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Spelman Spotlight October 17, 1979 Page 11
Our Whole School for Christ
Let's Come Together
By Angela Cumberlander
Have you been feeling a void in
your life—hunting for the
togetherness which you thought
you would experience by coming
to the AUC? Well, your emp
tiness should have been filled at
the first “Fellowship Hour” at
Morehouse’s Danforth Chapel
September 23, 1979.
According to Tyrone Crider,
Student Government President
of Morehouse College, the
Fellowship hour is the time when
the people of the AUC can come
together as true brothers and
sisters, realizing that there is
strength and hope in together
ness.
The Rev. Kenneth Flowers
from Detroit, Michigan, Dexter
Ave Baptist Church eloquently
delivered a much needed
message. Rev. Flowers, President
of the Freshman Class at
Morehouse directed the message
to the young people of the AUC.
He stressed the fact that even
though we are young we must still
fulfill our purposes in life because
our youth does not excuse us
from our responsibilities. Rev.
Flowers stressed the importance
of letting the love of God in our
hearts shine on our friends and
loved ones through everyday in
teractions.
The service was enhanced by
various Morehouse men through
prayer, scripture and song. An
ever present feeling of sincerity
flowed throughout the chapel
and touched the hearts of many.
The gathering around the altar
for prayer added to the essential
feeling of unity; some reached
out their hands to each other, but
everyone reached out their hear
ts. The moments of prayer and ■
song made us reflect on the times
when our ancestors met in prayer
and song for strength to carry on.
The unifying feeling was over
whelming, almost enough to
make one wish that it would
never end.
But that’s a part of the problem
we face in the AUC; the feelings
of closeness do end until we can
bring ourselves together again.
We get so entwined in our
studies, parties and social lives
that we forget that we are all here
with a common goal. This goal is
to enhance ourselves so that we
may strengthen the backbone of
our people and contribute
meaningfully to our dying
society.
Loneliness comes, depression
sets in, tears may even flow, but
we must remember that we have
each other; we should use the
Fellowship hours and other such
services as sparks to light the fire
that should be in our hearts.
Remember: “Weeping may en
dure for a night, but joy’s coming
in the morning. Lord."
Organizations Serve Spiritual Needs
“Spelman College is Christain
in origin. The attitudes toward
life exemplified by the life and
teachings of Jesus is the ideal
which governs the institution.
The College strives to emphasize
and develop all Christian virtues
in relations among peoples and
nations. ”
These words about Spelman, as
stated in the 1977-79 College
Bulletin, are also descriptive of
InterVarsity Christian
Fellowship, Campus Crusade for
Christ, Navigators and the Baptist
Student Union. These
organizations serve the spiritual
needs of students Union. Thes
organizations serve the spiritual
needs of students in the College
community. They are unlike
other organizations, in that, they
require no “joining," no mem
bership fees and no initiations.
This is the first of two on
Christian organizations. This
issue will look at the InterVarsity
Christian Fellowship and the Bap
tist Student Union. The next issue
will discuss the remaining two.
IVCF
By Angela D. Benson
What is IVCF? IVCF is In
terVarsity Christian Fellowship, a
national organization of Christian
students with the following ob
jectives;
1. To lead people to personal
faith in J esus Christ as Lord and
Savior.
2. To help Christians grow
toward maturity as disciples of
Christ.
3. To present the call of God
to the world mission of the chur
ch and to help students and
faculty discover God’s role for
them.
The Spelman Chapter of In
ter Varsity, chartered in 1977 as
the Spelman Christian Fellowship
(SCF), is composed of members
of the Freshman, Sophomore,
Junior and Senior classes
dedicated to fulfilling the
forementioned objectives. Ser
ving as President of the group is
Sharonetta McIntyre ( a senior
math major), Jann Primus (a
junior biology major), Sherry
Brooks (a senior math major),
and Felicia Bowens, a staff per
son with IVCF, serves as the
“spiritual coach.”
Each year the SCF sponsors a
Christmas Candlelight Service in
Sister’s Chapel, a Fall Retreat at a
nearby campground and a Spring
conference on the campus. The
Fall Retreat is scheduled for Oc
tober 19-21 in Covington, Ga.
Unlike the previous retreat, this
event will be attended by IVCF
chapters from all parts of the
South.
This year the Fellowship is un
dertaking a new project, an
Outreach Booktable. The
booktable will serve as a
library/bookstore of Christian
literature. Material will be
available to students and faculty
for loan and purchase.
The SCF meets for weekly
Bible study on Tuesday nights at
6:00 p.m. in the TV lounge of
Laura Spelman Dormitory. The
studies for the First Semester are
in the Book of Saint John. The
studies are very informal. All
members of the college com
munity are invited to attend
regularly.
Baptist Student Union
By W. Leighton Haynes
In a survey of the most in
fluential and popular student
organizations on the AUC cam
pus, the Baptist Student Union
might not sit atop the
rankings—however, SOMEDAY
all of that may change. The Bap
tist Student Union, commonly
referred to as simply BSU, is the
newest of four center-wide
Christian organizations dedicated
to fostering spiritual enlighten
ment among AUC students.
Though only in its second full
year of operation, the group is
already establishing a program of
activities,that probe the Christian
experience in many diverse ways.
Despite its newness in the
Atlanta University Center, the
BSU concept has been in
operation for many years
throughout the United States,
and in several foreign countries.
The organization seeks to lead
students to a serious Christian
commitment, and guide them on
(Sec BSU, p. 161
A PSALM A DAY...
PSALM 32
Blessed is he whose
trangression is forgiven, whose
sin is covered. Blessed is the man
unto whom the Lord imputeth
not iniquity, and in whose spirit
there is no guile. When I kept
silence, my bones waxed old
through my roaring all the day
long. For day and night thy hand
was heavy upon men; my
moisture is turned into the
drought of summer. Selah. I
acknowledged my sin unto thee,
and mine iniquity have I not hid.
I said, I will confess my tran
sgressions unto the Lord; and
thou forgavest the iniquity of my
sin. Selah. For this shall everyone
that is godly pray unto thee in a
time when thou mayest be found:
surely in the floods of great
waters they shall not come nigh
unto him. Thou art my hiding
place; thou shalt preserve me
from trouble; thou shalt compass
me about with songs of deliveran
ce. Selah. I will instruct thee and
teach the in the way which thou
shalt go: I will guide thee with
mine eye. Be ye not as the horse,
or as the mule, which have no un
derstanding; whose mouth must
be held in with bit and bridle, lest
they come near unto thee. Many
sorrows shall be to the wicked:
but he that trusteth in the Lord,
mercy shall compass him about.
Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice,
ye righteous: and shout for joy,
all ye that are upright in heart.
Words From
Norman M. Rates
College Chaplain
on
Debra Johnson
Deborah Johnson was a senior at
Spelman College last year.
Because of a tragic accident.
Deborah was not able to return.
By Rev. N. M. Rates
Last night I visited Deborah
Johnson, again — this time by
phone, long distance. The other
time when I called on her she was
a patient at Grady Hospital. She
was there during much of the
second semester of the past
school year as a result of a car ac
cident. Deborah lost one of her
legs, she had to lie flat on her
back in a series of braces that
made almost every muscle in her
body immobile for an eternity, it
seemed. The multiple injuries in
curred by her brought great
physical suffering to her body.
Ali that I could do on that first
visit was to console the parents
and pray silently by Deborah’s
bedside. During the next day’s
visit I stood silently praying again
by Deborah’s side. This time she
slowly opened her eyes as if she
felt my presence. The eyes—the
eyes were the key, the an
nouncement of things to come.
They glistened and sparkled with
tears, but not with tears of sad
ness—rather, they were filled
with tears of happiness and hope.
And then came the next day—the
lips. Deborah’s parched lips
managed to smile, and in that
smile I saw not curses but
thanks—thankfulness for being
alive! But alive to what? All the
plans so carefully laid out over th
e past twenty some odd years had
been smashed in a few violent
seconds—student teaching,
graduation in May, job interviews
and offers, a promisng career, in
dependence—all these were gone
never to be recovered, I thought.
But if'they were-my, thoughts.,.,
they certainly were not in the
mind of Deborah. To her. all this
was not the end: instead, it was a
nagging interlude. She was not
defeated she had only been
detoured. Deborah vowed that
she would rise again! On sub
sequent visits with Deborah while
she was at Grady I saw her
keeping her vow.
Deborah’s “tragedy” taught the
Spelman Community a great
lesson in faith. She could have
lost faith in herself and in the
future and could have given up in
total despair. But Deborah’s faith
in herself caused her to exercise a
determination to overcome an
occurence in her life that might
have resulted in total gloom and
doom for many of us, regardless
of age or position. She displayed
an indomitable spirit of what
many call “intestinal fortitude,”
but what I call faith in oneself.
Deborah taught us a second
lesson in faith—and that is that
she did not lose faith in others.
She did not turn sour on her more
"fortunate” friends nor did she
doubt the efficacy of love and
concern displayed by her family
and all others who took an in
terest in her. She also trusted the
physicians and nurses into whose
care she was placed. Many times,
Deborah was encouraging her
visitors more than they were able
articulate encouragement to her.
All this was made possible. I
believe, by the third lesson in,
faith that Deborah taught — she
did not lose faith in God.
She taught us that faith in God
does not make one immune to
tragedy. Instead, it makes one
better able to cope with such
events. It was this faith in God
that made Deborah better able to
summon self-faith and to never
lose faith in others. And the
Spelman Community was made
better by such a display of faith.
Last night I visited with
Deborah Johnson, again—this
time by phone, long distance. It is
a marvel! Her faith is even
stronger and her hopes are even
higher. Don’t be surprised to see
her on campus at some unex
pected moment. Don’t be sur;
prised at any thing that Doborah
Johnson might do—for she has
faith. So what did I say to her as I
concluded my visit to her last
night? Not much. She did all the
talking. Inwardly, I said, “Keep
the faith.” But it was not
necessary to say it aloud to
Deborah. She’s kept it. I merely
said, “see you later,” and hung
up. And as I fell on my knees to
say my prayers in joyfulness, I
was so glad that they make man-
size Kleenex for the man-size
tears.
Schedule of Events for Sisters Chapel for October, 1979
Tues. Oct. 16, 11:00 a.m. -Convocation — “The Annual Atlanta
University Charter Day Convocation (Dr. Paul Smith, Contact,
A.U.)
Wednesday, Oct. 17, all day - Activity - National Black Music
Council Colloquim and Competition (Dr. Roland Allison, Contact).
Thursday, Oct. 18, 11:00 a.m. - Forum - Community Dialogue on
Women.
Friday. Oct. 19, 6:00 p.m. - Organ Quiet Hour - Dr. Joyce F.
Johnson. Organist.
Sunday. Oct. 21, 11:00 a.m. - Sunday Worship Service - Speaker
To Be Announced. *
Thursday. Oct. 25, 11:00 a.m. - Assembly - Spelman Student
Government Association.
Friday. Oct. 26, 6:00 p.m. - Organ Quiet Hour - Dr. Joyce F.
Johnson. Organist.
7:00p.m. - Program Mr. Blue and White Pageant!?) - SSGA.
Sunday. October 28. 11:00 a.m. - Sunday Worship Service -
Speaker To Be BE Announced.