ANOTHER COLLEGE TRIP? WHAT'S THE HURRY?

Matt 14:19 Then [Jesus] commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.

Matt 15:36 And [Jesus] took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.

Matt 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

So in mid-October, Hall Memorial CME Church loaded up a bus with our sons & daughters and took them on an academic recruiting trip to the University of Alabama.    A couple of weeks from now in mid-November, we will load up the sons and daughters of Hall Memorial CME Church along with some students from our adopted school, Seth Johnson Elementary School, and take them on an academic recruiting trip to Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama. 

The question I’ve been asked is, “Again?  Why so soon?”

(Wait.  That’s two questions.)

I have answers, but first let’s consider the question(s).  If the trip was worthwhile (and it was), then isn’t it worth our while to do it again?  We the church have proven ourselves skilled at creating events.  From our earliest days,  the church has held festivals, and feasts, and special days.   I mean, Halloween is derived from an old made-up Christian “holy” day.  (Yes, I’m also aware of the pagan & occult roots of Halloween.  Stay on task.) 

What’s lacking in the church today isn’t special days or special events.  What’s lacking is ministry and movement.   In those seasons of history when the church has  turned the world upside down, Christianity was a movement, a movement for abolition, a movement for civil rights.  Big events never happened for the sake of saying, “We had such a good time.”  Big events were part of a larger, longer movement for changing something about society.    

Hall Memorial CME Church didn’t take one college trip and stop because what we do isn’t about bragging on a single, successful event.  Hall Memorial CME Church is a movement.  We are committed and focused on elevating the mindset of a community of children.  Our agenda is to transform the minds of our children so that they have the mind of Christ.  Jesus did not wander through life doing the bare minimum.    People observed the way Jesus lived, and they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well.” (Mark 7:37)

We’re going to a college campus again because the movement from survival to success isn’t complete.  We are pouring ourselves into the task of raising up a generation that spiritually, morally, academically, and socially  “does all things well.”

So why so soon?

Because we can.

Because God has blessed us with the opportunity to go now, so why would we wait?   Do we put it off for another few months, when we can go now?  Do we postpone another year, when we can go now?  Do we wander around for another 40 years when the blessing is right over the hill right now?

Nah, cause that’s not how ministry works.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.  (Galatians 6:10)

We have the opportunity, so we’re going to ride to Miles College on November 10^th.

Look back up at the 3 scriptures I placed at the opening of this post.

Jesus miraculously ministered bread to a multitude in the wilderness.  He did that.  It was done.  It was known.  It was widely publicized, and He was glorified for the event.    But in the next chapter, when the opportunity came to basically do what He’d already done, Jesus  fed them again.  That’s ministry. 

Later, when it was just Jesus and the disciples, with no multitude to applaud them, Jesus blessed the disciples’ bread in much the same way He had blessed the multitudes’ loaves.  He did so quietly, without an obvious miracle.  Jesus used the big events to prepare His followers for the real transformation, the shift that was best explained in that quiet, behind the scenes blessing of bread.   The big events were part of larger, longer, deeper movement to change the world.

On November 10th, at 7 A.M., when that bus leaves 541 Seibles Road, Montgomery, Alabama, headed to Miles College and then to the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum, it will be just one more important step in transforming a generation and a church.   

But this is just the beginning.

This is what we do at Hall Memorial CME Church.

You know you wanna get in on this.

See you Sunday.

---Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

Call/ fax: 334-288-0577
Email us at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com
Friend Pastor Graves at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

If you want to be a blessing to this ministry, contributions may be made by check or money order.

Mail all contributions to :

Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Rd.,
Montgomery, AL 36116