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RELIGION
THURSDAY DECEMBER 28, 2006
Ufe1B
Introduction
unresloved
guilt
She sat on the tailgate of a
pickup in the parking lot, her
body shuddering with silent
sobs. In the nearby park the
rest of the church was enjoy
ing the annual picnic, but she
didn’t participate. She just
sat there, hugging herself
t^tly stating into nothing
The preacher sat down neart
to her and asked, ‘What’s
wrong, dear? Can I help?”
She gained control for a
minute and blurted, ‘1 take
shower after shower, but I
stiH feel dirty” Her problem?
She had recently committed
adultery with her best
friend’s husband.
Her sin made her feel guQty
and vmdean, and she felt
there was no way to get over
it.
Coimseling professionals
say that unresolved guilt is
one of the great problems fac
ing troubled adults. The
church knows the cause of
unresolved guilt: sin. Some
secular counseling theories
deal with sin problems by
saying, “That’s who you are.
Just accept yourself and be
happy” They believe that
clients want a therapist who
will say that their sin is OK.
Actually no one needs to
spend money to hear this. AH
you have to do is find a bunch
of drinking buddies to party
with, and they will teU you
this for nothing!
God, who made us, knows
that sin cannot be ignored or
explained away It must be
confronted and overcome.
Ignoring sin is a sin itself and
is ultimately destructive. The
apostle John has a strategy
for dealing with sin that we
will see today This weeks
lesson uses bold symbolic lan
guage to guide us into a fel
lowship with God. This fel
lowship moves beyond para
lyzing guilt to a joyous walk
with the Lord.
Lesson back^ound
The apostle John was one of
Jesus’ closest associates.
Jesus trusted him enough to
task him with the care of His
own mother, Mary, at the
cross (see John 19:26, 27).
Church tradition says that
John later moved to the great
dty of Ephesus, taking Mary
with him There he minis-
te:ed for many years, dying
sometime between a.d. 95
and 100. His exile to Patmos
is also well known (Revela
tion 1:9).
There are five books in the
Bible written by the apostle
John: the Gospel of John; 1,2,
3 John; and Revelation. We
are not sure who the intend
ed audience was for 1 John,
but apparently they were
confronted with many
threats to their faith. Some
may have been Jewish behev-
ers who had denied Jesus in
order to return to the syna
gogue (see 1 John 2:22). Oth-
Rease see INTR0DUCTI0N/7B
Faith-based diet books call for
more than just fruits and veggies
THE ASSOC/ATED PRESS
MIAMI—When Eve took that forbidden first bite of organ
ic apple, she had no idea she would be linking food and reli
gion forever. Thousands of years later evangelical Christians
and worshippers of low-carb diets are worrying about how
many carbohydrates are ip their communion cracka:^.
In the first go roimd, dozens of books like the “Hallelujah
Diet” and “The Maker’s Diet” harkened the fare of Biblical
times to take off the pounds that church potlucks and Sun
day picnics packed on.
But the latest crop of faith-based diet books are moving
outside the realm of food and exercise, touting a more holis
tic approach that encourages everything fiom advanced
hygiena, a challenge to feed the poor and a call to add a side
of prayer and meditation alongside your veggies and hor
mone fi^ meat.
Author Tbm Hafer says diet and exercise don’t just benefit
you, they allow you to live a longer, healthier life to better
care for others.
In “Faith and Fitness: Diet and Exercise for a Better
World,” Hafer says the bulk of the $40 bOlion diet industry is
all about self But this hipfde-preacher who is more U2’s
Bono than BiUy Graham says the real focus should be con
suming the right amount of food for ourselves and saving the
excess resources for the millions dying from hunger.
“This is motivation like no other. When we switch the
understanding of self to the ^obal community we have more
than enough motivation to last a lifetime,” said Hafer, a
recent seminary grad and physical therapist fium Cape
Coral.
Jordan Rubin says his latest book “The Great Physician’s
Rx for Health & Wellness” is a “Gk)d-inspired mad map to
wholeness for the body mind and soul.” It also includes a
series of 35 smaller books targeting diseases including dia
betes, cancer, arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome.
Please see FAITH-BASED/6B
‘Blue Christmas’ church services
attract those who feel depressed
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RICHMOND, Va.-There
w^e no joUy Christmas car
ols at the Cannon Memorial
Chapel. No brilliant poinset-
tias or festive branches of
hoHy No smiling faces or
hearty wishes of happiness.
Instead, melancholy jtiano
music echoed throu^ the
hushed church. Dead
branches were lain on a
table covered in blue cloth,
representing the “winter of
our souls.” Men and women
held each other and cried.
“This is not a traditional
Christmas service,” chaplain
Kate O’Dwyer RandaU said
Tuesday opening the Uni
versity of Richmond’s nonde-
nominational “Blue Christ
mas” service, which drew
around 60 people.
Somber Blue Christmas
services are being held at
many churches around the
coimtry this year, in recogni
tion of what psychologists
have long known: that the
contrived good cheer of the
hohday season can actually
make some people who are
dealing with heartbreak feel
worse. The Blue Christmas
services confixait feelings of
giief and loss head-on.
“Holidays in our culture
are often about families, and
families are not always
happy institutions,” said
O’Dwyer Randall, who once
worked as a grief counselor.
“I think that particularly if
you’re facir^ a death or a
divorce, the ‘empty chair
syndrome’ becomes very real
at this time of year.”
This is the first Christmas
in a long time that 77-year-
old Charles Mnter Jr. will
have to celebrate without
Barbara, whom he married
19 days after they met and
stayed with for “57 years,
four months and three days.”
In May she succumbed to
“I hate the holidays. I see
the lights and Christmas—I
just get the chills,” he said. ‘T
hope this is goii^ to help.”
Sharon Van de Walle’s hus
band of 40 years died sud
denly earlier this month.
• “This just is a preparation
for Christmas, which is
going to be rather diflicult,”
she said tearfully
“And it’s a good place to
have a cry and no one will
mind,” her friend, Anita
McCabe, said as she
embraced her.
The “Blue Christmas” con-
Please see BLUE/7B
Robbers nab more than $20,000
after Christmas Mass in New York
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK-Two grinch-
es spoiled Christmas Day for
a church robbir^ the safe of
more than $20,000 in dona
tions for needy children,
police said.
The pastor at St. Mel’s
Roman Catholic Church in
Queens said he believed the
two men knew where they
were going when they broke
in throi:^ the back door and
stole between $20,000 and
$30,000 after morning Mass.
‘It was done while the peo
ple were in the building,” the
Rev. Christopher J. Tur-
czany said.
When church employees
left the back area where the
safe was located, the money
box was removed finm the
safe, he said.
A parishioner saw the
crooks fle^with the cash in a
sports utility vehicle. No
Va. parishes leave Episcopal Church over sexuality
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FAIRFAX, Va.—Two of the largest
Episcopal parishes in Mrgtnia voted
overwhelmingly Sunday to break fix)m
The Episcopal Church and join fellow
Anglican conservatives forming a rival
U.S. denomination.
Iriiro Church in Fairfax and The Falls
Church in FaUs Church plan to place
themselves under the leadership of
Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola of
Nigeria, who has called the growing
acceptance of gayrelationships a“satan-
ic attack” on the church.
The archbishop hopes to create a U.S.
alliance of disaffected parishes called the
Convocation of Anglicans in North
America. Ituro rector Martyn Minns
was consecrated a bishop in the Churdi
of Nigeria earlier this year to lead Aki-
nola’s American outreach.
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts
Schorl is saddened by any split fium the
chmuh and will consult her advisers on
how the denomination should respond,
said Bob Wlliains, the national Episco
pal spokesman.
Ninety percent of Falls Church parish
ioners and 92 percent of Ituro members
Please see VA./8B
Church News
Mixing
stars for
Covenant
Various Artists
Tavis Smiley presents
'Hie Covenant
Various producers
Verity Records
Tavis Smiley’s purpose in
life is still a myst^y to me,
but many find his ramblings
inspii'ational. Those that do
wiU. find this collection of
songs he’s put together for
“The Covenant” as motiva
tional.
Even those who don’t know
of Smiley should enjoy these
songs pulled finm various
gospel CDs released on the
Verity label.
Smiley spimkles his com
mentary between some of
these selections as well as
the CD’s beginning and end.
I suspect this is to give the
CD a more personal touch.
Or it could be Smiley simply
likes to hear himself talk.
Smiley has labeled each
song with the mess^e he’s
trying to push. Donnie
McClurkin’s‘Yes You Can” is
for youi^ people’s potential.
It’s one of the better songs
fi-om McClurkin’s “...Again”
CD. Donald Lawrence’s joy
ous “Healed” promotes
health and well-being.
Hezekiah Walker and John
P. Kee pair on “I’ll Make It,”
meant to be an inspiration
towards prosperity
Eclectic Deitrick Haddon
contributes “U .N .1 .T.Y.,”
included to push community
awareness and togetherness.
It’s an odd choice for such
lofty soda] goals, but Had
den’s odd take on gospel
appeals to a lot of young folk.
Those looking for a break
through will be drawn to
Mdde ’Winans’ “Shake Your
self Loose,” not only for its
upliftii^ message, but its
club beat. Ibaditional gospel
lovers wfil find The Canton
Spirituals’ “I Know I Can
Make It” a memorable testa
ment to dvil rights and his
tory
Ibnex, Joann Rosario and
Fi'ed Hammond also con
tribute to this project with
songs for justice, honor and
bridge-biulding.
arrests had been made as of
Monday evening.
‘I couldn’t think of anyone
who would do this, espedal-
ly rob a diurch, espedally on
Christmas Day,” said the
parishioner, Christopher
Urena.
Ratingis
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Fffif t- r-V
Why?
The HpaHlinp for annoxmeements is noon on
Fridays. Fax to (704) 342-2160 or e-mail
cheris.hodges@thecharlottepost.com. Please
type “churdi news” in the subject line.
Ongoing
We Empower Women For Life At Women of
The Harvest Bible Study Wednesdays at 6
p.m. at 6636 Suite L Hickory Grove Business
Park.
•Steele Creek AME Zion Church, located at
1500 Shopton Road, wUl have noon day Bible
study firom 12-1 p.m.
•Join Scouting at Steele Creek AME Zion
Church, 1500 Shopton Road. Boy Scout and
Girl Scout troop meetings are held each
Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. CaU (704) 523-
6552 to register or to obtain additional infor
mation.
• Hearts and Hammers, a construction min
istry of Independence HiH Baptist Church is
currently collecting applications for its 2007
project- Hearts and Hammers assists non-prof
it organizations by providing expaiise and
labor. The deadline to submit an application is
Dec. 31. For more information or to obtain an
application, call (704) 596-2124.
December 30
Laughalujah Mega Comedy Jam is recog
nized across the country as “the fimniest live
gospel comedy show ever!” This hilarious event
comes to Charlotte Dec. 30 at University City
Church located at 7829 Old Concord Road at
7:30 pm.
Tickets are available,at the following loca
tions: University City Church (704) 716-3610,
Juniors Chicken and Waffles - (704)-503-3335,
Premier Barber & Salon - 704-537-7858.
For additional information on Laughalujah
Mega Comedy Jam show in Charlotte contact
Patrick Porter - 623-910-4797, University City
Church 704-716-3610 or visit the Web at
www.thexmiversitycitychurch.com
Please s
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