Black History in the Bible

Black History in the Bible

by | Feb 8, 2023

These days Black history is in the news. People studying it, teaching it – even attempts to ban it. But Black history can’t be banned. It’s a history to remember.

Bible characters are usually portrayed as white and European, all except one of the wise men. But the spiritual history of Africa is imprinted in every book and chapter of the Bible beginning with Genesis. When God creates Adam out of the dust of the ground it contains the soil of Mesopotamia and the sun-warmed earth of Africa.

But it isn’t just earth and soil that indicates African presence in the Bible. It is the people themselves.

The lands of the Bible span the continents of Africa and Asia—both home to peoples of color.

People of African descent, Asian descent, and of mixed descent–Afro-Asiatics—all lived in ancient Israel. In general, the people of Ancient Israel were probably more African than Asian and they looked it.

Consider the story of Joseph. Sold into slavery and taken down to Egypt he rises in the ranks of Pharaoh’s government. While his brothers intend it for evil, God intends it for good; Joseph is able to bring his father and 11 brothers down to Egypt to escape a devastating famine.

This means all 12 tribes of Israel and their descendants live in Africa for over 200 years until Moses leads them to freedom. They go down as 70 souls and they come back one and a half million strong. Through intermarriage, African blood flows freely through their veins.

Even so, the people are called Hebrews, not Egyptians. Why? Not because of race or racism; that construct doesn’t come into existence until the 1600s. It is because of tribe. Tribal affiliation is what matters in the ancient world. Nevertheless:  In the Bible, Hebrews and Africans are one and the same people. The first Hebrews are African and many Africans are Hebrews.

Long before slave ships bring Africans to American shores, many enslaved Africans already worship the God of the Bible. In fact, I went to seminary with a student from Kenya who told me that the African tribal practices of his people were straight out of the Old Testament. They’re living now like the Jews did millennia ago.

The African presence in the Bible can be traced even deeper in the Bible. Moses, “The Prince of Egypt,” is born of Hebrew slaves, but is raised by Egyptians.   Remember how Moses’ mother and sister put him in a basket in the Nile so that Pharaoh won’t find him and kill him?  But Pharaoh’s daughter finds him, keeps him, and raises him in the royal palace right under Pharaoh’s nose.  Now if Pharaoh’s daughter and Moses look all that different, it stands to reason that Pharaoh would take the baby and kill him.   But he doesn’t.  Why?  Probably because Moses fits right in:  an Egyptian among Egyptians.

Moses isn’t the only one who fit right in. Here’s where it gets really interesting. Remember how Mary and Joseph take Jesus and flee when King Herod wants to kill him?  Where do they go to hide out? Where do they go to find sanctuary? Where do they go to blend in? Egypt.

Now if Joseph, Mary and Jesus look all that different from the native Egyptians, they would never pass. But they do. They too had African blood flowing through their veins. Even Jesus. Especially Jesus.

As Dr. King so famously said, “…all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied to a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

Black history is biblical history.  Black history is all our history.

 

Originally published February 2019.

Copyright © 2023 rebekahsimonpeter.com.  All Rights Reserved.

Vision, Mission, Goals, and the Future of the UMC

Vision, Mission, Goals, and the Future of the UMC

by | May 1, 2019

As a Christian leader, you have the dreams of God planted within you. Your task of leadership, your greatest act of stewardship, is to dare to bring forth those dreams, then to lead people in their realization.
As you consider what dreams these might be, taste these pungent words from Radical Grace by Richard Rohr. “What word of hope does the church have to offer the world? The world is tired of our ideas and theologies. It’s tired of our lazy church services. It’s no longer going to believe ideas, but it will believe love. It will believe life that is given and received… For most people in the world the question is not, Is there life on the other side of death? It is, rather, Is there life on this side of death?” A Jesus-like dream enables people to experience the glory of being alive while on earth.
As you dare to create your own Jesus-like dream, let’s take a moment and distinguish some key terms, starting with mission and vision. Vision, Mission, GoalsYour congregation’s mission is the reason it exists. Your vision is the imagined aspirational future your congregation is living into. As Glenn Howell, longtime denominational leader puts it, vision is how you see yourself doing your mission. I would tweak that by saying let your vision be how God believes you are capable of living out your mission.
To get a clear picture of the difference between mission and vision, let’s look at a specific example. In the United Methodist Church, “Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world” is the denominational mission. It’s the reason that the church exists at this time. Based on what I’ve observed, the vision of the denomination is, “A world in which the hungry are fed, diseases are stamped out, and God’s grace is made known to all.” This isn’t written down anywhere.  But it’s the lived vision of the UMC as far as I can tell.  Most United Methodist Churches I’ve worked with have some sort of food ministry. The denomination champions an international campaign that invites people to “Imagine no Malaria.” Finally, United Methodists are big on extending the grace of God.
Notice that when it comes to the United Methodist’s working vision, that not every detail is nailed down nor is every nuance figured out. “A world in which the hungry are fed, diseases are stamped out, and God’s grace is made known to all,” paints a picture of the future with broad brush strokes. It’s more like an artistic rendering of a faraway mountain rather than a close-up photo of an immediate landscape.
Now let’s distinguish between a vision and a goal. While a vision is by definition way bigger than you, a goal is smaller, more defined and can easily have the details for its implementation supplied. Click To Tweet
Goals are necessary to enact a vision. But they are not the vision itself.
For instance, one goal necessary to carry out the United Methodist vision might be, “Hold weekly worship services in every congregation so that people in the community can hear and learn about the love of God.” While weekly worship services are a good thing, they are one goal that moves you toward the vision, but they are not the vision.  How do you know?  Implementing this goal won’t necessarily lead to a world in which the hungry are fed, diseases are stamped out, and the grace of God is made known to all.
Let’s tell the truth. It’s easier to settle for a goal than it is to reach for a dream. Or to define why you exist rather than what God is calling you to now that you do exist. It’s easier to take on something small, do-able and predictable than it is to risk something that might fail. You might even be tempted to do so.  But something in you yearns for something more than same old same old.  So I encourage you to resist the temptation to settle for a goal and go all the way for a Jesus-like dream.
Soon United Methodists from around the connection will be gathering to dream of a new future in which people of differing theological commitments can minister side by side with peace and respect. I pray they won’t settle for goals, but will go all the way by daring to dream like Jesus.
Not sure how to create your own Jesus-like dream?  Check out Creating a Culture of Renewal or contact me at rebekah@rebekahsimonpeter.com to learn more.
This blog is excerpted from the upcoming book Dream Like Jesus, Market Square Books.

What's in a Name?

by | Apr 22, 2019

Divese group of multicultural people isolated on white.Your congregation has up to six, maybe even seven, different generations in it.  While the oldest generation is unlikely to still be attending worship, they are still part of your congregation.  And the newest generation is on its way in.  Each generation is influenced by different historical events, technology, and expectations.
Do you know how to recognize who’s who, and what each age group needs? Click To Tweet It helps to know what’s in a name.*
GI Generation: Born from around 1900 through 1923, they came of age during the Great Depression. Also known as the Greatest Generation, this group includes the veterans who fought in World War II. Along with the Pioneers and Baby Boomers, nine out of ten GI’s describe the Bible as sacred. Duty and tradition are motivators for this generation.
Pioneer Generation: Born 1924 through 1944, this generation is generally recognized as the children of the Great Depression. It had a profound impact on their formative years. The American Dream was alive and well with many in this generation. With dedication and hard work, many found success in work and life. Feeling undervalued demotivates this generation; being part of an organization that does good motivates them.
Baby Boomer Generation: Born from approximately 1945 to 1963 following World War II, in a time that was marked by an increase in birth rates. In general, baby boomers are associated with a rejection or redefinition of traditional values. A relatively large number of young people became teenagers and young adults in the 1960s. They both fought in and demonstrated against the war in Vietnam. They gave rise to the Hippie movement and the Jesus People or Jesus Freaks movement, living in communes and advocating a return to simpler times. The genre “Christian music” grew out of this generation. They broke away from traditional church more so than any of their forebears. Respect and recognition for their efforts motivates this generation.
Gen X or Postmodern Generation: Born from approximately 1964-1980, they are shaped by the first Earth Day, the 1973 Oil Crisis, the end of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the Cold War, the Challenger explosion and 9/11. Often the children of divorced parents, they are more open to religious, racial, ethnic, class, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity than any previous generation. Rather than challenge leaders, they tend to ignore them. They are educated, active, happy, balanced and family oriented. Not at all the “slacker” stereotype once attributed to this generation.
Many were babysat by the T.V., and as a result they rebelled against authority and tradition to a greater degree than had been previously seen. Since authority structures were not there for them as children, they question why they should play into this system now as adults. They prefer doing things their own way. While a significant number still participated in church activities, this generation increased the trend of falling away from religion.
Millennial Generation: Born somewhere from 1981-1999, they have been described as upbeat, team- playing, civic-minded, multi-tasking, and tech savvy. They are regularly in touch with their parents and many live at home due to high unemployment. Sometimes called the “Trophy Generation” or “Trophy Kids,” a term that reflects the trend in competitive sports, as well as many other aspects of life, where mere participation is frequently enough for a reward. They expect more from the workplace than generations before them: coaching, feedback, access to authority. This is good news for churches which thrive on making the above available.
In the US, the Millennials are more likely to be skeptical of religious institutions than their forebears, but still have a strong spiritual/religious sense. A recent poll by the Pew Research Center on religion and Millennials showed that 64% of Americans in this generation believe in God.
Digital Generation: Born around 2000. Also called the Internet Generation, they came into being at about the same time as the World Wide Web. Typically children of Postmoderns, they have but a faint recollection of 9/11. These world-aware children will be shaped by the Economic Crash of 2008, the 7 Billionth Baby, and drastically different weather patterns than previous generations.

  • They embrace technology and value human connections.
  • They are fluid in their ability to adapt to change. Even so they appreciate stability.
  • They see the spiritual all around them. God moments are not limited to Sunday mornings or church buildings.
  • They want to change the world. And often insist on social justice.
  • They are not fighting over environmental stewardship, whether or not global warming is real, full acceptance of women, gays, lesbians, and transgender people in the church, or whether or not to have friends of different ethnicities and races. Generally, they accept these as given. Even so, they are susceptible to prejudice, racism, sexism, heterosexism, greed, and selfishness—just like the rest of us.

You may have noticed that the above information doesn’t necessarily fit your family, culture, or life experience. Or that of the families you serve. Even as generational experiences vary by country and culture, 1989 marks a milestone year. As the Berlin Wall came down, and a youth revolt took hold, more of the world looked to American culture for economic, cultural, and technological cues.   In the generations before 1989, differences abounded in world cultures. Post-1989, however, a global shift occurred; and American culture became a strong focus.   From 1989 onward, generational experiences may be more confluent with American experiences, regardless of culture.
Chances are, your church is a generational mix, complete with untapped blessings, wisdom and knowledge. What can you learn from the generations around you? Click To Tweet
If you are interested in learning more about how to lead a vibrant multi-generational congregation, Creating a Culture of Renewal is for you. Gain the emotional intelligence to interact with all kinds of people. Look deeply at the life of Jesus, his world-changing vision, and how he implemented it. You will learn a step by step process for crafting and implementing a Kingdom-oriented vision that expands assumptions about what is possible in your setting.
* Much of the generational research used in this article has been drawn from Wikipedia.

Loving the Church to Death

by | Apr 11, 2019

My colleague, Martha Taylor, recently reported a conversation with a parishioner in which said parishioner gushed, “Oh, I just love my church to death!”  Martha noted that she had a tight grip on the reins and leadership of the church and thought, “Yes, sadly, you probably do.”
Wooden Background With Olive Heart And White Cross For An Obitua
In a time when different factions are fighting over the future of the church, it’s important to consider how not to love the church to death.
These days biblical interpretation, the unique claims of Christianity, worship on Sunday mornings and even church itself are up for grabs.
What’s a church leader to do? How do you achieve peace in your congregation?   Is it even possible?One of the biggest spiritual challenges for people of every age and generation is learning how to let go. Click To Tweet
Letting go of power, control, possessions, preferences and life itself is tough stuff.  Yet, this is the call of faith and of spiritual maturity.  It is also the pathway to harmonious relationships.
How might this work?  For now, I’m going to skip over the obvious disagreement before United Methodists—norms of human sexuality and of biblical interpretation—in favor of something less charged: worship style.  When traditionally-minded worshipers are able to let go of the exclusive use of organ music played at a stately pace, in order to accommodate the addition of a band’s lively music or meditative Taizé chant, this move not only includes more worshiping preferences, it also enriches the spiritual life of the whole community.
The key word is exclusive.  It’s not that the organ can’t be incorporated into multi-generational worship.  It’s just that insisting on it can suffocate other options.  And ultimately the life of the church.
If we are to make way for new generations, new expressions of faith, and new leaders, we have to practice surrender. Click To Tweet
The current rate of change is more rapid than any previous generation has ever experienced. That means Postmoderns, Millennials, and Digitals are far more fluid and adaptable than Baby Boomers, Pioneers or GIs.  Futurist Ray Kurzweil noted, “We won’t experience 100 years of progress in the 21st century—it will be more like 20,000 years of progress (at today’s rate).”
So while the church is deciding if it’s okay to sing songs out of the new hymnal, use projection screens, or incorporate new musical instruments, the Confirmation Class of 2019 is learning how to navigate more change in a few months than we have previously encountered in our lifetimes! They don’t understand the church’s collective reluctance to embrace change. For them, change is a matter of course.
Before you love your church to death, ask yourself these questions:  What do I need to let go of to be faithful to younger generations?  To older generations?  A house divided against itself cannot stand.

How to Listen When No One Else Is

by | Apr 3, 2019

There’s a lot of talking past each other right now. Listening, true listening, seems harder than ever.  Add to that the polarizing results of General Conference 2019 and it’s a wonder United Methodists can hear each other at all.
At a recent district event, six of us sat around a table to process our feelings after General Conference 2019. Like a microcosm of both Men And Women Sitting In A Circle During Group Therapy, Supportichurch and the world we live in, our table had a sprinkling of theologies, life experience, and deeply held convictions. How would this go, I wondered?  My expectations weren’t very high.
Equipped with a timer, a list of questions, ground rules, and 25 minutes, a retired DS, three lay folks, a pastor and I sat at the round table, looked at each other warily, and began the vulnerable experience of listening, truly listening, to each other.
I needn’t have worried.
The questions helped us tap into our own inner resilience, faith, and trust in God. Click To Tweet
The first set of questions, “How has General Conference 2019 and responses around it both within and beyond the church impacted you?” followed by “How do you feel about it?” went pretty well. Haltingly at first, we began to reveal our convictions and reactions. Then as we came around to the end of the circle, the retired DS began to speak. His reflection turned into a complaint about what “they believe.” Sheila, a lay person, with opposite views as it turned out, firmly reined him in by reminding him of one of our ground rules to use “I” statements, not “you” statements. He stopped, trailing off, somewhat surprised.   But he was gracious.
The second set of questions, “How do you deal with challenging circumstances in your life? What practices of faith do you rely on?” caught me off guard. We shifted rather abruptly, it seemed, from the topic at hand to our own coping resources. Only in retrospect could I see the genius of the move. We had neatly moved from problems we had no control over to remembering our inner resilience.
The first person to share confessed that when faced with challenging circumstances, she first gets grumpy, and then tries to get others to do as she wishes before she eventually remembers to pray.   Several us laughed in recognition and the table relaxed.   We shared about the power of nature to calm us, the enduring wisdom of the scriptures, and the grace of friends.
The third and final set of questions moved us deeper into resilience as we began to envision a new future. “What is your hope for the future, healing and well-being for yourself and the church? How can you contribute to that happening?” One by one we shared our hopes and dreams and considered ways we could be part of the various solutions we envisioned.
At the end of 25 minutes, a mini-miracle had unfolded. We had interrupted the reflexive process of speaking past each other.  Instead, we had listened quietly and respectfully, shared vulnerably, and reconnected with our own resilience. The future shifted around our table.
Do you need resources to reconnect with your own resilience and to envision a new future? Creating a Culture of Renewal equips you with the capacity to do both.