Newspaper Page Text
July 2,2008
PAGE 7B
"Reporter
Mt. Zion U.M.C. honors Wilma Rumble
Mt. Zion United Methodist Women honored Wilma Rumble for her many years of service at Mt. Zion
U.M.C., on May 18. During the recognition service, Rumble was presented a Life Membership pin and
a donation was made to Global Ministries, The United Methodist Church in her honor. U.M.C. mem
bers pictured are Susan Fugate, Angie Ezelle, Ashley Fugate, Wilma Rumble, Jackie Rogers, Summer
Chronister, Sonya Chronister, Allison Fugate, Frances Davis, Joann Woodward, Suzy Newman and Fay
Pitts.
Mt. Zion U.M.C. awards
scholarships
Mt. Zion United Methodist Church
recently awarded scholarships to two
members. The $1,000 Sarah Bryan -
Juliette Taylor scholarship was award
ed to Erin Stephens (left), who will be
entering Valdosta State College in the
fall. The $1,000 Robert C. Rumble
Scholarship was awarded to Kyle
Norris (right), who will be entering
Gordon College in the fall. Deborah
Woodward, chairperson of the admin
istrative board, made the presentation.
Pastor’s Column
Proclaim your liberty
T he "Liberty Bell"
was made in Eng
land and recast in
Philadelphia in
1753. It
weighs more than
2,080 pounds. The
bell was rung every
year until 1835 when
it cracked while be
ing rung at the fu
neral of Chief Justice
John Marshall. The
bell has been struck
on special
occasions,
but has not
been rung
since then.
Today the "Liberty Bell"
is enshrined in a National
Park Service building
across from
"Independence Hall" in
Philadelphia. While tour
ing the site in the '90's I
read the words from
Leviticus 25:10 cast on her
side: "...proclaim liberty
throughout all the land to
all its inhabitants."
This bell is a reminder of
the liberty our founders
sought from the burden of
over taxation by the
British government. It is
also a reminder of the lib
erty expressed in our
"Declaration of
Independence" from
Britain. Thomas Jefferson
wrote, "We hold these
truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created
equal, that they are
endowed by their creator
with certain unalienable
Rights, that among these
are Life, Liberty, and the
pursuit of Happiness."
The drafters of our U.S.
Constitution were adamant
about protecting these
"Rights" and "Liberties".
The "Bill of
Rights," the first
ten amendments
to the constitu
tion were intend
ed to do that just
that. In fact,
several colonies
refused to ratify
the new constitu
tion unless
they were
added.
The
"First
Amendment" is especially
important to people of
faith. It says that Congress
may not establish an offi
cial state church, as
Britain did; this is known
as "the establishment
clause". "The free exercise
clause" prohibits Congress
from passing any law
which prevents citizens
from practicing their reli
gion. Several U.S.
Supreme Court cases have
been argued trying to
maintain the delicate bal
ance in these two clauses.
Another proclamation of
"liberty" was given over
2,000 years ago. Jesus
stood in his synagogue in
Nazareth and read from
Isaiah 61:1-2 (see also
Luke 4:18-21). He gave his
"declaration of independ
ence" to his listeners. I
have come into the world
"... to preach the gospel...",
"...to heal the brokenheart
ed..." , "to proclaim liberty
to the captives...", "...recov
ery of sight to the blind...",
"...to set at liberty those
who are oppressed...", "...to
proclaim the acceptable
year of the Lord."
The "liberty" Jesus
gave then and gives now is
greater than the liberty
and rights we have been
given by our great country,
the U.S. of America. His
gospel "heals" our sick bod
ies, minds(souls), and spir
its.He healed the blind,
brokenhearted, deaf, lame,
and infirmed when he
walked the earth. He
heals today!
He set at liberty those
whose minds(souls) were
captive to sin; he liberat
ed people oppressed by evil
spirits(demons). Jesus lib
erates today!
Do you have "liberty" in
Christ today? Jesus said,
"Today this scripture is ful
filled in your hearing."
(Luke 4:21) Now is
"...the acceptable year of
the Lord."(Luke 4:19) In
other words, today, right
now is the time, the hour
to proclaim liberty through
Jesus from anything which
keeps you from being free
(liberated).
Believe it, experience it,
and go proclaim your liber
ty!
Rod Callahan served as a
chaplain for Hospice of
Central Georgia for 11
years. He is a retired Army
chaplain and has lived in
Forsyth for 20 years. He
and his wife, Caroline,
attend Dayspring
Presbyterian Church.
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Pastor’s Column
The real cost of
independence
F ifty-six men signed the Declara
tion of Independence.
Their conviction re
sulted in untold suffer
ing for themselves and
their families. Of the 56 men, five
were captured by the British and
tortured before they died. Twelve
had their homes ransacked and
burned. Two lost their sons in the
Revolutionary Army Another had
two sons captured. Nine
of the fifty-six fought and
died from wounds or hard
ships of the war. Carter
Braxton of Virginia, a
wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships
sunk by the British navy. He sold his home
and properties to pay his debts and died in
poverty. At the battle of Yorktown, the British
General Cornwallis had taken over Thomas
Nelson’s home for his headquarters. Nelson
quietly ordered General George Washington to
open fire on the Nelson home. The home was
destroyed and Nelson died bankrupt. John
Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she
was dying. Their thirteen children fled for
their lives. His fields and mill were destroyed.
For over a year, he lived in forest and caves, re
turning home only to find his wife dead and his
children vanished. A few weeks later, he died
from exhaustion.
The cost of freedom, of independence
from the rule of England, was great for
many during the battles, trials and
tribulations necessary for the formation
of what we know now as The United
States of America. Freedom comes with
the cost of ultimate sacrifice. The costs
of our freedoms today come with our sac
rificing our needs for the common good
of all people. The word independence
means to be self-governing, self-confi
dent, or self-reliant. For us as a country
and as individuals we could interpret
this to mean that we are not to
be connected with others or not
to be dependent upon another.
Is this what these men and
women of the Revolutionary
times sacrificed their lives and
all of their possessions for?
Doesn’t the fact that they were
willing to give everything they
owned, including their lives, for
the sake of others mean
anything? Do we not
find in the teachings of
Jesus the idea of loving
and caring for others
with a self-sacrifice that leads to giving
our all for another? Our ability to truly
sacrifice our all for the sake of all comes
from a trust and faith in one’s self that
comes from a trust and faith in God. We
are free to be independent in our love for
others through our dependence in the
grace of God upon all of life. As we con
tinue to give our all to God, we will con
tinue to serve others with all that we
have and all that we are. The history of
our country has taught us that we are a
people who are willing to live, work and
sacrifice everything for the common good
of all people. May the celebration of our
Declaration of Independence remind us
of the high cost of human sacrifice that
continues to be made for the benefit of
all people, and let us pray for the
strength and commitment necessary for
each one of us to contribute to the free
dom for of all of God’s creation.
Rick Elrod is the pastor of Forsyth
Presbyterian Church. The pastor’s col
umn is sponsored each week by the
Monroe County Ministerial Association.
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Atrip back
in time
Caitlin Corley and Carrie Neal
enjoy a ride at Ebenezer United
Methodist Church’s day long Va
cation Bible School June 21.
The day allowed kids to be tak
en back in time to the Biblical
ages where an outside market
was set up complete with pot
tery shop, bakery, a well and
carpentry demonstration. Spe
cial guests were brought up
from the farm with goats, a don
key, a horse, calf, and chickens
roaming in the yard. It was a
fun day with songs, games and
a taste of Biblical times. (Pho
to/Katie Daniel)
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