The South Gibson Star-Times serves the towns of Haubstadt, Owensville and Fort Branch.
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1476385
CHURCH Reflections I do hope that ever yone else has been enjoying the trees as much as I have this season, as they are gathered into woods, stretch along fence-rows, or stand in solitar y splendor in a pasture, waiting to shield the cows from mid-day sunlight. The trees seem to have re- mained unusually fresh and var- ied in their greenness this year, perhaps as a result of all those timely rains with which we have been blessed. But it is not only the varied greens of trees' leaves that we have been given to enjoy. Spring brought us the white blooms of dogwood, honey locust, and catalpa. We expect to see, with the com- ing of autumn, leaves of blazing scarlets, oranges, and yellows. Trees in winter do not lack their own form of beauty, as dark tr unks uphold crowns branched in various shapes, with white- barked sycamores providing ac- cents. But what of paw-paws and persimmons in their season, what of pecans, black walnuts, and hickor y nuts in autumn? Should they not have had pride of place? Ought not the edible aspects of trees have been men- tioned first? Not according to the exam- ple set by the writer of Genesis. The text tells us that, "Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow ever y tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.... "The people of ancient Judea had trees dif ferent from those giv- en us, but trees that were, none- theless, equally good in the same ways. From the boughs of those trees could be plucked pomegranates and figs, olives and dates and al- monds. And as regards beautiful--well, a parent isn't going to name their pretty new baby girl after an ugly plant, are they? So we have one of King Da- vid's daughters and also Judah's daughter-in-law, mother of the twins Perez and Zerah, named "Tamar," after the graceful date palm, or the young woman who, after becoming queen in Persia, was known as "Esther," but who had been "Hadassah" from home, named for the myr tle tree. Or sometimes, par ticular trees ser ved as geographical markers, like the oaks of Mamre, where Abraham pitched his tent, or that tree between Ramah and Bethel, in the hill countr y of Ephraim, which was called the palm of Deborah, because it was there that the prophetess sat, when the people came to her for judgment. A fig tree even featured as the main character in one of Jesus' parables. This parable is somewhat a tale of suspense, actually. For three years, the owner of the vineyard in which it was growing had come seeking fr uit from it, but in each instance, had found none. So he told the vine dresser to cut it down. Why, he asked, should this unprofitable fig tree use up the ground? However, the vine dresser ne- gotiated a reprieve for the tree. Allow it another year. He would cultivate it and fer tilize it. If it still failed, that next year, to bear fr uit, then it could be cut down. And there, the parable ends. We are not told whether the tree responded favorably to this addi- tional attention, and thereby pre- ser ved its life. Then there was another tree, a tree whose tr unk had been severed from its stump, whose branches had been hacked of f, and its leaves scattered. This was far from the only tree that the Romans employed in their judicial system, but it was the only one bor ne, that spring mor ning, by Simon of Cyrene, from Jer usa- lem to Golgotha hill. It was the only one to become, through Christ's sacrificial and atoning death upon it, a tree bearing the greatest of fr uits: forgiveness, salvation, and eter- nal life. Being a Good Samaritan Recently, I was a member of a mis- sion work-team in Dawson Springs, Kentucky. A tornado devastated this area last December. Since then, hun- dreds of volunteers have traveled to this area to help displaced residents repair or rebuild their homes. Not ever yone has adequate insurance to rebuild their home. It is a humbling and rewarding experience to help people affected by natural disasters. I've been to many work-camps and, while worksites are often dangerous, escaped injur y. Until this time. I was helping to remove an old steel tub from a house using an an- gle grinder with a cut-off wheel. The wheel broke and sent a piece of spin- ning shrapnel flying into my forearm, giving me a serious laceration. They took me to the emergency room, and upon examination, no tendons or bones were cut. The doctor sewed and stapled the wound closed and sent me on my way. My fellow campers showered me with concern and support. I heard several co-workers tell of similar mis- haps they experienced. The doctor treating me told of his mishap using a chainsaw. Another worker told of a similar mishap with a tool breaking and cutting his arm. Reminiscing about our mishaps, we recognized how fast calamities occur. Recently in NYC a pedestrian was hit by car and then robbed. Vid- eo shows a man being hit by a car, being plunged into the air landing on the street. Two men got out and went through his pockets, taking his belongings. The crooks drove away, only to return and check the victim's pockets. The suspects are still at large. This stor y reminds me of the good Samaritan in Luke Ch 10. The stor y begins with a Jewish man traveling to Jericho and being accosted by thieves, stripped of his belongings and left for dead. Some things never change, such as theft and mayhem. At this point in the stor y, enter the victim blamers. There is no shortage of people heaping insult upon injur y. In Luke Ch 13, Jesus speaks of the 18 people killed when the Tower in Siloam fell on them. People believed they were sinners, so it was their own fault, right? God's judgment? Pious Jews would not be traveling to Jericho. It was his own fault. The man deser ved it. The victim in New York City should have been more aware of his surroundings. There are thieves ever ywhere. In Jesus' stor y, the Levite and Priest were of no help. Conceivably, they were more con- cerned with the ceremonial cleanli- ness of the Law than the weightier matters of charity and forgiveness. He was a social reject, a stranger, a sinner and idolater, a 'Good Samari- tan' that took it upon himself to help this man out of his predicament. People often ask, where was God? The answer is, he is in us. Viktor Frankl was a sur vivor of the Aus- chwitz Concentration Camp. In his book 'Man's Search for Meaning' he writes he witnessed God ever y- where in the camp. He saw star ved prisoners give their meager food ra- tion to men weakened by abuse and sickness. Men unable to work were of no use in the death-camps. Guards regularly took weakened and sick prisoners out of the housing units, never to be seen again. His sur vival South Gibson Church Services 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 ser vice 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 Br yan 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 Sunday); Second Cup of Cof fee (la- dies' group) all ladies welcome, sec- ond 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.; Sun- day Worship 10:30 a.m., nurser y provided for preschool age and under. Youth Groups for grades 4-12 meet at 6 p.m. on Sunday evenings, Sept. through May. De- tails on the church website www. fbfirst.org. HOLY CROSS CATHOLIC CHURCH 200 S. Church St., Fort Branch Fr. Gary Kaiser Pastor Joe Siewers, Deacon 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. Chris Forler, 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 ser- vices 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Ver tical Kids children's ministr y available during both ser vices for children from bir th to fifth grade. Ignite Ministr y is 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednes- days 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 Prayer 208 West Street, Haubstadt Adam and Lindsay Ping Phone: 812-215-9003 Sunday morning ser vice 10 a.m.; Children's Sunday school during ser vice; Food Pantr y open first and third Wednesdays of the month from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Ever yone 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. Andrew Thomas, Admistrator Fr. Kenneth Betz, Parochial Bicar William Brandle, Deacon 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. Andrew Thomas, Admistrator Fr. Kenneth Betz, Parochial Bicar William Brandle, Deacon Saturday Mass 5 p.m.; Sunday Masses 7 and 10 a.m. Points to Ponder By Curtis Bond Two Minutes With the Bible By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam Reflections From the Page By Cleoramae G. Stunkel Bethlehem and Calvary "Sweet Name come down from Heav'n above, To win our heart's deep tender love; As Bethlehem and Calv'r y prove: My Jesus."How true this old hymn is! Bethlehem and Calvar y do indeed prove that the Lord Jesus Christ came from heaven to win us to him- self. St. Paul's declaration that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (ITim.1:15) takes in both Bethlehem and Calvar y. At Bethlehem Christ showed His love for man, not merely by coming to be with us, but by becoming one of us. Luke, "the beloved physician," wrote the famous "Gospel Accord- ing to St. Luke" to show how tr u- ly man the Lord Jesus Christ was. Apar t from sin,our Lord experi- enced all the emotions, the sor- rows, the joys, the pains, the plea- sures that we do. The Son of God actually became the Son of Man that the sons of men might become the sons of God. But His life alone could not save us. His holiness would only expose our sin and condemn us. This is why the Apostle Paul declares that "Christ DIED for our sins" (ICor.15:3), and that "we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace"(Eph.1:7). Those who believe this and trust Christ as their personal Saviour re- joice in the truth of the above poem. Their hearts have been won to the Blessed One who came from heaven to Bethlehem and Calvar y because HE loved them. Insight By Dave Ingler Unfulfilled purposes "Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." (Matthew 9:37) Nothing affects the availability and usefulness of a child of God more negatively than sin. Any failure to confess and deal with attitudes or actions which God declares unho- ly can only cause an estrangement from His divine guidance. This will always occur when we choose to act independently of God or disobey and rebel against Him. The Apostle Paul never failed to re- alize that the source of his strength and fruitfulness came from the in- dwelling presence of the living Jesus and not from his own devices. He wrote, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Phi- lippians 4:13) Paul knew that obedience toward God brought blessing and the power A-6 Tuesday, August 16, 2022 South Gibson Star-Times See CHURCH on page 7 See POINTS on page 7 See INSIGHT on page 7