"I Don't Need Help From Anyone!"

Did these words ever part your lips, “I can’t wait to be on my own!” or “I don’t need help from anyone!”? Maybe you have heard these words from people in your sphere – siblings, children, nieces/nephews, friends, cousins, students, employees, etc. For some reason, we’re bent on making it “by myself” even though the concept is a farce. In every aspect of life, levels of dependency exist; think about your journey from birth to the present, along the way no matter how minute, you were assisted. We will always need help from others!

Why is being helped perceived negatively?

Interdependency is unveiled throughout scripture, from the beginning God announces: “Let us make man in our image”…”Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him." Jesus continues by summoning would be disciples, “Come follow me. . .” There is no precedence for doing life by one’s self, we were made for community, we were meant to be helpers, to have helpers and to be our sisters and our brothers keepers.

Instead of choosing interdependent living,

we wait until we’re forced into accepting help.

I remember underestimating my need for help while weightlifting and I put myself in danger. I began lifting a certain amount hoping to do so 3 times – the first time no problem and the second more challenging. On the third opportunity with decreased strength I was unable to move the weight upward (by myself) and it began collapsing on my neck.  I could have been severely injured or worse. . .but someone noticed me struggling and ran to help me.

Initially, I had maintained control of my situation but unexpectedly my circumstances changed and I couldn’t accomplish my goals by myself.  I was in need of help! Similarly, life happens to us, every day our circumstances are continually changing and we will often need help.  The question is will we wait until life is collapsing on our neck or will we proactively seek and accept assistance and guidance beforehand?

For safety and to avoid injury when weightlifting, it’s recommended to have a spotter. A spotter is present and in position to provide help and encouragement during each exercise. The spotter and weightlifter workout together interdependently to ensure safety and the accomplishment of goals.

We weren't made to make it by myself! Many of us are facing difficulties in life simply because we believe “I don’t need help from anyone!” As that bar stacked with weight began placing pressure and pain on my neck, I realized there was nothing wrong with being helped and that interdependency is the way to live.

“Non nobis solum nati sumus!”

“Not for ourselves alone are we born!”

― Marcus Tullius Cicero

“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated,

but two can stand back-to-back and conquer.

Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

Ecclesiastes 4:12

We were created for interdependent living! Who’s your helper? Who’s your partner? Who’s your spotter?

 Inspired By Love,

Marcus J. Singleton

Lead  Pastor

Living Faith Community

Hoover, AL

Our Vision: "A diverse community of faith, inspired by the love the of Jesus, committed to becoming and making disciples".

"The n-word: "War on Blackness"

Israel mayor calls Black basketball players ‘niggers’ – http://splashurl.com/q4uuk95

 “The n-word: War On Blackness” 

This Israeli Mayor's remarks are a reminder for those who believe in the "post-racial" myth to rethink their false notion. A leader comfortably spouted a venomous word publicly and apologized only because of the negative press. Is a post-racial world filled with hate speech? When did "foreign" players and "n-word" players become synonymous?

For the record, I believe the n-word is polarizing regardless who uses it.

While I am not surprised by the Mayor’s choice of words, his choosing the word should give pause to all, that one (first-time) Black United States President does not equal the end of racism. It’s high time we open our hearts and realize more than residue remains from a corrosive and painful history.

Selective memory distorts the perception of a distant past and perverts understanding of present realities. I say this in light of slavery – enslavement – those of Jewish and African descent know all too well the perils of oppression:

“He (King of Egypt) said to his people, “Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are. We must make a plan to keep them from growing even more. . .So the Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves. They appointed brutal slave drivers over them, hoping to wear them down with crushing labor…” Exodus 1:9-11

Thus, it’s puzzling to hear convulsive language from a leader who could have demonstrated an empathetic view based on similar experiences of ancestral oppression.  In 2014, how can a leader utter the n-word publicly or privately to describe a people group? It's a wake-up call that the world and America still devalues people of African ancestry.

Every day those who wear Black skin are painfully aware of racial politics...Racialization is a common experience for people of color; both subtle and overt, serving notice that others view them as "less than". Whether in the public, corporate or religious square – whether coded or directly communicated it is clear that darker hued people are still viewed as "less than" worthy of full status as human beings. African-Americans and all people groups would do well to consider what Dr. Na'im Akbar refers to as the "psychological chains of slavery" reminding us there is a deeply rooted hatred for "Blackness" in the subconscious of all people stemming from the traumatic and systematic enslavement of African people.

Consider this, soldiers are taught to destroy their enemy. Soldiers aren't encouraged to view people (enemies) as God created beings with families who share their same goals for survival and making life better for loved ones. No, the soldier is instructed, there are people groups who threaten their way of life and “we must execute a plan to keep them from growing even more”. Whether this is true or not, soldiers enter into war with a psychology or mindset that their enemy is "less than" and unworthy of living, enabling them to kill their enemy.

Slavery, segregation and racism utilizes the same tactics and throughout the world because of colonialism, people with African ancestry ("Blackness") are viewed as the enemy. There is a deep-seated hatred of Blackness within the psyche of the colonized world from both non-Blacks and people of color which informs the senseless, insensitive and willful acts of destruction (war) toward Blackness. Once an enemy is identified/marked, justifying their murder and marginalization is no longer necessary.

Hence, Israeli Mayor Motti Sasson can remark without fear of retribution, “If you want to watch niggers, you have the NBA for that”. Similarly, for the same reasons non-Blacks are emboldened to stand their ground, shooting and killing unarmed Black young men. Furthermore, some Blacks like their non-Black counterparts share the same pathological view of Blackness seeing other Blacks as their enemy who are unworthy of living commit heinous crimes against one another.

The n-word is a mere symptom of the deeper malady, oppression and racism, whose fundamental tenet is the extinction of Blackness. The tentacles of slavery (colonialism) enfold the hearts and minds of innumerable people, thereby advancing the war on Blackness. Until non-Blacks abandon the assault on Blackness and desist from identifying Blacks as the enemy - racial slurs, oppression and murder will be a scourge haunting every aspect of life. Likewise, until Blacks are deprogrammed from self-loathing and negative self-concepts communities will continue to implode and rage will be directed toward other Blacks.  

If our goal is to end racism, slavery and war on Blackness, good-willed people “must make a plan to keep evil and purveyors of oppression from growing even more”. The solution/remedy and Hope is love and unity. . .Love sounds feeble and sentimental but when enacted, love is revolutionary.  In his book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?, Martin Luther King Jr. states in the chapter titled, “The World House”:

“Our hope for creative living in this world house that we have inherited lies in our ability to  re-establish the moral ends of our lives in personal character and social justice. Without this spiritual and moral reawakening we shall destroy ourselves. . .This call for a world-wide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one’s tribe, race, class and nation is in reality a call for an all-embracing and unconditional love for all men (people). This often misunderstood and misinterpreted concept has now become an absolute necessity for the survival of man(kind).”

The n-word will continue to rear its head, until there is an end to slavery, oppression, racism and the war on Blackness which begs the question for good-willed people:

“Will you make and execute a plan to end the war on Blackness?”

 Inspired By Love,

Marcus J. Singleton

Lead  Pastor

Living Faith Community

Hoover, AL

Our Vision: "A diverse community of faith, inspired by the love the of Jesus, committed to becoming and making disciples".

"Let Justice Roll Down Like Waters!"

I

In America and across all the colonized nations, poor citizens and citizens of color await equality. Although we claim an allegiance to justice; questions beg answers. If we live in a land where everyone is considered equal, how do we respond to the following:

                Why is the quality of a public school education determined by one’s zip code?

                              Why is there a "cradle to prison" pipeline in the United States?

As we ponder justice, we must consider our country’s many inconsistencies; for example, The Children’s Defense Fund, points out: “1 in 3 Black and 1 in 6 Latino boys born in 2001 are at risk of imprisonment during their lifetime” and that “states spend about three times as much money per prisoner as per public school pupil”.

How can we without heavy hearts and conscious pledge allegiance to our flag when we consistently and without apology fail to be “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”? As we commemorate the birth of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., let’s honestly ask:

Is justice afforded in equal measure to all of America’s citizens?

When Rev. King marched, preached or gave speeches, he often quoted the prophet Amos 5:24, “But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream!” always as a reminder of the absence of and need for justice in America. If we are to live in truth and to make freedom a reality for all, we have to stand up for and embrace our nation’s need for justice.

The legal definition of justice: “The proper administration of the law; the fair and equitable treatment of all individuals under the law.”

With this understanding of justice we can rightly say in America, we continue to demonstrate an unwillingness to render equitable treatment of all individuals under the law. In Martin Luther King’s infamous speech, I Have a Dream, he says amid vicious atrocities committed against Black people and poor people: “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children”. King offers a clarion call for all people to understand that true justice is “no respecter of persons”.

On January 15th, Dr. King would have been eighty-five years old and today he would stand as a fount of wisdom. However, America continues to wallow in folly and indifference when it comes to justice for all her citizens. We hide behind our social economic status, our religion, our education, our gender, our sexuality, our race, our politics, etc. believing these justify our right to an unequal justice.

If justice is to be a reality for all, we must fight for and demand “the fair and equitable treatment of all individuals (not only) under the (judicial) law” but also because Jesus says we should:

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other,

just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another

will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35–35).

Justice, can be realized by all!  Dr. King fought valiantly for justice; but we have allowed his Dream to remain a figment yet to reach fruition for every person in our society. If we are to truly reshape our native land, we must become the solution to our nation’s time honored practice of inequality. Professor and Philosopher Cornel West reminds us:

“Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public!”

Let us not hold firm to the sentimentality of Martin Luther King’s I Have A Dream speech but let’s embrace Dr. King’s legacy and continue the fight to ensure justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream!”

Inspired By Love,

Marcus J. Singleton

Lead  Pastor

Living Faith Community

Hoover, AL

Our Vision: "A diverse community of faith, inspired by the love the of Jesus, committed to becoming and making disciples".

What You Talkin' Bout?

Why is it okay to celebrate: how much fun one had at a party; talk ad nauseam about the greatness of their favorite athletic team; brag about a job promotion; show and tell everyone about their material possessions - i.e., a new car; send announcements to everybody about their engagement; their graduation; their newborn; recommend a great restaurant; etc.? 

Why is it acceptable: to talk disparagingly about another person's appearance; race/ethnicity; social status; education, etc.; to maliciously belittle family, friends, co-workers or strangers; to make insensitive jokes; etc.?  

But the very second a Christian mentions Jesus or other persons of faith attempt to share their beliefs – they're told to keep their religion to themselves; they're called self-righteous; condemned;  and said to think of themselves as better than others?

Religion has and rightfully so been scorned for some of its brutal practices and its sometimes narrow perspectives. Yet, the core tenets of Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and many other religions challenge us to develop our higher selves and challenges its followers to work toward and mature in sacrificial living and the (spiritual, physical, social, emotional and fiscal) wellness of one's self and community versus individualistic and hierarchical attainments.

Hence it’s puzzling why we would rather; people take that "God talk" elsewhere, while we glorify and celebrate our lower selves. Instead of embracing a spiritual worldview that encourages the growth of the best that's within us; we choose to submit to the cultural gods (sports, entertainment, politics, etc.) and spiritualized consumerism that guarantee diminishing returns. In doing so, we fail to recognize how materialism and the medium of culture is weakening access to our "greater selves".

Is it “God talk” vs. “culture talk”?

In essence, those who chastise the religious, spiritual or evangelical person for proselytizing or attempting to convert them are guilty of the same practices which they condemn - the sharing of what one believes. Consider these conversations: “You’re a vegetarian?! What!, you don’t eat meat?”, “You’ve never had sex?! Are you serious?”, "Whose your team?! You gotta choose one!", “You don’t drink (alcohol) or smoke?! C’mon give it a try?”, “You’re wearing that?! That’s unacceptable!”, You’re friends with___?! Why? She/He is weird!". 

The truth is – people share what’s important to them!

I’m not suggesting we have to desist from sharing what we value or believe. More importantly whether ours is the God of a religion or the god of the culture, we need to:

          1.       Listen to what we say;

          2.      Watch what we do; and

          3.      Determine our desired outcome.

Ask yourself the following:

a. Is what I’m sharing/believing; developing and strengthening my higher self or is it drawing me toward my lower self?

b. Where is my God talk or culture talk leading those with whom I share?

c. What do I value most God or the culture? 

--

Inspired By Love,

Marcus J. Singleton

Lead Pastor

Living Faith Community

Hoover, AL

Our Vision: “A diverse community of faith; inspired by love, committed to becoming and making disciples”.

Ready or Not 2014 is here - Now What?

Ready or Not 2014 is here. . .what we have to determine is, now what?  Will we find ourselves: Nursing wounds? Nostalgically looking back? Will we forgive and forget? Forgetting those things that are behind us and pressing toward goals and opportunities? Will we hold on to negative and counterproductive actions and people?

Now What?

When circumstances arise this year be prepared to have an answer for now what. Your response will determine your successes; and how you navigate the challenges and difficulties that are sure to appear in 2014.  As we reflect on 2013 and enact plans for 2014, we are to remember that time’s only promise is its allocation (24 hours a day;     168 hours a week; 672 hours a month; 525,600 minutes a year, etc.).

Martin Luther King reminds us: “We may cry out desperately for time to pause in her passage, but is adamant to every plea and rushes on.” Time does not wait for us; in a real sense, time seeks to prepare us. Time subtly and at times overtly instructs us toward action, to forward movement.

I remember vacillating over a decision, this issue I had brought before my dad on numerous occasions and his final advice transformed my dilemma, “Marcus its time! Either stay on the pot or get off!” In short, my dad was encouraging me to make a decision and move forward.

What decisions; opportunities, relationships; career issues; health concerns, etc. – need your now what response? How much time has been wasted? How many people have been hurt? How many opportunities lost? Simply because you haven’t decided now what?

Time is critical to our now what?   Remember: “time is adamant to every plea and rushes on”; 24 hours in a day, gone; 168 hours in a week, spent; 672 hours in a month, exhausted, and 525,600 minutes are just memories every January 1^st. Time rushes on!

We get to determine whether our reflections on this passing of time
will be ones we regret or relish.

Think about this: whether you graduated from high school a year ago or 60 years ago – you most likely thought, you had nothing but time before you. . .today you probably wonder; how so much time, escaped you so fast?  

Time is not static; nor should we be. As we enter 2014, I pray your responses to “now what?” will move you toward healthy decisions and prosperous actions. In that same quote, MLK says: “We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now!”

I say to you my friends, your Now What? response determines your tomorrow

and tomorrow is here today – Make decisions now! 

The present moment is fierce and urgent and . . .
your future is depending on your response today!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

--

Inspired By Love,

Marcus J. Singleton

Lead Pastor

Living Faith Community

Hoover, AL

Our Vision: “A diverse community of faith; inspired by the love of Jesus, committed to becoming and making disciples”.

Christmas Story Remix - Take a Closer Look!

Based on Luke 2:1-20

Christmas Remix – Christmas has become so sterile that its symbol has become the perfectly wrapped gift, topped with the perfect bow in its center.  Christmas like the beautifully written and often sung song, has become thought of as a Silent Night.  Now, I know Jesus is the Messiah but he was fully human, so until he gets acclimated to his surroundings, could Christmas in the first century have been a truly silent night? Anyone with children knows until a routine is established silence and peacefulness aren't the first experiences with babies.

We all have seen nativity scenes sitting neatly near the Christmas tree.  Again providing this serene and perfect image of Christmas. Yet, I don’t think we can envision Jesus’ first Christmas through such a squeaky clean view. After all, there were animals all around him – have you ever been near farm animals? The air isn't filled with fragrant aromas nor is quiet a feature; someone will always be hemming and hawing or squawking right? That’s what farm animals do.

It seems to me we haven’t fully thought of the reality of Christmas. It can’t be perfect, because the Perfect One has yet to take the stage.  The truth of the matter Christmas is lacking something…Millions upon millions of people know the dramas of life but haven’t experienced the unfolding drama in the Christmas story.  In commercializing Christmas the stage has been narrowed, excluding the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized from full participation in this amazing event.  People are denied access to privilege, prestige and power. Instead of the doors of opportunity; of access; and/or of equality swinging wide open for all; they are closing leaving many suffering in the silence of the night. Only to dream of perfectly wrapped gifts with perfect bows in their center.

People all over the world are singing Christmas songs and celebrating the day of Jesus birth without taking a closer look; perhaps we need to reread it. In fact, the story of Jesus’ birth by present day standards would never have been told because our society and culture doesn't value the underclass and the poor. The main characters in the Christmas story aren't perfectly wrapped people with perfect bows in their center:

•             Mary a poor lowly know nothing teenage girl

•             Joseph an insignificant blue collar carpenter

•             The neighborhood of Jesus’ birth – Bethlehem a small rural village, 

               pop.  less than a 1,000 - home of poor folks

•             Shepherds were uneducated, considered unclean, dishonest, 

               lower-class persons

•             Joseph and Mary’s first apt was a room where the animals were kept

•             The Manger – Jesus’ first bed was a feeding trough used by the animals

What is God doing? Doesn't God realize that such a watershed moment; in the history of the world, deserves an A-list cast? After all if Jesus is the King shouldn't his birth have all the accoutrements of royalty?

Why does Mary a poor, an unknown teenager get the starring role? Why does Joseph, a man without wealth or political clout become a King’s surrogate father? Why Bethlehem, a remote village meaning House of Bread”? Why are unclean men chosen to announce the birth of the Messiah, meaning Anointed One? Why is a King’s first bed, an animal salivated trough? There’s no perfection in this scene, there’s no hope, there’s no salvation in this story.

Or is there? Luke's gospel is conveying an overlooked message of Jesus’ birth. Luke emphasizes the poor in this text, what does “poor” mean? Professor Miguel de La Torre explains – “it does not just refer to lack of financial resources but encompasses the inequality and injustice that accompany the lack of access to opportunities that the dominant culture takes for granted as a privileged right”.

Could it be in 2013 we still haven’t grasped the crux of the Christmas story. Listen to the message the angel gives the shepherds vss. 10-11, “but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said, “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David”.

The angels pronounces the Good News of the Christmas story, the promised hope; the Messiah’s birth brings salvation and great joy to all people. In other words, the doors are wide open for all people especially those whom the Church; the Privileged; the Powerful and those with Prestige wish to keep out. God welcomes the poor, the uneducated, people from small villages, all sexual orientations, the marginalized, the oppressed, all racial and ethnic groups, women and men, the insignificant, all who the dominant culture dismisses.  The Christmas story is one of inclusion. The love of Jesus is open to all and will not be defined or contained by a perfectly wrapped box. Jesus enters the scene reversing wrongs making them right, restoring dignity to the hurting and helpless; pronouncing justice and redefining love.

Love is not limited to the privilege. Love isn't limited to the ones perceived as perfect and worthy. But the love offered by Christ and his disciples will bring great joy to all people. If we are striving for perfect, let it be perfect love, because perfect love casts out fear and enables us to love like God loves – “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

The Christmas story isn't about a day or a season, but it is about 365 day living; valuing the human worth of every person that God created; it’s not about things – “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal”Matthew 6:19-21.

The birth of Jesus is about seeing the world through God’s heart and sight; it’s about love, it’s about community and the sacred worth of every human being. It’s about a world of Ubuntu which Kenyan Theologian John Mbiti coined meaning “We are, therefore I am” – living in the spirit of Ubuntu is to focus on community rather than individual rights.  That’s what the Christmas story is – swinging every door open and pronouncing and extending the love of Christ to every human being! Remember none of the characters in the Christmas story are perfect, none of the conditions in the story are perfect but through the birth of “the Savior – yes, the Messiah – perfect love, will bring great joy to all people”.

Merry Christmas!

--

Inspired By Love,

Marcus J. Singleton

Lead Pastor

Living Faith Community

Hoover, AL

Our Vision: “A diverse community of faith; inspired by the love of Jesus, committed to becoming and making disciples”.

The Greatest Gift Is An Introduction

Today December 6^th, I fondly remember my mother who would have been eighty-two. There are so many memories that I could recall; but as a disciple, parent and pastor I choose to focus on my mother’s commitment to sharing and teaching me her faith because I realize the import of her decision.  Scripture instructs parents to: “Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.”

While I might not have fully agreed with her methods; I am grateful for her unwavering resolve to ensure my awareness of the One whom she called Savior. In our post-modern world where nothing is sacred; where truth has many names; where frivolity is valued over substance, my mother’s introduction to her Savior has proven her greatest contribution to my life.  

Whether; through days of joy or years of pain, my anchor continues to be my mom’s Savior, Jesus; whom I too now, refer to as my Savior. Disciples, parents and pastors have the same responsibility of training, teaching and preparing others to live in an unforgiving world.  My mother instilled within me that this awesome task is not to be approached with cowardice. She never vacillated in her beliefs; she didn’t merely say what she believed; she lived it. I’m not suggesting mom was without fault/sin but her life’s purpose was faithfulness to her God. Her life’s focus was the Great Commandment – "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and. . .Love your neighbor as yourself.”

No one ever had to wonder what she believed or the depths of my mom’s caring. She actively served in her church; her community; and frequently reminded the stranger of God’s love through her kindness. Her life was an embodiment of being: “strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless”. My eldest brother said it best, “mom taught us how to live and how to die” signifying the consistency of her spirit and faithfulness to whom she believed.

Each year as I commemorate my mother’s birthday and celebrate her life, I pray I grow in what she always encouraged me, holy boldness!  I pray that like my mom the love and grace of Jesus is so evident in me that I too am compelled to unapologetically share and teach my faith to my children, family and friends, parishioners, enemies and strangers.  I pray that like mom I too will have lived in such a way that the preacher will not have to eulogize me; rather, she or he will only need to recall my life.  I pray too that like my mom I will die having fully-lived my faith.

As a disciple, parent and pastor I have discovered the greatest gift we can offer someone is an introduction to a Savior that shapes our lives into that which is redemptive; selfless; meaningful; and worth dying for.

Thank you Mommy!  I will always love you!!

Marcus