An Advent Meditation

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. 

For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

Isaiah 61:1-4,8-1 (KJV)

At the beginning of His earthly ministry, as recorded in the fourth chapter of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus boldly declared his mission, drawing on the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…” In his declaration, Jesus cites the impetus for His work. Like the prophet, Jesus is clear that His motivation and power are a direct result of the presence of the Holy Spirit moving in His life. Sadly, during this Advent and Christmas season, too many people—including some in the church—are being guided by the spirits of materialism and consumerism. In His declaration, Jesus also explains the nature of His work—to preach good news, to free people from broken heartedness, captivity, and bondage, and to unleash joy that has no bounds in the lives of God’s people. On the surface, this season has the appearance of freedom and joy—Miracle on 34th Street on the television, bright lights on Christmas tress, and gifts overflowing. However, for many it is a season when depression and loneliness strike, sadness at the thought of a loved ones passing creeps in, and anxieties about skyrocketing credit card balances abound.

As we prepare to celebrate the coming of the Christ child, and continue to our work in the Kingdom of God, I wonder if we could avail ourselves to be guided solely by the Spirit of the Lord and if our work would be about the inherently liberating power of the Gospel? Perhaps then we would experience God causing “righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.”

(c) Donna Olivia Owusu-Ansah, written for Bethesda Baptist Church of New Rochelle, Advent Meditation Book 2011

I Love You Like I Love Cooked Food...

I hadn't planned to write today. In fact, I told my mother about two hours ago that it would be a while before posting again. It doesn't matter why, but what does matter is that from time to time there are events that happen that provoke you out of blogging hibernation.


Earlier today, I was working on the programs for not one, but two Homegoing celebrations. I updated my Facebook status at at around noon: preparing for two Homegoing services at once and praying with the Psalmist, "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).


I had no inkling that just five hours later I'd be updating my status again: Mourning the loss of Dwight "Heavy D" Myers...we loved you like we love cooked food.


I am deeply saddened. I am at a loss for words.  Death is an inescapable fact of life, and despite knowing this, it always takes me by surprise. Just yesterday, on Twitter, Heav tweeted to express his sadness at the loss of "Smokin" Joe Frazier. Just yesterday, in what would be his final words of encouragement to his followers, he tweeted, Be Inspired.


Inspired I was. As a hip-hop head coming into her own in the late-eighties and early-nineties, Heavy D's music was part of the soundtrack of my life. As a born and bred Mount Vernon girl, Heavy D was a hometown hero. More than Denzel, Heavy D put us on the map. (Money Earnin' Mount Vernon...'nuff said.) As a chunky girl, seeing him move the way he did let me know that size was no hindrance to getting your groove on on the dance floor. Beyond the microphone and dance floor, Heavy D flexed on the big screen, the small screen, and the stage. He was a rapper who was smart and creative enough to successfully venture into acting with patience and integrity. And although I did not have a personal relationship with him, my sister and niece did. As such, he was family.


My heart goes out to his parents, who already know the pain of losing a child. My heart goes out to his daughter, who from now forward will live with only the memories of her father. My heart goes out to all of his family and close friends, who never imagined he'd be gone so soon. My heart goes out to my city, who has lost a treasured son. My heart goes out to the music industry, who still has much to learn from Heavy Bum-diddly-diddly-dee.


In honor of Dwight "Heavy D" Myers, I'm going to leave you with a video...



Overweight Lover, may your soul rest in peace...

August Reflections...

I cannot believe that today is the first day of September. No, really...where has the year gone? Better yet, where has the summer gone? Just yesterday it was Memorial Day, and I was excited about all of the time I was going to spend poolside.


In the most wonderful way--even though I only made it to the pool once in August--it was a really great month. I set some goals. I made some moves. In fact, I set ten goals for the month which included completing my applications for doctoral studies, reading one homiletics book every week, and establishing a regular sleep habit. I posted on Twitter one day last week, "One of the best feelings is watching the "to-do" list transition to an "it's-done" list...#productivity" I am proud to say that I completed eight out of ten goals. One is still lingering, and another (for reasons that will remain unwritten) I had to realistically remove from the list. (It feels so good to recognize when goals are really girdles in disguise.) 


I also had a wonderful praycation. I praised and thanked God for His "Is-ness" and "Does-ness." In other words, I acknowledged the awesome being of God and the mighty and miraculous acts He performs in the lives of His people. I opened up my hymn book, lifting my voice in song; There is a wealth of theology and encouragement in the New National Baptist Hymnal!  I was nourished spiritually by reading a chapter of Proverbs each day. I am convinced that a chapter of Proverbs a day keeps the foolishness away. Better than apples, and as my boy often says, they have a much longer shelf life, too! I also cried out and laid my supplication before the Lord. The days when my prayer was skipped or truncated because of the demands of life, I suffered. The days when I lingered in God's presence, trusting that the demands of life are in God's hands, I flourished. 


What else? Let's see:
Hubby and I were blessed to travel to Ohio for the wedding of one of his dear friends and brothers in Christ. We had a wonderful weekend away, reliving our vows as the beautiful couple confirmed theirs. Look at us...don't we look good?

Our senior church mother, Mother Emma Jeffries, departed this life. She was a super-centenarian. She passed on August 20, 2001...two weeks after celebrating her 112th birthday. No, that is not a typo. Mother Jeffries was 112 years old, and as the old folks would say, she was clothed in her right mind! Her homegoing service was a wonderful celebration of her life and legacy; She was a woman who loved and served the Lord, in word and example!


Lastly, hubby and I closed out the month at my parents' house being sheltered from the storm and and showered with the loved that is experienced in my mother's cooking. And thanks be to God, when we arrived home, everything was just as we left it. That said, I am not insensitive to the devastation in the wake of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene. My prayers remain with those who are cleaning up the waters and picking up the pieces.


That's it for August; I am looking forward to September and all that it has to offer...

Think on These Things...

The will of God will never take you
  Where the grace of God cannot keep you,
  Where the arms of God cannot support you,
  Where the riches of God cannot supply your needs,
  Where the power of God cannot endow you.

The will of God will never take you
  Where the spirit of God cannot work through you,
  Where the wisdom of God cannot teach you,
  Where the army of God cannot protect you,
  Where the hands of God cannot mold you.

The will of God will never take you
  Where the love of God cannot enfold you,
  Where the mercy of God cannot sustain you,
  Where the peace of God cannot calm your fears,
  Where the authority of God cannot rule for you.

The will of God will never take you
  Where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
  Where the Word of God cannot feed you,
  Where the miracles of God cannot be done for you,
  Where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.

Author Unknown

A Holy Exclamation...

I love exclamation points! I use them more often than I should. Of all of the punctuation marks, they are the most exciting. I love questions, but there is something about being able to emphatically declare, to exclaim, and to proclaim with conviction what one knows to be true. Admittedly, as my preaching professor at Drew aptly noticed, I am not the most excitable preacher. (Hello, My name is Reverend Donna and I do not whoop!) However, in my contemplative kind of way, I manage to insert my exclamation points. Exclamation points do not have to scream, but they do need to drive home the point.

Case in point. One of my favorite hymns is Holy, Holy, Holy. It speaks of the holiness of God--the perfection and purity--that is the essence of God's nature. It speaks of the majesty of God and human (and angelic) proclamations of praise. As I understand it, utterances of praise are our proper response to God's majesty. God is so Loving, so Merciful, so Good, so Mighty, so Holy, and so Beautiful that all we can do is praise. And praise, my friends, is marked by exclamation points.  So, with a heart of worship and shouts of adoration and exclamation points to boot, our hymn of the morning is Holy, Holy, Holy:

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.

Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!

Words: Reginald Heber

Music: John B. Dykes

Plain and SImple...

Sometimes, I get to a place where I have to cast off the complex, in favor of the simple. Sometimes my fancy language and eloquent speech needs to made plain. Sometimes my words fail, but I feel like I must say something. Sometimes I have to come to the end of myself--my intelligence, ingenuity, creativity, and ability to keep things under control--to arrive at a place where I fully recognize the sovereign power of God.

In times like these, I cling to the great hymns of the church--those sacred songs that have shaped the faith of our worshiping community. Those sacred songs continue to shape my faith (and theological understandings), even today. This morning, the refrain that has been echoing in my soul is: I need thee, O I need thee; every hour I need thee; O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.

It find it ironic that while we (as a church), have been dealing with the theme, "Moving from Tradition to Intimacy" that I have been moving toward a closer relationship with God using the disciplines and traditions of old. All that is to say, here is the hymn of the morning...

I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
no tender voice like thine can peace afford.

I need thee every hour; stay thou nearby;
temptations lose their power when thou art nigh.

I need thee every hour, in joy or pain;
come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

I need thee every hour; teach me thy will;
and thy rich promises in me fulfill.

I need thee every hour, most Holy One;
O make me thine indeed, thou blessed Son.

I need thee, O I need thee; every hour I need thee; 

O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.

Words: Annie S. Hawks
Music: Robert Lowry

Use What You Got...

In her song, "Think," Aretha Franklin sings, "You gotta use what you got, to get what you want..." And that has caused me to think, and rethink some things. Using what you've got speaks not only to our natural strengths, but also to notions of stewardship. In our culture of consumerism and materialism, it is easy to go out and buy what you need to make something happen, instead of pooling your current resources to see how you can work with what you have. And so, those thoughts have inspired my post for today. Let me break this thing down...

What do you want, preacher?
I want a healthy, fit, strong, and curvy body...
I want a consistent fitness schedule...
I want to be able to chase our children around the house... (when God wills, don't go starting rumors)

What do you have, preacher?
I have an elliptical machine in my bedroom...
I have a lovely neighborhood...
I have three beautiful parks and a high-school track within a 5-minute drive...
I have two yoga mats...
I have a medicine ball...
I have a set of free weights...
I have resistance bands...
(and resistance tubes...)
I have Wii Fit...
I have a hula hoop...
I have arm hoops...
I have pilates, bellydancing, and gospel aerobics workout DVD's...
I have an iPad with a plethora of fitness apps:NikeTraining, Fitness Class, Ab Workout, MyNetDiary, etc...
I have a pink and cream Schwinn Cruiser to ride around the neighborhood..
I have a jump rope...
I have a Nike+ arm band...
I have a pool in the complex for use during the summer...
I have a cramp in my finger just from typing all of this...


So, what don't you have anymore?
Ok, so Aretha didn't sing that, but reflecting on all of the exercise equipment in the house has led us to cancel our gym membership. I suggested it, and hubby agreed. If I cannot reach my fitness goals with everything I have at my disposal (I'm sure there is something I left out), what good is a gym membership, especially if I don't use it? Sure, the classes are good, but now that I have Zumba DVD's, I can Zumba at home. In the past, I have successfully lost weight without a gym membership. In fact, I haven't used the gym consistently and successfully since I was 21 and actually enjoyed the meat-market feel of the gym. (You know what I'm talking about: the stares, the flirting by the free-weight machine, the dude who offers to train you just so he can get your number.) Well, I'm a grown woman now and I have everything that I need and desire at home (and I'm not just talking about exercise equipment.)

So, I'm planning to use what I got, to get what I want...

*this post could have easily been about clothes shopping as I struggle not to purchase a new dress for a wedding we are going to next weekend. I want to be beautiful, elegant, and tasteful. I've got a great dress already hanging in my closet. What's the issue? I've worn it, been photographed in it, had said photos posted to facebook and my blog, and I momentarily think my name is Beyonce so I cannot be photographed in the same dress twice. I hate the way celebrity culture has infiltrated my thinking. But thanks be to God for Princess Kate Middleton who has gracefully hit the repeat button...Use what you've got...