Dear Glen Mar friends,
I’m really excited for this weekend’s conclusion to our Kintsugi series—and Pastor Melaina will be bringing the message while I get to be with our Confirmation Class. I have been given a preview of her message and y’all are in for a blessing! Come on out—you do NOT want to miss it!
As we continue in Black History Month, I wanted to offer 5 more “gifts” or “lessons” I have learned from the Black Church (or people formed in the Black Church tradition) to add to last week’s list of 5.
- The Black Church taught me about vulnerability and the completely unconditional love of God—that it was OK to be who I am in Church, and the Church would still accept and love me, no matter what. “Whosoever believeth in Him” means, really, anyone. Whosoever.
- It’s OK to listen to the Holy Spirit—and dance when the Spirit says dance, and sing when the Spirit says sing, and sit still when the Spirit says sit still. And it’s OK to be emotional in Church, and it’s OK to cry. Because, you know,….God is there and God is good, and we bring real pain and real joy into the church house.
- That picture of Jesus on the wall of my Sunday school class in 1978—the one where Jesus had lily-white skin and blond hair and blue eyes—was NOT historically accurate at all. And if all a person knows of Jesus is “White Jesus,” that would be really hard to process as a person of color. See also, God is Not An Old White Man with a Beard….
- The Black Church modeled radical gospel hospitality for me. They literally embraced me and my entire family from the moment we met. They prayed for me before they even met me. They set a feast for each other and for guests. They tripped over one another to help one another.
- When Jesus changes a heart, a changed life should follow. And a changed life should lead to a changed community. (John Wesley also believed this #noholinessbutsocialholiness.
Shirley Burbank’s family invites you to join them for Shirley’s Celebration of Life service on Saturday, February 10 at 11:00 am in our Chapel. Here’s the link to the obituary describing her amazing life, including her part in the fight for civil rights.
See you in Church,
Pastor Mandy
PS. Don’t forget to sign up to help with our Cold Weather Shelter week! It’s off-site and there are so many ways to help.
