http://www.thecharloltepost.com
5B
Cliarlotte
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2006
Embodying
truth
Titus 2:1-10
Every child hates to hear,
“Do as I say and not as I do.”
It is usually a parent’s des
perate attempt to get his or
her child to behave in an
opposite manner than the
parent does, and it usually
fails. Children who see bad
behavior in their parents take
that as an excuse to behave
badly themselves, regardless
of what the parent says.
Imagine, too, how you
would feel sitting in a church
congregation listening to a
pious-sounding murderer
speaking about righteous-.
ness. We call that hypocrisy
and there is not much that
turns people off more or faster
than a dose of it.
Paul wrote to Timothy and
Titus, stressing that, when it
comes to selecting teachers, it
is far more important to have
teachers who exemplify what
they teach that it is to have
teachers with long lists of aca
demic qualifications. Academ
ic training is valuable, but it
is no substitute for men or
women who embody the truth
of the Christian life in the
way they live their lives.
I. A Life Embodying Truth
Is a Balanced Life
(Titus 2:1-6)
Four times, in the second
chapter of his letter to Titus,
Paul uses a word translated
as “sobeP’ in the King James
Version and “self-controlled”
in the New International Ver
sion. The word indicates a
kind of life that is not given to
extremes in behavior or emo
tion.
Paul indicates to Titus that
self-control would be open to
excessive behavior and unbri
dled emotions. Such a person
would be prone, perhaps, to
drink too much and to give
new Christians or unbelievers
the impression that drunken
ness is acceptable. An uncon
trolled emotional outburst
mi^t teach an employee to
be disrespectful to his or her
boss or lead a spouse to
believe that an outburst of
rage toward his or her mate is
acceptable.
On the other extreme, a life
lacking self-control mi^t be
characterized by deep depres
sion that could lead another
to distrust God’s power to give
us victory over life’s trials. An
uncontrolled emotional state
might foster a critical spirit
that (»uld cause dissention. A
life having this extreme lack
of self ODntrol mi^t foster
laziness or the belief that our
good works do not matter to
God.
However, neither of these
extremes provide a truthfiil
picture of the Christian life. A
teacher who wishes to teach,
by example must avoid these
extremes in favor of a sober,
balanced and self-controlled
life, which is governed by
God’s truth.
II. A Life Embodying Truth
is a Good Example
Rease see EMBODYING/6B
RELIGION
Life IB
PHOTOUAMES BROWN
Mt. Moriah Primitive Baptist Church pastor Thomas Samuei and wife Juanita were guests of honor at a retire
ment ceiebration iast week at Founders Mali.
A career of serviee
Mt. Moriah pastor Thomas Samuel retiring after 32 years
By Aisha Ude
THE 'HARIX)TTE POST
It’s time for Pastor Thomas
Samuel’s gi’and finale.
Samuel is retiring after 32 years at
Mt. Moriah Primitive Baptist
Church. His last service will be held
on Sunday Among those expected to
be in attendance is U.S. Mel Watt,
who is expected to bring greetings.
After 49 years of service to the
Lord’s call, Samuel said he needs
time to rest, write, and “be rdieved.”
“I don’t have any sadness about
retiring,” said Samuel.
What Samuel is most proud of is
preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ
and promoting church grovdh.
Under his leadership Mt. Moriah’s
congregation has increased fiom 400
to 700 members. The budget has
also increased fiom approximately
$50,000 fium the time he arrived to
$500,000 yearly
The church hosted a retirement
banquet for Samuel on Feb. 17. The
guest speaker was Rev, Clifford
Jones from Friendship Baptist
Church. “The celebration is for the
purpose of telling him thank you,”
says trustee board member Bob
Davis, who has been a member of
Mt. Mariah for 75 of his 77 years.
‘Tie is a great man, he has been their
whenever my family needed him in
case of sickness or death.”
Davis is not disappointed about
the retirement. “He deserves it; he
wore himself out in the service of the
Lord,” he said.
N.C. House Speaker Jim Black,
state Rep. Pete CXmningham, Meck
lenburg County Commissioner Nor
man Mitchell, Rev. Larry Covington
Pastor of Ebenezer United Church of
Christ in Burlington were special
guests. The presiding officer of the
banquet was Rev. Gregory Moss Pas
tor of St. Paul Baptist Church.
Before Mt. Moriah, Samuel pas-
tored at four Florida churches. He is
president emeritus of the National
Primitive Baptist Convention USA,
past president of the Southeastern
District Primitive Baptist Sunday
School Convention of Mecklenburg,
Cabarrus and Rowan counties.
Samuel is currently the president of
the North Carolina-Viiginia Primi
tive Baptist State Convention.
In retirement, Samuel will still
have duties to fulfill. He is leading a
$250,000 building expansion pro
gram for a educational facility in
East Spencer.
High school Bible classes attracts ACLU
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WILMINGTON, N.C.-
Gary Harris isn’t seeking
converts.
Still, the Bible is his busi
ness as he spends his days
leading classes on its histo
ry at Laney and Hoggard
high schools. The more stu
dents learn, the more com
plete an experience the
Bible becomes, Harris said.
He’s teaching, not preach
ing, however. The classes
are academic courses open
to the students who chcx>se
them, he said. His 8:30
a.m. New Testament class
at Laney has barely an
empty seat.
But recent inquiries fiom
the American Civil Liber
ties Union have raised
questions about whether
the classes and others like
it at Ashley and New
Hanover hi^ schcols vio
late the constitutional sep
aration of church and state.
Is a class as secular as
courts require if it says, for
©cample, that the Bible’s
fulfilled prophecies give
testimony to the fact of
God’s existence? What if
lcx:al churches pay the
teachers’ salaries? And
what if only behevers
teach?
The civil rights group
says only that it is gather
ing information. But its
int^'est alone may bring
significant changes as edu
cators examine what the
classes teach and, perhaps
more importantly, who
See HIGH SCHOOL/6B
CANCELED TELEVISION
Debate over how media portrays Christianity
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Before memories fade ^bout “The
Book of Daniel” show, which NBC-TV
canceled after only three weeks, it’s
worth pondering Hollywood’s latest
treatment of Jesus, Christians and
the clergy:
Some liberal Episcopalians thought
this drama (or was it satire?) might
attract new churchgoers. Conserva
tive Episcopalians said the series dis
played how liberalism has corrupted
their denomination. Some aimed boy
cotts at advertisers and NBC.
(Fresh fium that fuss, NBC appar
ently dropped plans for Britney
Spears to spoof CTiristian TV on “Will
& Grace” by hosting a “Cruci-fixin’s”
cooking show. This hilarity would
^ I
- »
n;
have aired on Holy Thursday as
Christians commemorate the Last
Supper on the eve of Jesus’ crucifix
ion-)
The show portrayed Episcopal
priest Daniel and his family and
flock. Plots involved Daniel’s addic
tion to painkillers, his dau^ter’s pot
dealing and arrest, his wife’s alcohol
dependence, his son’s promiscuity, his
bishop father’s adultery, his in-laws’
criminality and a Roman Catholic
priest’s mob ties.
Homosexual characters were
prominent—not surprising since the
show’s creator is a gay who had been
raised Catholic. Daniel seemed inef
fectual and parishioners came across
PHOTOAfVHATSAfTKTHESCRIPTURE COM
Rease see TV’S/7B
Church News
New '
Birth’s
coming
of age
New Birth Total
Praise (^hoir
A New Beginning
Kevin Bond, pi'oducer
EMI (xospei
This is a fai' cry better tlian
New Biiih’s “Spiiit & Tilth”
debut a few years ago. It gave
you Vanessa Bell Aniistrong
singing the life out of “Sudden
ly” and not much else.
On “A New Begimiing,” direc
tor and producer Kevin Bond
fiees the choir fium tlie stodgy
sound of the first CD and
makes them sound more like a
mass choii’. Song selection is
mucli better and theie seems to
be more life and pep in the
singing.
Yet, there seems to be some
thing missing. Tliere are 17
selections on this CD and
seems like 50. At over 70 min
utes in length, it feeb like 120.
There is more energy than the
first, but some of the songs
seem to go on and on. The fact
that there are no solos add to
the monotony
There are also four sermon-
ettes by Eddie Long, pastor of
New Birtli. Like rival pastor
T.D. Jakes, Long has a shrill,
screaming delivery and of
course the seimonettes capture
that stjde. All could be left for
those tapes and CDs his church
pushes. He gets credit for at
least letting the choir gi*ace the
CDs cover with him, Jakes
doesn’t.
Anyway there’s no “Sudden
ly,” but there are moments
when this choir rocks. ‘Tt Shall
Come Tb Pass” opens the (iff)
with a bang. It’s the kind of
song that has made Bond one
of the most sou^t-afler pro
ducers in the gospel market.
“Lord We Bless Your Name”
really gets the choir pumping
as well as the excellent backup
band. “Be Healed” slows things
down but the choirs harmony is
spectacular.
There’s more to like than not
to like about this CD, This
choir is headed in the right
direction. The next Cff) should
be abreakthrou^
£xcdleat
The deadline for church announcements added to
the calendar is noon on Friday. Fax your announce
ments to (704) 342-2160 or e-mail
cherisJiodges^thecharlottepostcom.
Ongoing
Grace BiHe CcIl^e will host winter classes"'
at Grace Baptist Church c»i 1185 Little Rock
Road in Newton through March 13. TTiese
classes maybe taken for credit. For more infor
mation, call (828) 464-7055.
Tlie Millinna More Movement-CTiarlotte Inc
will move to its new location at Little Rock
AME Zion (ffiurch, 401 N. McDowell St. TTie
group will meet the second and fourth Monday
nights of the month for six months. For more
inform^ition, call (704) 333-1690.
(ffiurch of the Holy Spirit Fellowship Inc of
Winston-Salem and Carolinas Black Pride
Movement headquartered in Cffiariotte have
teamed up to create the
Pride Gospel Mass Cffirir, the Carolina’s first
ever gay-affirming'all-affirming gospel mass
chcdr.
PGMC was envisioned by Pastor Roger
Hayes of (ffiurch of the Holy Spirit Fellowship
Inc. This vision involved creating an outlet for
gay lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender and gay-
fiiendly individuals to wca^hip, inspre &
uplift throu^ song and praise arts.
PGMC is seeking sopranos, altos, tenors,
baritones, basses, musicians of all instru
ments, songwriters, poets, psaise dancers and
mime performers.
Call Pastor Roger Hayes at (336)575-6205 or
chsnc(«earthlink.net
WWW. churchoftheholyspiritfeUowshipnc. com
February 24
Rock Hill AME Zion Churdi of Concord will
host a concert at Barber-Scotia Cbllege Chapel,
located at 149 Carrabus Way in Concord. For
more information, call (704) 492-4615.
February 25
Aging Out Ministry of Friendship Mission
ary Baptist Church will host a workshop for
ministers who care for youth who have aged
out of tile foster care system so that they can
become mentors. The workshop will be held at
the church fixan 10 a m. to 1 p.m. in room 103.
For more information, call (704) 492-0392.
February 26
Rease see ELLERBE/6B