Faith in Action

A good friend and brother of mine learned a couple of months ago that his wife has cancer. The exact name of it escapes me at the moment, but just the word “cancer” has such a certain negative connotation to it that to many it doesn’t matter what type it is…it’s just bad news.

Well, today - in fact in a few moments - his wife will undergo surgery in an attempt to remove the cancer from her body. The good news is that it is not a form of cancer that spreads to other parts of the body so if the doctors can get all of it out, there is a good chance - with additional medical treatment - that it won’t return.

I just prayed for her, him, and their family, but I also wanted to record my supplication here as well. I believe deeply in the power of prayer. I believe that something happens when we diligently seek to connect with The Almighty through the vehicle of communication known as prayer. Even as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, my recent experiences have emboldened my conviction that prayer is the best thing that family, friends, and loved ones can do in times of sickness, trouble, or chaos.

I record this prayer as a testament to the miraculous power of Almighty God:

Most gracious God, I come before you with great sincerity lifting to you my dear brother, his wife, and family. As you know Lord, she is about to undergo surgery for cancer as I type these words. My prayer Lord is that you intervene in this situation. You know her. You created her. You formed and fashioned her as a gift to her husband, family, and this community. Now Lord, I pray that you heal her body. Heal her body, Lord. Be with the surgeons as they prepare to be used as instruments of divine healing. Clear their minds, steady their hands, calm their souls, and focus their attention on my sister. Strenghten my brother who is now sitting in the waiting area. Prop him up on every leaning side and embolden his faith so that he rests assured that you are well able to do anything, but fail. Be with their children as they have understandable concern for their mother. Show yourself strong to them so that they’ll grow in their ability to rely on you even under troubling circumstances. Have your way, Lord. I’m praying for a good report. I’ll be ever so mindful to give you all the praise, glory, and honor for this and the many other signs of your blessings to your people. In Jesus name I pray, AMEN.

My fast ended this past Tuesday at 12:00 Noon. Eight days I went without food drinking only water and juices in order to bring my flesh under subjection, clear my mind, and achieve a greater sense of intimacy with God. A very specific issue caused me to do this and reading the words of Jesus that “some things come only by prayer and fasting” (Matt 17: 14-21), I was led to engage in this ancient spiritual practice.

It was refreshing, invigorating, and spiritually satisfying. I needed to commune with God and I did even though attacks by the Adversary persisted. I was and am at peace.

During this season of fasting I learned how much support I really have in my circle of friends. Those who know me personally know that I am a giver. I give my time, energy, and resources to many many great causes and oftentimes to people that I may never see again. Likewise, I strive to be extremely supportive of those in my circle who are doing great things. To be honest, however, sometimes I wondered if I would receive the same level of support from others in my time of need. People say that they support you, they’re with you, they got your back, and the famous church line: “I’ll pray for you” - knowing that they aren’t going to pray. I wondered if I only have those type of folk in my circle. I no longer need to wonder.

Read More

Monday, I received some troubling news that immediately rattled and unsettled me and my family. Everything went to the backburner and all of my energy and focus was on addressing this situation.

After the initial shock, I began to pray about it. There was a time when I considered prayer the “only” thing that I could do in reference to situations where I had lost all control. However, now I know that prayer isn’t the “only” thing that I can do - it’s the best thing that I can do.

Because the need is so great, not only am I in a heightened prayer posture this week, but I’m also fasting. My fast started Monday afternoon and will continue until Tuesday. My prayer is very specific and my fast is on purpose.

Read More

Last week, I was blessed to be invited to Baltimore’s School of Original Thought to speak for their Manhood Seminar. SOT is a Muslim private school that produces some of the best and brightest students in the city. I was honored that they would consider inviting me to their school to speak to their young men. We had a wonderful time of sharing and I was extremely impressed with the academic gains that these students had made at such early ages. I was told of student after student who had completed their studies at age 13 or 14 and who would be going to college in the Fall.

These boys were highly intelligent, extremely respectful, and obviously destined for greatness. The staff is doing a marvelous job of cultivating the minds, hearts, and spirits of the younger generation. I have driven by the school often over the years always wondering what goes on in there. I no longer have to wonder nor just drive by. They asked me to stop in and say “hello” whenever I would like. My family just got a little bigger.

Last week, I was blessed to able to do a little gardening at Cardinal Sheehan School in Baltimore. The school has partnered with a new initiative of the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. Through the Food and Faith Initiative, churches are being encouraged to reclaim the land and start urban gardens that become assets to the congregation and surrounding community in many ways.

Being that I am in the very beginning stages of beginning my garden, I thought it would be a great opportunity to get acclimated to what I would be doing all summer. As the prices of food at the market increases and there is growing concern about what actually is in the food that we’re eating; I’ve concluded that having my own garden would be a great way to save a little money and control what I’m putting in my body.

Thank you 3rd Graders at Cardinal Sheehan and Food and Faith for allowing me to participate. I will be back!

Click here to learn more about the Baltimore Food and Faith Project.

It was for male ex-offenders who were there to receive information that could potentially help their situation. Here’s part 1 of my sharing. You can check out the rest on my youtube page.

On that same day I conducted a Social Justice Bible Study session for the United Worker’s Association. They have an Organizer’s Training Program that they’ve just started with some of their low-wage workers. The day before I was in Annapolis meeting with members of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland meeting about Governor Martin O’Malley’s absurd DNA bill and from Annapolis did 95 on 95 to get to the studio of WEAA 88.9FM to be a guest on Front Page hosted by my good brother, Craig Thompson. We were talking about Dr. Jeremiah Wright, the Black Church, and Black Liberation Theology.

Once I got home Tuesday night from this long 48 hours of giving and sharing I went straight to bed and slept for 12 hours. (I never do that)

I’m tired ya’ll. My body, mind, and spirit needs a break. I’ve been going full throttle for months now. Vacation please!?

A “hustler for justice” - that’s what a good sister-friend of mine called me not too long ago. And if that is the case then today I got my hustle on big time.

Faith in Action the radio program aired on Spirit 1400AM at 1PM and we talked about whether Faith or Race should hold ultimate authority as Believers engage matters of politics, public policy, etc. Pamela Wilson, author of Finding Soul Brothers: Dismantling Black Christian Racialism and Dr. Jonathan Walton, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Riverside were our guests. The conversation was pretty interesting. Wilson contends that our cultural identification should be minimized when we “come to Christ” while Walton took the position that we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be narrowly defined by the “either-or” lenses of Faith or Race. You know where I stood with my Red, Black, and Green, Pan-Afrikanist, Daishiki-wearing, Revolution starting, White Power Structure critiquing self. (Have you donated to the Faith in Action show yet? If not, why not? I haven’t proved myself yet?)

We were joined in the conversation by Tracy Ward, reporter and writer with The Baltimore Afro American Newspaper. Sis. Ward is a powerful orator, poet, community activist, etc. who has given new life to the Faith in Action page of The Afro. That page has been a place where one could read about everything BUT people of Faith putting into practice what they believe. Ward’s writing is a breath of fresh air as she is on the grind telling the stories of Believers who are in the trenches living out Luke 4:18,19. Sis. Tracy was in the studio today working on a piece about me and the work that I’m doing in the Baltimore Metro area. The piece may be out this Friday, March 21, 2008 - “Good Friday.” I pray that the piece encourages those who are out there “hustling for justice” and that it convicts those who choose to neglect their duty as laborers in the vineyard. (I believe that at this stage if you’re a preacher and you’re not active in some substantive way in the community then it’s because you don’t want to be. Ignorance is not an excuse.)

Read More

According to this article they’re working on it, but Bynum’s people were quick to shoot down that allegation.

“As Dr Bynum has stated in the past, she feels that reconciliation with her estranged husband could be a tremendous testimony to the body of Christ; however that is not the case at this time.” (SOURCE)

That would be kinda hard being that Bishop Thomas Weeks plead guilty yesterday to a single charge of aggravated assault and is now on probation for 3 years STRANGELY ENOUGH, HOWEVER, Bynum was standing by his side at the trial and post-hearing press conference!?

So it’s easy to see how some might think that things are on the up and up though. I received the eyebrow raising flyer below in my inbox late last week. This week Juanita Bynum will be participating in a prayer conference with the aunt of her estranged husband. Bynum’s publicist explains:

“After severing all ties with the Weeks Family, Juanita Bynum Ministries received a request from Bishop Week’s uncle, Bishop Leo Smith to speak at his conference in Barbados this June. She also received an invitation from his grandfather and aunt, Bishop Thomas J. Weeks, and Dr. Gwendolyn Weeks to speak at their 2-Day Prayer Revival in Boston. Dr Bynum has always honored her ministry and has great love and respect for the Weeks family, and after much prayer she accepted both invitations.”

I know she said she prayed about it and all, but what’s wrong with staying out of the public eye for a minute to let things settle in your personal life? What’s wrong with slowing down the Juanita Bynum Enterprise Machine for a season? Can’t the radio show, play, movie debut, online magazine, makeup line, soy candle collection (I’m not making this up), music CD’s, books, and conferences be put on hold for a while so that you can….I don’t know….I really don’t. Something just doesn’t feel right about all of this going on so close to all the drama that’s been going on in their family. Or maybe it’s just me. I’ve never really been drawn to Bynum and have viewed her ministry with a suspicious eye to be quite honest. I worry that the love of money, prestige, and social status may be threatening to overshadow her call to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ simple, full, and FREE. And what’s up with Thomas Weeks’ family calling Bynum in to participate in these conferences? His uncle, grandfather, and aunt have called Bynum in on ministry events since their big falling out. Have members of the Weeks family pinned Bynum as the cashcow they need to rake in the dollars?

Hat Tip: UCC News

By J. Bennett Guess
2/26/2008

The Internal Revenue Service has notified the United Church of Christ’s national offices in Cleveland, Ohio, that the IRS has opened an investigation into U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s address at the UCC’s 2007 General Synod as the church engaging in “political activities.”

In the IRS letter dated Feb. 20, the IRS said it was initiating a church tax inquiry “because reasonable belief exists that the United Church of Christ has engaged in political activities that could jeopardize its tax-exempt status.”

The Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC’s general minister and president, called the investigation “disturbing” but said the investigation would reveal that the church did nothing improper or illegal.

Obama, an active member of the United Church of Christ for more than 20 years, addressed the UCC’s 50th anniversary General Synod in Hartford, Conn., on June 23, 2007, as one of 60 diverse speakers representing the arts, media, academia, science, technology, business and government. Each was asked to reflect on the intersection of their faith and their respective vocations or fields of expertise. The invitation to Obama was extended a year before he became a Democratic presidential candidate.

“The United Church of Christ took great care to ensure that Senator Obama’s appearance before the 50th anniversary General Synod met appropriate legal and moral standards,” Thomas told United Church News. “We are confident that the IRS investigation will confirm that no laws were violated.”

[READ ON TO SEE IRS LETTER & "THE OBAMA SPEECH" THAT PROMPTED THE INVESTIGAGION]

Read More