The Old Black Church

Way back in October then-Sen. Barack Obama granted a then-rare campaign interview. In which it went to the N.Y. Times Magazine and the candidate reportedly let the writer knew just how he felt: “I am convinced that if there were no Fox News, I might be two or three points higher in the polls. If I were watching Fox News, I wouldn’t vote for me, right? “Because the way I’m portrayed 24/7 is as a freak! I am the latte-sipping, New York Times-reading, Volvo-driving, no-gun-owning, effete, politically correct, arrogant liberal. Who wants somebody like that?” It’s not unusual for public figures to feel mis-portrayed or even abused by media organizations. John McCain and his people expressed some strong concerns several times about the same Times newspaper. President-elect Obama has held four news conferences and two sit-down TV interviews since election day, including three news conferences three days in a row this week. He’s broken the news conference record for all recent presidents-e

It seem like a Number of churches and religious organizations are experiencing a downturn in their financial support in the past few weeks. Long time ago churches would have mortgage burning services to show how happy they were to end debt. I don't know if that is true today. I don't believe the church should have an on-going mortgage especially if the plan is to reach souls for Christ. We the congregation can't do what God has called us to do if we are burden down with alot of debt and neither can the church. A lot of churches have been caught up in the corporate America mentality. Secular business methods were brought into the “Church” when Churches played to the “Businessmen” in the congregation (the men with the money), elected them to boards and started using their methods for “running” the “Church”. Most Churches today function just like secular businesses do, in the last quarter of the year they start putting together their business plan for the next yea

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." ~ Psalm 91:1

President-elect Barack Obama’s U. S. citizenship is still in question. You have various groups still investigating where Obama’s birthplace might be. Some people just can't accept a Black man being the 44 president. So they are claiming that Kenya is his birth place. From what I am understanding the Constitution has never been question on this issue of natural-born citizen. Even if his mother gave birth in Keyna and said Hawaii would it make a difference? If Hawaii has indeed verified the authenticity of birth certificate so whats the problem? I truly believe Obama would not have ran for the highest office if he didn't believe he was entitled to President as a naturalized citizen (he has NEVER claimed to be a ‘natural born citizen). Can you lose citizenship by virtue of your mother’s remarriage to a foreigner? If so that's ridiculous! Even if he were not born in Hawaii — and there’s no credible evidence that he wasn’t — he is a natural U.S. ci

Many households and kitchens around the country will be all a buzz in a few hours in preparation for the infamous Thanksgiving Feast. We plan for weeks to invite people to our homes that we only see a few times a year because we really don't like them for whatever reason so that we can gorge on turkey, dressing and pumpkin pies for the sake of tradition. Why do we do this? Have we taken the time to stop to think about the origin of these holidays? I could rant and rave about how the Native Americans were ultimately treated so poorly and how Pilgrims and Angleo Saxons totally came in and stole this country and how slavery began in this country. But that's not the nature of this blog. I am writing because I think we have taken what is seemingly a good concept and have warped it into a huge, over rated production. Why do we wait until the third Thursday in November to invite people over for a home cooked meal? Do we have to have an excuse to be thankful and have a calenda

When this post appear, I will be In Alabama attending my dad's funeral. He transition from time to eternity Sunday morning. Here are some thing to consider when dealing with grieving people. I Know How You Feel Even if you have lost someone close to you, you don't know how they feel. Everyone feels differently Everything Happens For a Reason Even if that's what you believe and even if that's what they believe, that is not what they want to hear. This has probably already crossed their mind. You Just Need to Move On No. This is insensitive. When someone loses someone it takes a lot of coping and adjusting, it is impossible to “just move on.” Just Keep Busy and Move On As with number 3 people need to cope in their own way. Get On With Life The ONLY time this should EVER be said is when the person is in danger. It should be said in a gentle way and get help for the person if needed. However, for the first while life is not going to go on for the person. Things Wi

When is enough, enough? The family of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are begging for a share of the proceeds from the sudden wave of T-shirts, posters and other merchandise depicting the civil rights leader alongside Barack Obama. Isaac Newton Farris Jr., King's nephew and head of the nonprofit King Center in Atlanta, said the estate is entitled to hundreds of thousands of dollars in licensing fees — maybe even millions. Come-on will somebody get these money hungry people. We're not trying to stop anybody from legitimately supporting themselves," he said, "but we cannot allow our brand to be abused." Their "brand"? Their "brand"?! The King children continue to be an ongoing embarrassment to the legacy of a great leader as they remain in the news not for continuing MLK's fight for social justice but for lawsuits (and threats thereof) over money. Money seem

Christian fraternities and sororities are gaining attention on some college campuses. Which I personal think is a good thing. Members get pumped up about prayer, Bible study and service projects, passions they say campus officials often do embrace as fresh. A Christian fraternity on one campus has denied admission to a young man because he is Mormon. Christian fraternities or not your typically Greek fraternities. Most are straightforward about their membership requirements: Churchgoing Christians only. The basic requirement for members is that they have faith in Jesus Christ as their savior and that they follow Biblical theology. The president said that they follow the Bible alone as scripture. No smoking or illegal drugs. No premarital sex. And, please, no drinking to the point that it would reflect badly on Christianity. Most Greek fraternities are centered on hazing, keg parties and little else. The group say that they hope to show to others what Jesus is all about.

I want to use this post to illiterate how religion plays a bigger part in our lives and how we view things. I believe Prince is a prime example of that. It's hard for me to picture Prince with these views, of all people. Prince who owes his success to a music business that for the most part is supportive of liberal values. Prince who is down on same-sex marriage and adoption by gay parents. A recent piece in the New Yorker is about a visit to Prince's home in Beverly Park - a gated community in LA. Prince is described as "a small fifty-year-old man in yoga pants and a big sweater, wearing platform flip-flops over white socks, like a geisha." When the talk turns to social issues, Prince uses the Bible for a prop: When asked about his perspective on social issues—gay marriage, abortion—Prince tapped his Bible and said, “God came to earth and saw people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever, and he just cleared it all out. He was, like, ‘Enough.’ ”

I don't believe same sex marriage issues are the same as civil rights issues to which it is so often compared. Some gay rights activists love to compare their struggle to the struggle for interracial marriage, but it is not the same thing. There is no fundamental difference between a black man and a white man. There are great fundamental differences between men and women. Defining the basic social unit in our culture as marriage between a man and a woman I believe it's better for our society. I am looking at it from a God point of view. I don't like the idea of taking away anyone's rights. I believe we all have the rights to go to hell if we want to. God call that right Free Will . I am not saying if two people of the same sex marry they are going to hell. No! but if they chose to go they should have the same right to hell as people of the opposite sex does. Marriage between anyone and everyone was never an inalienable right (you may not marry your sister

About 20 years ago, Rush Limbaugh launched his nationwide radio broadcast. The airwaves had been recently liberated in 1987 from the Fairness Doctrine by then-President Ronald Reagan. For roughly forty years, the Fairness Doctrine had prohibited radio stations from airing a monolithic viewpoint on any given issue. Congress in 1959 amended the Communications Act of 1934 to include the Fairness Doctrine: " A broadcast licensee shall afford reasonable opportunity for discussion of conflicting views on matters of public importance.” Ten years later, the Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality, but, as mentioned, the doctrine fell by the wayside. Rush Limbaugh opened the door for many radio talk show hosts, many of the conservative ilk: Sean Hannity , Gordon Liddy , Michael Reagan , Michael Savage , a nd others. The radio airwaves - no longer the primary medium in America - were given over to opinionated and often controversial talk shows which I call hate speech. Libera

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. "I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. "I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. "I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as "making a life. "I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. "I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back. "I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. "I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. "I've learned that every day you shou

Amanda Jones, 109, the daughter of a man born into slavery, has lived a life long enough to touch three centuries. And after voting consistently as a Democrat for 70 years, she has voted early for the country's first black presidential nominee. [...] Amanda Jones, a delicate, thin woman wearing golden-rimmed glasses, giggled as the family discussed this year's presidential election. She is too weak to go the polls, so two of her 10 children — Eloise Baker, 75, and Joyce Jones — helped her fill out a mail-in ballot for Barack Obama, Baker said. "I feel good about voting for him," Amanda Jones said. Jones' father herded sheep as a slave until he was 12, according to the family, and once he was freed, he was a farmer who raised cows, hogs and turkeys on land he owned. Her mother was born right after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, Joyce Jones said. The family owned more than 100 acres of land in Cedar Creek at one point, she said. Amanda Jones' fathe

Why do some people think that all Christians are Republicans? At lest that's the impression I am getting. Who ever said that "Republican" must equal "Christian." Many believe Christians have a specific political agenda, more specifically, a conservative Republican agenda. When the term "religious right" is used, everyone knows it's really Republicans that are being referenced. Even "evangelical" is used to connote "conservative Republican." People associate evangelicals with people like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson and the Christian Coalition." How did the word evangelical--from the root "evangelize" meaning "good news," and referring to Jesus' Great Commission to share his teachings and promises with the world--become political terminology? There are plenty of Christians who feel one must have certain political leanings in order to be a good Christian. One must be a Republican. On

What do you think about offering first-time visitors to your church $25 to attend the Sunday morning service? I was reading where a church gave money to the first 75 adults aged 16 or older at each of their two services with the only stipulation being that the cash recipients stay the duration of the 90-minute service. Another church in Iowa has drawn visitors by giving away tickets to performances, movie passes, and $10 gas cards. Do we perceive something as more valuable if there's a dollar figure attached to it? In the case of the churches above, visitors were getting something for going to church. Salvation is free! Some folks can't quite process the free gift of salvation. Why do you think people don't go to church? I believe what ever you offer a person beside Christ and He alone you will have to offer all the time. What do you think? Do the church need to offer grimaces to get people into the church?