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Show The Salt Lake Tribune RELIGION @ BULLETIN BOARD, C-2. WORLD VIEW, C-3 MEENTERTAINMENT, C-4,5 @COMICS/TV, C-6,7 £CTloy SATEBBAY ME WEATHER, C-8 JUNE 5, 1999 Evangelicals Affirm Unity in New Document Drafters seek to remind Christiansof shared basicbeliefs, regardless of varying styles of worship tics BY ADELLE M. BANKS RELIGION NEWSSERVICE More than 125 evangelical Christian leaders have endorsed a new document affirming the doctrinesof faith on which “All Christians are called to unity in word drawn from “evangel.” the Greek word that means gospel or good news. The endorsers include leaders of nu- very name from the gospel, we celebrate this great good news of God’s saving merous evangelical ministries. such as Promise Keepers’ Bill McCartney. Cam- workin Jesus Christ as the true bond of pus Crusade’s Bill Bright and PrisonFellowship’s Chuck Colson. one.” Christian unity, whether among orga- nized churches and denominations orin broadcasters such as Jerry Falwell. Pat year — aims to remind evangelicals of their basic beliefs at a time when doc- the many transdenominational cooperative enterprises of Christians together.” The document was drafted by a 15- trinal agreement can be lost in differences of culture, worship style and poli- dorsed by an additional 114 people. in- Robertson and Charles F. Stanley are signatories, along with prominent pastors such as Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church outside Chicago, Tony Evans of Dallas and D. James Ken- member committee and initially en- tions, amongothers. Timothy George. a drafting committee member, said he hopes the document affirmsJesus’ prayer “that theyall m they agree. Drafters of “The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration” say their work — which took more than a nedy of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Theyalso represent Methodist, Baptist, Pentecos tal. Anglican and Lutheran denomina- cluding a wide range of evangelicals — a love and unity in truth,” the statement reads. “As evangelicals who derive our Religious a | | Bombs Tear At Loyalties Of U.S. Serb Church psychologist helps Belgrade residents cope “Whenevangelicals themselves areso divided, as our rhetoric has sometimes portrayed us to be. that's a bad witness for the gospel.” said George, deanof the See CHRISTIANS,Page C-2 BY FRANK BROWN KELIGION NEWS SERVICE BELGRADE, Yugoslavia — As a US. citizen born in Yugoslavia and now once again living here, Father Srboljub Bulicis in anguish over the NATO bombing I feel like myloveris killing my mother,” said Bulic, borrowing a line from an emigré Serb artist who re- ioe cently returned from the West iz aa As a seasoned clinical psychologist who cameto Belgrade to help set up a first-of-its-kind church counseling se service. Bulic is witnessing how his patients are holding up psychologically to the nightly attacks that rain destruction, rattle windows and cut off electricity and water ‘The prevailing feeling is disbelief. hurt and angerat the people who are doing this.” said Bulic. 66. who holds a doctorate in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. “They ask The icon of excess had me, ‘Howlong will this last? How long will I haveto go to theair-raid shelter deep religious yeamings As a priest of the Serbian Orthodox Church wholed parishes from Bisbee, every night?’ ” Ariz, to Buffalo, N.Y., Bulic is that were reflected in his art steeped in the pluralism and toleranceof American religious life. But in BY PEGGY FLETCHER STACK Belgrade, his church often is regard- ed as the sole claimant to Serbs’ spiri- THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE tual lives, a bastion against Western Christian innovations. xilated Marilyn Monroe.Elvis. Mao “Weteach them to be not so nar- P: ‘se-tung. Lenin. Campbell's soup cans. These are the imagesthat the row-mindedin their belief,” said Bu- name AndyWarhol evokes. Or maybe mad. cap groupies partying the nights awayat thodox Pastoral Counseling Center he lic, referring to the clients of the Orco-founded in 1997 and which includestwopriests onits staff. Studio 54. But the Last Supper? Just so,if Jane Daggett Dillenbergerhas her way. In Dillenberger’s newbook, TheReligious Artof AndyWarhol, the art historiandetails Warhol'sreligious influences and works. Warhol, knownas the “Pope of Pop,” reg: ularlyattended Catholic services, prayed daily and spent his last years working over DaVinci’s masterpiece,as revealed in kitsch versions,she writes. Dillenberger documents some200 paint: ings in thelast twoyears ofhislife that were devoted toreligious subjects, including more than 100 Last Suppers. Anexhibit of these paintingswill open at the GuggenheimSoho in NewYork Cityin July. gious art.” Indeed, Warhol's spiritual side was the “keyto the artist’s psyche,” said his friend, John Richardson, at Warhol's funeral in 1987. Cliff Edwards, whoreviewed Dillen-berg: er’s book for Christian Century magazinein “The knowledge of this secret piety inevitably changes ourperceptionofan artist whofooled the worldintobelievingthathis onlyobsessions were money, fame, glamor. and that he was coolto the point ofcallous: ness,” Richardsonsaid. Warholthereligiousseekeruseda pop con- “We teach them that they need to know about Jesus Christ, not just St. Sava,” he said, speaking of Serbia's most important religious figure who ceptto “energize sacred subjects.” he said, andestablish “a majorbreakthroughin reli is credited with foundingthe national churchin the 13th century March,was notsoeasily convinced. ~The voluminous Warholsour s indicate During a recent interview in his high-ceilinged central Belgradeoffice that Dillenbergerhas notdiscovered another hung with the portraits of past church AndyWarhol;she ha createdone. She pres- leaders, Bulic, wearing a black cas- Warhol, ents anunlikely port ait of a saintly a myththatdeflects ourattention from the complex, eccentric and sometimes perverse See WARHOL, Page C-3 Warhol's studio,top, and his works of art, such as “Raphael, !-6.99,” above,used religious imagery. sock, spoke for several hours in a soothing, rumbling voice about his life, pausing occasionally to light up a Dunhill cigarette See PSYCHOLOGIST,Page C-2 The Rey. Al Green Still Mixes the Sacred, Sensual Soulful singer enjoys his pop music success, butinsists his realcalling is the life of a preacher and pastor of small church “I will sing to the Lord, becausehehas dealt bountifully with me.” — Psalms 13:6 BY KAREN HELLER KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWS SERVICE MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A great voice is a fluke, a force, a gift, It taunts logic. Some great singers do little to train, yet out of their mouths springs rapture. How can a person of faith not see such a voice as a blessing? On Elvis Presley Boulevard, at the shrine of the King, swarmsof tourists snap awayat the suburban Colonial and Roman gravesite of a pop legend 22 years dead. Drive downthe boulevard, Highway 51 the road outof the Mississippi Delta, turn west on Hale,past a neighborhoodofsimple ranch houses, and there you'll find it, set back fromthe road: the Full Gospel Tabernacle Church, the Rev. Al Green, pastor, founder, and the world’s most sensual R&B singeroffering praise to the Lord It's a modest place — a peaked roof, plain walls, 100 parishioners. His sermon on aperfect spring Sundayis about David and Goliath, but Green's mind tends to meander. He starts talking about Dan- iel and thelion, then Lot's wife Thousands flocked to his shows when he had 26 hits and sold 30 million records. Wailing, moaning, pleading, entreating, his was the voice of sex in the 70s. He still travels and sings the old sensual, secular hits. He's in the midst of a 23-city American and European tour commemorating his 30th anniversary as a performer. For half of those years, Green eschewed clubs and performed solely gospel The reverend sings as much as he preaches, ending Sundayspent, soakedin riverof sweat. Instead of “Tired of Being Alone” or “Call Me,” he delivers “The Blood of Jesus Will Never LoseIts Pain” and “Jesus Is Getting Us Ready for That Rainy Day.” But it’s still that voice, a scratch to the sacrumone minute, a honey-drenchedcaressthe next, with that whopoint to their children, smile andsay “That's your doing.” Greenis a minister — and a memberof the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Eight of his nine Grammys wereforhis less-played gospel work. “I never practice. I nevertook a lessonin my life I learned to love singing by first singing myself hoarse, and then I would sing myself clear. I doit now, even,’ Green says. “T can go fine without the singing but I can’t go fine without the faith. The faith thing — without that, it would drive me nuts. Nothing goes right, nothingfits, nothingis right. The faith thing keeps everything in balance: Operapales next to Green's life. The sixth of 10 miraculous upper register. Dapper as always, Green children, theson of sharecroppers, Green grew up retains the appeal that kept the women swooning in the Arkansas Delta and then GrandRapids, Mich When the reverend smiles, it could melt the angels. Popular music has long straddled the secular and religious, Saturday night and Sunday morning, flesh Brothers, with brother Bob as the lead. Green soon discovered Elvis and Sam Cooke. ‘'Therewas a lot His father formed the gospel group the Green of faith in my house and I was put out becauseI and faith. Nowhereis that tension more realized than in thelife and work of Al Green. listened to rock 'n’ roll. My father was definitely not “It's you that I want, but Him that I need,” he sings on 1977's seminal “The Belle Album,” which heproduced andwrote, its subject the pull between worlds, Even today, the reverend concedes, “Man, if in Midland, Texas, when hewas broke, that he met producer Willie Mitchell happy.” He startedtouringin various groups. It was 1969 youreally want togetthegirl, put on some Al Green andyouaresurefire notto miss,” He meets couples See AL GREEN, PageC-2 Knight-Ridder News Setvice Al Greenbalanceslife as an R&B star with gospel music and pastorate of a Tennessee church. It May Be OKto Blame Your Sins on the Weather — But Who Can You Blame the Weather On? Like most believers, you are no doubt worried about facing the Judgment Bar whenyoudie. Answering for your behav. ior on earth is risky business. Simply being good is way too hard shower came into my house through a loose vent pipe, I was invigorated enough really were ignorant, instead of just lazy And lying about your behavior to God is to cut a deal with Satan, That's when I Pleading ignorancewill only work if you the one thing guaranteed to makeevery thing worse Whatyou needis analibi for your sinful ways, The goodnews is that I think I may ‘, : it started raining in my front room. Fewthings are moreinvigorating than a nice spring shower. When the spring have found one. Bestof all, it's free For years, I thought I would beable to blame everysin I committed on my par: ents. Then I Had kids of my own. Tod: realizethat any parent whodoesn't t twist the headoff at least oneof their teen: agers is worthy of sainthood. New research indicates that many of your sins can be blamed on the weather. I received proofofthis on Wednesday when - COPY ROBERTKIRBY in the Deep Southis going to hell. tered my usual state of good will Look, I didn’t makeit rain, Neither did you. Andthere is no way wearestupid Your mood on a given day is often determined by the previous day's weather. ‘That's why, if I ran into Dan on Thursday, it would be a good idea if he were wearing a helmet. Gluttony is certainly affected by the Of course, Dan will argue that the weather is not his fault, that he just #e- which, thanks to Dan, almost never happens, ‘Think about it. If Dan the TV weather man had told me it was going to rain, | We'reonly talking about improving the odds According to scientists, IQ levels may rise as much as 10 percent prior to & storm. This means that you are dumberon clear days, andless capableof staying out oftroublethen Humidity is counter to your spiritual weather. Thethree foods people buy most following scientific evidence as proof. Keep in mindthat noneof thesewill guar antee a clean record at the Judgment Bar. phere. Positive ions makeyou feel good, temperature goes up, so does the ability to move aroundand commit sin The ideal temperature for a person's well-being is between 70 and 73degrees, © 1999, The Salt Lake Tribune would havefixedthepipe and maintained 8 goodspiritual plane Don't take my wordforit. Consider the removes positive ions from the atmosor at least more like getting your hometeaching done. follows that we blame it on the last person to have the weather: Dan Pope ‘Trying to improve the weather some- times just makes it worse. Air conditioning Aggressive behavior inert as the temperature rises. Ample proof is how well-behaved frozen people are. As the realized how much the weather had al enoughto blameit on God, It naturally well-being. Admissions to mental health centers increaseondays of intense humid ity. This pretty much means that everyone before hurricanes and blizzards are cook es, cake and candy, Peoplefeel restless when the barometer drops, This is a handy way to tell when you're vulnerable, If the barometer is fall. ing, a guy should probably stay away from Pamela Anderson. ports it. I say we've stoned prophets “to death for less, Salt Lake Tribune columnist Robert Kirby lives in Springville. The seed scribed “OxyMormon” welcomes inail at P.O. Box 684, Springville, UT 84643, or email at tpdra.cn |
