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■H http://vvww.thepost.minclspring.com tEIje CFjarlotte ^o£!t 10A RELIGION WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1997 Gkxl’s Gang Group of teens see miracle in a few small oup ol fish. See page llA. Sunday School LESSON Friends ‘turn in’ church arsonists in Texas By Juan B. Elizondo, Jr. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS “Living hope.” That’s what Peter calls it. And it U one of the most exciting con cepts in the New Testament. Many of us do not understand this hope. We are used to another kind of hope that is more like wishful thinking than biblical hope. This kind of hope is rooted in the past, “through the resurrec tion of Jesus Christ from the dead” (I Peter 1:3), and focused on the future, “the salvation that is ready to be revealed” the last time (i Peter 1:5). But it finds its ex pression in the present: we live - really live, fully live, live now - in hope! This lesson is presented with a prayer that it will help you and your students reclaim that bibli cal kind of hope. One of the popular television programs that came out a couple of years ago is Early Edition. It’s about a man who receives tomor row’s newspaper today. Each morning he reads the reports of what is going to happen that very djay. Naturally, most of it is bad njews - that’s what many newspa pers print: accidents, power fail ures, holdups, acta of violence. 'Every week our hero, Gary, reads a headline - “Child Struck by Car” or “Disgruntled Employee Shoots Four” - and then sets about to avert the disas ter he knows is about to happen that no one else knows. Often, no ope believes he knows what he kpows, so they ignore him. He is frequently fhistrated, sometimes slispected, and often opposed. But he perseveres, and by the end of the hour has saved the day once a^n. It is not exactly hope, but it’s close. Gary has a confidence about the future that is more than a guess or a feeling. More than that, he believes his behav ior in the present can make a pos itive difference on the future. Where others see only problems, he focuses on solutions. In that, he becomes a model for Christians. We, too, have a confi dence about the future. It’s not a guess or a vague feeling, it’s a promise from the Lord, who can not lie. It is what the New Ibstament calls hope. God has given us an “early edi tion,” telling us about the future of our world and the next. For most, this is bad news: sin will be judged. But there is also good news - the gospel. Because of Jesus, something can be done about the problem. The disaster can be averted. We who share the gospel will not always be believed. Some will be suspicious of us. Many will oppose our efforts, and we will be frostrated at times. But if we per severe, we will find that our hope has not been in vain. This letter is addressed to Christians in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (1 Peter 1:1,2). Some of these believ ers may have been converted on the first Pentecost after the ascension when Peter preached the sermon recorded in Acts (Acts 2:9). Much had changed in the thirty or so years since that first gospel sermon. How often do you praise God for your new birth and hope in Christ? In what kinds of occa sions is it easiest to praise him? When is it hardest? When is it most necessary? Why? How can we be more appreciative of this great gift and increase our praise to God for it? At first the believers were “eqjoying the favor of all the peo ple’ (Acts 2:47). That changed quickly, first for Peter and the other apostles, and then for the whole church. By the time record ed in Acts 8, “a great persecution brake out against the church at Jerusalem” (Acts 8:1). This perse cution was Jewish in origin the Roman government, bebeving the church to be just another sect within Judaism, tended to stay out of it That too, had changed by the time Peter wrote this let ter. AUSTIN - Richard Miller and Jerry Shawn Scott say they told investigators their friend and another man set a fire that burned down the Macedonia Baptist Church in Ferris because it was the right thing to do. On 'Ibesday, Miller and Scott were rewarded for the informa tion they provided. Charlotte, based NationsBank gave both men checks for $10,000 as rewards in helping to convict Robert Stillman and Randall Moore of arson. Scott said Stillman was his best friend before the March fire at the 100-year-old church, which has a predominantly black-member congregation, south of Dallas. “He walked up to me and ... (Miller) and said it was done. They burned it down,” Scott said. “I thought he had more sense than that.” Scott added that Stillman indi cated the arson was racially moti vated. Miller said federal arson inves tigators contacted him after the fire because he and Scott were seen with Stillman and Moore shortly after the fire, which destroyed the church. “I just told them what he said,” Miller said. Stillman and Moore pleaded guilty to setting the fire in U.S. district court earlier this year. Stillman was sentenced in July to five years in prison. Moore’s sen tence was five years and 10 months in prison. Since 1995, federal, state and local arson officials have investi gated more than 350 suspicious church fires. More than 130 peo ple have been arrested in connec tion with 97 of those fires and investigations continue. Winter wonderland PHOTO/PAUL WILLIAMS II Snow blankets the grounds of Nations Ford Baptist Church in South Chariotte. A winter storm dumped more than an inch of snow on Chariotte Monday. Faith community embraces Kwanzaa By Jeri Young THE CHARLOTTE POST Across the nation, many black churches are taking part in ser vices marking Kwanzaa, the nation’s only African American holiday. “We’re acknowledging who we are by this means. I lived through a day when African American peo ple were kind of apologizing for who they are,” said the Rev. Daniel Morgan, pastor of Guidance Church of Religious Science in South Los Angeles. Kwanzaa, a seven-day holiday that runs through New Year’s Day, has been gaining worldwide popularity since it was created. Morgan’s church was among several Los Angeles chvuehes that took part in a city wide celebration of the holiday created three decades ago by college professor and activist Maulana Karenga. Millions now celebrate the cultur al event, which celebrates the seven principles of black unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. In Charlotte, as in Los Angeles, local churches are hosting services during the holiday, which is coor dinated each year by the Afix)- American Cultural Center. The week began with services at Greater Providence Baptist Church and will end 'Thursday at Muhammad Mosque Number 36. Kwanzaa was celebrated last night at First Baptist Church- West and tonight at the McCrorey YMCA. 'Ibnight’s event, the Karamu, a potluck dinner, is extremely popular. Participants are invited to bring a covered dish to share with others. The only restriction is the dish not contain pork. Muhammad Mosque leader Minister Robert Muhammad said he was “honored to be asked to host” a Kwanzaa service, which organizers estimate more than 200 people will attend. “I think any mosque or part of the faith community should allow the buildings they use for worship to be used for conununity func tion,” Muhammad said. “Since Kwanzaa is becoming a more noted and celebrated holiday, I felt it was my responsibility to open our building for the service.” Muhammad sees Kwanzaa as an opportunity to build bridges between difterent faith groups. “I think it is a hohday that if practiced properly — as Dr. Karenga envisioned it — it can become a viable expression of the black experience in America,” Muhammad said. “Since it doesn’t involve religious expression, it can allow us to come together. It invokes unity.” Karenga, head of the Department of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach, celebrated the 30th anniversary of Kwanzaa in Charlotte last year. “Kwanzaa has great depth and meaning as one of the first initia tion experiences for many of us back into our culture,” said R. W. Akile, chairman of Kwanzaa People of Color, which organized the Los Angeles festival. “One of the things you can see happening during Kwanzaa is the telling of our stoiy” Charlotte Kwanzaa organizer, Ahmad Daniels, says the move to local churches will help “get the word out” about the holiday. “It gives us a chance for a broad er reach,” Daniels said. “Having the services at local churches puts Kwanzaa into the minds of some people who wouldn’t normally come to the services.” According to Daniels, AACC sought local churches when ser vices outgrew space at the Center. “There just wasn’t enough space,” Daniels said. “We went to ministers we thought would be open to hosting a service. The response was great. And we have a good representation of the com munity.” As the holiday grows in popular ity, some black groups complain that, like Christmas and other holidays, it is getting increasingly commercialized and exploited by mainstream companies that mar ket Kwanzaa products such as greeting cards. “As long as the African American See KWANZAA on page 11A Black pastor heads white church By Eric Fraizer THE CHARLESTON POST AND COURIER CHARLESTON, S.C. - This is a story about peace on earth, and good will among men. But it’s not exactly about a baby lying in a manger, or shepherds watching their flocks by night, or wise men coming from the East. This is the story of a large, all-white suburban church, of the black minister who came to lead them and of how they ail simply went on with their lives as if nothing could have been more normal. The congregation and the preacher agree: Theirs is a parable about how easily folks of different backgrounds can live together in harmony when they put their minds to it. The story began six months ago, when United Methodist church leaders appointed the Rev. H. Samuel Johnson, a 56- year-old preacher who grew up in the mostly black Neck Area, to lead Mount Pleasant’s Hibben United Methodist Church, a booming all-white suburban congregation of 1,200 souls. J.O. Shuler, a retired veteri narian who has attended the church for some 40 years, admits he had reservations at first. But no fireworks went off, no tempers flared, no ugly preju dices seeped out. It turned out that the new preacher wasn’t all that differ ent after all. He was just going about his business, same as any other preacher, same as any other man trying to his job well. “He’s not controversial at all. He’s just one heck of a good man,” Shuler said. “I personal ly am tickled to death with him, and everybody in the church seems to be.” Ditto for Mrs. J.O. Shuler, the church historian. “There are lots of people like me (in the church) who are from the Old South,” she said, “but most of these people you couldn’t run them out of this church with a stick no matter who you sent as pastor, and we’ve got a good pastor.” Johnson, who had spent the past eight years as superinten dent over Charleston-area United Methodist churches, doesn’t seem the least bit sur prised. Since coming to Hibben, he has baptized babies, counseled members, led fund-raising for a new family life center and accepted about 30 new families into the church. Far as he can tell, he’s not “These outrageous and intolera ble crimes stirred our conscience,” said Tim Amoult, president of NationsBank Southwest. “We felt the impact from these acts because 45 of the church burnings occurred throughout the commu nities in 10 of the states that we The Rev. Samuel Hargers, pas tor of Macedonia Baptist, said his congregation of 45 to 50 people See CHARLOTTE on page 11A Foi^et New Year’s bashes Churches open doors for services By Jeri Young THE CHARLOTTE POST Looking for something faith based to bring in the New Year? ' Several local churches and orga nizations will host New Year’s eve services. • Jubilate, 7 p.m. Charlotte Coliseum - Concert features music by several of the gospel industry’s most popular perform ers including the Howard and Vestal Goodman and Jessy Dixon.' Tickets are $17.50 in advance and can be purchased through TicketMaster or by calling 522- 6500. • Two local churches will hold Watch Night services. Services begin at 10:30 at First Mount Calvary Baptist Church, 209 W. 28th St. At 11 p.m. Grace AME Zion and Little Rock AME Zion will hold a combined service at Grace, 219 South Brevard St. ^2 V* Special services continue New Year’s Day. • First Baptist Church-West, 1801 Oaklawn Ave., will hold an Emancipation Proclamation ser vice. 'The keynote speaker is for mer Progressive National Baptist Convention head, the Rev. Wilham Augustus Jones. Jones, a long-time civil and human rights activist, pastors Bethany Baptist Church and is the author of several Christian writings on the church and social issues. He has served as a professor at Union Theological Seminary, Colgate Rochester Divinity School and Wesley Theologicjd Seminary. "The service marks the signing of the Emancipa- Jones tion Pro-cla- mation. The proclamation, signed during the Civil War by President Abraham Lincoln, freed slaves in the Confederate states and is celebrated throughout the year in the various segments of the African American community. First Baptist organizers hope the service will be a “means of fostering community.” 'The service begins at 11 a.m. On Saturday, the Rev. John P. Kee and the New Life Community Choir will be in con cert at Ovens See MINISTER on page 11A Auditorium. Special guests include the Sensational Nightingales and Erick Matthews. The concert begins at 7 p.m. For more information, call 537-3708. Kee
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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