Prophet and Pastor

Close scrutiny of the full essay reveals two exceptions are taken to Wright: Farrakan and the AIDS remark. In reflecting on the array of remarks I have heard from Wright, I conclude Mr Marty is of that generation of whites who must needs be apologists for all bad behavior of blacks. This old reflex too is also no doubt part of what Obama intends for us to leave behind.

These two men may be the most famous to pass through the University of Chicago Divinity School, but they certainly are not reflective of its quality.

So we should embrace the GD'ing of America, and turn our society over to the Hip Hoppers, Gangstas, and Rappers, because they are the "Hope" for our country? Have you ever really understood God's message to us through His Son, Jesus Christ?

The African American soci-economic and soci-political experience is a point of departure for African American religion, that often is the only thing between insanity and giving up. It is an existential experience too. Conditioned by oppression, past and present,for many that oppression will remain well into the foreseeable future.

With the energy of that communal experience, the air flows on Sunday morning, with emotional energy that fills nearly every African American worship space. Sometimes the emotion barely is audible.

The irony over Dr. Wright's sermons, is complex. On the one hand, many African Americans do, and often do not, agree; with everything that is said by their pastor - preacher on Sunday morning. But there is a permissive space for the prophet to be human, to be frustrated and redemptive, and to be divinely inspired, and respected; most African Americans have a refined ear to hear, and to know, and to appreciate those different chords and notes.

African American worship can be authentic jazz, by Monk, Mingus, Marsalis and of course, Miles. It's complex, its cathartic, its combative and courageous. It's Jazz and its spiritual.

On the other hand, after 400 years, it remains pathetic that so many do not know the African American cultural experience. It can be known by simply observing where it is publicly expressed and often that is in worship. If you know the church, you will know so much about African American life.

But so many do not know. That's the irony, if they did know, it may not completely stop an alarming response to the sermonic blast against all obstacles,large or small, sacred or secularly sacred another name for patriotism; it will however, not be a strange sound, nor an ery whisper of fear either. The irony; its ignorance.

We watch them bounce balls, run and hit them, we listen to them sing, we watch their mothers lament sons - face extinction, by way of felons and criminal charges that fades their persons away, but we know very little about the pathos of the people - who are survivors of legal discrimination, under funded schools, and economic sclerosis that hardens tissue that destroys the spine of family. Dr. Wright bemoans that and yet,claims hope in Christ who is raised from the dead.

JOSEPH NORMAN EVANS, Ph.D., Senior Pastor
Mount Carmel Baptist Church
Washington, DC
Posted by: Joseph Evans, Ph.D. | March 25, 2008 2:44 PM

The African American soci-economic and soci-political experience is a point of departure for African American religion, that often is the only thing between insanity and giving up. It is an existential experience too. Conditioned by oppression, past and present,for many that oppression will remain well into the foreseeable future.

With the energy of that communal experience, the air flows on Sunday morning, with emotional energy that fills nearly every African American worship space. Sometimes the emotion barely is audible.

The irony over Dr. Wright's sermons, is complex. On the one hand, many African Americans do, and often do not, agree; with everything that is said by their pastor - preacher on Sunday morning. But there is a permissive space for the prophet to be human, to be frustrated and redemptive, and to be divinely inspired, and respected; most African Americans have a refined ear to hear, and to know, and to appreciate those different chords and notes. African American worship can be authentic jazz, by Monk, Mingus, Marsalis and of course, Miles. It's complex, its cathartic, its combative and courageous. It's Jazz and its spiritual.

On the other hand, after 400 years, it remains pathetic that so many do not know the African American cultural experience. It can be known by simply observing where it is publicly expressed and often that is in worship. If you know the church, you will know so much about African American life.

But so many do not know. That's the irony, if they did know, it may not completely stop an alarming response to the sermonic blast against all obstacles,large or small, sacred or secularly sacred another name for patriotism; it will however, not be a strange sound, nor an ery whisper of fear either. The irony; its ignorance. We watch them bounce balls, run and hit them, we listen to them sing, we watch their mothers lament sons - face extinction, by way of felons and criminal charges that fades their persons away, but we know very little about the pathos of the people - who are survivers of legal discrimination, under funded schools, and economic sclerosis that hardens tissue that destroys the spine of family. Dr. Wright bemoans that and yet,claims hope in Christ who is raised from the dead.

Joseph Norman Evans, Ph.D.

The African American soci-economic and soci-political experience is a point of departure for African American religion, that often is the only thing between insanity and giving up. It is an existential experience too. Conditioned by oppression, past and present,for many that oppression will remain well into the foreseeable future.

With the energy of that communal experience, the air flows on Sunday morning, with emotional energy that fills nearly every African American worship space. Sometimes the emotion barely is audible.

The irony over Dr. Wright's sermons, is complex. On the one hand, many African Americans do, and often do not, agree; with everything that is said by their pastor - preacher on Sunday morning. But there is a permissive space for the prophet to be human, to be frustrated and redemptive, and to be divinely inspired, and respected; most African Americans have a refined ear to hear, and to know, and to appreciate those different chords and notes. African American worship can be authentic jazz, by Monk, Mingus, Marsalis and of course, Miles. It's complex, its cathartic, its combative and courageous. It's Jazz and its spiritual.

On the other hand, after 400 years, it remains pathetic that so many do not know the African American cultural experience. It can be known by simply observing where it is publicly expressed and often that is in worship. If you know the church, you will know so much about African American life.

But so many do not know. That's the irony, if they did know, it may not completely stop an alarming response to the sermonic blast against all obstacles,large or small, sacred or secularly sacred another name for patriotism; it will however, not be a strange sound, nor an ery whisper of fear either. The irony; its ignorance. We watch them bounce balls, run and hit them, we listen to them sing, we watch their mothers lament sons - face extinction, by way of felons and criminal charges that fades their persons away, but we know very little about the pathos of the people - who are survivers of legal discrimination, under funded schools, and economic sclerosis that hardens tissue that destroys the spine of family. Dr. Wright bemoans that and yet,claims hope in Christ who is raised from the dead.

Joseph Norman Evans, Ph.D.

The only thing I can say about all of this is the Washington Post is so very left that they will do anything to make up for the mess that Obama has gotten himself into. Also, a shepherd called by God is to speak what God has commanded him to speak and every sermon that I've heard from Pastor Wright is unbiblical and about self!

Marty claims that Jeremiah Wright is a prophet. No doubt that Marty read the denomination talking points - I too am a member and read the same talking points that were distributed by our conference ministers all over the country.

What Marty conveniently ignores is that you do not need to hear a whole sermon or try to understand the context of a sermon to understand that a minister who is claiming that the US created AIDS for genocidal purposes is just plain nuts. Marty insults my intelligence and every other member of the United Church of Christ by suggesting that there might be more to this that would help explain the lie.

Marty should have the courage to see what many other UCC'ers see in Wright's rants - a false prophet who is plainly and deliberately lying. If Marty can't see this, than I question his judgement as well.

Since Wright's sermons have come to light and since denomination leaders like President and General Minister John Thomas, like Marty, have tried defend Wright's lies, many of us are beginning to evaluate what it means to be a member of the United Church of Christ and the ability of our ministers to discern truthfulness versus circling the wagons to defend one of their own.

This is not prophetic, it is pathetic.

There is no courage in defending Jeremiah Wright's lies - only the cowardice of some UCC ministers who would rather defend lies than speak truth to power.