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Friday, January 17, 2025

King Celebration (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra + Ebenezer Baptist Church

Pastor Raphael Warnock (who is also a U.S. Senator (D-Georgia))

and Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, GA

will collaborate with singers including

Gregory Porter, Grammy winner.

details at

wabe.org/atlanta-symphony-and

ebenezer-baptist-unite-for-this-years-

martin-luther-king-celebration-concert/

Mel Gibson (Tweet-nominated "Envoy to Hollywood") needs new Los Angeles house

Mel Gibson (born January 1956) - now 69 years and 2 weeks

was named on "Truth Social" one of Trump/Vance administration

"Envoys to Hollywood" : he is in need of housing after his

L. A. county house recently destroyed in rampaging fire.

In press Q/A, he admitted that he learned of the 

Trump "nomination" by X/Twitter / Truth Social and

was not interviewed nor forced to disclose finances nor

pass an FBI lie detector interview . . .

Chapter 17: Paul's journeys/preaching #Thessalonica #Athens #Mars #Hill (CEB)

Acts of the Apostles 17: 1-4, 16-34 (CEB)

Common English Study Bible, copyright 2011

Paul and Silas journeyed through Amphipolis and

Appolonia, then came to #Thessalonica, where

there was a Jewish synagogue.  As was Paul's

custom, he entered the synagogue and for

three Sabbaths interacted with them on the

basis of the scriptures.  Through his interpre-

tation of the scriptures, he demonstrated that

the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead.

He declared, "This Jesus whom I

proclaim to you is the Christ."

Some were convinced and joined Paul & Silas,

including a larger number of Greek God-

worshippers and quite a few prominent women. . .

While Paul waited for them in Athens, he was

deeply distressed to find that the city was flooded

with idols.  He began to interact with the Jews

and Gentile God-worshippers in the synagogue.

He also addressed whoever happens to be in the

marketplace each day.  Certain Epicurean and 

Stoic philosophers engaged him in discussion

too.  Some said, "What an amateur!  What's

he trying to say?"  Others remarked, "He seems

to be a proclaimer of foreign gods."  (They said

this because he was preaching the good news

euangelion about Jesus and the resurrection.)

They took him into custody and brought him

to the council on Mars Hill.  "What is this new

teaching?  Can we learn what you are talking

about?  You've told us some strange things

and we want to know what they mean." (They

said this because all Athenians as well as the

foreigners who live in Athens used to spend

their time doing nothing but talking about

or listening to the newest thing.)

Paul stood up in the middle of the council on

Mars Hill and said, "People of Athens, I see 

that you are very religious in every way.  As I 

was walking through town and carefully ob-

serving your objects of worship, I even found 

an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN

GOD.'  What you worship as unknown, I now

proclaim to you.  God, who made the world

and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth.  

He doesn't live in temples made with human hands. 

Nor is God served by human hands, as though he

needed something, since he is the one who gives life,

breath, and everything else.  From one person God

created every human nation to live on the whole

earth, having determined their appointed times

and the boundaries of their lands.  God made

the nations so they would seek him, perhaps even 

reach out to him and find him.  In fact, God isn't

far away from any of us.  In God we live, move,

and exist.  As some of your own poets said,

'WE ARE HIS OFFSPRING.' (Greek poet Aratus)

Therefore, as God's offspring, we have no need

to imagine that the Divine being is like a gold,

silver, or stone image made by human skill and

thought.  God overlooks ignorance of these things

in times past, but now directs everyone everywhere

to change their hearts and lives.  This is because

God has set a day when he intends to judge the

world justly by a man he has appointed.  God

has given proof of this to everyone by raising him

from the dead."  When they heard about the

resurrection from the dead, some began to 

ridicule Paul.  However, others said, "We'll hear

from you about this again."  At that, Paul left

the council.  Some people joined him and came

to believe, including Dionysius, a member of

the council on Mars Hill, a woman named

Damaris, and several others.

Thursday, January 16, 2025

#MLK, #Ida B. #Wells, #Fannie #Lou #Hamer, Benjamin Elijah #Mays

Lecturer:  Danjuma Gibson, Grand Rapids, MI

professor of Pastoral #Theology, Care, Counseling

spoke on Wed. Jan. 15, 2025 to a co-sponsoring

campus audience of Holy Cross College & St.

Mary's College, Notre Dame students, staff,

interested persons about his book

Through the Eyes of Titans.

WHAT are we prepared to do [area of

demythologizing the work of freedom and

the beloved community] ? Certain figures 

like MLK are granted hero status;

although figures like King, Wells, Hamer, Mays

are commercialized ideal figures, they were

simply just people who chose to do the right thing!

ndsmcobserver.com/article/2025/01/author-danjuma-gibson-speaks

at-saint-marys-and-holy-cross-lecture

Warming Station and Photo Booth (NDL)

Niles District Library, 620 E. Main Street, Niles MI 49120

will serve as a "Warming Station" for

Saturday (10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.) Jan.

18, 2025 during the "Hunter Ice Festival"

Stop in to the Rotunda section of the 

Library for all ages; have your picture

taken and be a part of the Niles Public

Art Commission's collaborative project.

The cup of warm cocoa is for all;

no pre-registration is required and

you do not need a library card for this

FREE event.

Call for details (269)-683-8545.

Free entry to National Park System -- MLK Day (3rd Monday, January this year)

Five Michigan national parks are open during

winter 2025 to enjoy on a "free entry" day:

Keweenaw National Park

North Country National Scenic Trail

Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore

River Raisin National Battlefield

Sleeping Bears Dunes National

Lakeshore 

#DayofService (Jan. 20, 2025) - points of light dot-org

Honor the memory of Dr. King

by serving your community --

at elementary and secondary

schools, at a local shelter, or

lending a hand to help our

neighbors

pointsoflight.org/mlk-jr-day-of-service/