Over the past few years, I have noticed that there is a very peculiar shift that is currently taking place within the body of Christ. A tendency of transition in the church universal.  The shift that I am speaking of is not one of doctrine, methodology, interpretation or identity (for better or worse, those changes have already begun to happen). The shift that I am speaking of is a generational shifting of the guard within the church.  We are currently residing in a time where many of our generals in the ministry, those who have led and labored for decades at the helm of churches around this country are getting…

On yesterday evening, the television network, Lifetime, began a 4 part series entitled “Surviving R. Kelly”. The show offers perspective and insight into the life of the famed R & B artist for which it is named. More significantly, the program also offers testimonials from numerous women who have been in relationship (both professional and personal) with R. Kelly. As I listened to these sisters courageously convey their different stories and experiences, a very common thread appeared to run through them all: respect & regard from them that was met with abusive behavior from him. While we may not know how much truth is in the stories that are shared,…

Christmas time for me is not only about the birth of my Savior, Jesus Christ, but it is also a signifier that I will have to hear the Temptations sing “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” until that same Savior returns. *I live in a city where there has been another young black man who has lost his life at the hands of law enforcement. Our people need to seriously consider the psychological effects of reading (and seeing) these type of atrocities over and over. It hurts as if it were my child; I would like to think that I would peaceably pursue justice but the truth is, I don’t know how…

A few weeks ago, I found myself reading comments on a Facebook thread that I am connected to.  As I read the varied posts, the moderator of the community posed a question to the group that caused me to pause and ponder the possibilities of an answer.  The query that ignited my intellect was this: “Preachers, why don’t we preach what Jesus preached?”  As I read the question, I felt my heart drop a little. I found myself embarrassed by the truth at the center of the interrogative. While the statement did not shock me, the notion that there are brothers and sisters who have been called to proclaim the…

I am provoked by a question. It nudges me in the middle of the night and interrupts my conversations in the middle of the day.  I am poked, prodded and provoked by a question. The query agitates and aggravates the serenity of my sensibilities; longing and laboring for an answer. I don’t fear the question, but am grieved by the reality of what the answer may be.  I am troubled even as I type it. It is the worst type of fear. The type of fear that will not allow you to walk away from it despite how unwilling you are to confront it. I am provoked by a question…and the…

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending a prayer service to kickoff what is considered to be revival season in the city I live in. A bit of a traditionalist (at least to the point that I believe that revivals are not ‘shouted up’ but rather ‘prayed down’), I was excited about the idea of people from all over the city coming together to seek the Lord’s anointing through prayer.  The service was also of particular interest to me because it had been organized by an auxiliary of young adults & facilitated completely by young believers.  Apart from the benediction, there was no participant in the service…

This weekend was a historic one in the world of black cinema.  Marvel’s Black Panther (directed by prodigious filmmaker Ryan Coogler) hit theaters this past Thursday amid much buzz and anticipation. Sporting an all black main cast and a deep sense of ethnic pride (as the story was set in in the fictional African country of Wakanda) the premiere of this movie had African Americans running to theaters (literally by the millions) to support and celebrate.  The movie, to date, has made over 400 million dollars globally in only 4 days! For all of its critical & commercial acclaim, what has been even more impressive about this movie are the number…

The landscape for many of our communities (and those who reside in them) is so bleak; clouded and soiled by issues we have become indifferent and insensate towards.  From high incarceration rates to generational poverty.  From HIV/AIDS plaguing our people to misguided youth who replicate the misguided adults connected to them. From the violent mistreatment of our people at the hands of the state to the sexist standards we have normalized in everyday black life, it is clear that, as Dr. Robert Franklin put it, there is a “Crisis In The Village”. With all of these issues and others in tow, many have looked to the Black Church to aid in…

I believe that our deepest love for something (or someone) is often made manifest in how honest we are about its current state. This demonstrates the depth of the devotion we have toward it. It must be the most genuine variety of love for the feeling to remain despite the dysfunction or demons (pun intended) evident in them. That love not only exposes things that might be wrong but it also empowers us to confidently confront the crisis and re-imagine the thing as the best version of itself. When it comes to the Church, I believe that this variety of love is needed for the bride of Jesus, perhaps now…

What do we really want?  In this season of American politics, in the wake of the recent miscarriages of justice that span from Charlottesville, VA  to Columbus, OH to Salt Lake City, UT and all points between, many who are affected, afflicted, and appalled by the realities of racism have been calling for The President Of The United States Of America to make a formal public statement denouncing White Supremacy; to distance himself from these vicious acts and show his disapproval for the hatred at the center of them. And…he hasn’t.  And…that’s fine with me. Our country finds herself in a particularly problematic space.  One in which the complicated, cruel…