Faith, Compassion and Justice
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AUGUST 2020 FAITH, COMPASSION AND JUSTICE ILLINOIS MEMBERS ILLINOIS FOCUS INSIDE NEWS ON THE WEB IN THIS ISSUE / TELLING THE STORIES OF WHAT GOD IS DOING IN THE LIVES OF HIS PEOPLE Visit lakeunionherald.org for more on these and other stories Lake Region pastors joined more than one thousand other people on Sunday, June 7, for a peaceful protest march through Berrien Springs, calling attention Juanita Edge to racial inequality and police brutality. Download the Herald to your Left to right: Rey Everett, Leonard Morant, mobile device! Just launch your PERSPECTIVES FEATURES Timothy Nixon, Leon George, Clifford Jones, camera and point it at the QR code. President's Perspective 4 Daniel Carmona, and Claval Hunter 14 (Older model devices may require Lest We Forget 8 Conversations with God 9 Who is My Neighbor? Randy Griffin, D.D.S., Lake Union downloading a third party app.) A few months ago MaryAnn and I Conference Health Ministries director, Conexiones 11 By Jeff Aguy joined thousands in our community runs the Adventist Community Health One Voice 46 Initiative which provides dental and for a peaceful march through our On The Edge 47 vision services to needy communities. usually sleepy town. We felt it was 16 Griffin is featured on the June 2020 cover good to show solidarity with the of Adventist Journey magazine. EVANGELISM Times of the Sign students of the Berrien Springs High Sharing Our Hope 10 By Stephen Hall Follow us at lakeunionherald School who had planned the march, Telling God’s Stories 12 Tom and Renee Coffee will serve as as they sought to call attention to 20 Indiana Conference Education superin- Partnership With God 45 the killing of George Floyd and racial tendent and associate superintendent, Q & A with Dr. Calvin Rock respectively. They both have served as injustices in our country. LIFESTYLE interim superintendents this past school THIS WEEK In this issue of the Herald, we Family Focus 6 year and were able to work closely with examine what our church can do to 22 teachers while providing support to the Alive & Well 7 show our Christian love for those who local school boards. Justice and Mercy — Jesus’ Way are hurting. You also may want to By Carmelo Mercado After serving 12 years as executive CURRENT MATTERS New elementary school review resources put together by the secretary, G. Alexander Bryant was opens is Indiana AdventHealth 30 North American Division (NAD) for voted president of the North American Andrews University 31 26 Division. Bryant previously served as local churches and members as they Welcome to the launch of our weekly e-newsletter Lake Union Herald E-News Get the latest news to your News 32 president of the Central States Conference have discussions on racial justice and From The Archives Lake Union Herald Reader Survey 42 in Kansas City, Kansas. He replaces Dan equality [https://bit.ly/2ZZMtNW]. By Katie Fellows Jackson who retired on July 1. Mileposts/Announcements 43 LAKE UNION HERALD By this all will know that you are My Classifieds 44 NEWSLETTER Get the disciples, if you have love for one another latest news to your COVER PHOTOGRAPH AND DESIGN : REUEL WHITE ADDRESS CORRECTION Only paid subscribers (see below) should contact the Lake Union Herald office with (John 13:35 NKJV). their address changes. Members should contact their local church clerks directly for all Lake Union Herald email inbox each week. ON THE COVER: Writing on the cover is from Ellen White manuscript, address changes. Contact phone numbers and our mailing address are listed below for your convenience. Letter 15, paragraph 4; 1900. Online submissions can be made at http://herald.lakeunion.org under “Subscription Change.” Sign up at Lake Union Herald office: 269-473-8242 Michigan: 517-316-1552 The Lake Union Herald (ISSN 0194-908X) is published monthly (except for January/February, June/July and November/ Lake Region: 773-846-2661 Indiana: 317-844-6201 ext. 241 Gary Burns December) by the Lake Union Conference, P.O. Box 287, Berrien Springs, MI 49103-0287. Periodicals postage paid at Berrien Illinois: 630-856-2860 Wisconsin: 920-484-6555 Editor Springs, Michigan, and additional mailing offices. Yearly subscription price is $12.50. Vol. 112, No. 6. POSTMASTER: Send all Members outside the Lake Union may subscribe by sending a check for $12.50 (per year) to lakeunionherald.org address changes to: Lake Union Herald, P. O. Box 287, Berrien Springs, MI 49103-0287. P.O. Box 287, Berrien Springs, MI 49103-0287. Note: If you are a member of a church in the Lake Union but are not receiving the Lake Union Herald, please request it through your church clerk or local conference secretary. 2 AUGUST 2020 LAKE UNION HERALD LAKE UNION HERALD AUGUST 2020 3 PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE WITH EACH OTHER IN MIND, MADE UP OF EVERY “ETHNOS” RATHER THAN “RACE” If We Do Well, It Will Go Well UNDER THE SON, LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER. encounter with Jesus, no longer could they be set aside I would like to respectfully suggest it is quite proba- by society for their cosmetic or extrinsic difference, al- ble that Cain, commensurate with the great controver- The state of race relations in the United States, and though they were very much the same on the inside — sy theme, although angry at his brother, was even an- sinners who needed a Savior. At the heart of the matter grier at God for accepting his brother’s sacrifice while many other countries also, has been a challenging issue is a question that haunts me. As a fallen individual, am demonstrating no respect for his. Also, it is possible for eons. Preferring one’s own kind just for the sheer I running away from people because I’m too afraid to that he had a poorly developed understanding of God leave my Adventist comfort zone? that in turn led to a poorly developed understanding of sake of doing so is the default state of fallen people. John also wrote, For this is the message that you heard his brother. from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be Cain’s paltry sacrificial offering of vegetation reveals like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his the condition of his heart — mainly, that he did not see brother… (1 John 3:11–12 NIV). The church was established, in part, to erase barriers brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, the great enormity and heinous treasonous nature of Cain’s antagonism toward Abel was based on a between us and God, but also to remove barriers we whom they have not seen (1 John 4:20 NIV). sin because he didn’t respect the holy nature of God as difference he magnified in his own heart to the point of erect between each other. We, as a last day-peo- Our proclivity to emphasize superficial or perceived Creator and Redeemer. When we lose sight of God’s severe hatred. Nothing is said in Scripture that states ple, herald the Ten Commandments as still valid for differences rather than that which is real must cer- holiness, we forget that He expects on our part not Abel persecuted Cain for his choice to follow his own the world in which we live and are well aware that the tainly hurt the heart of God, every bit as much as any even the slightest deviation from strict integrity with course rather than follow God. It was quite the oppo- first four commandments describe how we relate to parent’s heart would hurt to see two or more of their respect to Him, and with regard to how we treat our site. The one who was in the wrong persecuted the one and ultimately show our love and allegiance to God. children estranged over meaningless differences such brother. This will be God’s litmus test of whether we who was right. E Maurice Valentine In our strong emphasis on the first four com- as different hair, eye color, or perceived beauty. truly love Him. We will be held accountable for all of Sound reasoning, it would seem would be that mandments, which is appropriate, is it possible that Tensions in our country have centered around we must be careful to never persecute one another the commandments. Then certainly, the same holds we lose sight of the remaining six, not realizing God “race,” as we call it. I state, “race, as we call it,” because John makes it clear that in doing so we are true for all ungodly prejudice toward any individual for has high expectations of us for all 10 command- because the term “race” to describe people of differ- children of the Devil. Moreover, as we understand that whatever reason contrived from the minutest differ- ments? Accordingly, since the remaining six command- ent hues is not found in Scripture. It is an idiomatic persecution will come on us for choosing to follow ence to that which seems large in our eyes. ments, which state God’s desire for how we are to expression of modern times closely akin to Darwinism, God’s commandments, it would be heinous to be a Consequently, I close with an appeal from the love and relate to each other, outnumber the previous a belief system which is antithetical in every as- persecutor knowing our turn is, if not next, coming Apostle Paul to love, value and appreciate each other. four, it appears that God in His infinite wisdom knew pect to Scripture and therefore should be categorically very soon.