Sunday
SPcAco/
Stetson
INTRODUCTION
From the time man first sinned, Qod resolved upon a
plan by which man could be saved. Sin had him in its
grasp, making him incapable of doing anything that would
relieve his plight It is noteworthy that all of God’s
interventions in the history of man have been directly or
indirectly related to this problem. Sin separates. It creates
a deep chasm between the sinner and the sinless God. Man
could not span the crevasse by his own effort. He could not
close the gap. If man and God were ever to be reunited, it
was clearly up . to God to construct the “bridge over
troubled waters."
That is what today’s lesson is about. It teaches that God
did not ask man to come to Him. He knew man could not do
that. God came to man instead. He came in the form and
likeness of a human being entering the world through the
process of gestation in the womb of an earthly mother.
How thankful we should be that God made such a
tremendous overture toward us. We stand in open
gratitude for one of the greatest sacrifices earth has ever
known.
THE LESSON
“This was how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His
mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph but before they
were married, she found out that she was going to have a
baby by the Holy Spirit. Joseph was a man who always did
what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary
publicly, so he made plans to break the engage
ment privately. While he was thinking about this, an angel
of the Lord appeard to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph,
descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be
your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has
conceived. She will have a Son, and you will name him
Jesus - because he will save his people from their sins.’
Now all this happened in order to make come true what the
Lord had said through the prophet, ‘A virgin will become
pregnant and have a son and he will be called Immanuel’’
(which means “God is with us”). So when Joseph woke up,
he married Mary, as the angel of the Lord had told him to.
But he had no sexual relations with her before she gave
birth to her son. And Joseph named him Jesus.” (Matthew
1:18-25).
The world has changed greatly in its attitude toward
“unwed mothers.” All kinds of problems have heen
created that touch almost every facet of life. But in the
simple world of ancient Nazareth things were not so
complex. The law was very plain and specific. The honest
and obedient Jewish peasants felt an obligation to obey it.
Matthew was a former tax collector for the Romans. As
such he was accustomed to keeping records, and so his
reporting the birtft of Jesus eomes directly to the point.
Mary was a Jewish girl who grew up in the town of
Nazareth. Like every other girl of that time she looked
forward to marriage and children.
Joseph is designated as Mary’s husband, although they
had not yet come together. The bethrothed and marriage
customs of the Jews differed from ours, and it is
important to keep that fact in mind. The real binding
ceremony occurred at the betrothal. The couple then was '
legally, though not actually, husband and wife. Following
the ceremony, the husband-elect went his way and usually
spent a year in preparing their home. The bride-elect
returned to her father’s house and remained there until the
time for the marriage feast. It was during this interim that
Joseph learned that Mary was with child. If it could be
proved that Mary had willingly been guilty of fornica
tion, strict justice might call for punishment. But Joseph
was not a vindictive man, nor did he wish to subject his
wife to the sneers of the rude populace that would
accompany a court trial or any public investigation of her
conduct. For that reason he decided to divorce her in
privacy.
ine angelic prediction was a great comfort to Joseph.
While he had not sired the Son who was to be brought forth,
he could protect and nourish Him. The child, like John,
was given his name before birth. He was to be called
Jesus. This name means Savior, or Liberator, one who sets
free. The bondage from which He would deliver was that of
sin. k ,
4 Jesus is the living link between the past and the present.
He is the bridge between yesterday and today, between
prediction and fulfillment. As one reads the Old Testa
ment he realizes that a change is going to take place, and it
is to involve someone who is to come. He will make all the
hopes and dreams of man come true.
“At that time Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be
taken throughout the Roman Empire. When this first '
census took place, Quirinius was the governor of Syria.
Everyone, then, went to register himself/each to his own
hometown. Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in
Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, the birth place
of King David. Joseph went there because he was a
descendant of David. He went to register with Mary, who
was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant and
while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to
have her baby. She gave birth to her first son, wrapped
Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger - there was no
room for them to stay in the inn.”
It is impossible for UR to think of Jesus on earth without
thinking of Him historically. He 4ras inevitably wrapped
upin the political life of tbe people He was involved in tax
decrees from the time of His birth to the time of His death.
* was subject to dictatorial rulers and to the mer
whims of their clerks and secretaries. He traveled
provinces of a country under the immediate
tion of Rome. Finally, He was nailed to the cross by
in governor who had tried, by washing his hands, to
If of guilt in the matter.
were no special accommodations made for
along the route, and Mary and Joseph either had
th someone or sleep in the open along the routs,
tend to go at high rates of speed in this
jim tend to forget that the journey they made
pays’ duration.
D.G. Martin Is CHOP “Neighbor Of
The Year” Awards Dinner Speaker
The Charlotte Organizing Project
(CHOP) will hold its first annual
‘‘Neighbor of the Year” Awards
Dinner on December 14 at the Metro
Center. The dinner, which begins at
7 p.m., also serves to kick off
CHOP’S Charter Membership Drive.
Charlotte attorney D. G. Martin,
former Democratic candidate in the
1984 9th Congressional district
race and probable candidate in '86,
is the featured speaker.
Neighbor of the Year nominees
were selected by their neighborhood
organizations as men and women of
above-average commitment to their
communities. They include:
Eleanor Washington, University
Park Improvement Association;
Gary Collins, Hidden Valley Asso
ciation; Ella Evans, Capitol Drive
Association; Tom Coffey, Vemdale
Community Association; Winnie
Shultazberger, Autumnwood
Community Association; Willie
Jeeter, Wilmore Neighborhood
Association; Evelyn Bullard, Wash
ington Heights Improvement Asso
ciation, Anna M. Hood, Orvis Street
Community; Frank Kelly, Oakdale
Oakhills Community; James A.
Yancey, University Park North
Community; Bonnie Schroeder,
Hearthstone Neighborhood Associa
tion; Mildred Taylor, Optimist Park
Community Organizations; and
Barbara J Watson, York Road Park
Community.
Tickets for the dinner are $10
apiece. This tax deductible donation
also serves as full payment for one
$10 charter membership. For your
tickets-membership, call CHOP at
331-0022 or stop by 2300 E. 7th Street
between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
CHOP is a non-profit, member
ship-based grassroots organization
working to develop strong, effec
tive community associations and
issue groups in Charlotte’s low and
moderate income communities.
CHOP helps neighborhoods get the
things they need and get rid of the
things they don't want by providing
technical staff assistance, leader- i
More Giurch News
Continued From Page 6A
thoughtfully prepared. The concern
expressed for the well-being and for i
the plight of persons below the
poverty level, homeless and power
less in America and other parts of
the world is indeed a critical public
and private concern, the resolution
stated.
President James McConduit said,
“We want to offer our support and
volunteer our service to advance the
letter to the parish level for dis
cussion, actrdn and implementa
tion.” Mr. McConduit said the
NOBC-NBLCC will forward a letter
to Bishop Malone, President of the
NCCB this week offering to assist in
bringing this most timely and cru
cial matter to the parish level in
every Archdiocese-Diocese, as it
affects urban and rural America.
The resolution called upon the
more than one million Black Catho
lics to increase their participation in
this era of high technology to better
enable the young to share in a fuller
life and to preserve the dignity of our
seniors, the farmers of America and
all who struggle for equality and
justice in the modern world.
The resolution cited the coming
"Year of the Lay Person” that the
Vatican has announced as being a
valuable forum for discussion on the
world economies and how it af
fects all people. Mr. McConduit said,
“The teachings of the Catholic
Church on this issue and the uni
versity of the Church can b 'come
powerful spiritual agents for
change.”
Members of the two boards dis
cussed a broad level of issues
ranging from Lay and Youth Lead
ership, Education, Culture & Wor
ship, Pastoral Ministry, Hunger,
Unemployment, Teenage Pregnan
cy, and other matters affecting
church and community. '
PARK ROAD
Park Road Baptist Church is
again presenting its Christmas
Tableau. First produced in 1952, it
has become a living symbol for
Christmas for the members and
community of Park Road Baptist
Church.
The 34th annual production of
"Judean Hills," a Living Tableau,
will be presented 20 times each
evening, December 19-24, from 7-10
pm at the church. Seeing and
hearing from your car, you will be
able to enjoy the true spirit of
Christmas as a host of angels
appears to the shepherds and pro
claims the Good news. Then the
shepherds go in haste toward the
star where they find the Babe lying
in a mahger.
All are invited to come out.
Park Road Baptist Church is lo
cated at 3900 Park Road
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James A. Yancey
.CHOP nominee
ship development training, and
transferring organizing skills to
community leaders.
Requests from neighborhoods for
CHOP'S help have increased the
importance of the charter mem
bership drive. We want to develop
more staff and resources capable of
reaching into every low income
neighborhood in Charlotte. Mem
bers will have access to all or
ganizing skills training offered by
CHOP and the opportunity to serve
on fundraising and organizing advi
sory committees. Advisory commit
tees will meet four times a year to
assist the Board and staff in develop
ing CHOP’S program.
The Board of Directors for
CHOP is made up of a diverse group
of individuals representing all
economic levels and a variety of
occupations ranging from home
makers to attorneys, from nurses to
students. The Project gives staff
assistance to Optimist Park, and
Washington Heights. Issue groups
have also been developed around
specific concerns of low income
constituencies. These groups in
D. G. Martin
.9th District candidate
elude United Neighborhoods for No
Utility Increases, Mecklenburg
Council of Senior Citizens, and
Charlotteans for Free South Africa.
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