Week Of Prayer

National Week of Prayer For The Healing of AIDS

The National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS is the coming together of all people of faith to unite with purpose, compassion and hope. Through the power of God’s love we will educate every American about HIV prevention facts; encourage and support HIV testing; advocate for the availability of compassionate care and treatment for all those living with the disease in every community in America; and love unconditionally all persons living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. The mission of The Balm In Gilead is to prevent diseases and to improve the health status of people of the African Diaspora by providing support to faith institutions in areas of program design, implementation and evaluation which strengthens their capacity to deliver programs and services that contribute to the elimination of health disparities.  (BALM IN GILEAD©)

At Thy Right Hand

This Nonsense With Titles

When you stand before God, and, you will, He’s not going to ask you what your title is. He’s not going to care about your advanced degrees. Your honorary degrees. How many letters are before or after your name. He’s not going to care if you call yourself “apostle” or “prophet.” It will make absolutely no difference to Him if you have an MDiv or a MACM or a ThM. He won’t care what board you’re the chairman of or that you’re the vice-moderator of thus-and-so-convention. God won’t be impressed by your head count. You don’t get a special entrance to Heaven because you’re a bishop. There will be no Bishops Only express line. No Pastors Only luxury suite. When you stand before God you will stand before Him absolutely naked. No fine clothes. No Lexus. No rings and Rolexes. No gold crucifixes. No intricate robes. No socks. And He won’t care about that degree you worked so hard for. He won’t care how much you have in the bank or what your pension plan is. None of the things we, in our tradition, strive for. Things we value above all else: these ridiculous positions within the church hierarchy and the titles that go with them. God won’t care anything about that. All He will care about is our work. What work have we done? How has it fed people? Clothed people? How have we invested ourselves in their lives? Long after you’re dead and gone, only your work will be able to speak for you.  READ ESSAY

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Obama Addresses Republicans

2010 State Of The Union Address

Remaking Sarah Palin

Precious (Trailer)

Michael Jackson: This Is It

Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Obama Needs A Big Win

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A Precious Win

This film never opened here.

Colorado Springs residents who wanted to see Lee Daniels' brilliant, Oscar®-winning Precious had to make the hour-plus drive to Denver. While I'm slow to attribute this to outright racism, as Precious opened in precious few cities, all the buzz from Sundance and wins at the Golden Globes and now the Oscars (including screenwriter Jeffrey Fletcher's historic win—the first African American screenwriter to win an Academy Award) would make you think the film should qualify for a wide release. Nope. Just never opened here. even worse, there's a deafening silence, an alarming lack of outrage from the black community here, who, frankly, never seem to get outraged about much (except one person, one, who complained about Mo'Nique's character's use of the word "ass" in the Precious trailer, this one complaint causing a church to take the clip off of their website). Church Folk complain, routinely, about the wrong things, missing the point, entirely, that the negatives of Precious are also the grim reality the Gospel was intended to engage.

Click To PLayFrom MSNBC: "Precious" star Mo'Nique startled fans with dramatic depths previously unsuspected in the actress known for lowbrow comedy. "I would like to thank the academy for showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics," said Mo'Nique, who plays the heartless, abusive welfare mother of an illiterate teen (Gabourey Sidibe, a best-actress nominee in her screen debut) in the Harlem drama "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire." Mo'Nique added her gratitude to the first black actress to win an Oscar, Hattie McDaniel, the 1939 supporting-actress winner for "Gone With the Wind." "I want to thank Miss Hattie McDaniel for enduring all that she had to so that I would not have to," she said, adding thanks to Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, who signed on as executive producers to spread the word on "Precious" after it premiered at last year's Sundance Film Festival. "Precious" also won the adapted-screenplay Oscar for Geoffrey Fletcher. "This is for everybody who works on a dream every day. Precious boys and girls everywhere," Fletcher said.  (MSNBC©)
 

The Trouble With Barack

“Barack Obama has grandly failed to lead the nation emotionally

as well as rationally,” Newsweek's Jon Meacham wrote. “What works in a classroom or a think tank does not work on Capitol Hill or in the White House. Obama sometimes seems to be running the Brookings Institution, not the country. Like all of us, Obama has the vices of his virtues. He is cool and steady, but can seem cold and remote. He is thoughtful and thorough, but can appear eggheady and out of it. He appeals to the intellect, but often fails to make the visceral case for something.” Meacham’s engaging essay, The Trouble With Barack, is well worth the read. It is, despite my choice of quote, here, quite positive of the president, making the case that the conservative right’s scare tactics present a distorted view of Obama, presenting him as an extreme liberal when a sober review of the president’s record fins him just slightly right of center (including the president's health care reform ambitions, which Meacham describes as "just to the right of those of Richard Nixon").

But I agree with Meacham’s assessment of the president’s biggest failure thus far: to lead, to inspire. He’s been, for the most part, the Negotiator-In-Chief, wasting enormous amounts of time working within a Pollyannaish view of Congress—specifically the Senate—and, from what I can tell, wrongly assuming these men and women are, in fact grownups. The sheer vitriol going on in Congress, on both sides of the aisle, paints a picture of a deeply insecure gang of children. The sheer level of childishness—from petty agendas to dirty tricks—going on in the face of the worst economic crisis this country has ever faced defies description. These folks seem concerned exclusively with their own reelection chances. Their focus on the coming midterm elections inhibits every choice, every decision, as conservatives bank hard right and liberals move to the center, nervous about being blamed if things go wrong.

Well, guess what, Sherlock: things HAVE gone wrong. And we DO blame you—all of you petulant, snotty-nosed children running the country. Democrats: you absolutely will get voted out of you fail to act, to do what we voted you nitwits in to do. Democrats spent eight years tip toeing around conservatives. Now we’ve thrown the bums out, but the Dems, idiots that they are, are still tip-toeing.

Meanwhile the president seems to be living in some alternate universe. He seems oblivious to the preposterous level of sophomoric behavior up on the hill. Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan—these guys would have strong-armed, threatened, insulted people’s mothers. Would have gone on TV and embarrassed them. These men set the tone. Instead, President Obama seems to be insisting on an admirable path of hands-off legislating. But all it’s done is drag his numbers down, push moderates and independents to the right, and bog down the president’s hopeful agenda in a mud wrestle of name-calling.

I was heartened to see the president finally talk tough last week. Rumors abound that the president’s chief of staff, Rohm Emanuel, is the likely author of Obama’s thus-far professorial tip-toeing, and that the president is fed up with the foolishness in Congress and had finally gotten the message: Step Up, Mr. President. All of which could be clever White House maneuvering, or it could be table setting for Emanuel’s long-planned departure, with, hopefully, a more determined president emerging in Emanuel’s wake.

Much like Mr. Clinton, President Obama has done a great deal of simply amazing work under impossible stress and in difficult times. And, like Mr. Clinton, he has thus far done a terrible job of telling his own story. Modesty has absolutely no place in Washington, where whomever shouts the loudest tends to be the one telling the story. Only, the loudest voice, in any room, at any time, is that of the president of the United States. Thirteen months later, Mr. Obama has finally made a good start. I hope and pray he continues, now, to do what he should have done from the very start: lead. Bully if he has to. But, we’re begging you, Mr. President, get something done.   POST REPLY
 

Casting Crowns

There was once this barbaric tradition,

here, of Church Folk gathering at a crowded little buffet place after church. This restaurant, Furs, was crowded not because the food was so great (at times it reminded me a high school cafeteria) but because its process were so low. Low enough that the chain vanished from Ourtown a few years back. But, during its heyday, most Church Folk could be found congregating there after Sunday service, services they often groused about going too long, only to then spend hour upon hour gossiping at Fur’s.

In this mix, you could always tell who the pastors were. They were the guys, most often the pot-bellied guys, wearing their hats. These men would get out of their fancy cars, just a s often ungracious, stereotypical Cadillacs and so forth, who would then don top coats and hats for the twenty-foot walk to the restaurant door. Being a guy who’d die naked if they’d let me, I could never understand why these pastors insisted on bringing these heavy coats and gregarious clown-pimp hats into a restaurant only a few feet from their car. It’s not as if these men had to march across the frozen tundra to get there. The wives would, just as often, put on mink and ridiculous gold lame “crown” hats, a quizzical display of prosperous bling considering going to Fur’s on a Sunday usually told the world what a cheapskate you were.

Inside, many of the pastors would

remove the heavy coat—which they wore just to show it off—and go through convolutions of finding an empty chair or such they could park their folded armor into before seating themselves—with their gregarious hats on—to eat dinner. Many, to my direct observation, did not even remove their hats when they prayed over the table. It was like a convention of Insecurity Anonymous, these people behaving like ten-year olds in desperate need of external validation. And, I’m not talking ball caps. I’m talking large, gregarious fedoras, some with bands and feathers and such. Pimp hats. Some of these men having removed their top coat and even their suit jacket, rolled up their sleeves, and dug into fried chicken and mashed potatoes while still wearing a large eyesore of a felt Fedora.  Those were the pastors.   CONTINUED


No. 297 March 7, 2010


 The Future of Black Politics

Why Blacks Give Obama A Pass


Farrakhan: Obama &  'White Right'


Video: Sharpton: On Public Schools


Newsweek: Portraits In Black


NAACP Elects Youngest Chair


Racial Disparity In Health Care

PraiseNotes


The Potter's House Denver

Congratulations to The Reverend Dr. E. Christopher Hill who was installed last week as the new Senior Pastor of The Potter's House Denver, formerly Heritage Christian Center. Bishop T.D. Jakes led the ceremony recognizing 25 years of service by retiring Bishop Dennis Leonard, who built a truly diverse, multicultural ministry in the Metro-Denver area. heritagechristiancenter.com

Soulmates: A Tribute To Love

Noeme M. Feliciano , author of Soul Mates: A Tribute To Love and God's Children, will be conducting a book signing from 6 to 9 pm on Saturday, March 20th, 2010 at Relevant Word Christian Cultural Center, 1040 South Institute (near Fountain). For more information, contact the church at 719.635.6640, relevantword.org or soulmatesone.com

Colorado Springs Apr. 2nd: The Trial of Jesus

Emmanuel MBC presents a contemporary courtroom drama of the synoptic Gospels chronicling the trial of Jesus of Nazareth. The play will be performed at 6:00 PM, Friday, April 2nd at Mitchell High School, 1205 Potter Drive (off of Galley Road near Academy Blvd). Free to the public. Please contact Sis Mildred Galbreath if interested in participating or helping out.


 

Next: Privacy: A Preacher's Confession

I got hurt in a very public way, in a very public relationship that never existed. She thought one thing, I thought another. I thought I was clear. I wasn't. The result, embarrassment, hurt feelings, and the loss of a friend. We speak, but not like we used to. And that pains me. I'm not saying that I'm the good guy. I don't have to be the hero of the story. The reality is that once I knew there was a fondness, I should've acted more proactively to protect myself, to protect my ministry and to protect her. I didn't do that.

Channels


Click To Visit The Precis 

The Précis: Faith, Community, Hope. In Color

Christian Culture in the African American perspective, distributed to over 120,000 readers by the Colorado Springs Independent.

State Of The Black Union

Tavis Smiley's unforgettable gathering of black leaders discussing the state of affairs in African America. Cornell West, Harry Belafonte, Al Sharpton, Louis Farrakhan and more.

eStyle: Empowering Spiritual Thinking In Young Lives

A progressive and engaging online ministry to youth and young adults, containing proactive essays, bible studies, media reviews and more.

Holla! At Neil Brown

A collection of sermons and no-holds barred essays from a long-time minister to youth and young adults dealing with issues confronting teens and young adults.

Keeping It Real With Dr. Henry Johnson

A collection of sermons and essays from the late Reverend Dr. Henry F. Johnson, a teacher and pastor and founding partner of PraiseNet.Org.

Brace Yourself By Joy Banks

A collection of proactive, in-your-face studies engaging women's issues by Christian Counselor Joy O. Banks.

Boys And Girls: Straight Talk About Sex

An unflinching examination of issues of love and sexuality confronting teens and young adults.

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Remaking Sarah

The Republican party, what’s left of it, is now in much the same situation the Democrats had been in throughout much of the Bush era. They are fractured and without an obvious leader or consistent voice. T-Ball moms, lightheaded from the lack of oxygen there inside the snow globe, could win Palin the nomination. A term-and-one-half mayor and half-term governor whose biggest political achievement thus far has been to help the Democrats win a House district they’ve lost 75 years running, Palin continues to dazzle the clueless, the nail-biters, the beleaguered sock-puppet mommies who glance at headlines and grasp only sound bites.

Nobel, Obama And Us

In the past year, both as candidate and president, Barack Obama has done more to advance the goals of global peace than any living human being. I know this sounds preposterous to many of us, but it is nonetheless true: Barack Obama has changed the world. And it is precisely that seismic event, that massive shift in America’s face and therefore the global environment, that Nobel is recognizing. The only reason we are gasping is we are ignorant. The world must think us idiots not to congratulate our own president and, worse, for not seeing past our own porch steps to understand the impact our president is having on this planet..

The Public Option

Looking at the images on the news, I imagine it would be difficult for a black mother to teach her child to not fear or loathe white people. For, even a child witnessing the outpouring of hatred against this nation’s president could hardly help but come away with the idea that white people hate us. When the first shots are fired, they won’t be aimed at the president. They'll be aimed at some kid. Some black kid, some Latino kid, wandering through a park where these extremists are standing around hollering. It’ll be some black kid giving the racists among them the finger. Some homeless guy asking for a handout. The shot will ring out. And then we all lose

Those Who Wait: The Health Care Mess

I don’t pretend to know any more about the health care mess than the people yelling, but I do know something about the people waiting. It’s reasonable to assume the people waiting are in much greater pain than the people yelling. Whichever of the two you are, I think there should be a consensus that there is an egregious lack of compassion.

Home Invasion: Henry Louis Gates

The whole matter may well have set the cause of racial equality back perhaps years as, in spite of the president’s careful moonwalk back from his earlier statements, blacks around the country are still on the verge of chartering busses in support of a beloved figure to whom no racial injustice had been done.

     

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Contains sample/edit of Monday's Pain (The Bridge) by Leon Lewis and Brian Courtney Wilson, and Already Here by Brian Courtney Wilson . Performed by Brian Courtney Wilson. From the Music World CD Just Love. Copyright © 2009 Spirit Rising Music/Music World Productions. All Rights Reserved.

PraiseNet Adrianne Archie HSMS Sampler 56

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Romans Chapter 4. Excerpts from Inspired By...The Bible Experience Copyright © 2008 Inspired By Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

PraiseNet Black History Mix 18
contains Sample/edit of Sample/edit of Overture by C. Boardman, J. Hayes, J. Hey, Qincy Jones, R. Kerber, J. Lubbock, Lionel Richie, F. Steiner, and Rod Temperton, and Maybe God Is Tryin' to Tell You Somethin' by Andrae Crouch, D. Del Sesto, Quincy Jones and Bill Maxwell. Performed by various artists. From the Qwest CD The Color Purple (Original Soundtrack). Copyright © 1985 Warner Bros. Music. All rights reserved. Sample/edit of Victor Nelson's Cotton Field, Elgin, Texas, 1940 by Hannibal Lokumbe. Performed by the Hannibal Lokumbe Quartet featuring Jevetta Steele and the Morgan State University Choir. From the Teldec Classics CD African Portraits. Copyright © 1995 Teldec Classics International, GMBH, Hamburg, Germany. A Warner Music Group Company. Sample/edit of Overture as arranged by Quincy Jones and Mervyn Warren. Produced by Quincy Jones and Mervyn Warren. From the Warner Alliance CD  Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration. Copyright © 1992 Warner Bros. Records. All Rights Reserved.

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