Newspapers / The Charlotte post. / May 4, 2006, edition 1 / Page 13
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http://Www.thecharlottepost.oom turtle Clfiarlotte $os:t RELIGION THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2006 Life IB Trust God for the real meaning of your life We live in a microwave g^- eration. It seems that mankind is constantly in a rush to get something done. We are a very impatient bimch; and our attention span gets shorter by the mom^t. I remember having read a cartoon years ago that showed in one panel several adult characters who had just been involved in an automo bile accident. As each of them lay sprawled throu^out the intersection, the text balloons above their heads showed their off-the-wall thoughts. One woman wondered what she would fix for dinner tiiat night. Another man thought about meeting a project dead line at work; and so on. The crash had occurred only sec onds earlier, but their thou^ts were now on other less urgent matters. We will learn in today’s lesson that God’s timing is perfect and that we must learn to rely on Him when the world gets dark and crazy-as it is now rapidly becoming We must turn our attention to Him, and know that we are operat ing on His time, and not the other way aroimd. We learn in Romans 8;28 that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to- those who are the called according to His pur pose” (NKJV). The ungodly may have a fatalistic philoso phy concluding that things just happen and nothing can be done to change them. Those who love God can see situations develop and con clude that He has a plan for them and is implementing it, A common saying is that one can curse the darkness, or light a candle to dispel it. Our approach to life deter mines how we evaluate the various ejqieriences we have. This lesson fium Ecclesiastes teaches us that we must anchor ourselves in God and let aU the pieces fall into place in due time. Lesson Background Along with its opening vers es and its closii^ command, the best-known part of the. book of Ecclesiastes-which was written by Solomon; “the son of David, king in Jerusalem” (Ecc. 1:1, 12, 16)- is the “there is a season” pas sage (Ecc. 3:1-8). Its descrip tion of the many contrasting phases of life has struck a chord even with the irreli gious. What accounts for this pas sage’s popularity? It seems to appeal to people’s need for consolation and peace amid the changing circumstances of life. The idea taken fiom Please see TRUST GOD/7B Macedonia pastor charged John Walker accused of lying on tax returns, bank applications PHOTO/WADE NASH ' Macedonia Baptist Church is led by the Rev. John Henry Walker, who was indicted last week on nine federal counts of lying on his tax returns and making false statements to banks. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The lead pastor at a Charlotte church was indicted Friday on nine federal charges that accuse him of tax evasion and making false state ments to banks and federal offi cials. John Henry Walker, senior pastor at Macedonia Baptist Chiirch, is accused of underreporting his income between 1999 and 2003 by almost $550,000 and evading fed eral income taxes of more than $125,000 for those years, according to U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert. Walker, 47, is charged with five counts of tax evasion, three counts of making false statements in con nection -with a bank loan and a sin- ^e count of making false state ments to federal agents. An indictment handed up in U.S. District Court in Charlotte says that between rent-fiee housing in a church-owned residence, a base salary, a housing allowance, vari ous bonuses and honorariums, paid vacations and other payments, Walker collected more than $900,000 fixim the church fiom 1998 throu^ 2003. According to Shappert, when fimds in the church’s general accormt were not enough to pay Walker, he arrar^ed to take money fiom the ch-urch’s building fimd account and fiom an accoimt set up for the church’s summer youth program. Between 1999 and 2003, when Walker received some $600,000 in taxable income, he reported less than $55,000 to the Internal Rev enue Service, ShappsT said. 3 MACEDONIA/6B Rood of new Christian books hit the market THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The ongoing furor about Christianity’s role in Ameri can politics is provoked espe cially by the conjunction of difficult moral issues with rising conservative acti-vism and closely fought elections. In the recent flood of books about this, several warrant special attention: •’’American Theocracy” (Mking) by Kevin Phillips. This one-time Republican anal5^t attacks America’s oil dependence and indebted ness but especially decries religious conservatives’ alliance with the Republican Party •”Our Endangered Values” (Simon & Schuster) by Jimmy Carter. The former Democratic president shares many partisan themes with Phillips in a superficial attack on "fimdamentalism” in politics and within his own Southern Baptist Conven tion. • “American Gospel” (Ran dom House) by Jon Meacham. This Newsweek magazine editor’s discursive historical essay says that in a democracy, it’s inevitable that religious groups will address public issues. • ‘Washington’s God” (Basic Books) by Michael and Jana Novak. The authors examine the faith of the first president and religious precedaits he set. . • “A Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryan” (Knopf) by Michael Kazin. This is the best of the lot. A Geoigetown University ejqjert on the Populist era provides an er^agir^ por trait of a three-time (1896, 1900, 1908) candidate for Bryan’s movement fused Bible-based moralism with the Democratic Party That history demolishes Phillips’ See FLOOD/6B Vatican official boycotts ‘Da Vinci Code’ movie THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ROME — A Vatican official reportedly called for a boycott of the upcoming “The Da Wnci Code” film Friday, say ing it contained “slanderotis” offenses against Christianity that would have provoked a worldwide revolt had they been directed against Islam or the Holocaust. Monsignor Angelo Amato— Pope Benedict XVI’s former No. 2 when Benedict was head of the Cor^regation of the Doctrine of the Faith - made the comments in a speech at the Pontifical Holy Cross University, which is run by the consawative Catholic movement Opus Dei, the ANSA news agency reported “I hope all of you boycott this film,” the Italian agency quoted Amato as saying. He said the film, based on the best-selling novel by' Dan Brown, was fiiU of “offenses, slander, historical and theo logical errors concerning Jesus, the gospel and the chxnch.” “Slander, offenses and errors that if they were direct ed toward the Quran or the Shoah would have justifiably provoked a worldwide revolt,” he said, referring to Islam’s holy book and the Hebrew word for Holocaust. “Yet because they were directed toward the Catholic Church, they remain ‘unptm- ished,”’ he said. Church officials repeatedly have spoken out against the novel and the upcoming film adaptation, which stars 'Ibm Hanks and Audrey Tautou and is scheduled for release May 19. “The Da 'Mnd Code” con tends that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had descendants, and that Opus Dei, which is close to the Vat ican, and the Catholic Church Church News Stellar Awards recordings solid Various artists Stellar Awards Hits 2006 Various producers Artemis Gospel It doesn’t se«m the Stellar Awards have been around for nearly a quarter century, but they have. Essentially the “Gospel Grammies,” the show’s production values have gotten a lot better but tiie show dips into the secular more and more each year. Even the music has gotten more secular. But such is the way of the music industry 'lb reach a younger audience, c^- tain concessions have been made. Has it worked? Depends on who you ask. Of the 12 songs of this CD, only five are nontraditional gospel artists and each has a big impact. Even so, this CD is a bit con fusing because the song selec tion is odd. These are sup posed to be songs nominated for this year’s SteUars. Com missioned’s “Running Back Lb You” is culled finm its stun ning “Reunion” CD, but it’s at least four years old. Even Kirk Whalum and Jonathan But ler’s “Falling In Love TOth Jesus” has some ^e on it. Stfll, neither annoys like Deitrick Haddoris “God Is Good,” which is a conspicuous copy of Michael Jackson’s “Baby, Be Mine.” Israel Houghton and New Breed’s “Again I Say Rejoice” is the epitome of praise & worship but essentially no more than disco gospel. RiZen is a youi^ trio but they sing with an ol’ school sensibility We’ve Come Lb Magnify The Lord” is close to churchy but has enoTtgh to make youi^ folk happy Of the traditional stuff, Mosie Burks of the Mississip pi Mass Choir sings the fife out of ‘Tm Not Tired Yet.” “Dottie Peoples is a bit ho- hum on “He Said It.” And Please see STELLAR/6B were at the center of a cover up. Last year, Italian Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone - Amato’s predecessor at the Congrega tion for the Doctrine of the Faith - called for a boycott of the book. And earlier this month, the preacher for the papal household, the Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa, denounced theories that make hitge profits in denying church teaching about Jesus - an obvious reference to the film However, Opus Dei, which is portrayed as a murderotis. Please see VATICAN’S/SB Matings Good -iXiSTY F* -te-js Wjy? is The deadline for announcements is noon on Fri days. Fax to (704) 342-2160 or e-mail to cherisJiodges@thecharloltepost.com. May 4 Trinity Park Baptist Churdi, 9115 Trinity Road, will host a fi:ee Medicare D (prescription drug) information seminar for senior citizens and their families at 7 p.m. For additional information call the church at (704) 393-0130. May 6 Seigle Avenue First Church of God Girls in Action for Christ presents the first Mother and Daughter Luncheon, “Empowering Another Generation.” The event runs finm 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bette Rae Thomas Recreational Center, 2921 Tiickaseegee Road. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. For more information, call (704) 537-4690. May 9 Women’s Initiative Network will celebrate its second anniversary at their next chapter meet ing on Tuesday May 9 at the Doubletree Hotel in SoufhPark at 6 p.m. Speaker is Kathy Helou. Register on-Une at WWW. womensinet. com http://www. wom- ensinet.com or call (704)541-0277. May 13 House of Life Full Gospel Ministries wfll host its third annual Health Fair at Southview Recreation Center, 1720 Vlma St. at 10 a.m. There will be blood pressure cheks, diabetes testing, sickle cell testing and other health care May 15 Triie Way Cffiurch of God in Christ will host its annual Men’s Conference through May 17. The church is located at 2931 James Road. May 20 Christian Women of Elegance will host its fifth annual “Gospel Day in the Park-A Day to Celebrate Women,” at Independence Paik, located at 300 Hawthorne Lane from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, call (704) 332- 9434 or (704) 493-2536. May 26 The community outreach committee of Steele Kll AME Zion Church is sponsorii^ a two day - one night trip to the Gullah Festival in Beaufort, S.C. May 26-27. Steele Hill AME Zion Church is located at 6021 Charlotte High way Lancaster, S.C. For more information, call (704) 488-5008. May 27 Tickets for JoyFest ‘06, a gospel showcase of praise and song, are currently on sale. The concai; is scheduled to take place at the Paladium Amphitheatre at Paramoimt’s Carowinds. The concert features Deitrick Had- don. Stellar Award winner - one of (Cospel Music’s most prestigious prizes. Also appear- ir^ are Tye Tribbett & Greater Anointing, Cross Movement and Serenity a gospel group fi'om Charlotte. Advance ticket purchases and discount tick ets for Season Pass members are available Please see JOYFEST/8B
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