A New City

So I'm here at the First ever CME Unity Summit in New Orleans, LA.  Now, I should be excited because it's the first time in the history of the CME Church that all our connectional meetings have come together in one place -- it's an historic moment.  But quite frankly, I'm excited to be in New Orleans, a city I've never been in before.

The flight was uneventful.  I try to travel from JFK because it tends to be cheaper than LGA, and if I take the SuperShuttle, the difference in transpo costs is negligible.  It was nonstop, and except for the fact that they had a bit of difficulty finding a jetbridge when we landed in NOLA, it was fine. The flight was nearly empty -- everyone got their own seat, just about.  I saw a woman with some earrings that were adorable.  I asked her if they were the Cartier series, since they looked like the little bangle with the screws on it.  She said no, that they were just screws and were made by some designer in NYC. Wish I'd paid more attention.  I really liked them. They were just flat, like a screw, but I liked them.

There were some issues with transpo, but fortunately, I saw a group of people praying and went up to join them.  There was Rev. Regina Reese-Young leading the prayer, and she got me a ride with her friend Vernessa and the Pastor of the church in Detroit(Pastor Gordon?) that my own pastor once pastored.

From now on, I'll always upgrade to a club floor. First of all, I sorta like the exclusivity, but more importantly -- it's cheaper.  You get the same breakfast and dinner buffets that everyone else gets, but you don't have to pay for it.  And you get free use of internet in the lounge (I don't think they give it to you free in your rooms, unfortunately).  But internet is like $14.95 per day, and the dinner buffet alone was $30.00.  Add in the cost of breakfast, and the upgrade is a no-brainer.  Even if I choose to dine out, I still save money!  I tried to explain this to someone, but they declined, then before I even landed, they were texting me asking me to get them a key to the club floor. It appears hotels are getting smarter -- claiming to be "under renovation," they give us access to the same restaurant everyone else has access to, and they give us a check -- they just tell us it won't be charged.  We shall see.  But in the interim, it certainly helps to explain to my friends why I can't give them a hookup.

So I got to the hotel, set my bag down, and went to the "complimentary hors d'euvres" or however you spell it.  I never had finger foods like this:  There was a salad bar, a chicken tortilla soup in which you could actually taste the lime, some sort of andouille sausage, red beans with sausage, rice, corn (I skipped those two), and plates and plates of pralines and brownies. As much as you wanted, no charge.  Unfortunately, I still can't eat very much, but what I tasted was DELICIOUS!  I fell in love from the first taste of the soup!  I'd actually thought that all those years in darkrooms had allowed the acetic acid to ruin my nasal passages and destroy my sense of taste (that's my story and I'm sticking with it...). But I found out today that my sense of taste is completely intact -- I just need food that is seasoned with a little BAM!!

Speaking of which, I do hope to get to Emeril's place for lunch tomorrow. 

One of the cool things about these meetings is meeting people.  In addition to the people who brought me to the hotel, I met a Ms. Johnson from Memphis, who came here by train, I met a Cassandry (yes, Y)from the Ninth, I met another woman from the Ninth I'd seen in Alaska, and I've managed to see many of the people from the Seventh as well as many more from across our Zion.  Between Facebook and our in-person gatherings, I'm loving my CME Church family!  We may have our issues, but when we come together, we are amazing!

Anyway, after the pralines, and to avoid a sugar coma, I went for a little walk.  I went outside and heard music, so I followed it.  The street musicians here play snare drums instead of water buckets (so the drums sound sharper, more rhythmic and not so quasi-melodious), and the beat is a little more jazzy.  Add to that the brass of the trumpets and trombones, and there's a very distinct sound here.  The guys were on the corner of Canal and Bourbon.  Finding myself on Bourbon street, I walked down it. I went into a coupla clubs (no cover), but they were pretty empty. After a while, it just seemed like endless clubs playing almost studio music, and there was a constant smell of pot everywhere, though I never saw any.  It was new and different, but not quite exciting. 

So I turned down some street that was a little less touristy and then turned down another street that used to be the Royal Street when the French ruled Louisiana, and looked at some cute shops with WW1 antiques and intricate masks.  I also saw little hitching posts on the street, then wandered into some praline shop.  But I got out with only a Coke Zero.

Tomorrow I hope to go on the Nanchez Steamer and do some sightseeing. I know it's a church meeting, but I think one of the great deficits of our organization is that we encourage people to come to meetings in all sorts of places, then leave them within the four walls of the hotel.  How in the world are we supposed to do ministry to people if we don't even go out to meet them where they are?  If I got to a new city, I want to see the city!  I don't recall a Commission to go into all the hotels, but to go into all the world, and IMHO, that means OUT INTO the world.

Oh, well.  It's late, I'm in a new city, and I'm having a ball.  Probably should have brought my laptop; while it feels good to write again, I am sitting across from the bar.  I guess that in this town we're supposed to get used to the smell of alcohol, but I still don't like it...  Nevertheless, I'm in a new city and I'm going to enjoy it!

Today was another awesome day!!

Sometimes, things go well.

This morning I had a 10 am conference call.  It was over by 10:15, and simply involved scheduling another meeting.  We dedicated a garden in one of our buildings to one of our State Senators who has worked tirelessly to help us over the years.  You can find a writeup of the event here.  It worked out better than I had even hoped!!

I came back to the office, and my socially challenged son, Amit decided that I needed to leave at 4.  His birthday is September 11 and I usually go to the US Open with him.  We decided to go tonight, since Andy Roddick is supposed to be retiring after this Open.

So I'm tryna get out of my office by 4 pm.  Everything that could go wrong did;  I tried to do a background check on a potential new employee, but forgot my password to Lexis and couldn't find it anywhere; the printer didn't have the proofs ready on the artwork for the banners we want for the block party; and so on and so on.  I decide that I need to leave at four and one of the people who was supposed to have met me around 2:30 calls at 4 to say he'll be there in 15 minutes.  I tell my staff to tell him not to come, as I'll be gone.  I offer to give my staff rides home.

 I'd told my staff they could leave at four if they helped me to get out, so I thought it a little odd that they didn't call me to remind me until 3:58.  But I started shutting things down, trying to close up and get out. I come downstairs about 4:10, and they are dragging their feet. "Come on!" I say, "Let's go!"

"Well, Ms. Perry, Mr. Williams is on his way over." 
"But I told you to tell him we'd be gone."
"Yes, Ms. Perry, but he says he has a surprise for you."
" I don't want a surprise.  I don't like surprises. I went to the Liberty game last night and was out late.  I gotta go to the Open tonight because Amit wanted to go, and then I gotta go back tot he Liberty game tomorrow. I don't want a surprise. I want to go."
"Ms. Perry, he told us what it was.  You should wait.  It's gonna be worth it."
"Y'all want to wait?"
"Yes, Ms. Perry. We want to see your face."

So we wait and we wait.  They are just giddy with excitement.  "O. M. G, Ms. Perry, this is going to be so cool!  Just wait!"

Sometimes, if you are called to lead, you have to learn to follow.  My staff knew how important it was to me to leave, and they knew the surprise that was in store for me, so if they thought I should wait, I tried to wait.

Mr. Williams called to say he was right around the corner, and a few minutes later he called again.  It was like 4:30, and all I could think of was how I needed to go home, about 20 minutes away, change clothes, and get to midtown so we could leave by 5:30. 

And then my "surprise" walked through the door.  You could have knocked me over with a feather when Kia Vaughn walked through the door!  That was CERTAINLY worth the wait!  What a delightful young woman! 

When he interviewed, Mr. Williams had stated he was friends with her, but everyone who interviews sees my Liberty stuff and says they are friends with someone on the Liberty.  When he mentioned it, I'd said something like "Oh, that's nice" and kept the interview going.  But to have this young lady COME TO THE COUNCIL was more than I'd ever expected!!  What a great way to end the day!

Here's a picture of me pretty excited to have Kia Vaughn in the first floor of our Council:

Now, there are certain privileges that come with being the Executive Director.  One is that you can exercise certain crazy quirks.  So I added an addendum to our dress code that says the only logos you can wear on your clothing are Council logos and NY Liberty logos.  I did it mostly because I wear NY Liberty jerseys on game days and there's no way I'm going to stop. 

Apparently Mr. Williams told Ms. Vaughn about it.  She actually took a picture of our policy, then autographed one of our employee handbooks for me.  THAT was pretty cool!  We also got a chance to chat about her having lived and played in Israel.  We didn't get to talk for long, but I told her about my trips to the Middle East and the pic I sent of me in a NYL shirt at the entrance to Mt. Sinai.

Here are pictures of Kia Vaughn outside our offices at 490 East 167th Street:

 

If that had been all that happened today, it would have been wonderful.  But I went to meet Amit in midtown.  As I'm walking down the street, I run into Ricky, the son of Sandy from church.  Ricky seems to have his head on his shoulders and appears to be doing quite well for himself.  It was great to see him.  He has a daughter now, that his mom brings to church.  He proudly said "You've seen my daughter, right?"  And without my prodding, he mentioned how he wants to start coming back to church.  That was great.  We met with his friends Malcolm and Annie, and finally we were on our way to the Open.

Despite the fact that it was nearly 6 before I got to Amit, and well after 6 before we were on our way, it took us no time to get to Arthur Ashe Stadium.  We watched Andy Roddick defeat Bernard Tomic in straight sets (Roddick is supposedly retiring; Tomic is a 19 year old Australian), and then watched Victoria Azarenka defeat Jie Zheng in a match where the biggest thrill came in seeing Zheng actually take a game.  I think she took one, and was defeated in straight sets. 

Still, there were over 60,000 people at the Open today, and this evening's match was sold out.  I'd love to continue going every year, but the seats are celebrity trust fund expensive.  This is the view from our seats,

complete with lady who kept leaning forward so we could see her color job instead of the court, and these seats were already more expensive than we said we'd pay.  It was nice to spend time with #1 socially challenged son, though.

Overall, today was an AWESOME day!  The Liberty play tomorrow, and Kia put on one of our 163 Council rubber bracelets.  She says she'll wear it tomorrow.  She also took me outside and introduced me to her mother, who invited me to come and sit with them tomorrow.  As soon as I get those pics, I'll post them, as well.

What a great day it was!  A Great Day!!!!

Blessings and Demons

So I'm at the Liberty game tonite.  They didn't win, but I don't go just for the win; I go for the game.  On the way back, my child Amit calls.  Amit's birthday is September 11, and we usually go to the US Open.  He's trying to find a wife and I'm trying to pay my mortgage off in 15 years, so we haven't had as much disposable income as in past years, but we talked about going.  He really, really wanted to go, and even though the seats were $100.00 more than the limit we agreed on, we decided we'd get them.

Then he decides we'll have to drive.  It occurred to me that year before last when we went, Amit was styling in a Mercedes (on display at the Open), and I didn't have any car.  This year, we're trying to decide whether we'll both drive our cars, or whether he'll drive us both in his Mercedes SUV.  I was thinking about how things change, and how much material blessings we've both enjoyed.

And I was thinking about sports.  Like I said, Liberty tonight, US Open tomorrow night, Liberty again on Saturday -- looking at my schedule, one might think I was into sports.  One would certainly not believe the host of illnesses, orthopedic conditions and injuries I deal with.  (Sidebar:  this conversation in my head was before I came home to my copy of USMS Swimmer magazine, with an article on training with chronic illness).  But the net result of my thoughts is that I was happy and grateful.  Zipping through NYC in the evening,  Chrystal Rucker blasting ... I was having a Thank You Jesus Good Time.

And then I saw it.  I rolled up on a Jeep with a Romney sticker on the back.  Now, NY is a mostly Blue State, but NYC is about as True Blue as Duke is (not politically; that's probably a phrase that only Dukies will get.  But NYC  -- well, it's one of President Obama's best fundraising cities).  A Romney sticker here is something of an anomaly.

But I completely lost my mind.  I rolled up on it, and suddenly I was yelling, "You're an A-HOLE!!! OH. MY. GOODNESS!!! YOU'RE SUCH AN A-HOLE!!!!!!"  Mind you, my window was open, and I didn't know whether theirs was open or not.  Thankfully, I had turned my Jesus-praising Gospel music down...  I caught myself, mostly because there is a very real possibility of physical danger for people who yell obscenities at other people in NYC.  Somewhere, I was aware that my actions were not reflective of the Jesus I'd just been praising seconds before, but I didn't stop, I just toned it down.  I went from "You're an A-HOLE" to "Man, your friends must really hate you!  They've totally messed up your car!"

And I felt a rage inside of me.  Sure, the rage has been fueled by listening to Mr. Ryan spin the truth.  The rage is fueled because it brings back memories of living in the South when white people put you on an uneven playing field and used the results not as indicators of their treachery, but as more fodder with which to debase and degrade you.  The rage is certainly fueled by a Congress that has a stated goal of defeating a black president, but will use the results of their collective sedition as "evidence" that the POTUS should not be re-elected.  The rage is fueled by the fact that my mind draws a direct parallel between the folk who are at the RNC and the folk who were in lynch mobs and who were in the crowds as the dogs and hoses were turned on people....

But that doesn't excuse my behavior.  My ancestors went through things far more blatantly oppressive than these, things that equally affronted human sensibility, and they reacted not with uncontrolled rage, but with unmitigated dignity.  Why, I wondered, did I react in such an uncontrolled manner?

And that's when it hit me.  The only thing that could make a person behave that badly is a dark force.  I believe America has come face to face with evil incarnate, and that is in the persons of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.  They've taken evil upon themselves as a cloak,  Now that I've recognized it, I've got to watch for it.  Scripture tells us that satan can quote Scripture, and I saw that later this evening as Mr. Romney joked about making money and not wanting to go to hell, too... With that simple statement, he brings the question of faith front and center, appearing to  mock those who would question his Mormon faith, while simultaneously appealing to the greed of the "evangelical Americhristians" whose favor and votes he seeks.  His deception and redirection in this statement are akin to that of a magician -- he's an ideological magician, and I fear that people's critical thought processes will be re-or mis-directed by his twisted words.

But I've gotten off topic.  The topic was blessings and demons, and I wanted to talk about how I recognized both tonight.  I'm grateful for just waking up and breathing air this morning.  I'm nowhere near to being a Biblical literalist, but the stuff that's going on in our political system right now is demonically creepy,

I pray enough Americans will open their eyes. I pray that I can exercise enough control to not behave like the demons we need to battle.

Gotta go.  Long day tomorrow:  contracts, politicians, and then the Open.

A Leap of Faith

So for my birthday this year, I went skydiving again.  The video from this year's jump is here.    Last year's jump, my first, is here.  I could see this becoming an annual thing.  It's exhilarating, but there's also something about facing one's fears, and there is the very real aspect of stepping out on faith.  It takes a lot to approach the open door of an aircraft that's a couple of miles above the ground, and then to willingly exit that aircraft.  It takes a tremendous leap of faith. 

Of course, as soon as you do, the winds rush up to meet you, and you're in some sort of otherworldly experience.  But it takes a lot to get there.  It occurs to me that the process is relevant not only in a physical sense, but in a spiritual sense, as well.  How many times do we face uncertainties, or seeming impossibilities?  How many times are we fearful or discouraged by them?  Put off by the raging of the wind, or the height or velocity of our aircraft?  How much does it take from each of us to make that leap into the unknown, sure only of the fact that God holds the outcome in God's hand? 

I think it's something we need to do more often -- relinquishing control (or what we think is control) and offering ourselves to the joy that comes in relying solely on God.

But that's a manifestation of spiritual growth or spiritual development, and that does not come overnight.  I train 5 days a week, three of them with kettlebells.  Now, I'm closer to 60 than I am to any other whole number, and this class has twenty-somethings groaning and moaning.  It's taught by the same guy who teaches Boot Camps.  I don't kid myself that I can do what the 20-somethings do, but I can do a few burpees now, and I can do jumping jacks now, and I can do deeper squats than I ever could, and I can swing a 25-pound bell.  I couldn't do any of that when I started, and my form can certainly get better.

The point is that I can do more now than I could before, and that has come about through training and application of what I've learned.  I believe the same is true in our spiritual lives.  I see so many people who don't appear to exercise their faith, so much as display it.  They have all the answers, they know exactly what Jesus would say and do -- and there is no room in their consciousness for doubt or error -- or growth. 

I'm not so sure I believe that.  I believe that our earthly journey is one in which we are continually stretched and shaped and molded anew.  I don't think it's one where we pick up our cross and parade it around, I think it's one where we pick up our cross, perhaps stumbling under its weight, and if we should drop it, we pick it up again.  I don't believe the process is constant or static; I believe it's continual and dynamic.

Sort of like the process of jumping out of an airplane.  It's all about going into the unknown and finding that God has already been there.

Some thoughts on the shootings in the temple.

I am saddened, a bit angry, and even more afraid because of the shootings at the Sikh temple in Milwaukee yesterday.  I'm saddened any time we humans think the answer lies in killing another human.  I'm angry that we live in such a permissive society and continue to let stuff like this happen.  Yes, it's true that guns by themselves don't kill people -- they are only the instruments.  But when you have a society which appears to have relaxed or eradicated all semblance of moral standards, and which allows the common person access to weapons made for mass murder -- what can be the expected result?

And I'm a little afraid because of what I fear could be the cause or the result of incidents like this, which is a knee-jerk return to any sort of religious literalism.  As a preacher, I probably shouldn't say that, but I'm saying it.  Yes, the Bible is God's love letter to humankind.  Yes, the Bible records God's covenental relationship with humankind.  But I don't obey all the 613 laws of the First Testament (I eat shellfish and pork for starters), so no, I don't take the Bible literally.  Seriously, yes.  But not literally.  While I respect the right of people to believe whatever they believe, I'm tired of apologizing for being a progressive Christian.  I love the Lord with all I've got --all my Heart, Soul, MIND, and Strength --- and I trust that if there's any issue or concern that can be made manifes to my awareness, that it can also be made manifest to God's awareness.  So I believe, for instance, that while the truths contained in the Holy Bible are eternal, the particulars may not be.  We don't take slaves in war, men trim the corners of their beards, and so on. 

My fear stems from the fact that many of us humans tend to self-righteously cherry-pick the Scriptures we hold as binding.  We'll tell you you're going to hell for being gay (a First Testament Law, echoed by Paul but never mentioned by Jesus), but will say nothing of the fact that Jesus told us not to lay up treasures on Earth (Jesus himself, not someone who came along later and never met JC in the flesh); or that it was hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  We forget that Jesus sent his disciples out with nothing, and that the only time Jesus got mad was when the moneychangers were sitting in front of the temple, trying to make a profit off the faithful.  I've gotten a bit off topic.  My point was that I fear people who read the Bible or any other Sacred Scripture without a critical eye, and with a lack of discernment.  While I believe the truths conveyed in Scripture are timeless, I also believe that they are Spiritual truths, and are usually conveyed in a Spiritual manner.  Simply opening a book, reading it, and parroting it back does not necessarily imply conveyance of that truth. 

But that's what a lot of people do, and I'm not talking only about Christians.  I've known Jews and Muslims who were this way, and it leaves me sad and a little bit afraid.  The reason it leaves me afraid is because it creates an environment in which people not only believe they are right, but they Genuinely believe their correctness comes from Above.  It's not the fervency of their belief that gets me really;  it's the arrogance.  It's the same thing that happened with eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the same thing that led to the construction of the Tower of Babel.  Whenever we humans start to believe that we have complete knowledge of the Divine, I think it puts us in dangerous territory.  Why?  First because it takes away from the sense of awe and wonder of the Divine, but it also begs the question:  If you have complete knowledge of the Divine, why(how) are you still human?

The human tendency, of course, is not to consider or wrestle with questions such as this, but to assume that pseudo-divinity and to assign it some sort of moral, spiritual, or other superiority.  We put into place a value system that effectively says "I'm right and you're wrong," or "I'm better and you're worse." or some other sort of dichotomy which, by its very nature, denies the universality of the human spirit.

And no, I'm not a universalist. I very much believe in the power of the Blood of Jesus to save.  I believe we get to accept or reject that salvation which was freely given to us.  But I believe Jesus died for all of us, not just some of us.  Somehow, I believe we're all gonna get a shot at accepting that gift. And I think we're gonna be really surprised to see who really did, and who didn't.

This was supposed to have been a reflective piece, but it's not.  I'm just sort of rambling.  But at least I'm writing again....

A Simple Therapeutic Post

It's been quite a while since I've written.  The idea was to write something, anything, every day, simply to stay in the habit (and prayerfully to resurrect the art) of writing.  Instead of resurrection, I find myself having nearly succumbed to the culture of instant gratification. 

While I still manage to exercise my body and spirit daily (well, almost daily for the bod -- I work out 5 days a week), the mind is simply not being nurtured. I had to write staff performance reviews in June.  I completed them in July.  I don't write my blog any more. Not only do I watch TV, I now have one in the den AND in the bedroom, something I once refused to do.  More and more, it seems that life has devolved into a pseudo-frenzy of text messages, harried emails, and relentless, but hardly necessary, half-communications.

This may be a particularly sore point for me because I just paid my mortgage twice.  It was completely my mistake -- I pay it online, wasn't paying attention, and in the space to enter "Amount of Additional Principle," I entered the mortgage amount.  Because I wasn't paying attention, I clicked ok, and only upon confirmation realized my account had been debited for twice the amount of my mortgage.

So I called the mortgage company.  They couldn't do anything, they said, because it was an internet payment.  I should call my bank.  My bank (with whom I am a Platinum customer, do millions of dollars of business a year and am responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars on deposit on any given day) claimed they could do nothing.  I told them that half of it was an unauthorized charge.  No response.  An hour and three phone conversations later, the conversation was the same.  I emailed them, but my bank, unlike my mortgage company, has yet to respond...

And then I realized that, while making a double mortgage payment was inconvenient, and not consistent with the kind of debt I resolved to carry, it wasn't going to bankrupt me.  It's annoying, and I will likely have to spend more time on the phone with my charming bank getting them to waive the overage charges that will likely start to accrue today, but what an incredible blessing it is to be able to make a mistake with the mortgage and still be able to live one's life relatively free of disruption.

So that's good, and I'm grateful.  And I'll be more careful before making any more online payments.  And I should probably cancel my Netflix subscription because I haven't used it in over a year.

I often fancy myself a thinker, and look to my friends Leslie Callahan and Morton Guyton, thinking "I used to have thoughts like that.." And I may still be capable, but reflection --- Spirit-filled, purposeful, prophetic reflection and proclamation -- require discipline, dedication, and devotion.  Lately I've been devoted to our nonprofit, to raising the level of staff development and consequently enhancing the quality of our service delivery, thereby positioning us to grow and offer even more services.  That's been my excuse.

What I need to remember is that all leadership requires discipline, dedication, and devotion.  It may be time for me to stop getting caught up in the press of everyday matters and to begin to take a higher-level look at things.

I'm going to do a staff training on perspective.  Maybe I'll start with adjusting my own.

Or maybe I'll get to writing again......

More on Alaska....

So one of the things I didn't say (because I didn't know) about the Alaska trip was that on Friday, May 11, when I went shopping, there was indeed a tour.  It was offered by Sis. Angela Gardner of First CME.  They went to the Alaska Heritage Center, among other places.  The reason I remember the Alaska Heritage Center is because it's a place I would have LOVED to have visited.  She tells me that the people were in rapt attention as totem poles and other aspects of Native life were explained to them.  Big regret that I missed out on that one.

I did NOT, however, miss out on First CME's Tribute to Mothers.  Ohmygoodness!!!  It was Saturday, May 12, about 4 in the afternoon.  I arrived, all dressed down, to find the most welcoming and accepting group of people ever!  The men were doing whatever men do; they covered the window to the Fellowship Hall door and we women had to wait outside.

When we were finally allowed to enter, it was WELL worth the wait!! We walked into a Fellowship Hall that had been transformed into a five-star restaurant.  The tables were set with real silverware and china (not plastic like you know we church folk like to do), and a scrumptious salad was set at each place.

It only got better.  We took our seats, the food was blessed, and we enjoyed our salads.  Then the men came out and cleared our salad bowls away before they delivered the entrees.  They did this, of course, while keeping our glasses filled with water, iced tea, and, during dinner, a delightful de-alcoholized Merlot (vintage 2009).  The menu was delicious:  Mixed Garden Salad, Filet Mignon with Au Jus Sauce, Potato Wrapped Halibut, Polenta Cakes, Seasoned Green Beans, Bananas Foster, Rolls, Iced Tea, and the afore-mentioned wine.

You can see the whole album here!

I was so impressed to see men doing their thing, and doing it well -- it was a wonderful last impression of Alaska -- that and their insistence on sending me on my way with extra Potato Wrapped Halibut -- as one person said, "it's a long trip.  Do you want your stomach to be growling while everyone is eating those $7.00 sandwiches?"    All I have to say is, I never really tasted halibut until I tasted halibut in Alaska.  The first time I ate some, down by Whittier, it was so good I took a picture of it.  Now I see halibut steaks in the store, I can tell they're frozen, and I just pass them by.  The good people of First CME gave me enough halibut that I ate dined deliciously on it for several days.  I am truly grateful!

Alaska was simply amazing.  If you're considering a trip, GO!  If you're CME, make sure you contact Rev. Jerry Webb and the congregation at First CME Church, 3600 MacInnes Street, Anchorage, Alaska 99508.  THEY ARE AMAZING!!!

Alaska Trip

So since May 7 or so I’ve been in Alaska. I came to attend the Alaska Pacific Region’s Annual Conference, hosted by First CME Church of Anchorage, Alaska.


I was surprised that we had a CME Church in Alaska. After all, we are a traditionally African-American church. Alaska? Do they even have black people there? Yes, they do. They have lots of them. Many, it appears, first came with the military. Many of the African Americans, like many of the Caucasians -- and, one assumes, all other races except the Native People – many came with the Military, fell in love with it, and stayed. We don’t just have a CME Church in Anchorage – we have THREE. And there are Missionary Baptist Churches, and all other kinds. There are lots of churches in Alaska, from what I’ve seen.


First things first: A word about First CME. I don’t know when I’ve encountered a more hospitable church. The Pastor, Rev. Jerry Webb, is a transplant from the Carolinas. He’s loving it here, and I see why: in addition to having a relatively new, well-maintained church building, he has a congregation that walks under a heavy anointing. You can see when you interact with these people that they love the Lord and are about doing His business. Now, it could have something to do with the fact that Alaska is so spread out and there’s little public transportation to speak of, but from the time people picked us up at the airport through today, when a sister is going to come and get me to take me to a dinner at the church, they have just bent over backwards to accommodate us and take care of our every need. It’s been amazing.


Though probably not as amazing as Sunday morning worship. It’s great to worship in a CME Church – wherever you are, there’s the familiarity of the liturgy that makes you feel right at home. But oh, my! These folks have a gospel choir that can rock! It’s not like in some churches where you know you’re getting a performance – with these folk, their hours of practicing shows in the way they harmoniously execute their arrangements, but the Holy Spirit shows up and lends itself to the experience. That is something amazing.


On my first day here we had Holy Communion (they let me help serve!), and Bishop James B. Walker, the Presiding Prelate of the Ninth Episcopal District, preached the Word. Theresa Duhart and other General Officers of the CME church were in attendance. Afterwards, we had a luncheon in their fellowship hall. Proceeds of the luncheon are to help them send young people to the National Youth and young Adult Conference in Orlando in July. After lunch, we did a hospital visit. While the brother we visited had some issues with his pancreas and thought he’d have to miss the entire Conference, we were delighted to see him show up at the Annual Conference later in the week! Ain’t God Good?!?!?


After the hospital visit, Pastor Webb and Mrs. Webb took Bishop Walker and me on a quick tour around Anchorage. We went to see the Sleeping Lady, we went to a state park in an unsuccessful attempt to see Bullwinkle, and we went on a quick tour of downtown Anchorage. It was quite an impressive introduction!


On Monday, I didn’t have anything planned until 5 pm, so I called up Alaska’s Finest Tours and Cruises to go on their Wildlife and Turnagain Arm Tour. It was advertised for $49.00. I spoke to someone who told me I’d have to call back the next day about 10. I called, and they didn’t have the minimum number they needed for the tour. The minimum number was 2. They told me that if I paid a 50% surcharge, I could do it by myself. I asked if he’d be willing to pick me up at the Crowne Plaza where I was staying instead of in midtown. He agreed, and I booked the tour.


This was supposed to be a three hour tour, starting at 11:45 am and ending at 2:30 pm. It was advertised at $49.00, but he said that was last year’s price, and that it had gone up to $59.00. When I questioned it, he agreed to honor the last year’s price. With the 50% surcharge, a $10.00 fee to enter the Wildlife Conservation Center, a 5% fuel charge (high as gas is *inside joke*), and whatever other taxes and fees he added, it cost me something like $88.00.


THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST, BEST, BEST TOUR I HAD IN ALASKA, AND TOTALLY WORTH IT!!!! THE GUY’S NAME IS BEN, AND HE WAS AMAZING!!! If you are going to Anchorage, check out www.glacierhikesandtours.com. Call 907-764-2067 and talk to Ben. HE WILL HOOK YOU UP!! This brother picked me up at 10:30 am. We went shopping and to Starbucks, then we set off down the Seward Highway. He stopped me at so many picturesque photo ops, and we ended up going down into Whittier to some seafood place (Swiftwater Seafood Café, in Whittier, AK) that had the freshest, moistest Halibut I have ever eaten. It was so good, I took a picture of it, which you can see in this album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3537795157405.2150335.1048146180&type=3&l=e11d743f0d. He would have taken me on down to the Alyeska resort, but I declined, since I thought the church was going to do a trip there. Bad move on my part. Turned out the church folk weren’t that interested in going to a ski resort – there weren’t enough people to do a trip. SO glad I went on this tour with Ben!


We did all these picturesque places, we went to the Wildlife Conservation Center, where he knows the animals by name! It was 5:00 pm by the time we got back to the hotel. An all day, private, personal tour! BEN ROCKS! Check him out!


So I got back to the hotel in time to hit Bishop Walker’s reception and then to go to Communion services back at First CME. This is the first time I’ve ever had the privilege of participating in an Annual Conference Communion Service, so that was a big deal for me!


I won’t go on with the details of the Conference. To be quite honest, I didn’t attend very much of it, although the Host Bishop, Bishop James B. Walker, treated us like absolute ROCK STARS! There was another Bishop in attendance, Bishop Thomas Brown of the Fourth Episcopal District, with his wife, Dr. Brown. There were also General Officers: Roderick Lewis, the General Secretary of Publications; Jeanette Bouknight, the Executive Secretary, along with her sister; Ouita Brown, General Counsel, along with her mother; and Mrs. Princess Pegues, National President of the Women’s Missionary Council. Rev. Paul Brown was in attendance, as was Rev. David Isom (Candidate for Bishop), Rev. Harlan Jones (Candidate for Bishop), and a couple of others whose names escape me right now.
But Bishop Walker treated us to dinners, had us driven around in limos, had us taken on sightseeing tours – for this preacher coming in with no ties to the Conference, I was simply overwhelmed with his kindness and generosity. And every time I mentioned it to people who knew him better than I do, they said, “Oh, that’s just the way he is….”


It was awesome.


So the Conference went on, with Roderick preaching the Ordination Service, Sister Pegues preaching the Missionary Service, and Julio Andujo (who also tore up Williams when he came) preaching the commissioning service on the last day. On the next to last day, the day of the Men’s Ministry, they had gospel Comedienne Debrah Terry preaching --- er, entertaining at the Wendy Williamson Theatre at the UAA campus. Sista girl, a fellow CME, from Greensboro, NC, just tore it up!! “High as Gas Is…” And ended the evening with an INVITATION! That’s the way to do it!


After the last day, I hung around a couple more days. On Friday, I went on a whale watching tour. They came and got us at 8 am for a three hour drive to Seward. It snowed and sleeted on the way. From Seward we got on a boat, the Glacier Express, and went out through Resurrection Bay (so named because some explorer dude came and their boats were badly damaged. They needed to rebuild them. They burned them, leaving nothing but the nails, then milled timber for new boats. The new boats were resurrected from the old ones and it happened in that bay, and it may have happened around Easter weekend. Hence the name Resurrection Bay). We say bald eagles and sea lions and birds and a coupla whales. It was just sooooooo coooooold, and sometimes there was so much chop in the water that the Captain would not allow people on the bow. (Even when he did allow you on the bow, it was only with crewmembers present). While we didn’t see so many whales, this trip really gave me the sense that we were in Alaska, and I certainly got a whole new appreciation for the guys on Deadliest Catch.


It’s now 2:45. I’m going to go. Have to wait for a church member to pick me up. I’m going to dine with First CME as they do a Mother’s Day meal, and then I’m going to head to the airport for a 9:50 pm flight. It’s been a wonderful trip, and I thank God for it.


Now, while I was here, President Obama made some sort of statement about gay marriage. Everybody’s in an uproar. Fellas, why are y’all so interested in where another man puts his dingaling? Come on now, really? Aren’t poverty, racism, and hunger much more appropriate matters to consume our time and energy? Really? You care how two people express their love? The ability to love is a gift from God. Step outside your judgement for just a minute (cuz if you’re African American, you should realize that they used to use the Scripture to say everything about us was unBiblical as well) – step outside your judgement for just a minute and thank God that two people are choosing to love rather than hate.


I don’t know. I just don’t get why people are so upset over it. I’m up here in God’s country, and somehow to be concerned with how two people express their love seems like majoring in minors. It just don’t seem right. Not the gay love, but the straight obsession with it. Unless you’ve got a dog in that fight, why is it your issue? OK. Going to church now….

I Was In Prison...

It's been a minute since I've been able to write. 

But this just dropped on me like a ton of bricks.  Lately I've been involved in conversations about "righteousness" and preserving the integrity of our church.  I'm with that.  Many of the folks advocating for reclamation of righteousness tend to be fairly traditional and conservative in their reading of Scripture.  Despite the fact that my reading is a bit more progressive, we are all generally able to agree to disagree, and to come together in Christian love.  That's wonderful. 

But for me there's always a bit of a disconnect.  Yes, some people will be liberal and some will be conservative and they earnestly believe they are rightly dividing The Word.  And I'm pretty clear on my position:  We can't stand on the infallibility of The Word unless we are standing on the Original Word, the one written down in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic.  Absent an ability to understand those languages, what we stand on is faith in another human being's interpretation of The Word.  The "Authorized Version" that so many people cling to was commissioned (not exactly authorized) by King James VI of Scotland, who would become James I of England.  There's a lot of baggage in that commissioning and in the work that was produced.  We need to acknowledge that baggage (the whole idea Puritan influence and the ideas of religious superiority) in order to better understand the product that was produced. 

And that's what sorta comes up for me right now. Righteous living is great.  It's a wonderful thing.  But we have to acknowledge or differentiate between "righteous living" as synonymous with social conservatism (or obeying the Levitical holiness codes) versus Righteous Living as a function of the New Way offered by Jesus.

Which is what struck me:  Jesus said "I was hungry, ... I was thirsty, ... I was a stranger, ... I needed clothes ... I was sick, ... I was in prison ..." Jesus, having taken on mortal form, puts himself right in the midst of our human needs, our human failings, and our human frailties.  When our bodies need sustenance or our spirits need companionship, those are the times that Jesus identifies with us.  Not only does he identify with humans, but he calls those in need his brothers and sisters. Interestingly, He goes on to speak about "the righteous" who are cursed because they did not meet those brothers and sisters at their points of need and who go away to eternal punishment, versus the truly righteous who did respond to "the least of these" and who go on to eternal life -- who are granted access to Almighty God.

So here's the deal:  to say "I was in prison" presupposes that failure on some level is part of the human condition.  I  was in prison -- and still deserving of your fellowship.  I was in prison -- and still deserving of God's Grace.  I was in prison -- yet I was still part of the brotherhood of humankind.

And to GET to prison, I had to either break some law or (as is the case with too many of our urban youth) be unjustly accused of breaking some law.  But to get to prison, I had to fall outside the established societal boundaries.  EVEN IN THOSE SITUATIONS, we don't lose our importance to God, we don't become disenfranchised from the human family (Rom. 8:38-39). 

What am I trying to say?  Just that all humans are in some sort of prison -- our spirits are trapped in bodies and that's not a natural condition for a spirit.  But in this natural world, many people sin and fall short of the glory of God.  Some get caught for that and end up in prison.  Some may get caught and not end up in prison.  That doesn't make them any less deserving of our love; we need to understand that they are still our brothers and our sisters.  Not only should we not disparage them, but we need to reach out and help them.  to be truly righteous, it seems to me, is not to shun or shame someone who has fallen short, but to reach out and help them to stand tall again.  To be truly righteous is to realize that, but for the Grace of God, we would be hungry, naked, thirsty, strangers, sick, and in prison.

While our souls and spirits may have been set free by the Christ who dwells within us, we are NOT relieved of the duty to minister to those who are still imprisoned. 

I was in prison -- how will you respond?

Thoughts for Tuesday, February 6, 2012

I'm not that into football.  My oldest cousin, whom I idolized, was left fatherless as a child.  Seems his dad  was a fullback for Tennessee State.  He had a habit of  dropping his head, I guess to bulldoze people.  Well, he did it once and broke his neck.  So I grew up never really watching football (although my cousins used to play catch and tag football and tease me because I wanted to play with them.  They'd ultimately end up in a game of keepaway...).  I don't understand its rules like I understand some other sports.

And I'm not usually interested in football except for the Superbowl.  Which is even more exciting when a team I care about (or an NY team) is playing.  I'm not real sad the Jets didn't make it; their coach is a rude, coarse, and tactless bigmouth.  But the Giants coach is a quiet, humble, and determined man.  The whole team exudes, IMO, good sportsmanship when they're interviewed, and I like that.

So I was really excited that they won the Superbowl for the second time in their second meeting with the New England Patriots.  Even though my dear friend and classmate is the Governor of Massachusetts, I LOVED the fact that the Giants now OWN the pats.  Congratulations, NY Giants!!

NYC is a happier place when we win the Superbowl.  Strangers greet each other on the streets.  I went out, bad leg and all, for an evening stroll (in what must be the epitome of stupidity, I walked about a mile last night to go to White Castle because I didn't want to move my car from its primo spot in front of the house.  Except that I have a paid spot that's only a block away.  Let's see.... leave the car in front of the house and walk a mile or move the car, lose the spot, and walk a block.  I chose to walk the mile.)  But it was cool.  My leg really does need movement, and I think that driving a car all the time doesn't give me the same degree of exercise as when I had to use public transpo. 

Although I am very grateful for owning a car.  I still use a metrocard when I have to go downtown during the day (which is increasingly more and more), and generally find it crowded (with people who have germs) and stinky and unpredictable.  When I'm in the car I can choose what I listen to.  On the train, I have to listen to whichever lunatic is talking the loudest.  Driving has spoiled me, I have to say.

I started this post to speak about an issue, which is same-gender-loving people.  Yeah, I spent lots of time working with People Living with HIV/AIDS; I'm also an African-American clergyperson.  The viewpoints represented by the two groups are generally quite divergent.  Same-gender-loving people generally want to be treated "the same" as everyone else.  Sorry, that's like treating people who are physically challenged "the same" as everyone else.  Maybe this is not pc, but I don't want my fireman to even be a small-statured female, let alone a physically challenged person.  And yes, I said "fireman," not "fire fighter."  It's not that I don't believe women are capable of it; it's just that men are generally bigger and stronger.  I'd prefer one of them.  I'd be OK with a requirement that said firefighters had to be at least 6' tall and had to have no greater than 20 or 25% body fat.  That would cut out a lot of woment, but it would also cut out a lot of men. 

Getting back to the point:  I don't think we should aim for a homogenous society where we pretend everybody's "the same," which is totally different from saying everyone has EQUAL RIGHTS.  I fervently believe that every American is deserving of equal rights.  That should have nothing to do with how you have sex or don't, how you procreate or don't; or whether or not you marry or don't.  It should have to do with your being an American.  But I'm doing my taxes right now and I'm a single woman. I don't know for sure, and hate taxes too much to run a sample scenario, but I'm pretty sure that if I were married, I'd be paying less taxes.  Yet, I don't have kids who go to school, so why should I pay less taxes than someone who's married and has three kids in public school?  I made decisions that meant I didn't have a bunch of kids on the public dole; why should my tax dollars support people who made decisions to landed them on public welfare (I'm not talking about people who ended up needing a hand; I'm talking about people who choose to drop out of school and have kids and then keep having them because welfare will pay more and because it's "easier" than having a 9-5).  There's something wrong with that.

And there's something wrong with me imposing my religious beliefs on everyone else.  As a Christian, we can't even agree on this same sex thing.  Some are vehemently opposed to it; others are enthusiastic supporters of it.  Anti-same-sex people always cite Biblical prohibitions against it, and argue that "sin is sin."  I get that.  I sooo get that, and I agree with that.  What I don't get is why we fail to understand that 1) unless we're able to read the Bible with the eyes and ears and in the language of the intended audience, then we're not getting the "real" Bible.  we're getting someone's interpretation; 2) we've conveniently ignored other Biblical mandates in Leviticus, like being put to death for using the Lord's name in vain (Lev 24:16), or for spiritualists (Lev 20:27); or the necessity for animal sacrifices (Lev 4: 1-10); the sanctioning of human slavery (25:44-46); the ban against eating fat (3:17); the ban agasint cutting your hair or beards (Lev 19:27); or eating shellfish (Lev 11:9-12); the death penalty for adultery (Lev. 20:10), or the fact that anyone who is disabled is considered "profane" (Lev. 21:18-23). 

Why is it that we've rationalized away all these other things in Leviticus but want to harp on the same-gender-loving issue as sin?  Violating any of the mandates above is sin, yet most of us do it without thinking about it.  Who made the decision that some sin is acceptable and other sin is not?  If "sin is sin," then shouldn't we consider ALL sin an affront, including those sins mentioned above?

Oh, New Testament?  Ya wanna talk New Testament?  Jesus?  The same Jesus who said we have to sell all our possessions, give them to the poor, and then we could follow him? (Luke 12:33, again in 18:22), the Jesus who tells us not to store up treasures on Earth (Matt: 6:19) -- that sorta shoots a hole in the whole "Prosperity Gospel" thing, you'd think, but thousands are still following that one...

In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus tells us that how we treat "the least of these" is how we treat Him.  How many Christians open up their houses to the poor?  Mark 10:25 tells us that it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, but you never hear us talking about denying rights or privileges to rich people.  Indeed, we give them preferential treatment.

OK, so I kinda went off on a tangent there.  My point is this:  We make all kinds of excuses when we want to use the Bible to support our point of view, and we use the Bible as a sledgehammer when we want it to confirm our point of view.  But if we were to pray on the meaning behind the Bible, that all are flawed, none are perfect, and no one can hope to have access to God except through the saving grace of Jesus the Christ, which is for ALL who will accept it -- if we are to pray on and stay with that meaning, if we are to focus on being FISHERS OF MEN (where we do the catching and leave it to God to do the cleaning), then perhaps, just perhaps, we can begin to meet our brothers and sisters where they are. 

Perhaps we can acknowledge that, "hey, you love your brother or your sister a little differently than I do." We can even go so far, if we must, as to say "I'm uncomfortable with that," or even "I think that's wrong."  But I don't believe we should go so far as to say "I'm uncomfortable with YOU," or "I think YOU'RE wrong."  You may be different.  I may not understand you.  I may not even like you.  But you are one of God's miraculous creations, just as I am.  How in the world -- no, how in the UNIVERSE could I dare to presuppose that I somehow have a corner or a handle or a monopoly of some sort on God's salvific power?  How could I presume to know that God's salvation, extended to all, has been grasped by me and not by you?  How could I know that, while looking at your grip on salvation, I have not somehow interfered with my own?

I don't know.  It's late, and I have to get out of the office.  But at the end of the day, I don't think you get to sit in judgement of anyone else.  If you think certain things are wrong and not in keeping with your religious (or social or personal) beliefs, you get the right to think that.  You get the right to speak on that.  I just don't think you get the right to judge that, or to treat those "others" in anything besides a loving way. 

If you're wearing a horrid color that simply does not serve you, common sense and common courtesy do not demand that I tell you right then and there.  If I don't know you, I might look at you and go on my way. If you're my friend, I might call you to the side and put a bug in your ear, but at the end of the day, how you live your life and wear your clothes is between you and your tailor or stylist.  I'm totally free to think or have an opinion.  I'm totally free to not associate with people who are (IMO) fashion-challenged.  But I don't get to act differently towards them.

It's the same way with same-gender-loving people.  What's all the fuss about?  So you don't approve.  So you don't understand.  Who made you the final arbiter?  Jesus didn't ask you to monitor who loved whom or how they loved;  Jesus commanded YOU to love one another -- to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength, and then to love your neighbor as yourself. 

Nothing else to say. ....