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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2006
5B
RELIGION
What does it
mean to be
a champion
Christian?
Timothy 2:14-18
Paul reminded Timothy
about Hymenaeus and Phile-
tus, who had led some peo{>le
astray teaching that the Sec
ond Coining already had
occurred. He warned that
there were other assaults
coming, which Paul could
only speculate about.
He also warned Timothy
about those who would be dis
obedient and deny the faith,
about others who would quar
rel over phraseology and
semantics, and about those
who engage in pointless argu
ments. Paul had seen many
challenges against his own
ministry and knew that Tim
othy would face the same and
more.
Paul told Timothy that it
was going to be essential for
him to develop the kind of
character that could meet and
overcome any challenge. He
would have to study hard so
he would know the word of
God thorou^y A champion
Christian knows God’s word
well and is able to draw upon
the principles therein to meet
challenges, much like Jesus
did in the wilderness.
Champion Christians, Paul
said, are prepared to do good
works, are righteous, are
strong in faith, love and
peace, which are gifts from
God, and live their lives with
pure hearts that are dedicat
ed completely to serving God.
Champion Christians are
holy and set apart.
God cares about the kind of
people we are, and He desires
for us to seek him with out
whole hearts. WJiile He does
not wish suffering upon any
person. He never said that fol
lowing Him would be easy
Living in a fallen world under
the dominion of Satan, we
find ourselves facing all kinds
of adversity That is why
champion Christians must
trust God to strengthen them
so they can ovenxDme those
challenges.
• Can you think of a time
when your character was test
ed?
• List qualities you think a
sports champion must have.
How do those relate to being a
champion Christian?
n. Why should we desire to
be champion Christians?
(2 Timothy 2:19-21)
As Paul was instructing
Hmoffiy about developing the
character necessary to take
care of the churches in Eph
esus in face of Satan’s attacks,
he gave Timothy a few reason
why it was in Timothy’s best
interest to seek the character
of a champion.
By developing a strong
character, Timothy would
make himself useful to God.
As the wood and clay vessel
he was when God first saved
Rease see T1MOTHY/6B
mE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NISKAYUNA, N.Y.-Taha Ahmed
was all of 5 years old when he stood
in fiunt of a Muslim congregation
and read fix)m the Quran in Arabic.
It wasn’t so hard, he whispers now,
curled up between his parents on the
living room couch at their home near
Albany After all, he was there to cel
ebrate the fact he’d read the holy
book completely
Now, having just turned 7, he’s
busy memorizing it.
In the world of religion, there are
certain milestones. Young Roman
Cathohcs have confirmation and,
along with some young Protestants,
fii-st Communions. Now a growing
Muslim population in America is
importing a rite of passage called
Ameen.
The cultural practice is a mostly
south, southeast and central Asian
one, familiar to perhaps a third of
Muslims in the United States.
It has two parts. The first Ameen,
or “Amen,” is held when a child fin
ishes reading the Quran, roughly the
length of the New Testament, for the
first time in Arabic. The child reads
the holy book aloud, sounding it out
without necessarily understanding
the words.
The second, and more rare, Ameen
comes when someone finishes man-
orizing it, a task that can take a full
time student as long as three years.
‘Tt’s like a bar mitzvah for Jewish
children,” says Eide Alawam, inter
faith outreach coordinator for the
Michigan-based Islamic Center of
America, the largest mosque in the
United States. “It’s an excellent
idea.”
America is home to as many as 6
million Muslims. U.S.-bom blacks
and South Asian immigrants each
make up about one-third of the com
munity, with the rest from the
Mideast, Afiica, parts of Europe and
elsewhere, according to the Mosque
in America sti idy released in 2001 by
the Coimcil on American-Islamic
Relations.
Muslims in the United States say
it’s important to hold on to tradition.
Please see RECITING/6B
Drive on for Pentecostal memorial
niE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES-A
group of civic and religious
leaders are trying to build
support for a long-stalled
memorial honoring a black
preacher who a century ago
launched a multiracial mis
sion that grew into the
worldwide Pentecostal
movement.
The project in the Little
Tbkyo area of Los Angeles
has been bo^ed down for
nearly 10 years in part
because the Japanese
American Community and
Cultural Center has
refused to allow a mural on
a wall it owns on the Azusa
Street site where frie Rev.
William J. Seymour’s
church stood in the early
1900s.
Hoping to capitalize on
February’s Black History
Month, memorial support
ers held a conference Fri
day at Los Angeles City
Hall to gadier support.
Seymour “stands shoul
der to shoulder with such
leaders of Afiican descent
as Nelson Mandela, Martin
Luther King, Malcohn X,”
sand Les Hamasaki, an
urban planner who serves
on the Azusa Street Memo
rial Committee.
Seymour was a son of
slaves whose around-the-
clock rehgious revivals
drew thousands to the
Azusa Street Mission and
made him a revered figure.
Proponents argued the
“Azusa Street SpiritWalk”
Please see MEMORIAL/7B
Convention leader embraces infamy
WE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT WORTH, Tfexas —The sign
hanging on the Rev. Michael Bell’s
oflSce door shows where he began his
journey His new post demonstrates
how far he has travded.
“Colored Only,” reads the wooden
memento fi*om Fort Worth’s segrega
tionist past, and it greets Bell every
day at the Greater St. Stephen First
Baptist Church.
“All of us are always caught
between the past and new begin
nings, between basically what we
once were and what we are not yet,”
said Bell, who’s led his church in a
poor area of Fort Worth for more than
20 years. “Your yesterdays influence
who you are and keep your feet on the
ground.”
Bell recently began serving as pres
ident of the Baptist General Conven
tion of Tbxas, becoming the first black
person to lead the overwhelmingly
white, 2.5-million member denomina
tion.
His election comes at a time when
the moderate state convention has
become increasin^y distant fium the
mOTe conservative Nashville, Tfenn,-
based Southern Baptist Convention.
“He’s capable of being a bridge-
builder, and he’s capable of being con-
finntational,” said Rabbi Ralph Meck-
lenbuiger, who has known Bell for
many years. “The issue is his mind is
what he sees as the just solution in a
Please see LEADER/7B
PHOTO/NYPOSTCOM
White Waiting Room Only sign
from the Jim Crow era.
Life 1B
Praise &
worship
goes
urban
Various Artists
Praise hfe - Beyond 1.0
.Anlonio Neal, producer
EMI Gospel
EMI Gospel Records is cap
italizing on the appeal of
praise & worship music.
Though the gem’e hasn’t
been ai’ound a long time but
it’s already evolving to
appeal to younger chm'ch by
offering a hip hop and urioan
flavored sampler of new,
established and future writ
ers, producers and singers.
“Praise Life - Beyond 1.0”
is 10-songs deep of songs
aimed at youth ministries.
There will be a few of the
older faithful that will enjoy
this recording as well. This
takes the genre to a better
place. It’s not quite as repet
itive and it’s no more secular
soimding than a lot of the
gospel being played on
urban stations these days.
New artist Antonio Neal
produced and co-wrote all
but two of the offerings.
“Here I Am Tb Worship” isn’t
one of his compositions but
it’s a great song no less.
Nirva Dorsaint puts an ele
gantly moving spin on the
song. Her light, but earthy
vocals are near perfection.
“Heart Of Worship” — anoth
er standard of the genre — is
handled nicely by Shanea
Askew.
Neal may have his ear to
secular radio because their
are traces of Diddy, Nelly
and the Neptunes through
out this recording. The lyrics
are undeniably Christ-cen
tered, however. Shonlock’s
“Lift Him Up” would play in
a youth church service or a
club comfortably. The same
can be said for Damonsta’s
“Glory 2 U,” which owes as
much to Bad Boy produc
tions as it does being overtly
religious.
“Great Jehovah,” “So Into
You” and “Steppin’” by Soul,
Jason Eskridge & M.O.C.
and Neal respectively, are
pure new and ol’ skool r&b,
sounding more Motown than
much of what that once
great label has produced
lately.
This sampler is the perfect
way to introduce yourself to
these wonderful new artists
and songs. You may not use
it for church, but it’s certeun-
dUistsikj
Jfei.at«r9-A*«9ss
Church News
The deadline to add announcements to the
calendar is noon on Fridays. Fax to (704) 342-
2160 or e-mail cheris.hodges0thecharlot-
tepost.com.
Ongoing
Grace Bible College will hc«t winter classes
at Grace Baptist CTiurdi on 1185 Little Rods
Road in Newton throug^i March 13th. These
classes maybe taken for credit. For more infor
mation contact (828) 464-7055.
The Millions More Movement-Chariotte, Inc.
will move to its new location at Little Rock
AME Zion C^hurch, 401 N. McDowell St. The
group will meet the second and fourth Monday
ni^ts of tlie month for six months. For more
information, call (704) 333-1690.
February 11
Tfemple of Delivamice International Fdlow-
ship, 5521 CaniiOTi Drive, Suite 104 in ^fonroe,
win host a singes gathering at 2 p.m.
• Plaza Baptist Church, 3321 The Plaza, will
sponsor a Valentine’s Banquet fiom 6-9 p.m. A
catered meal will be provided and the cost is
$25 per coiqjle and $12.50 per individual Free
childcare will be provided by the Plaza Youth.
Tb reserve a table, call the church at (704) 334-
3913 by Feb. 8.
February 12
All For One Youth Choir will resume jjrac-
tices at 3:30 p.m at Western Avenue Baptist
Church, 1206 Museum Road, Statesville. New
members will be accepted throu^ Feb. 19.
February 20
Grace Baptist Church, 1185 Little Road in
Newton, will host its 27th annual King James
Bible Jubilee through Thursday Services
be^ ni^Uy at 7 p.m. and morning services
begin at 9 a m. For more information, call (828)
464-7055.
• The 2006 Mecklenburg County Missionary
Union Annual Institute will host study classes
throu^ Thursday at Greater Fellowship Bap
tist Church, 2300 McCTintock Road. Devotion
services will begin at 6:45 p.m. ni^tly and
classes begin at 7 p.m. For more informatiOTi,
call (704) 376-2853.
March 12
The Insfriration Choir of China Grove will
celebrate their fourth anniversary at 3 p.m.
The church is located at 9401 Old Pineville
Road