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O • O http://www.theoharlottepost,com 6B ®I)e Cliariotte IPost RELIGION THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2006 Life 1B Appreicate wisdom We live in a fast-paced world. People are scurrying about in pursmt of happiness, meaning, or perhaps some thing they cannot even define. Amid all the clamor, the voice of wisdom is calling. Wisdom’s invitation may not seem as exciting or glam orous as what the world has to offer, but it has the infinite advantage of reflecting the basic structure of creation, and more importantly the wfll of the Creator. The things that wisdom offers, therefore, will not prove illusory or harmful. Perhaps we fail to appreci ate the blessings of wisdom because we over-look its rela tional dimension. Ultimately wisdom means knowing God. As behevers, we need to show our children and others we come in contact with that wisdom is not a set of abstract rules or boring prin- dfies that older people come up with to annoy the young. Rather, God’s wisdom points the way to abimdance, a fife of genuine passion and fulfill ment. God is not a skinflint (self ish person) who wants to withhold His wisdom. He overflows with grace and desires to pour out His riches upon us. May we gain from this week’s lesson a sense of how pressing the world’s need for wisdom is and how willing God is to provide it. Lesson Background Proverbs 8 uses an exciting hterary technique called per sonification to portray wis dom. This means that wis dom is not presented as an abstract, doctrinal item that can be reduced to a list of dos and don’ts. Instead, wisdom takes a personality and becomes the companion of God in creating Heaven and earth. Wisdom is also the channel of God’s blessing. The Invitation’s Pervasive ness 1. What is the identity of the speaker in Proverbs 8? (vs. 1-3) In Proverbs, Chapter 8, the speaker is identified as “wis dom”. Wisdom is defined (according to Webster’s Dic tionary) as having insi^tful understanding of what is true, li^t or enduring. Look ing closely at the word “insightful”, this is havir^ the ability to perceive the true or hidden nature which is what wisdom dcjes. This wisdom speaking in this passage is not authored by human wis dom. Some Bible students beheve that the pre-incamate Christ is the speaker; howev- the author of Proverbs was simply personifying the attribute of wisdom. 2. What is the significance of the places where wisdom chooses to declare her mes sage? (vs. 2-3) See APPRECIATE/7B ACLU back to court over * Commandments monument THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FRANKFORT, Ky—A simmering legal dispute over whether a 'Ifen Commandments monument should be placed on the Capitol grounds is heading back to court. The American Civil Liberties Union says state officials should be held in contempt of court if they go ahead with plans to return the 6- foot-taU granite monument to the statehouse lawn. U.S. District Judge Joseph Hood ruled in 2000 that displaying the monument on government property was an unconstitutional government religious endorsement. In a filing 'Thursday the ACLU asked the judge to require state officials to show why returning the monument to the Capi tol wouldn’t violate the court order. Legislators passed a law earlier this year directing that the monu ment, now on display in Hop kinsville, be returned to Frankfort and displayed publicly Gov. Ernie Fletcher signed the measure into law in March. The 'Ibn Commandments monu ment was donated to the state in 1971 by the Fraternal Order of Eagles. It was removed finm the Cajntol groimds and placed in stor age in the mid-1980s during a con struction project. When political PHOTO/THE STOCK MARKET leaders tried to display it again in 2000, the ACLU went to court, claim ing the monument was an unconsti tutional endorsement of religion The ACLU won the case. K^tucky has been at the center of legal fights in recent years on the posting of the commandments. In one case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled displays inside courthouses in McCreary and Pulaski counties were xmconstitutional. In another, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals said a similar display in the Mercer Coimty Courthouse is constitutionai because it included other historic documents. Judge orders San Diego to remove its cross THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SAN DEEGO - After a 17- year legal battle between the city and a self-described athe ist, a judge has ordered San Diego officials to remove a giant cross from a hilltop park. 'The 29-foot high cross was dedicated as a memorial to Korean War veterans in 1954 on a hilltop that towers over seaside La JoUa. Philip Paulson, an atheist and Vietnam veteran, has been challenging its place ment on city-owned parkland since 1989. He declined com ment on the ruling Wednes day but his attorney James McElroy said he hoped dty officials would finally back down. U.S. District Ju^ Gordon Thompson Jr. gave the city 90 days to comply with a 1991 injxmction forbidding the cross on pubhc property or start paying $5,000 a day in fines. “It is now time, and perhaps long overdue,” the judge wrote. Defying the order is some thing cash-strapped San Diego can Ol afford. Its pen sion fund is more than $1 bil lion in debt, the federal gov ernment is investigating, and there has been talk of bank ruptcy StiU, Mayor Jerry Sanders said he would ask the dty attorney to appeal. 'The dty has tried to sell the half-acre beneath the cross to a nonprofit assodation that Please see JUDGE/8B Mount Carmel quartet headlines for Folk Society By Tom Hanchett SPECIAL TO THE POET Central Piedmont Commu nity College’s Sloan-Morgan Building will ring wilh the sound of a cappeUa Afiican American gospel when the Charlotte Folk Sodety gath ers on Jime 9. For half a century the group Men Standing For Christ has been carrying on the tradition of black quaitet singir^. Voic es rise in rich four-part har mony accompanied finm time to time by keyboard. Original member David Thompson, now in his 70s but still singing strong, recalls when the group first formed at Mormt Carmel Baptist PHOTO/CHARLOTTE FOLK SOCIETY Men Standing For Christ carries on the tradition of black gospel sung a capella. They’ll perform June 9 at die Char lotte Folk Society. Church, then located next to the campus of Johnson C. • Smith University “Rev. Leon Riddick wanted a men’s group to sing for Fathm-’s Day He contacted Deacon G.G. Glenn, who said he’d put somethir^ together, but he didn’t want to do all that work for jrist one day per year,” says 'Thompson. 'The minister agreed to schedule the singers for four church services annually - but soon they were performing twice a month on Communion Sun- daj^. 'The initial five members included JCSU football assis tant coach Moses Sharp (bari- Please see MEN/8B Church News mmnii Nesby unleashes power ‘In The Spirit’ Ann Nesby In The Spirit Thes Gilbert, producer Shanachie/Ifs Time Child If you don’t know Ann Nesby by voice or name you’ve been deprived. 'Think of Aretha with a bit of Patti thrown in for fun. No disrespect to 'The Queen or Ms. LaBelle, but Nesby is her own singer in her own right. Her work with the Sormds of Blackness has been spectacular, as her solo stuff Both have been laced with blues, R&B and gospel, so a complete gospel CD would be a logical step for Nesby 'Ih.at’s what she’s done on “In The Spirit.” This is no trendy contemporary thing. Nesby has reached back to her roots as a child and come up with coie of the best tradi tional gospel CDs of this or any year. Nesbys song choice is var ied - running the gamut fix)m a Baptist hymnal to Stevie Wonder and Bill Mthers - but she’s entrenched in tradi tional arrangements. Each song is stripped down, nearly raw. Hammond organs, snare drums, pianos and the occa sional brass section soimd as if each was plucked fiom a country church. Nesby sings ffie life out of each song. Wonder’s “Heaven Must Be 10 ZiUion Light Years Away” sounds different without the synthesizer but that’s a good thing. Nesbys bhstering soprano makes the song a gospel jewel. What Nesby does to Withei-s’ “Grandma’s Hands” is incred ible. It’s hard to touch the original but she touches this song. Nesby is at her best on the classics. “I Can Go Tb God In Prayer,” “If It Had Not Been For 'The Lord,” and “Rise Up And Walk” are enou^ to get hi^ marks, but Nesbys work on “Oh How I Love Jesus,” “Climbing Higher Motm- tains” and the stunning “Pass Me Not” is exceptional. I nearly forgot how well this woman sings. 'Ibaditional gospel fans will love this recording, but it’s the contemporary folk that need to hear it. Nesbyputson a singing chnic. 'This is how you sing. Ratings Classic; Excellent Good Fair Why? No stars - A mess The deadline for announcements in the cal endar is noon on Fridays. Fax your announce ments to (704) 342-2160 or e-mail to cheris.hodges@thecharlottepost.com. May 20 Christian Women of Elegance will host their fifth annual “Gospel Day in the Park-A Day to Celebrate Women,” at Independence Park, located at 300 Hawthorne Lane finm 11 a m -7 p.m. For more information, call (704) 332-9434 or (704) 493-2536. May 24 Litffe Rock AME Zion Chrmdi will host revival throv^ Friday Services begin nightly • at 7 p.m. 'The guest pastor will be the Rev George WC. Walker of St. Mark AME Zion Church, E^t Chicago, lUinois. May 26 'The community outreach committee of Steele Hill AME Zion Church is sponsoring a two-day one night trip to the Gifllah 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 concert is schediiled to take place at the Paladium Amphitheatre at Paramount’s Carowinds. The concert features Deitrick Had- don. Stellar Award winner - one of Gospel Music’s most prestigious prizes. Also appear ing are "lye IMbbett & Greater Anointing, Cross Movement and Serenity a gospel group finm Charlotte. Advance ticket purchases and discount tick ets for Season Pass members aie available throu^ Ticketmaster by calling (704) ^22- 6500, by logging on to www.ticketmaster.com or at any Ticketmaster outlet. Discounted tick ets for groups of 15 or more, includir^ a group picnic option, are available by calling Para mount’s Carowinds at 1-800-888-4PUN (4386). AH prices are sli^tly hi^er on the day of the events. • The Sei^e Avenue First Church of God wfll host a Missionary Outreach weekend through Stmday Registration is at 8:30 a.m. then there are several workshops ffiroi^hout the day For more information, call » May 28 Little Rock AME Zion Church, located at 401 North McDowell St., will host Little Rock Day' celebrating excellence ministry For more information, call (704) 334-3782. • The SHvo- Moirnt Baptist Church Young People Choir will be in concert at 6 p.m. The church is located at 501 West Arrowood Road. Please see SILVER/8B
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