The Rev. Barry Black, chaplain of the U.S. Senate, stresses the Bible’s importance at First Presbyterian Church on Sunday.
Posted on 10/20/2003 7:44:13 PM PDT by chance33_98
Senate chaplain pays a visit
By Allison Williams Staff writer
The Rev. Barry Black is a spiritual mentor to some of the most powerful people in the world.
The Rev. Barry Black, chaplain of the U.S. Senate, stresses the Bible’s importance at First Presbyterian Church on Sunday.
On Sunday, the chaplain of the U.S. Senate came home to North Carolina. He preached at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Fayetteville.
At the 11 a.m. service, Black paced in front of the congregation, Bible in hand. But he did not need it to quote scripture and tell the story of the disciple Peter attempting to walk on water.
Black opened his sermon with an example about two construction workers eating lunch together. One of them complained that he had a bologna sandwich, again. The other wanted to know why the first man did not ask his wife to prepare something different. The first man said he was not married; he fixed the sandwich himself.
''Most of the bologna we find in our lives we put there ourselves,'' Black said. ''God wants you and me to do the impossible.''
The Senate chaplain set several firsts when he began work this summer. He is the first black man, the first retired military chaplain and the first Seventh-day Adventist minister to hold the post.
But he has to laugh when people ask him if he is in awe of the job or the people he works with. If there were photographs in biblical times, Black said, he did not think Daniel would have a picture of himself shaking hands with King Nebuchadnezzar.
''God is bigger than that,'' Black said. ''The planet is bigger than that.''
But Black does talk on a regular basis with politicians making decisions for millions of Americans. He holds weekly Bible studies for senators and their families. Every time the Senate opens for business, the chaplain is there to start the meeting with an invocation.
''I want to help people learn how to make ethical decisions,'' he said.
Black looks forward to reaching out to people who are not Christians and building alliances between Republicans and Democrats.
Faith, he said, ''breaks down barriers.''
The Senate chaplain has a counterpart in the U.S. House. The Rev. Daniel Coughlin, a Catholic priest, is chaplain of the House.
The Senate chaplain is paid $134,000 a year. The House chaplain earns $153,200. Except for a brief period, both chambers have elected a chaplain since the First Congress in 1789.
Before Black became the Senate's 62nd chaplain, he worked as a Navy chaplain. He also served as pastor for numerous churches including congregations in Laurinburg and Southern Pines. Black is a graduate of North Carolina Central University.
On Sunday morning, the Rev. Jay Coker, pastor of First Presbyterian introduced Black and told him, ''Welcome home.''
Black preached about Peter attempting to walk on water. Things were going well until Peter took his eyes off Jesus. Peter became afraid of the powerful winds stirring the water. He began to sink.
Black told the congregation to stay within the will of God, wait on the Lord and take some risks. ''If you stay in the boat,'' he said, ''you will never walk on the water.''
Staff writer Allison Williams can be reached at williamsa@fayettevillenc.com or 323-4848, ext. 331.
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