Blog Post Monday February 22,2021

Hi gang! It’s #blogpostmonday! I’ve got a busy week ahead but on I wanna talk to you. First off I talked about it but my Sunday was the first step in deconstruction with removing toxic purity culture from my life. I put on a black midriff top that has rainbow striped sleeves. I was nervous and ashamed at first and almost changed when I went out. But I kept it on and I feel more confident. It may seem silly but it means everything to me. I feel happier than I have in a long time. I love my job as a leader in campus ministries. I’m also doing something really cool this weekend but I can’t share yet. Once it’s confirmed, I’ll talk about it. I also go to to join in on a leadership meeting with the church I attend and I almost cried and had the biggest masked covered smile in my communications class.

Anyway it’s the last Monday in February and I wanna talk about Black History Month. It’s definitely been a journey this month. I’ve learned a lot about what I believe. I’ve learned a lot about black liberation theology and liturgy. If you haven’t heard of it watch “The Black Church” on PBS. It’s free and so incredibly educational. It starts with the early day of the founding of the Black church until recently. This topic is important to me as a future pastor and activist. Our God is a liberator. That’s the exodus narrative. I watched two of my favorite sermons recently. One of them is “Why I think You’re Loved” by Judah Smith. This sermon was shortly after the death of George Floyd. He quotes Dr. John Perkins. “Could you imagine the pain that you have to riot to say who you are and that you matter?”. This sermon is about the woman at the well. I wanna sit at this well and know the Jesus this woman knew. Church isn’t here to preach what you prefer. If Jesus was mean rude or caustic, no one would follow him. His love doesn’t ignore weakness, includes performance or include status. Unfortunately that doesn’t sound good to most people. How you receive the love of God is how you give the love of God. There’s not a condition on it so why are we putting one on it? Why are we debating about innocent black lives? It could be me. All loved don’t matter until Black Lives Matter. Pastors are too afraid to speak up because they lose members of they do. I know it’s scary but it’s what has to be done if we’re going to take part of the freedom of Jesus. He is a God who liberated. I just wanna sit at this well. I’m tired of being so weary and tired of trying to explain myself. Why aren’t we talking about these issues, it’s human life! Confess the sin of racism so we can be healed. God’s love is our message. Put the stones away church and stop condemning. I’m gonna leave you today with quote from the sermon.

“I wanna follow Jesus when he feeds the 3,000. I wanna follow Jesus when he feeds the 5,000. I’ll follow Jesus even to the Golgotha road, I’ll follow Jesus,I’ll stand at the foot of his cross. I’ll watch how he dies for me and how he loves me. I’ll watch him multiply the loaves and the fish. I’ll watch him heal the leper. I wanna see him restore the woman who was caught in adultery. I wanna see him blessing children when others say reject them. But I wonder if I’m willing to sit at a well with Jesus because it is uncomfortable because it is apparent to me that he loves people I don’t. And that’s the truth.”

Are you willing to sit at the well with Jesus? Who are you not loving? I want you to think on that today. It make me scary or weird but pray about it. It’s humbling to think about it you’re not alone.