When people ask, "what is the biggest mistake made in the Black Panther Party?" I tell them very clearly that what we did wrong was to take God out of the movement. -Afeni Shakur (Former Black Panther and Mother of slain rapper,Tupac Shakur)
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.
Imam W. Deen Mohammed, a son of the Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad, who renounced the black nationalism of his father’s movement to lead a more traditional and racially tolerant form of Islam for black Muslims, died on Tuesday in Chicago. He was 74.
The death was confirmed on the blog of Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Michigan, where Imam Mohammed had recently led a convention. The Associated Press reported that no cause had been determined.
Imam Mohammed emerged from the cauldron of religious politics and internal rivalry that characterized the Black Muslims, as the Nation of Islam members were called, in the 1960s and 1970s.
Following Malcolm X, who was drifting away from black separatism toward traditional Islam when he was assassinated in 1965, Imam Mohammed increasingly favored a nonracial approach to religion, without categorizing white people as devils, as Elijah Muhammad did. His father excommunicated him several times for this dissidence.
The son was nonetheless unanimously elected supreme minister of the Nation of Islam after his father’s death in 1975. He pushed his followers toward a more orthodox faith, emphasizing study of the Koran and the five duties of a Moslem: faith, charity, prayer five times a day, fasting during Ramadan and pilgrimage to Mecca. A major change was rejecting the divinity of the founder of the Nation of Islam, Wallace D. Fard; a lesser one was relaxing the religion’s strict dress code.
I’m making my way (very slowly) through this amazing book that I will probably end up utilizing for my young adult Discipleship at the church. My revolutionary, anti-Empire cousin recommended it to me and I went out and got it right away. Jesus for President is a very creative presentation that presents and urges readers to think about Jesus differently. The reader is urged to think about Jesus in the way that those in his context are likely to have thought about him. One of the things that I stress repeatedly in the Bible Study at the church is that we must be spiritual archeologist that dig below the words of scripture to explore the context of scripture which will help us to locate MEANING that can be applied in our 21st Century reality. The temptation for Believers today is to read everything in the Bible at face value and embrace a very literal, fundamental interpretation and application of what we read.
Jesus for President is a great way for Believers new to the Faith or even those of us who’ve been in The Way for a while to clear new paths to understanding the historical Jesus and the movement that was formed around him.
I think books and interpretations like this are particularly important for this new generation of Believers who have undeniably different beliefs about Christianity that must be taken into account in relation to worship, evangelism, discipleship, and outreach. As this Barna Group Research reveals, Christianity is losing it’s reputable standing among Americans age 16 - 29 years old. As a result, the proportion of those “outside” Christianity is growing with every generation. One of the statements made by respondents that crystallized the criticism of the young people in this research says, “Christianity no longer looks like Jesus.” Wow.
(That phrase reminds me of a statement that is attributed to Ghandi in which he is believed to have said, “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”)
Furthermore, recently The Pew Forum on Religious and Public Life released research that also point to a shift in beliefs among Americans. One of the more revealing findings says that in a sample size of over 35,000 religiously affiliated people across the nation, 70% of them believe that many religions can lead to eternal life. (This holds true even among the traditionally conservative subset of those in the Historically Black Church, with nearly 60% holding that belief.)
These are not your Father’s Christians.
What do we do in light of the paradigm shift that is happening in the minds of 21st Century Believers?
As those who are entrusted to promote and defend the Faith; what beliefs do we stand unapologetically on and what beliefs and/or doctrines do we concede?
(Remember that even the Doctrine of the Trinity is a relatively new belief that was born out of a very contentious debate about the nature of Jesus (325 A.D.). Before that, it could hardly be said that the Trinity was a mainline doctrinal belief as many believe it is today.)
Bottom line is: Beliefs change, paradigms shift, even our understanding of Jesus can evolve. So we within the ekklesia are charged to do what my biology teacher from high school - Ms. Cassily - taught us about the unspoken understanding of every living thing in a new environment. We must MOVE, ADAPT, OR DIE.
Either we must MOVE with the new beliefs about Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, etc.
Or we must ADAPT to living, preaching, and teaching the FAITH in this new context
Or if we don’t do either, we will do what Bishop John Shelby Spong warned in his 1998 book - we will DIE.
About a year ago, I received calls at work on a storm-cloud filled day with news on the other line that one of Baltimore’s most historic churches had been struck by lightning. I jumped in the car and drove to the church and joined hundreds of others who gathered at the smoldering building trying to make sense of what happened. Tears, cheers, songs, and prayers went up as the faithful and the curious watched in amazement as the billows of smoke rose higher yet into the sky.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, news reports began to surface about the church’s financial struggles and gifts that the church had given their pastor - the most scrutinized of which was a bentley automobile.
One year later the smoke has cleared and in this WBAL news report, Bishop Oscar Brown talks about where the church is now - debt free and looking forward to a new building in 2010.
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?
It is with great excitement that I share good news related to the next phase of my service to God and community. I have recently been called to serve as the Pastor of the Pleasant Hope Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland. (430 E. Belvedere Avenue, Baltimore, 21212) Pleasant Hope is a loving congregation situated not far from the intersection of Belvedere Avenue and York Road in North Baltimore City.
I am truly thankful to God for this opportunity to serve God’s people and the broader community in this way.
All are invited to attend my first Sunday at Pleasant Hope Baptist Church which will actually be this Sunday, June 1, 2008. Sunday School begins at 9:30AM and morning worship begins at 11:00AM. As we are anticipating a crowd, I invite you to get there a bit early if you do plan on coming.
For those who are unable to come, I certainly solicit your prayers for me and my family. I’ve had the distinct privilege of serving alongside many of you as we advocated for justice for Isaiah Simmons, III, the removal of liquor stores from Park Heights, a quality education for Baltimore City public school students, a peaceful remedy for the people of Darfur, Sudan, engaging in civil disobedience at the gates of the White House in reference to the American invasion and military occupation of Iraq, and so many other important issues. Now more than ever I need your support as I have become an heir to a great tradition in my family and community. The Black Church, in my estimation, is the most valuable institution in the African American community and I will strive to honor the legacy of the Great Ancestors and Elders who have gone before me. With your prayers and God’s guidance, I will be successful in my quest.
Let’s continue to work together in an effort to usher in the realization of the Beloved Community in this world - starting right here in Baltimore City!
May God’s Peace be yours,
Pastor-Elect Heber M. Brown, III
Pleasant Hope Baptist Church
Baltimore, MD
Shout out to Reality Speaks of the Solvivaz Nation. They are bringing Dr. Ray Hagins to Baltimore again TOMORROW, April 26, 2008 7PM. Check out their note below and please do all you can to support this valuable engagement.
Greetings Family,
Reality Speaks of Solvivaz Nation would like to invite the entire Afrikan family to join us as we feature Rev. Dr. Ray Hagins this Saturday @ the Sojourner Douglass College 200 N. Central Ave from 7pm-10pm doors open at 6pm. Tickets for this event are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.
America is Falling: How will the Black Man and Woman Survive???
This is a don’t miss event!!! Dr. Rev. Ray Hagins challenges the way we as Black people think about ourselves and our worldview. This will definitely be an informative event for Afrikans of all ages.
People find my blog in some of the strangest ways. I received a visitor today after he/she searched google for an answer to the question above. (How do you vote a pastor out of a church in DC anyway?) Read More
