OakLEAF
East White Oak Bible Church | 11922 E 2000 North Rd. Carlock, IL 61725 | 309.454.3833 | www.ewo.org
FEBRUARY 2013 VOL. 32 | NO. 1
Knowing Christ and Making Him Known
The Sensitive Debate Even the word–“abortion”– creates an atmosphere of fear and anger. Most Americans don’t want to talk about it. Those who do seem pretty fixed in their opinions one way or another. My article is intended to offer some suggestions to help the discussion of this, the greatest issue which divides Americans.
Over Abortion M
ost people don’t think about abortion very much. This comes as a great shock to those who are ardently “pro-life” or “pro-choice”. But it seems to me that most folks form some opinion on the issue and then want it to go away. I think that the words used in the debate form a large part of the confusion. Most people would say that they are for “life”. Equally, most people would say they are for “choice”. Having “life” and having “choices” seem to be good things. One question to ask those who believe in the “right to choose” is: The right to choose what? The infinitive demands an object. For a pregnant woman, the right to choose whether or not to have a baby has already been made. She has a baby. The real choice is now whether to destroy that baby or not. Many, of course, would object to this reasoning by suggesting that the pregnant woman does not have a baby but a mass of material that, if the woman chooses, becomes a baby. But life is not subject to such cavalier whimsy. Many arguments can be advanced pointing to the humanity of the life within the womb—biblical (see Jeremiah 1), scientific (see the research by the French geneticist LeJeune), and philosophical (see work by Francis Schaeffer among many others). The argument that makes a lot of sense to me involves the nature of life within the womb. What shall we call this thing growing inside the woman? Is it a baby if and only if the mother wants it to be? Is it merely a mass of tissue otherwise? If it is merely a blob of tissue, what kind of tissue is it? It isn’t lion or bear or cow or pig tissue. It is, in undeniable fact, human tissue. Now, if it is human tissue, whose tissue is it? We might be tempted to believe that it is the woman’s tissue, but it is not, at least not in any biological sense. This tissue has a separate DNA code and separate organ systems from the woman. It most assuredly is not her tissue.
Now we come to a startling question. If the mass of tissue is human and it is not the woman’s, whose tissue is it? It must be someone else’s! It’s that “someone else” who deserves to be heard in this debate. The “right to choose” cannot have a horrifying object—the right to choose—to kill—another person. The “mass of tissue” is alive; it is human; it is not the woman’s tissue. Whatever you want to call it, it cannot be that one person has the right to kill what belongs to another (or more properly, what is another!). So, the next time someone speaks of the “right to choose,” you might want to ask, “the right to choose what?” I find that most people don’t really believe in the right to choose to kill another person. But they like the euphemism of “choice.” It even sounds patriotic! We must urge people to think more precisely of the choices that are out there. When they do so, they won’t like one of those choices.
“right to choose,” you might want to ask, “the right to choose what?” I find that most people don’t really believe in the right to choose to kill another person. So, the next time someone speaks of the
More recently, “pro-choice” advocates have been acknowledging what they have long denied. They are beginning to acknowledge that the “right to choose” is, in fact, the right to choose to kill. They are now arguing that the right to kill a baby, even outside the womb, ought to be legalized. They argue that the right to kill a baby for the parents’ own reasons is more important than the right of the baby to live. They justify this by differentiating “human life” from “personhood.” Mary Elizabeth Williams in Salon magazine expresses this disdain for the life of a baby this way, “Here’s the complicated reality in which we live: All life is not equal. That’s a difficult thing for liberals like me to talk about, lest we wind up looking like death-panel-loving, kill-your-grandma-and-yourprecious-baby storm troopers. Yet a fetus can be a human life without having the same rights as the woman in whose body it resides. She’s the boss. Her life and what is right for her circumstances and her health should automatically trump the rights of the non-autonomous entity inside of her. Always.” i According to London’s Daily Telegraph,ii Alberto Giubilini and Francesca Minerva of the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics declare in the Journal of Medical Ethics, “The moral status of an infant is equivalent to that of a fetus in the sense that both lack those properties that justify the attribution of a right to life to an individual.” Rather than being “actual persons”, newborns are merely “potential persons”. They explained: “Both a fetus and a newborn certainly are human beings and potential persons, but neither is a ‘person’ in the sense of ‘subject of a moral right to life’. We take ‘person’ to mean an individual who is capable of attributing to her own existence some (at least) basic value such that being deprived of this existence represents a loss to her.” As such they argued it was “not possible to damage a newborn by preventing her from devel-
i
http://www.salon.com/2013/01/23/so_what_if_abortion_ends_life/ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9113394/Killing-babies-no-different-from-abortion-experts-say.html
ii
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oping the potentiality to become a person in the morally relevant sense”. The authors therefore concluded that what they call “‘after-birth abortion’ (killing a newborn) should be permissible in all the cases where abortion is, including cases where the newborn is not disabled”. They also argued that parents should be able to have the baby killed if it turned out to be disabled without their knowing before birth, for example citing that only 64 per cent of Down’s syndrome cases in Europe are diagnosed by prenatal testing. “To bring up such children might be an unbearable burden on the family and on society as a whole, when the state economically provides for their care,” they write. They prefer to use the phrase “after-birth abortion” rather than “infanticide” to emphasize “that the moral status of the individual killed is comparable with that of a fetus.”
While I can hardly believe that our nation has declined so far into the moral cesspool as to accept this argument immediately, there is little doubt that this is where the abortion debate is headed. I hope that you noticed the argument about the “unbearable burden on society, when the state economically provides for care.” Any scheme of nationalized health care must engage in “cost containment.” In a godless society (which ours is becoming), this will trump any ethical considerations of the intrinsic value of all human beings at whatever stage of development or capacity. In the church, this means that we must be prepared to bear the financial burden to care for the helpless, even defending their right to existence by civil disobedience if necessary. It could mean church based development of alternative medical care systems which operate outside the realm of contemporary modern medicine. Actually, who knows? Who can say where this road leads? We can only say that it is a bad road, and we need to prepare ourselves for it. I recognize that this article might bring painful memories on many of my dear readers. People who have been part of the pain of the abortion experience, more than any others, want the pain to go away. So our tendency is to try to hide, ignore, suppress, and dream away the facts. Actually, only by confronting this pain and taking it to our dear Savior and His cross will we be able to move past the pain into the joy of forgiveness. We cannot pretend that abortion is anything less than the killing of an innocent child. But, praise God, “the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) “All” means all! May God help us bring a word of hope to an intractable debate,
By God’s Word at last my sin
“
I learned; Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned, ‘Til my guilty soul imploring turned To Calvary Mercy there was great and grace was free! Pardon there was multiplied to me! There my burdened soul found liberty! At Calvary.” –William R. Newell
Pastor Scott
urge people to think more precisely of the choices that are out there. When they do so, they won’t like one of those choices. We must
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Friday, March 1 • 6:30 – 9:30 PM Through this Never Too Late workshop, you will discover:
Facilitated by Rob Rienow
• The mission of parenting doesn’t end when our kids become adults.
In 2004 God led Rob and his wife, Amy, to launch Visionary Family Ministries, a ministry designed to inspire parents and grandparents to disciple their children, to help couples create mission drivenmarriages, and equip churches to build Bible-driven ministries. Their mission is to build the church through a global reformation of family discipleship.
• Biblical principles which will inspire you to encourage faith in your adult child’s heart. • Practical steps for creating a stronger relationship with your adult child and starting spiritual conversations.
Rob serves as a pastor at Gospel Fellowship Church in Glen Ellyn, IL. He is the author of the books God’s Grand Vision for the Home (Awana), Visionary Parenting (Randall House), Reclaiming the Sufficiency of Scripture and When They Turn Away: Drawing Your Adult Child Back to Christ (Kregel). He and Amy also wrote Visionary Marriage (Randall House) to help couples capture a compelling, biblical vision for their life together. Rob and Amy married in 1994, and they have been blessed with six children. The Rienow family lives in Wheaton, IL. For more information on Visionary Family Ministries, please visit www.visionaryfam.com.
Saturday, March 2 • 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Lunch will be provided
Through this Visionary Parenting workshop, parents and grandparents will be inspired to: • Catch a vision for the spiritual life of your family.
There is no cost to attend either of these events, but there will be an opportunity to make a financial contribution toward the costs associated with hosting this event.
• Develop practical tools for dealing with repeated discipline issues. • Win the heart of your preschooler or reconnect with your teen.
To register for either of these workshops, please contact the church office at 454-3833 or
[email protected]. 4
omen’sMinistry Lord, Where Are You When Bad Things Happen? by Kay Arthur
Led by Lynny Wegman (309-862-2242) This study will guide us through the book of Habakkuk, helping us know God, understand Him, and love Him more fully in our walk of faith. 10 weeks / Suggested donation: $10.00 Began February 5, 6:30 – 8:30 PM, Room 170 Began February 7, 9:30 – 11:30 AM, Room 170
Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs: Wisdom’s Searching and Finding by Kathleen Nielson
Led by Leah Rhodes (309-862-3153) This study explores two beautiful Old Testament poetic books that answer two of life’s deepest questions: “What is the meaning of life?” and “What is love?” These two questions will lead us closer to the heart of God as we study together. 10 weeks / Suggested donation: $10.00 Rescheduled to begin March 5, 6:30 – 8:30 PM, Room 173
Just Give Me Jesus Prayer Rally for Revival
Led by Anne Graham Lotz Friday, April 5, 2013 | 7–9:00 PM Saturday, April 6, 2013 | 8:30 AM–5:00 PM Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, IN Join us for this life-changing two-day revival designed to fan into flame your love for Jesus. Admission is free. No ticket or registration is required. For more information visit www.JustGiveMeJesusIndy.org.
Stonecroft Bible Studies Winter/Spring 2013
Sometimes it is most difficult to reach the people closest to you—like your own neighbors. Opening your home to host a Stonecroft Study is a great way to build deeper relationships with the women in your area! The discussion-based guides provide 90-minute lessons packed with the life-changing truth of God’s Word—and costs just $7. You can share the love of God found in Christ through loving hospitality and discussions about things that really matter! If you want to host a study or if you want more information, contact Joan Rich (309) 452-4861. Colossians—The Indwelling Christ begins Wednesday, February 13 at 9:00 AM at the home of Ernie Monahan, 1119 Hanson Drive, Normal, 309-452-9772. This study for growing Christians describes our union with Christ and the power available to those who trust in Him. Learn to recognize false teachings and how to have abundant life and meaningful fellowship with Christ Jesus. (8 lessons) Why Believe? Investigate Evidence for Faith begins Wednesday, March 6 at 9:00 AM at the home of Joan Rich, 118 Marie Way, Normal, 309-452-4861. Explore compelling evidence that shows why faith is a reasonable response in a skeptical world. This study investigates scientific and historical evidence that backs up the Bible’s claims about God and His desire for a personal relationship with us. (4 lessons) Know the Truth begins Wednesday, April 10 at 9:00 AM at the home of Joan Rich, 118 Marie Way, Normal, 309-452-4861. What is truth? Are there absolute standards? This study of Romans chapters 1-8 answers these questions in simple, direct language. Learn how to turn from sin, accept God’s forgiveness, and experience salvation through Christ. (5 lessons)
WINTER WEATHER CANCELLATIONS The church website (www.ewo.org/info/cancellations) and phone message (press 7 for cancellations) will have the most recent information regarding service or activity cancellation. A cancellation decision is made by 7:30 a.m. for Sunday Services and 4:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. Media outlets for this information include:
WJBC 1230AM • www.wjbc.com (click on Cancellations) WHOI TV (Channel 19 Peoria) • www.cinewsnow.com (click on Closings) WEEK TV (Channel 25 Peoria) www.week.com (click on Closings) WMBD TV (Channel 31 Peoria • www.ciproud.com (click on Weather and then Closings) Church Office will be closed and weekday activities will be cancelled if Unit 5 cancels school.
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We Learn from the Past
Our original East White Oak Bible Church building stood on the present site from its construction beginning in 1892. Farm families in the area wanted a place for worship that would not require driving their horses all the way to Danvers. It quickly took hold and grew steadily in the century leading to the 1990s. Automobiles now brought people from the nearby towns as well as the countryside, and attendance by then was about 400 people on Sundays.
At approximately 5 AM on July 19, 1994, a thunderstorm passed over the area, and a bolt of lightning struck the church. No one was there at the time, but a while later, a nearby farmer noticed flames and started alarm calls. Sixty-five firemen came from nine nearby communities, hauling water to fight the fire. In spite of the 105,000 gallons of water hosed onto the fire, it continued to burn for four hours. The original sanctuary and education wing were reduced to rubble, but the adjoining Fellowship Hall had been saved. By this time, many of the congregation had heard the news, and gathered in the church yard. Some had been life-long worshippers there, and it had been the site of countless marriages, funerals, and spiritual conversions during its century of service. Hearts were heavy, but faith and acceptance also were evident. Pastor Jeff VanGoethem was sharing with people, “Sometimes the Lord hurts us to help us.” A number of people were saying that we should seek something good out of this seeming tragedy. Others were reminding that Christ’s church is its people, not a building made of wood and bricks. These thoughts provided the basis for the reconstruction which was to follow. This was a critical point in time – Pastor Jeff encouraged us with, “The Bible says the rain falls on the just and the unjust. God sends us hardships and trials to teach us.” 6
While planning for the rebuilding, we tried to prepare along these lines: • What we can learn from this. • Develop a plan to meet our needs and protect against future occurrences. • How to implement and maintain the plan. Our people pitched in and worked together in the weeks and months that followed to clean up the site and prepare for rebuilding. People from other churches assisted. Services came back to the Fellowship Hall two weeks after the fire. Insurance provided coverage on a replacement cost basis, truly a wise choice on a building of this age and type. Replacement cost was $1,300,000 and insurance paid all but $200,000. Reconstruction began in July 1995 and rededication came in August 1996. The new sanctuary is twice the size of the original, planned because of our growth needs. Our people continued to help in every reasonable way during this time: • Unified in their objectives and efforts. • Continued as a team to pitch in and help. • Everyone learned from the experience. Through the years in our new church “home”, we have sought to apply what we have learned from the “fire” experience to situations that arise. In every difficulty and adjustment, we seek to deal with it unified in our desire to be consistent with the leadings of our Lord.
Designed with a 5th grader in mind
Howard Frink
r e t s Ea 3|28 THURSDAY 5 0 PM All Church Potluck 7:00 PM Communion Service 3|31 SUNDAY WORSHIP 7:30, 9:00 and 10:30 AM
BREAKFAST
NURSERY & KIDS
SERVICES
8–11:00 AM Eggs, sausage, and more! Free of charge.
Nursery–2nd grade: childcare at 9:00 and 10:30 AM 3rd–6th grade: Sunday School at 9:00 AM only
Your Body
God’s Plan Sex education from a distinctly Christian perspective
April 14 & 21, 2013 Parent Orientation April 7!
Run to Support As Our Own Do you love the work As Our Own is doing in India? Then join I Will Run–Team Chicago to raise funds and awareness. You can choose to run or walk the half marathon (13.1 miles) or the mini marathon (3 miles) at the July 21, 2013, Rock 'n Roll race in honor of 7-year-old daughter, Sabri. 1. Register for the race—fees increase 3/31 www.runrocknroll.competitor.com/Chicago/ register Choose your distance and follow the prompts to register. 2. Make your fund-raising commitment of $750 or more. www.AsOurOwn.org/run Choose Team Chicago and select Register to make your page. 3. Start training and fund-raising! www.AsOurOwn.org/run Download the training guide and fund-raising kit.
Go to www.ewo.org for more information.
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Meet ing ANNUAL
MARCH 17
Moms Offering Moms Support
Lunch will be provided
February 15 • Taking Care of Our Marriage March 1 • Quick Comfort Meals March 22 • Silent Retreat II April 5 • Taking Care of Our Children April 19 • MOMCycle
Tickets $10 | Formal Dinner
We meet from 9:30–11:30 a.m. in the Banquet Room at EWO. All are welcome to come, even if you don't attend EWO. Please contact Crystal Larkin at (309) 376-2018 or
[email protected] with any questions.
Ties/Dresses required; suits optional.
Best Christian Theme Best Drama Best Comedy Best Documentary Best Music Video Best Take-Off
(Movie, TV Show, Commercial)
Births
Susanna Cate Granddaughter of Pastor Scott and Carol Boerckel November 19 Riggins Jack Son of Jason and Megan White January 22 Logan Atticus Son of Isaac and Shari Weitekamp January 26
Deaths
James Edward "Ed" Nash Wayne Moore's stepfather December 17 Nannie Roy Long-time East White Oak member January 11 Lester Alban Bev Nix's father January 29
As you do your spring cleaning, please keep MOMS in mind. MOMSCycle is coming up April 19. MOMSCycle is for those interested in donating baby, child, adult, or home goods and swapping it for other things they could use or benefit from. For details, contact Crystal Larkin at (309) 376-2018 or
[email protected].
EVERENCE Our church is part of the Mennonite Mutual Aid (MMA) fraternal benefit association, now known as Everence, which exists to supply grant monies to churches. East White Oak’s historic roots in the Anabaptist Movement provided this opportunity. Everence is a fraternal organization which invests funds and sells certain insurance and investment products. Fraternal organizations are required by law to supply grant monies to qualifying churches. Our relationship with Everence will make the church eligible for grant monies each year. Contact Linda McClure, church administrator, for information on any of these grant opportunities.
