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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1990)
August 1, 1990—The Portland Observer- Page 3 Portland Observer RELIGION By A. LEE HENDERSON You will have a marvelous time ex pressing yourself as a Christian and a member of the African Methodist Epis copal Church if you grant yourself the gift to know your church and to know your self. What better way to accustom your self to the full warmth awaiting you from the African Methodist Episcopal Church than to accept John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, at his word. “ If your heart is as my heart, give me your hand,: invited Wesley. This doctrine ran contrary to the Roman Catholic Church who claims there is no salvation outside their circle and bans its members from attending other denominational services. They are apt to look at split-off demonstrations as renegades. They are the targets who cry, * ‘They drew a circle and shut me out.” They see themselves as targets. But the democratic arms of Protestantism respond, “ God and I have the wit to win. We draw a circle and take them in.” The Greek Orthodox, also known as the Eastern Orthodox Church has maintained an attitude of working with the state government contrasted to the Roman Catholic Church which main tains domination above it, and the Prot estant churches which seek separation between church and state. Yet as God works in mysterious ways, the Greek Orthodox position has kept the doors open in Russia to good relations; and we now see that with glasnost, the great churches in Russia are still serving the very people who have been discouraged from accepting Christianity as “ The opiate of the people.” Jesus established our separate way- to-come when he foretold that “ I am the vine, ye are the branches.” It is not for us to diminish someone who practices another religion. It is for us to glory our own! Perhaps, we shower understand ing upon the multitudinous denomina tions while professing our chosen affili ation. The threat, however, to shrinking Christian practices, no matter how ver bal and loudly vocal they have been, even through televangelism, comes from the anti-Christians. They are the “ intel- lectuals,” the atheists, the agnostics who build their strength on materialism*. Too often they poke fun at those who are Christian. Their weapons are belittle- ment, arrogance, self-smugness and they give themselves permission to attack you for the pleasure of their own perversities.They demand logical re sponses to illogical demands. They are able to prove nothing and insist that you should be able to prove everything. Like a power source yourself, there are limit less expressions available to you for showing the world, by example, that you are plugged into the Master’s switch, a living demonstration of His love and His works! Some of the top professional and material successes build their power base on spiritual belief and Christian faith. You can do the same. There is still room at the top, and you don’t have to be bom with a silver spoon in your mouth to achieve it. No one knows better about this than Ronald M. Supancic, a certi fied family law specialist based in Woodland Hills, California, who has represented some of the “ zillionaires and celebrities” as well as the ordinary people, too, who seek him out for his un usual tactics. These unusual tactics are rooted in his Christian principles. Like Christ, he is an instrument for healing, not just severing marriages and sick re lationships! Like Christ, he is an instru ment to confront and chase the money lenders from the temple. He is a formi dable adversary for his clients, a bastion for single parents, for those who would prevent separation and divorce, and for those whose situations have gone be yond repair and must create separate lives for themselves by leaving toxic re lationships through the divorce and separation process. Ronald M. Supanic wrote the book “ When All else Fails... The REal Cost of Ending A marriage,” * presenting himself to the public as a professed Christian. He makes himself visible and expresses himself as a Christian, profes sionally and personally. Even his auto m obile’s license plate echoes a state ment for all to see and to remind them selves as they pass on their individual ways...’’Kids 1st” is on that license plate! What is the message you would put on your license plates, theoretically if you were able, to spread a word of concern or a message of love to those who pass your way? The concentrated focus of your feelings and their expres sion under the roof consecrated to God is within your Church. Indeed, from the first meeting with Jesus in the upper room in Jerusalem where the first Chris tian service began, we have built many spires and rooftops towards God. They are but pan of the testimony, for you...what you say, plan, and do arc the major part of testimony. An effective church must be able to touch the need of its people, its commu nity, responding to all their hopes and problems. You then, are required to bring to your church the true expression of these contemporary needs. Share them with god, but also share them with the pastor and church members to the extent that you will be keeping each other informed about vital needs. John Wesley emphasized the church’s role in Eng land by recalling to the church and its members, the need to put Christ at the center of their lives and helping others to do this, too. Be alive to god’s direc tions. Only then can you carry out His full plan for your life in your unshackled ambition to surge forward and accom plish miracles! From the tending of a flower garden to the building of an in dustrial empire, all is under the loving sponsorship of the African Methodist Episcopal Church under god! The founder of our church family established our “ rock” as the founda tions of the human race, a non-exclu- sionary Kingdom of souls undivided by racial pigmentation. We express ourselves courageously through Christ. We are to be effective in seeking social change and human bet terment under this umbrella of the Gos pel: “ A new commandment I give unto you. That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. “ By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to an other.” (St. John: 13:34,35) *1-Materialism is the outlook that matter and material process are the sole constituent of reality. It is also a preoc cupation with money to the exclusion of intellectual or spiritual things. *2-Published by Fleming H. Revell Company, 1986. Continued Next Week. Whenever or wherever there is a social group or community, whether if be of the insect I ingdom, animal king dom of the human family, the process of Role Modeling is a powerful and deter mining factor for the development and destiny of that group society. Portland Oregon, a city with a popu lation of approximately 29,000 blacks mostly concentrated in the North and Northeast section o f the city, aches with the need to magnify positive role models for the growth nnd development of the community. I emphasize the act of MAGNIFI CATION because there seems to be a concerted effort by unidentified forces to blind the people or hide from them the many positive role models that exist in our community, who walk among us everyday and work constantly with us twenty-four seven. It is an apparent truth, that drug ad diction and alcoholism exists and affects our community in an negative way, it is a problem that demand our attention and energy, but as we move through this life we have our won attributes and we can’t always give our attention to problem that exist but God in his wisdom has always sent a messenger to his people when they are in dire need whose lives are dedicated to solving and eliminating problems for us. It is this same wisdom that sent us an answer to our problem by inspiring Don McMillan with the will and the vision to from INSIDE OUTSIDE PEOPLE, role model of the self help concept that thrives today even though IOP no longer exists. STAY CLEAN INC. is such an in stitution and the men and women who took control of INSIDE OUTSIDE PEOPLE INC. are the real ghostbusters, they are heroes, they are positive role models and they should not be hidden or desire anonymity. For if in truth, Stay Clean Inc. magnifies the vision of Don McMillan, then all of those involved in this pro gram are a manifestation of the original vision which God gave Don McMillan and without this there would be no role model, no inspiration for a Stay Clean Inc., and those who are in a leadership role would be relegated to prison, drug addiction or hell here on earth. -Woody Breadnax Beauty & Barber Supplies Wigland J* Open to Public 9-6 - Delivery/Service One o f theNorthwest Largest Wig Displays Wigs andHairpieces For All Nationalities Eva Gabor • Naomi Sims • Renee of Paris , MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY THE ROLE MODEL Expressing Yourself as a Christian □ An Excerpt from Chapter Three of Y o u r C h u rc h a n d You S c rip tu re o f the ‘l/V eef 231 N. Lombard Suite 200 Portland, OR 97217 Peggy Sumner Owner (503) 289-0205 James 1:19-20 Amani A. Jabari: June 6,1948 - July 22,1990 Amani A. Jabari, of Northeast Portland, died of complications arising from AIDS. He was 42 years old. Born (Hal E. Holt) in Portland, he is survived by his mother, Cynthia Holt; sisters Joanne Davis, Sandra Holt, and Florence Stephens, brother Billy Holt, aunt Inez Walls and a host of friends, relatives, and loved ones. Since the early eighties, Jabari has championed the cause for HIV/ AIDS prevention education to People of Color in the Pacific N orthwest. He was a founding member of "People of Color United Against AIDS" and the founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Oregon Minority AIDS Coalition. Amani was a member of the "Oregon AIDS Task Force" and active with the Multnomah County and State Health Division. He was one o f the original organizers of the Metropolitan Community Church AIDS Vigil, and trainer with the Clark County AIDS program for health care providers. Amani was an activist for Social Justice; before returning to Portland ten years ago he worked in Washington, D.C. in Fair Housing and Tenants' Rights. Also, he served on the Board of McKenzie River Gathering Foundation and the Urban League Youth Service Center Advocacy Board. Services will be held Friday at 1p.m. at Maranatha Church, 4222 NE 12th, officiated by Billie Johnson. 1 LEE O W EN STONE COOPERATIVE PRESCHOOL | Current Openings Avail able For Summer & Fall Tuition From $30.00 Scholarships A vailable For Information Call the School 281-5802 or Kate Darling 281-0591 Prison Ministries PRISON MINISTRIES, INC P.O. BOX 12396 PORTLAND, OREGON 97212 God Bless You! JOHN OR VIVIAN PARKER For information Call: (503) 284-7563 ÑEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 1237 NE Failing Sunday School Morning Worship 9:30 am 11:15 am Y.P.W.W. 7:00 p.m. Evening Worship 8:00 pm Tuesday Prayer and Bible Band 7:30 pm Thursday Pastoral Teaching 7:30 E ld e r L e o n B re w e r You are invited to worship with The New Testament family. P astor Call W here we preach Jesus Christ W e teach the Bible We reach out and care for people 284-7594 'A Teaching Church ‘With A fyaching Ministry. MT. OLIVET BAPTIST ------ 1 D r . CHURCH = = = = J James E . M a r t in , S e n io r P a s to r 116 N.E. Schuyler • (503) 284-1954 3 M ORNING WORSHIP SERVICES 8:00 A.M . - W ORSHIP SERVICE 10:00 A.M. - W ORSHIP SERVICE 1230 P.M. - WORSHIP SERVICE CHURCH SCHOOL: SATURDAY MORNING 9:30 A.M. TO 10:30 A.M. BIBLE STUDY 6:30 P.M. TO 8:00 P.M. - W EDNESDAY ARANATHA Radio Ministry Each Sunday, 8:00 A M . - KBMS I hurch MRS C’S WIGS 4222 N.E. 12th Avenue Portland Oregon WHOLESALE & RETAIL HUNDREDS OF WIGS FOR YOUR EVERCHANGMG UFESTYLES NAOMI SIMS • BORNFREE • MICHAEL WEEKS Sunday Services Sunday School 9:00 A.M. “ Before You M ust” . t h e s e r v ic e s w e o f f e r Cox Funeral Home, Inc. Hr. Service TUfS-SAT 11(30-6 r<X) Morning Worship — Make a Decision — " In q u ir e a b r BETTY CABIN! 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