{"id":15003,"date":"2017-07-05T09:31:23","date_gmt":"2017-07-05T13:31:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=15003"},"modified":"2017-07-05T16:59:59","modified_gmt":"2017-07-05T20:59:59","slug":"worship-wednesday-the-church-segregated-black-white-erskin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=15003","title":{"rendered":"Worship Wednesday – the Church Segregated – Black & White – Erskin"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Church Leadership<\/a><\/p>\n

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.<\/em>
\n<\/span>\u00a0– Galatians 3:28<\/a><\/p>\n

For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall.<\/em> – Ephesians 2:14<\/a><\/p>\n

Racial segregation in the church must break the very heart of God. How is it that we, who love Jesus and want to live as He modeled and taught us, continue to live and worship apart from one another racially?<\/p>\n

We live in a racially complex city. Richmond, Virginia, was once the capital of the Confederacy. Even now, the racial divide<\/a> is shamefully wide. The church, both black and white congregations, has Christ’s mandate to come together. To be reconciled. To live at peace with one another. To enjoy community together.<\/p>\n

My family is part of a church<\/a> that has a vision to reach Richmond. Our city is ethnically diverse. To reach Richmond includes figuring out how to not just be another white church in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n

Erskin Anavitarte<\/a> is a Christian songwriter. On his website, he also identifies as a diversity spokesman and adoption advocate. He is a Kingdom builder and a reconciler. This is a man who calls us to enlarge our lives and our churches to include one another.\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Erskin Music<\/a><\/p>\n

He wrote a little song Black & White<\/em><\/a> which really touched my heart this week. Simple and yet profound lyrics.<\/p>\n

“One song may not make much difference, but my prayer is that we remember that God made us all and perhaps bridging the gap begins by focusing our eyes on Jesus. That’s the message of this song.”<\/em> – Erskin Anavitarte<\/a><\/p>\n

After our country’s last election, I was burdened afresh how racially polarized we are as a nation, and even in the church. This can’t be the case, in daily life, for Christ followers. Not in daily life. Not in corporate worship. How do we come together?<\/p>\n

As we worship the Lord today, we ask Him for wisdom and for opportunity. We ask for compassion and understanding. We determine to “love beyond the limits of our prejudices…to speak love and embody love” (Rev. Michael Walrond, Jr.<\/a>).<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today, I want to make it a priority to discover the black church in the same neighborhood as our white church. To find those who love God as I do…and this city in a way that can stretch my own love…and maybe it could go beyond the reach of either of us. Just maybe.<\/p>\n

[Let’s close in worship now. Check out the super helpful links below, later.]<\/p>\n

Worship<\/a> with Erskin and me, would you?<\/p>\n

The most segregated time in our country<\/p>\n

Is Sunday morning 11 o\u2019clock<\/p>\n

Black churches, white churches<\/p>\n

Right next door<\/p>\n

They\u2019re on the same block.<\/p>\n

Both with hands raised high for Jesus<\/p>\n

Still a million miles between us<\/p>\n

Black people; white people<\/p>\n

Remember the God who made you and me equal<\/p>\n

Not some people but all people<\/p>\n

Remember the God who made you and me equal<\/p>\n

We all want to walk with Jesus<\/p>\n

We all want to be about His will<\/p>\n

How do we break down the unseen walls<\/p>\n

Where bridges need to be built<\/p>\n

This song may not change your mind<\/p>\n

Jesus won\u2019t let me keep it inside.<\/p>\n

Black people; white people<\/p>\n

Remember the God who made you and me equal<\/p>\n

Not some people but all people<\/p>\n

Remember the God who made you and me equal<\/p>\n

Maybe it all begins<\/p>\n

By not focusing on ourselves<\/p>\n

Fixing our eyes on Him<\/p>\n

Living our lives as friends.<\/p>\n

Black people; white people<\/p>\n

Remember the God who made you and me equal<\/p>\n

Not some people but all people<\/p>\n

Remember the God who made you and me equal.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: James Estrin, The New York Times<\/a><\/p>\n

YouTube Video – Erskin – Black & White<\/em> – Official Lyric Video<\/a><\/p>\n

A Shift in Demographics at a Church in Harlem<\/em> – Samuel G. Freedman<\/a><\/p>\n

YouTube Video – Global Spirituality: Pastor Michael Walrond at TEDxHarlem<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

They’re Playing Our Song – The Secret Multiracial Churches Know About Music<\/em> – Michael O. Emerson<\/a><\/p>\n

7 Key Characteristics of Diversity-Oriented Churches<\/em> – Brian Leander<\/a><\/p>\n

Racial Reconciliation in Richmond, Virginia?<\/em> – Wendy McCaig<\/a><\/p>\n

[Links below showcase Christian comedians who help us with some of the things that unnecessarily make us uncomfortable with each other’s church cultures…although I couldn’t find one that caricatured white church worship for blacks. Could someone help me?]<\/p>\n

YouTube Video – Gary Owen – My First Time at a Black Church<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

YouTube Video – Unwritten Black Church Rules<\/em> – KevOnStage<\/a><\/p>\n

YouTube Video – Black Church Phrases Explained<\/em> – KevOnStage<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo Credit: Church Leadership There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. \u00a0– Galatians 3:28 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall. … Continue reading Worship Wednesday – the Church Segregated – Black & White – Erskin<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1869,3396,926,2986,799,1704,2126,1705,1148,1067,183,915,50,910,903,33,18,1732,2611,432,719,887,1002,32,47,946],"tags":[4847,4850,4852,658,4859,4860,4846,4855,3564,4853,4845,2021,4857,4858,4848,889,4856,4849,4854,4844,4851,360],"class_list":["post-15003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adoption","category-america","category-attending-or-focus","category-attitude","category-church-2","category-communication","category-community","category-conversations","category-critical-thinking","category-cross-cultural","category-culture-religion","category-faith-based-organizations","category-god","category-gospel","category-grace","category-inspired","category-jesus","category-leadership","category-love-your-neighbor","category-music","category-reconciliationforgiveness","category-remembering","category-transformational","category-walk-with-god","category-wednesday-worship","category-worship","tag-black-white","tag-black-people","tag-brian-leander","tag-church","tag-erskin","tag-erskin-anavitarte","tag-gary-owen","tag-global-spirituality","tag-kevonstage","tag-michael-o-emerson","tag-michael-walrond-jr","tag-movement-church","tag-racial-divide","tag-racial-reconciliation","tag-remember-god","tag-remembering","tag-samuel-g-freedman","tag-segregated-time-in-america","tag-tedxharlem","tag-wendy-mccaig","tag-white-people","tag-worship-wednesday"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pauPAB-3TZ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15003","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15003"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15003\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15033,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15003\/revisions\/15033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}