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August l4, 20T9
PASTOR'S CORNER by Father Theophan Buck
en I got home from church
last Sunday, I read the news
and found out about the
second mass shooting in
that short period. To tell you the truth,
the frequency of these sorts of tragedies
has numbed me to a point where I am no
longer shocked.
Culturally, we are all inundat-
ed with a never—ending stream
of tragic news from faraway
places. After saying a quick
prayer, my secondary reaction
was to begin to think about the
typical political narrative that
would develop surrounding
these catastrophes.
Culturally we have developed
a ritual response to shocking
news, especially natural disas-
ters and violent crimes. We hear
tragic news and the political
Right and the Left make a small attempt to
tactftu acknowledge the tragedy and then
within a few moments or days move on to
assign blame to the other party’s ideas and
values. The perpetrators of these crimes
are made famous, and we seem content to
consume eVery titillating detail offered to
us by our consumer-driven media.
Concerned Christians may gather to-
gether and pray or hold vigils. “Thoughts
and prayers” are offered on social media
platforms, and we all wait, quietly know-
ing that in a few weeks these faraway
disasters will disappear from our national
consciousness only to appear again either
in the next shooting or in the upcoming
sports—like season of presidential politics.
As a Christian, it is easy to get lost in
our culture and to be so lost as to adopt
the worldly response as though it is God-
inspired. Have you ever found yourself
arguing politics after a natural disaster or
school shooting? The world believes that
the only way to solve the problems of the
human heart is through new and im-
proved policies.
Certain policies may indeed be needed,
and certain people may need to advocate
for policy change. However, Christians
should recognize that there are deeper ‘
issues, issues rooted in the fallenness of
the heart that lead to these tragic events.
Each mass shooting is only a symptom of a
larger sickness that is rooted in our collec—
tive culture which we all participate in on
some level.
l Rev. Theophan
Buck
In this light, what might the Christian
response to these sorts of tragedies look
like? One possibility is to look to Our Lord
Jesus Christ for a pattern. Jesus was sinless;
yet He took on the sins of the world which
means He was willing to be held respon-
sible for sins He had no part in. When He
was on the Cross He even went
so far as to not accuse His en—
' emies and even to ask that God
forgive them. It is notable that
Jesus disappointed many people
by not raining down fire on
his enemies and not being the \
political messiah they desired.
Unlike Jesus, we are not sin—
less, so whether we like it or not
we contribute to the collective
sickness of the world. We are the
ones responsible for our culture.
We may never be the actual
person who pulls the trigger but
underneath the. surface, we hold many of
the same dispositions that lead to these
sorts of crimes.
Contemplate these questions. Are there
any ideologies in my life that I put above
loving God, loving my neighbor, and lov-
ing my enemies? Do I ever objectify people
or dehumanize anyone? When I encounter
people, do I see the image of God in them
regardless of who they are and where they
are from? Am I ever selfish?
The shootings are a symptom of a larger
cultural sickness which we all participate
in. There is no sense in assigning blame
unless we are willing to take responsibility
for our part. If Christians want our society
to be moved in a Godly direction it will
require us to take responsibility for our
sins. The policies we are so heated about
are no substitute for the transformation of
heart that happens when we repent for our
sins and the sins of our nation.
May God comfort those who lost friends
and family in these recent tragedies and
may He protect us all from reaping what
we have sown. '
Father Theophan Buck is the rector of
St. Innocent Orthodox Christian Church,
7301 Rivoli Rd. in Bolingbroke. The Pastoris
Corner is sponsored by the Monroe County
Ministerial Association, which meets on
the second Thursday of each month at 8:30
am. at Christ United Methodist Church,
417 N. Frontage Road, Forsyth.
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Page 3D
alum CALENDAR
Email church calendar news to Diane Glidewell at news©rnymcnnet by Monddy
at T
TO a.m. Church information is published free of charge as spaco permits.
’ B
We" are: responsible
for Our Culture
has Revwal
Brown Chapel Baptist
Church, 1660 Ponder Tram-
‘ mell Rd, Juliette invites every-
one to a threevnight revival
beginning on Monday. Aug.
0 iii-Wednesday, AugM at
7:30 pm. nightly. Come any
night.
St. Paul‘Missionary
Baptisthas ,
Homecomi &_Revival
Rev. Rufus What ey and
St. Paul Missionary Baptist ,
Church invite everyone to-
worship and praise the Lord
On Sunday. Aug. ll at the
Annual Homecoming Day
Service starting at “:30
' am. Rev. Rufus Whatley
will deliver the message.
Revival will be Monday-
Wednesday. Aug. 1244 ,with
services starting at 7:30 pm
nightly. Rev. Christopher D.
O‘Bryont of 'Rehoboth Bible
Church in Albany will'ybe the
guest minister.
Coleman Clark A.M.E.
has Homecoming ‘
Revival ‘
Coleman Clark African
Methodist {Episcopal Church,
(>380 Hwy 42 North, Forsyth
will have Homecoming
service on Sunday, Aug. ll at
T2 pm. with Pastor Katrina
Talton delivering the mes—
sage. The 3-night Revival will
begin: Monday, Aug. l2 at
pm. — Pastor Cathy lDarganl
Harper-and Buffalo Circuit
Lwillb‘e the speaker; Tuesday, -
Aug. l3 at pm. Pastor
Jeremy Head and Piney
Grove Baptist Church of
Senola will be the speaker;
Wednesday Aug, M at pm
— Bishop James Smith and C3
Church will be the speaker.
Aug. M-lb. l8
White Chapel
Am. has Revivalo
Homecoming
White. Chapel .M.E.
Church, 2370 Old Highway
ll, Round Oak will have
Annual Revival and Home-
coming Aug. TA-lo at 7:30
pm. nightly. The: Homecoming
service will be Sunday, Aug.
l8 at 2:30 pm. Rev. Jada
Sims and Parker‘s Chapel
'A.M.E. Church will be guests.
For revival, on Wednesday,
the speaker Will be Rev.
Quinton Maddox of Mt. Zion
AME. Church, Jackson; on
Thursday the speaker will ‘
be Rev. Nathaniel Brown
of Mt. Xian Circuit, Forsyth;
. at New Friendship Baptist
v Homecoming
‘ Aug. T8 at 2:30 pm. Pastor I
be Rev. Preston Campbell
of Maddox Chapel Baptist,
Hillsboro. For more informa«
tion, call 478980-4281. ‘
Aug. 18
Pastor's Instaan
' Service forAnthony
Stewart
The Pastor's lnstallation
Service for Anthony Stewart
Church, Gray will be on'
Sunday. Aug. T8 at 3 p.m.l’at
4025 Gray Highway, Gray.
Stewart ls‘the son of Jimmy J
Stewart and Lucille Wash-
ington of Forsyth. For more
information, call 478-994-
8596).
Aug. l8-ZT
Greater Friendship
Baptist has
Revwal
The Greater Friendship
- Baptist Church, 3242 Dames
Ferry Road, Juliette invites
everyone to its annual home~
coming and revival services.
Homecoming services will
be Sunday, Aug. 18 at ll
am. Pastor David Blalock
and the Mount Pleasant
Baptist Church of Barnes-
ville will be guests. Revival
services will be Monday,
Aug. lQ-Weclnesday, Aug. 2T.
. beginning at pm. nightly.
Pastor Anthony Corbett and
the Lundy Chapel Baptist
Church will be guests.
Aug. 18-22
Tessie Hall Baptist has
Homecoming & Revwal
TeSSi’e Hall Baptist Church.
320 Boxankle Road, Forsyth.
will celebrate Homecoming
on Sunday, Aug. 18 at ll am.
Pastor TO. Sams will deliver .
the message. Dinner‘will be
served. Revival will begin at ‘
7:30 pm. on Tuesday, Aug.
20, and will end on Thursday.
Aug. 22 The guest speaker
for Revival will be Rev. Rufus
Whatley of Union Hill Mis-
sionary Baptist Church, St.
Paul Baptist Church of For-
‘ syth, Pleasant Grove Baptist
‘ Church of Bolingbroke and
New Macedonia Baptist
Church of Culloden. All are
welcome,
Au,g.l8'23 ‘ ,
Orange Grove Baptist
hasHomecoming& »
Revival “
Orange Grove Bap-
tist Church, Highway
Culloden will celebrate
Homecoming o'n Sunday.
Baptist Church, Griffin will 3
be the guest. Paétor Lonnie
B. Fletcher Will bring the ‘ ' i
morning message at it aim.
Revival for the week ‘will fol- A
low Monday, Aug. lQ-Friday. .:
Aug. 23 at 7:30 p.m.ynightly
with varioUs speakers tor the .
Week. 7 ‘
A0925 a
FirstBaptistof '» '
; ~ nighralishasaath! '
Homecoming- ..
‘ First BaptisiChurch of High -;
Falls-Was founded August 26,
lQ73 when nine people met
in the front yard of Mr. and .
Mrs. J. T. Mitchell’s home on‘ V ,
Ruby Road. Celebrate 46 L
years of Praising our Lord ».
L on Sunday, Aug. 25. The
Homecoming worship serviCe
will begin at ll am. and the
guest speaker is Georgia
Baptist Associational Mission~
ary Dave Nelson. A covered
dish meal will be shared in ‘
the Fellowship Hall imme-
'diately following Worship
Service.
RodtyCreekBaptisthas
v Homecoming
Rocky Creek Baptist Church,
225 Rocky CreekVRood, Forv ‘
syth will celebrate, Homecom-
ing on Sunday, Aug. 25. Sum
day School begins at 10 am.
and Homecoming Service ‘
begins at’ll a.m., followed
by a lunch provided by the
church. All are welcomed.
TessieHall'BSptist‘ '
Fellowship Serviceisat * -
Tessie Hall Baptist Church. I
Fello'WShip Sunday Service
time has been changed to
8:30 am. on Sunday, Aug.
25, Minister Lesia Atwater
will. deliver the message. \ .,
Everyone isinvited. Breakfast ‘
will be served. ‘
Aug 25-28
'PineGrovecmafitias f
Homecommg &Revivat
Pine GroveC.M.E. Church, ‘
SSA-Pine Grove Church
Road, Culloden will celebrate
Homecoming on Sunday; ;
Aug. 25 at ‘2 pm: with Rev.
\ John Chetham as speaker. \
Revival will be Monday»
Wednesday, Augie-28 at
7:30 pm. nightly. On Mon~
day, thé‘speaker will be Rev.
David Blalock of Pleasant ,
Grove Church in Barnesville.
A On Tuesday the speaker» .
will be Rev. TO. Sams of: \
Tussahaw. Wednesday the
speaker. will be Rev. Danny
with Mayor Reichert,” said
Jackson Mayor Kay Pippin. the Clean Air Coalition. It
C _ d f 2 D “We can make the south was discussed that adding
onlmue rom side of the metro very educational institutions
, special. We have almost a along the corridor to the
any “Ppaa on the Con' blank canvas.” website, such as, Gordon,
ammo“ undPrW‘W at the Pippin added that it is Mercer, Macon State and
P75 and “.6 Interchange important for communi- ' Central Georgia
Technical
3“ {Viacom FOWIer sald . ties along the corridor to College, would be an
assct
m? because.mat prolect ‘5 find an identity arid market as the site
promotes quality
bemg done In Phases and it. Presently it is too easy to of life.
Shomd mt affect the mmk travel the corridor and not A mission statement of
lanes‘ .d th know when you go from “Plan, Promote, Partner”
1 POW]? sal e one community to the next was suggested by Tapley
anes Will Embably he m and not recognize any— and generally accepted as
.south 0f mghway 155 thing unique about them. expressing the mission of
m MCD9nouglll Henry. The I—75 Corridor the group. The western and
.County 15 lockmg at bufld' Coalition has developed a eastern borders
of focus
mg a new Intercgange at website with the assistance were loosely defined
as
313%??? §°axHesfud ofthe Middle Georgia Highways 41 and 23.
1 . 15 ev ogmg a :ginu' Regional Commission, Pippin said there is a
anon mOdel o .the U . and Laura Mathis of the state freight and logistics
along the 38lmfle Fomdor R.C. discussed the work on study underway that
will
that Should be avaflable the website and presented have an impact on the
I—75
“Thin the “PH few Weeks' a contract for its mainte- Central
Corridor. Reichert
The goal ls to “Rho? ofi nance. Middle Georgia said that plans for MARTA
some ofithe WCks’ Said R.C. was asked to develop to expand to Lovejoy in
Fowler' We may take Off the website by Monroe Clayton County, which
one lane flier???“ merge County and Forsyth, is roughly 10 miles from
the other la,“ which are members of the Griflin, will affect links in
Backrto Ideas fqr the ‘ RC, and did the work at the area. Committees were
1'25 central QPmdor’ no cost to the I-75 Corri- named to gather
informa—
Reldlert. My com'. d‘or Coalition. tion on these developing
Inth ’5 Mlddle Georgla‘ Mathis said Middle changes and to suggest a ‘
l want to Brevent sprawh Georgia R.C. will provide specific project for
Ross’
mstead lets do Smart administrative support for students. The next I-75
grow to mf‘kiour area the Coalition like itdoes Central Corridor
Coalition
amcuve' for three other regional meeting is Thursday, Sept.
Im on the same page- Organizations, including 19.
on Friday, the speaker will
Greg Tyler of Macedonia
Robinson of Thomaston. , ,
Birthdays Anniversaries
Aug. 14
Jared Cox Aug.
John Patterson Autumn Martin
Mr. 8: Mrs. Steve
Aug Rogers
Kenley Morris
Lloyd Strickland Aug.
Charles Dumas Dale Tyson
Caitlyn Onstott Dr. Clell Morris
Aug. 18
Grace Woods Aug.
David 8. Cheryl Robert 8. Mitzi Wil-
Herndon liams
Greg 8: Gwen
Music Aug, 21
Chuck Williams
Aug. Calaeb Sikes
Judy M’ackey Elmo Remick
This week's birthdays and anniversaries are courtesy of Forsyth Lions
Club calendar. To have your name
added to the calendar, contact Virginia Remick at 994-5426.
Children's birthday notices through age l2 and birth announcements are
published free of charge for the
community. Email Diane Glidewell at news@mymcr.net with information and
picture.
High schOol artists asked to
design Forsythia-Festival logo
It’s time for the annual Forsythia Fes- ‘
tival logo contest.The Festival wants
original submissions for the 2020 festival
logo from Monroe County high school
students—-public, private or home school
students.
All submitted work must be original
and not based on any pre-existing design.
Submissions can be turned in to Saman—
tha Trevitt at Mary Persons or sent to the
Forsyth-Monroe County Chamber of
Commerce at 10 West Chambers Street,
Forsyth, GA 31029. Digital entries may be
emailed to e’vents@forsyth-monroecham—
ber.com. Please refer to logo guidelines
before submitting a design.
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Ready to Meet
Your Pet Needs
A name that can be trusted for funeral and burial arrangements
' v Boarding - Bathing
26 Brentwood Place 0 Forsyth
994—6483 ' 994—6576
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Lee’s Haircutting
Lee smith
994-1666
Mon Fri 10 to 7
...Unless Playing Golf
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- Wellness & Preventive
DI. [standon l Inson . After.Hr5_ _& Emergency
60 S. Jackson Sti ' Forsyth, GA - 478-994-4986
Voted 2014 Best Veterinarian b readers of the Re ner
- Medical Management
"Servicing Each Family Willi Equal Respect"
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