tKIje Cliarlotte
THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1997
12A
RELIGION
Prayer
more than
just habit
Sunday
School Lesson
The opening of the Christian
gatherings with a word of prayer
is more than a good habit; it as
an expression of our basic faith
and character. Our study today
begins with a word on prayer
from 1 Thessalonians 3.
The opening verses of 1
Thessalonians 3 record the apos
tle Paul's concern for his friends
in Thessalonica, his sending of
Timothy to encourage them
(since he could not go himself),
and his rejoicing at Timothy’s
return, with good news of stead
fastness. “Now we live,” he
exults, “if (or since) ye stand fast
in the Lord” (v.8). With verse 9
comes the mention of specific
prayer. Paul gives thanks to God
for the Thessalonian Christians
and for the joy they have
brought him, and he continues
with a petition that he may
revisit them and supply what is
still lacking in their faith and
life (verses 10,11).
This shift from thanks to peti
tion, and from rejoicing in his
friends’ accomplishments to con
cern for their maturity in Christ,
reflects an attitude that is criti
cally important in kingdom
labors. Is God’s messenger never
satisfied and always asking for
more? Yes, he is never satisfied!
Pleased with good - certainly!
Satisfied with an unchanging
level in that goo - certainly not!
One might as well expect a
proud parent to be satisfied with
2-year old behavior in a 4-year-
old child.
There is a difference, however,
between our children on the one
hand and God’s children on the
other. In this world we reach
physical maturity and cease
growing. Our minds slow down,
and we quit learning. But in
Christ we never reach the end
opportunity for development,
and we always have eternity to
anticipate. Our text this week
deals with carrying out our
earthly responsibilities while
looking past them to heaven.
Paul vu-ged the Thessalonian
Christians to allow God to make
them “increase and abound in
love one toward another” (3:12).
The New International Version
renders this, “IVIake your love
increase and overflow for each
other.” The love that God has
manifested to us in Jesus is to
stimulate us not only to love
Him in return, but to love all
who are in Him.
But even this is not the whole
story. Verse 12 adds that this
love is to abound not just “to one
another,” but “toward all.” Thus,
our love is to overflow like the
Nile to refresh and renew all the
lives we touch in the process.
Christian living should not be
restricted and directed as if
being forced through a concrete
sluiceway. Rather, it must
allowed to expand and to enrich
art, literature, civic concerns,
commerce, medicine, political
life - indeed, everything we
touch as Christians.
The Christian’s love for others
wfll lead toward increasing holi
ness. Thus, the monastic life, in
which one withdraws from social
contacts, is not the way to godli
ness. While holiness must affect
our hearts, a key to one's accep
tance before Jesus will be the
practical expression of love to
the sick, the sorrowing, the hun
gry, and the homeless (Matthew
25:31-46).
The final judgment on holiness
will take place at the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ in His
glory. Accompanying Jesus at
His appearing will be a vast refr
inue of saints - those holy people
who have departed “to be with
Christ” (Phillipians 1:23) and
who will participate in the gloiy
of His triumphant return. Some
believe that word ‘saints’
includes the angels.
Like a seed which grows into a tree
Friday is World Day of Prayer. Here is a list of local churches
observing the event
Ebenezer Baptist Church
202 West Sugar Creek Road
Noon
Hood Memorial AME Zion
Church
305 Stacco Street
Belmont
7 p.m.
Saint Luke Baptist Church
1401 North Allen Street
11 a.m.
Plaza Presbyterian Church
2304 ’The Plaza
10 a.m.
Memorial Presbyterian
Church
2600 Beatties Ford Road
Noon
Saint Alban Episcopal
Church
406 Lorime# Road
Davidson
10 a.m.
The Pines Retirement Home
400 Avinger Lane
Davidson
11 a.m.
The Pines Retirement Home
400 Avinger Lane
Davidson
11 a.m.
Statesville Avenue
Presbyterian Church
3435 Nevins Road
7 p.m.
Oakland Presbyterian
Church
Rock Hill, S. C.
5:15 p.m.
Sharon Towers
5100 Sharon Road
10 a.m.
God,
you too
can be
a winner
Sweepstakes
notice sent to
God at Florida
church
By Tom Bayles
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TAMPA, Fla.- American
Family Publishers found God in
Sumter County. And He may be
very, very rich.
A sweepstakes notice arrived
at the Bushnell Assembly of
God earlier this month
annoimcing God, of Bushnell,
Fla., was a finalist for the $11
million top prize.
“I always thought he lived
here but I didn’t actually know,”
said Bill Brack, pastor of the
church about 60 miles north of
Tampa. “Now I do. He’s got a
P.O. box here.”
“God, we’ve been searching for
you,” American Family wrote in
the letter, as first reported by
the local weekly newspaper, the
Sumter County Times.
The message was centered
between two round seals
requesting God to “come for
ward.”
If God were to win, the letter
stated, “What an incredible for
tune there would be for God!
Could you imagine the looks
you’d get from your neighbors?
But don’t just sit there, God.”
Sweepstakes officials did not
return several telephone calls
for comment Thvusday.
Brack said a youth pastor col
lected the mail that day and
pointed out the addressee. “I
read it in church a couple of
weeks ago and everyone got a
kick out of it,” he said. “It is
funny and everybody seemed to
enjoy it. It lifted everybody’s
heart.”
Brack said his 140-person con
gregation is considering
whether to mail in the entry.
The church could use the
money.
If they win. Brack said he'd
settle with American Family for
10 percent on the doUar and call
it even.
“Tm willing for them to show
up here at the church with cam
eras and me in my bathrobe as
long as they write a check,” he
quipped.
And if American Family
chooses a different winner?
“God would be disappointed,”
Brack joked.
Minister says churches should battle AIDS
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BOSTON - Afiican American
churches have an obligation to
lead a campaign against AIDS,
say many black ministers
nationally.
Several black clergymen said
that while some black churches
in the area have addressed the
epidemic, too many African
American congregations resist
dealing with the issue.
“Folks have to start realizing
that it is criminal, sinful to be
out of the fray,” said the Rev.
Jeffrey L. Brown, pastor of the
Union Baptist Church in
Cambridge, Mass.
He also is chairman of the Ten
Point Coalition, an organization
led by ministers that cospon
sored Sunday’s gathering, called
a healing service, at the
Columbus Avenue AME Zion
Church in the Roxbury section.
More than 20 black ministers
attended and apologized for
what they saw as a lack of lead
ership by the black church in the
fight against AIDS.
They offered prayers for those
with AIDS or infected with the
virus that causes it.
“We confess that a vision has
been needed, and we have failed
to make it plain,” said the Rev.
Barbara Perriman of
Momingstar Baptist Church in
the Mattapan
section.
“To the extent
to which the
black church is
supposed to serve as custodians
of moral order and spiritual
leadership, to that extent, the
chiuch has to be out front,” said
the Rev. Eugene Rivers of the
Azusa Christian Cbmmunit"
Center in Dorchester.
AIDS is the leading cause of
death for blacks aged 25 to 44.
Most African American
churches are conservative, espe
cially on issues involving sex,
which may explain the reluc
tance of some of them to talk
about AIDS openly.
In general, they promote absti
nence as the correct sexual con
duct outside of marriage, and
many of them consider homosex-
uahlyasin.
However, as ministers of an
increasing number of black
churches have to deal with
members with AIDS or HIV, the
virus that causes it, it is recog
nized that African American
“We confess that a vision has been needed,
and we have failed to make it plain.”
chinches cannot afford to avoid
the issue.
Locally, several Gastonia min
isters have heeded the call. This
week marks the first Week of
Prayer/Revival for the Healing
of AIDS, a program sponsored
by local congregations and the
community HIV/AIDS Task
force, an affiliate of the AIDS
Council of Gaston County.
Five Gastonia churches have
volimteered to open their sanc
tuaries to AIDSdHV workshops.
The workshops will be followed
by church services.
The two groups hope that by
combining resources, more peo
ple will find out how to prevent
the spread of the virus, which
affects 527 Gaston Coimty resi
dents. Blacks make up 70 per
cent of confirmed HTV cases in
the county.
“Our understanding of the
Bible, the message of the
gospels, calls for us
to respond,” said
the Rev. Michael
Robinson, pastor of
Love’s Chapel
Presbyterian Church. “The
AIDS crisis inspires us to put
our faith into action.”
The local effort joins with
national observances motivated
by a program called Balm in
Gilead, a national effort to get
churches more involved in the
fight against AIDS.
“The AIDS epidemic shows
every sign of increasing its dead
ly impact in our communities
through ignorance and lack of
resources,” BIG founder and
CEO Pemessa Seele said.
“Actually, the reason we’re
taking it to the churches is that
Afiican Americans tend to take
their problems and needs to pas
tors,” Arvelle Isbell of the
Gaston County Health
Department said. “We think tak
ing it to the pastors will help get
the information out.”
Organizers hope to see 50 to
100 attendees at the sessions
which run through Friday.
“Now is the time to affirm the
legacy of the Afiican American
church as a beacon of light in the
midst of this Gilead of hopeless
ness and fear,” Seele said. “We
invite all black churches to
become the balm of faith, knowl
edge and strength that will the
difference in the lives of people
who are infected and affected by
HIV/AIDS.”
• Thursday - 6 p.m.
Community Resources,
Tabernacle Baptist Chmch, 519
19th St.
Friday - 6 p.m. Faith
Perspective HIV and Women,
Friendship Baptist Chimch, 221
W. Bradley Ave.
For more information, txJl 853-
5138.