Who?

When is the last time you watched a game and thought, "This sportscaster is giving too many statistics,"
or "I don't care where this player was recruited from, or what his ranking was,"
or "I wish all those people in the crowd would sit down and stop yelling,"
or "If this game goes into overtime I'm going to quit watching"?

Now

When's the last time you were in church and thought, "This preacher is using way too many scriptures,"
or "I don't need to know all that history and context about the prophet and the king and the town and the other kingdom,"
or "It don't take all that,"
or "I'm leaving at 12:30.  I don't care if he is still preaching"?

Which one is entertainment (to be arranged for your personal convenience and enjoyment)?

Which one is worship (where you sacrifice to that which is greater than you)?

Who is your god?

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama;  executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO);  and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Subscribe to my personal blog  www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com .

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com

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P O Box 132

Fairfield, Al 35064

WHICH CHRISTIANITY?

I saw this picture on Pinterest.  I choked down the reflexive indignation and took a moment to really, really think about what the poster was saying.  

I see her point.

Think about it.  If all you knew of Christianity was what you saw on tv then what would you know?  More importantly, what would you NOT know?

You wouldn’t know about the Methodist preacher pastoring 2 churches every other Sunday and working a 3^rd job because those two salaries together still aren’t enough to cover gas money on the 4 hour commute.  But that pastor still teaches Bible study at both churches, still visits all of the sick, elderly, and incarcerated, still makes graduations (even the GED ceremonies), and still gives more financially than any other member of either congregation.

But that pastor doesn’t get on “Preachers of L.A.”

If all you knew of Christianity was tv, then you’d see us spending all our time waving flags, toting guns, and yelling hate at gays, pregnant teens, Democrats, Republicans who vote with Democrats, and soldiers coming home in caskets.  If you got your Christianity from tv, you’d think that we sat around idly watching Black communities dissolve into violent, drug-ridden 3^rd-world type neighborhoods.  You’d think we walked out of church stepping over the bodies of Black men until somebody White pulled the trigger so we could march downtown and elbow each other for camera time in our gaudy suits.

You wouldn’t know about the 20 person congregation that picks up cans to keep the hot water on, and only keeps the hot water on because they let homeless families sleep in the sanctuary even though they aren’t zoned for that.

That congregation won’t get a featured segment on TBN.

If you got your Christianity from tv, you’d know about “Preachers’ Wives” and “Preachers’ Daughters,” but you wouldn’t know about the pastor who has to explain to his family why he spent the Disney World money saving somebody else’s family from eviction.

Those pastors don’t get their own show.

I understand why the poster of that picture is so indignant.  If seeing is believing, then how can she believe anything other than that Christians suck?

^ [You]…rest on the law, and make your boast in God, ^and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, ^and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ^an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. ^

You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? ^You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? ^

For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written. (Romans 2: 17-24)

And what does it say about us---- us church folks---- that these are our representatives? What DOES it say that we make their shows possible with our credit card donations, dvd purchases, and orders of prayer cloths and anointed miracle water?

Where ARE the shows about community ministries?  Where are the features on the pastors who were reaching out on behalf of young men in Michael Brown’s neighborhood while he was still ALIVE?  Where are the special reports about good old-fashioned, boring, Jesus-style Christianity?

Would we support that with our one-time gifts of any amount?  Would we consider being a gold-level partner to make those broadcasts possible?

I hope the person who put up that picture on Pinterest gets to see some boring, not-made-for-tv Christianity.  I hope she gets to see love, and mercy, and grace, and self-sacrifice like I see (and try to live) every day.  I hope she gets to see Jesus Christianity not just channel 10 Christianity.

I hope we get the chance to show it---- in person, not just on tv.

---Rev. Anderson T. Graves II   (email:  atgravestwo2@aol.com )

Anderson T. Graves II is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church (5220 Myron Massey Boulevard) in Fairfield, Alabama;  executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO);  and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Subscribe to my blog at www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com  

Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

MODIFIED TO FIT YOUR SCREN

When a Hollywood movie is played on tv, they post a disclaimer: "This film has been modified for television, for your screen, and to run in the time allotted.

In other words, the tv version isn't the full story.  Sometimes they leave out key scenes to make the story fit.

It's sad, but that's what we do with Bible stories.  We trim and edit and unnecessarily simplify Biblical events and principles so to run in the allotted time or to fit what we assume is the screening capacity of our children and even our adults.

For example, the traditional Bible story is that the first time Jesus saw Peter and Andrew, Jesus said, "Follow Me," and the brothers dropped everything and followed Jesus.  It's a beautiful story, clear, simple, easy to present in a short skit. 

Problem is that it's not the whole except that this story has been modified and a key scene is missing. 

John 1: 40-42  tells us that John the Baptist referred Andrew to Jesus.  Jesus met Andrew.  Andrew brought Peter to meet Jesus, and then Peter and Andrew went back to fishing.  While a few other disciples trailed Jesus into Nazareth and Galilee.

In Luke 5: 1-11, Jesus shrewdly commandeered Peter’s boat to use as a floating pulpit, forcing Peter to spend hours literally sitting under Jesus as He preached.  Then Jesus showed His power to be greater than Peter’s professional expertise by providing  a miraculous catch of fish.  Only then did Jesus ask Peter and the other fishing disciples to “Follow Me” an become “fishers of men.”

The difference isn’t that big a deal unless a young Christian first encounters the difference at the hands of an atheist or a heretic who throws out the missing scene as an example of contradictions within the Bible.

It’s not a contradiction.  It’s not a conspiratorial King James mistranslation.  It’s just a missing scene left out to make the story fit in the space allotted.

But it matters. 

Even worse, some people like the tv version better so they fight to make it the official version. 

In Luke 4, Jesus recounted the stories of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath (from 1 Kings 17) and of Elisha and Naaman (2 Kings 5).   The traditional version of these stories moralizes that poor church members who pay the preacher with their last dime are guaranteed prosperity and rich church members who do exactly what the preacher says will be healed.  

Jesus, however, pointed out that the full story leaves all the people in the “right” religion out of the blessing and shows God giving favor to pagans who weren’t even members in good standing. (Luke 4: 24-27)

The congregation’s response to Jesus was to drag Him out of town and try to throw Him off a cliff. (Luke 4: 28, 29)

The truth, the whole Biblical truth, does not always make for comfortable clichés or poetic choruses in the mass choir, but we still need to teach the whole truth.

The whole truth will make us some enemies among our own congregations.

But we still have to tell the truth. 

Cause the truth is, the tv version of the gospel is killing the church

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama, executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

To hear sermons, read devotions, and learn more about the ministry at Hall Memorial CME Church, visit www.hallmemorialcme.blogspot.com .

If this message helps or touches you, please help support this ministry. Send a donation of any amount by check or money order.
Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Road
Montgomery, AL 36116