This, That, and The Other

Our fellow elder, Thabiti Anyabwile is on the interview circuit for his important book ‘The Decline of African-American Theology. In the southland brother Anthony Carter wants to know if you’re bugging for Jesus and alerts us to a good upcoming theology conference. The other Quincy Jones was recently interviewed by Southwest Seminary and has solid post on our soul’s satisfaction from a new book he recently picked up (I’m looking forward to sharing fellowship with our brother at a wedding next month). Brother Lionel Woods is laying down the gospel of the engineless Lamborghini. Tim Challies reviewed Tim Keller’s new book called The Reason for God. Melvin Jones has a moving account of someone God brought out of the word of faith heresy and last but by no means least our own 2nd veep brother Eric Redmond wants to talk about morality and hip-hop (though not in a direct relation to one another)

Check them out and be blessed.

Joyfully
Pastor lance

An Unbreakable Bond

So who are we? Are we white suburban evangelicals? Yes. Are we black urban bible believing Christians? Yes. Are we older believers who participated in the building of this country? Yes. Are we middle aged believers who enjoyed the benefits of the post-war prosperity boom? Yes. Are we believers who struggled to see this nation live out its ideals and the church of Jesus Christ pursue unity? Yes. Are we youthful believers striving to walk in the faith our parents passed down to us? Yes.

Who are we? We are black and white. We are young, young at heart and hitting mid-life. We are city, rural, suburban and ex-urban. We are Jewish and Arab. We are men and women. We are highly educated, somewhat educated and not very well educated. We are well-employed, under-employed and unemployed. We live in large well-appointed homes and small apartments. We are Hispanic and Asian. We are engineers and artist. We are butchers, bakers and candlestick makers, inner-city, outer-city, edge of the city and out of the city.

We are Democrat and Republican.

What binds us all together? What is the common conviction that fuses and fuels our unity? Whose flag do we rally around? To what or whom do we swear allegiance? Why do we refuse to be divided along ethnic, social, economic, educational and geographic lines? What is the common thread that runs through our fellowship? None other than our confession and conviction of the Lord Jesus Christ. What does that confession mean to us and why does it therefore primarily define who we are, whom we identify with, why we’re here and what our destiny is?
Our brother and apostle Paul explained part of it in a letter he wrote to a group of our brothers and sisters around two thousand years ago. In writing about the origin, salvation, purpose and unity of the church he said “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Eph. 4:4-6.

Who are we? We are the people of God gathered into one living community and sealed by the blood of Jesus Christ. And it is our Lord Jesus who is the head of this community. As such we now live to take His direction and follow His agenda. Consequently we no longer regard our primary identity as being black or white, Jewish or Arab, Hispanic or Asian, American or Iranian. That is we no longer live to carry out the agenda of our natural ethnicity, class, country or political party.

Who are we? We are a living community held in unity by the eternal Spirit of the living God. It is His Spirit that indwells and empowers us so that we are enabled to among other things love those brothers and sisters who on the surface aren’t like us. It is also the Spirit who has given us new life, sealed us for the Lord until His return and bound us into an intimate covenant union in Christ.

Who are we? We are a living community of Spirit bound believers who have answered the call to humanity’s only real hope. What is that call? It is the call to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for full forgiveness of sin and a perfect, permanent right standing before the living God. What is our hope? Well it’s not that the land we live in will continue to be the strongest and richest country on the planet. Nor is it that our ethnic group will achieve full economic and social equality with the dominant ethnic group. Our hope which is a confident expectation is in an inheritance that cannot perish, spoil or fade kept in heaven for us. Our hope is the return of our Lord, shepherd, king and savior Jesus Christ who will take us to Himself, give us new glorified bodies, wipe every tear from our eyes and gather us into an eternal loving fellowship of worship around His throne.

Who are we? We are a living community of Spirit bound believers who having answered the call of the gospel bow our hearts and minds to one Lord, master and director of our lives. We therefore acknowledge and submit to the authority of Jesus Christ. We take our life’s marching orders from Him, not our country, ethnic group or cultural group. Our goal and mission is to pursue and fulfill His commission not our own agenda or anyone else’s agenda.

Who are we? We are a living community of Spirit bound believers who’ve answered the call of the gospel to come under the Lordship of Jesus Christ who preach, herald, proclaim, teach, preserve and promote the one faith. What is that faith? It is not a privately held belief that gives our lives some unique meaning known only to us. The faith is the body of belief that was once delivered to the saints. What does it consist of? Once more let’s turn to our brother and apostle Paul “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.” 1 Cor. 15:3-6.

Who are we? We are living community of Spirit bound believers who’ve answered the call of the gospel to come under the Lordship of Jesus Christ who preach, stand on and live by the one and only true faith who’ve been placed into one, glorious church. What does it mean to participate in this baptism? It means that we’ve identified publicly with the people of God past, present, future and eternal. Many of us have done this as individuals and some have done so with our families. In doing so we’ve all declared publicly and without shame that we are a new people, who live new lives and are a vital part of a new covenant community.

Who are we? We are a living community of Spirit bound believers who’ve answered the call of the gospel to come under the Lordship of Jesus Christ who preach, stand on and live by the one and only true faith who identify with and have been placed into the church of the living God with the consequence that we now worship, adore, love, obey, serve and delight in one God who is at the same time our good, gracious heavenly Father.

Who are we? We a chosen race, a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a people for God’s own possession. Who are we? We are those who’ve come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the innumerable angels in festal gathering, to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.


Now that you know who we are tell me who are you?

To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and has made us a kingdom, priests to serve His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Pastor Lance

An Unshakable Kingdom

Many of us have been following the current presidential race and noting how the pundits have neatly divided the electorate in the various camps. We’re inundated with talk on the black vote, white vote, white evangelical vote, Hispanic vote, youth vote, middle aged vote, elderly vote, white women’s vote, black women’s vote, urban vote, rural vote, etc., etc, etc.
We’re told that these camps will vote based on the characteristics common to each group. We know however that things are that simple and yet that hasn’t stopped them from categorizing each group and simply regarding them as just another constituency.

The danger for believers in this time is that we can all too easily fall into the trap of becoming just one more constituent group to be courted, appeased and yes lied to. Which is why I’m grateful that presidential politics rolls around every four years. It gives those who pledge allegiance to the cross an opportunity to remind ourselves of a few important and unchangeable things. Recalling and reflecting on these truths will help us to keep our heads and not get too caught up in the things of this world which while significant don’t carry eternal weight.

We can begin minding and meditating on Daniel’s words to King Nebuchadnezzar found in the second chapter of his prophesy ‘And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure."

Those words of power and beauty teach us that God’s rule, reign and agenda of worship, righteousness, spiritual vitality, peace, justice and salvation through Jesus Christ exists here and now and claims the allegiance of the souls of those who dwell in the temporary kingdoms of this world. One implication of that reality is that our ultimate task or mission is the extension and expansion of that eternal kingdom. Our main calling is not the pursuit of the overall supremacy of any particular temporary nation. Nor do we dare give the impression that the strength and vitality of one single temporary nation is in anyway tied to the inevitable growth and progress of Gods eternal kingdom. Does that mean we withdraw from the current election process, sit on our hands and wait for the end of the world? Of course not. Why? Because our Lord and king taught and demonstrated that his subjects are free to use their energy, time, effort and ability to show God’s love, grace, peace and justice as proof that His eternal kingdom is present in the here and now.

One other implication of this truth is that our loyalty to and love for those in the kingdom trumps our allegiance to the temporary political parties we choose to belong to now. As the apostle John wrote in his first letter ’that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete‘.
What we have in common, which is our conviction regarding the person and work of Jesus Christ goes far deeper than the bonds formed by our political leanings.

These are just a few of the things we must remind ourselves of even as we wade into the political arena. What are some ways to display our unity and kingdom focus during these times?
As the nominating process draws to a close we can begin to pray for the candidates in both parties. This is both wise and biblical because whomever loses the nomination and eventually the general election will still no doubt hold some position of leadership in this country. Thus in keeping with the scriptural mandate to pray for our leaders let’s be clear to pray for all of them and not just those in our party.
Seek ways to intentionally speak well of those you disagree with and refuse to denigrate those on the other side (whichever side that is).
Mobilize your church or small group to engage your community with acts of service thus demonstrating the reality and blessings of God’s eternal kingdom.
Encourage those who agree with you to maintain the distinction between the temporary kingdom of America and the eternal kingdom of the living God. Encourage them to remember that a loss for their candidate and party is not a setback for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the kingdom that gospel proclaims.

If all else fails remember that God’s people have thrived and the kingdom has grown in the face of much worse circumstances than the loss of your chosen candidate. He will not be in the least bit surprised, perturbed or disturbed at the outcome of the USA’s next presidential election. The God who made the heavens and earth and all that is in them is the same God who began and sustained His kingdom through the ungodly and brutal reigns of the Babylonians, Medes-Persians, Greeks and Romans.

Now for those who are still a bit anxious and need some encouragement allow me to leave with the words of king Nebuchadnezzar from Daniel 4:

“At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?"


To Him Who Loves Us...
Pastor Lance

A Bound Man?

I usually don’t do an immediate follow up to a topic, but my brother ronjour locke (who by the way has a great blog called Magnify God) asked a great question concerning Shelby Steele’s assessment of Senator Obama as a man and candidate. For those unfamiliar with Mr. Steele he is an author and ideologically conservative commentator on race relations. His book The Content of Our Character: A New Vision of Race In America received the National Book Critic’s Circle in 1990. In this book and consistent with the conservative ideological outlook on race and ethnicity Mr. Steele claims that government social policies tend to increase rather than decrease racial division. He also claims that blacks are more often than not oppressed by their own nagging issues of self doubt than by ongoing societal racism.

Mr. Steele recently authored a new book on the candidacy of Barack Obama entitled A Bound Man: Why We Are Excited About Obama and Why He Can't Win
Our brother Justin Taylor posted a summary of an interview Mr. Steele recently did on the book http://theologica.blogspot.com/2008/02/shelby-steele-on-obama-and-politics-of.html.

I listened to another interview he did a couple of weeks ago on Philly’s local NPR station about the book and in light of his past writings and interviews regarding race relations I was a bit confused. On the one hand Mr. Steele has made a career of encouraging African-Americans to view themselves as individual Americans first and not primarily as apart of an oppressed and subdominant group. He’s challenged black folks to resist the temptation to blame everything on racism and rely on our own innate talents, drive and abilities to take us as far as we wish to go. And above all it seems that Mr. Steele longs for a day when blacks and whites won’t look at each other in terms of color first, but in terms of character.

I’m confused because Mr. Steele evaluates Senator Obama’s candidacy based on the two traditional strategies he says African-Americans have used to manage life with the dominant culture. Those strategies are challenging and bargaining. If I recall the radio interview I heard correctly challengers confront whites on the issue of race by advocating that historic racism is still the obstacle for African-Americans, while bargainers do not. What’s confusing is that Mr. Steele has made a life by advocating that blacks repudiate both ways of dealing with whites and view themselves as individuals who don’t represent their race one way or the other. At one point in the interview with summarized on Justin’s site Mr. Steele said ‘“The black American identity,” says Steele, “is still for the most part grounded in challenging. You never give white people the benefit of the doubt; that’s our power.”

Say what Mr. Steele? Our power? I thought our power lay in our own individual desires and abilities, not in the pressure we as a group can exert on white folks? In my view that statement is a complete 180 from where Mr. Steele has told black people to go for more than twenty years. Whereas before he told us to reject the outdated notion of group think Shelby now despises Senator Obama for doing just that! Another thing that saddens me about his assessment is the refusal to admit that for the first time in history a non-athletic black man is garnering significant support from white people who view him not primarily in terms of color but on the basis of his own unique character. Whether you like the senator’s character isn’t the subject of this post. The fact is however that Barack Obama draws tens of thousands of white people to his rallies and many of those people gleefully identify with him as an individual and genuinely hope that he’ll be the man who represents them in the White House for the next four years. To me Mr. Steele should celebrate Senator Obama’s candidacy as proof that a black man who refuses to see himself as primarily and only a black man can go as far as his dreams, drive and talents can take him. He should see his historic run for president as validation that contrary to what the old line Civil Rights establishment has told us, the time may have come where one can be genuinely regarded for the content of his character and not marginalized by the color of his skin.

To Him Who Loves Us…
Pastor Lance

Barack, Blackness and the Future

I still remember one of the lines Jesse Jackson delivered at the 88 Democratic National Convention. Referring to Governor Michael Dukakis he said ‘he may have come over on an immigrant ship, I may have come over on a slave ship, but we’re all in the same boat together‘. Rev. Jackson wasn’t referring to he and Gov. Dukakas’ personal journey as much as marking the historical factors that brought European immigrants and African-Americans to this country.
In 1988 most African-Americans weren’t deluded into thinking that this country would actually put a black man into the white house. The hope was that the northern white liberal establishment would at least know that our issues were important and that we could not be so easily blown off if the Democrats were to have a chance to win back the White House.

Fast forward 20 years and another black candidate is running for the democratic nomination to be president of the U.S. Unlike Rev. Jackson however Barack Obama didn’t arise out of the Civil Rights establishment. Also unlike Rev. Jackson Senator Obama is well, Senator Obama. He’s already run and won state wide office proving that he can relate to and gain support from a large majority of white voters. (BTW can those of you who live in the bell weather state clue us in on Senator Obama’s appeal) Unlike Rev. Jackson Senator Obama won the Iowa caucuses and came very close to capturing the N.H. primary. Finally, unlike Rev. Jackson Senator Obama does not have the rank and file black democratic machine behind his historic run.
And this in my humble opinion means that Senator Barack Obama has placed himself in the most delicate dilemma a black man has ever found himself in these United States of America. On the one hand he is a black man who desires to run a national campaign in which his ethnicity is not the prime focus. For some that is proof enough that he’s a fraud and phony. On the other hand should he run as ‘the black’ candidate not only would he most certainly lose, but others would decry him as a race baiter for making blackness the issue.

Whatever you think of Senator Obama as a man, public servant and potential president his candidacy is a window into how we think or want to think about race/ethnicity. For many African-Americans his run for the roses represents what we hope is the next stage in racial progress. For the first time in our history millions of Americans may consider a black man for the top elected office in the nation. They may look at him and actually decide that all things considered it’s simply ridiculous to not vote for him just because he is black.

For others however his candidacy signals nothing less than a frightening seismic shift in how race is played out in America. That may be the reason that many Civil Rights stalwarts have rejected him as being some kind of uppity outsider. Think about it for a moment. Even if Obama comes close to winning the nomination it would mean among other things that the next African-American candidate for president would most certainly follow his blueprint. Moreover there could be other talented young black public servants who seeing Obama’s success decide to run for statewide offices such as governor and senator. And how would they run you say? Most surely by appealing to a broad spectrum of their constituents on the basis of shared values, issues and challenges and not on the strength of a single ethnic base. It could be that Senator Obama’s run does more for changing how young African-Americans see themselves and their possibilities than anyone other than Dr. King himself.

Funny, isn’t it. We’ve recently celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday and have now entered black history month. And for the first time in our history we’re witnessing a situation in which a black man may actually be judged by the content of his character and not by the color of his skin for the most important public post in the country. Am I saying we’ve finally overcome? No, not yet. But I do hope that Senator Obama’s candidacy represents one small step for Barack and one giant leap for America.

To Him Who Loves Us…
Pastor Lance

Terror - Plain and Simple.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Thus instead of using the picture of an empty noose to convey the meaning behind the symbol I thought it wise to jerk us back to the reality embedded in the symbol. I did so because Americans must know that the noose is a sign of terrorism. It is a symbol from a time when an entire community of people were held hostage to the reality that at any time and without any reason one of them could be subjected to being hunted down, strung up, set on fire and brutally murdered right before his family and community. The noose is a reminder that systematic, ethnic terror was once an acceptable way to treat those whom the scriptures describe as sojourners and foreigners (see Exod. 22:21; Lev. 19:33-34).

Not too long ago black laborer in Philadelphia found a noose suspended from a place at his work site. Having failed to gain a successful resolution of the insult he took it to court where the offending party received some kind of light reprimand. The man who brought the complaint however discovered that he was no longer being called to work by the union. (more on Philly unions in a later post) I’m sure you’re aware of the tensions caused by other incidents involving the hanging of nooses, but I wonder if we as a society are aware of the message we’re sending to minority communities here and those who observe us around the world.

Here’s what I’m getting at. If there’s one thing most Americans seem to agree on it’s that we must stay and win the fight against terrorism. We’re told to never forget 911 and that the U.S. must be a beacon to the world of freedom, democracy and a place where anyone should be able to live without the fear of terror. Our politicians get their loudest cheers when they assure us of how tough they’ll be on terrorist and how they will leave no stone unturned when it comes to keeping America safe. And then we turn right around and say little when a few decide to display a symbol of terror.

I realize that there are those who say to acknowledge a few miscreants is to give them more due than they deserve. Maybe. But shouldn’t we as a society make a clear statement that while we can’t totally prevent private expressions of terror we can at least make the point that those who make such expressions are of the same ilk as those who lauded the terrorist responsible for 911? Doesn’t it seem just a tad hypocritical for a society that so forcefully stands against terror to turn a blind eye when a few insist on displaying symbols of the very thing we claim to be so passionately against?

How should we respond to those who drudge up the vestiges of terror? We can make it clear that the noose is a symbol of terror, nothing less. We can write, speak, call and tell others that a society that detests terror cannot give a free pass to a few who would glory in its depravity. We can let them know that those who display a noose are actively working against the very society that claim to so proudly represent. We can tell ourselves, tell the world and tell miscreants that the display of a noose isn’t a juvenile indiscretion, a harmless prank, an empty gesture or a backwards display of ignorance. We can remind ourselves that the noose isn’t just a black issue that ‘those’ people just need to get over, but an American issue that we cannot afford to let pass quietly into the night. We can remind ourselves that the symbol of the noose is a symbol of terror, plain and simple.

To Him Who Loves Us…
Pastor Lance

Election 08 - Black Gold

And then there were…. As the field narrows for the upcoming presidential election many of us have begun to zero in on the candidate we hope will lead the nation for at least the next four years. I’ve read a good number of blogs, articles and thoughts and though I’ve done just a little investigation I have to tell you that I’m a bit disappointed. Through all the bluster, typical promises, posturing, negative campaigning and the like not much of substance has been said on a few issues that concern me.

For instance I’ve not heard much regarding detaching ourselves from being so overly dependent on foreign oil. It’s not as if we’re unaware that the world’s oil supply is dwindling. And even if we discover new sources of the black gold it’s now obvious that the U.S. isn’t the only nation that craves the taste of sweet crude to grease the wheels of a middle class lifestyle. China, India, the countries of Europe, Brazil and others are lining up to slake their thirst for Texas tea.

Of the debates I’ve listened to and the discussion’s I’ve read little if anything has been said regarding a plan to invest in new sources of energy. True, the candidates have mentioned the need to detach ourselves from our oil addiction but doing so doesn’t appear to be a central motif in their campaigns. It seems that in the face of dwindling supplies, located in precarious situations and with the prospects of more and more completion that our leaders are content to stay with the status quo. Has anyone asked the next prospective leader of the free world what he or she plans to do once it become crystal clear that within a few years of their stewardship the world’s oil supply slows to a mere trickle? At this point I have no intention of voting for someone whose only plan involves us gulping oil like a drunken sailor until we find ourselves once more fighting a war for ‘freedom’ that just happens to take place in or around an oil producing land.

Look at it another way. Should the present world oil reserves were to remain essentially the same even taking into account the growing world demand are we really willing to shell out over $100.00 per barrel for the stuff. A little more than eight years ago oil was trading for about $25 to $27 a barrel. The issues of increasing demand and geo-political instability don’t favor a return to those prices anytime soon. It could be that $3.00 a gallon gas is just the beginning. And unless you’ve got some major stock in Exxon you’ve probably felt the sting of rising energy cost. Why continue to put ourselves in a position where we’re held hostage by a commodity that we might be able to replace?

What do I want to hear from the next president? I want him or her to tell the American people that it is unwise and untenable to continue our present course regarding our use of energy. I want him or her to tell us that conservation and learning to live on less is not a dirty, liberal, four letter word. I want him or her to call us to do the difficult things now, so that our future isn’t so inextricably tied to murky fortunes of oil. I want him or her to stand up and challenge us to consider changing the way we live now or prepare to fight for that lifestyle tomorrow.

The Lord’s Peace
Pastor lance