blogs Archives - After the Altar Call

Hello World,

Well, I missed March’s list, but I’m still doing my monthly post in which I corral interesting blog posts and or articles for black Christian women from last month that intrigued me as a black Christian woman ( but you don’t have be a black Christian woman to to check them out:) ! ) As usual, let me know if you like my list! Enjoy and share!

1.The Church Needs Lemonade by Brandi Miller

Excerpt: Intuition. Denial. Anger. Apathy. Emptiness. Accountability. Reformation. Forgiveness. Resurrection. Hope. Redemption.If one were to put these words together on a Sunday morning, slip them into synthesizer led worship, announce them from the mouth of a plaid clad pastor integrated with anecdotes about his child and wife, or present them in an altar call or prayer, we wouldn’t blink. These words are integral to the Christian narrative. Try to find a bible tract or gospel presentation that doesn’t have at least 50% of them. Christians love these words…that is until Beyoncé says them. See more at: thesaltcollective.org.

2. Gospel Singer Tasha Cobbs Says Black Church Can Help With Depression by Brennan Williams

Excerpt: Tasha Cobbs’ journey to award-winning and chart-topping success as a gospel singer has come with both praise and self-discovery.The 34-year-old has publicly shared her personal testimonial battling depression through the years, and is dedicated to inspiring others dealing with the same issue. After years of masking her sadness and self-neglect, Cobbs says she decided to seek professional help in 2010 prior to the release of her debut independent project, “Smile.” See more at: huffingtonpost.com.

3. Hollywood’s Black Christians Are on The Rise by Ronda Racha Penrice

Excerpt: Black Christians shocked Hollywood last September. War Room, the mainstream, prayer-themed film starring unknown black actors, dethroned the hit N.W.A. biopic, Straight Outta Compton, at the box office over Labor Day weekend. But this was no fluke. Black Christian entertainment has been broadening its appeal for years. See more at: urbannewsservice.com.

4. Episcopal Saint is Namesake of New Yale Residential College by Lauren Markoe

Excerpt: A new residential college at Yale University has been named for an Episcopal saint who was the first African-American woman to be ordained an Episcopal priest. Anna Pauline Murray, known as “Pauli,” was also a civil rights activist who helped shape the legal argument for the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling and a women’s rights activist who co-founded the National Organization for Women. She received an advanced law degree from Yale in 1965 and an honorary doctorate in divinity from the university in 1979. See more at: religionnews.com.

5. Organized After Civil War, Mount Zion AME Remains a Cornerstone of Ocala’s Black Community by Marian Rizzo

Excerpt: With a glowing face and smiling eyes, the Rev. Rhella P. Murdaugh stood in the doorway of Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church last week and talked excitedly about the church’s 150th anniversary celebration, which will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday. To Murdaugh, Mount Zion AME Church is more than just a building, more than just a meeting place: “It’s a beacon of light,” she said. See more at: ocala.com.

6. ‘One Day the War Came’ — Liberian Nobel Prize Winner to Talk Peace in Ottawa by Kirsten Fenn

Excerpt: It’s a tactic Gbowee used to her advantage during Liberia’s civil war in 2002, after waking from a dream one night that inspired her to create a women’s peace initiative. The idea morphed into the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, a movement of more than 10,000 Muslim and Christian women staging peaceful protests in 20 communities across the country. See more at: ottawacitizen.com.

7. Lest We Forget Museum Keeps Slavery’s Lesson in People’s Memory by Arlene Edmonds

Excerpt: Gwen Ragsdale feels that the African-American church and slavery history is so important that she stepped into the pulpit recently, although she is not an ordained minister. Ragsdale, along with her husband, J. Justin Ragsdale, are founders of the Lest We Forget Museum in Northeast Philadelphia. One can often find her at a local Black church sharing historical accounts. See more at: phillytrib.com.

8. All Female Christian Hip-Hop Cypher Is Fierce by Alex Osborne

Excerpt: Except for maybe Tupac’s Only God Can Judge Me, my exposure to Christian hip-hop is nil (I am assuming Tupac doesn’t really count anyway). That was until today, when Christian Hip-Hop’s YouTube channel posted this incredible cypher featuring an all female cast: Porsha Love, Speez Louise, Ily Rap, Ty Cage and Lady Adamas.The women all hail from Detroit and are serious about spreading the word of God through their raps. See more at: howlandechoes.com.

9. Too Blessed To Be Stressed? How Christianity is Harmful to Those With Mental Illness by Tracey Lloyd

Excerpt: I consider myself a Christian. I believe in God, I read the Bible, I go to church. My faith plays a role in certain aspects of my disease, but this wasn’t always the case. Earlier in my Christian journey, and before I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I had experiences that would lead me to believe that Christianity and mental illness could not be reconciled. That information came not from the Bible, but from how some Christians exhibit their faith. See more at: madamenoire.com.

10. The Emotional Verbal Abusive Narcissistic Church Mother

Excerpt: My mother is the oldest girl out of nine children who was raised in a single parent home by my grandmother. When my mother was six years old, her father died in a car accident. One could only imagine the devastation and impact that a child at the age of my mother could’ve experienced due to the sudden death of her father. My grandfather’s death trigger the narcissistic behavior that my mother suffers with today. See more at: preyingnarcissist.blogspot.com.

So I’ve covered pop culture, mental health and faith, an Episcopal saint, a new slavery museum and more…how did you like the list?

Any thoughts?

Hello World!!!

It has been said that confession is good for the soul. And so in deference to that adage, I confess that I frequently covet…

My earliest remembrance of this destructive behavior in my life goes back to when I was about six years old. A single mother who worked nights lived next door to my family and me. In neighborly kindness, I guess, the single mother’s daughter, who shall go nameless, was allowed to stay over at our apartment each night. In the morning, her mother would come and get her. The girl was about a year younger than me and so we became fast friends.

But I quickly noticed that this girl had things that I didn’t have. She wore name name brand clothing for instance and had jewelry even. In my six-year-old mind, I deduced that the reason my parents didn’t lavish name brand clothing and jewelry on me was that there was three of us and they couldn’t afford to spend their money on such frivolties. And I also deduced that my friend’s mama only had to cover two people, and that’ s why her mama could spend that way. But I was still jealous…I would try to comfort myself by saying to myself, I bet she wishes she had a daddy and brothers like I do…And that sentiment would work for a while, but then I would find myself thinking of what she had and what I didn’t have again. It got so bad that sometimes I would be up at night worrying about it all…Can you believe it? I was just six years old! That is sooo terrible…My friend slept in my room with me and that made it worse. Sometimes I would get up in the middle of the night and quietly open the door so the hallway light shone in the room and I would peer at a ring on her finger. I don’t even remember what it looked like exactly, but I do remember it was sparkly and reminded me of one of my favorite fairytales – Cinderella.

Fast forward nearly 30 years and I still find myself dealing with this insidious habit. I remember when I was in 20s and I was making $10 a paycheck at my first journalism job. All of my friends were going on trips, getting fabulous apartments and starting investment clubs…With my meager earnings, I had to live at home, and the only trip I could afford was the trip to work and back. As far as investments were concerned, I tried to comfort myself with the knowledge that I was investing in my future by taking a job in my field and getting experience. But I was still seething on the inside…and sometimes the vitriol spilled out…My father gave me countless pep talks during this time…He assured me that “my time” was coming…And he reminded that I chose a field that often doesn’t yield large earnings- at least at the beginning of your career, and I had to accept that or go into a different field. And he also told me that God had a purpose for my life and as long as I was in His will, I was where I needed to be.

Lately I have found myself hating on other people’s blogs or their careers. Here is what I think sometimes – Why her blog got all those comments? I’m a good writer too. Or why did she get a book deal when her topic is hackneyed at best? I could write that story with one hand tied behind my back…Yes, it’s gets really ugly in my mind sometimes…A friend wisely told me maybe one of the reasons why my blog doesn’t get as many comments as others is because I am talking about religious topics and religion will never be as popular. That may be true, but one of my favorite blogs, a religious blog, gets scads of comments…how come my blog doesn’t? I swear I’m still six years old….

So by this time, I should be wrapping up now and telling you how I’ve overcome my haterism…I haven’t…but sometimes, I have moments of clarity after I have bitched and moaned about it to anyone that will listen…One particularly spiritual friend frequently states that I shouldn’t compare my insides to someone else’s outsides. What that means is that what someone has doesn’t necessarily equate to happiness. Over the years I have learned that is true. Sometimes I’ve been told to pray for the person that I resent. I’ve found that if I pray for the person to get everything I want in my life, I often find that I don’t feel as bad…And I recently discovered that some people want what I have. That makes me feel really good…I swear, I’m terrible, huh? And sometimes hate can be a good thing actually. Sometimes, it has propelled me to do things I wouldn’t ordinarily do…For instance, I can be smart about my money too…And sometimes the answer is to stop thinking about myself and think of how I can help others…Self obsession is a trap for sure…prayer is a good tool too…

Anyway, I don’t have all of the answers for sure, but I am REALLY interested in what you have to say. PLEASE post comments…or else…or else…I will talk about you to my friends, ha, ha (Y’all pray for me.)

Any thoughts?

P.S. Check out Canton Jones’ “Hater Day.”