Church Holy Convocation celebrates Christians who are delivered from sin

In times like these, when there seems to be discord and disunity on every side, it is great to know that some good things remain constant.

One of those constant things is the annual Holy Convocation celebration at The Church of God Tabernacle (True Holiness) in Liberty City. And on Sunday, the community is invited to celebrate with the congregation at the church, 1351 NW 67th St. in Liberty City.

In keeping with the tradition of the celebration, Bishop Walter H. Richardson, pastor and overseer of the church for more than 50 years, will open the celebration at 10 a.m. Sunday. The evening service will follow at 7 p.m. Services throughout the week-long celebration will be at 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and will end with services at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22.

The Convocation is a special time at the church. “It really is a celebration of the believers’ salvation through Jesus Christ,” Bishop Richardson said.

“As Americans, we are free to celebrate many occasions — from Christmas and Easter to the the birth of our nation, and Halloween, to name a few. But over here, at the Church of God, we believe that when the Lord delivers a person from sin that, too, is an occasion worth celebrating,” Bishop Richardson said.

“We believe that just as our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrate God’s deliverance of the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt thousands of years ago, Christians should celebrate being freed from the bondage of sin,” he said.

During the services, there will be occasions for members of the congregation to share their deliverance stories. There will also be inspiring preaching, great music rendered by the church’s Mass Choir and special readings.

Holy Convocation is a happy time, the Bishop said. “God’s people should be happy about what He has done for them. While we thank God everyday for His goodness, the special meeting is a special time set aside to celebrate God’s goodness.”

All services are free and open to anyone, regardless of religion or ethnic background.

Family and Friends Day

Sunday will be Family and Friends Day at the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation, 1835 NW 54th St. in Liberty City.

The order of service will include worship, prayer, Holy Communion and music by the St. Cecilia’s Choir. The special guest soloist will be Christine Jobson.

Following the service, the congregation is invited to the church’s fellowship hall for a reception.

For more information, call Theodore Johnson, evangelism committee chairman, at 786-282-9166.

Baha’i faith celebration

You are invited to the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Baha’u’lla’h, the founder of the Baha’i faith, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Miami Baha’i Center, 9300 S. Dixie Hwy., Suite #209.

Hosted by Gerald Schwartz, an adjunct professor of English at Miami-Dade College, the celebration will feature a new movie about the Baha’i Faith, “Light to the World.”

“Countless local and national celebrations, embracing every culture and segment of society, are planned for the bicentenary,” Schwartz said.

He said the film describes aspects of the life and teachings of the founder and how the faith has grown in communities throughout the world.

Baha’u’ll’ah — an Arabic title meaning “Glory of God” — was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1817, and was exiled from Iran to Iraq in 1853 because of his progressive religious views. During the nearly 40 years of his ministry, he wrote extensively, producing books, essays, letters and prayers. His writings contain proclamations of his claim to be a manifestation of God, commentaries on important questions of religion, essays setting down the principles of sound governance, works outlining Baha’i life and many prayers and devotional texts.

Later, he would spend the rest of his life in various countries in the Middle East until he died near Haifa, Israel, in 1892.

According to Schwartz, “Religion has often, in the past produced the good individual. The primary purpose of the Baha’u’lla’h’s message is to create the good society. Religion should uplift humanity, create unity, forge good character, promote the search for truth, liberate human conscience, advance learning and science, to be an instrument of true joy, and to revive the body of humankind. If it doesn’t doe these things, we are better off with out it,” he said.

At the service, Schwartz said the congregation will be celebrating the founder’s life and teachings. He said the celebration is an “excellent way” to learn more about the faith.

The service is open to all and there is no admission charge or a solicitation of funds. Call 305-915-7247 for more information.

Disability Awareness Month

The Miami chapter of the Florida Council of the Blind invites the community to an event commemorating Disability Awareness Month. The event will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Miami Beach Regional Library, 227 22nd St. in Miami Beach.

The guest panelists will be Sabrina Cohen of the Sabrina Cohen Foundation; Virginia Jacko of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired; Ernie Martinez of Center for Independent Living; and Paula Roberts of Disability Rights Florida.

Following the program, refreshments will be served. Call Gabriel Lopez at 786-547-5465 to reserve a resource table and for more information.

This story was originally published October 10, 2017 at 4:23 PM with the headline "Church Holy Convocation celebrates Christians who are delivered from sin."