A visit to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute on the weekend of Martin Luther King's birthday

Recently. our son and his family came to visit us. One of the things we did during their visit was to take them to see the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. My preteen grandchildren were horrified and sickened by what they saw. They had learned in school of Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King but they had no idea how bad things actually were at that time.

I told my grandchildren that what they saw at the Institute was true. I know because I was a child and young teenager during the early part of the civil rights movement. Later, when I was a young adult, our church was split down the middle when we voted to accept for membership a black woman and her daughter. The sight of several respected church leaders rising to yell “No!” and “Hell, no!” lingers with me still. After about 200 of us stood and walked out, the new racially mixed church we started received weekly bomb threats for several years.

Since I believe that racism is totally incompatible with a declaration of faith in the risen Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:28), I was proud that my grandchildren have been raised without a hint of racism.  We explained to them that things were much better now but that racism still existed. We also explained that as Christians they must never be a part of any racist activity and that they should never be afraid to oppose it when they see it.  (2 Timothy 1:7)

The Honey Beez

The 73^rd Magic City Classic college football game was held last Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama between the Hornets of Alabama State University and the Bulldogs of Alabama A&M University. The Bulldogs won the game 37-36 before a crowd of 67,710. 

The Alabama State University Honey Beez (pronounced the same as “honeybees”) are one of the treasures of the State of Alabama. They are a plus-sized dance team which performs during the university’s college football games. The players on the football team are known as the Hornets and the cheerleaders are the Stingettes.

The Honey Beez are proof that everyone has something to contribute, especially those who are often excluded. As members of the Body of Christ we would do well to remember this. Not only should we remember that every one of us has been given gifts but that we are expected to exercize those gifts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3RUUqwR_9I  (2013 game highlights)

Update on the Karen Shahan Murder

There has been a frustrating lack of updates about the investigation into the  23 July, 2013 murder of Karen Shahan, the wife of Richard Shahan, who is now the former Associate Pastor at the First Baptist Church of Birmingham, Alabama (USA).  At first, the cause of death was not released to the public, but it appears to have been the result of multiple stab wounds.  Also, Pastor Shahan’s status with the church was not publicized; he was on “leave.”  It has now become known that he is the former Associate Pastor of the church.

Some facts which have been released to the public: 1. There were no indications of forced entry, 2. Pastor Shahan insisted that he was out of town at the time of the murder, 3. The cause of death was multiple stab wounds, 4. Mrs. Shahan was not known to have any enemies, 5. There was apparently no theft of property from the murder site, 6.  Richard Shahan voluntarily went to the police station to answer questions and was held there for two days for what the police called “investigative purposes.”  He was released with no charges being filed and without him being officially named as a suspect in the killing. 

On 1 January 2014, Pastor Richard Shahan was arrested in Nashville, Tennessee (USA) while attempting to board a flight bound for Germany.  From Germany, the trip was to have continued to Kazakhtan.  Shahan insisted that he was leaving on a mission trip.  Legal extradiction proceedings have begun for his return to Alabama.  He has been officially charged with murder.

When more information is available it will be posted on this blog.

Update on the Murder of a Birmingham Pastor's Wife

Karen Shahan, the wife of Richard Shahan, Associate Pastor at the First Baptist Church of Birmingham (Alabama, USA) was found murdered on 23 July 2013 in her home.

http://saintsontheloose.blogspot.com/2013/07/pastors-wife-found-murdered.html

There have been almost no updates forthcoming from the police.  The husband, Richard, voluntarily went to the police station to answer questions and was held there for two days for what the police called “investigative purposes.”  Pastor Shahan was released with no charges being filed and without being officially named as a suspect in the killing.  The church has place him on administrative leave “to give him time and space to focus on his family and healing at this time.”

Many of those involved in the situation have become quite frustrated with the apparent lack of progress in the case.  The Senior Pastor, Charles T. Carter, has told his church members that it is acceptable to ask questions and to express doubts and frustrations. “Asking questions is not a lack of faith.”

http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2013/08/its_ok_to_ask_questions_interi.html

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/08/the_rev_richard_shahan_jailed.html

http://topics.al.com/tag/Karen%20Louise%20Shahan/posts.html

http://www.cbs42.com/2013/08/10/update-pastor-takes-administrative-leave-after-wifes-murder/

Pastor's Wife Found Murdered

Karen Shahan, the wife of pastor Richard Shahan, was found murdered in her home in Homewood, Alabama (USA) on 23 July, 2013.  Richard Shahan is the Children and Families Pastor at The First Baptist Church of Birmingham, Alabama.  The police are not releasing any information about the case at this time.  When more information is available it will be posted on this blog.

First Baptist Church was an important player in the civil rights struggle in Birmingham in the Civil Rights Era of the 1960’s and early 1970’s.  The Baptist Church of the Covenant split from First Baptist  in 1970, primarily over whether or not to admit Winifred and Twyla Bryant, who are black, as members of the church. Read the history of the controversy in the links below.

http://fbcbirmingham.org/

http://www.bcoc.net/templates/System/details.asp?id=43147&PID=579177

http://www.bhamwiki.com/w/First_Baptist_Church_of_Birmingham

http://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Baptist_Church_of_the_Covenant

http://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Temple_Emanu-El

Strip for Jesus

A Birmingham, Alabama (USA) church has performed a very "in your face" act directed at a men's striptease club.  The Rock Church placed an advertising billboard directly over the billboard for the Palace Gentleman's Club.  The church message seems to have greatly reduced attendance at the strip club.  I personally see nothing wrong with this.

The world seems to think that it is acceptable for men to objectify and visually and mentally rape women.  The church billboard presents the Christian male alternative, a very manly, holy, and powerful Christianity.

This link contains explicit material about "striptease."  View it at your own discretion.

Roll Tide! War Eagle!

I have spoken before about how football is almost a religion in Alabama.  People are born into Alabama or Auburn families and sons of players at one school almost invariably play at the same school.  Most approach this in a rational fashion and take good natured pokes at one another.  As with anything, a few become obsessive to absurd levels.

Today is the first game day of the 2012 season.  Auburn is playing the Clemson Tigers in Atlanta, Georgia and the currently second-ranked Alabama is visiting the Michigan Wolverines in Dallas, Texas. 

(Some videos will not play properly when you click on the triangle.  Instead,  click on the title line in the picture and the video will begin .  When the video is completed, close the You Tube pop-up window to return to this blog.)

Roll tide

War Eagle flight

The origin of Crimson Tide and Roll Tide:

The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California is where the Alabama team won their first four national titles (a total of fourteen.)  The national sports writers spoke of the team looking like a tide of red, a Crimson Tide, pouring onto the field.

The association with an elephant (the mascot: Big Al) began because the sports writers noticed a picture of a red elephant on the personal storage trunks the players brought with them.  The trunks were supplied to the team by a local Birmingham luggage company, Rosenberger's Birmingham Trunk, whose business logo is a red elephant.  The elephant logo refers to the strength of the trunks which they sell.

The origin of War Eagle:

The Auburn Tigers mascot is Aubie the Tiger.  The eagle, also, became associated with the team very early in Auburn history. In 1892, an eagle circled over the football field during a football game and the fans pointed into the air and yelled “War Eagle!”  

Sacred Harp Singing

On 14-16 June 2012, the 33^rd annual National Sacred Harp Convention was held at the First Christian Church in Birmingham, Alabama (USA).  Sacred Harp singing (also known as shape-note singing or “fasola” singing) is several centuries old and is based on four notes represented as shapes on the musical staff (Fa, Sol, La, and Mi).  The singing is always acapella and is paced by a rhythmic chopping motion of the forearm.

(Some videos will not play properly when you click on the triangle.  Instead,  click on the title line in the picture and the video will begin .  When the video is completed, close the You Tube pop-up window to return to this blog.)

Here are two links if you wish to read more:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Harp

http://fasola.org/introduction/short_history.html

Sarah Palin Speaks To a Christian Women's Group

Sarah Palin, the former Governor of the State of Alaska (USA) and the 2008 Republican Party candidate for the office of Vice president of the United States, spoke on Saturday 28 April 2012 to the Extraordinary Women's Conference in Birmingham, Alabama (USA).  She referenced the state motto of Alabama, "We dare defend our rights," and called on Christian women to stand up.

"I'm not just talking about our political rights, but the rights we are given as a daughter of God. ... He trusts us with the responsibility to live big, to live bold, to live passionately and to live vibrantly so we can effect change to the world around us."

"Don't be intimidated as they try to reduce you, to mock you, to stop you.  Get off the sidelines.  We were created to make a difference and help others put back together their shattered lives and dreams."

Its Never Too Late

"I lived all my life not knowing God ... so at age 58, after losing my ability to work, my health, home, and all else, I didn't think God had much use for me ... until I met His Son through Brother Bryan Mission."

The statue above sits in Five Points South in Birmingham, Alabama in a mixed area of restaurants, nightclubs, music halls, tattoo parlors, synagogues, and churches.  The man commemorated by the statue is Rev. James Alexander Bryan (d. 1941).  Brother Bryan, as he was known, was an ordained minister who spent many years working among the poor and homeless of the Birmingham area.  He was known for giving away his coat and/or his shoes on even the coldest days.  Like his saviour, he "went around doing good." (Acts 10:38)  He often quoted Matthew 25:35-40.

As he lay dying, his one request was for the establishment of a place for homeless men.  The Brother Bryan Mission was the result.  Read more about Brother Bryan here .

Winter Jam

Skillet is headlining the Winter Jam tour of Christian bands.  The Skillet album, Comatose, reached Gold record status in 2009.

In an interview with Mary Colurso, music critic for the Birmingham News newspaper, Skillet founder and lead singer John Cooper says, "I'm passionate about Christian music; I grew up listening to it.  You don't want to be one of those bands who have success and give up on the Christian world.  I love Christian music.  ... I began my career writing what I would call overtly Christian music - songs that I would say only Christians can relate to.  Then I started thinking: There might be a better way to say what I'm going to say, less blatant, more issue-driven.  Every song doesn't have to be based on a Bible verse.  They're more about my world view.  If you play music that people relate to, it gives them hope.  it makes them more open to what you're trying to say.  Some people will hear your music and say, "I'm not into the Christian thing, but they rock, and I respect that."

(Some videos will not play properly when you click on the triangle.  Instead,  click on the title line in the picture and the video will begin .  When the video is completed, close the You Tube pop-up window to return to this blog.)

Someone is Always Watching

“I grew up in Birmingham, Ala., a religious town. In my junior year of high school, something I had never expected started happening to my non-Jewish friends. They fell in love with their Christianity. They started reading the Bible. They would talk theology in the cafeteria. It was inspiring, and in a Jewish way, I began doing the same. I dusted off the Bible I had received as a bar mitzvah gift, and like my non-Jewish friends, read it cover to cover. The more engaged I became with my Judaism, the more I fell in love with it. By the time I was 17, I had set my sights on the rabbinate. In a way, my Southern Baptist friends turned me into a rabbi.” Rabbi Aaron Miller, assistant rabbi at Washington Hebrew Congregation, Washington, D.C. (USA)

Read the entire article here: 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/for-new-local-rabbi-a-blessed-life/2011/11/01/gIQADMKdfM_blog.html

“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. “ Colossians 4:5

“Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:  Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.” 2 Corinthians 3:2-3

Someone is always watching you even if you do not know it.  You are God's letter to them.  What will they read in that letter?

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Richard Christopher Wakeman: (b. 1949, England) Keyboradist in the following musical genres: rock, pop, electronica, jazz fusion, classical, and Christian.  He is most well known as the keyboardist for the near-legendary rock book Yes.  He studied at the Royal College of Music.

Matthew: (fl. 1^st century – d. 60; believed to be also known as levi, son of Alphaeus, and the writer of The Gospel According to Matthew)  Matthew was one of the first twelve apostles, the original inner circle of Jesus Christ.  He was a customs collector at Capernaum (Kepher Nahum, Israel).  Matthew 9:9, 10:3; Mark 2:14, 3:18; Luke 5:27, 6:15; Acts 1:13.  Tradition says that Matthew was killed by an axe in 60 AD/CE near Hierapolis, Ethiopia.

Fred McFeely Rogers: (b. 1928, Pennsylvania, USA – d. 2003) Educator, Presbyterian minister, songwriter, children’s television host, author.  He hosted mr. Roger’s Neighborhood (1968-2001) on the Public Broadcasting System (USA).  Mr. Roger's middle name was the source of the character, Mr. McFeely, on the television show.  Roger's trademark sweater from the television program is on permanent display at the Smithsonian Institution Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

Gabriel Leon M’ba: (b. 1902, Gabon – d. 1967) First Prime Minister (1959-1961) and first President of Gabon (1961-1967). Roman Catholic.  His brother was the first Roman Catholic priest in Gabon.

John Brown: (b. ca 1940, Jamaica; aka: The Jesus Man) Brown came to the United States in 1963.  He is a weekly street preacher in Birmingham, Alabama (USA) on the side of a busy highway.  One of his many signs says, “Honk if you know Jesus, pull over if you don’t.”  Brown has not missed a Saturday in over ten years, regardless of the weather or his health.  “The grass is my carpet, the streets are my walls, and the wind is my air conditioner … It’s about holy boldness – it comes form fasting and prayer.”

Everybody Ought To Know (Who Jesus is)

This choir has been together for over ten years and just gets better and better.  They are the University of Alabama at Birmingham Gospel Choir with Bishop Kevin P. Turner as Director & Composer.  Bishop Turner is the lead singer on this song, "Everybody Ought to Know (Who Jesus Is) ."  Their latest CD is available at iTunes, Amazon.com, & cdbaby.com.

UAB Gospel Choir

This is the UAB Gospel Choir (The University of Alabama at Birmingham) singing Bishop Hezekiah Walker's composition, "God Favored Me.".




Hezekiah Xzavier Walker (b. 1962, New York) is a Grammy award winning gospel music songwriter a nd musician with eighteen albums of his own and others by groups he sponsors. He is the founder of the Covenant Keepers International Fellowship.

Super Bowl Advertisement Rejected for "Religious Content"

Watch this You Tube clip.  An Alabama based group,  Fixed-Point,org, attempted to place this as a national advertisement during the recent broadcast of Super Bowl XLV.  They intend to try again to place the advertisement in 2012. As it now stands, they may have to to as they did this year and place the piece with local television stations.  This year the ad appeared in Alabama and Washington, DC.

The advertisement is not asking you to buy anything or to send any money to the organization.  The Fox Television Network rejected the advertisement as "offensive" because of its "religious content."  Obviously, the network feared that non-Christians might take offense at the simple, non-threatening presentation. We truly live in a wimpy, whiney world!

In truth, this borders on censorship of thought and free expression.  Sexual innuendos and vulgarities are permissible in television broadcasts, but anything of a religious nature is rejected.  The attitude is that religion is outdated, old-fashioned, divisive, offensive, closed-minded, and any number of other negative stereotypes.

By rejecting this advertisement, Fox placed it among a list of other advertisements which have been rejected, some very deservingly.


Below is a message from Fixed-Point,org, filmed at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.

UAB Gospel Choir

The UAB Gospel Choir held a fifteenth anniversary reunion concert at the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center in Birmingham, Alabama on Monday evening, 22 November 2010. The UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham)choir is under the direction of Kevin Turner. The choir has released four CD's and has sung with Stevie Wonder,Ruben Studdard, Lee Greenwood, and Taylor Hicks.


Since its creation in 1995, the choir has had over 4500 members. Average membership each semester is 120 to 150. Turner says, "We started with thirty students." Members of the choir study the history of gospel music, biographies of famous gospel performers,and techniques of performance and touring as a group; the academic study of gospel music.


The keyboardist for the group, Rev, Clinton Green, says, "There's not many places you can get a college credit for being in a gospel choir. It's preparing people for ministry." Seventeen other universities have begun gospel choirs on the UAB model.

Failure of the Church Can Have Disastrous Effects

Recently here in Birmingham we had a little child die from injuries to his face and head.  His unmarried mother and her live-in boyfriend said that his injuries came when he fell off the couch.  The doctors said his injuries came from repeated blows from a blunt object, probably a fist.  Momma's alibi was that she was at a prayer meeting at church when it happened.

If the church had been doing it's job, the child would still be alive.  "What!!!????" you say.  I meant what I said.  If the church had been doing it's job, the child would still be alive.

This church was apparently tolerating a situation which it should have challenged.  Single, unmarried mothers and their children definitely belong in the church, but single, unmarried mothers who continue to have children by a series of men to whom they are not married, or single women who persist in living with men to whom they are not married, must be challenged if they wish to call themselves Christian and to remain in the Church.  Otherwise, the Church is giving tacit approval to their behavior.  If sexual immorality can be allowed to continue within the Church, what else can also be tolerated?

In 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, Paul addresses the Corinthian church which was apparently not alarmed that one of its men was living with his mother (or possibly his step-mother) as if she was his wife.  Even the pagans viewed this as incest and Paul adamantly insisted that the situation could not be allowed to stand.

The Church must perform its prophetic (speaking God's Word), teaching, and nurturing duties.  The young Birmingham mother could have been challenged about her behavior, counseled, and encouraged to repent and adopt more appropriate and biblical behavior, and sheltered if she and her child needed protection from the abusive boyfriend.  It seems that none of this was done.

Jesus, in Matthew 18:15-20, even gives the Church instructions on how to lovingly carry out it's corrective instruction and nurturing and what to do about it if its attempts at reconciliation are rebuffed.

Some readers of this blog are already itching to say, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."  Yes, Jesus said that, then He turned to the woman and said, "Go, and sin no more."  John 8:1-11.