Them Genes

Thinking about that woman at the Rosie House, years ago, who asked if she could sing a song (the band did not need to know it). When she sang, her comrades wept. The pain she felt, the pain they felt, they shared in song that morning in the gym at Rikers Island.  They listened to her as she sang alone. But they all sang with her as they yes'ed and amen'ed the line that was most hopeful to them. They all sand that day a song, that anyone who is merely listening to with a human ear could just not hear. But to those with ears to listen, let them hear...and they did.  I will never again hear that song the same. "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" was her song of choice.  Richard Foster says in Songs For Renewal: The black spiritual was born to sustain an enslaved people and to give expression to their anguish.  So today I invite you to sing a new song to the Lord. A song stemmed from suffering, or one from joy. But a song that speaks of the hope we have in Him...

For a couple of weeks now I have been realizing a struggle being exposed. This struggle is that I am not able to worship God in spirit and in truth. Well, I am asking God to search me within for that discovery that’s in the process of being made clearer. I was sitting in the congregation a couple of weeks ago, on a Sunday morning when I heard a voice say don’t sing. All of sudden I felt angry, put my worshipping arms down and stopped singing. I did not know why I was angry. Then another voice came to me that said: sing. But I did not want to at this point and decided to listen to the first voice. All of a sudden that second voice said sing (again) because this is warfare. I then began to cry as I told that voice: No, I wont sing. My tears were tears of the struggle that was going on spiritually inside of me and spiritually outside of me. I could not see it but if I could, it would look like tug of war. As I listened to the leaders singing the chorus of the song, the 2nd voice then star...

Oh how I would love to have my eyes back. The eyes of that five year old child. Every time I was taken to get my eyes checked the Ophthalmologists were imp ressed at how good I was able to see. I definitely did not need glasses. Man, have times changed! 21 years later, I get teased for looking over my rimmed, unstylish glasses, as an old lady would, man, have times changed:) I really want to talk about perspective. I saw things in a different light long ago. No one could do wrong. The hero's in my life, through those eyes, are the very people that I struggle to be in relationship with today. The ones whom I have set high expectations on and have critically ripped apart with judgement. Who were these hero's? My family, but in particular my dad. I am my dad's only daughter and He was this great man in my eyes. He was not only my friend but was like a big brother who defended me. At about 14-15years old, I continued to confide in him as a friend and brother but when the tough ...

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Today, I have to thank God for the people he has called and chosen and allowed to be an impacting part of my life. Before the Gospel of Christ came to my ears, I heard of God and of sin, and of death, and of hell and of obedience and of disobedience. But never did i hear of life, and the way out of the things I knew where wrong. When I was a little girl about 11 years old, I was sitting in the park on 156th street after running around in the sprinklers for sometime. I decided to relax and dry off before i went home to grandmas. At that time, an older woman came over to me and asked me if I wanted to receive Jesus into my life and, well I said what do i have to do, and she responded: all you have to do is say that you receive him. So i said, Ok i receive him. Who "him" was, i had no idea, what "him" did, i knew not and why "him" was to be received-lets just say i was completely ignorant to. I grew up with general revelation of God but no spiritual revelat...

...and he ran after her only to find her in the arms of another man..and he waited patiently with tears in his eyes...

Meet June, our friend from Castle Hill area. Has good and bad days. One of her best experiences this particular day was that she had some rice with beans and chicken, and it was GOOD!..don't be afraid to greet her...it just may be the next best experience ;)