12A
tKIje Cljarlotte ^osft
THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1996
RELIGION
Sunday school
lesson
The servant's
victory
Devotional Reading:
Revelation 3:14-21
Lesson Scripture: Isaiah
52:13-53:12
The answer offered in this
lesson will be one that, this
writer believes, is most consis
tent with both the book of
Isaiah and the later state
ments of the New Testament.
In Isaiah, the servant is col
lectively the repentant
Israelite exiles who faithfully
suffered through the
Babylonian captivity and who
became the righteous remnant
through whom God would
restore the Israelite nation
(see 49:5; 46:3). Yet the words
of this text describe a servant
who suffers in a manner and
for a purpose that is ultimate
ly beyond that of the exiled
Israelites. He is One not iden
tical to Israel, but One who
came out of Israel and died to
save the world - Jesus Christ
(Acts 8:34,35).
If this answer seems confus
ing or contradictory, the stu
dent should we aware that
Old Testament prophecy is
sometimes given to dual or
multiple applications or "ful
fillments."
Today's text is taken from
the fourth and final of the
Servant Songs of Isaiah
(52:13-35:12). The first two
songs acquainted us with the
servant's call and his mission.
Last week's lesson on the
third song introduced us to
another aspect of the servant's
ministry, which is more fully
developed in this final song. It
is the unique and compelling
concept that the servant's suf
fering would accomplish the
Lord's purposes and save His
people. This suffering, which
is a limited and somewhat
symbolic way referred to the
struggles of the exiled
Israelites, ultimately antici
pated the vicarious suffering
of the Messiah for the sins of
all humanity.
The Bible often uses the
metaphor of sheep to describe
the Lord's people. Christ him
self is called the Good
Shepherd. The idea of being
protected, guided, fed, and
cared for like helpless wooly
lambs is a warm and cozy
thought. Snuggling down in
the shelter of the shepherd's
love is a comforting analogy.
Psalm 23 and John 10 are
favorite texts for all
Christians, because they
assure us that the Lord is our
Shepherd, and He is willing to
give His very life for our safe
ty and salvation.
Another aspect of the sheep
metaphor, however, is disqui
eting, to say the least. Sheep
are prone to go astray, to go
their own way, as it were;
thus the need for constant
shepherding. And despite the
vigilance of the shepherd,
sheep often choose wrong and
dangerous paths.
Isaiah compares man's spiri
tual waywardness with the
straying of sheep. We are
inclined to wander off the nar
row way that leads to abun
dant life. Whenever we insist
on going our own way, disre
garding the directions and
leadership of the Good
Shepherd, we sin and place
our souls in serious jeopardy.
Hear His voice and follow
Him.
Paul Brand has written a
book titled “Pain: The Gift
Nobody Wants.” He relates
the startling statistic that the
people of the United States
spend $63 billion per year on
pain relievers. The irony is
that, while we have greater
ability to manage pain, it
seems increasingly difficult for
See SUNDAY page 14A
A turn for
the better
By Andrea R. Richards
THE CHARLOTTE POST
A drug and alcohol
rehabilitation center
is seeking more sup
port from Charlotte's
communities and
churches.
Right Turn of North
Carolina, 2016 Wilkinson
Blvd., needs volunteers to
help inmates who are trying
to help themselves. The cen
ter is for non-violent inmates
who have a history of alcohol
and drug addiction and are
ready to become productive,
crime-free citizens.
Right Turn is the only pro
gram of its kind in the state
and has the capacity to house
100 men. Currently, there are
83 occupants. About 70 per
cent are African American.
It takes 6-12 months to com
plete the program’s three
phases. Phase I of the treat
ment includes drug education,
individual counseling and
therapy. It's usually complet
ed in one month. Pre-employ
ment training and vocational
assessments are added during
Phase II.
"In Phase II, we start look
ing at educational as well as
at vocational skills training.
We're stressing interviewing,
resume writing...," said Oscar
Lewis, Right Turn’s executive
director. "Also, I am in the
process of coordinating busi
nesses in the area to let them
know that clients will be com
ing eligible for work-release,
and I'd like the clients to come
and interview."
Work-release is the last
phase and allows inmates to
work at businesses in the
city.
Lewis, who helped open the
center in September, hopes
community participation will
increase.
"I'm making an effort to
make the community aware of
this community-based alco
hol/drug rehabilitation pro
gram," he said. "A big part of
the recovery process is involv
ing the churches in the com
munity."
Businesses can participate
by employing clients on work-
release.
Lewis said most of the peo
ple here became addicted to
drugs by associating with the
"wrong crowd."
Charles Solomon, 30, credits
the center for turning his life
around within the last three
months.
Anthony Davis (too ohoto) credits Right Turn of North Caroiina,
for teaching him how to deal with problems. Robert Moore
(right, bottom) is one of 83 occupants at Right Turn. Oscar
Lewis (left, bottom) is the program's executive director.
PHOTOS/JAMES BROWN
"Being that I was uneducat
ed, I thought that was the
only way that I could make it
in life," said the New York
native, who begam using drugs
in his teens. "Being in the fel
lowship of Right Turn I
learned that that's not the
only way. To make it in this
world I have to apply myself"
As a teenager, Solomon did
n't value education and
dropped out of high school
three weeks before gradua
tion. Now, he's received his
General Education Diploma
and is planning to pursue an
associate's degree in computer
engineering at Central
Piedmont Community College.
See ALCOHOLICS page 13A
Eye on Gospel
: HjeMaitt’Tm not a worker,
I'm a president," Dr. Henry
Lyons said to a capacity-fiUed
reception in Los Angeles as he
pitched his platform, to
strengthen the National
Baptist Convention Ine. But
in making the statement,
Lyons hae Just as surely con
tradicted himself, for in the
time that he took the reins of
the 8 million-strong NBC, he
has done little but work at
turning the historic group
around.
Thus far, his efforts are pay
ing off. Since taking over the
presidency in September
1994, Lyons has re-energized
the group’s luadership and
direction, while shaTong $1.4
million off the mortgage of
their Nashville-based World
Center headquarters, boostiug
attendance at annual sessions
from 18,000 to 40,000, con
verting the group's once-
vacant headquarters into a
workplace with a full-time
staff of nine and estabhshing
a loan program to help strug
gling churches. His biggest
remaining priority is to pay off
the existing debt (ff $5.4 mil
lion) on the headquarters in
Nashville at their annual ses
sion in §eptember. Armed
with a handful of ag^essivc
and innovative programs, that
goal appears to be within hie
reach. One approach is Lyons’
financial solidarity program
with member churches, asking
every pastor to receive one sol
idarity dollar from each mem
ber in his congregation to
tackle the debt and insure sol
vency. Other programs
include his unified program,
requesting that the churches
contribute 2-3 percent of their
earnings on a monthly basis.
Optional for now, his unified
program will be mandatory ib
1998. A standard-bearer pro
gram keys in on those witling
to make a personal commit
ment of $10, $25 or $50 per
month. And the group has got
ten into the game business
with its Heritage Game,
designed to recapture the
inlerest of black children's
interest in African American
lii.story, while keying in on the
likes of Booker T. Washington,
George Washington Carver,
Medgar Evers, Martin Luther
King and Roy Wilkins Lyons
will ask each one of his 33,Ono
member churches to secure
the book, which retails for
$25.
Lyons has had no easy task.
The convention was at a low
point when Lyons took the
.Membership was
Tho group had lost in
of 800
naUonwide and suf-
ioss in credibility,
ing to Lyons, most
g was the six-month
•t battle waged by the
outgoing president to deter
mine the validity of the elcc-
In the end the court ruled in
his favor, but in the proeo.ss,
the morale of those involved
' e group dipped to its
point. Lyons has been
ertime to mend the
scars, traveling 80 percent
more than he'd anticipated to
realign the group'.s image and
numbers. Lyons, who has
been preaching some 34 years,
acknowledged hi.s call to iho
ministry while in the llth
"God told me then, he
recounts, 'that I was not onlv
a preacher but that I had a
definite mis.sion here on the
planet and he ery.!talUzed that
mis.-.ion to me. "niat 1 was to
be the president of this group
when I was
had the bu
old. I've
e then,
had tli:
> e»nven-
foun-
snven-
oome bank In
infrastructure
tion. To put in
datiom/ito:
tion back to the ekarch, to
.Jesu.s Christ and to its spiritu
al foots." '
This week's seripturet
Pride goes before destruction,
a haughty spirit before a fall,"
Proverbs 16:18. ,
Down but not out
By Andrea R. Richards
THE CHARLOTTE POST
The Jonesville AME Zion
church family reunited Jan.
21 to conduct services for the
first time this year.
Worship services were
delayed twice because of snow
and ice on the first Sunday
and vandals maliciously
destroyed church property on
the following Sunday.
Even though more than
$20,000 in damages was done
Jan. 13, the congregation of
100 is not stopping. The Rev.
Frank Hunter is pastor.
"I felt bad that they came in
and vandalized our church,"
Hunter said. "I am grateful
that so much good has come
out of it. It has brought the
community together. Several
of the surrounding churches
came to the rescue but I'm sad
to say not really much help
from our (African American)
churches but from other
churches."
Vandals broke inside the
sanctuary, destroyed stained-
glass windows, overturned the
church piano and scattered
papers and hymnals over the
floor. The public address sys
tem and church computers
were also completely ruined.
-1 i
t
PHOTOS/ PAUL WILLIAMS III
Hunter, the church's pastor for two years, said he
doesn't expect the incident to decrease membership.
"I'm hoping they will feel safe," he said. "I feel com
fortable. I have to feel comfortable. I can't allow peo
ple to run me away from the house of God. This is
where I'm supposed to be."
At this time, authorities do not have an leads as to
who vandalized the church, 5527 Providence
Road-West.
Donations to help the Jonesville AME
Zion church family can be mailed to
SouthTrust, 10630 Providence Road.
For more information, contact the
church at 846-1076.