Category Archives: Church

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OMG is taking the name of the Lord in vain…Yeah, I said it!

Hello World,

the image from the ABC News' "Nightline" piece...

Back in September 2009, when I saw that ABC News’ “Nightline” did a feature on the popularity of the exclamation “OMG” and explored if such an exclamation is taking the name of the Lord in vain, I realized there must be a Christian or at least a Christ-friendly person in their ranks…

Reporter John Donovan interviewed high school students from the Washington Hebrew Congregation youth group in Bethseda, Md. who have surely been taught the Lord’s name is not to be used lightly…

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.  Exodus 20:7

As Donovan spoke with them about how they used this exclamation via text or in casual conversation, you could visibly see the students connecting what they had been taught versus their actual behavior. It was enlightening…Donovan also explored how the view of taking the name of the Lord in vain has softened over the years in this country (God help us)…In fact, in years past, words like golly or gosh, which dated back to the 1700s according to Donovan, were developed to avoid wrongly using the name of the Lord.  And if one did use the name of the Lord in vain back then, that person was severely criticized…

But that has all changed, the Parents Television Council reports that in 2007, 95.9 percent of the uses of the name God in primetime television were in vain…I mean, even my e-mail provider has a OMG emoticon…I confessed I used it too until this report reminded me of the seriousness of this oft-forgotten and ignored transgression…(Thanks John Donovan for this reminder!)

While I’m on my soapbox, people often the name of Jesus Christ as an exclamation as well – which is a sin…plain and simple…

Anyway, I had planned to write a post about this report, but I must have forgotten…but the report came back to memory when I heard one of Usher’s new songs on the radio a few weeks or so ago…The title of the song is “OMG.” In Googling this song, sometimes it sounds he is saying, “Oh My God” and sometimes it sounds like, “Oh My Gosh.” Well, even if it is the latter version, the title of the song suggests that he is wrongly calling on the name of the Father…

Now, I am a big fan of Usher’s music dating back to my college days at UGA…but I plan to turn the station whenever I hear this song…It makes me uncomfortable…The Lord is our Creator, Father and Savior – not our lil homie…we do not have the right to use His name casually…

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those Christians that believes that every singer should be singing Christian songs all of the time…but I do believe that every Christian whether they decide to be a gospel singer or a secular singer should respect the name of the Lord at all times…

That’s why in spite of what people say about Kanye West, I still like him…He always speaks from the heart – even if it’s controversial or ill-advised…And I think that his song “Jesus Walks” was groundbreaking…And he properly addressed Jesus Christ in this song in spite of its controversial language and themes…Ultimately, he displayed his desire to be in the presence and counsel of Jesus Christ…in spite of his propensity to sin…

The truth is we are all sinners, but that is no excuse to not try to do right, when we know something is wrong…

Any thoughts?

P.S. Thank God Jesus walks with me!!!

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Holy, Holy, Holy…

Hello World, 

A week from today, we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ…and so today is the first day of Holy Week…And we are commanded in His Word to be holy…

1 Peter 1:15-19 (New International Version)

15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”[a]

 17Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

As I go throughout the week in the hustle and bustle of daily living, I pray that I will pause and take time to thank God for His sacrifice for me…Sometimes I am stunned that I even call myself a Christian…Not because I don’t feel love for the Lord in my heart, but because I am a person that is ever so prone to anxiety and fear…You would think with all of the verses in the Bible about not having fear and anxiety, I would not be this way…but it is what it is sometimes…And yet as I type these words, I know that the Lord loves me — an anxious and fearful sinner…

And I so as I revel in His love for me, I have to offer my praise….And we are commanded to praise the Lord in His Word…

Psalm 150 (New International Version)

Psalm 150

 1 Praise the LORD. [a]
       Praise God in his sanctuary;
       praise him in his mighty heavens. 2 Praise him for his acts of power;
       praise him for his surpassing greatness. 3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
       praise him with the harp and lyre, 4 praise him with tambourine and dancing,
       praise him with the strings and flute, 5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
       praise him with resounding cymbals. 6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
       Praise the LORD.

In Jesus’ name, amen, amen and amen…

 

 

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Bad Girl Gone Good: Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth

Hello World!!!

Before I get into the topic at hand, were you out last night in the A? It was actually chilly and windy. My thin-strapped bubble dress was not holding up in the night air…could it be that fall is upon us…could it be that my b-day is in a couple of weeks? The answer to both questions is a resounding, “Yes!” (Read: You still have time to buy a b-day gift for me…gift cards are cool too 🙂 )

Okay, the topic of the day – Have you heard the news? Y’all would never guess who has enrolled in seminary…Yes, that’s right…Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth – that crazy chick from Donald Trump’s reality show “The Apprentice.” I watch very few reality shows, but I remember watching her on that show.  She was the ultimate “mean girl” and after a while, she became the reason that everyone tuned in. Most people would not admit it, but I think many of us got a vicarious thrill from watching her be catty and snooty. I imagine her demeanor will change now that she is officially a student at United Theological Seminary in Ohio. She is seeking a doctor of ministry degree. Her Web site is hilarious. She has two categories on her Web site: naughty and nice. On the nice page, she is dressed in a white flowly gown with her hands outstretched presumably pointed to heaven. I guess she is dressed as an angel. Well, on the naughty page, she is undoubtedly dressed as a devil. She has horns on her head and is in some red pleather get-up with her stomach showing.

I wonder if she plans to become a minister. Don’t laugh…stranger things have happened…Have you heard of Saul on the road to Damascus in the Bible? This guy, who was known for killing Christians, actually became one of the Bible’s most famous ministers of the gospel.  He actually has his own page on Wikipedia! All of this has me thinking about the qualities that make a good pastor or minister…

What do you look for? Do you want a minister who had a dramatic conversion experience like Paul or even Al Green? Apparently, he decided to become a minister not long after a pan of boiling grits was poured on him. Do you like a minister that can relate to young people? I’m sure that Rev. Run does not have a hard time relating to the youth. Does your minister have to be a bad girl gone good like Denise Matthews formerly of Vanity 6? Apparently, she is now an evangelist.

Celebrities aside, what do you look for in a pastor or a minister? Some people don’t believe that pastors should be women? Do you feel a pastor or minister should have a seminary degree? Is it important that a pastor have lived a rough life before being called to ministry? Or should a pastor be someone who was raised in the church and never strayed? Do your ministers have to be the same race that you are or have the same socioeconomic background that you have?  Do your pastors have to drive luxury vehicles or be married? Do your pastors have to be young with fresh ideas or old with time-tested beliefs?

In a previous post, I blogged about what people look for a church. In many cases, it is the pastor and or ministers that make the difference for some people.

Any thoughts?