It is Not About a Sermon It is About Vision and Mission: Charlottesville Ain’t New

It is Not About a Sermon It is About Vision and Mission: Charlottesville Ain’t New

All over the internet, we had calls last week for preachers to preach about Charlottesville.  I heard the call and I fully agree that we should stand for, live for, fight for and preach about justice.  What I am responding to are the calls that went something like this, “If your pastor doesn’t preach about "said issue" this week then you should find another church.”  I would rephrase that call. If your church does not have as a core value the liberation work of God for all people, then you should find another church.  What I am trying to say is that this weekend was not about a sermon but rather it was about the very vision and mission of the church.  We as a church are not called to be reactive but rather we are called to be prophetic.

At Wheat Street our vision reads like this:

We exist to develop mature disciples of Jesus Christ who make a real difference in the world by actively seeking the justice, freedom, liberation, and peace of God.

(Luke 4:18; Matthew 25:31-46; Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 1:16-20; Mark 6:30-44; Mark 7:1-23; Mark 9:33-37; Mark 10:13-16; Mark 12:41-44; Acts 1:6-11; Acts 2:14-21; Acts 2:43-47; Acts 4:23-37; Philippians 4:4-9)

At the core of who we understand ourselves to be as a faith community, at Wheat Street Baptist Church, is built on the foundation of the liberative work God is doing in the world.  This is more than a sermon, or a reaction to the latest, continuing acts of hate. We do this work every day, it is not about the latest sermon it is about the continuing struggle for justice.  It is not the sermon but the vision and mission that I am more concerned about.  What is your church’s vision and mission and how does it speak to justice?  It is the everyday work we do in the struggle that I am focused on.  As much as what we say on Sunday is important it is equally important what we do Monday through Saturday as prophetic witnesses who act by the power of God in the world to fight for justice, this is our call.  So yes, we preach and we then live in such a way that our preaching becomes lived in this world as we fight for justice.  We don’t need an act of hate/racism to spur us into action.  We are called by the prophetic ministry of Jesus, the radical liberator, to this work of liberation every day!!

The Strength of a Woman: Power, Pain and Liberation

The Strength of a Woman: Power, Pain and Liberation

What is it about Mary J. Blige that is amazing? Everything. She is a super star, first class performer, great voice, authentic and transparent.  My wife and I love Mary J. Blige and we have been fans since the early days.  Mary and her music are simply the best.  Her songs tell stories.  Stories of pain, power, desire, disappoint, hope, ecstasy, and love.  Yes, love.  I can’t help but feel Mary is a person filled with love and whenever you see her you really feel like she loves her fans, and we sure do love her back.

The show last night was simply amazing. Mary took us all the way back and brought us up to her new work.  The Wolf Creek Amphitheater was packed and we didn’t sit down the entire show.  We sang every song, did the Mary J. dance and to put is simply the choir was in the house.  While I was there as a true fan and follower I couldn’t take my preacher hat off.  There was something spiritual about this gathering of faithful Mary followers.

The band of followers weren’t Mary worshippers but Mary took us to a place of worship.  We were in touch with life’s twists and turns, ups and downs and the power of God to get us through what we have gone through.  The honesty in Mary’s songs and her re-telling of these stories through song took us to a place of truth.  Her telling of her story honestly and transparently meant we felt her.  As she shared her pain, her hope and her refusal to give up on life gave us life.  She didn’t tell us all is well but she told us all will be well.  She let us know we will get through what we are going through because we got through what we went through.  She showed us the power of music to minister to us and pull us through the hard times. She also pointed us directly to God as she was clear that it was God and good friends who got her through and continue to get her through.

There is something about Mary J. Blige and her body of work.  She is once in a lifetime artist.  I am so thankful to God for creating her for this time.  To have experienced her and her work has been and continues to be such a blessing.  Mary has inspired me to be a better husband, a better pastor, a transparent/authentic story teller and to not be afraid of sharing my story because in sharing others are liberated with me.  Mary,  “Thanks for being a model for me, for putting on a great show that did more than entertain. Thanks for the liberative work you do to set us free to be free and get through this thing called life!”  What does Mary mean to you?  How has she or other artists spoken to your life?

The New Jim Crow - Re-Read / Recommitment: Just Mercy

The New Jim Crow - Re-Read / Recommitment: Just Mercy

I just finished re-reading The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness  when I read this book when it first came out I was overwhelmed.  I read it in awe but on the second read the issue became digestible.  I could see, feel and carve out a space for contemplative action.  I see what I need to do to address the life trajectory of my brothers and sisters who are caught in this vicious system.  As a professor, pastor and artist I have to create work that calls attention to this system of injustice.  I have to shine a light on this evil. When we see what is happening it will lead us to doing something about what we see.  You can’t look at injustice and be in relationship with just God and do nothing.  Our faith compels us to act.

At our church we are going to develop a Freedom Ministry.  The birth of this ministry will be a six week Bible Study and reading centered around the book The New Jim Crow along with looking at the work of work of Bryan Stevenson and his book Just Mercy.  The ministry will start with a time study and prayer to first understand both the real and spiritual sides of the issue(s).  As we come to an understanding of what we are dealing with we will then develop a plan of action. We will act on our plan and then move forward. We ask your prayers and support as we do what God has called us to do.  What is God calling you to do?  I would love to hear from you.