it is true that the Bible teaches many truths which we believe, although they are beyond our comprehension (such as its opening verse!), yet how can we believe what the Bible says unless we understand what it says? God would have us understand what we read and believe it intelligently. Indeed, true faith will want to know and understand more and more of God's Word. One who does not care whether or not he under- stands what God has said is not truly interested in knowing what God has said. His faith is based on his own will rather than on God's Word, for regardless of the meaning of Scrip- ture, he will take any passage that suits his fancy and use it as he wish- es. How great an emphasis God Him- self places upon the importance of understanding His Word! On one occasion, when our Lord saw the multitudes, He "was moved with compassion toward them, be- cause they were as sheep not hav- The Dam has Busted April 20, 1999 is another date which lives in infamy. On that date, two high school seniors walked into their high school in Columbine, Colo- rado and killed 13 people and wound- ed 24. A fter shooting their victims, they committed suicide. At the time, this was the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history. Since that time, mass shootings of school children continue unabat- ed. Shootings in Sandy Hook Conn., Parkland Fla., and Virginia Tech have eclipsed the Columbine death toll. Now Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas is added to the list. The perpetrator was an 18 -year- old male who entered an elementa- ry school. As of this writing, 19 stu- dents and 2 teachers were killed and 18 wounded. Police killed the gun- man in a shootout. A recent Washington Post arti- cle states that "since Columbine, 311,000 students have experienced gun violence at schools." "At least 185 children, educators and other people have been killed in assaults, and an- other 369 have been injured." Shocking! Anyone with a shred of human de- cency is outraged at learning of these senseless shootings. A fter every shooting come the politicization of the tragedy. Plenty of finger pointing who or what is to blame. The May- or of Zionsville posted a profanity laced social-media post in response to the shooting citing guns are the problem. The Indy Star says the 19 children and two teachers who died "are sac- rifices to America's gun ownership dogma." Red states are to blame be- cause they "treat gun ownership as an entitlement." President Biden said assault weapons and 9mm handguns need to be outlawed. Their solution is to get rid of guns and there'll be no more shootings. Psychological profilers and arm- chair sleuths will quickly diagnose the latest school shooter as a socio- path. They label nearly every mass shooter a sociopath. Sociopaths are anti-social, devoid of empathy, and have a predisposition for violence. No surprise when they go on a kill- ing spree. Case closed. Another calamity will quickly eclipse this tragedy and this heart break will fade from the news cycle until the next shooting. Yes, there will be more shootings. This past weekend, after a string of multiple shootings, Baltimore Po- lice Commissioner Michael Harrison summed up the problem succinctly. He blames rampant violence on a "to- tal disregard for human life." More chillingly, he said, "Once again, this is an unnecessary trag- edy that has happened. It's about young people carrying guns, young people with the willingness to use those guns indiscriminately in crowds. It's about parents not know- ing where their young people are and what they're involved in." The answer to all this madness may be as clear as mud. It certainly may not be one with which you will agree. But the answer is simple. 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 ReFla.ections From the Page By Cleoramae G. Stunkel See CHURCH on page 7 South Gibson Church Services Again a gunman appears, raining deaths down the barrell of his gun. Again and again we have heard, "Now, things will get better, be- cause by now, we have learned our lesson." "Now, people will 'get it,' and something will be done." "This time, things will be different, for surely, this is the last straw." This most recent time does seem to be different, all right, at least among the commentators on the recent school massacre that I have been reading. To cite but one example, Theresa Vargas, writing for the June 1st is- sue of the Washington Post, said, " ... there will be a next round of bullets, and another, and another. That, un- fortunately, we can all agree on." You see what's missing? The note of hope. In that writer's opinion, at least, all that we can do is to sit about and wait for the other shoe to drop. We know that it will happen, but when next? Where next? Not but that there are those all ready to pronounce: "The Problem Is." "The problem is lack of mental health services." "No, no," another may respond. "The problem is social media." Or, "The problem is really that we aren't issuing teachers side- arms along with their teaching cer- tificates." "No, no, it is a matter of too many violent videogames." Or, "The actual problem is the breakdown of the American family." Or the rejoin- der may be, "Nonsense. All would be solved if only we had more, thick- er, and better placed doors in school buildings." Or even perhaps, "Too many people, of whatever sort, are able to buy guns, of whatever sort." Or, simplest of all, "The problem is the existance of evil in the world." Difficult to disagree with that lat- ter point, but since "evil" is not just some amorphous blob in limegreen; since we experience the existance of evil through concrete events on this earth, it is back to square one, to con- fronting concrete causes. So what would happen if, rather than expending time and energy ar- guing regarding what might be the sole cause of these horrific events, we admit that it is not the case that one person's pet skunk is stirring all the stink, but rather, that all pet skunks are, to some extent, odorif- erous, and adopt what may seem, in this setting, an unfortunate, if apt, picture, and say that what we need is a "shotgun" approach, admitting that all the proffered reasons-and proba- bly some others besides- -are feeding into the problem. There are numerous fronts on which the good fight needs to be waged. But, if we are simply feeling hope- less, thinking, "Nothing is going to help," we're not likely to bestir our- selves to do anything, are we? Well, looking at our present situa- tions, believers are as entitled as any- one else to feel discouraged. What God's children are not certi- fied for is despair. When the Jewish people were in Exile in Babylon, God noted, while in conversation with Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones, that they were saying, "Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off." Well, who did they think that they were dealing with? More to the point, who did they think was dealing with them? Long before, as Moses had stood Faults of others Insight By Dave Ingler We are rather certain of what we will do and what we will not do. Jesus saw this confidence in His disciples and said, "Watch and pray, that ye en- ter not into temptation: the spirit in- deed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Mathew 26:41) Watch the conceit that says, "I would never do that." Only God knows what is in the human heart and our failure to remember that our sufficiency is in Him can only result in desertion and embarrassment. We quickly condemn the sins of others but forget to consider how we would respond to the same tempta- tion if it were presented to us. We become critical of other's weakness- es and as a result fail to see what is about to be revealed in our heart— pride, self confidence and a judg- mental attitude. We want to focus on the speck that is our neighbor's eye but ignore the board that is in our own. We would like to think that the words of Jer- emiah are written for everyone ex- cept ourselves. "The heart is deceit- ful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" ( Jeremi- ah 17:9) Concerning judgment of anoth- Points to Ponder By Curtis Bond See POINTS on page 7 See INSIGHT on page 7 See MINUTES on page 7 See REFLECTIONS on page 7 Two Minutes With the Bible By Pastor Paul M. Sadler Do you understand? Upcoming Events Concert at the Park On Friday, June 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the Owensville Carn- egie Library Park, bring your chair and enjoy your evening with award-winning Gordon Mote and Christian artist Aus- tin Glover, opening for Gordon. There is a free will offering. Boy Scout Troop #248 will be selling Hamburgers, hot dogs, bratwurst on Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. Owensville Library lawn during the Gordon Mott concert. The money raised will help fund the scouts upcoming trip to Glacier National Park. In case of rain, the concert will move to the Owensville Methodist Church. Call Barb Harris, 812-632- 0227, for more information or questions.