Newspaper Page Text
Page 3B
July 13 , 2022
sReporter
PASTOR S CORNER by Rev. Pamela Johnston
CHURCH CALENDAR
Spotlight on Local Churches
Do we have to be swallowed
by a fish to accept God’s plan?
world and that he is not able to do those
things alone. He needs help from the one
who created him.
Doesn’t that sound like us? We struggle
with anxiety and dissatisfaction, longing
- Jonah 1:3 to work out a better life for ourselves, if
only we had more money,
a different job, a nicer
house, more time off, more
attentive spouses, children
or friends. We’d be happier
if the economy got back on
track, if everyone cut down
on political arguing, and if
Covid would just go away.
The problems we see on
the news are overwhelm
ing—definitely too big for
us to make a difference in.
I suppose since musicians
from Kate Bush to the Rolling Stones,
from U2 to Kanye West have written
songs about running from something big,
it must be a common dilemma we face.
But much of our discontent comes from
inner turmoil, our reluctance to accept
the beauty and truth in who we are made
to be, without all the details of a perfect’
life on the outside. We have trouble not
comparing our lives to other people’s lives,
when in truth there will always be those
around us who have it better or worse.
For that matter, we don’t even see how our
understanding of better and worse too
often depend on earthly circumstances.
If instead we practice building spiritual
strength and listening to the impulses of
kindness, justice and love that God places
in our souls, then the clatter of the world
around us fades. If we learn to face chal
lenging circumstances with honesty and
humility, then we will become the healthy
and whole people we were made to be.
Like Jonah, we will learn that we are
better off following the lead of our con
science and that yes, we can in fact be a
force for good in the world. The unknown
future is not a thing to dread or rim
from—may we learn that lesson without
being swallowed by a fish.
Rev. Pamela Johnston
But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshishfrom
the presence of the Lord. He went down to
Joppa and found a ship, paid his fare and
went on board, away from the presence of
the Lord.
T his summer at our
church, we are ex
ploring stories from
the Bible about God
changing people through
water. At different places in
the scriptures, water repre
sents chaos and fear of the
unknown, but also healing
and a new source of life. It
is not surprising, then, that
God does lots of transforma
tive work when his people
encounter water in their lives.
The story of Jonah is a particularly
interesting read for Americans today. In
this very short Old Testament book—only
4 chapters—we meet a prophet who has
been instructed by God to go and call out
some wicked behaviors happening in the
city of Ninevah. Jonah has no desire to do
this job, as it requires him to travel a long
distance, face danger, and perhaps waste
his time; after all, the people in that city
are too far gone and will pay no attention
to him anyway.
Predictably, he goes to great lengths to
avoid the voice inside him. He boards a
ship sailing in the opposite direction from
Ninevah, where he ends up being thrown
overboard and swallowed by a big fish.
While inside the fish, Jonah begins to
express gratitude that God has saved him
from a storm and realizes that he owes
God his life. After 3 days, he is spewed
back on shore and proceeds to go and
prophesy to the people living in Ninevah
as he was asked. In the end, the people
there actually do repent and start making
better choices.
While God saves Jonah from a storm,
from drowning, and from being con
sumed when eaten by an enormous fish,
he also teaches Jonah that the real danger
was himself all along. Jonah’s sense of
crisis, lack of peace, and dissatisfac
tion with his life all have less to do with
circumstances around him, as he believes,
and more to do with his reluctance to face
the truth of who he is so he might live
into his potential, even if the path seems
challenging at first. No matter how far he
retreats, how far down into the bow of the
ship he goes to sleep, and how far he sinks
into the ocean, he cannot escape the truth
that he is meant to do good things in the
Rev. Pamela Johnston is pastor of Eb-
enezer United Methodist Church, 1671
Dames Ferry Road, Forsyth. The Pastors
Corner is sponsored by the Monroe County
Ministerial Association, which meets on the
second Thursday of each month at 9 a.m.
at Christ United Methodist Church, 417 N.
Frontage Road, Forsyth. .[The Ministerial
Association will not meet in June or July
and will meet on the 3rd Thurday, Aug. 18,
for August.]
Email church calendar news to Diane Glidewell at news@mymcr.net by Monday at
10 a.m. Church information is published free of charge as space permits.
July 11-15
Vacation Bible School
Forsyth New Life Mission of
Seventh-day Adventists will
hold Vacation Bible Schoo
at Forsyth Garden Apart
ment Community Center,
500 Cabiness Road, Forsyth
on Monday-Friday, July
11-15 from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
With the theme “Jasper
Canyon: Where Every Kid
is Treasured by God” there
will be arts & crafts, Bible
stories and refreshments. For
more information, call 404-
988-4032.
July 13
Food Distribution at
Christ UMC
The Circle of Care Mobile
Food Drop at Christ United
Methodist Church, 417 N.
Frontage Road, Forsyth will
be on Wednesday, July 1 3
from 10 am - 12 noon.
July 14
4th Annual "7-14" Ga.
State-Wide Bible Read
ing
On Thursday, July 14 at
7:1 4 a.m. at each of the
159 county courthouses
in Georgia, a section of
the Bible will be read. All
are welcome to join the
reading at Monroe County
Courthouse. In an hour or
less the entire Bible will be
read across the state. The
interdenominational event
is based on 2 Chronicles
7:14, “If my people, who
are called by my name,
will humble themselves, and
pray and seek my face, and
turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven,
and forgive their sin and
heal their land.”
July 17
St. Paul Juliette AME
celebrates Homecoming
St. Paul Juliette AME
Church, 1 1 4 E Redding Rd,
Juliette will celebrate Home
coming on Sunday, July, 17.
Rev. Austin J. Walker will
deliver the message at 1 1
a.m. All are invited to join
the worship and fellowship.
July 17-30
Evangelistic Meeting
Forsyth New Life Mission
of Seventh-day Adventists
will have an Evangelis
tic Meeting, Jesus is the
Answer, from Sunday, July
17 to Saturday, July 30 at
Monroe County Recreation
Park in Forsyth. Meetings
will be 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Sun.-Wed. & Fri. and 9:30
a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Saturdays
(lunch provided).There will
be a Free Health Screen
ing on Sunday, July 17
from 1 2 noon-4 p.m. For
more information, visit www.
jesusistheanswer.space
July 24
Sharon Primitive Bap
tist celebrates 195th
Homecoming
Sharon Primitive Baptist
Church, 5827 Highway
83S, Culloden will celebrate
its 195th Homecoming on
Sunday, July 24. Services
will start at 1 1 a.m. with
unch following the morning
service in the fellowship hall.
All are invited to join the
celebration.
Back-to-School Bash
at Philadelphia Baptist
Philadelphia Baptist Church,
3121 GA Hwy 42 N,
Forsyth, will have an exciting
Back To School Bash on
Sunday, July 24 at 10:30
a.m. Following the morning
service there will be a give
away of backpacks filled
with school supplies. Food,
fun and games for the kids
are planned, including an
inflatable water slide. All
are welcome.
July 24-26
Sanctuary Baptist has
VBS
The Sanctuary Baptist
Church, 12643 High
way 87, Juliette will host
Vacation Bible School on
Sunday-Tuesday, July 24-26
from 6:30 to 9 p.m. each
night for pre-school to 6th
grade. A meal will be
served each night. Memory
verse is Philippians 1:6. For
more information, contact
Alan Beck at bigalan3000@
gmail.com
Ongoing
Bread & Blessings
food pantry is open at
Bethany Baptist
The Bread & Blessing food
pantry is open at the fellow
ship hall of Bethany Baptist
Church, 365 Pea Ridge
Road, Bolingbroke every
Monday from 10 a.m.-12
noon. There are a variety of
shelf stable items available
for families who need them.
For more information, cal
478-974-0002.
Did you know?
Snapshots from
Monroe County History
D id you know that a
lightning strike in
1913 was so power
ful that it melted a
wire cable for one of
the weights in the Monroe County
Courthouse clock?
When the cable broke, the largest of the
weights, about 800 pounds according to
the local newspaper the Advertiser, went
"crashing towards the ground. Through
ceiling, plaster and floors" it fell, knocking
bricks off the clock tower. The weight
landed
just out
side the
BICENTENNIdL
* CELEBRATING SOD YEARS *
E5T. 1821
sec
ond-story grand jury room, cracking the
ceiling and flooring there.
When the courthouse was constructed
in 1896, the county commissioners in
stalled a Seth Thomas clock As there was
no electricity in the building, the clock
had to be wound, thus the weights.
Today the clock operates on electrici
ty-with a battery backup.
WILLIS
Continued from Page 1 B
The family worried a little
about the cost of four years
at the Ivy League school,
but after the first year,
Floyd received scholarships
to help with that expense.
Mack said there were some
who told Floyd it would be
hard for a boy from rural
Forsyth to succeed at Yale,
but he was determined to
take the challenge. He said
his mother was able to at
tend Floyd’s graduation
from Yale.
Mack said the family
was particularly proud
when Floyd received the
President’s Award for Aca
demic Achievement when
he graduated from More
house School of Medicine.
“Floyd has made us very
proud,” said Mack.
Mack retired from IBM
in New York and owns and
operates Summerset Assist
ed Living Community in
Atlanta. Their older broth
er, George Willis Jr., owned
a funeral home in Forsyth
and real estate investments,
like their father. Their sister,
Alma Willis Fulton, is a re
tired educator. Their oldest
sister is Mary Fanny Willis
Battle, and they have a spe
cial needs sister, Charlotte.
Their mother was an early
entrepreneur, operating a
daycare for about 15 years.
She then taught English at
Hubbard High School.
Mack said Floyd is very
modest and was totally
surprised at receiving the
Mayo Clinic’s Lifetime
Achievement Award. It was
presented at the end of a
four-day conference, where
Floyd delivered a brief
speech. He had become a
bit suspicious when he saw
a number of individuals
whom he had taught and
mentored at the Mayo
Clinic over the years at the
conference, even though
several of them were now
based around the country.
Mack said that as the
family tried to support
Floyd while he went
through school, such as
George Jr. making a point
to call him daily while he
was in New York, Floyd
has remained attentive and
responsive to his family
over the years since, such as
helping with health issues.
Floyd has conducted
research about healthcare
disparities between racial
groups. He worked to close
the healthcare gap for Af
rican Americans through
contacts with African
American churches to
make their congregations
more aware of healthcare
resources. In his studies on
Alzheimer’s Disease, he had
found it more prevalent
in the African American
community.
“He doesn’t work for rec
ognition,” said Mack Willis.
“He does it from his heart.”
Floyd is married to Wan
da, who is from Augusta.
He has one daughter, Joy,
and one son, Jackson.
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Sunday morning local sermon schedule:
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10 a.m. Rock Springs Church
11 a.m. New Providence Baptist Church
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