“It is not the critic who counts:
not the man (or woman) who points out how the strong man stumbles
or where the doer of deeds could have done better.
The credit belongs to the man (or woman) who is actually in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood,
who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again,
because there is no effort without error or shortcoming,
but who knows the great enthusiasms,
the great devotions,
who spends himself for a worthy cause;
who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement,
and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls
who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

Theodore Roosevelt, from “Citizenship in a Republic,”

a speech delivered at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910.

Haves and Have Nots

Eliminating poverty requires a willingness from each of us to recognize the worth of every human being. No matter the industry in which one engages or if one is currently disengaged – opportunities must be extended to ALL.  When we embrace the adage “I am my sisters and brothers keeper” we realize our every action and inaction contributes to the well-being or the demise of human life. 

Transformation of communities, destructive systems, political hubris, impoverished and suffering people groups, etc. occurs when we don’t abdicate our own role in said atrocities. Whether; we negligently wield the power; or are silent bystanders, as the miscreants’ (which some of us “good people” are) further disparities between the ‘haves and have nots’ – WE are responsible. Jesus said it best “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, sick people do” (Mark 2:17).

So, isn’t it incumbent upon each of us to point every effort toward wellness for those who are spiritually, physically, economically and emotionally sick? Are we to continue focusing only on compiling treasures for ourselves or are we to place our efforts to satisfying the needs of them who have not?

This poem, On Buying and Selling, by Khalil Gibran is a reminder that WE are responsible for the well-being of our sisters and brothers:

"And a merchant said, "Speak to us of Buying and Selling." 

And he answered and said: 

To you the earth yields her fruit, and you shall not want if you but know how to fill your hands. 

It is in exchanging the gifts of the earth that you shall find abundance and be satisfied. 

Yet unless the exchange be in love and kindly justice, it will but lead some to greed and others to hunger. 

When in the market place you toilers of the sea and fields and vineyards meet the weavers and the potters and the gatherers of spices, - 

Invoke then the master spirit of the earth, to come into your midst and sanctify the scales and the reckoning that weighs value against value. 

And suffer not the barren-handed to take part in your transactions, who would sell their words for your labour. 

To such men you should say, 

"Come with us to the field, or go with our brothers to the sea and cast your net; 

For the land and the sea shall be bountiful to you even as to us." 

And if there come the singers and the dancers and the flute players, - buy of their gifts also. 

For they too are gatherers of fruit and frankincense, and that which they bring, though fashioned of dreams, is raiment and food for your soul. 

And before you leave the marketplace, see that no one has gone his way with empty hands. 

For the master spirit of the earth shall not sleep peacefully upon the wind till the needs of the least of you are satisfied.”

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".

"What Happened?: Neglect!"

Sometimes life can be complicated. At times our actions/reactions just don’t make any sense. No matter how much we contemplate some of life’s issues, there are some instances we label as open-ended conclusions. Simply put, some issues leave us wondering what happened? I imagine all of us have pondered this question.

Consider the following. It's possible you haven't had this experience but over the years I have noticed that my weight continues to rise; my waistline expands and some of my clothes fit me a lot snugger than when I originally purchased them.  Simultaneously, I eat more and either never exercise or at best rarely exercise. Yet, with each successful addition of pounds and inches to my waistline; I find myself saying I don’t understand. Often asking myself and my wife, what happened?

Similar circumstances occur in our spiritual journey. We travel through life as if we are in a high speed chase; frantically attempting to navigate lines only to move toward dead end finishes.  Zooming round and round with NASCAR precision we slowly discover our victorious less filled lapses. When we remain still long enough, we begin to feel our inner selves longing for an ignition; rather than investigate, we hurry to entertain matters which are insignificantly important. We quickly engage ourselves in distractions disguised as work with uttermost consequence. Thus, Empty in the morning, we arise. Empty in the evening, we sleep. With each addition of distractions, we multiply our inaction decreasing the possibility of the Holy Spirit’s attraction! At our unfinished line, we find ourselves asking, what happened?

As I pulled the weeds from my flower beds and trimmed the bushes, what happened was no longer the question. I realized the excess weight, the victorious less life, the weed infested flower bed and wildly grown bushes share a common foe: neglect. Webster’s dictionary defines neglect – to leave undone or unattended to, especially through carelessness. Yes, neglect is a fitting description for that unkempt flower bed. Again neglect aptly defines the expansion of my waistline. And neglect certainly characterizes an empty, powerless spiritual life.

The Good News is every circumstance of neglect can be overcome with attention. Last week my flower beds were unruly, this week they are clear and clean and the bushes neatly trimmed. With attention to what I eat and intentionally exercising, I will experience a decrease in my weight and waistline.

Attention too is the remedy for us when we fall into a spiritual malaise. If we are to be spirit-filled and led by Jesus’ teaching, we must give attention and time to studying the Bible, praying and serving. II Timothy 2:15 describes the necessity of and outcomes of attention:

“Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval.

Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed

and who correctly explains the word of truth”.

Let us work and give attention to every aspect of our lives, so that we need not ask the question what happened, nor be ashamed of our health, our physical appearance, our dwelling place and most importantly with our relationship with God.

-- 

Much 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".

I AM True Love, do you know me?

True Love transforms, uproots and shatters the known (the past) – paving the way for a blank canvass, a present written anew. Love produces the impossible. Indeed only the power of Love can provide fertility for a rose to grow through the crack of concrete. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. illustrates the power of Love: “hatred paralyzes life; Love releases it. hatred confuses life; Love harmonizes it. hatred darkens life; Love illuminates it”.

Until our hearts, our minds, our souls experience such a Love we will remain asleep, blinded and in fear of the unknown. In such darkness, we utter ‘change is our enemy’; we believe ‘we are all powerful’; we live only for today – ‘tomorrow is without a future’; we consume ourselves ‘with ourselves’. In essence, we remain lifeless like a valley of dry bones.

Meanwhile, Love awaits our acceptance. Love exploding within longs for our embrace. True Love knows the path that will bring us unspeakable joy; in fact, that path has already been mapped. Only, we must receive it because True Love only extends the offer; always an option but you must choose Love.

How many remain entangled within? Strangled and corrupted by their deeply rooted notion: “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of soul” while unknowingly dying a death of a thousand cuts.  As we beat our chest claiming we are the best! True Love cries out:  Let go the reins; Allow me to reign; and I will shower you with an everlasting rain – a rain pouring down, pounding and thundering with relentless grace, mercy, hope and forgiveness.

You will know True Love when you release the reins allowing your present known to be shattered, uprooted and transformed.

I AM True Love, do you know me? 

Today, I want to give you a blank canvass; 

the path to a present anew. 

Have you accepted me?

--

Much 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”.

"Situational Awareness: Are You Minding Your Own Business?"

This Tank Didn't Have It!

Is it possible we need to reconsider our demand of people to mind their own business? I’m well aware some folks are simply nosy for gossip’s sake – finding satisfaction in using information to cause harm to others and/or to promote their own selfish ambitions. But, what could happen if we were active agents of goodwill, primarily seeking to act as ambassadors for Jesus Christ?

What do I mean? Imagine hearing a troubled teenager basking in poor choice after poor choice or a co-worker lamenting over family life challenges. Too often our responses range from being dismissive, judgmental, and indifferent to offering inclusion in future prayers. In these moments we have an opportunity like no other to truly take action as Jesus’ disciples.  Recently, I discovered a term used in the legal field, situational awareness, that we would do well to apply in our interactions. 

Situational awareness is applied in the courtroom as lawyers listen intently for both what the witnesses say and don’t say. The lawyers are listening to attain greater understanding, for inconsistencies in testimonies and other clues to aid in protecting their clients. In addition, lawyers observe body language and employ other measures to gather as much information as possible.  One of the keys to success in the courtroom is the lawyer’s knowledge (being aware) of everything that is happening during the trial.

Which is why, I suggest those of us professing Jesus as Lord begin minding other people’s business through developing the skill of situational awareness. For instance, what if the teenager begins to withdraw; or the once confident co-worker seems distracted and combative; or you notice a Facebook comment indicating your friend is in distress.  These are all opportunities to ask questions, write thoughtful notes, initiate prayer or to listen to the person's troubles, etc. with the only aim - to be a vehicle of Jesus’ love and healing.

In John 8 (vss. 1-11), Jesus demonstrates situational awareness while exposing the nosy people that should just mind their own business!  The nosy people were insensitive, judgmental and dismissive; they attempted to use the gathered information to condemn a woman.  But, Jesus filled with love, compassion and a desire to restore the woman asks a question, v.10 "Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” In verse 11, she replied, “No, Lord”. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more”.

The world needs to experience more people guided by the love of Jesus who utilize situational awareness - daring to ask questions; to provide a listening ear; and most importantly to recognize a person in need. Then, boldly with grace, extend compassion, empathy, and hope.

My Christian sisters and brothers, hurting people are 

waiting for us to stop minding our own business.

-- 

Much 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".

Weeding Out.

Excerpt from Over 50 Don't Mean Your're Dead: My Spiritual Journey

Over the last few weeks
I have watched
as the gardener
cut back overgrown areas on our work property.
I watched
an overgrown willow tree,
that looked like a "Sesame Street" character, transformed into a real
picture book tree.
I have seen thickets of brush
cut away and turned into mulch
for the area that once was covered.
When I'm home,
I look out and
my neighbor is going through
the same process,
weeding and cutting back.
As I look at the transformation
I think about the changes
that I have gone through
in my life.
How I have been
surrounded by thickets, and
overgrown by the weeds
that have caused me
not to grow.
These things don't
sneak up on us,
they grow
before our eyes.
There comes a day when people can't see who we
are for all the things that have surrounded us.
Many times
thickets have a
life of their own.
Do you ever think about
what it is like to be depressed?
Everything makes your day gray.
The thickets control everything you do.
When the thickets are gone
you feel bare,
exposed.
But now,
you can grow.
You can Be,
and the the world can see that you have your own life. Now, you
need to let God in,
let the Spirit of God
replace those things that
controlled you and kept you confined.
Growth is inevitable and
when challenges come
God is there
to take the reigns
even before you ask.
The weeds will come,
it's up to you to recognize them
and handle (weed and cut them back) before
they control you.

Nedra Groggins-Sage
Author
Over 50 Don't Mean Your're Dead: My Spiritual Journey

Much Love,
Pastor Singleton

"Sharing: A Simple Redemptive Act"

As I strive to raise my little fellas to love and reverence God, memories of the parenting I received often chimes beneath my decisions.  My mom and dad definitely reared us in the old school tradition of: children are to be seen, not heard; because I said so; this is my house, or do as you’re told. Before any civic class I was well versed in authoritarian and monarchy forms of government.

But, mixed or tempered with that hardened old school veneer laid a softer, gentler, humanitarian style of governing. My parents consistently encouraged me to share and often when I lacked the sharing spirit, I received talking to’s on the importance of this benevolent action.  As a child, the gravity of this selfless act escaped me, why give a part of what is mine to someone else? They attempted to explain all the benefits of sharing with others (including but not limited to): honoring God; helping others; providing hope to someone else; and feeling good about myself. Yet, my foolish heart led me to believe accumulation of my own toys; clothes; sporting equipment; and savings from my allowance were most significant.

How could sharing what is mine make me better?

In hindsight, my parents were teaching me how to build community and to be a partner with God. The act of sharing; with true generosity and love for God, brings about an interconnectedness or oneness with others.  When we share, essentially we acknowledge the human worth of all people, we recognize the receiver as one of God's children. 

This simple act; of offering a portion of or all of what one has, is transformative. Most times we will never experience any direct benefit from our actions but to the recipient, the effect is immediate and timely.  Sharing a kind word, giving of money or possessions, offering advice or an opportunity, spending time with someone, sharing in the suffering of another are a few ways we can partner with God and experience oneness with others.

Our willingness to share in many circumstances becomes the answer to prayer.

Sharing (what is mine/yours), a simple act, indeed does make us better! Per usual, I learned my parents were right because I am at my best when I am honoring God, helping others and providing hope to someone else.

In concluding the letter of Hebrews, the author offers both encouragement and admonishment just as my parents did for me in my adolescence:

“And don’t forget to do good and to share with others.

These are the sacrifices that please God”. 

Hebrews 13:16

Each of us can build communities/interconnectedness with others and please God through the simple redemptive act of sharing. But, first we must realize the gravity and importance of this sacred action.

--
Much 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."