THE OTHER PULPIT

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Life Lesson—Limit Your Untouchable Heros

Whenever I hear the words "Good News" I think of God's Holy Word and my thoughts turn immediately to my father. He was my hero! The best preacher I've EVER heard. Considered by many of his contemporaries to be a "Preacher's Preacher". My mind races back to a cloudy and overcast Monday morning. I was playing "Church" in my bedroom upstairs on the second floor in the rear bedroom overlooking the back yard. My bedroom was located next to the bathroom down a long hallway which separated me from my momma's bedroom. We were poor, so toys were at a premium.

I adapted and improvised and had made a pulpit out of a steel milk crate. Yes I used a makeshift pulpit. I began to emulate my father as he preached. He had delivered an exceptionally furious sermon that had set the church on fire. I was both elated and extremely proud. I longed to tell him, but I could not. He was unavailable. So, in my subconscious mind, I internalized and mentally tape recorded from afar my hero, my father's sermon. As I mimicked his actions and mirrored his voice patterns, something came over me. Today, I recognize it was the Holy Ghost. I began to walk down the hall, made a right passed the steps and into my mother's bedroom. She was in bed, talking on the telephone. I drew on heavenly strength, narrowed my eyes, raired back and declared with power: "Momma! I'm going to preach!" It was stated with passion. I then left the room almost as immediately as I came, returned to my bedroom and became a child again. My mother, however, never forgot that day, and thought about it until the day she died.

THE OTHER PULPIT

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Life Lesson—Differences Dress You For Your Destiny

I wanted desperately to be like the other kids in our neighborhood. I had to wear a dress shirt, neckties, and dress pants to school everyday. I wore glasses, and I was fat. Making matters worst, I couldn't grow a bush (afro). So by those standards I was not cool. I was immediately identified, on the first day of school, as if I thought I was better than everybody else. Not true, but the bullying and harassment would continue because of the way people interpreted my style of dress. It's a shame that an eye for fashion is discouraged, and as my mother instilled the value of having a good appearance is so competitive, even in the church. I remember a Sunday morning worship service at a local church where I was serving as the minister of music. The pastor approached me and said, "What are you trying to do? Look better than the pastor?" I was amazed! What was I wearing, you ask? It was a two-piece separate, a red suit with red / gold suede shoes. Leadership Lesson—Scripture: "Man looks on the outside, but God looks at the heart." Jealousy is an untimely and unwelcomed hindrance to success and unity. The Bible states that "Jealousy is crueler than the grave."

At some point during my teen years, I was drafted to sing lead on a song entitled "Sign Me Up" by the J.C. White Singers. As I entered our warm-up rehearsal every Sunday night before singing for weekly radio broadcast, my mother announced that shocking piece of news. The closer my Sunday to sing came the more nervous I got. Finally, the day came I dreaded, and as I took the rostrum, along with my mother's choir, it seemed that the church was packed, even in the balconies. The music intro was being played and I was petrified. How did I handle that? Well ... I didn't move a muscle when it came time to sing. I didn't move the second time as the pianist and organist played the intro.

I was beginning to think I could get away with it a third time and not sing at all, when my mother angrily stepped forward and fanned me with her hand out of the chorus of singers. I was ordered to get to the microphone behind the pulpit. Laziness and apathy were not allowed on her watch. So I began to sing the lead. It was to me terrible, because I didn't have formal voice lessons as I had on the piano. It came out all nasally like those dwarfs who sing "Follow the yellow brick road" in the "Wizard of Oz."

This delighted the pastor's daughter who played the organ and directed the youth mass choir. They all began to laugh out loud as I struggled. When the song was over, I was so embarrassed, that I kept my head down in shame. I ran out and hid in the church bathroom. My mother was a great singer, all of my aunts and uncles could sing well. `Dear Lord,' I asked, `what happened to me?' After we would sing for the broadcast, the taped recordings of that service would be delivered to the radio station where it would be played all over the state. That radio broadcast would come on every Saturday at noon. The choir would sing their signature theme song. They sang their first selection. It went well.

Then came my song. I was nervous, excited and extremely insecure, and when I heard myself for the very first time, I hated it. It was so bad, I actually ran from the kitchen on the first floor of our home, all the way upstairs to the attic on the third floor to hide out. I refused to come down, and my mother continued to laugh at me, promising me, "You'll get better after awhile, son." Mom's telephone began to ring off the hook as church members and friends called to congratulate her. I was horrified, stunned, and wanted no more of singing of any kind. The next time I sang, I got the same results.

Only this time, the youth choir, directed by the pastor's daughter, began to laugh out loud as soon as they heard the intro music for my song. It was doubly humiliating and I begged my mother to find someone else to lead that song. She replied, "You're going to sing lead! So don't focus on negativity!"

She further advised singing tips: "Son, focus on a friendly face or look at one of the light fixtures that hang in the ceiling above." As much as I dreaded it, it became time to sing that song again.

An overwhelming dread came over me, and as I went to the bathroom to hide out again, something happened. It was there that I looked in the mirror, and asked God would He bless me to release blessings on His people. I washed my face and prayed each step leading to the pulpit. The organist and pianist played the intro to my song as usual. The youth choir began to laugh out loud as usual also.

Suddenly, I felt an unusual spirit of peace calming me down. I stepped up to the microphone and stood behind the pulpit, opened my mouth and began to sing. To my, and everyone else's sudden amazement, my voice became strong, heavy and powerful. People began to jump up, clap, praise, shout and hug each other. Life Lesson—When leaders take the focus off themselves, and are more concerned with blessing God's sheep, God will respond and answer your prayers. Finally, when you place God's desires, His purpose and plans for your life first, miracles can now enter the Earth.

THE OTHER PULPIT

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Life Lesson—The DNA Of A Leader Is Recognizable By Others

As a child, I recall the night of 1968. I was 4 years old. I remember the civil alarms sounding, and the curfew being enforced. My mother and I were out shopping, and had to hurry home before the National Guard took over the city, with a shoot to kill order approved by the mayor and governor.

Our business district, just 2 blocks away, had been looted and destroyed in the riots following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. As the intensity of these events hit home, my mother began to cry.

Later on in life, I would discover that she had actually met the famed civil rights leader personally at a civil rights event held at a local church. Fascinated, I listened intently as she described their chance meeting. She stated: "That Dr. King delivered a powerful preached message, and was heavily anointed, a prophet sent by God." She further commented: "His eyes were so intense, that it seemed as if he was looking right thru you!" Amazingly, I had been told the same thing. One summer afternoon, as I played street football with my cousins on the Eastside, while walking up my aunt's white marble steps, I turned to look at one of my new friends I'd been playing with. He covered his face and yelled: "Don't look at me like that!" I asked, `Why?' He replied, "Your eyes! It's like you're looking right through me!" I never forgot that day. My mother kept a tri-fold picture frame in her den area. It contained just 3 photos. One was of Dr. Martin Luther King, the other was of my father, and the third was ... of me. I always wondered what I was doing among such spiritual giants who had gained local, regional, national and international success and accolades.

THE OTHER PULPIT

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Life Lesson—Destiny Is Not Microwaveable

I believed that God revealed to my momma my ultimate purpose, and the plans He's made for my life, before He took her home. Perhaps that's why she was so protective and always operated with me in a training mode. Subsequently, this is why being a trainer comes so easily to me. As a future minister of music, I was always in training.

My mother trained me constantly at home, running out of the kitchen; thru the dining room to where the organ was in the living room. She was preparing lunch or dinner, heard something wrong, and would come running and teaching whenever I hit a bad chord, played too loud – or worse – too fast!

Somedays it seemed as if she had skates on, and truthfully, I would be extremely irritated, because I thought I was all that. Mother would bust my bubble by letting me know I had a long way to go.

Lesson learned—God honors and appreciates humility. To be a student in both music and in life, one must be both meek and humble. To be a leader he must be an effective student. Talking while the teacher is instructing is counter-productive and arrogant.

God assigns, makes, and distributes ministers of music, music prophets and minstrels to suit His purpose and for His glory. We can emulate, copy successful and talented leaders in an industry. However, industry is not ministry. The goals and purpose are not the same. One is self-made, and the other is God-made. The scripture advises: "The humble shall be exalted and the meek shall inherit the Earth." We never have to be spiritually pushy; it is written that a man's gift will make room for him. The problem is we don't want to wait on our ministry, as if we can speed up God's clock. Let patience have her perfect work. God will release that regional, national and even international ministry when you are spiritually, mentally and emotionally ready. Enjoy the downtime now, while you study and show yourself approved. The days will come when you may wish you had waited a little longer.

THE OTHER PULPIT

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Life Lesson—Be Persistently Humble

I wasn't allowed to continue after 11 years in classical music studies, although it was foundationally great training. However, there is an air of aristocracy and politics that flow thru it. The church I was born into and a member of, didn't understand or like it, even though I was afforded an opportunity by the pastor to do those recitals.

Even on his rostrum. Even at a young age, I saw and sensed the resistance and toleration of my development. I complained to my mother that I no longer wanted to play, and protested by going on strike, refusing to play for an entire year.

She began to search for a teacher to train me to play by ear.

This dissatisfaction came about while seated at the piano before an evening service. One of my musician friends pulled my sheet music away and said, "Play it again by ear." I became intimidated and frustrated as pride took over and I became embarrassed that I didn't have a clue what to do next. I wanted to take lessons from a retail music store, but after awhile, the commercial environment could not train me in the realm of anointed playing.

So, I became bored and stopped playing. I tried to go on strike and quit; however, my mother and my future employer, would not allow it. No matter how hard I kicked against the pricks!

THE OTHER PULPIT

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Life Lesson—Parents Ensure Godly Gender Hood. Raise Your King David.

There was no male role model to emulate in our home, so my mother took me down to our church, and signed me over to the deacons, who were also Boy Scout leaders. She requested them to ensure that I would develop into a good man, learn to follow good leadership, and participate with others. These were godly men that I both respected and looked up to, who also respected my mother as a godly woman. They taught me not only humility, but also how to use faith in not backing down from challenges you might face in life. Case in point, on a chilly Saturday afternoon on a ballfield behind the church, we were playing flag football, but couldn't afford any flags.

I was selected for a team, and spent time playing on both offense and defense. I remember it well. At the close of the game, we were losing and one of the oldest boys on the opposing team had the ball. He ran thru our defense, like a hot knife thru melted butter. He was on his way for the game-winning touchdown again. Only one thing stood in his way ... me. Let me describe this. He was 5ft. 9in, 175 lbs. approximately, with full facial hair, a "bad-boy" reputation and a bad attitude to match. I was "David" at 4ft. 7in., 105 lbs. soaking wet, bald as an eagle, and a certified "Momma's Boy" (OMG!) I thought, `Let him run it in for a touchdown! He's too big and mean to even think about trying to physically tackle him.'

However, like David, courage sprung up, like a well of water, and I began to run fast towards him. He had the end zone on his mind, so he never saw me coming from an angle. I outran him, and as I got close, I leaped up in the air and threw my 105 lbs. into his left shoulder and side, knocking him off balance.

He fell and dropped the football. I immediately picked it up and ran the opposite way into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown, as the whole field looked on in amazement. When this modern-day Goliath got to his feet, and realized that the smallest and youngest player on the field had taken him down, he became embarrassed and full of pride. He wanted to fight me and had to be restrained by the Boy Scout church deacons. Members of both teams lifted me up on their shoulders and paraded me around the field. Humility and courage are compatible when allowed to be used by God. We overcome our biggest adversaries using the faith and courage that's within us. I've discovered from a former pastor fluent in Hebraic studies that the Hebrew definition of faith is "emunah." "Emunah" as we're taught, is the total blind faith that a child has in believing that their father, mother or nowadays, grandma, is going to do what they promised. It is the total obedience to instruction given.

The children of Israel grew tired of waiting to see the Promised Land and believing in a God who operated in clouds and a pillar of fire.

They eventually erected a golden calf on an altar because godly leadership had stayed away too long.

THE OTHER PULPIT

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Life Lesson—Obedience vs Sacrifice

My first music instrument I wanted to play was not the keyboard, but the drums. Back in my day public schools taught music education as a curriculum. (Bring it back!) So in elementary school, I became interested and excited about becoming a drummer. However, my mother did not share my enthusiasm, stating I made too much noise. Imagine it! I was banging and beating on everything including the kitchen sink. Ha-ha! Maybe that was her motivation for leading me to the acoustic piano to learn the foundational theory thru classical music. The long hours of practice, learning scales, notes sight-reading, while being forced to be disciplined.

I couldn't go out as the other kids in the neighborhood, until my homework and music studies were completed. I remember only once Mom allowed me to go out and play before my music practice.