SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022
Radical and Affirming Love
BY REV TENNILLE POWER
Carter G. Woodson, the great historian, and educator, first established the concept of the celebration of Black History Month in 1926. He initiated the first celebration of Negro History Week which led to Black History Month, with the intention of extending and deepening the study and scholarship of African American history all year long. Black History is AMERICAN history, when told accurately and not through a filtered lens in an effort to hide the blatant injustice, oppression, and violence that weaves in the fabric of the United States. As we celebrate this month of Melanin, Love, and History, we center Jesus as the one who gave radical, affirming love to ALL! We are called in this month and every month to demonstrate this type of love to all our brothers and sisters. Give love to those which costs us nothing.
Be Blessed and Be Well!
SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2022
Sabbath
REV TENNILLE POWER
A few weeks ago in bible study, we spoke and studied about Sabbath. Sabbath is a time for rest, and how this gets manifested will differ from person to person. Traditionally, Sabbath has had a western, Christian understanding of Sunday. This is not always feasible, particularly for people who work on Sunday. Sabbath may mean a Wednesday. The importance of Sabbath is not when you take it, THAT you take it and HOW you take Sabbath. We are encouraged to take Sabbath as a day of rest, a day of fun, a day of rejuvenating your mind, body and spirit. It is critical to listen to your body and your spirit and let this lead how you spend your Sabbath. I heard at a conference recently a presenter tell of a story of South Africans who were working and while running for this particular job, they stopped. When asked why they stopped, their response was they were finding space for their soul to catch up. In this Lenten season, I encourage you to find space for your soul to catch up. Be mindful of the necessity of Sabbath and watch your spirit be transformed to hear better from God. Pastor Tennille L. Power
SUNDAY, APRIL 3, 2022
Cycles of Life
REV TENNILLE POWER
As many of us have journeyed through the times in life when we face the death of family and friends, I am learning the true meaning of Ecclesiastes 3; everything has its time. There is a season for every matter on earth, a TIME to be born and a TIME to die, a TIME to weep and a TIME to laugh. I emphasize TIME because it is not God’s calling or mandate that we stay in this time or these seasons permanently. Death is a time of mourning, and we transition to remembering life. Life is for the living. As we enter into the season of our liturgical year where we reflect on the TIME Jesus made thy great sacrifice, we then transition into the Resurrection season, where Jesus calls us into new life. We are to finish strong in the weeks of our Lenten sacrifice and move forward to embrace the transformation this sacrifice will bring. I encourage all of us to take this time, embrace the TIME, the season you are in, prayerfully ask God to transition you to the next TIME and season God calls you to live your life to Pray and Meditate the fullest! Pastor Tennille L. Power
SUNDAY, APRIL 10, 2022
Journey to the Cross
REV TENNILLE POWER
Beloved, we are beginning the walk toward the journey to the cross. Jesus began his journey to the cross starting on Palm Sunday, being praised as the king that will rule over the Romans. Jesus on earth was sent to establish a new kingdom on Earth, one that to was not dictated by imperial powers. Jesus came on Earth to render justice, to give people a new way of life. As we take the journey to the cross, I encourage us to explore and reflect on how the Kingdom of God Jesus wanted to establish lives in us, lives in the church, and in our world. Jesus was not sacrificed for us to continue the status quo. Jesus lived so we can live a life of abundant joy and justice from oppressive forces in the world. We are all called to do our part, so let’s get to it! Pastor Tennille L. Power
SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2022
The Resurrection is Real!
REV TENNILLE POWER
He is ALIVE! He is NOT dead! This is what the women at the tomb proclaimed. These words ring true today! Jesus is ALIVE! Jesus rose so we can have everlasting life! The question is, what kind of life are we living? Jesus did not die so we can be average. Jesus did not die so we could be mediocre. Jesus did not die to live with no faith and no understanding of God’s word. Do our lives reflect a Resurrected savior? Do our lives reflect a genuine faith walk? Or do our lives still remain in the tomb? It is time for us to RESURRECT those dead spaces of life, dead spaces of faith, and be ALIVE in Jesus Christ, for Christ lived and died so we can live life and live it abundantly. Let us not disappoint and live our gift of life in vain. Strive every day to live in excellence.
Jesus’s life demands it!