Wednesday, September 14, 2005

So What Iz You Sayin???

When I set out in search of God’s purpose for D.E. Washington, the expedition coincided with a lot of other things that were going on in my life. Reading Rick Warren’s instant classic, ‘A Purpose Driven Life’ really opened my spirit to become more in tune with God’s purpose for me.





You have to get away from the crowd, away from the hustle and bustle, away from the TV or radio; you have to get into a spirit of meditation. Quiet. Still. Wait on the LORD. And when your breathing is even and you’re focusing on the LORD, yearning to feel Him, going before Him in prayer. Complete humbleness of spirit. Utter submission. That’s when your ear becomes more attentive to His voice.



That’s the mode I had to get in as I read the book during the month that our pastor led us to read it together as a family. I didn’t do it as a singular act; I fasted and studied a chapter a day for 40 days along with my church family. Fasting during the daylight hours, sunrise to sunset. Meditating on the LORD and praying for Him to guide us toward our purpose in life and our purpose as a church. It may sound kinda creepy to the unlearned observer, but fasting is an awakening experience that will open your eyes to a lot of levels of the game that you never even realized were there before.



It made me go back and look at a lot of my intentions in life. The goals that I had set for myself had to be re-evaluated. Sometimes it’s necessary to call an emergency meeting if you realize that your ship is off-course and headed for destruction. Whatever it is you’re doing, if all of the honor and glory doesn’t point to the LORD? then you need to re-evaluate your game plan. Call an audible at the line mane or call time-out and consult with the Word.



I realized that a lot of my intentions were rooted in personal pride and honor. I want to win the PEN/Hemingway Award for first time authors, and a Pulitzer Prize for literature. I want to become a best selling author that’s on the set, chatting with Oprah, chopping it up with Letterman. I’m ready to hit this lick!! All eyes on D!!!



But as I meditated on the LORD, I couldn’t help but reflect on all the soul food that has been fed to me over the years, as well as the hands that fed me. A lot of people ask me about my religious affiliation. Not to be confrontational, they just read my Statement of Faith and they’re curious.



My reluctance to broadcast my church family isn’t about being ashamed of my church or its teachings. I remain relatively silent about my church because of my intent of making sure that the world realizes that what you read at www.servinemup.com, and the books and works published by Servinemup Ink are not commissioned works by my pastor, my Sunday School teachers, my church family or any of the Baptist delegations. What you’re reading now is what spilled out of the heart of D.E. Washington, a Southside Christian Young Adult writer. Blood, sweat and tears baby...mmmhmm..ya’ll see it.



I would never want to have people misconstrue my words or my grasp of Christian theology as being exactly the same thing that is taught at my church or even what my blood kinfolk believe. Everyone is going to walk into the knowledge of the LORD on their own level. It doesn’t matter if you have a PhD or a GED, God is going to meet you at your level of understanding. It just so happens that I find holiness and obedience at the warm fires of the Baptist faith. I grew up in it and when I came back to the family, it had all the tenets of faith and service that are required of all Believers in God’s Word, so it is where I worship and where I have my family serving.



In the end, the Word of God is the judge of us all. But conflicts arise when you have different interpretations and manifestations of what people proclaim ‘What thus saith the LORD.”



That’s why you have so many different churches and denominations. They have the Bible, but everybody has their own little ‘twerk’ that they put into action. I think brother C.S. Lewis did a wonderful job of expounding my positioning in regards to different denominations and affiliations in his quote from the preface of Mere Christianity that I used at the end of Ride or Die.



“And above all you must be asking which door is the true one; not which please you best by its paint and paneling. In plain language, the question should never be; ‘Do I like that kind of service?’ but ‘are these doctrines true; Is holiness here? Does my conscience move me towards this? Is my reluctance to knock at this door due to my pride, or my mere taste, or my personal dislike of this particular door-keeper?’"


Our church has a church covenant that we recite every 1st Sunday, which is our communion Sunday. There’s a part of the covenant that I don’t participate in as a vow. I don’t know if this means I’m not really part of the church or not, but my understanding of Scripture does not lead me to believe that God mandates us to abstain from the sale or use of alcohol I don’t say that part, I just remain quiet. Because God hasn’t given me that level of understanding, at least not yet.



I’ve heard teachers and preachers expound abstinence as being holy, but the way I understand the Word, drinking wine is not a sin, but being drunk off that wine is. So to me, there’s a line of consumption to be adhered to, just like with overindulging in food. It’s not what goes in, but rather what comes out of the mouth that causes corruption.



If you know that as soon as you take a sip or two of that drank, that you’re going to start cursing, talking all up under women’s clothes, clowning, ready to fight, ‘getting outside of yourself’ as we say on the Southside, then you don’t need to drink. But if you know you can enjoy a glass of wine or a beer, or a shot of tequila while fellowshipping with family and friends and keep the Spirit? Then I don’t have a problem with that, but that’s just me. A lot of Baptist would tend to disagree, but hey, at least I’m not Catholic! :) (that’s a joke)



Even when I bring up the fact that Jesus’ very first recorded miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding, I’ve been dismissed with the interpretation that that was non-alcoholic wine..like grape juice.



Grape juice huh? Well it seems that those folks knew when the GOOD wine showed up, so that means something..but, we shouldn’t waste time arguing about such trivialities to the big picture of the battle. That’s one of Satan’s main weapons, division. Causing confusion, turmoil and strife. He is the father of lies and the truth is not in him.



But I’m down for my church family, they raised me and play a very important part in me being the person that I am today. From the pastors to the ushers to the Sunday School teachers, to the choir members, deacons, missionaries..the Southside village definitely raised D. Washington ya’ll.



A lot of people know that my parents teach my Sunday School class. They teach the Young Adults at our church, of which my wife and I attend every Sunday, along with a nice group of married couples, singles, married folks who spouses’ stay at home, single parents, college students, resource adults, we have it all..it’s a family fo real.



The church we attend is Blueridge Baptist Church located on 9621 Chesterfield in Sunnyside. Blueridge is one of the sister communities to the sub-division that I grew up in called Sugarvalley. Geographically, Sugarvalley is bordered by Reedwood and Blueridge to the North and it’s a stones throw across Sims bayou from Cloverland to the east.





A lot of people have heard of Cloverland and those SA Fools, Lil Flip? Botany Boys? Mister Mister Scarface? Robin Huff? J Yeah..them n’gaz from the land of the Clover, ya’ll know it ain’t over.



Going back to the analogy that Brother C.S. Lewis made with the hallway and the rooms: when you’re choosing a place to worship, and a room to grow cozy by the fire, then it’s always best to start in the community you live. If there is a church close to your house which upholds the doctrines of the LORD? Then that’s where you should serve.



Some people don’t like change, and they’d rather drive across town and go to the church that they grew up in, which is fine. You are responsible in going to the place where you feel you can best serve the LORD. Instead of getting caught up in the hype of the large congregation mega-churches, there are a lot of people who have no problem of fellowshipping within a small and intimate fellowship of Believers. It doesn’t matter if it’s a one room church or a garage, the Scripture says wherever 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name (Matt 18:20).



You don’t have to have a mass choir to praise the LORD. The parking lot doesn’t have to be like a traffic jam for church to be crunk. You can find a church where you have no problem whatsoever finding a seat every Sunday and getting fed. In the end, the question is, “Do you feel the Spirit moving in that church? Is holiness there?”



My uncle who now serves as the pastor of Eastern Star Baptist Church in Port Arthur, Texas, is who first started taking me and my sister to Sunday School at Blueridge. We were still small children and neither of my parents was ‘in’ the church. So he’d take me and my sister with him to our Sunday School class every Sunday morning. My mother would make sure we were clothed, fed and ready to go.



My first Sunday School teacher is a wonderful medaled soldier by the name of Sister Azelia White. Those who are up on Texas history may recognize this name. She was the first black woman to get her pilot’s license in the state of Texas. Her late husband was one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. She’s in her 90’s (yeah, you heard me her 90's...black women have it going on like that!) now, still on that battlefield for the LORD, still teaching, constantly serving with a humbleness of spirit. She drives herself to church and cuts her own lawn. You might even see her out on the median on Scott Street tending to the city’s property as well as her own. She’s a real servant and I know that it is a blessing from the LORD allowing me to have a person like her in my life.





She teaches the Beginner’s class. From the time they can walk, children are sent to Sis. White’s class. She teaches them songs and tells all of the wonderful stories about Jesus.



Class? Who got up on that cross and died for our sins?



JEEEEEEEZUS!!!!



I actually didn’t spend too much time in Sis. White’s class, because although I was small for my age, it wasn’t long before they realized that I knew how to read. And once you know how to read, that’s when it’s time to go to the Primary Boys class.



In the Primary Boys class, I was ushered into the waiting hands of Brother Wallace. Our assortment of students included me, my podna Byron Lewis, Monte Ashley, Kelly Thompson, those Blueridge twins, Keith and Kevin White, Cleveland and Patrick Batiste, my boy Curvey and several other Southside hardheads that used to show up for Sunday School because their mama or grandma made em get up and come to church.





Brother Wallace is a challenging instructor, as you can often hear as he bristles and snorts and demands more from his students, even in the men’s Sunday school class that he teaches today. And when you consider most of the other dudes in our class back then weren’t too eager to learn or well read, then you can understand how my literacy level caused me to stand out from the rest of the pack. It wasn’t that I was more holy, it was just that I could read better and had a better level of understanding. I asked questions and Brother Wallace was always on point in answering the question and showing us the Scripture that supported his answer. He was then and he still is today, the consummate Bible teacher.



Now the sad part is, that a lot of those brothers that were in Blueridge Baptist Church’s primary boys Sunday school class back in the late 70’s/early 80’s with me are no longer on this side of the grave. Some are locked up right now, or walking around with a felony conviction (or two) on their backs. Byron Lewis was found murdered in his bed. The victim of a quadruple homicide, someone came into their house one night and killed him, his parents and one of his brothers. Keith and Kevin White were both murdered on these Southside streets.



These are all people that I sat with, talked to, studied the lesson with, wrestled with, and got in trouble for clowning in church with..these brothers are no longer with us. I pray that I will see them on that other side, because no matter what they may have done in life, I know that they all knew about the goodness of Christ. They learned about Him just like I did. But the question comes, why would God allow such tragedies to happen to them? And better yet, why did he save me??



I’ve learned that some things are not to be revealed just yet. Some things will not be revealed until the end. But what is revealed, is the Grace of God. We had a visiting minister this past Sunday that preached that Grace is when God bestows blessing on us that we don’t even deserve and Mercy is when He withholds punishment for sin that we DO deserve.



Surely grace and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.



And you ask me why I’m out here servinemup? Hmph. You betta open your mouth and tell somebody that Jesus is real. The Scripture says that if we don’t praise the LORD, then the rocks will start crying out in our place (Lk 19:40). I don’t know about you, but I don’t want any rocks crying out in my place.



One of the most frequent prayers that I pray, is:



“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.” – Psalms 19:14



Everyone knows that’s from the Psalms, but it’s a prayer that I used to hear my pastor say ALL the time. Whenever we had altar call, and he prayed for the congregation as we all assembled together close to the altar, some on their knees, everybody holding hands, coming together before the LORD as a united fellowship, Pastor Richardson would always make sure to say that prayer.





The late Rev. W.D. Richardson was the 2nd pastor of Blueridge Baptist Church and the pastor that baptized me and my sister. Our church just celebrated our 50th anniversary this year and there was a wonderful reunion of family members, preachers, teachers, deacons, musicians and vocalist that grew up in our worship family, that have gone on to become fruitful laborers themselves. A lot of this is because of the monumental work that Pastor Richardson did while he was here on earth.



Pastor Richardson witnessed to a lot of souls. He sowed a lot of seed. He ushered a lot of people into the knowledge of Christ. And you will never meet a man with such a humble and gentle spirit. But you couldn’t play him for soft either. Too many people mistake kindness for weakness, but you couldn’t play Pastor Richardson like that. You could see the strength behind his meekness whenever he got up into that pulpit and got lifted by the Spirit.



You know when it was really getting to him, because when these moments hit, this soft spoken man would start screaming into the microphone so that everyone could hear his testimony about the hand of amazing grace that God had laid in his life.



At the core, every testimony is a personal witness to God being revealed to you. When you know that it is God and only God that is speaking to you, it will make you go tell somebody. And one thing that is common, is that when God calls you, He calls you by your first name.



That’s the only way I ever knew what Pastor Richardson’s real name was, I thought it was just W.D., but those Sundays when that spirit would hit and he’d preach to us about how God called his name, how God called out, “WILSON!!” There was an unshakeable conviction that resonated throughout his voice. And when you see another person who is that strong in their faith, it will strengthen your faith.



So yeah..Blueridge Baptist Church mane. Pastor Richardson has gone on up to that upper room several years ago, but his wife, Sis. Richardson was in church with us this past Sunday, along with his daughter Mary. No matter how far you go, you will always be a part of the family.



The current pastor of Blueridge is Rev. Ceola Curley, Jr. Some pastors refuse to visit their sick and shut in, all they do is preach. But pastor Curley is continually doing all that he can to help the family in our times of need. Of course, some may feel that I’m a bit biased, because Pastor Curley isn’t just my pastor, he’s also my uncle.





He’s married to my father’s only sister, so that makes him my kinfolk. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for him, because when I was a child, back before he was Pastor Curley, but rather Uncle Junior, I always thought that he was Superfly. He had a lot of slick pimped out outfits, bell bottoms, fur coats and platform shoes and he knew how to put that process on his hair to make it wave on up and get fluffy! I thought he was Goldie the Mack and he was always down to help me or teach me some game.



He taught me how to switch the gears on my first 3-wheel all-terrain vehicle. He used to let me drive his car even when I could barely see over the steering wheel. Definitely one of the coolest uncles you could ever have. And it is through knowing him and seeing how the LORD has worked with him in his life, that I will always have respect for him as my pastor, my uncle, my friend and my brother in Christ.





If I was to ever end up in any kind of trouble and had to get myself together before the police caught me? He’d be the first person I’d go consult, because I know he’ll keep it real with me.



Too many people want pastors and preachers that are going to make them feel good and assuage their egos. There is no compromise to the gospel of Christ. If you ain’t ready to deal with all of the requirements that God places on you and your life as a believer, then you’re not ready to be real. Don’t hate the preacher, get in the game fo real.



“That pastor talk about tithing too much! All he care about is money!”



“Why he gotta be calling out all the homosexuals and fornicators every Sunday??”



If you’re not ready to deal with that real, then I wouldn’t suggest you come to Blueridge Baptist. Because we’ve got some real soldiers who are out there grinding everyday on the frontlines and they’re looking good when they do it too. Serving the LORD.





It is the Mission of the Blueridge Baptist Church

(Psalm 34:3 * Matthew 28:19-20)

° To magnify the LORD in corporate worship and individual devotion;

° To evangelize our community;

° To baptize confessed converts; and

° To equip the saints to share the gospel message for personal and spiritual growth, that impacts kingdom building.



9621 Chesterfield Drive * Houston, TX 77051* 713.734.5444 (phone) Ceola Curley, Jr. Pastor.



Sunday School 9:30am

Morning Worship 11:00am (we’re normally out before 1pm, you’ll still have time to catch the end of the 1st half of the football games!)



Now the question comes up, is exactly where do I fit in to this family? What is my position?? Well, I’m still growing in my faith and work, but I’m currently the 3rd string Sunday School teacher for our class. My mother had to have some surgery done last year and my father was right there by her side during her recovery, so I was recruited to teach the class in their absence.



Amazingly, the church didn’t crumble to pieces and our classroom didn’t burst into flames after I taught the lesson. My fellow students were very gracious in their assessment of my teaching ability. Sister Levi even went so far to say as we were leaving for the sanctuary after class, ‘Well, at least we know that we’ll have someone to teach the class if our regular teachers can’t make it.’



My father was asking me how things went after church was over and I told him it went fine. He kinda smiled at me and nodded his head,



“I knew you could do it. Me and your mama have been talking and we think it would probably be best that you eventually take over the class. Because we’re getting further up in age and it’s for the young adults. You will be able to relate to them about stuff like going to the club and smoking dope and all that stuff. I can’t teach them nothing about that.”



I couldn’t help but laugh when he said what he said, because I know he was just being sincere and real. You’ve got to go get em where they at. That’s one of the fundamentals principles of fishing and my father is a world class fisherman. Not just off the bank either, he ain't scared to get out there in that deep water. He’s the one that taught me how to bait my hook and throw my line out into the water. He’s the one that’s helping me to teach my son how to navigate the waters. And the direction and counsel that he has given me in my life is an invaluable element to my testimony.



My mother is on a whole different level of real. She’s taught over 10,000 students in her days of being a public school math teacher for Houston Independent School District. From her years of teaching at Sterling High School and Hartman Middle School, there are many Southside hardheads that learned basic math principles from her. If you didn’t learn it, then you wasn’t trying. Because it definitely wasn’t because her voice wasn’t audible, because she can talk louder than most. She’s from a large family.





But the knowledge and grasp she has on the Scripture, is such that many preachers (and pastors) have sought her counsel when they were preparing their sermons. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit (I Cor 12:4). We all serve in the manner in which we are called.



My mother is a Sunday school teacher, a missionary, she’s been the vacation Bible school principal, the church greeter and a warm soul that remembers the sick and shut in, and always has a to-go plate for any hungry soul that crosses her path. My father teaches Sunday School and Bible study, he cooks for church functions, drives the church bus, teaches seminars and does whatever he can to help the church. I’m a 3rd string teacher and I give the announcements and welcome of visitors for 11 o’clock service. My wife is one of the praise dance instructors (along with Sis. Chee-Chee), our daughter is a praise dancer and choir member, our son is a choir member.



“-but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” – Joshua 24:21d



So if you’re looking for a place to serve, you’re more than welcome to come to Blueridge Baptist Church, there’s definitely room for more real soldiers. There’s a lot of things you can put your time and effort into, but if you’re not intent on telling folks that ‘Jesus is real!”..then what is you sayin??