tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11945285207688430102024-03-13T12:23:44.225-07:00The Mad TheologianThe collected musings and rants about the absurdities of faith.Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-20464420182071470762022-03-11T04:58:00.001-08:002022-04-03T06:13:04.833-07:00Shame the Devil<p><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;">A meme has been circulating on social media that reads “Have you ever saved someone’s reputation by not telling your side of the story?” I called it out as a form of gaslighting. The exchange also compelled me to hasten the publication of my forthcoming memoir, <i>Deinstitutionalizing God: A Minister's Journey on Leaving Church to Save Her Faith </i>(releases on March 22).</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFNZ_fvfzBBNcf_u9FsELRm9wKcScSDeVQBZOl9ES9lmrURhwyfxWHUgKGR7sENxdSO19WuYGhfC2M2iCaKJpiGPPwqmK5XY8bkRX5-9MjTBggawN_Rh9GlurXa6LpFU7IA0fHkz5ZOy-U8SXIw_nW062VR7CgXfS7tQUKuoJfnaiBv9G9eiYmI1AJ=s2700" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFNZ_fvfzBBNcf_u9FsELRm9wKcScSDeVQBZOl9ES9lmrURhwyfxWHUgKGR7sENxdSO19WuYGhfC2M2iCaKJpiGPPwqmK5XY8bkRX5-9MjTBggawN_Rh9GlurXa6LpFU7IA0fHkz5ZOy-U8SXIw_nW062VR7CgXfS7tQUKuoJfnaiBv9G9eiYmI1AJ=s320" width="213" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The book is an account of my spiritual formation, faith development, and failed attempts at pursuing ordained ministry due to sexual harassment. As a management consultant by profession, I stepped back and examined the church organically. It provides a behind the veil view of the church like I wish I’d had twenty-five years ago as I committed my life to serving an institution that did not serve me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some things are meant to be disclosed. Maya Angelou said, “there is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Lots of people experiencing homelessness are on corners all over the world with masterpieces in their heads and great stories to tell. They are babbling, but no one is scribing their accounts. I was close to being one and wrote my memoir to release what was driving me crazy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Completing this project has wrought a wholeness that I did not realize was absent. If you have a story to tell, tell it all. Anyone seeking to deny you this right needs to be scrutinized. Robert Barrett Browning said, “So absolutely good is truth that truth never hurts the teller.” Are you protecting an individual over many other potential victims? Can you live with that?</div><div><br /></div><div>Nowhere in Scripture are we implored to protect anyone’s image against the truth, thus enabling a lie. Yes, I Corinthians 13 says <i>love is slow to expose</i>. It does not say love keeps all secrets. It says love is discreet, revealing them at the right time in the most fitting manner. Elsewhere the word tells us: <i>For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.</i> In other words, what is done in <br />the dark will always come to light.</div><div><br /></div><div>A member of my former church who happened to be a retired police officer told me not to think I can go around talking about sexual harassment and expect to receive the spoils of the institution. Her words were not intended to direct me one way or the other. Rather, she was simply acknowledging the cost of violating the purple code of silence.</div><div><br /></div><div>Officers of the law have their unwritten blue code of silence which forbids them from speaking openly about the misconduct of their peers no matter how egregious. Other professions and closed societies have the same ethos embedded in their culture. Ask any corporate whistleblower how hard it was ever to find work again. </div><div><br /></div><div>Snitch and you suffer the consequences. Organized crime and organized religion are no different in culture. Violate omerta and you are dead to them. Such is nowhere to be found in Scripture. Only evil requires a veil of secrecy for its operations.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCIwhj2p35GCCMB1qJbiAKgwQ6jXpbe7gvp5Fv62KpduEEIk0qYkALNpYfjVXJN7m4ii-vYJ6evV0Zy3D45kdEnnY8ygy_bB7iQLloYGIl6sNnY_cUuCAxC880dnYb38PnFuet4Ve1JZi7MeDdeJZj_-v_RVrCVIbIcZ18IMDB61vuFF1PCS02JTE/s825/Shame%20the%20Devil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="637" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCIwhj2p35GCCMB1qJbiAKgwQ6jXpbe7gvp5Fv62KpduEEIk0qYkALNpYfjVXJN7m4ii-vYJ6evV0Zy3D45kdEnnY8ygy_bB7iQLloYGIl6sNnY_cUuCAxC880dnYb38PnFuet4Ve1JZi7MeDdeJZj_-v_RVrCVIbIcZ18IMDB61vuFF1PCS02JTE/s320/Shame%20the%20Devil.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Before you come for me about airing the church’s dirty laundry, let me put you on notice. God inspired my telling. Take your concerns there and redirect that energy at examining your own motives. Tell the truth and shame the devil, rather than those who proclaim it.</div><p></p>Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-68412667292073912302017-01-16T15:15:00.000-08:002017-01-16T15:15:09.231-08:00The Walking Dead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQ7DBU3pmOzUzVuWBEHqs6XiN26YOLBTOlcnobsL85qE5ITuLfrdw4ufRWFzovmzEoZkdgb23BGrBs9aB3lymJmLsdKom7iqXUOg_3O0nyyYoDEDFiZ-J9qduzZm3W2cJurqFr9g5K3g/s1600/fear-the-walking-dead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQ7DBU3pmOzUzVuWBEHqs6XiN26YOLBTOlcnobsL85qE5ITuLfrdw4ufRWFzovmzEoZkdgb23BGrBs9aB3lymJmLsdKom7iqXUOg_3O0nyyYoDEDFiZ-J9qduzZm3W2cJurqFr9g5K3g/s320/fear-the-walking-dead.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Words cannot capture my utter shock and disbelief at the
glowing tributes to Eddie Long on the occasion of his death. Dying was perhaps
the best thing he ever did. In so doing, an ignominious rot was removed from
the church. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I attended seminary in Atlanta from 1997 to 2000. It was
exciting for me to be in a city with so many well-known churches. I made it my
business to visit most of them at some point during that time. Never could I
bring myself to set foot in the church he pastored for reasons that were
unbeknownst to me at the time. It was quite popular, but something about him
was downright repellent. Now, I know. God always knew.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Judgment is
a present and future reality. A physical
malady can be a means of God chastening a believer. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>For
this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we
judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we
are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the
world</i> (I Corinthians 11:30-32).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Earthly judgement is a grace bestown because God can kill
you in your sin. At best we can hope </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eddie Long repented during his illness in
a way he failed to do during the aftermath of his scandal.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Suffice to say, I have no shortage of preacher
acquaintances. Almost every single
public reaction to his passing was a glowing tribute or a polite platitude.
What must those abused boys and conscious believers be thinking today about a
community professing faith venerating one who brought shame to the body? I do
not believe the professions of black Christendom are God’s thoughts. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Eddie Long
used his position—and hence the institution of the church—to access, seduce, conceal, and eventually compensate his
victims. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>[B]ut
whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would
be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be
drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of its stumbling
blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man
through whom the stumbling block comes! </i>(Matthew 18:6-7).<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whoever claims those are merely flaws of a mere mortal slanders
the Holy Spirit. He will be accountable. <i>Do
not be deceived, God is not mocked</i> (Galatians 6:7a). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just as when Eddie Long’s scandal became public, the most
compelling voice came from outside the church in the form of comedienne
Cadillac Kimberly. She quipped ever so poignantly "God said 'touch not my
anointed; do my prophet no harm.' He ain’t said nothing about Eddie Long."
This time around, it came in the form of blogger, <a href="https://medium.com/@SonofBaldwin/bishop-eddie-long-is-dead-c6021e55ac9b#.wgv7x4kq7">Son
of Baldwin</a>’s essay “Bishop Eddie Long Is Not the Only One Who’s Dead.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I heard the news of Eddie Long’s passing, I searched
deeply for the right words. The words eluded me even during prayer. He captured
my sentiments perfectly. The enablers—direct and indirect—<i>holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power;
Avoid such [people] as these</i> (2 Timothy 3:5). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having been the victim of sexual harassment in the church
with next to no sympathy or support, I understand what those boys and
unchurched onlookers must be feeling. How can those claiming to be alive in
Christ travel the world like The Walking Dead? These are not people with whom I
would trust my children, let alone my own life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
According to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walking_Dead_(TV_series)">Wikipedia</a>,
“The Walking Dead” is an American horror drama television series in which the
protagonist awakens from a coma discovering a world overrun by zombies, commonly
referred to as "walkers." He reunites with his family and becomes the
leader of a group he forms with other survivors. Together they struggle to
survive and adapt in a post-apocalyptic world filled with walkers and opposing
groups of survivors, who are often more dangerous than the walkers themselves. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If that does not sound like the modern church I’ll take a
vow of silence for life. <o:p></o:p></div>
Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-20055290999649436362014-04-15T17:01:00.000-07:002014-04-19T18:14:41.032-07:00Waxing and Waning<div class="MsoNormal">
National Public Radio aired a <a href="http://www.npr.org/2014/01/12/261867409/former-pastor-decides-to-spend-a-year-without-god">story</a>
about a minister who decided to try atheism after being kicked out of his
church for struggling with his faith openly. I shared the article with friends
while invoking the spirit of Chris Rock: I ain’t saying it’s right, but I
understand.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One friend chided me saying he was “not sure how you can put
on and take off your faith like a pair of shoes. It’s not about the ‘church’
it’s about the relationship with the Creator.” We cannot have a relationship
with the creator without relating rightly to the creation and its inhabitants.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Humans have been struggling with their strained relationship
with the divine since the beginning. Prophets hid, absconded, and cursed the
day God called them. This confirms my call because I have done all three. After
quitting my job, moving to a strange city, assuming massive student loans, and
coming home without ordination papers from being blackballed in the church, I
was through with my heavenly Father.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Another
friend responded “God is still with him while he is ‘trying out’ atheism.” That
is absolutely correct. Our response to an existential crisis does not change
the character of God. Psalm 139 says:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>Whither shall I go from
thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into
heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I
take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say,
Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea,
the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the
darkness and the light are both alike to thee </i>(v. 7-12).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Try as we might, there is no hiding from God’s presence. As
the old spiritual goes. “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsHcx9JWswE">There’s
No Hiding Place Down There</a>.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
God will
show up and reveal Himself to be accountable for our plights for His sake. None
of our questions, confrontations, or challenges intimidates Him. The psalmist
continues:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>For thou hast possessed
my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I
am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul
knoweth right well My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in
secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did
see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were
written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of
them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum
of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I
awake, I am still with thee</i> (v. 13-18).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
Who can withstand a direct
encounter with the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord </span>unchanged?
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
The cost of discipleship is high, psychologically
and otherwise. It is intensified given that we forsake that which we can see
for that we cannot see.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>If
any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and
children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be
my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot
be my disciple</i> (Luke 14:26-27).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
Kierkegaard said it best: It takes
a purely human courage to renounce the whole temporal realm in order to gain
eternity.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
Religious organizations seem like
such a godless place sometimes and the faith walk can be quite lonely. However,
restoration is not beyond the reach of God. The problem is most churches do not
equip members for the time of trial or respect the process itself. More people fall
away from the false certainty of religious doctrine than from the
overwhelmingly otherness of our unsearchable God. Sounds like the minister in
question was punished for wrestling with his faith openly, which is neither
forbidden nor unique.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
Jesus’ first cousin, John the
Baptizer, jumped with joy in the womb whenever their mothers came together
during pregnancy. Yet, while he was imprisoned for preaching the Gospel and
awaiting execution, he sent a message to Jesus <i>and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for
someone else?”</i> (Matthew 11:3). If someone so intimately acquainted with our
Savior experienced such angst, how much more will it be for those of us far
removed from his presence?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Jesus
responded to the gathered crowds:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>“What did you go out
into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out
to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in
kings’ palaces!” (Matthew 11:7b-8).<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
And so it is with discipleship.
Every day will not be Sunday. At times, God will seem nowhere to be found in our
circumstances. John was beheaded. He could have sold out his calling for a cozy
perch. By remaining true to Jesus, he gained something greater than this world
could ever offer. Nonetheless, he did not have sight of his reward while being
tortured, humiliated, and rebuked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
The few times God shows up and
shows out on our account with help us to withstand our personal </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
storms. We can
keep the faith because our plight pales in comparison saints of old. We are not
losing our lives literally to exercise faith. The early church was deprived of
property, persecuted, and executed for merely believing. Our struggle is mostly
metaphorical, but still crisis-inducing. I’m clinging for dear life as I write
this. Like John, the thief on the cross, and a great cloud of witnesses, we
each can be great in the Kingdom now and forever. But first we have to kiss and
make up with God.<o:p></o:p></div>
Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-17756044865001391252014-04-09T14:57:00.004-07:002014-04-13T17:41:27.378-07:00All the Wrong Places<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MnU6p3sGSw">old country song</a> whose
refrain repeats the line “looking for love in all the wrong places, looking for
love in all the wrong faces.” That seems to be the story of my life personally
and spiritually. We can leave my love life out of this for now. But the place
where I, and like-minded individuals, have a reasonable expectation that we
would find love is often the last place we encounter it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I think about how going to church has made me feel,
loved is one of the last words to come to mind. My early years were spent
crashing the party, so to speak. Bourgeois families came from around the DC
metropolitan area to gather in the edifice where parents in my neighborhood
sent their children for a few hours of free childcare. Not only were we not
under the watchful eyes of our mothers and fathers, we were free from decorum
and theological commitments. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Much to the chagrin of our Sunday School teachers, we came
more often than we did not. It did not take long for hostilities and rivalries
to arise. By the grace of God, some of my peers there are among my most
cherished friends today and the teachers are too senile to recollect the ruckus
when they see me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Several churches later, I can say I still have not found
that deep, benevolent, abiding love that characterizes God. It’s not an
unreasonable expectation to find love in God’s house. I John 4:7 says: <i>Beloved,
let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born
of God, and knoweth God.</i> <i> <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This begs the question of whether most church people really
know God or just like dropping His name. Faking it is easy and often expedient
to fill the pews and separate you from your money. The following verse presents
the converse: <i>He that loveth not knoweth
not God; for God is love </i>(I John 4:8). It’s as simple as that. Jesus said
himself: <i>So then, you will know them by
their fruits</i> (Mark 7:20).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My absolutely most disastrous romantic relationship was at the hands of a lying, cheating, psychotic minister. One of my female seminary classmates rebuked me upon hearing
the story. “You know we’re not supposed to date them!” she exclaimed. I knew
such to be true, but was in a weak place at the time. If you can’t trust your
heart with a so-called servant of the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>,
them with whom can you? Like the Jews and the Holocaust, I invoked the mantra
“Never Again.” Church is many a player’s playground.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ironically, I have experienced some of the most loving
encounters with strangers and those who are not outwardly religious. That is
not unlike Jesus’ experience with the religious establishment of his day. The
Samaritan woman at the well, who was victimized and marginalized, was very
receptive and accommodating to him. By no coincidence, she became a great
evangelist—even ahead of the twelve disciples.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the same manner, I have experienced prolonged periods of
unemployment while my fellow believers peered voyeuristicly without offering so
much as a sandwich. No hard feelings because God always provides. I have also
heard stories of church members departing after not receiving more than perfunctory niceties following the loss of a family member. Even in my challenges with
pursuing ministry, church folks could not care any less. <o:p></o:p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Meanwhile, my friends whose church attendance is
as spotty as mine remain the ones who breathe new life in me to pursue God.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a good thing that God is omnipresent, omniscient, and
omnipotent. He knows what we need, has ordered the universe to manifest His
will, and is fully-capable to deliver. When the white-washed tombs fail, angels
in disguise appear. Go into the world and plant your altar. Your sacrifices
will not be in vain and may be better-placed than in the halls sanctuaries of indulgence
and indifference. Just when you stop looking, love appears.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
One of the members of my most recent church tried to
chastise me for leaving by saying my salvation was in <o:p></o:p>One of the members of my most recent church tried to
chastise me for leaving by saying my salvation was in jeopardy. I looked at him
incredulously and replied “I was saved before I joined here. As a matter of
fact, there is more of God’s outside of sanctuaries everywhere than inside
them.” Upon further reflection, the odds of finding love outside the church
are not bad at all. If no building can hold God, then why do we spend more time
looking for him there than in the world? The answer is why we often come up
short.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-34661193011244249682014-03-30T15:11:00.000-07:002014-03-30T15:15:42.243-07:00March Madness<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
This
month precedes another high holy season when we celebrate the victorious
resurrection of our <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> and
savior. I’m not referencing Lent, but rather the NCAA tournament when
millions of fans try to predict with random accuracy which men’s college
basketball team will advance and be crowned champion from a crowded field of
contenders. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An incredible amount of risk is required to forecast which
underdog will upset a top seed. One would have to be crazy to think a team like
Duke can be upset in the first round by an unranked WhointheHellAreTheyAnyway
University that was doing well just to be invited to the big dance. Yet, it
happens (and it hurts). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Top seeded teams are targets for perennial
giant-killers. Only devoted alums of the
underdogs or fervent haters of the favored can complete their bracket with a
straight face and make the right calls with aplomb.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Such it is with faith. Who invests all their personal stock
in the redeemer of the world being born of a virgin and rising from the dead
over 2,000 years ago? <i>For the message of
the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved
it is the power of God</i> (I
Corinthians 1:18). There is nothing rational about the gospel, but its
power is all that keeps some among us going strong.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Objective observations fly in the face of historical
speculation in the same way top-ranked teams defy those with little hope of
advancing in the tournament to fight for a win. Even those claiming to believe
waver in the face of adversity. <i>… you
must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the
sea, blown and tossed by the wind</i> (James 1:6b).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The ante was increased for this year’s tournament as Warren
Buffett, one of the richest men in the world, offered a billion-dollar prize to
anyone who completed a perfect bracket in advance. Upset after upset resulted
in no perfect brackets remaining after only a couple rounds of play. Only a lunatic, computer, or Godself could
have foretold the winners with perfect accuracy. However, perfectly sane
contestants were making detailed plans for spending their expected windfall.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the same manner, theological pre-commitments prevent many
from getting this faith thing right. Either we become arrogant in our
individual position and those of the institutions to which we belong or we sink
into despair when things do not go our way. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>Why,
Lord, do you reject me<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i> and hide your face from me?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i> From my youth I have suffered and been close
to death;<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i> I have borne your terrors and am in despair</i>
(Psalm 88:14-15).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
God never promised every day would be Sunday. <i>He causes his sun to rise on the evil and
the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous</i> (Matthew
5:45). Even believers are subject to the effects of the human condition. Yet,
we have victory in Him. Evidence of it is not readily seen. However, the power
of the Holy Spirit working within and around us confirms that we are not just
mad.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>Now
faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<i>For by it the elders obtained a good report</i>
(Hebrews 11:1-2).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Faith is what separates with winners from the losers. Mercer
believed they could beat Duke, but faith in themselves only got them to the
next round where they were defeated. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Grasp sufficient absurdity to withstand your time of trial. <i>(B)ut the one who stands firm to the end
will be saved</i> (Matthew 24:13). God never fails and God’s promises are true.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-62368678551142742802013-11-08T09:14:00.002-08:002014-05-25T11:21:17.007-07:00Wet Dreams<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the top of the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/23/world/europe/prince-george-christening/">news</a>
recently was the “baptism” of Prince George, the heir to the British throne,
followed by the announcement that he is now a member of the Anglican Church,
which he will head one day as King of England. Even some of the more <a href="http://sojo.net/blogs/2013/10/23/archbishop-canterbury-baptizes-britain%E2%80%99s-future-king-prince-george">sensible
publications</a> got caught up in the hoopla. He wore a reproduction of the christening
gown worn by every Royal baby since 1841 and was flanked by seven godparents. There
is no arguing that he was cute as a button. Unfortunately, all they had was a
wet, overindulged, cross-dressing baby.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just a week prior, people were outraged at a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/17/marvin-winans-unwed-mothers-child-born-out-of-wedlock-bless-_n_4116915.html">report</a>
that a prominent pastor refused to “bless” a baby because it was born out of
wedlock. The mother claimed Marvin Winans would not allow her to participate in
a public presentation dedicating babies at his church. What’s the loss? Her
friends and family would not witness the spectacle and join her for brunch
afterwards. Just raise your children in the fear and admonition of the Lord without
forgetting to model such before them. Does she work equally as hard to ensure
the biological father lives up to his responsibilities?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Both cases were equally absurd because neither event is of
any consequence when it comes to the faith of the children. It was not this way
in the beginning. Our Lord and Savior was not baptized until adulthood. Of
course, <i>Jesus said, “Let the little
children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs
to such as these” (Matthew 19:14).</i> On the flip side, some churches will not
baptize children who request it if their parents are not members of said
church. It happened to me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This issue was one of the things standing between me and
another piece of paper on my wall earlier this year. While being examined as a
candidate for ordination in the United Methodist Church, I freely admitted that
I do not believe in infant baptism. There is no biblical support for it and the
practice is actually counter to the fundamental assent of the will to
the grace of God for partaking in the sacraments. John Wesley (founder of Methodism)
himself said that every believer must have a datable conversion experience
(which baptism <i>follows</i>).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, that was the wrong answer. It wasn’t so much that the
United Methodist Church is a bastion of theological purity. I’ve heard all
manner of heresy from ordained clergy among its rank without institutional consequence.
One of the most attractive attributes of the denomination for me was its supposed
regard for intellectual freedom.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This encounter was more so about a matter of refusal to conform
to their will or try to impress them. I recall classmates rehearsing their
lines for ordination committees and boards while in seminary. It was shameless. Some folks would say
whatever was necessary to get what they wanted just like a man with an erection.
Both parties would be aware what it was, but played along as they each had an agenda
to advance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The chair of the Committee lashed at me verbally. “How dare you come in here and disagree with the
discipline of our church.” I responded “how dare you invite me knowing in
advance where I stood?” She gave me that knowing look that I could lie my way
into the next phase of the process like others have done before me. However, I
fear God and dread looking at myself in the mirror knowing I had. Integrity is
clearly not one of their preferred character traits.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Babies were baptized on the day of their birth in colonial
America to swell the rolls of the church. Thomas Jefferson refused to endorse
attempts to require infant baptism under law. As one of the drafters of the U.S.
Constitution, he was the brainpower behind the clause forbidding the
establishment of religion. He is one of my political heroes because he left it personal
choice to exercise faith. If God did not want humanity to exercise choice, we
would not have been endowed with a will.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is no secret that mainline protestant churches are in decline.
Have those who swell their church rolls by forcing membership upon those born
into their constituent families considered that may be part of the problem? Socialization into faith is no substitute for
real discipleship. John Calvin argued centuries ago that one cannot impute
their faith to another.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the most perverse cases came when a seminary
classmate who is now a pastor had a couple in his church experience the
misfortune of a still-born child. He announced that he had to rush to the
hospital not to counsel the grief-stricken mother and father, but rather to
baptize the baby. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This did raise age-old theological questions tackled by
theologian Jonathan Edwards. “One of
these two things are certainly true, and self-evidently so: either that it is
most just, exceeding just, that God should take the soul of a new-born infant
and cast it into eternal torments, or else that those infants that are saved
are not saved by the death of Christ.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I discussed this with another pastor friend who admitted the
absurdity of the response, but said “we must do this to make the family feel
better.” I replied “What?!! Did Jesus give us this holy sacrament for emotional
relief or as an outward sign of an inward change?” He had no answer because he
knew on which side his bread was buttered and he had an elaborate shindig
planned for his own infant daughter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why does the church insist on so much pomp and pageantry
around something so insignificant and virtually ignore more meaningful milestones?
Yes, the baby is cute. I’m glad you’re going to provide religious training. It
was good seeing everybody who does not normally come in church. Brunch was
delectable. However, that baby is only a Christian in your dreams.</div>
</div>
Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-30519460828279597602013-10-11T10:37:00.000-07:002013-10-11T10:37:13.964-07:00In the House<div class="MsoNormal">
I grew up going to church 52 Sundays a year. It’s not that
my parents were particularly religious. They actually were not at all. They
just happened to have discovered free childcare for their brood for a few hours
on a weekend morning. Other parents in the neighborhood caught on and sent
theirs as well. My friends and I were all in the house Sunday every morning.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Strangely, that pattern remained with me in adulthood. I
could not wait until I graduated high school and thus liberated from forced church
attendance. When I went to college, Sundays were spent recovering from
Saturdays. However, something had been planted deeply within that beckoned me
to continue freely. My first inclination upon matriculating in graduate school
in the land where the devil is blue was to attend high church service at the campus chapel
on Sundays. At the urging of some well-intentioned classmates, I eventually
began attending service at a church across town of my predominantly black then-denomination.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After graduation, I returned to Washington, DC and began attending
my conservative childhood church again on a regular basis. After two years in
the south, it no longer fit. God led me to another congregation in the city
that resembled the style of churches in the Bible Belt where everyone seemed to
know God’s middle name.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eventually, things fell apart there as a result of my
pastor’s sexual harassment and the congregation’s betrayal of me with its
indifference. The last thing I wanted to do at the time was attend church every
Sunday. I would go to the gym, ride my bike for long distances, visit farmers’ markets, check out a museum
exhibit—anything but church.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But there are some dresses that are too fancy for work and
too casual for after-five. Where would I wear them? Seriously, I loved praising
God and studying His word. But what was passing for church became revolting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then God revealed to me that there is no requirement to
attend church Every. Single. Sunday. Yes, the bible says <i>forsake not the assembling of ourselves as is the habit of some</i>
(Hebrews 10:25). That passage was written to a community in despair as they
were under persecution for their faith. It was not a prescription for
overdosing on organized religion. Society has misconstrued the primary function
of Christianity as assembled public worship as opposed to serving and discipling
the world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I still have my seasons of weekly church attendance,
interspersed with periods of worship in the world. It bothers some of my
friends, church members, and neighbors to see me skipping church. It’s not that
they fear for my soul’s salvation, but rather are uncomfortable with how their
own religious constructs are being challenged. Altars can be found wherever God
has created.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The hymn “How Great Thou Art” opens:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
O Lord My God!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
When I in awesome wonder</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Consider all the works thy hands
have made</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
I see the stars, I hear the rolling
thunder</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Thy power throughout the universe
displayed</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The chorus follow with:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Then sings my soul, My savior God
to Thee</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
How great Thou art, How great thou
art!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Then sings my soul, My savior God
to Thee</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
How great Thou art, How great thou
art!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Job became confounded spiritually, God did not tell him
to go to the priests or prophets. The <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>
commanded him to <i>speak to the earth and
she will teach you</i> (Job 12:8). There comes a time in every person’s life
when they need an unmediated word from God. There’s no money in that, so
churches tend not to promote such ministries.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I defy you to go to the mountains and not be filled with
admiration for God’s handiwork or stare at the stars and not revere the order
in the universe. When I need a fresh revelation, I go to a new place all by
myself and He never fails to deliver.</div>
Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-66285901230040167532013-09-28T07:13:00.000-07:002014-03-04T12:18:35.935-08:00The Robe<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of my less than honorable responses to my call to
ministry was my obsession with my preacher swagger. I am not into whooping and
flashy cars, but I am quite a clothes-horse. As I prepared for my initial
sermon, what I would wear received more attention than what I would say. Every
Sunday spent in the pulpit as a licentiate was a deliberate display of my eye
for design. More than anything I studies more seasoned preachers to inform
choices about my eventual clerical vestments and accessories.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Clerical vestments have their biblical origins with priestly
attire. God provided very specific instructions in Levitical law for what the
priests should wear down to their undergarments. In the same manner, I have both
outer garments and intimate apparel that I consider divinely-inspired.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I planned to earn a PhD after receiving my M.Div. not primarily
so I could think deeply and teach others, but so I could rock three chevrons on
my sleeve legitimately. A vanity degree from a diploma mill would not do. It
had to be a qualifying credential from a top-tier university. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then God stopped me in my tracks and showed me the character
of the preacher is far more important than the persona. Blessed be the name of
the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Who knows what I would have become had I succeeded in being
approved for clerical status by the institutional church? That would have left me
to my own devices for shaping my ministry according to the prevailing ethos.
However, their cultural norms do not suit me. No denomination can function effectively
without an unquestioning, complicit, and conforming clergy. That’s totally not
me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To their credit, neither denomination that rejected my
candidacy for ordination denied my gifts or call. They just did not sanction
them for their organization. Jesus said:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>If
the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace
return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave
that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will
be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that
town. </i>(Matthew 10:13-15).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
In other words, middle fingers to the sky! I thank God for confirmation that
I don’t have to prove anything to anybody and the ability to make an ever so
elegant departure.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now I find myself seventeen years later not ordained (by
men) and not likely ever to be. I’ve made peace with that. Would receiving
approval from a group of mere mortals validate my call even more so? Do
multiple rejections make me any less anointed? <i>[F]or God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable</i> (Romans 11:29). Who
in the bible had to get a second opinion after being called directly by the
Almighty? Soren Kierkegaard described ordination as an “ostensible token,
though not an infallible one.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>But
when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace,
was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the
Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being </i>(Galatians
1:15-16).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
James Baldwin said "I left the pulpit so I could preach
The Gospel." The same holds true for the brand of ministry to which God
has called me. I have always known this intellectually. But part of me still
longs for a robe perfecting the balance between overly-done and understated so
well that Coco Chanel would nod in approval from the heavens above.</div>
</div>
Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-20830479863798107982013-09-22T06:17:00.000-07:002014-06-07T12:38:54.620-07:00Trick of the Devil<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
As much as I gripe about organized religion, there is
something about it that compels me. There is a saying of dubious attribution that “The church is a whore, but she’s my mother.” I know exactly how that feels.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I grew up with
children whose mothers were card-carrying prostitutes. They brought their kids to school wearing micro mini-skirts,
five-inch heels, flowing wigs, false eyelashes, and heavily-applied makeup (I promise you there was a time when
this look was not mainstream) and kept strange hours. They also packed lunches, wiped crust from eyes with their
spittle, and meted discipline to their offspring just like any other parent. Nobody
ever questioned their children’s adoration or devotion.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is just something understood about the mother-child
relationship. It is the most primal for humanity. Ask anyone who has lost their
mother whether they were the same afterwards. My mother lost hers at the age of 8 and with
that, a love that is second to none.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The bible likens God’s chosen people to prostitutes quite
frequently. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel warn Israel of the consequences of the
nation’s spiritual wantonness in the Old Testament and refer to her the mother
of idolatry. The <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> commanded
the prophet Hosea to marry Gomer the harlot to illustrate how God will
discipline and restore His people as a consequence of their propensity for turning
away. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>
flat-out calls unfaithful churches such in Revelation by labeling them collectively
as the Whore of Babylon. <i>The name written
on her forehead was a mystery: Babylon the great, the mother of prostitutes and
of the abominations of the earth” </i>(Revelation 17:5). She will be judged harsher than the world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The church helped me give birth to my faith. Notice, I did
not say it gave me faith. <i>(C)ontinue to
work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you
to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose</i> (Philippians
2:12b-13). It is not possible for an institution or individual to convey faith
to a person. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is common for people to quip to seminarians “don’t let
them steal your Jesus!” As a matter of fact, it was a running joke at the
school I attended that a particular room that was off-limits was where they
stored students’ Jesuses. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Folks meant well, but it was another way of imploring
ministers-in-training to keep the faith. Funny enough, no one ever said that in
reference to the church. Those who are acquainted with my travails find my
continued participation absurd. However, those who have relinquished their
organizational membership, while yet maintaining faith, understand our dysfunctional
family history.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Embracing the absurd is one of the most essential steps for
developing faith. We worship a man who rose from the dead and lives in heaven. If that makes sense to you, I have bags of magic beans for
sale.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, the organized church has maligned, abused,
marginalized, and disappointed me beyond measure. It is no accident that the
Adversary chose it as the source of my angst. But still I love it. Stay away
too long and I lose my bearings; stick around too long and I begin to lose my
mind.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The church, with all of her waywardness, is my mother. She is
prone to sell out the gospel for a song. However, she has given me something so
fundamental to my being. Without her, I would not have developed a love for
liturgical order, soul-stirring songs, scripture, and the people whose practice
of faith helped shape my own. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I honor her for the divine work she has bred with the hope
that she strives to become what God intended her to be. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>That
[Christ] might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or
wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish</i>
(Ephesians 5:27).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, that does not exempt her from being called out on
occasion for what she is.</div>
</div>
Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-85684406250260175982013-07-05T08:43:00.002-07:002013-07-06T07:43:12.665-07:00A Dog’s Life<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There
is an old saying that all dogs go to heaven. Quite frankly, I’m not sure if I
want to go there if this is not true. We all have our lines in the sand about
what would make our bliss eternal. Some are quite </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glKOI9vlSjQ"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">base</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">; others quite </span><a href="http://www.wisdomcommons.org/wisbits/3241-in-heaven-we-feed-each-other"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">noble</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There
is another saying that “if you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog.” Sixteen
years ago, I made a very good friend. I don’t know whether she chose me or I
chose her, but fate brought us together. I asked the litter of fluffy
Pomeranians, “Which one of you is Trixie?” She knocked her siblings down and
came running. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
day after I picked her up from the breeder, we journeyed to Atlanta as I began
my theological studies. She was my road dog. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
have a history of clinical depression. The prospect of moving to a new city
sight-unseen to pursue a profession fraught with existential peril was
anxiety-inducing. My physician recommended that I buy a dog. She was just what
I needed. <i>Every good and perfect gift is
from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not
change like shifting shadows </i>(James 1:17). I must say that I never sank
into despair while I had Trixie as she made it her bounden duty to bring me joy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">She
greeted me when I came home with the demeanor of an ecstatic encounter with the
divine. She let me rub her head when I felt down. She made me think of someone
other than myself consistently. She co-hosted parties with me. Family
gatherings were not the same without her. She made everyone love her and loved
them in return. When we were leaving Atlanta to move back to DC, my neighbors of
three years bid her a fond farewell. Many of them didn’t even know my name.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Trixie
departed this life June 28, 2013 after a long bout with heart disease. I
thought I was the only one who recognized the void she left behind. The
expressions of comfort and recollection of tender memories from others have
been nothing short of amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
felt silly at times about how much I indulged her, but make no apology for my
grief. A neighbor inquired why a dog’s passing received more outpouring of love
than most people. Yet, Proverbs 3:19
says: <i>The righteous care for the needs of
their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Yet,
the same neighbor remarked “Even in departing she shines!” There was something
transcendent about Trixie. I began to notice it after she chewed by bible as a
pup akin to how Ezekiel ate the scroll (Ezekiel 3:3). She was a good judge of character and quite
the prognosticator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
have every confidence that I am going to see her again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I also said to myself, “As
for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.
Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate
awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath;
humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the
same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the human spirit rises upward
and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” </span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">(Ecclesiastes 3:18-21).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-3720511566323553262013-02-27T19:34:00.001-08:002013-02-28T08:30:52.061-08:00Black is Black<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
A friend recently tried to encourage me to watch a
heavily-advertised "epic miniseries" on the Bible being aired on the
History Channel. My first question was about the physical appearance of the characters.
Predictably they were all of European descent.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is common sense that people living in the lands where
most of the biblical narrative took place were not white. If you would be
astounded to meet someone from those regions today with blond hair and blue
eyes. However, the very well-regarded seminary I attended likewise promoted
European images of them. When I raised the question (y’all know I did, just
like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kSR88HEKSQ">Buggin’ Out</a>),
they typical response was “it doesn’t matter what color they were.” The
unspoken remainder of that sentiment was “as long as they are white.” </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some might ask, why it matters. Well, first for the sake of
academic integrity. If you lie to me about one thing, I can’t trust much else
you say. Secondly, it matters because of institutionalized racism and its
prevalence in the church.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I happen to attend one of the longest-standing historically
black churches in Washington, DC. It was founded during the ante-bellum period
to accommodate blacks who did not want to be treated in a discriminatory manner
in a nearby Methodist Episcopal Church. Their white benefactors even provided
assistance in building a new sanctuary. Needless to say, there are white images
of a man they would like you to think was Jesus in several places around the
building. As a matter of fact, there is a stained glass window facing the
pulpit with such a depiction that is approximately 40 feet tall. I find it
disconcerting, but consistent with the imperialistic mission of the organization.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This brings me to the point of spiritual integrity. The Second
Commandment states:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>Thou shalt not make
unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven
above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the
earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord
thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the
children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing
mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments (Exodus
20:4-6).<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
The last I checked, Jesus was enthroned
at the right hand of the Father. There should be no physical depictions of him
anywhere, especially not in a Christian house of worship or inserted into the
pages of bibles. Now, they must choose, is Jesus in heaven and off-limits for
photo-ops or will they blatantly disregard God’s law?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
I’ve heard the lame excuse that
some people are visual learners and need images to help them grasp biblical
truths. Well, it is a lie that Jesus is white. If you want them to grasp the
truth, at least depict him correctly. One of my best friends is a United
Methodist minister from Angola in SW Africa. I asked him what color Jesus would
be in the picture on the wall of his church back home. He looked at me
sheepishly and said “you know.” It seems missionaries push “Jesus is white”
harder than they proclaim “Jesus is Lord.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
This also came up during a study
of Song of Songs” using a study guide from said denomination’s publishing
house. One of the narrators describes herself by saying <i>I am black, but comely (1:5). </i>The commentator could not grasp in
the notes how being black was not a complaint. The narrator was stating
matter-of-factly that she her complexion was darkened from prolonged exposure
to the sun, but affirm her attractiveness. Leave it to me to expose the racist
context in which the interpretation is taking place and the imperialistic regime
it supports. It was a shock to some, but still a wake-up call to engage their
all materials critically.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
Sadly, these conversations are not
welcome in the church. The strongest commentary I have seen on the subject were
on episodes of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwOq8zB-ido">The
Boondocks</a> and from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHHptN7tbZE">stand-up
comedians</a>. Ironically, some black folks will strike you dead if you try to
take away their white Jesus. However, an ignoramus of a black preacher once
told me Jesus was African-American. I won’t dignify that with a response. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
The bottom line is that Jesus was
a real, historical figure that did not look like Michelangelo’s effeminate brother-in-law.
Most of the images we have had imposed on our consciousness were produced
during a historical era when the African slave trade was being rationalized by Europeans commissioning them. His ethnicity and
appearance are not open to our social constructs. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
There were many controversies
concerning Jesus in the early church, but none of them focused on his race. We
should likewise focus on his transcendent spirit and the power it gives us to
overcome the world. If he wanted to leave a physical depiction of how he
looked, he could have done that.</div>
Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-66230679990272686862013-01-30T21:49:00.000-08:002013-02-01T06:25:31.857-08:00You Must Be Mad<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Honestly, I had a hard time writing the last essay about my
Sorority being founded on Christian principles with a straight face. Moreover,
I had a hard time believing it the first time I heard such at the rush. Almost
every fraternity and sorority on campus made some claim to religious roots and
had accompanying rites expressing them.
Ironically, Greekdom is associated more with revelry, promiscuity,
drunkenness, licentiousness, gossip, elitism, in-fighting, materialism, and all
other manner of ungodliness than wholesomeness, benevolence, or morality. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A wide range of other organizations make the claim to
rootedness in Christ. Among them are Boy Scouts, Ku Klux Klan, the Tea Party,
Nazis, some prominent hospital systems, and major universities. Ironically,
discipleship is not what comes to mind first when thinking of any of these
entities.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Please allow me to set the record straight to keep lightning
from striking me dead. Theological
commitment is not a requirement of membership, just adherence to
closely-related ideals. Fortunately for me, their founding principles aligned
with the religious tradition in which I was raised. However, they did not stop
me one bit from raising all the hell I could from Spring 1989 until I found the
Lord some seven odd years later.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Quite frankly, they could have told me they were Satanic
baby-eaters and I would have still pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
They were cool, hard-partying, and esteemed highly in the dating pool. Those
are high priorities for a co-ed. There was plenty of time to get right with
one’s maker after graduation and entry into the real world.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I seem to have this recurring conversation with my Sorors and
fellow Greeks regarding what being founded on Christian principles really
means. We all know that religious affiliation is not a criterion for by the
quality of the membership. Nationl Panhellenic Council (NPHC) organizational
symbols, rituals, and traditions are actually a syncretic combination of
Judeo-Christian, Greco-Roman, and African culture. God knows we don’t always
act like we are God’s children. So why
did our Founders see fit to set it as our foundation?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The basic teachings of Jesus Christ can be found in writings
that preceded his earthly life. There is very little recorded that he said that
was unique to him. However, there are three distinguishing marks of
Christianity and it is only fitting that we consider them:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
1.
Revolution.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
2.
Regeneration</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
3.
Endurance of the movement<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let us consider these three points in the context of Delta
Sigma Theta. First, revolution set the stage for its founding. Developing
sisterhood of college-educated black women unaffiliated with any other
organization was quite a radical move on the part of our founders. To top it
off, they immediately inserted themselves into the forefront of the political
issues of the day, while committing themselves to social change, academic
excellence, and each other. The latter is the most significant because we are a
sisterhood first. When done right, the radical love ethic inherent to belonging
supercedes most natural relationships. Membership in NPHC organizations is
established not just for the duration of their collegiate years, but for a
lifetime (unlike their historically white counterparts).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Secondly, regeneration must occur seal the identity of those
who become members of a fraternal organization. Christianity offers the
opportunity for a new life empowered by the Holy Spirit. Because he lives we
have the opportunity to be born again.
Membership in a fraternity or sorority requires one to have a similar
experience. New initiates into Delta Sigma Theta are equipped with cardinal
virtues, oath, and rituals which embody our values. Sisterhood is the spirit that
empowers each member to adhere to the charge placed on her and guide her in her
life of service.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, there is endurance. No other movement in history
compares to the rapid rise, sustained growth, permeance, and impact of
Christianity. Delta Sigma Theta just
celebrated its first century of existence. By the looks of things, she is not
going anywhere. It is very rare to see a fraternity or sorority cease. Delta is
now a sisterhood of more than 260,000 strong with over 900 chapters located in
the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. We carry the torch ignited
by our Founders to use our collective strength to:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->promote academic excellence;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->provide scholarships;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->provide support to the under-served;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->educate and stimulate participation in the
establishment of positive public policy;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->highlight issues and provide solutions for
problems in their communities; and</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->use our collective strength to support one
another in our respective endeavors.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Like Christianity, we, as a Sorority, have had a major
impact on history—for better and for worse. We fall short on occasion, but our
guiding spirit keeps us collectively on the track toward our ideals. We are not
perfect, but together we perfect our purpose. </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-84589338977807684522013-01-19T07:42:00.001-08:002013-01-19T07:42:08.986-08:00Spirit of Sisterhood<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
It is no coincidence that three of
the four historically black Sororities celebrate their Founding within three days
of each other. This week began with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
celebrating its Centennial Founders Day on January 13. “In grand fashion” would
be an understatement. The first
historically black Sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., celebrated the
105<sup>th</sup> anniversary of its founding on January 15. Little did I know, the ladies of Zeta Phi
Beta Sorority, Inc. held up the rear in commemorating the 93<sup>rd</sup>
anniversary of their founding on January 16. One of my Sorors quipped “So I
guess everybody came back from winter break determined to change the world.” My
sentiments exactly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
College semesters are usually
separated by season celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or Festivus (for the rest
of us). Being that the three aforementioned Sororities were founded on
Christian principles, expectations raised during Advent certainly stimulated the senses. The living Christ makes all things
possible—even suffrage, anti-lynching, academic excellence, and unbreakable
bonds.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
It is hard for us to fathom the
brutal challenges facing black women in the early 20<sup>th</sup> century.
Slavery had been abolished less than 50 years prior, while Jim Crow and The
Black Codes maintained its racist social structure. Those who were ambitious and uppity enough to
pursue higher education received a double portion. No doubt, these sisterhoods
were formed out of necessity. There is strength in numbers. Bring a group
together for a common purpose with commitment to common values and each other to
shift the earth on its axis.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Sisterhood is not encapsulated in
the respective organizations we join. By a weird coincidence, I lived with
pledges of AKA and Zeta the semester I pledge Delta Sigma Theta. It would be a
lie against all that is sacred to say there was no conflict in that campus suite.
However, time and maturity bound us together in a way that transcends the
different letters we wear. As a matter of fact, I have a stronger bond with
sisters in Greekdom who were made right than some of the ill-formed members of
my own Sorority. One such sister in Greekdom and I have coined the term “Sorors
in eternity” to capture our shared commitment to Christian discipleship.
Therefore, I will appropriate a message I delivered to my Sorors some time age,
extending the principles to all who are down with the cause regardless of the
nature of our sisterhood (or brotherhood).</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<b><i>An
Ode to Sisterhood<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Sorors, let us love one another
with the mindfulness of God. We must keep in mind that we have committed
ourselves not only to a lifetime of service, but also to a loving relationship
with one other. That’s what distinguishes us from other service organizations.
The NAACP, Urban League, professional organizations, and other volunteer groups
are transactional. You come and you go. You do what you do. You pack up. See you next time. There is no expectation
that you care about your fellow members more than the next person. The best
part is that you don’t even have to fake it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Differentiation is a key business
concept. What distinguishes a company from the rest of the pack? What makes a
consumer buy your product instead of another? What do you do better than your
marketplace competitors? You didn’t join a Sorority to do public service. You
can do that anywhere. There was a special attraction that lured you. It is all
about the relationship. When you knelt on the pillow, you said that you are in
this until the end with all of the other women who have taken that same vow.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
The assurance that we have as
members of Delta Sigma Theta is that we are loved by a connection of
like-minded women who are as mindful of us as God is of the sparrow. What’s
going on in your Soror’s life? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Is she rejoicing?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Is she in pain?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Is she kicking it
hard with the love of her life?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Is she dying
inside of loneliness?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Did she just get a
promotion?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Does she need a
job?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Is her money
short?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Does her cup
runneth over?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Has she not been
active since she pledged?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Is she burning
out?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Is she ailing?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Has she recently
received a clean bill of health?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Does she deserve a
pat on the back?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Does she need a
kick in the behind? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
What’s going on
with her?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Do you not know?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Do you care?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Go find out!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Are you going to only
talk about her situation behind her back?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
Or are you going
to respond with charitable action?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We gather when we bring new members into our Sorority.
Seldom have I attended an initiation that was not standing room only. Our
Founders saw fit that we should likewise assemble to honor the passing of our
members from this life into next with the Omega Omega ceremony. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>Are
not two sparrows sold for a [a]cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the
ground apart from your Father. "But the very hairs of your head are all
numbered.” So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. </i>(Matthew
10:26-29)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Our participation shows that our
deceased Sorors matter to us. I have come to savor the admiration of onlookers
observing this rite. Family members are grateful that her love of Delta was
reciprocal as shown by this final expression of sisterhood. People who are
unfamiliar with the Sorority bear witness that not one among us falls apart
from our fellowship and presence because every Soror matters. Just as God is no
respector of persons, we must give every Soror her due. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Every Soror is important.
Collegiate Sorors matter. Alumnae Sorors matter. Delta Dears matter. Neophytes
matter. Inactive Sorors matter, Sorors who aren’t popular matter. Sorors from
other Chapters matter. Honorary Sorors matter.
You matter. I matter. Sorors you don’t know matters. And EVEN the Soror
you can’t stand matters. Isn’t it good news that God doesn’t wait until He
likes us to love us? <i>God demonstrates his
own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us </i>(Romans
5:8).<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a hymn of the church that says:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are One in The Spirit, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are One in The Lord. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are One in The Spirit, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are One in The Lord. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chorus </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By our Love, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We will work with each other, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We will work side by side. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We will work with each other, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We will work side by side. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And we'll guard each man's dignity </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And save each man's pride. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And they'll know we are Sisters by our love, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By our Love, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes they'll know we are Sisters by our love. </div>
Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-38900771422515654742013-01-01T13:44:00.001-08:002013-01-01T13:44:45.210-08:00Like Chocolate for Lent<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every year, people all over the world made resolutions to
mark how they would like to live differently from that point forward.
Unfortunately, most of these resolutions are either so extreme as to be
unattainable or so lame that attaining them would make no meaningful impact on
their live or the lives of others. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This reminds me of when the high holy season of Lent
approached during my first year of seminary. Students were mulling in the
lounge about what to give up for the weeks of penitence. One young southern
belle approached this hardened city slicker to inquire of her choices. She
offered that she was forgoing chocolate and sodas. I responded that I would be
giving up cursing and running red lights. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How her dietary adjustment affected her walk with Christ, I
do not know. However, I am sure the reduction of environmental pollution
resulting from my potty mouth and the increased safety of pedestrians, fellow motorists,
and herself made angels smile.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This New Year’s Day, I am proud to say that I am entering
2013 significantly different than I started the previous year. Yes, the body is
more fit, finances are stronger, and relationships are more productive. But
that’s not enough. Those are temporal measures, not what God uses to assess the
quality of our lives.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just this morning I entered the gym and requested a body fat
and BMI measurement to benchmark my fitness level. Much to my chagrin, my
composition was not as lean as I would like to have thought. I workout
religiously, but my eating habits showed up in the results. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Imagine God placing us on the scales of time. What would be
found wanting in our being? Are we living right? In right relationship with our
neighbors? In right relationship with the Divine?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In <i>Being and
Nothingness</i>, Martin Heideggar describes existence as being capable of only
one sin: inauthenticity. Each of us was created with a purpose. Not fulfilling
it places us in a state of rebellion against God. <i>To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of
rams</i> (I Samuel 15:22).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What is it that you know to be true down to the core of your
soul to which you are not conforming your life? You might be doing it, but with
minimal effort. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For me, that is preaching the gospel.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As many of you know I have tried. Lord knows I have. Many
obstacles have confronted me in the institutional church—not that it is the
only game in town. When faced with professional obstacles, I have been known to
be quite dogged in reaching my goals. Why I have not shown the same determined
to forge my path in God’s kingdom is inexcusable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This year begins for me with mental, physical, and
scheduling clutter removed to put first things first. <i>Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! </i>(I Corinthians 9:16b).</div>
Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-57247358303897327442012-08-28T09:00:00.002-07:002012-08-29T05:06:03.534-07:00Eye on the Sparrow<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the first half of this year, the Chicago recorded over
250 murders (up 35% from 2011) mostly due to gang violence. The city recorded
more casualties than Iraq & Afghanistan combined during the same time span.
I never heard of the state of the city until the mass shootings in July at a
movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. Twelve people were killed and 58 injured. Black
commentators began to complain about the lack of coverage of the Chicago
violence. Shamefully, black-on-black crime has become a dog-bites man story.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>Are
not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground
apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are
all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows</i> (Matthew
10:29-30).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
America stops in its tracks when the peace of white suburbia
gets disrupted, but somehow manages to get along well with persistent violence
in urban areas (as long as the victims are black). Let a white kid get shot and you will learn
their life plans, favorite flavor of ice cream, and every excruciating detail
of the event. Let a black kid get shot and you will see a brief story
describing the basic who, where, what and why without much further insight.</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This reminds me of the day of the tragic shootings at
Columbine High in April 1999. I had just arrived to my favorite class in
seminary and was prepared for a stimulating discussion. A white classmate
entered the room and requested that the professor cancel class because of a
shooting had occurred at a school over a thousand miles away. I retorted without
thinking “people got shot everyday where I’m from and the world goes on. I am
not about to cry and miss a week of Kierkegaard for some people I don’t even
know.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She stared at me in horror. How can one pursuing studies in professional
ministry be so cold? I had not realized how society had desensitized me myself.
Coming of age during the crack era of Washington, DC did not allow for much
grief. People were dropping like flies—and people you knew at that. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My high school principal was wont for ending the Monday morning
announcements with who got killed over the weekend and instruct us to proceed with
having a nice day. I didn’t know what a
grief counselor was until one showed up after someone I didn’t even know in my college
dorm got killed in a car accident.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This occurs in the same nation founded over 200 years ago with
a straight face on the principle “that all men are created equal, that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” while African men and women were in
bondage as chattel. The diminished value of black life was further
institutionalized in the Constitution by counting them as only three-fifths of
a person for the sake of apportionment. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Laws are much easier to change than attitudes. Imagine how it must feel to grow up black in
America and nobody cares if the sanctity of your life is violated. This is
evident in the media obsession with details of every white woman who breaks a nail,
but outlets had to be shamed into reporting on Phylicia Barnes, the black teen
who went missing in Baltimore around Christmas 2011. Unfortunately, her remains
were found almost four months later. Imagine what a difference timely reporting
would have made.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>God is no respecter of
persons</i> (Acts 10:34). We must do likewise by valuing all human life
equally. No more crying over white losses, while turning a blind eye to those
of color. I hope to see prayer vigils for urban violence in suburbia. Let’s
work together to reduce the propensity toward violence everywhere. No need to
go abroad, there is more than enough work in our own mission fields. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How is a young person expected to treat as sacred that which
all messages around them say is worthless? If no one else cares about their
lives, God does. As long as God has people on the ground, there should be an
outpouring every time one of his children falls. </div>
Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-64536280047776586762012-06-30T17:21:00.002-07:002012-07-02T04:28:08.500-07:00Get A Life<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Supreme Court’s <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/11pdf/11-393c3a2.pdf">decision </a>to
uphold the Affordable Care Act was monumental not only in the way it
transcended partisan politics to deal with the constitutionality of the matter.
It was also epic in the absurdity of
so-called Christians lying prostrate on the steps outside grieving with bibles
in-hand over the extension of healthcare to millions who would otherwise not have
access to it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have studied the bible more than most and cannot find
anywhere in scripture that supports such a stance. Not only that, Jesus
affirmed the importance of wellness to overall wholeness by healing throughout
his ministry. However, this is not about
finding a literary warrant for taking a position. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Disciples are to remain in God’s spirit and allow the risen
Christ to dwell in them. <i>Abide in me, and
I in you </i>(John 15:4a). There is no evidence of God in the mockery of His
name by those on the wrong side of healthcare, support for the poor, and other
forms of social justice. Believers are implored to abandon oneself <i>(f)or you have died and your life is hidden
with Christ in God. </i>(Colossians 3:3). A real life in Christ is so evident
that no bible-thumping or posturing for the cameras is necessary.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It takes a hard heart to promote the extreme commoditization
of healthcare in this country. <i>Or do you
not know that (AI)your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom
you have from God, and that you are not your own? </i> (I Corinthians 6:19). Physical well-being is
sacred. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What kind of person stands in the gate to enforce denials
based on pre-existing conditions? What sense does it make to keep coverage cost
prohibitive for those who do not have employer-based plans? Moreover, why
should those who can afford health insurance continue to get a free ride at the
expense of taxpayers, consumers, and private payors?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Logically speaking, these are arguments that align with
conservative values. Those who are so fervent about defending the abstract life
a fetus should be more so about preserving fully-functional and sentient
beings. <i>(T)he one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love
God whom he has not seen</i> (1 John 4:20b). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are no two ways about this. Either one believes in the
sanctity of life enough to fight for its preservation at all stages or those
hypocrites need to go sit down somewhere. </div>
</div>Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-70686275201923369572012-05-13T05:33:00.002-07:002012-05-13T06:53:33.405-07:00A Real Mother for You<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is quite telling that God, in all of his infinite wisdom
and capabilities, chose to come to earth not by materializing mysteriously from
vapor or spawning suddenly from a super-sperm. No, God chose the most natural
of vessels to become one of us. He wanted a mother.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The children God created in His image fell short from the
beginning. Generation after generation failed Him even more through
disobedience, ingratitude, and outright rebellion. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I imagine God sitting in the heavens above witnessing no
greater love on earth that that which a mother has for her children. So God
called Mary and offered to go in half on a baby. <i>And Mary
said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to
your word.” </i>(Luke 1:38a). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Knowing Jesus’ identity and purpose was all Mary needed to
enable Him to fulfill it. As a child, Jesus wandered off to the temple while
Mary and stepfather Joseph were returning from Jerusalem to Nazareth. They didn’t
have a car to turn around. The entire caravan had to double back after walking for a day on dirt roads in sandals and search for Jesus in Jerusalem for three days. <i>And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I
must be about my Father's business?</i> (Luke 2:49 KJV). (Only The King James
Version captures how God really spake it).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That kind of sass would not go over well with an earthly
father, especially in the presence of so many witnesses. A man would have to
send a message to preserve his ego, but Mary understood and supported Jesus’
ministry—even unto the cross. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She was right there with him at the wedding at Cana. And you
know how parents love to embarrass us at weddings. No, Mary didn’t go there
about why Jesus was 30 and not yet married yet. She knew that was not his
destiny. More pressing matters were at hand:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>When
the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, Woman, what does that
have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He
says to you, do it.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
This account has three important
elements. First, Mary saw a need and knew her child resolve it—no questions asked.
Mothers know their children’s gifts and limitations. A few are delusional about
what a genius or saint their offspring may be. However, for the most part, your
mother will give you the unadulterated truth about yourself. In this case, the wine
ran out and Mary knew her baby could hook some up to keep the party going.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
Secondly, Jesus demurred. He knew
he had the power, but wanted to preserve his miracles for something more
redemptive. Mary knew that nothing would be more memorable for Jesus’ first
miracle than to perform this act. And she was right. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
Third, Mary set the stage for Jesus
to perform. <i>“Whatever He says to you, do
it.” </i>There is something authoritative about a mother’s command. The wait staff launched into action getting jars and filling them with water. Then Jesus touched them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
TThe ruler of the feast was
astonished at how good Jesus’ wine was. People—from the beginning to this day—usually
serve the good libations first and break out the cheap stuff after the crowd is
drunk. He never lacked for followers after this. It’s not that the multitudes
understood fully what Jesus’ mission was. They were holding out for some more
of that really good wine.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
That’s just the kind of mother I
have had. I cannot imagine being the person I have become without her unconditional love, constant
nurturing, and straight gangsta intervention. God bless mothers
everywhere for making life so abundant for us.</div>
</div>Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-9035847993051192802012-03-31T20:39:00.002-07:002012-03-31T20:39:27.458-07:00Get a LifeDionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-35959637660259313852012-02-02T13:23:00.001-08:002012-02-05T11:33:19.314-08:00No More Drama<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">A few months ago, I visited one of my favorite downtown churches because I had not heard their preacher in a while. My primary intent was to break up the monotony of my own experience, without the expectation of hearing a life-changing <a href="http://foundryumc.org/sermons/2011%20Sermons/9_11_2011.html">sermon</a> that seemed tailor-made for me.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Just as I got comfortable in my pew, Dean Snyder opens his series on prophecy by saying:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">I do not think God only speaks when our experience of it is miraculous or supernatural or strange. God speaks into our lives through the words of friends and teachers and parents and coworkers and members of our small group. For every single time that God speaks in a miraculous or supernatural or weird way, God speaks a hundred thousand times in what we consider to be ordinary ways, but which are not really very ordinary at all.</div><span class="apple-converted-space">I needed to hear this because God and I have drama. No fewer than a hundred times did people tell me at different points that I should be preaching. That did not suit my concept of myself so I systematically ignored them. Then God awakened me from the dark of night with an experience too cataclysmic for words and shook me to my core. I responded in faith by accepting the call, quitting my job, and moving away to attend seminary.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="apple-converted-space">Snyder stated further that:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">God only uses a sledgehammer when our defenses are really, really thick. God doesn't use a sledgehammer to crack open a walnut. If you've experienced a weird, supernatural, obviously miraculous prophecy in your life, it is not a compliment. It is not because you have a special gift. It is because you have a special denseness.<span class="apple-converted-space">” (Pause for the rooster to crow thrice). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="apple-converted-space">It would make for good narrative if I could say that every day afterwards has been easy as Sunday morning. God and I went from gross intimacy and speaking constantly to cold distance and prolonged periods of silence. Having the gift of prophecy, it was no big thing for God to drop a word in my spirit. I had answers to questions I dared not even ask. That was special. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Here I was thinking I was special for so many years because God revealed Godself to me to in such a powerful way to reorder my world. The experience turned me into a spiritual drama mama. There have been other times since then when I heard what I wanted to hear in matters big and small. I needed an ecstatic, overwhelming experience to compel me to take leaps of faith from that point forward.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">“Many of us try to protect ourselves from hearing a word from God. For many of us life is demanding enough, uncontrollable enough, without God speaking a word of new possibility to us.” (Dean, get off my feet please).<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have taken enough lumps to force me to tune my spiritual receptors to discern when God is speaking. Just as in earthly relationships, the need for drama is not healthy. Recall the story of Elijah in Kings 19:11-14. God ordered Elijah to wait on him. First came an earthquake, then a fire. God was not in either. Then came a still small voice that revealed the message from the Lord. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On the upside, history shows a strong correlation between a dramatic call experience and the recipient’s impact on history. The apostle Paul, Joan of Ark, and Harriet Tubman are good examples, among others. A little drama can light a fire, keep things interesting, and compel one to do things that do not come naturally. Addiction to drama is counterproductive and creates an environment ripe for dysfunction and abuse in both the spiritual and natural realms. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So, so here I stand not waiting on the earthquake or fire as the only means for hearing from on high. They can be God’s means for breaking you down before building you up. Besides, I want to be found on the right side of the one who said <i>If you love me, keep my commands</i> (John 14:15). He deserves no less.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My low threshold for drama in the flesh is amazing in contrast to my proclivities with engaging the other world. I have tamped it down a bit, but still welcome a little spice in my spiritual life to induce me to action.</div></div>Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-86150272327875005042012-01-07T16:44:00.000-08:002012-01-08T08:28:03.933-08:00Take It Up A Notch<div class="MsoNormal">Well, we are one week into the New Year and many resolutions have bitten the dust already. Really, what’s the use? Every year, we pledge to lose weight, save more, spend less, get more organized, pursue our dreams, and get closer to God. For that reason, Genesis is the most read book of the bible. We have all got a quitter inside who often gets the best of us.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A few years ago, I found myself complaining to my on-again, off-again personal trainer that the routine he prescribed for me was no longer effective. He challenged me to another session in which we did all the same exercises, but with greater resistance. I was in pain for the remainder of the week, but got amazing results. Although I was faithful to the routine, I was no longer being challenged by it. It wasn't the routine that was failing me. It was that it was no longer what I needed at that point in time.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So it is with our spiritual performance. Last year, I challenged you all to perform a <a href="http://themadtheologian.blogspot.com/2011/01/check-yourself-before-you-wreck.html">spiritual performance review</a> in the same manner in which organizations assess its employees annually. Have you done it? Did you get it right?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The aspects of your life that require review and reflection are between you and God, before whom you stand stark naked. He knows the fruit you bear. <i>But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law</i> (Galatians 5:22-23).<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The manifestation of those things can be pretty subjective and abstract. Here’s another start:<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><i>“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><i>“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><i>“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><i>“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><i>“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><i> “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><i>“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><i>“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I can’t say that doing any of the above things will guarantee you eternal reward. What I can say is that doing them in Jesus’ name, that is according to His nature, will bring you a lot closer. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">The journey never ends:</span> <i>Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus </i>(Philippians 3:12-14). </div><br />
</div>Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-60753210534593207972011-12-25T13:11:00.000-08:002011-12-25T14:01:28.751-08:00Giving Freely, Freely Given<div class="MsoNormal">I was quite troubled recently upon reading an <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/in-crisis-national-city-christian-churchs-members-find-strength/2011/11/22/gIQAL4dBwN_story.html">article </a>about a church in downtown Washington, DC experiencing financial crisis because, among other reasons, the payroll was usurping the church’s budget. How did we come to the point that nobody wants to serve their community of faith unless a financial transaction comes along with it. <i>Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages” </i>(I Timothy 5:18). It has become common practice for pastors to draw a salary and benefits package even in modest congregations. However, that was not always the case nor is it required. Jesus and the disciples had jobs.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now, everyone wants to get paid from the collection plate. Musicians in large churches command six-figure salaries, although they hold outside employment and serve on their own terms. It is not uncommon for singers in the choir to likewise be compensated. Callista Gingrich, wife of presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, was recently <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/callista-gingrich-brings-attention-to-basilica-of-the-national-shrine-choir/2011/12/11/gIQAhMxOwO_story.html">profiled </a>for her participation in a church choir for which she is paid $80 per service. Can that reasonably be considered sacrificial worship? Not anymore than her conversion from mistress to wife can be considered honorable.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have even heard of Sunday School teachers without any investment of formal training trying to shake down churches for compensation. If a gift has been given to one freely from above, can it be commoditized and billed in good conscience? I’ll bet the old ladies of yore are turning in their graves. The church is spending so much having church that it does not have much left to be the church through outreach and missions.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life</i> (John 3:16). The gospel is free. There is no requirement for receiving it and certainly not an incumbent financial burden. The converse is that upon accepting the grace so freely given to you, all that you are and all that you own are at the disposal of the kingdom. So if no one ever pays you to do what God has endowed you to do, do it anyway. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Erotic love has been reduced to sexuality in the modern era. Its true essence lies in receiving some form of gratification in return for what one offers. Forget “a good deed is its own reward.” Like Lucy in <i>A </i>C<i>harlie Brown Christmas</i>, “I want what I’ve got coming to me; I want my fair share.” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Benevolence, or <i>agape</i>, is the highest form of love. It does not expect anything in return. It is no respector of persons. It will give itself even to those who do not deserve it. Sound familiar? That’s how God loves and requires us to do the same. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So when you leave the family gathering today, don’t calculate how much you spent on others and got shortchanged in return. You have no idea how much your sacrifice meant to the recipients or the generosity it will consequently inspire are. It may not come back to you, but it will make the world better. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">In the same manner, think of ways you can give of yourself to your community of faith without considering it an investment in anything except eternity. <i>For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also</i> (Matthew 6:21). The aforementioned church was able to execute its mission more effectively after members forfeit their so-called right to market-rate compensation and offered their service sacrificially. Imagine what the church could be if we all did the same. </div>Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-75494225323341945922011-11-11T14:37:00.000-08:002011-11-11T14:37:43.053-08:00Living a Lie<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">One of the hardest things for the church to accept is that there are a lot of people with a legitimate gripe against it. We like to talk down to people who do not participate in organized religion. However, for some people, it is in their best interest not to do so. Think about the boys molested by priests, girls impregnated by their pastor, men and women who were shunned because they would not tow the party line, or adults scarred by bad teaching and cultish behavior to which they were exposed in childhood. The list goes on.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The conspiracy to conceal the criminal behavior of Jerry Sanduskya, former football coach at Penn State, have left me speechless. How can a person witness the atrocity of a ten year-old being raped and walk away? How could university administrators value the illusion of honor over the sanctity of children’s innocence? Why would they not only continue to allow the perpetrator to be present alone with children and use the institution as cover?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The most valuable book for me as I recovered from my trauma drama with the church was <i>People of the Lie</i>. It is a disturbing account of the psychology of religion and how evil permeates the religious realm as we become increasingly organized. Of course, no one in the church recommended it. You won’t hear of any group studies of it. If you’ve ever been through anything in the church (if not, keep on living), you will recognize the wreckage and be healed by the analysis.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The author, M. Scott Peck, postulates that we do things as part of a whole that we would never do individually. There is something about being part of a group or wanting to do so. Anyone who pledged a fraternity or sorority (old school) can attest to the insanity of desiring to belong. On the front-end, we draw the line for how far we would go in pursuit of popularity, status, and networking opportunities. Once a person is in the mix and the prize is in view, there is little that they will not do as liability litigation has revealed. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Evil loves institutions. “So as they become larger and larger, our institutions become absolutely faceless Soulless. What happens when there is no soul? Is there just a vacuum? Or is there Satan where once a soul resided?” When people get locked inside them, they lose sight of their own values and adopt those of what they consider larger than themselves. The illusion of success supersedes moral integrity. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The same goes for Mike McQueary, the graduate assistant who witnessed a prominent coach raping a child. Under any other circumstances, he would have dialed 911. However, the prize of a coaching job was in view and he sacrificed all of his decency and self-respect to keep it attainable. Had he reported Sandusky to the authorities, his career would undoubtedly have been toast. Edmund Burke said “all it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.” Evil apparently has a better record at Penn State than Joe Paterno for this was not an isolated incident.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This brings to mind when my pastor was sexually harassing and withholding ordination from me. It pained me to no end to see people I loved and respected as passive bystanders. “That’s just the way it is” was the common refrain. For that reason, more than a few women have slept for their papers because no one was going to help them get them any other way. So much for the Good Samaritan. Help a victim, forget future preaching engagements, pastoral appointments, and other perks of the position.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Well, like Paul, <i>I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus</i> (Philippians 3:14). Fifteen years after entering the ordination process, I still have no papers but my integrity is intact. My preaching engagements are few and far between and I cannot be a substitute Sunday School teacher in my original denomination. However, I sleep well at night. <i>For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?</i> (Mark 8:36). There will be preachers and self-satisfied religious types in hell and they will have a lot of familiar company.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">People confide in me quite frequently that they don’t get very involved in their communities of faith because they don’t want to know about the evil that lurks within. That’s no different than turning a blind eye, thus aiding and abetting said evil. It is incumbent on you to confront evil if you know, or even suspect, that evil lurks about you. If you cannot do that, then you must leave lest you too have blood on your hands. <i>Be not deceived, bad company corrupts good character</i> (I Corinthians 15:33). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The good news is that not all churches or organizations are evil. However, they present the conditions for evil to flourish when they become institutionalized. We make choices as a part of a collective that we would never do singularly, especially when there is a reward involved. It can me money, a promotion, elevated social status, or something as simple as recognition.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The most shameful thing is that people have created gods that they consider higher than the crown of Christ. <i>They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen</i> (I Corinthians 1:25). This played out at Penn State with more questions about preserving Coach Paterno’s legacy than ensuring human safety. The rub is not that we all sellout on some level on a regular basis, but most of us have not been offered enough for our souls. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Again, Mike McQueary rose from the lowest rung of the football ladder to a comfortable perch within the program as compensation for being complicit in an evil system. It happens every day in institutions everywhere, including the church. Officers, ministers, and those in other tony roles are usually most adept at doing the bidding of church leaders than discerning and obeying the will of God. Only the Lord, their partners in crime, and unfortunate victims know.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Before feeling too smug about how you would have responded in that Penn State locker room, or in any given situation, be sure the cock is not crowing thrice for you. Peck says further “Triggers are pulled by individuals. Orders are given and executed by individuals. In the last analysis, every single human act is ultimately the result of an individual choice.” Remain conscious of the systems you participate in socially, professionally, and spiritually. Strive not to do the work of the devil even as it parades as the higher good. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><i>So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it </i>(I Corinthians 10:12-13).</div>Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-71918180678918846252011-09-29T14:12:00.000-07:002011-09-29T14:41:05.420-07:00New Attitude<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Every now and then, I hear a sermon that changes my life on the spot. This past weekend, I went to hear Fred Craddock, professor emeritus of homiletics at the seminary where I earned my degree. In the course of his well-crafted, yet inspired sermon, he shared a prayer he says daily:<br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">“Lord, thank you for work </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">that is more important </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">than how I feel about it </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">on any given day.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">In an instant I experienced prototypical repentance. Repentance is derived from the Greek root <i>metanoia</i>, which means to turn around. It does not simply mean “I am sorry for these my misdoings.” It connotes a dramatic change in disposition.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Fifteen years have passed since I discerned my call, preached my initial sermon, and entered the candidacy for ordained ministry. However, I only serve when I feel like it and on my own terms.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Never for a moment have I been able to deny the call, but God’s people sometimes leave me a bit indifferent about their eternal destiny. “Let them go to hell for all I care.” Imagine if Jesus prayed that in the garden of Gethsemane. Instead he said Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, <i>“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” </i>(Matthew 26:39). </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">While he prayed in anguish, his boys who were supposed to be watching his back had fallen asleep. He returned to the garden to pray again after undressing them verbally. Yet, they fell asleep again. Y’all better be glad I was not the Messiah. Good Friday would have been so called off.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Then comes to mind the prophets of old whose cruel fate it was to deliver news that more often than not (<b><i>spoiler alert</i></b>) got them killed. Modern prophecy has become incredibly dilute and uninspired. True prophecy would be the antithesis of a Dale Carnegie course. Its primer would be “How to Lose Friends and Offend People.” Such messages would never pack arenas consistenly or facilitate the development of a megachurch.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I cannot count the number of times that God led me to say things that resulted in people never speaking to me again or becoming my mortal enemy on a dime. Jesus warned his disciples: </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><i>“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”</i> (John 15:18-19).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">So if you leave service every Sunday feeling like you just left a pep rally or multi-level marketing meeting, you are not being fed. The gospel and committed service unto it are hard pills to swallow. <i>But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come</i> (John 16:13). The world—and ironically the church—will not love you more for it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Nonetheless, I have been repeating new prayers these days:<br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">“Lord, thank you for work </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">that is more important </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">than how I feel about it </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">on any given day.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i>Yet not as I will, but as you will.”<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Please pray with me and let’s see where the Lord leads. There is so much more at stake in our obedience than we can ever imagine.</div></div>Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-25414711307420187622011-09-05T19:30:00.000-07:002011-09-05T19:30:55.010-07:00Love's Labor Lost<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194528520768843010.post-49099376256736071222011-08-15T10:31:00.000-07:002011-08-16T06:23:04.889-07:00Tanned, Rested & Ready<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">One of the most assuring features of modern computing is that the vast majority of problems can be resolved by simply rebooting. It used to pain me when technical support representatives would ask me whether I have rebooted my computer when it became inoperable or restarted my modem when I could not establish a connection. Of course I did, just not right before I called. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">It has been a long time since I had the pleasure of speaking with a technical support representative because I have gotten into the habit of shutting my systems down on a regular basis. This prevents the cache from becoming too cluttered to allow processing to occur efficiently and keeps the memory from becoming overloaded.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">In the same manner, we must clear our calendars and rest our bones. Doesn’t matter whether we take a staycation or traipse the globe. What is important is that we all maintain a cycle that gets interrupted on a regular enough basis to keep us functional.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">We can run from the modern workplace, but we cannot hide. We remain tethered to the office virtually 24/7 with smartphones, laptops, and cool tablet computers that blur the lines between work and play. Some of us insist on it seemingly thinking “who’s gonna run the world while I’m away?” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He that keepeth thee will not slumber. </i>(Psalm 121:3b).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I have news for you: there are no indispensible people. Workers drop dead every day and the show goes on. How many Thanksgiving turkeys have been ruined because the host insisted on slicing it upon removing it from the oven rather than allowing the required twenty minutes for the juices to redistribute? Just chill!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">God was proactive in creation in modeling the necessity of taking a breather. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made </span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">(Genesis 2:1-2).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">God took a day off and the whole of His creation remained intact. God has ordered us to do the same with far less at risk.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I have experienced stress-related illnesses several times in my life. Sadly, they are considered badges of honor in the circles I travel. “I’ll take your chronic insomnia and raise you an ulcer.” “Wait a minute, Bob had a heart attack at 44 despite his healthy diet and vigorous exercise routine.” “Point and game.” I say this tongue-in-cheek because there are no winners in the burnout game.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">No profession is more prone to burning out than pastors. Congregations think they can’t do without them and some spiritual leaders perpetuate those sentiments. I am happy to live in a city where absence is expected in the month of August (except for the first Sunday, funerals, weddings, guest appearances, and crises). The church likewise scales back its level of activity. This increases overall productivity as it is impossible to reflect on the redemptive nature of routine things while they are still being engaged.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">In the end, none of the things we use to drive ourselves into an early grave are worth the gravity we place on them. This is evidenced by the shift in priorities by those who live to tell about the effects. Go ahead and spend more time with your kids, plant a garden, play with the dog, go to the game, read a book, or simply sit in your favorite chair and vegetate.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">In the same way that God provided for humans to be restored, God also ordered us to return the favor to the rest of creation. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; But in the seventh year shall be a Sabbath of rest unto the land, a Sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard</span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> (Leviticus 25:3-4).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">If you have not taken a vacation this year, plan one. If you returned from vacation more exhausted than when you departed, use your Sabbath privilege for which it was intended. And even if you find yourself in an involuntary Sabbath, take it for the blessing that God intended: rest in Him to be conformed to His likeness and will. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">So give it a rest. Your family will thank you. Your friends will thank you. Your co-workers will thank you. And God will bless you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div>Dionne Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022529563337415204noreply@blogger.com1