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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 1994)
P age B7 T he P ortland O bserver • F ebruary 23, 1994 SEEING JESUS M attie A nn C alleeh -S pears Did you see Jesus as you walked along the street? Did you see Jesus in the dirty face squatting on the ground? Did yo see Jesus as you opened the door to the sanctuary? Did you see Jesus in the song of a little canary? As we live our lives from day to day, we take for granted how we came to tue where we are; how old we are; how healthy we are. Yes! We take for granted our everyday staples. We take for granted the shelter covering us, the clotheson our backs, our vehicles, our jobs, the shoes on our feet; and we even take our five senses for granted. As I was driving back from the prison last night, I was so tired, be cause of the day’s activities, but I couldn’t help thinking about how much people take their everyday ex istence for granted. For some reason, we have conditioned ourselves to just look-overthingsandpeople who have been there before. We just assume that it will always be like that—again and again. This has become the over whelming mentality of the occupants of our institutions and many people on the outside, as the residents of the institutions refer to it. A long time ago, the old ones referred to this condition as, “They can’t see past their own noses.” The words from that same time period says it all, “I’m so glad that trouble won’tlastalw ays.O ’ my lawd! O ’ my lawd! What shall I do?” W ell-I know what I shall do. I will look to Jesus for He is my every thing. Jesus is my water when I am thirsty. Hie is m bread when I am hungry. He is the Great Comforter by when I am tired or hurt or lonely. He is my provider-not the grocery store. Jesus is the Great H ealer-not the doctors, as man think. You see...its’ God working through the physicians. It is God who gave them the skills, in the first place. We assume and we take so much for granted. When we fall down, oft times, we assume that we should get comfortable in the depths of our situ ations. And we assume that there is no way out. B ut-did you consult Jesus? He is the Great Emancipator for all who seek his face. During times of slavery and op pression, Jesus was the “Great Eman cipator". Even though the history books give a different story, Jesus Christ was the one who really set the captives free. As I sat researching and attempt ing to understand the meaning be hind the words of the old spirituals, the words of the slaves, which were chanted in the master’s house or out in the fields or even on the gallows, were chock-full with expressions of seeing Jesus; of how Jesus would set them free; of how they didn’t like the p a in -b u t-ju st knowing Jesus would be there waiting for them on the other side. Death became a welcomed ve hicle. To the slaves, Jesus could be seen; swinging down in a beautiful chariot, being driven by spirited white horses or waiting for them with out stretched arms as they crossed over the River Jordan or in the lightening and rolling thunder. Although many of these songs were songs of sorrow, there was joy just in knowing that, one day, Jesus would set them free and that they could finally see him and say, “Tank you Mastuah! Ah sho’ iz glad to see yah face. I’z free at las’!” In this present-day time period, we are witnessing another “Exodus”- -of sorts. In the air, criescan be heard, “Let mu people go! Let my people go!” The lamentations can be heard from around the globe. So many na tions are beginning to seek the face of the Lord because, they have discov ered that slavery is not just limited to one race or one kind of people. Sla very comes in so many shapes and forms. There is slavery of the mind and slavery of the heart and slavery of the thoughts and slavery of the emo tions and slavery of the sexes and finances. Some would not care to address these issues because they claim that these kinds of slavery are not visible to he naked eye. Well! I disagree. Have you ever seen a man or woman, on the streets, suffering from damaged and gripping emotions? I have. When you speak to them, they talk about wanting to be “Free”: and, wanting to commit suicide so that they can to be with Jesus. “I can’t stand it any longer on this earth”, I head a female inmate cry. “Why does it have to be like this? Why can’t God just come and get us NOW?” This plight was not black against white or native A frican against hispanic or jews against gentiles or skin-heads against bloods. This was a conflict-within. Wanting to see Jesus has become a final plea for many a desperate souls. But-while we walk this earth, we must learn to see Jesus in others and in everything that we do. I’ve found out that if you can’t see Him in whatever it is that you are pursuing, you better stop. Backup. Turn around. You are going in the wrong direc tions. Recently a drug addict shared, “Miss Spears! I really felt that when I was really high, I could see Jesus. The drug made me feel like I was more spiritual. But—when I came down, it was ugly and it never was the same. I could never reach that same high level; so, I took more and more drugs.” If m ankind would ju st wake up and realize that he is re sp o n sible for w hat happens in this life, because of his ability to m ake choices, he would certainly order form a d ifferen t menu. Accountability and responsibil ity should be the first order of one’s day; however, this is not true across the board-of-life. No one wants to own-up to his/her mistake, wrong turns, errors, boo-boos, or accidents; so we give them other names and descriptions. And we blame someone else or a situation. Still we want to see Jesus’ face. MMWWMMMWtWMMHMMMMHHMMMMWWMMMtM«« “When we see Jesus face to face. We will see Him who saved us by grace. It will be glorious and victori ous. When we see H im -w e shall be just like Him.” Praise The Lord! Church o f (jo d in Christ T he B ethel A.M.E. C hurch C athedral C hoir is B lack H istory month with a special night of “ N egro \ S pirituals ” cordially incites you to the Please join us on Sunday, February 27,1994, at 5:00 pm for “Once upon a time...When we were colored.” 07//. Z io n 0 Obituary celebrating '' installation Service oj < g /X Ö / W 4 U /i as {Pastor / . « „„ S i U a * / ° i ^ ‘l’n u r v Bethel A.M.E. C hurch is located at 5828 NE 8th Avenue, three blocks east of M artin Luther King Blvd., on J a rre tt Street. Please contact D eborah Hall, Program C hairperson at (503) 285- 4608 for additional inform ation. C o x F m iic r a l H o n i e In c « (Minetten liuiijrijanjninety-four F uneral D irectors 2736 NE R odney at three o’cloch in the afternoon (£he W it. Z io n Church o f Cfod,n Christ 281-4891 6800 Wortheast {Durham Street A nnouncing our N ewest S taff M ember {Portland, Oregon Annual Spring Musical Saturday, F ebruary 26, 1994 6 - 8 p.m. at Bethel A.M.E. C hurch 5828 NE 8th Avenue THEME: “Let the Children Come” C hildren’s C hoir P articipants will include: Youth and/or Children’s Choirs from Emmanuel Temple, Bcrcan Baptist Church with Tamara Barnett, soloist, Allen Temple, Vancouver Ave. 1st Baptist, Bethel A.M.E. Church and others! TO BENEFIT: North Portland Bible College Building Fund For information, call NPBC, 288-2919 PO Box, 11437, Portland, OR 97211 Jerome G. Tanner A pprentice F uneral D i r e c t o r We W elcom e You to The (g r e a te r j ^ a m t jg te p lje n Willie Lee Hill was bom Oc tober 13, 1918 in Montgomery, Alabama. The daughter of Nellie Butler and Elliott Eason, she was the eldest of two children, She left to be with the Lord on February 13, 1994 in Portland, Oregon. During the mid 1940’s she moved to Portland to join her hus band, a shipyard worker and rail road man. Her profession was that of mother, housewife, and benevo lent giver. She gave birth to seven chil dren. She gave love, inspiration and her strength to the five who survived and their children. Willie Lee is survived by a loving family: her husband, James C. Hill, sister, Laura L. Bellamy of Rochester, New York; sons, James E. Hill of Washington D.C., Orcnton B. Hill, Sr., and Clarence W. Hill of Portland, Micheál L. Hill of Wetumpka, Alabama; a daughter Saundra Olia of Los Angeles,California; 19grandchildrcn, 17grcat-grandchildren,twonieces, a nephew, and a host relatives and friends. M a llo ry Avenue Christian Church “Come to me all you who ore weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." 9:45am Sunday School 11:00am Morning LUorship 7:30pm Tuesday Bible Study and Prayer In te r-ra cia l C o n g re g a tio n 126 N€ Alberta Portland. OR 97211 (503) 288-5173 c=St. (2/iuxali 103 NE Morris St., Portland, OR 97212 • Sunday School -9:30am • Sunday Morning Wor ship Service -1 1 :00am • Sunday School Teacher's Meeting Tues - 6:30pm • Bible Study Wednesday - 6:00pm • Prayer Meeting Wednesday - 7:00pm Church Phone Number 287-7457 Dr. Joe S. Hardie, Pastor We Invite You To Come And Worship With Us. The Church Where Everybody is Somebody And Christ Is All. ^ a u l JH tssunuiru ^Baptist (i^urclj 8 1 0 1 N. Fiske Avenue Church Phone: 289-0147 Portland Oregon 97203 Study Phone: 21 9-1911 Sunday Service ¿ ¡ f f l x s s i t m a r g b a p t i s t (U tjixrclj 10:45 Sunday School “Serving The Lord With Gladness” 9:30 Bible Study Psalm 100:2 4*»** Sunday School 10am Morning Worship 11:05 Wednesday 6:00 Evening Service 7:00pm Pastor. Rc. JamcsC E. Eaulkncr Prayer & Bible Study 7pm Rev. G.L. Black I Pastor 3605 N.E. Mallory Ave. (503) 281-8117 Portland, OR 97212 fu n e r a l d ir e c t o r s Family Owned and Operated Since 1954 Serving the City of Portlandfor over 31 years In your hour o f need Vann & Vann are there to serve. MT. OLIVET BABTIST CHURCH Has moved Sunday services to Family Life Center, 8725 N. Chautauqua Blvd., at Willis Blvd. Worship Services 8:00am & 11:00am, Church School 9:30 to 10:30 am, Bible Study, Wednesdays, 116 NE Schuyler, 10:30am & 7 00pm Radio Ministry each Sunday, 8:00am on KBMS 503/281-2836 A Teaching Church With A Reaching Ministry 5211 N. Williams Portland, OR 97217 Church O ffice 116 NE Schuyler St. • (503) 284-1954 Dr. James E. Martin. Senior Pastor f
