Faith in Action

It was Dante Alighieri who said: “the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crisis maintain their neutrality.”

And I am of the belief that the moral crisis that revolves around the issue of slot machines in Maryland is demanding that pastors in the “free state” stand up and let their voices be heard. We - as pastors - cannot afford to stand on the sidelines and say nothing as many people are looking for guidance on this issue. We - as pastors - know better than most about the social ills that already plague our community and can only imagine how much more our phones will ring when problem gambling begins to dig its claws even deeper into the psyches of those we say we serve. We - as pastors - will be publicly shamed if we eagerly jump to the podium of public attention to promote our conferences, books, services, or events, but say NOTHING when a vice like slot machine gambling is headed this way to devour our people.

I am thankful for the many pastors who have already made their voices heard on this issue: Pastor Matthew Jones (United Missionary Baptist Convention), Pastor Johnny Golden (Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance), Bishop John Schol (Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church), Bishop Doug Miles (Koinonia Baptist Church), Pastor Gregory Perkins (St. Paul Community Baptist Church), Pastor William Calhoun (Trinity Baptist Church), Pastor Jonathan Weaver (Greater Mt. Nebo AME Church), and so many others who are out there standing flat-footed telling everyone who will listen to VOTE NO ON QUESTION 2!

However, there are more pastors, especially those who serve in Baltimore City, who would do well to speak up and make it clear where they stand on slots.

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By Choolwe M. Mwetwa
SOURCE: Jesuit Center for Theological Reflection

It has been hotly debated whether the developed world owes poor countries like Zambia, a significant level of material assistance. For a number of reasons they obviously do. For instance, because some of the effects of poverty such as ignorance (that can result in hazards such as environmental degradation etc.), crime and disease, cannot strictly be confined to any part of the world, it is for the good of the richer nations to help their poorer friends. The connected nature of the human race demands a measure of responsiveness from the West particularly. So, there is no doubt about the fact that these nations have a duty to offer significant, and not piecemeal assistance.

1. Diagnosis of the problem necessitating the call for reparation

But there is a more foundational and critical obligation that the West has, to most developing countries than giving of aid, and this is the debt of compensation. The reason is simply that, during the days of colonialism especially, vast resources were illegally taken out of countries such as ours. This plunder included the externalisation of raw materials, slave labour and to this day, profits from unfair trade. What we are therefore dealing with, sorry to say, is the problem of THEFT.

This being a serious matter or charge, the pressure to carefully define the charge is irresistible. Simply defined, theft or stealing is taking another person’s property by any means, without their free consent (cf. Exodus 22:8,9). Stealing may occur in three different ways. First, it may be by coercion or force. Where a person, group of people or a nation forcibly grab(s) the possessions of another, there theft has taken place. Forcibly transferring minerals, other raw materials or labour from a country under domination to another country, is as much theft as robbing a bank. Non-tangible commodities like freedom, in its various strands, can also be subjects of theft. Occupying nations are guilty of this.

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Three months into pastoring I now have a heightened sensitivity to the financial burdens that many people bear. It’s one of the reasons that I don’t stand in my pulpit begging congregants for money or taking folks on a guilt trip about giving. I never have. I believe that giving is more a faith issue than a financial one. I try to help folks grow in the faith department and at the same time I’m excited about offering classes/workshops to parishioners designed to help them in the financial department.

And yet, I know that the vision that God has given me for the church that I’m blessed to serve does require resources. As people are educated and invited to experience a deeper faith walk by giving tithes and offerings, then God will provide the provision for the vision.

A part of that vision is helping and supporting the “least of these” all around my congregation. Not too many Sundays go by that someone doesn’t show up at the church looking for food. I thank my God that we have been able to provide food and monetary gifts (and even transportation to work) to everyone who has presented themselves in need. However, I must admit that it’s getting more and more difficult. While we are strong financial supporters of the local emergency food pantry, it’s not open on Sundays and we can’t turn folks away with a word to wait until Monday.

I am confident that this season of economic strain will help us as a church family grow in our Faith. We’re learning already to be better stewards of the gifts that God has given us and this is a great lesson to put things in place during the “fat seasons” so that you’re ready when the “lean seasons” come.

In this CNN/WBAL interview, Rev. Johnny Golden, pastor of New Unity Church in Baltimore and president of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance talks about the strain on churches and the charge to trust God through it all.

This is just a sad story. For two years, Pastor Michael Guglielmucci of The Edge Church International lived an outright lie to shield the public from a secret sin. While struggling with an adult pornography addiction, he created the story of having terminal cancer to deflect attention and engender sympathy. Not only did he lie to his church of thousands and his family, he even made a song based on his lie which climbed some musical charts and sold rapidly on itunes.

He confessed the lie in August 2008 and his parents - who also believed that their son was dying and were making funeral preparations - stood in his pulpit to share the shocking news with the church.

Here he is in this exclusive interview.

Perhaps they didn’t think of themselves as Socialists. Perhaps they were just living in a hostile environment that made Community a necessity for survival and much less an optional lifestyle.

But even if they wouldn’t have thought themselves to be Socialists; at the very least they were exhibiting many of the ideals of Christian Socialism. There was no such thing as private ownership. They lived together. They ate together. They served each other. And as a result, Almighty God blessed their efforts toward a Beloved Community by performing miracles in their midst and adding to their community daily. Let’s look at Acts 2: 42-47 with fresh eyes:

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. [New Living Translation]

This, to me, is an awesome example of what is possible when Humanity commits to “being together” and trusts God to “dangerous” levels. When I say “being together” I mean intentionally working to chip away at the barricades that divide us like the Berlin Wall. This past Saturday, I volunteered with an organization called Baltimore Free Store. As the name suggests, it’s a store where everything is absolutely free. You walk in - see what you want and take it. Or you drop off something that someone else might need. I had great conversation and served alongside people who I wouldn’t get a chance to connect with in my normal daily routine.

They were White, republican, county residents, “Blue Dog” Clinton Democrats, etc. And we were all desperately trying to serve God and our sisters/brothers together…and no one surrendered their preciously guarded socio-political ideology, theological understanding, or world view. One sister said loud and proud, “Heck yea I’m a republican and I LOVE George Bush!” Another guy quipped, “Well, I wish we could go back to the Clinton years” and then he proceeded to criticize Israel for its foreign policy injustices against Palestine. Admittedly, I held my cards close to my chest. After all, this was my first time meeting these people, but on the inside I wondered if they knew if the Black guy in the room was a Pan-Africanist who holds Jeremiah Wright in high esteem, embraces Liberation Theology, and feels a little funny about interracial relationships.

That’s the point. We couldn’t have been more different. However, though we were different and proud of our differences we found the….courage(?) to break down the Berlin Walls in our cultural worldview and serve alongside one another. Not a “Kum Ba Ya” experience in the least, but I did see glimpses of what it would be like to really live out Acts 2: 45-47. The truth of the matter is that Community doesn’t have to mean Uniformity. I am proud of the distinctives that God deposited within me. I love my culture. I love…no you don’t understand….LOVE being an African man and I shouldn’t have to surrender that in order to be a part of the Community - and neither should anyone else. As long as we can look at each other as HUMAN BEINGS and regard the value in each other as Thee Divine does - we can start dislodging those things that divide us, serve each other, share all we have, and I believe experience the miraculous. TOGETHER.

READ PART 2

I remember it as if it was yesterday. It was about 4 years ago. I was pulling up to the church on a Sunday morning and one of the members approached my car as I was getting out. She said, “Here Rev. Brown, take one of these. It’s only $2. I’ll get the money from you later.”

What she shoved in my hand was one of those yellow, magnetic ribbons that donned the message, “Support Our Troops!”

I remember not knowing what to say for fear that I might offend her, but deep within me I knew that I wanted nothing to do with that yellow, magnetic ribbon. At that time, there was this blind patriotism drenching popular culture supported by right-leaning religious groups who declared that God gave the “Divine OK” to utterly destroy human beings in Iraq with shock and awe in Jesus name.

As a Believer in Jesus and a Follower of The Way, I disagree with war and believe that it is inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. How could one follow a man who was called The Prince of Peace and encouraged loving one’s enemies and at the same time champion war and the killing of other human beings?

Soon after that parking lot experience, I began preaching sermons as I had opportunity against the invasion and occupation of Iraq. I also started preaching against the military activity between Israel and Hezbollah. (and particularly Israel’s murdering of innocent civilians and unjust occupation of Palestine.)

Sometimes with reckless abandon, prophetic zeal, and perhaps doses of self-righteousness I tried as best I could to send a clear message that Followers of Jesus could not waver on the issue of war. The teachings of Jesus just don’t support it.

Now, however, I’ve had a few more experiences in life. Now, I’m a pastor who possesses a greater level of concern for the well being of the sheep. I’m not some itinerant minister who can run to a foreign pulpit, unsheathe my blade, cut up the sheep, leave the sanctuary bloody, and walk out satisfied because I told it like it T. I. is. Now, to a much greater degree, I’m concerned about preaching the truth in such a way that will bring about spiritual growth…that will help build people up -not just tear them down and leave them crippled. And even if I cut them I attempt to extrapolate the cancerous growth with a surgeon’s precision leaving the healthy cells in their proper place.

Now, I can say that I’ve sat down with some of my family members who are in the Armed Forces and had conversations with them about how they are wrestling with being the one who makes sure the screws on the missile launcher are tight. Now I can say that I’ve seen the residue of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in family members who still have nightmares about bombing schools in Iraq. Now I can say I’ve met men who were in Vietnam and who still can’t speak about what they saw or participated in while there. Now I can say that I have friends who work for some of the largest weapons manufacturers in the U.S. and who engineer some of the most deadly weapons that the general public has not been made aware of yet.

And now, as of a couple of weeks ago, I can say that two young people who are dear to me have informed me that they have chosen to join the Armed Forces and submit themselves to a process where they will be forced to surrender their ability to think independently, silence their conscience, and dehumanize other human beings so that pulling the trigger will be easier. They’ve agreed to become a part of the world’s war machine - a highly profitable system utilized by the principalities of this world to control the general population of the global community. They’re not the only young people in my circle who have made this decision. I know many young people who have opted to take this path…despite the scriptures, despite Dr. King, despite their religious beliefs, despite Jesus. It baffles me why young people join the military.

And yet - How do I minister to them? How do I support them while maintaining my ardent disagreement with their decision? I try to think of them as if they were my own children. What would I say to my daughter if she wanted to enlist? What would I say to my son? Surely, I wouldn’t picket against them. I wouldn’t kick them out of my house. I wouldn’t disown them. I wouldn’t barrage them with deep philosophical arguments that prove that “I’m right.” But my deep, unyielding, and longstanding love for them would compel me to say something.

I don’t know if these are the right answers, but I think I’d say something like:

“Son, God did not create you to kill other human beings.” …or

“Daughter, there are better ways to expand your horizons and see the world than by signing your life away to the government.”…or

“Son, I sense that you feel your options in life are limited and that you have to enlist in order to pay for college, but I guarantee you that there are other ways to fund your education.”…or

“Daughter, I urge you to read the stories of other young people who walked this path before you and consider what you’re really getting yourself into.”…or

“Son, before you enlist do your homework on what you’re getting yourself into and don’t just count on the word of the recruiter. Like a used car salesman, it’s their job to embellish and fabricate benefits in order to get you to sign.”…or

“Daughter, I know you’ve already enlisted, but there is still time…you can still change your mind”…or

“Son, it is remarkable that you have expressed your willingness to die for your country’s causes, but have you considered enlisting in a different type of army where you can still face injury and possibly death for PEACE instead of for war?”…or

“Daughter, I want you to know that there is a Federal Law that would prohibit me from discouraging you to join the Army, but I am willing to face being arrested if it will help you to think again about this decision.”

What would you say, Faith in Action family if you were in my shoes? Have any of your children, family, or friends joined the military? For those who are in the military and are Believers in Jesus, how have you reconciled what Christ says versus what your Commander says? For any clergy out there how do you minister to your parishioners who are either in the military or have loved ones overseas? For any activists out there, what strategies have you found to be effective in the effort to get military recruiters out of our schools and off of our college campuses?

Help. Our children are marching off to war.

Another World is Nececssary: Anarchism, Christianity and the Race from the White House
August 15-16, 2007
Columbus, Ohio

As election fever rises throughout the United States and the contest for the White House becomes more fierce, the masses will clamor for a new Commander in Chief to assume the seat of American power. This year, it seems as if the game has changed as a female candidate appears to fulfill feminist dreams and a viable Black candidate raises hopes for Black freedom and signals the weakening of racism. But is this really the case? For those who follow the One who confronted the powers and embrace the One who came as a Suffering Servant, these changes are not enough to leave
this political system unchallenged. For those who envision an egalitarian world in which order and organization do not rely on the ever-present threat of state violence, bowing before the ballot box will not be an option.

Join us for this year’s Anarchism and Christianity conference as we explore alternatives to mainstream approaches to key issues raised in the current election, dream beyond the political options of our present system and imagine the other world we want to create. Get detailed info, and register to attend at http://conference.jesusradicals.com

Ok, so Mark Scandrette, author of Soul Graffiti, has a little Will Ferrell slash Vince Vaughn thing going on, but I dig his message. (no surprise there) He’s challenging us to think of Jesus differently - not as the head of an organized religion called Christianity, but as a homeless prophet who turned the world upside down (or right side up depending on who you ask) with a message and a movement known in its earliest form as The Way. My challenge now revolves around how to rediscover The Way and provide a safe haven for it inside the infrastructure of the local church. Is it even possible?

Revolutionary Freedom Fighter, George Jackson, said:

“The ruling clique approaches its task with a “what to think” program; the vanguard elements have the much more difficult of promoting “how to think.”

And that conceptual statement guides me as I lead the Bible Study at the church where I am blessed to serve as Pastor - Pleasant Hope Baptist Church in Northeast Baltimore.

Bible Study has never been something that I’ve been overwhelming excited about namely because in my many experiences it has been either an opportunity for the Pastor to “preach” a lesson or it has looked like a facilitator standing in front of the audience telling them what they should think with very little meaningful interaction. I always said that if I ever became a Pastor that I would have a Bible Study that folks would want to come to.

So far we’re well on our way to creating that type of study experience. Pleasant Hope Baptist Church is on track to have the most dangerous Bible Study in Baltimore simply because I push the people to THINK. I don’t answer a whole lot of questions. I help folks to re-read the scriptures with “fresh eyes” and question what they read. I dissuade them from taking anything they read in the Bible at face value. EVERYTHING is open to questioning, criticism, challenge.

We read the scripture in its context understanding that it was written at a certain time, in a certain location, by a certain person (or persons) within a certain culture, for a certain reason.

The amazing thing is that as we engage in textual criticism and exegete the text in a way that honors the scripture’s original meaning (or likely meaning), my students then begin to draw parallels between the context and/or meaning of the passage we’re studying and their everyday realities.

Two weeks ago as we were studying the persecution of Jesus a discussion was born about the persecution of so many others who stood up against the status quo power structure and were viewed as a threat capable of organizing the masses thus necessitating their assassination or exile. It was such an invigorating discussion. It eventually led to us analyzing the Roman Empire and the Religious Order of Jesus’ time and looking at Baltimore’s Government and Shadow Government today. (We love dealing with “problem texts” by the way - like when Jesus called the syrophoenician woman a dog.)

In addition, we’ve started our studies off with warm up activities designed to get people’s juices flowing. We started with analyzing a Baltimore Sun article one night, we played a Jill Scott song the following week, and we read a Paul Lawrence Dunbar poem the following week. Who knows I might drop some Kanye West on them next time. They don’t know what to expect from week to week. I keep people on their toes and prayerfully am helping them to realize that critical study of the Holy Writ is just as much an act of worship as singing songs on Sunday morning.

We even have the teens coming out to Bible Study faithfully…and bringing their friends!

As we continue in our time of weekly critical study, it is obvious to me that this group will be a very dangerous sect of Believers. They won’t be walking around talking about “Bless me indeed” and “enlarge my territory” while hiding behind sofas when the Jehovah Witnesses knock on their doors.

They’ll be walking around with a heightened awareness of how the revolutionary message of God’s love toward humanity was understood over the centuries and how it applies to their lives and responsibilities to community today.

This Bible Study is a Bad Mutha - Shut yo’ mouth! What? I’m only talking about the MOST DANGEROUS BIBLE STUDY IN BALTIMORE!

Be there!

Every Tuesday 7:00PM
Pleasant Hope Baptist Church
430 E. Belvedere Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21212
(410) 435-0851

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!?