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February 2 7 ,1991-The Portland Observer - Page 3
•Portland Observer
by Mattie Ann Callier-Spears
RELIGION
Lynette Hawkins Stephens
Lynette Hawkins recently released
her new album, "W alking in the Light,”
characteristically infusing her forceful
and vibrant energy
from the irresistible
title song to the quiet
d ig nity o f " H is Eye
is on the Sparrow.”
Recently, at a
ceremony fo r the late
D r. M artin Luther
King, Jr., Lynette per
formed the single,
“ Together We Are
One,” as a special
p resentation
to
Coretta Scott King.
M s. H a w kin s
comes from a fa m ily
rich in the gospel tra
dition. In the 1970s,
she achieved great
success singing, touring, and making
records w ith her brothers W alter and
Edwin as a member o f The Hawkins
Fam ily, venturing from the com fort o f
w orking exclusively w ith her famous
fa m ily, Lynette is now a musical force
in her own right w ith concert tours and
albums. She concedes, however, “ I t ’ s
a little scary not having the support be
hind you, but i t ’s also a chance to
explore m yself.”
Lynette was in ju n io r high school
in 1969 when "O h Happy D ay,” by the
Northern Californian State Youth Choir
under the direction o f her brother Edwin
Hawkins, became the biggest selling
gospel record o f all
time!
Edwin, anxious
to go on the road
w ith his hit, formed
the gospel ensemle,
the Edwin Hawkins
Singers. Lynette
really wanted to join
the group, but her
parents thought it
best for her to finish
school.
S till anxious to
plant her “ gospel
routes” firm ly into
the professional gos
pel arena, Lynette
6 made her recording
debut on the Fantasy label w ith Selah,
a group formed by her other brother,
W alter. According to Lynette, Selah
"b ro k e w ith tradition and put Gospel in
a new form o f music called mesage
m usic.” This allowed the group to sing
in a variety o f places where “ norm al”
gospel groups accomplish its objec-
tive-to spread God’ s mesasge to people
who did not norm ally go to church.
Lynette Hawkins Stephens now
resides in Oaklnad, C alifom ina, w ith
her husband. Lynette’s solo career was
< ♦ ♦ ♦ e b
launched in the form o f gospel concerts
and her first solo album was produced
by brother W alter on the B irth righ t
Record label. “ We are a very close
fa m ily ,” says Lynette, the youngest o f
seven children born to Don and Mamie
Hawkins. “ W e’ve always done just about
everything together and we were raised
to stick together."
Lynette has also recorded back
ground vocals fo r such entertainers as
Jeffrey Osbome, Sylvester and Angela
B o fill. In addition, she has recorded
commercials for Chevrolet and The Gap,
and she appeared on such television
programs as The M ike Douglas Show,
the H BO Special, "E verybody Say
Yeah!,” The Jerry Lewis Muscular
Dystrophy Telethon and The George
Bums Christmas Special on NBC.
Lynette’ s 15 years o f stage credits in
clude her w ell received performance
w ith Jennifer Holiday and the original
touring cast o f the New Y o rk produc
tion, “ Sing, Mahalia, Sing.” Lynette
recently appeared in the gospel play,
“ M am a-D on’t.”
A quiet, relatively calm individual,
Lynette breathes a force o f vibrant en
ergy into a ll o f her performances which
many say are strongly motivated by her
faith in Jesus Christ. "T h e reason I sing
the way I do is because I believe what I
am singing about and that’ s the Gospel
o f Jesus Christ. I believe He is re a l!”
SCRIPTURE OF THE
WEEK:
II CORINTHIANS 9:7-15
The Gospel Shall Stand
BY MATTIE ANN CALLIER-SPEARS
The trees have leaves and the grass
is green. The flowers are in fu ll bloom.
The fru it trees are beinning to bear fru it
o f its kind; but, what o f man? How is it
that everything has an order that it
adheres to-exceptman? How many life
times must pass before mankind w ill
decide to make up its mind to really
know in their hearts who the S A V IO R
is?
For many, many decades, man has
sought to change the words o f the
M AS rE R Teacher. He, man, has shed
the blood o f the innocent, he has im
prisoned those who have attempted to
preach fo r what is right, and man has
struck down his brother while claim ing
to be a child o f the A lm ighty God. A ll
kinds o f movements, both spiritual and
emotional, have plagued our nation with
i t ’ s varied doctrines. Some have taken
some parts o f their text from the H oly
Scriptures, while others have completely
changed, rewritten, or just plain m is
construed the whole meaning o f the
H oly Bible.
Religious movements have come
and gone, but the Christian Religion
has existed since its conception. The
Gospel w ill be continually taught and
preached regardless o f whether or not
mankind wants to go w ith the flow , or
Mt. Olivet BC Grants Two
Scholarships
“ YOU ARE INVITED TO HEAR’
CHRIST MEMORIAL CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST
whether he chooses to rebel by creating
another fo llo w in g that w ill satisfy his
doctrine. M y question is: “ Why re
invent the wheel?” “ I f it is not broken,
why fix it? ”
C hrist’s ’ word-of-m outh’ concept
caught on like w ild fire . The twenty-
eighth chapter o f M A T T H E W S , in the
eighteenth through the twentieth verses,
we read that Jesus Christ has been cru
cified, has risen from the dead and is
now appearing before his disciples before
He ascends to His Father in Heaven. He
gives them the final commandment,
"...G o ye therfore, and teach all na
tions, baptizing them in the name o f the
Father, and o f the Son, and o f the H oly
Gost Teaching them to observe o f things
whatsoever I have commanded you,
and lo, I am w ith you always, even unto
the end o f the w orld. Am en.”
The steadfast Christians have been
carrying the H oly L ig h t and passing it
on by letting their L ig h t shine, by leach
ing the W O R D , by preaching the pow
erful Gospel message that Christ came
to save a ll who are lost. Salvation is fu ll
and FREE! In the 8th chapter o f St.
John, we find Jesus C hrist speaking to
an adultress. When her accusers had
fled the scene, Jesus C hrist asked her,
"...W om an, where are those thine
accusers? Hath no man condemned
thee?” The woman replied, “ No man,
L o rd .” Jesus then said, "N e ith e r do I
condemn thee; go, and sin no more.”
This example serves as only one o f
many, such, situations where Christ
has touched the life o f someone w ith
out pointing an accusing finger o f b elit
tling them before their peers.
W ith compassion and so much
LO VE -C hrist always approached the
unsaved in such a manner.
Yes! Man has attempted to stamp
the name o f Jesus C hrist from the very
face o f the earth; but, man shall never
be successful in such a quest The WORD
shall stand, the name o f Jesus C hrist
shall be forever spoken from the lips o f
man. For my scripture tells me, that i f
man doesn’ t decide to praise my Lord,
the rocks are going to cry o u t-’ ’G lory
and Honour” .
Nostalgia has gripped many people
during these changing times. They re
live certain periods o f the past and
g lo rify conditions and situations which
marked those periods. If, when we think
o f the past, we remember the blessings,
the inspiring growth in ourselves and in
our w orld, that is fine. But-whatawaste
o f time it is to dw ell on the past. Make
the present a rewarding time o f growth
in the Lord. It can be s o -if you let iL
Today, opportunity holds out i t ’ s
hand. We should grasp iL Tightly. Right
now avenues o f success, unparalleled
in history, are begging to be opened.
Right now-not in the thirites, forties,
fifties, sixties, or the se venties-the crea
tiv ity o f the H oly Spirt is readying our
new w orld. Through it all-the gospel
shall stand. God showed how much he
loved us by sending his only Son into
this wicked world. He feely gave us the
g ift o f eternal life. He suffered. He
bled. He died. Through these acts, we
see what real love is. It is not our love
fo r God, but his love fo r us-for, he sent
his son that we m ight live. O ur debt o f
sin has been paid through the precious
blood o f Jesus C h ris t
Christ said that he w ould not leave
us comfortless. We know how much
God loves us-because we have fe lt his
love and we feel the warmth o f His
H oly Spirit. We can feel the security o f
the H oly Spirti.
Praise God! The gospel shall stand.
GOSPEL CHOIR
IN CONCERT’
MT OLIVET BAPTIST
CHURCH
SR
WE ARE MOVING
SUNDAY SERVICES
TO
SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 1991
7:00 P.M.
THEME:
“ YOU’VE BEEN GOOD TO M E’
1552 N. KILLINGSWORTII
PORTLAND, OREGON 97217
REV. ROY L. TATE, PASTOR
MINISTER OF MUSIC
MINISTER EUGENE BLACKMON
The Business & professional
women o f M t. O livet w ould like to
announce the winners o f the Gertrude
Crowe scholarships. We had ten ap
plicants and the winners are: Cam ille
Cunningham and L em il Speed.
Camille Cunningham is the daugh
ter o f L illia n Cunningham. She is a
senior at W ilson H igh School. She is
member o f the National Honor Soci
ety, Jack & J ill, serves on the usher
board eight years, J.V. volleyball,
varsity basketball, and tennis team.
She plans to attend Hampton Insititue
or Spellman College and m ajor in
graphic and commerical art.
Lemil Speed, husband o f Lynnette
Speed, is presently enrolled at P.C.C.
in the Portland Teachers Progam. He
is a member o f the Jubilee Choir,
Sunday School teacher, and training
to be ordained as a deacon. He too is
an honor student and plans to be a
school teacher and obtain a masters in
education.
The M t. O livet fa m ily congradu-
ates both o f you and wish you G od’s
speed in successfully obtaining your
goals. Each student w ill receive
$250.00 award.
ARANATHA
HURCH
St. Paul Missionary
Baptist Church
8101 N. Fiske Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97203
Sunday Service
10:45
Sunday School
9:30
Bible Study
6:00
Evening Service
7:00 P.M.
Radio Ministry each Sunday. 8:00 A.M.-KBMS
A Teaching Church With A Reaching Ministry
Dr. James E. Martin, Senior Pastor
Church Office 116 N.E. Schuy ler,
NATIONAL CONVENTION
National Black Evangelical Association
Wednesday, April 3
through
Sunday, April 7
at the
Sheraton Airport Hotel
4222 N.E. 12th Avenue
Portland Oregon
Study Phone:289-1911
iW
Theme:
U r Henrye D McKinney
Nauonot Praitienl. NULA
Sunday Services
YOUTH TRACK: with Rev. Henry Grccnidge. 287-5226
9:00 A.M.
CHILDREN'S TRACK: with North Portland Assn, of Christian Educators, 288-2919
Horning Worship
RECONCILIATION RALLY
Sunday, April 7, at 7 p.m., at the Oregon Convention Center
Ulack and white pastors and congregations join in a reconciliation service!
10:30 A.M.
For p rogram s an d further in fo r m a tio n
NUEA office - 5736 N. Albina - 289-0143
Maranatha School of Ministry
Theme: Whatever you’re going
to do for the Lord, do it now.
I Peter iv .ll
PACIFIC NORTHWEST CITY WIDE
REVIVAL
Featuring Guest Speaker:
Evangelist Iona Locke
MARCH 7 & 8, 1991 • 7:0« P.M. NIGHTLY
MARANATHA CHURCH
4222 NORTH E. 121 H
PORTLAND, OREGON
PASTOR: WENDELL WALLACE
"In t h e m id s t o f t h e s e
y e a r s , REVIVE US!"
WORKSHOPS ANO LUNCHEONS: to lx? held at various local churclics and
Warner Pacific College.
Sunday School
Pastor, Rev. James C.E. Faulkner
6:30 P.M.
n
Mid-Week Services - Wednesday
7:30 P.M.
Rev. W endell H. Wallace
Senior Pastor
Jésus Loves You/
JXIbji TJämipte
llatoyA A tf'Wft
CunuenUun Cbeir
Wfljtsih
PsaJm 3 4 :3
4236 NE Eighth Avenue
(com«r of 8th 8 Skid mor»)
Portland, Oregon 97211
(503) 287-0261
Phillip S. Nelson, Pastor
I OR MOKK INFO R M A I ION CAI I : 2XII-724I
I I I ■ I
Worship Services 8:00 A.M. & 11:00 A.M,
Church School 9:30 A.M. to 10:30 A.M.
Bible Study. Wednesdays, 116 N.E.Schuyler
10:30 A.M. and 6:30 P.M.
First time in the Pacific Northwest!
“ FREE WILL OFFERING’’
Church Phone: 289-0147
Stone Tower Church,
N.E. Sandy Blvd. & 30th
3ÊM 89
HtsbapC (h h tm e
Co-Cbeir
Itcv A Hamlin
National ( annhnalor
King’s Daughter to Speak in Yakima
Yolanda K ing, eldest child o f Dr. M artin Luther K in g, Jr. and Coretta
Scott K ing, brings her message o f human rights to Yakim a on March 1 at 7 p.m.
at the Yakim a V alley Com m unity College Sherar Gym. The event is sponsored
by Y V C C and the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (A M E ) Church.
Ticket donations are $3 for students and senior citizens and $10 for
adults. Proceeds w ill divided among five scholarships fo r m inority students.
The tickets are available from Bernal Baca, Y V C C assistant dean o f students fo r
student life, at 575-2443, or Dclman Howard, Pastor A M E Church, 248-3564.