Some Notes from James Cone visit ITC on 2/20/12

A Reflection on the Cross and the Lynching Tree

10 yrs of research, thinking & writing

I been writing this book all my life... I put my whole being in it... The book chose me... I am still writing it and it will not be finish until I draw my last breath

Gospel of Thomas if u bring forth what it is within u, what u bring forth will save u... What u don't bring forth within u will destroy u... It save me from the meaningless career in theology

I did my best... To do less would be a theological sin

White use Christianity to lynch blacks and blacks used it to survive and resist white

White people discover the cross by the way of the bible... Black people discover the bible by way of the cross

Acts 10:39; lynching of June 2, 1915 (NAACP newsletter), 1st paragraph of text

Hope and salvation vs. White supremacy
Until we can see the cross and the lynching as parallel their will be no liberation of religious church

Paradox... White Christian place blacks on

Where my passion came from
My questioning of this paradoxical

(Is this relevant today?) Jail system... We can lynch people more now then hanging on a tree.

Religion and the blues kept blacks alive... Faith and the blues could not be control by whites

(And the crowd goes wild when he says sit my ass down)

Talk and write out the real concrete world... I say it because I felt their pain ( Baldwin, King, and Malcolm X) basis of theological thinking

I turn to the artist and the poets... Being black and Christian is a paradox... Hate kills the hater not necessarily the hate.

Yet black still love white people... (Do they?)

The deeper the love the stronger the passion... The one u love hurts u... Yet they treat us like dogs... (Really?)

The cross is a paradoxical religious symbols... Absurd claim of Faith

The power in me is greater then the darkness... It bare witness to do things that seems impossible

Reality of love in my own community... I did not have time to wish I was white... Blackness saved me from whiteness and kept me sain (everything black)

The blues was secular spiritual

God is black and is the light in the dark whiteness... (Really)

I am doing it for my mama and daddy who could not speak and I do it for them... To speak the truth!

For people who have been left out in the sunlight of opportunity.

(And what do we do with what we have heard? We become responsible for what we experience, what we have heard and seen. Though I appreciate Cones sharing his personal views of what he has experience and was able to articulate it in text... I am not sure if the text offers any possible solutions to diminishing the the hate, and hurt of our history. In fact I believe if brings on more tension then resolution. We must begin to move forward, and this doesn't mean we forget, it means we forgive. It doesn't mean we ignore, but it means we embrace. It means we begin to take on responsibility for ourselves and still have room to care, to grow, to love.)

theWORD

What will you do while you are here?

I don't know why people come to seminary and I don't know if all who are in seminary are called to go to seminary. One thing I do know is that while I am in seminary there is more that God has called me to do then to just go to class and chapel. If I am called to ministry and I been doing ministry before I went to ministry school, therefore I should be doing ministry while in ministry school. This just makes since to me as He continues to train me for the Kingdom.

PFTP Moments: When God reveals Himself to me during this season.

I had a moment on 2/27/2013 where the manifestation of the vision that God gave me was made clear in the 1st ever spoken word open mic Xperience which debuted at ITC. I along with Blended Vibe DJ LeShae host a two hour event that was honoring the History of Black History. Everyone that came out to support and graced the mic was phenomenal. Especially, the special guests Black on Black Rhyme.

Thank you Lord for entrusting me with this ministry. I pray that all who encounter theWORD Mic Xperience will find peace and be bless from theWORD that comes forth from all context of life Xperiences... Amen!

God Sent Me to Encounter Angels

Who would have thought that I was sent to encounter angels. The people I have been able to interact with in seminary here in Atlanta, Georgia have been amazing. For the past couple of days I have not been feeling like myself, but I kept on going. I been busy helping everyone and not taking care of myself... Falling back to my old routine. Since Thursday of last week I was getting headaches and felt tingling of my complete right side. Saturday morning came and I had to be in class by 9am. I was 30 minutes late and had to leave 30 minutes early because the aching increased greatly. My entire class was concern including my professor who told me that I should go to the ER. Oh my, if anyone knows me knows that I HATE THE HOSPITAL... Especially the ER!

I had to stop and ask God... Why is that I am in this situation right now? What is it that you want me to experience? Who is it that you want me to come in contact with through this experience? And what would you have me do with once I've experienced this experience?

And He speaks, "child you must relax and take care of yourself. Know that I have angels all around you who is guiding you through this journey. Yes, I know you know that I can do all things but I need you to do your part through Faith. You are well, but I needed to remind you that the need is so great as you can see from the waiting room area. I have already assigned your nurses and doctors who will care for you and give you all the information and administer all the test you need to ensure you are well. You don't have to worry that you have no insurance. My children cannot be denied, and realize that everyone in this hospital are mine. Thought they may not accept me as their's, but that is what I need you to see. So that your flame does not burn out. I want to light your fire once more. I want to receive your worship like I never before, because it is a sweet sound in my ear. So know this, sometime I get a little jealous and I simply want your attention, and also remember my promise that never will I live you nor forsake you. I love you baby girl!"

Wow... I want to thank Ms. Valda, Danielle who were at the hospital with me, Dr. Johnson and the entire Foundation of Ministry pupils that were concern and in prayer... Praise God for I am well in Christ Jesus. And I have not felt ache in my right side since.

God's MVP

"I have to deny myself to do the will of the Father
For I, myself, will get in the way of His will, and those that I have been assigned to
Those who I have a supernatural spiritual connection with
Those who are directly and indirectly related to me
I did not call myself into this being, into this form
Therefore, He who has called me has set a standard of leaving that I must live by
In order for purpose to be fulfilled in my life, as well as the lives of others."

When the Holy Spirit speaks... I'll admit, often time I ignore, but the statement above was given to me through the Holy Spirit while I was busy in my flesh, being upset of the outcome of my life, and something I did which led me to doubt my destiny. Being who I am in the present day with flaws and all, I questioned God still... Why Me? I may never know but one thing I've always known is that it isn't about me. But surely, there is someone or should I say many out there with a better track record then I do. A better player on this field of life that will win every time they are faced with a challenge, a match up, an obstacle.

And here comes The Lord teaching me through the message given by Apostle Tuff...

"You haven't entered the game says The Lord. You are on the practice field. I am not training you to win but I am building your faith. Once you realized you've already won there will be greater challenges, match up, obstacles, barriers, and other distraction that will come your way to throw you off course, throw you out of the playing field, but I need you to play says The Lord. I need you to play with the spirit that you have already won so that the adversary, the enemy can see Greater Is he that is in me then he that is in the world. I need you to play because someone else's life depends on me paying through faith. I need you to play for the sake of the Kingdom so that my perfect will, will be done. And so as a Believer it means you must practice... I place you in situation to practice. In other words I allow you to go through the things you go through. But trust that I am with you. Did I not promised you never will I leave nor forsake you. I have left the Holy Spirit which dwells in you to operate in the game when you get ready to play and know that the bible is the game plan."

Lord don't let me forget... Let me always remember where you brought me from and what you brought me through during practice. This will help me stay grounded in you and that the game has already been won. This is my game plan and my prayer!