Real Talk

Peace and blessings,

My Fiancee' put me on to this movie,

What Would Jesus Buy?

back in December and we decided to check it out. The premise of the film is that the

Church of Stop Shopping,

led by Rev. Billy decides to embark on a nationwide tour hitting up major retailers and malls throughout the country trying to convince people to stop and think before they purchase something. They acknowledge in the film that it is nearly impossible to ask people to stop shopping completely, because frankly speaking, we have to purchase some things. Instead their message is that we should not get into the habit of purchasing things (especially during Christmas) excessively or in ways that suggest that an item purchased at a store is more important to human relationships (e. g. parent-child, friend-friend) than human love and affection within those relationships. In addition, their message is that excessive purchasing during Christmas brings us one step closer to the "shopacalypse" and further away from appreciating and representing Christ's birth (and subsequently His life and resurrection). I don't think there is anything wrong with getting and receiving gifts because I frequently engage in both (lol). I just think our focus in doing so needs to be on the relationships we are thankful to God for, and not because we add unnecessary value to those things we purchase. Below is a pic from the film (hilarious) and a trailer for the movie. It's comedy with social commentary but at times there are some pretty serious parts to the film (like when Billy's wife is discouraged because she doesn't think their campaign is effective).












What do you think? Take care, God bless, and speekonit...

Labels: Christ, Church of Stop Shopping, Comedy, consumersim, movies, What Would Jesus Buy?

Peace and blessings,

Last week, I included an article on the incident in Dunbar Village, a housing development in Florida. The argument made at

What About Our Daughters

was that given the other incidents involving criminal acts and/or the lack of justice that have received consistent, national attention, the Dunbar Village incident should have received much more coverage and elicited much more reaction from the nation's leaders than it has. Now by "attention" I don't mean we should be bombarded with the incident constantly. I am referring to attention in a more moral sense, as a reminder of how bad we can treat one another if we are not constantly guarding our mind and spirit. On a personal note, I think this argument is valid because it seemed like since the initial article in which I heard about this horrific event months ago, I haven't really heard much more on the issue. For one, no one should have to experience what that woman and her son experienced. I will continue to keep them in my prayers and pray that God restores their life two-fold. I equally pray for the young men who committed this crime, because the nature of this act is proof of the spiritual warfare that exists, and we must constantly guard ourselves. I pray that they seek Christ, receive forgiveness, forgive themselves, and transform their lives according to His will (Romans 12:2).

Hearing things like this truly hurts my heart. One cannot read about this incident and not feel for the victims. The more I think about it, the more I am perplexed as to why there is not more of a national response on behalf of leaders to not only bring closure to this issue and to do what's needed to help out the victims in any way possible, but also to make sure that we as a nation, as people, are more careful about how we treat each other, and more aware of our need to pray for and look out for each other. In a nutshell, this should not have happened. Below are a few articles on the incident. Even in writing this post I am late and behind in terms of the most recent updates, so I'll make sure to provide updates as I find them. Let me know your thoughts on the issue. Take care and speekonit...


1)

Info center for the Dunbar Village Incident

2)

Family discusses details of the event

3)

Pharmacy donates medicine to the mother and her son

Labels: attention, Christ, Dunbar Village, justice, moral

"These three characteristics - one, contagiousness; two, the fact that little causes can have big effects; and three, that change happens not gradually but at one dramatic moment - are the same three principles that define how measles move through a grade-school classroom or the flu attacks every winter. Of the three, the third trait - the idea that epidemics can rise or fall in one dramatic moment - is the most important, because it is the principle that makes sense of the first two and that permits the greatest insight into why modern change happens the way it does. The name given to that one dramatic moment in an epidemic when everything can change all at once is the Tipping Point (Gladwell, p. 9)."



"While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captian of the temple, and the Sadducees came to them, much annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead. So they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who heard the word believed; and they numbered about five thousand(Acts 4:1-4)."


"But among them were some men of Cyprus and Cyrene who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists also, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord (Acts 11:20-21)."


"But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift....The gifts He gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers...(Ephesians 4:7-11)."


Peace and blessings,

I just wanted to follow up with my thoughts of Malcolm Gladwell's (2000) "The Tipping Point." Last time I briefly touched on two main ideas of the book. The first was the idea that social epidemics occur in pretty much the same fashion as biological or medical epidemics. This point is illustrated in the first quote above. The other idea was his argument that in many if not all social epidemics, the three types of people who are essential to the movement spreading are Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen.

In this follow-up, I want to share my thoughts on how I think these two ideas can be applied to our understanding as Christians of the roll all of us play in the Great Commission which Jesus outlined for us in Matthew 28:18-20. I am going to begin by highlighting what I think are some general connections between the gifts God has given us and the three types of people described by Gladwell (2000), and conclude by drawing similarities and distinctions bewteen Gladwell's "Tipping Point," and what I believe to be the Christian equivalent.

In the last quote, Paul lists a few gifts that God has given us, to be used in the spreading of Jesus' ministry. Like Gladwell's (2000) descriptions of Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen, the gifts that have been distributed among believers each play a specific role in the movement. For instance, the gift of teaching may embody certain skills, dispositions, and temperaments that differ from the gift of evangelizing. Now of course these gifts do not have to be independent of each other, because I believe that we are all born with multiple gifts. Further, I believe that which gifts are able to "sprout up" and which ones are "shut down" has a lot to do with our environmental influences, but that's a topic for another time, lol. In addition to this idea that we as individuals play an important role in bringing about movements or social epidemics, Gladwell and Paul (or someone writing in the name of Paul) are suggesting that humans are inherently social, therefore understanding our gifts, skills, and temperaments is to understand the great movements or social epidemics of our time. Indeed, Stiles (1995) echoes this notion of social influence in his book "Speaking of Jesus," where he talks about the significance of divine appointments and how the most minor or casual conversations can lead to monumental changes in people's lives.

In addition to these three types of people, Gladwell (2000) argues that there are three rules to social epidemics. Further, he argues that the third rule, which is that change happens in one moment dramatically and not in incremental moments gradually, is what he refers to as the "Tipping Point." Before I go on to talk about his notion of a Tipping Point, I first want to comment on his belief that change occurs dramatically and not gradually. I would have to disagree with this assertion, because I think that most instances of major change is a result of both gradual and dramatic moments. In many of the examples he gives in the book (e.g. the popularity of airwalk shoes, teen smoking, and teen male suicide), I would argue that underlying those "dramatic" changes are slower, gradual changes. In other words, I think that it is because of incremental changes that dramatic change is possible. Ok, back to what I was saying before, lol...

In the two instances in the book of Acts that are captured above in the second and third quotes, the Great Commission was being carried out in major ways. Large groups of people were experiencing and coming to Christ in notably dramatic fashion. In Acts 4:1-4, about five thousand people came to Christ. Now talk about a social epidemic! Similarly in Acts 11:20-21, large numbers of people also came to Christ. What could have "caused" these dramatic changes? What accounted for the spread of this "epidemic?" As mentioned earlier, Gladwell (2000) and the author of Ephesians agree that we are social beings, and thus have an important role in bringing about major change. Where I think the difference lies is in their views of what the Tipping Point is. For Gladwell (2000), the Tipping Point can come about due to a certain number, context, or action. For Christians, the Tipping Point is something different. It is true that in both of these instances in Acts, there were dedicated, influential, people of God teaching and proclaiming the gospel to massess of people at the time these major changes were taking place. However, I'm certain that it was not the teachers and proclaimers themselves that caused all of those people to encounter Christ and come to believe. The Tipping Point which led all those people to come to Christ was none other than the Holy Spirit Himself. Sure, the preachers and proclaimers played a role, just as all of us as Christians play a role in sharing the love and gospel of Jesus Christ. However, I strongly believe that the roles we play are only to "set up" the situations to where God will move, bring about His will, and get all the glory in the process. Now, I'm not saying God needs us to set up these situations, because He doesn't. God will do what He's going to do with or without us. Because He loves us and calls us into a relationship with Him, He also calls us to take part in His reaching the world. This is an ongoing theme in many of Brux Cavey's messages, who is Pastor of The Meeting House in Canada. Isn't God amazing?

I know this is a lot to throw at you, but I would really appreciate your thoughts on this issue. Until next time, stay blessed and speekonit...

Labels: Acts, change, Christ, Ephesians, gifts, Gladwell, Great Commision, Holy Spirit, Jesus, John, Lord, Matthew, Peter, Sadducees, Tipping Point

Peace and blessings,

Let me first apologize for just now posting this. In this second part of my response to McNeil and Richardson’s “The Heart of Racial Justice: How Soul Change Leads to Social Change,” I want to highlight what I think are some of the book’s main points. As mentioned in the previous post, the book emphasizes the cultural, ethnic, and social nature of the bible, and our call as Christians to avoid perpetuating differences but work towards reconciling relationships between people and groups. To do this, they urge us to view any tool of injustice and division (e.g. institutional, economic, racial/ethnic, cultural) as a product or representative of sin itself. By identifying this sin, we will be in a better position to spiritually equip ourselves through prayer, forgiveness, scripture, and reconciliation to take claim of the victory over sin, which Christ solidified through his death and resurrection.

One of my favorite chapters of the book is chapter seven, where the authors discuss the role of receiving forgiveness for the sins we’ve committed against others (and thus God), and extending forgiveness to those who have sinned against us. The chapter discusses a time in Richardson’s (who is white) past when he and his brother were attacked by some African American youth. Realizing that the stereotypes he formed regarding African Americans based on this incident was and would continue to hinder his ministry, he decided to confront and eliminate the stereotype once and for all. During his prayer, he asked Jesus to enter into his memory and into that incident. Recalling the incident with Jesus being fully involved, he was able to see Jesus’ love and restorative power, as Jesus broke up the attack and spoke words of healing into the situation. This example spoke to me immensely because until reading this I never thought about inviting Jesus into my hurtful, past experiences that have shaped how I view people, the world, and ultimately myself.

The other chapter that I really enjoyed was chapter eight, which shifts the focus on the human problem to the sin problem. It’s not the person or group per se that is the source of conflict, strife, and injustice, but the spiritual forces influencing them. The chapter is best summarized by the following quote:

“How can one close one’s eyes at the fact that the demons themselves have taken over rule of the world, that it is the powers of darkness who have here made an awful conspiracy?”

- Deitrich Bonhoeffer, cited in McNeil & Richardson, pg. 113

These words, spoken by a Lutheran Minister who actively opposed Nazi Germany, highlights not only the source of our world’s problems, but also the responsibility (personal and collective) we have to address problems once we are aware of their source. In one of the most powerful scenes in the first “Matrix”(1999) movie, once Neo is “unplugged” from the matrix, he notices that his eyes are bothering him. Once he tells Morpheus that his eyes are bothering him, Morpheus replies by saying that it is because he “never used them before.” Similarly, I think that as we as Christians work towards progressing in our personal, social, and cultural walk in Christ, we are going to experience constant phases of learning-unlearning-relearning because we are constantly experiencing new ways to view ourselves, others, and the world through our newly acquired, ever-evolving spiritual eyes.

To conclude the book, the authors leave us with the following challenge:


“This is a new season for leadership in the church. No longer will we be defined by a few charismatic superstar leaders at the center of all Christian activity. We are moving into a corporate model of leadership in this day. The new models of leadership that are emerging will be much more accountable to the communities they serve. In order to accomplish this, God is moving people forward into places of authority and responsibility. We must be ready to take a stand.”

McNeil & Richardson, pg. 155

No comment here, as the challenge is pretty self-explanatory. What do you think? About inviting Jesus into our hurtful memories and experiences? About getting used to using our spiritual eyes? About the role of Christians in reconciling people, groups, and nations of the world? Until next time, be encouraged, share your thoughts, and speekonit…

Labels: Christ, cultural, division, heart, Heart of Racial Justice: How Soul Change Leads to Social Change, injustice, Jesus, justice, personal, prayer, racial, sin, stereotypes

Peace and blessings,



"...From the cotton fields/to lashes on our back/and before that/we still here forever/proving that we strong black/The Sanhedrin council's been brought back/and what that means/is the end is even closer than it seems/Christ reigns supreme through the heart of a king/I pump life through these streams/of these dark streets/But salvation/is a choice not a mandate/but it will/in the end choose a man's place/So when I stand at the throne of the Almighty/All I'll have is the blood and my cause for life."


The featured artist this week is Soul Plasma. These tracks are taken from his album, "The Soul effect." Now let's get into business...

This is the opening track called "Intro/the rise."




The next track is my favorite on the album and it's called "Survive" Ft. Toni Hill. It has a social critique feel with an aoura reminiscent of the Black Power movement.



This track is called "My Freedom" and it features ft. L-Pro and Eurban Truth. The song is dope, and is accentuated by the track's opening poem.



This is the "Outro/cause for life" and this would be my favorite track on the album, except for the fact that it's not a full song.



What you think? Weigh in and speekonit...

Labels: Christ, Christian hip hop, Sanhedrin council, Soul Effect, Soul Plasma

Peace and Blessings,

I'm going to start off this discussion like I do all of my "semi-important" thoughts, with a reflection on one of my favorite cartoons, lol. Even though the X-Men is my favorite contemporary (i.e. mid 1990s) cartoon, my all-time favorite cartoon is the

Classic Voltron Lion Force

This is my favorite cartoon because of its concept and its implications. I can talk about favorite cartoons and especially Voltron for days, but I'll give you the abridged version. The premise behind Voltron is the following: One cannot survive on one's own, therefore life is based upon and requires

UNITY

Voltron Lion Force consisted of 5 people, each of which were responsible for their own lion. As a team, they were responsible for promoting and maintaining peaceful relationships among those of other nations or planets, and defended the Universe ONLY WHEN THEY HAD TO. It seems like the Bush administration could learn a lesson from Voltron's "foreign policy." During those times when they had to defend the planet, it appeared as if the lions could not defeat the enemy own their own. Once the lions came together and formed Voltron, however, the team was unstoppable. Initially, I could not understand why on every episode the individual lions would get "mopped up." The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized that the individual lions' defeat is consistent with the cartoon's overall premise that one cannot survive on his or her own accord. It was only when the lions came together to form something greater than themselves that they were able to overcome all obstacles.

During his ministry, the Apostle Paul focused a great deal on the importance of unity. In Galatians 5:13-14 he states,

"For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self- indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"

I don't think that the word "slaves" as it is used here refers to being literally subserviant to and being treated as inferior by another. Instead, I am more than confident that it was referring to the idea that we must love each other in a way that puts their needs on par with, and sometimes before our own. Further, Paul's emphasis in 1 Corinthians 12:14-26 on individuals from different backgrounds and walks of life all being part of the Body of Christ suggests that for Christians, we cannot discriminate amongst each other based on gifts, status, or anything else. Because the body of Christ consists of a variety of different people, then it follows that an individual within the body of Christ is connected to and dependent upon everyone else in the body as well.

Before I end, I just wanted to introduce

an organization that embodies this essence of Unity

Some of the services they provide include providing food and housing, job and computer skills training, drug recovery, and other forms of ministry.
Not only does CityTeam Ministries represent unity with respects to its team members, their emphasis on transforming the lives of the marginalized suggests the realization that regardless of our background and position in life, we are all connected.

What do you think? What is your meaning of unity? What would it look like for this meaning of unity to be actualized in America? Throughout the world? Weigh in and speekonit...

Labels: cartoons, Christ, Corinthians, discriminate, foreign policy, Paul, relationships, team, unity, Voltron

// posted by Thoughtz @ 9:59 PM 3 Comments

"But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired."
-Isaiah 40:31 (NKJ Amplified)

At church a couple of weeks ago, pastor gave a powerful message based on this passage. In particular, he emphasized the importance of being eagles, and the implications that being "eagle people" has for our lives. He mentioned that the strength of their wings and the fact that they fly alone. With regards to their wing strength, it is important to always be aware of our own weaknesses as individuals, and that it is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to triumph ("soar") in a given situation. In terms of flying alone, pastor just as eagles fly alone, we as Christians, because we are in the world but not of it, must sometimes stand alone and face ostracism (i.e. there are just some things that, because we know Christ, we can no longer get down with). Although we may feel alone, however, we are never actually alone because God is and will always be with us. He is the very reason we fly.

While realizing the importance of being "eagle-minded" and what the eagle symbolizes, I couldn't help but think of

Nelly's "Flap Your Wings"

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that song's purpose, content, and images are the antithesis of what the pastor was talking about with regards to being "eagle-minded." As Christians, flying high as eagles means that we walk in authority knowing that we are children of God. One of the most important components of "flying high" means that we have respect for ourselves, as well as confidence knowing that God made us "the head and not the tail." However, "Flap Your Wings" tells women to "drop down," while dancing in a degrading manner. I know the value of freedom of expression, but I have a problem with "expressing" themes that do not build up the self. I'm not trying to hate, but then I am. We have to be careful of the images we put forth and the themes we promote. More times than not, the implications of our words and actions extend past our immediate surroundings, sometimes taking on a life of their own.

What are your thoughts on Isaiah 40:31, and on what it means to be an eagle?
What do you think of the "Flap Your Wings" video?
Any connections between the two?

Stay blessed and until next time, speekonit...

Labels: Christ, Christians, degrading, degrading lyrics, eagle, eagle-minded, Flap Your Wings, fly, God, hip-hop, Holy Spirit

Peace and blessings,
This time around, the featured artist is Trip Lee, a member of the Christian hip-hop collective known as the 116 Click. The collective is based on Romans 1:16, which reads:

"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God's power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,"
- NKJ Amplified


The following tracks are from his album, "If They Only Knew." The first track is entitled "Who You Rollin' Wit" and features fellow 116 click representatives Flame and Json. This track is an anthem for the body of Christ, laying out what it means to be "in the world but not of it," while demonstrating the importance of strength in numbers.




The next track is called "Behold the Christ." So without further, press play and behold the Christ...



This track, entitled "Give you that truth," is a comparison of the purpose, values, and content of secular and Christian hip-hop. What realy good? God, as always...



Feeling it yet? I already know the answer to that, but I'm going to hit with "more" anyway.



Any thoughts on the tracks? Enough to make you cop the album? Share your thoughts and speekonit...

Labels: Christ, Christian hip hop, Flame, If They Only Knew, Json, Trip Lee

Peace and blessings,

For my west coast folks, I'm sure you are familiar with Chino XL, a west-coast mc who's battle rap skills are phenomenal. If you've ever wondered what his style would sound like with Christ-centered lyrics, look no further: Introducing Shai Linne, a Philly MC with a fierce rhyme scheme, lyrical prowness, and rapid delivery. Oh yeah, and he's heavily versed in the dotrine of the Christian faith as well. Two of the following tracks are from his solo album, and the last track is from a guest appearance on another Christian MC's album.





The first track is called "Christ Crucified," and is basically about how the answers to the world's problems (social, economic, political, individual) rest in Jesus Christ.




This track is called "Random Thoughts" and it's just that. After a few seconds once it starts playing, it may stop. If that happens, then just put the cursor on the bar, and drag it forward (fast forward it) to about 45 seconds into it.




This track is off of Flame's Album "Rewind," and the song is titled "To My Heart" It's about the daily battles we go through with our sinful nature. All I can say is wow...



Hope you enjoyed the soul food. Holla back and speekonit...

Labels: Christ, Christian hip hop, Flame, Shai Linne

Pic courtesy of

aol sports blog

Peace and blessings,

As a person who has been a fan of and participant in sports since the 5th grade, the recent happenings within professional sports have brought me great joy. In Basketball, which is my favorite sport, there has been a recent surge of very talented/versatile/dominant young players over the past decade. Although I support the idea that high school basketball players should go to college before entering the NBA, players such as Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, and most recently Lebron James and Dwight Howard illustrate how gifted many of these young ballers are.

Although I enjoy watching these players ball, their talent alone is not what has recently brought me joy. What brings me joy is when an athlete properly attributes his or her athletic ability to the Source: God. During last week’s slam dunk contest, Dwight Howard performed a dunk that not only wowed us, but reminded us of the Source of everything that is “good” within or about us. During a time and place (NBA all-star weekend) where the world is marveling at the talent of some of the best athletes in the world, Dwight Howard reminded us of where the real focus should be. During one of his dunks, he placed a sticker at the top of the backboard. The sticker had the following written on it: “I can do all things through Christ.” (Phillipians 4:13).

Click here for more info

and

peep the dunk here

Enjoy, have a blessed weekend, and speekonit…

Labels: atheletes, Christ, God, NBA, Phillipians

Peace and blessings,

The following scripture speaks to the power and necessity of prayer. Given the events that transpired in Peter's life after this conversation with Jesus (i.e. his betrayal of Jesus three times and Jesus returning to redeem Peter three times), Jesus' prayer for Peter speaks volumes. The pic is courtesy of

Suite 101

"31Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has asked excessively that [all of] you be given up to him [out of the power and keeping of God], that he might sift [all of] you like grain, 32But I have prayed especially for you [Peter], that your [own] faith may not fail; and when you yourself have turned again, strengthen and establish your brethren."

Luke 22:31-32 (NKJ Amplified)

This scripture reminds me of the importance of praying for myself as well as others, because the devil stays on his grind. Since we already the victory through Christ, prayer to me is simply verbal confirmation between Jesus, God, and myself that the devil has no hold over us. Stay blessed and speekonit...

Labels: Christ, faith, Jesus, Luke, Peter, scriptures

Peace and blessings,

Out of the various churches i'ved visited or been apart of thus far, one thing is certain: Witnessing Jesus move in peoples' lives and hearing their testimony is something one must experience, because trying to use words to describe it does not do it justice. Hearing about the miracles Jesus performed and the lives he healed (e.g. mentally, emotionally, physically, etc...) is one thing, but to listen to the pastor or a member of the congregation speak about their personal encounters with Jesus is phenomenal. What's even more phenomenal, in my opinion, is when people encounter Jesus in settings outside of the church. If you have not read or heard about the story, let me introduce to you

Harmony Dust

...

As someone who was abused as a little girl and had a rocky relationship with her mother, her problems would increase as she got older. In the midst of financial problems and going to college (a combination in which too many are familiar), she decided to strip to make some extra money. What started as temporary became much more (e.g. she only planned to do it for a few months, but it turned into a few years), and her self-esteem started to feel the effects. In the midst of all of this, she started attending a church.


One night, she recall hearing a song that she had heard three years ago once she first started dancing, and took it as a sign that it was time for a change. After giving her life to Christ she left stripping. She now has a ministry called

Treasures out of darkness

. The purpose of the ministry is to reach out to women who are strippers, and to reveal Christ's love to them. Not only did she have the strength to leave and demand more for herself, she also was humble enough to reach out to others in a similar situation.

If you haven't already, make sure to check out her article and website(links provided below). These type of testimonies demonstrates the applicability of God's love to all areas of our lives, and the fact that He meets us wherever we are at. Furthermore, most of the women Jesus spent his time with were those who were social outcasts who probably had low self-esteem prior to encountering Jesus. Even though Jesus undoubtedly has the power to transform anyone's life, it does not excuse the personal responsibility to treat one another with love and encouragement, so that we do not contribute to situations that make it more likely for women to engage in that lifestyle. Who knows what would have happened if people reaffirmed Harmony from the beginning of her value and worth. Ahh, the power and love of Jesus. Until next time, speekonit...


http://www.glamour.com/news/articles/2006/12/stripper



http://www.iamatreasure.com/index2.html

Labels: Christ, churches, Harmony Dust, Jesus, ministry, strippers, Treasures Out of Darkness, women