Enlarge The Revs. Nancy Kraft and Cassandra Jones. Photo: Lee Howard

Posted: March 29th, 2012 Lee Howard

The Rev. Cassandra Jones stood in the pulpit at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, a guest pastor with a message of grace and salvation through humility.

Jones, an African-American who on most Sundays may be found serving as associate pastor at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, spoke to the largely white audience at The Plaza’s Holy Trinity on Sunday, March 25.

Her theme focused on a difficult passage from John 12: 20-23, in which Jesus humbles himself by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. He at once is ridiculed.

Yet Jesus’ reputation had already intrigued a pilgrimage of Greeks, who wished to meet him in person. “They didn’t just want a third-party message,” she said.

Jones explained that Greeks were an uncommon race in Jerusalem and yet they had journeyed there to join his flock.

Jones was participating in a series of ongoing Xchange Sermons being sponsored by Mecklenburg Ministries and Crossroads Charlotte.

In addition to her work at Friendship Missionary Baptist, Jones serves as an adjunct faculty member at Shaw Divinity School and recently joined the faculty at New Life Theological Seminary as a professor of Christian education.

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Posted: March 28th, 2012 Lee Howard

• About 30 members of the 145th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard, returned home March 23 after serving in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Over 100 members of the 145th Airlift Wing were activated in early November to provide support for the ongoing war on terrorism in the Middle East.
• A midday rally against President Obama’s health-care requirements drew hundreds to the federal courthouse uptown last Friday. Speakers urged the audience to rise up against what they described as a threat to religious freedom. Critics took aim at a new rule that requires employers to offer free birth control to employees.
• Extra police will remain at several Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools this week. Tweets and Facebook posts about gang violence led to beefed-up security at Vance, West Meck, West Charlotte, Myers Park and Harding high schools last week after a 17-year-old Vance student was shot to death.
• Conservative blogger Tara Servatius found a picture online depicting President Obama dressed in drag with a bucket of chicken between his knees. She thought it would be a good illustration for her “Meck Deck” blog discussing the president’s decision to speak out against N.C.’s proposal to ban same-sex marriage. The former WBT talk show host resigned last week in the wake of the ensuing outrage.
• On March 31, 100 Black Men of Greater Charlotte will partner with Community Blood Center of the Carolinas to co-host an inaugural “Sickle Cell Awareness Community Blood Drive.” The event is part of a new CBCC program aimed at increasing the number of African American donors to support area patients with sickle cell disease. The event will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the CBCC Charlotte Center, 4447 South Blvd.

Posted: March 27th, 2012 Ken Garfield

A different sort of collaboration is broadening Xchange Sermons.

More than 60 pastors, imams and rabbis last year and dozens more this year have swapped pulpits – affirming by their words and presence the importance of reconciliation. Now, the Rev. Nancy Ellett Allison and Rabbi Jonathan Freirich hope that two upcoming gatherings foster even more understanding in this often divided world.

Allison, spiritual leader of Holy Covenant United Church of Christ in the University City area, will speak at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 2, at Temple Beth El in Shalom Park in south Charlotte. The gathering will mark the first anniversary of the marriage of same-sex couples in Washington, D.C., a ceremony officiated by Allison, Rabbi Judy Schindler of Temple Beth El and Rev. Robin Tanner of Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church.

Besides lifting up marriage equality, Allison hopes the gathering lifts up another principle: That this is a pluralistic nation whose diversity should stir connections, not anxiety.

Freirich, associate rabbi at Temple Beth El, will lead a Model Seder dinner at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 5, at Holy Covenant. That’s the night before Passover begins, marking the Jewish people’s exodus from slavery in Egypt. Describing the dinner as “Seder 101,” Freirich says he’ll share the customs and essence of Passover. This being a celebration of freedom, people of all faiths will join voices to sing “Let My People Go.”

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Posted: March 26th, 2012 Lee Howard

Chris Johnson says he’s never found himself at a place where he necessarily wanted for anything. But the 19-year-old journalism student said he got a recent education in just how fortunate he’s been in life.

A film presented by Crossroads Charlotte, Temple Beth-El and Mecklenburg Ministries called “Souls of Our Neighbors” attempted to dispel certain myths about homelessness to a roomful of about 50 gathered Saturday, March 24, at UNC Charlotte’s new Uptown Campus. Most of those attending were from area high schools. Though a contingent of about a half dozen kids from the University of South Carolina Upstate, including Johnson, also attended.

The film depicts the real-life experiences of six Charlotte families who faced and overcame homelessness in what, by many measures, is regarded as one of the most prosperous cities in the country.

Johnson, a sophomore from Hampton, S.C., said he found the story of the Masters family particularly compelling.

Richard and Stacey Masters found themselves having to live in a tent in the woods for five months, even though Stacey had a full-time job. Their two daughters had to do their homework by candlelight.

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