Glad Tidings 2013: Wonderful Students and a Christmas Sermon from Reverend Black

It has been a while since I've posted, and things have been very busy with the Claude and ZerNona Black Papers project. We've finished work on one grant, and are beginning work with another grant-funded 16mm film preservation project. Preparations are underway for a busy Spring 2014 semester, which includes an official unveiling celebration of the Claude and ZerNona Black Papers; an academic panel discussion of the legacy of Reverend Black; and increased use of the collection in classes in the curriculum.

Along with my two exceedingly industrious student workers, Brandi Russell ('15) and Darcie Marquardt ('16), we have met our halfway mark to get 5,000 additional digital files into the digital collections.  Before I share the Christmas sermon, I want to share the goal-marking poster that Brandi was inspired to create completely on her own initiative -- it provides encouraging words along the way, and helps us appreciate our progress. With young people like this, we need not worry (as much!) about the future...Needless to say, it is a gift to have both Brandi and Darcie working on the project.

 

In the last few months we have put in hundreds of digital files of sermons into the digital collections. In this undated Christmas sermon entitled "Hours of God" from Sermons by Bible Book: Matthew (part 3) [image 14], Reverend Claude W. Black, Jr. preaches that the practice of love is redemptive of all the woes in the world:

The family experiences of love expressed at Christmas in giving and receiving gifts should be recognized as possessing world possibilities....."God so loved the world"  Love is not simply a family experience but can embrace the world as a redemptive power....

Love releases our gifts...

Love determines the character of our gifts...

Love is for you

With these thoughts to ponder, I wish all to have a celebratory season and a prosperous new year!

-- Donna Guerra