News of March 2004
EDITORIAL: WITH WOMAN’S FACE
Nature, Bible and Jesus Christ reveal the image of God, and though it
can be conditioned and interpreted through preconceptions and stereotypes,
it is possible to find a “female side” of God. When his people
is oppressed, he cries like a travailing woman (Is. 42:14), he gathers
his children to protect them (Mat. 23:37), he will carry the children
in his bosom (Is. 40:11)
God can’t be understood by sex terms – as said Beatrice
S. Neall- but he has shared with man and woman some attributes belonging
of him. Societies corrupt when a group of an only one sex works in detriment
of the other one, because it reflects only one side from God and the human
being.
In the 70’s, when feminists movements took the power and energy
from the capable and tough woman, man were obliged to redefined their
image and finding the “female side” of their personality:
the “soft” or tender man. We were created in the image of
God, so we don’t need social revolutions to find in ourselves a
“beautiful woman’s face”. Have you found it in God?
A LOOK INSIDE:
Days of Youth Prayer
On March 26-28 were held in our church the Days of Youth’s Prayer.
This special programming started on Friday night with peculiar activities
of Youth Ministry. On Sabbath, the topic attended the source of power,
and the sermon, by the young Osvaldo Veloz, pointed to how can we resist
temptations. At night we had a watch and on Sunday were developed two
services: one in the morning and another in the evening.
An eminent moment of the programming was the devotional on Sunday morning,
in charge of the young Emilio Alfonso. He exposed some aspects of his
personal testimony, making reflect all the present youth, giving thanks
to the opportunity of getting to know our Savior and Redeemer.
Sabbath service ended with a beautiful hymn, a clamor to all youth of
the world, and even those who are not young, but need also the Lord.
Meeting of Sabbath School Leaders
Was celebrated on March 13, 14 in Santa Clara Church, auspiced (directed)
by Central Delegation and its leader Pastor Carlos J. Madrigal Oliva.
Were presented some seminaries such as “Reception of the Sabbath
School”, “Visiting-Day of the Sabbath School”, “Programming
of the Sabbath School”, “Importance of the Sabbath School
Teacher” among others.
Aiming to get changes in Sabbath School in the mark of its 150 Anniversary,
the World Church has the mission of transforming this Department, one
of the oldest of the Adventist Church, also to enrich it on this new century
in order to help the church.
Central delegation is fulfilling this mission, when makes and imparts
these workshops- done already in 7 churches of this Delegation- giving
benefit to more than 400 leaders of the Sabbath School including teachers.
“It is a privilege to me serving as a Sabbath School Leader. We’ll
continue to make of it the heart of the Church”, was the message
of Pastor Madrigal, through Central Impact to all the Sabbath School Leaders
of the world.
Santa Clara Church invites winners of Marabana
2003
On March 12, were invited to Santa Clara Church the winner athletes of
Marabana 2003 Yausbel Arboláez Hernández, from Villa Clara
and Yailén García Domé from Matanzas, with times
2:30h – 2:45 category male and female respectively. Central Impact
interviewed them on Friday evening at Youth Programming.
Marabana is a marathon made in Cuba to celebrate the National Sport
Day every November 19. It has the participation of about 78 countries
and 3000 – 3500 runners of both sexes.
These friends also participated in Terry Fox Marathon of Hope in the
battle against cancer, held past February 8.
Arboláez has been in other times in Marabana, but it is first
time in this category (42 kilometers) the hardest one of Athletics, also
to his partner Yailén. They had a very hard training before the
running. “We’ve got to train many hours a day with desire
and will” says Yailén. Arboláez says: “You have
to put not only your entire will in the physical matter, but also in the
psychological, doing this you can obtain the 80% of the results un tis
running.”
Something singular happened in the race: Arboláez fell down. Speaking
about this moment of the race. The first thing I thought was standing
up to get the goal. I thought in my coach, the sacrifices they take with
me, and in my family, always supporting me”.
“The responsible of the competition want me to continue walking,
to get the goal for I’d win any way, but I just wanted to continue
running and I finally did”.
The final words of Yailén and Arboláez were their thankfulness
to this contact and te way we welcome them.
At this moment, both athletes are making their best efforts to participate
in the Olimpic Cuba Games, to celebrate next April 18.
The interview finished with a reflection by the elder Alfredo Valdivia,
about how the Word of God reflects that Christian people also participate
in a race, a race that everyone can be part of it and the getting prize:
everlasting life, with the only condition to accept Christ as our personal
Savior and following his steps.
Also made an appeal to the Church of praying for these athletes, besides
the invitation to a new contact with us.
Women’s International Prayer-Day in
Santa Clara
On Sabbath, march 6, was developed in Santa Clara church a special programming
to celebrate the Women’s International Prayer-Day.
This program started at 8:00 am with a confraternity breakfast, having
the presence of about 36 ladies. It was known the “friends in prayer”,
the ladies who were praying for each other during the previous week. Then,
the Sabbath School presented a program “Woman created by God”
by Rodhe Calvo.
The sermon by Pastor Samuel Díaz was about “Ana: the prayer
of a woman in anguish.” (1 Samuel 2:1 - 10).
In the afternoon, Elizabeth Flores, leader of Women Ministry in this
church had the seminary: “When errors appears”, “how
to manage with faults of your temperament and your couple’s.
“If you are on God’s hands you can be his agent and achieve
wonderful things”, was the message of Elizabeth to the ladies of
the world, in interview to Central Impact.
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