26 days to 29: No More Churches

Today on my lunch outing, I rode with a colleague trying to find the Popeye’s chicken on this side of town. In our lost-but-not-really-lost exploration we drove down Valleydale, in the coolness of the beautiful day. My eyes darted left to right, right to left, somehow trying to capture the entire scene.

Beautiful subdivisions with regal names mounted on brick entrance signs and upscale fonts (with houses i want to live in but not pay for). Two golf courses. Most of this hidden by large areas of tall green forest areas that open up abruptly to 4-stop retail areas “within short driving distance” (with my real estate agent sales pitch cheerful voice) from the residential properties complete with shopping malls, drug stores, and restaurants.

Ever so often, we’d hit a clearing on either side of the two-lane road that held churches, of all denominations. Some we had very tall steeples, towering above the freshly painted parking lots, empty during the weekday work hour as we drove by, but no doubt complete with an educational wing and probably a community center wing. Some very small, one or two room edifices, one story, freshly painted. Coming across so many churches on this one road during our 10 minute drive made me think about my community and my church and all the churches that I passed on the daily basis and their significance and role in the communities in which they sit. Two things came to mind:

1. What’s the point of having a church in a community it doesn’t serve? Why need does the community have need for it?

In the Bible, Jesus tells the people in Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy labored and I will give you rest.”

Although I’m a member of a local congregation, I pass a gazillion churches on my way to my place of worship. I also pass by several communities. I wonder just how many weary, heavy laden spirits reside in these communities I’ve passed by today on Valleydale, and other days in my own community, and in the community where my church is.

I cannot speak for the churches I passed today, but out of the 5 or 6 churches (and I’m sure there are more) in my neighborhood, I can only recall two churches in my surrounding neighborhood that I have every received any correspondence from. How can I, their neighbor, one less than a half a mile away, receive the message of hope, peace, joy, and happiness and get what I need if I never step inside of those 4 walls? How many people, within walking distance of a church are on the verge of losing it, just needing to hear something from someone that can uplift their spirit, give wisdom about a decision, and generally make them feel better about life? Will I hear the message at all? Maybe. Maybe not.

A story comes to mind that I heard yesterday on NPR. The reporter went around asking people what they thought about when they thought about Barack Obama. They’re answers all included one resounding word: hope. Barack Obama gave them hope. One person brought hope to the masses. That’s powerful and profound. You are one person. Look at what is possible when one person reaches out to people around them. Grant it, we don’t have the money to run the “campaign” if you will, but we do have access to the community by virtue of being apart of it. I believe many churches are short armed in that they are not reaching out.

Just imagine what could happen if we…
asked Mrs. Johnson, whose house is an eye sore in the neighborhood because it needs a paint job, if she minded if we painted her home?
offered a ride to the mean elderly lady next door to the church to the Piggly Wiggly down the street to pick up her groceries and brought her back and help her unload them

What if we risked being involved…?


2. We don’t need another church building or another church expansion project.

Do we have more in common than are willing to admit?

What we need to is fill the one we got with services people can use and unite with others to be of service to communities we sit in. If there are 6 churches on one street all having Vacation Bible School, wouldn’t it save resources, reach more at once, and foster more fellowship if we had them all together?

There's got to be some way we can reduce the redundancy and consolidate church congregations. Are we all so different in how we believe and how we chose to worship that we need so many churches on one road to accommodate us all? Are these huge beautiful edifices really a testament to discipleship and communion or are they an example of just how divided the body of Christ is. (speaking from a Christian perspective)

We’ve expended great effort and resources and have done an excellent job at building architecturally strong edifices in which to gather in.

But how much effort and resources are we or are we willing to expend, in financial capital and human resources, in building up the hearts of people who live daily outside of that place of worship?

Just a thought that came to me while we were lost, trying to find Popeye’s and the 2 piece and a biscuit $1.99 special…

"There is a way, no matter what they say..."
Mos Def

27 days til 29: Bittersweet Breakup

Last night I was witness to a break-up. It was amicable, but he was so sick to part with her. He admitted being neglectful and not “spending enough time with her.” She showed in on her face. He admitted she was a good one; dependable, sometimes temperamental, but if you talked to her, she usually came around and did what you needed her to do. I stood watching, seeing the sadness in his eyes, watching him walk around her, touch her, shake his head. When I asked him would he cry, he replied that he already had. She was his baby. They’d been together so long, through thick and thin. So the departure was bitter sweet. After a few instructions and one last look, he dropped the keys of the ‘73 Caprice Classic over to its new owner.

She wouldn’t leave at first. Felt his pull as she backed away from him. Stalled and stopped. Tried again. Rocked forward, and then backed away again. Finally, after a few failed attempts, she eased out of his life. Pulled off and left. He watched her as she left, sickened by the thought of not having her by his side. Then he got a call from the new owner. She was acting up. He chuckled to himself, knowing her habits. He was kind of glad she didn’t go so easily. After all the years they’d been together you’d think she should have some hesitation. Driving in his car on the way to talk to her, he reminisced on all the sweet memories they’d made together. All the rides they took; the entire road they had covered. She’d been there, graceful and steady, just glad to be there. The last two years, life just seemed to slip away from him, no time to spend with her. Other things were more important, demanded his time and attention. And now, she was gone.

Pulling up to where she sat, he jumped out to coax her into submission. She was a stubborn thing and this time took her sweet time getting right. But when she did, he heard the magic words “you want to drive her?” Do you have to ask his reply?

Exhilarated as they eased onto the near empty expressway, windows down, he could feel goose bumps as she glided forward, unrestrained, unbridled, soaring over the pavement. It was as if they had never been apart. Fourty more minutes of just them, silently accepting the parting of their ways, until they came to rest at her new resting place. They fell silent as they sat, waiting to let go. He whispered to her softly “I don’t want to see you no more. I couldn’t bear seeing you with another man.” She responded in silence. She understood.

And that was that.
He returned home.
She stayed in her new home.
Break ups are the hardest
And who knew love could be so strong between a man and his old car.

I thought about them this morning when i woke up. What comes to mind is Carl Thomas' song "I Wish" and its chorus:

And I wish I never met her at all
Even though I love her so
She got love from me
But she still belongs to someone else

In time, he'll be fine. But it just ain't easy.

28 days til 29: Just Passing Through: So Much to Learn, So Little I Know

I have a leadership challenge with my youth at my church and it’s bugging me. I’m putting together a plan to communicate more frequently with the parents and youth who do not come to Wednesday night bible study (where most of my communication takes place) and are not on the email list. I’m not much of a phone person (calling people at the house and such), so outside of church announcements, they don’t have a way of knowing what is going on with the youth department (and they won’t call me- won’t even ask me when they see me at church) so they feel disengaged and not included. I have my feelings about this, but I’m looking for a way to reach them too, because they’re important and need their needs met as well. I need more face time with them, at their convenience and am trying to figure out how to do that. I see a couple of them during rehearsals on Thursdays. The others I only see on Sunday morning.

On the flip side, maybe I can’t reach them. Maybe they’re just complaining and the problem is that they don’t want to be engaged. And maybe they should reach towards us more. My personality, however, makes me exhaust all my personal capabilities of reaching them.

Just something on my mind this morning.

I need some special prayer for this. So if you're the praying type, remember us as you go before the Father.

A friend and I discussed ways to reach youth, so by week’s end I’m going to do these three things:
1. Bebo group page-
2. Facebook group page
3. Call every household on my list just to check in.

It’s a start…how does the song go? "Reach out and touch somebody's hand, make this world a better place if you can."

I’m feeling like a community organizer… does that mean I’ll be president one day?

Like Mos Def Says… there is a way… no matter what they say…

Blown

For the last week, I have visited the website http://www.protegeimages.com/ just about every day. It remains an open window on my computer at work, even now as I’m typing this communication. I’ve never met the artist and I came across her site by a friend who’s engagement pictures shot. I thought I was coming here to look at incredible photos shot with an all seeing eye, but what I got was something altogether

♪ more beautiful than the well designed photographers web card
♪ more pleasing than smiling at dope photographs of life while enjoying “elevator music”
♪ more intrusive and reaching of a touch than I expected to experience

At first glance, you enter and there is her name, her proclamation of who she is on paper, then there are two portals into her-images and words (blog). I instantly chose images- pictures paint a million words (and I’m trying not to be so verbose these days—perhaps that’s why I haven’t blogged in a while; becoming a silent observer—at least for a month), and what met me caught me so off guard that I haven’t been able to get past the two gems that were inside this oysters mouth.

A percentage number shows as the photos load, but immediately I hear the voice of trumpets and one of my favorite conscious rappers, Mos Def, grooving to a real chill beat with a simple message:

“There is a way… no matter what they say…. Don’t give up, don’t give in…”

I’m floored, first from the dopeness of the track and simplicity of the message, but the way it hits my spirit is like blowing helium air into a balloon; it buoys me to a state of emotion that is probably likened to that of a weed head getting that good ganja and just sitting back

So, after being buoyed into an altered, alert, chill, empowered state of mind from the first song, the next one that follows renders me completely static. I cannot move, and I can all but smell the concert hall that this track was cut in, see the instruments, see the drummer on a basic trap set.

David Axelrod’s “Holy Thursday” begins and it is vaguely familiar to me. After a few seconds into the track I realize that it is the track Lil Wayne used on his Dr. Carter song on his last album. But this instrumental… my God, it is so pure, so musically sound, so geniously orchestrated and put together that I cannot leave the song. I can’t leave the page. And although the photos were absolutely fitting as a PowerPoint playing during these songs, these songs far overshadowed my need to watch the slide show anymore. It inspired me so that I had to pen how I was feeling:

Blown

Good music
Paralyzes my senses
Can’t breathe unless the beat reaches heart cavities
Don’t feel anything but strings ‘neath my finger tips
Smell only vinyl and sweat from bodies that gyrate to metered rhythms
Taste intoxicating doses of liquid trumpets and jello shots of sax
Hear only 808’s and snares, tapping out predestined paths of movement
See only hypnotic lights, smoky venues, and shadowed figures cloaked in ambiance

Good music
Makes limbs schizophrenic
Giving me paraplegic experiences on one hand
morphs limbs dexterous on the other
The length of the beat, melody proved too intense
Far too limited by the need of senses to sense its power
Yet driven to keep up with the cadences
And free body parts to dance with the wind
Free and unencumbered
Limbs jerk and flow, fast and slow
And I, I just go
With it

(For him, it’s smoking a black and mixing coke and jack
That buzz he gets, blows on me in contact
I’m High as a kite, when the beat is right
Feel me…)

Cause I love
Good music

10:21 AM
May 19, 2009

Inspired by Mos Def’s “There is a Way” and David Axelrod’s “Holy Thursday”


It continues to amaze me how simple we as human beings are. For me, it’s music and well put together word(s). For you it may be something else. But we all have our high. Simply put, Good Music is mine…

Since then, I have visited this site everyday, and have listened to these two songs non-stop at least for 2 hours each day. The “shooter” has an awesome eye, very nice work, but if her selection of music to accompany her images was her choice, my respect for her heightens by 1025 power because the photos take on a different life when accompanied by this awesome music!

(yes, I’m still listening to this now, and I’ve been typing this for about 20 minutes—just two songs)

For those of you who need some inspiration, may be stuck in a rut, needing a sign that things will be alright, visit the site, listen to the song: The Creator used this music to lift me. I hope it does the same for you…

Uprooted or Firmly Planted

It’s an “orange moon” kinda morning (song by Erikah Badu). This morning is kind of lazy and overcast, and slow, easy. No stressful situations yet, just the hum of the air conditioning and overhearing the voice of a coworker on the phone and murmur of conversation in the next cubicle and the tap of my fingers on the keys. Just being right now. Just breathing. Just living.

This morning I got out of the bed on time (instead of lingering under the covers like usual), went down to toast bagels, almost sliced off the top of my middle finger on my left hand. Ok, well maybe not that bad, but I spent about 10 minutes running water over the deep cut to stop it from bleeding (it cut a little of my finger nail too), pouring hydrogen peroxide over it to be sure it was clean, then applying that triple antibiotic ointment over it so it won’t get infected, all the while debating whether I needed to go to the hospital and get stitches because I’d never been cut so deep.

I debated whether the knife had cut something serious, like a nerve, but concluded that all I saw was pink flesh when I opened up the wound to see just how deep it was. After a shower, I finally wrapped a band aid on it, having stopped the bleeding enough that I wasn’t afraid I’d pass out from blood loss on the way to work. Looking at it right now, the band aid has a round red spot on it slightly smaller than a dime. I’ll change the band aid in 22 minutes and keep the ointment on it. DO NOT USE a butcher knife to cut a bagel, especially just waking up. HAZARDOUS!

Despite the overcast morning, I noticed how beautiful the plants are today. The greens were deep and dark and bright as I drove along the highway, and the water soaked tree trunks, darkened by yesterday’s rain, added some sort of contrast to the greens and added crispness and character to the trees. Those dark trunks made them more tangible I suppose.

Yesterday while driving in the Civic Center area of town, we ran across a tree that had toppled over. This tree was massive and had a massive root based that looked like someone had just been pulling a giant weed out of the ground, its yellow roots soiled with mud exposed for all to see just how deep and wide its roots ran. There was a huge plug in the space where it stood, open and loose soil, a gaping hole. It was shocking to me that as many times as I’ve passed by that tree, it never occurred to me what it’s support system looked like underneath that allowed it to live. And this morning, as I’m typing, a thought comes to me about life.

That tree was huge, but I had never paid it much attention until it was down, roots exposed, seemingly defeated by too much rain softening the soil that held it in the ground. And it makes me think of me, of my family, of my friends, of life in general. They say times are hard right now in the world. With an ongoing recession, jobs being lost, people unsure of their futures, it's understandable how many can feel just like that tree. Feeling down and helpless because the ground that once held our roots and protected them and made room for them is now oversaturated with the circumstances and slowly, we feel the sway of the wind and the pull of gravity leveling us to the ground. And there we are, uprooted, and wondering how to get up.

It saddens me as I watch recent news about individuals who have had their roots exposed and unsupported losing it, killing their own families, and even innocent bystanders in some cases, due to the stresses of life- losing jobs, wife leaving them, etc. Perhaps they were like this tree, had roots dug deep and wide, but over time, the rain just kept falling and falling and falling until the ground gave way and couldn’t support the weight of its growth and toppled. Perhaps we are all like that tree and with all the rain and shaking going on, it’s time to check to see that the ground you’re planted in can withstand the rain and keep you grounded.

There’s a gospel song that comes to mind that says “In times like these, we need a Savior. In times like these, we need an anchor. Be very sure, be very sure. Your anchor holds, and grips the Solid Rock.” There have been times when I’ve sung this song and just cried, touched by the songwriter's understanding of trials, uncertain times, and opposition, and also encouraged because I know that I have an anchor that has held me in the darkest of times, in the most uncertain of times, in the most uneasy of times, and even today, as I write this email, even today he still holds me grounded.

I am thankful this morning that I was taught that no matter what is going on, God is still in control. And let me tell you, over the past 6 years, sometimes knowing that one thing ALONE has kept me from losing my mind. I pray that each of us, who have the peace of God, will share that with others around us.

People are in need of a message of hope and to know that God has a future for them, though their days right now may look bleak. My prayer is today is that I can shine my light to give others hope even as their tree is toppled over. Hope that they can be rooted in soil that will not give way to the rain, and continue to stand tall during the storm.

I love you and speak peace to your situation. The Creator is in control.

Don't touch me... I'm getting sharp

Happy Tuesday,

Lately I have been familiarizing myself with Franklin Covey’s Seven Habits and his philosophy about personal excellence and how it affects other areas of our lives. In the course of my philanthropic work with the Birmingham Change Fund (www.birminghamchangefund.org), we are giving to empower others in our communities.

I want to be sure that I am, that we are making time and room for what Covey calls, not-urgent, but important things like preparation/planning, prevention, values clarification, exercise, relationship-building, and true recreation/relaxation, just to name a few examples.

As we empower the community through grant giving in the areas of economic development, health care, and education, I’d like to challenge you to assess your own continuum of empowerment in these areas. Are we sharpening our saw? Let me give you an example:

Economic Development: Show me the money! If you’re like me, you want to have and continue to build wealth and pass on a legacy of good stewardship on to your families and your greater community. That’s what I say, but I have applied very little of all the information I have gleaned over the years from the multitude of seminars and workshops I’ve been privileged to attend. I could honestly say that had I applied the things I know in the immediate time frame of me coming into the knowledge, I would be on my second million or third million (stock crash/economy problems not withstanding). So I ask you BCF, as a group, how empowered are you in the area of economic development?

(Thanks Ed! This was his idea from a conversation we had)

Question: Do you have a will, living trust, legal, written arrangements for the handling of your assets once you transition from time into eternity? I don’t.

My challenge to the group: Can you, move towards empowerment in this area, and say, by years end, each person in BCF have a legally binding will in place?

Young people are leaving this place daily, one way or another. Transference of wealth is an area that AA’s miss out on key opportunities to prepare and plan for.

Other areas in economic development: budgeting and living on less of your income, getting rid of bad debt (credit cards, etc), and purchasing land/buildings.

Health Care: Question: When was the last time you visited the doctor for your annual check up? Have you gotten that pain in your chest checked out? Do you have a healthy diet, get exercise, are you fit? I don’t know about you, but there are several things I experience, like severe migraines and chest pain, that I could stand to get checked out. What about you?

My challenge to the group: Can you move towards empowerment in this area, and say, by years end, each person has gone to the doctor to find out what exactly is going on, will focus on living healthier, and doing what we need to do to be around to enjoy the lives we’ve all been promised?

Education: Question: Is there something you have wanted to learn/try? Is there another degree you’ve been eyeing? A certificate you want to add to your skills? If you’re like me, the answer is yes.

My challenge to the group: Can you move towards empowerment in this area, and say, by the end of the year, each person has completed at least 3 steps towards adding that education to our experience resume? Whether that’s getting a business license to begin that new business, taking that entrance exam to the graduate/professional school, taking an Excel or Access class to better manage your clients, reading Frederick Douglas’ narrative to learn about your people, going to a seminar within your field, whatever it is, take those steps to educating yourself. Spend time with people who know, so you can know too!

As agents of change, as those who are in the know, we must stay sharp ourselves, especially in the areas we want changed and improved in our community. Involve others as well. Start with yourself, and let it spread to your immediate family, your friends, and your circles, until we have the community covered.

Will you take the challenge?

Reply with “I’m with ya!” if you’re down and a “no time to sharpen the saw” if you’re not.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? Let me hear about it...


With all my love and reaching towards my tool belt, (I've got lotsa work to do)

Some people just make me smile...

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly… Proverbs 18:24a

You know some people just make you smile

I pray you had a pleasant Easter Weekend and celebrated with loved ones. I did.

Larry, one of our senior systems analyst (the guru of all things pertaining to our system and how to fix what’s wrong) passed through the department today (we know his main reason for coming down was to visit my boss to discuss some ongoing conversion effort), knocking on the cubicle of my coworker and me in a gesture to say hello. When I heard the knock, I turned around to see who it was and asked how he was doing. “Better right this minute than I’ve been all day,” he replies and gives me the thumbs up sign before heading on to venture into the rest of his busy day. A smile immediately finds its way to my cheeks, quickly reaching my eyes, which squint and sparkle in full cheesy smile. “Cool, cool.” I reply. And just that quickly, he’s gone. The smile, however, lingers at his kind words. Small gesture, huge impact.

Now this guy Larry, I’m not quite sure when I found favor in his eyes. I remember back in 2005, I had a task that required me to undo several wrong transactions that was both laborious and tedious and slow. Larry and I had to work tag team; I would do something, he would do something, I would do another thing, he would do another thing, until we totally completed it. Seems like from that point forward, I found favor with him and anytime I’ve ever needed anything, he’s Johnny on the spot (or at least Johnny on the hour) with an answer or remedy.

He’s a nice guy anyway, extremely insightful, attentive to detail, and can work his way into and out of most of our system snafus. I notice, however that everyone doesn’t get the same responses from him as I do. There are days when we’ll email him and his automatic “busy” message is returned (similar to an out of office reply response), but within minutes he’ll email me back with a solution to what I was asking. There have been days where a coworker couldn’t get a response from him on something or had a problem getting in touch with him and I can during the same time frame. Now I’m not encouraging cronyism (good thing he’s not running for office, they might call him on it if he appointed me to some cabinet office), but I am suggesting that good relationships are what life is about. They are the grease of life that keeps all the levers and wheels turning smoothly.

Several years ago, my family attended a company picnic with me and Larry wanted to meet my folks but unfortunately didn’t have a chance to. The following Monday he came down to my desk, asked for a piece of paper and a pen. Puzzled at his request, I handed his the writing utensil and paper and waited earnestly as he scribbled something down. Folding the paper in half and returning it and the pen to me, he instructed me to “give this to your dad,” and walked away. Inquisitive about what he would write a note to my dad about, I unfolded the note and I’ll never forget what the paper said. It read:

Mr. Goodman,
I’m not sure who raised Crystal, but whoever it was did a fine job.
Larry

I’m not even sure if I ever gave my father the note, but let me tell you it was the ultimate compliment both to me and to my parents and I was thankful to Larry for thinking enough about me to point it out and commend my parents.

There are a few people that make me smile every time I see them. It’s no wonder that those people have over time been seated in my front row, my closest circle. I could be wrong but I believe it was Maya Angelou that said that at the end of the day, its all about how you make people feel that makes a difference. I’ve always been a generally friendly person and I find that when people refer to me they make some inference about my hospitality, my chillness, my making them feel comfortable, accepted, befriended, in some way, even if years have passed since I’ve been in contact with them.

I believe my smile is the beginning of that. Maybe that’s what Larry appreciated, even during the hard work. Maybe that’s what others see as an open door to be as friendly to me as I am to them. The law of sowing and reaping has definitely been good to me in this regard.

So to all you going through your day, and some just so happens to make you smile, take a second to bask in the moment of that joy. Like my home girl’s tagline says “Focus on things of value. No worries.” But don’t be selfish, give back. Make someone else smile.

Smiles and those who evoke them are valuable. Appreciate them.
To those who make me smile, you know who you are… and here’s a big one, just for you. And here’s a song that makes me smile.