Happy President's Day 2011

GLO News: 2010 Black Members of Congress on LGBT Issues

(CBC 40th Legislative Session) in Washington, DC

Harlem is Nowhere

A Journey to the Mecca of Black America

by Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts

For a century Harlem has been celebrated as the capital of black America, a thriving center of cultural achievement and political action. At a crucial moment in Harlem's history, as gentrification encroaches, Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts untangles the myth and meaning of Harlem's legacy. Examining the epic Harlem of official history and the personal Harlem that begins at her front door, Rhodes-Pitts introduces us to a wide variety of characters, past and present. At the heart of their stories, and her own, is the hope carried over many generations, hope that Harlem would be the ground from which blacks fully entered America's democracy.


Rhodes-Pitts is a brilliant new voice who, like other significant chroniclers of places-Joan Didion on California, or Jamaica Kincaid on Antigua-captures the very essence of her subject.

African Americans protest Bahati’s US tour to promote “kill the gays” in Uganda

Bishop Zachary Jones (L) Pastor Joseph Tolton(C) Frank Mugishi(R) Photo Credit: Ocean Morisset

By Nathan James

GBM News Correspondent

As Ugandan Member of Parliament David Bahati, the sponsor of a Draconian new bill making homosexuality a capital offense in his country, came to the United States this past week, seeking support for the legislation, an “Emergency Town Hall Meeting” was held Saturday, in New York City. Organized by the Black Faith Alliance for Global LGBT Justice, the event at Rehoboth Temple Christ Consciousness Church in Harlem featured a keynote address from Frank Mugishi, of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG). At issue was the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Act, whose provisions include life imprisonment for anyone found guilty of homosexual relations, and execution for anyone having previous convictions for homosexuality, is HIV-positive, or has gay sexual relations with a person under 18. In addition, the bill also makes failure to report a “known homosexual” to the authorities a crime, punishable by 7 years in prison, and creates an extradition process for Ugandans who are caught having gay relationships anywhere in the world. This extraordinarily harsh legislation against gays also highlighted, according to the meeting’s organizers, the involvement of the Christian Right here in the United States in the bill’s development.

Citing the “continued efforts of the religious right in turning blacks and gays against each other”, Bishop Zachary Jones of the Unity Fellowship Church spoke of how the Christian right in the US was heavily engaged in California’s Proposition 8, which overturned gay marriage in that state, and on the use of Uganda as a “lab” in which the effects of anti-gay legislation could be observed. “The religious right,” Jones stated, “Is using Africans as pawns in a global chess game.” Jones was joined at the pulpit by Pastor Joseph Tolton, Rehoboth’s own presiding cleric, who read out the “call to action” on Uganda, imploring the United Nations and the US State Department to make decisive moves to address the plight of Uganda’s gays. Tolton cited a right-wing, Republican-based, American evangelical group, “The Family” with “exporting hatred to Africa, with a direct threat to the LGBT community in Uganda, by funding and sponsoring the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.” Tolton linked the situation in Uganda with American gays, saying, “We know that the freedom of our brothers and sisters in Uganda is clearly connected to our freedom here at home in the United States.” Pastor Tolton was followed by Frank Mugishi, who recounted in chilling detail the suffering of gays and lesbians in his home country.

Frank Mugishi, of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) Photo Credit: Ocean Morisset

Mugishi described forced hiding for gays and lesbians, “corrective rape” programs for lesbians, and the outright publication of the names and hometowns of gays and lesbians in local newspapers, creating a mob atmosphere in which gays feared being hunted down and beaten or killed. Mugishi stated that Uganda was “determined” to use all possible means to remove gays from its society, and the Anti-Homosexuality Act enjoyed broad public support. Mugishi and his organization have been operating underground in Uganda, and with the possible passage of Bahati’s bill, feared a catastrophic wave of anti-gay killings. GBM News asked Mugishi about the extradition clause in the Anti-Homosexuality Act. Mugishi confirmed that this would leave Uganda’s gays “little chance of escape”.

In a televised interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, MP Bahati cited “God’s Law” as justification for the proposed bill, and told viewers that “children were being recruited into homosexuality” by gay men in Uganda. When pressed to provide evidence of his claims, Bahati demurred, repeating only that “homosexuality is not of [Ugandan] culture.” While in Washington, Bahati stayed at a residence on C Street, also shared by numerous Republican members of Congress, and found receptive ears in several right-wing Christian organizations for his rhetoric. In Uganda, Bahati has gained the support of powerful allies such as Pastor Martin Ssempa, who showed scatological pornography as his “example” of gay sexual practices, and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has said he will not oppose the bill if it passes Parliament. Bahati himself, in the documentary Missionaries of Hate, aired last summer on Current TV, stated that he would not hesitate to have his own daughter put to death under the law he authored, if she were found to be a lesbian.

In final statements at the Town Hall meeting, Pastor Tolton called upon all closeted gays and lesbians to “come out, wherever you are”, because “now is the time”. He urged gays of color to engage in a “sustained response” to homophobia, decrying the “spiritual colonialism” of the “religious right”. The approximately fifty attendees were brought to the pulpit as a show of unity, singing We Shall Overcome, recalling the civil-rights struggles of the 1960s. An appeal was made for donations to help Mugishi spread his message about the Ugandan situation, and to support Uganda’s imperiled gay population. Whatever lies ahead for Uganda’s gays in the coming months, it was clear that this critical, complex issue involving the efforts of a modern state government to exterminate a minority within its population, will continue to call to the hearts and minds of the LGBT community the world over.

The Global Justice Institute, GLAAD, GLO TV Network, GayByGod.net, The Fellowship, MCC New York & Rehoboth Temple join efforts to mobilize the community.

CALL TO ACTION

The Christian Right is Killing BLACK Gay People in Uganda

The Human Rights THREAT in Uganda effects ALL OF US

Rachel Maddow- -Kill the gays- bills U.S. supporters

For Faith, For Love: FOREVER the movie on April 21st

On Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 7:00pm, The Center NYC LGBT Community Center located at 208 West 13th Street, NY, NY 10011, in association with Catch A Dream Entertainment and, The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry of Berkeley, CA will screen the powerful and thought provoking documentary entitled: For Faith, For Love, FOREVER.

As the presidential inauguration in 2009 came to a close, millions of people around the world witnessed a historical event in time; however, 2,500 miles due west there is division in California where the highly publicized Proposition 8 appeared on the general election ballot in November 2008. The proposition eliminated the right for same sex couples to marry, and has been fiercely debated over the past several years, Civil Rights!

The future of marriage equality was discussed during a Town Hall Meeting at First Congregational Church of Oakland, CA and documented by filmmaker Nefertiti Strong. The documentary, in final negotiations to be narrated by Rodney Chester, the lead actor of Logo’s hit movie Noah’s Arc – Jumping the Broom, explores the debate on same-sex marriage in the African-American community and its inclusion of the black church. Despite media portrayals suggesting complete disapproval, African-American clergy strongly believe in allowing people to live “in Spirit and in Truth” in regards to their God-given identities.

The Town Hall discussion, sponsored by the San Francisco Foundation and the Haas Jr. Fund, brought “dialogue and people together to work out issues in their communities,” said Reverend Roland Stringfellow, the event’s organizer, gay rights activist and Executive Producer of For Faith, For Love, FOREVER. “What the film 'For Faith, For Love, FOREVER' seeks to do, through the lens of the African-American church context, is to give courage to people of faith to address open and honestly the issue of being 'in the life' and the ways to find a way back to church communities we love."

Over the past year, the HOT button issue has been gay marriage. Strong believes the recording of the documentary has shed light onto a very important issue; however, gives people who may not been in attendance a chance to weigh in on the issues. “The beauty of film has captured a moment in time forever, that generations can not only see what happened, but understand why you did something,” Strong said.
Strong is president and founder of Catch a Dream, Inc. a TV/Film production based in Los Angeles and New York. The Center is hosting a fundraiser for the film in New York City LGBT Center and will screen the youth-focused 2010 HIV/AIDS PSA Campaign “Get Down” written and directed by Kim J. Ford of Lionqueen 192, Productions, Inc and FACES NY Inc.

Real Open Talk For Life with WJC

By: Rev. W. Jeffrey Campbell, Houston, TX

Today is Valentine’s Day! This day is filled with cupids, flowers, chocolates, cards, expensive gifts and more. Some people will get engaged on today. Others will actually say their vows today. It is a day that has morphed into a love celebration as well as a money maker for greeting card companies, florists and candy companies. With all of the excitement that this day is wrapped in I would venture to say that for every 4 people who are excited about this day or at the least tolerant of it, there is one person who is not in the least bit excited at all. As a matter of fact I would venture to say that person actually loathes this day.

As I was perusing through the status updates of others on Facebook on yesterday, one of my friends had a bah-humbug moment regarding Valentine’s Day. There were others who chimed in with her and then one individual asked her a rather interesting question, “Are you getting a gift for your BFF?” I found something very rich in that question because it actually mirrors the way that I have chosen to celebrate this day. In the past 10 years or so as I have been constantly working on being a better WJC I have learned how to transform these “Big Days” into whatever I need them to be for me. “What doth thou mean by this?”

This Valentine’s Day I do not have a significant other. However, I have chosen to give some of the special people in my life cards, flowers and gifts to celebrate the love that we share with each other. On my list of recipients include: my daughter, a couple of my BFF who have been on the mountain tops and in the valleys of life with me and one couple who is a model for me of what a same-gender loving relationship should look like. This day I celebrate the love of family and friends as well as the love that my friends who are in relationships are experiencing. Now, don’t get me wrong! I’m hoping that next Valentine’s Day I will be in a love relationship that I will be able to celebrate, but in the meantime I’m not going to stop celebrating love because I’m not in a relationship.

I believe now more than ever that many of us self-mutilate when we are not in relationships. We cut love as if it doesn’t exist simply because we are not coupled up with someone else. Love is everlasting and it should be celebrated! As I have grown I have been able to even celebrate past loves. Hint: just because the relationship ended doesn’t mean that it wasn’t good while it lasted. Remember the good things that you learned from it! Be thankful for those things that you gained! Those moments good and bad were the fertilizer that caused us to grow.



My friends, it is Valentine’s Day, the day of love! Honor and celebrate the loves that you are blessed to have. Most importantly celebrate yourself! Other than God, you ought to be the best lover that you will ever have!

Much Love to You!

Until next week…ROTFL with WJC!

Please contact me at realopentalkforlife@yahoo.com for further discussion.

I LOVE NY 14 of 28 Places to Visit

Abyssinian Baptist Church

In 1808, a few African-Americans, armed with their faith in Jesus and strengthened by mercies already seen, left the worship service of the First Baptist Church of New York City and withdrew forever their membership. These African-Americans, accompanied by a group of Ethiopian merchants, were unwilling to accept racially segregated seating in God's house and determined that they would organize their own church. During June, they established themselves in a building on Anthony Street (later Worth Street) calling themselves the Abyssinian Baptist Church - a name inspired by the ancient name of the nation from which the merchants of Ethiopia had come, Abyssinia. The Rev. Thomas Paul, a minister from Boston, aided the new congregation in becoming organized as the First African-American Baptist Church in the state of New York. Abyssinian called as its first pastor the Rev. Vanvelser.

In 1908, Adam Clayton Powell, Sr. became pastor of the church. In 1920, the church purchased property in Harlem for a new Gothic and Tudor style church featuring stained glass windows and marble furnishings. The congregation's tithing and offerings covered the expenses, and in 1923 the church moved to its current location on West 138th Street in Harlem. By the time Powell handed the reins of the church to his son Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. in 1937, the Abyssinian Baptist Church was the largest Protestant congregation in the United States, with more than 4,000 members.

Today, under the direction of Rev. Calvin O. Butts, the church has continued to be a vital political, social, and religious institution in New York. In 1989 Butts founded the Abyssinian Development Corporation (ADC), creating a non-profit arm of the church to work on community development and social services. It has created $500 million in development, including the first new high school in Harlem in 50 years, the first large supermarket, a retail center, and housing.

Real Open Talk For Life with WJC

The Future is honored to have Rev. Campbell as our spiritual contributor. His insight, wisdom and leadership are most helpful to the cluster of information that comes in and out of our lives everyday. In the past few weeks, we have received 45% more followers who joined The Future. We wanted to re-introduce the Rev. this Sunday.

This original message was posted on Sunday, October 11, 2009. Enjoy and read words from Rev. Campbell every Sunday on The Future. Also follow him on Facebook at Jeffrey Campbell.

REMIX - Real Open Talk For Life with WJC
By: Rev. W. Jeffrey Campbell, Houston, TX

Greetings Family! Welcome to Real Open Talk For Life

I am W. Jeffrey Campbell and I am so excited about this opportunity to spend the next 13 Sundays challenging and encouraging you through spiritual meditations that are being designed specifically for the Black LGBT community right here on Thefutureforward.net.

Like many other same-gender loving African American preachers, I spent a great deal of time struggling with my sexuality and my call to ministry. After many years of searching, praying, counseling, crying and my own personal study, I finally heard God say very clearly, “I love you and you are okay.” What a relief! But God had more plans for me. The next challenge that God placed before me was the call to minister directly to people who identify openly and privately as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgendered. This is what brings me to you on today.

We will start our journey together taking a look at the prophet Nehemiah, one of the biblical loves of my life. In Nehemiah I see a man who has a passion for the well-being of his people. He weeps at the thought of their plight, but he does not resign himself to being a just a mourner. Nehemiah stepped to the plate and began to do the work necessary to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

Beyond Nehemiah we will take a look at how rejection, abuse, internalized homophobia and many other ills have caused us great pain. We will not stop at discussing pain…we will delve into how we can overcome these pains of our past and present and live a liberated life in a fulfilling relationship with the Creator.

Let this journey of hope and healing begin!

HOW WILL YOU RESPOND?

In chapter 1 of Nehemiah, the prophet is exiled in Persia, working in the king’s palace as cupbearer. He receives word that the Jewish people who have returned to Jerusalem from exile are in great turmoil and disgrace because the city’s walls are destroyed, the gates burned, the city left in ruins. Nehemiah weeps, mourns, fasts and prays for favor in the king’s presence.

In many ways our Black LGBT community lies in ruins and our people in disgrace.

Ø LGBT Christians are struggling with spirituality and sexuality
Ø HIV cases continue to rise
Ø Our people are dying in unnecessary shame from the virus
Ø Black LGBT teens are being kicked out of their homes by parents

But, the good news is that God is calling US into service to rebuild a healthy Black LGBT community!

How will you respond to the plight of our people? Are you saddened enough to weep and mourn? Are you committed enough to make a sacrifice and pray for favor with the intent to rebuild our community?

Join me today on a journey of rebuilding, one life at a time!
If you would like to contact me via e-mail, please write me at realopentalkforlife@yahoo.com.

Until next week….ROTFL with WJC…

Real Open Talk For Life with WJC

A Good Damn Dose of What They Really Think
By: Rev. W. Jeffrey Campbell, Houston, TX

On Friday night while attending the African American State of Emergency Task Force (SOETF) Gala I experienced a good damn dose of what some people really think. The SOETF is a conglomeration of agencies, churches and individuals who have joined together in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The gala is designed to create networking opportunities, to honor those who are doing the work and to allow time for structured discussion regarding the fight against HIV/AIDS.

This year the tables in the room were labeled according to the target audience that participants were either working with or a part of. Those tables included: Faith/Spiritual, GLBT (and yes, they were side by side), Women, Youth and Incarcerated. Each attendant was given a sheet of paper and asked to state how he/she felt the Task Force could better address the needs of their specific target audience. A panel of people was formed from each of the target audiences and I had the opportunity to represent both the faith-based community and the GLBT community. If you smell trouble, you are on the right track!

During the dialogue this comment was made from the audience, “the church needs to become more educated in regards to the GLBT community.” I was asked to address that comment. Before I said anything I made it clear that I love the Black church. Silly me, I should have known that would quickly be forgotten. I stated that I believed that the church did indeed become more educated in regards to the GLBT community and particularly noted that many people have and still do struggle in their journey because of the words that they have heard spoken in the church damning them to hell. My belief is that many times the wounds that people, particularly, black gay men experience, causes these individuals to make poor choices in the way they live out their lives particularly around sex. I spoke further about affirming churches (giving the definition that these churches are birthed to be welcoming and affirming to members of the GLBT community but are also welcoming to all people.) I challenged the church to become more educated and I challenged members of the GLBT community who attend affirming churches not to go into those spaces and cause havoc that destroys that which was built for them. I closed by saying that education breeds growth and if we don’t grow we eventually die.

I must say that it has been awhile since I have had this discussion in a diverse room. I guess I have been living in Wonderful because I need you to know that the good church people came for me like bulls to a red blanket.

Over the next 15 minutes I heard things like:

· “Yes, it is an abomination to God!”
· “It is no different than if I go out and sleep with a lot of men.” Her point was that being gay was the same thing as being a slut or prostitute…”It’s all sin!”
· “Sodom and Gomorrah!”
· “God didn’t make Adam and Steve!” This was from a preacher!
· Then my favorite, “But, I love you!” Like hell you do!

The other panelist, all of which were heterosexual, sat on the stage mortified! I sat patiently and waited for the microphone to come back to me. Several members of the GLBT audience had great rebuttals however the good church people were not hearing any of it.

As I sat on the stage I realized many things. First, I realized that these people that my same-gender loving colleagues and I work with love to work with us as long as we don’t say that we are okay with who we are and that God is okay with us. There was one preacher who we work with on a regular basis who was almost foaming at the mouth while he spoke about the Bible being the true word of God. Mind you, I never said I didn’t believe in God or the Bible, I said that I struggle with how the Bible has been misinterpreted. I guess for them that is saying the same thing. These are probably some of the same people who believe that Denzel Washington’s new movie, The Book of Eli, is an awesome movie because he was able to save the King James Version of the Bible in a near end of the world experience. I for one don’t believe that God will be trying to save King James’ version of anything at anytime. But, that’s just my take on it!



The other realization that I had was that the microphone was never coming back to me! Oh, but I thank God for technology!!!!! I looked out at the 30 or so members of the GLBT community who were in that room and realized that I had at least 10 of their numbers in my iPhone. Hallelujah! I sat on stage and pulled out my phone and sent the following text message to them: My brothers and sisters first I want you to know that you are not an abomination! Secondly, Sodom and Gomorrah is not about homosexuality it is about the lack of hospitality to strangers. I love you dearly and God loves you more!

I was hurting for each of my sisters and brothers who came into that room thinking that it would be a safe space for them. I was hurting for every person in the room who would not sit at the GLBT tables because they quietly live a closeted life and daily fear the possibility of being outed. I hurt for every parent who was in that room who has a gay child and heard those evil words being spoken. As I stepped from the stage having been given a good damn dose of reality from some good old church people in suits, ties, furs and gloves, I walked to every member of the GLBT community still in that room and said God loves you!

I’m troubled because I’m not sure that my words will be enough. The hurtful words that were spoken have been spoken over our lives for years and have taken deep root. The words, “God loves you” is hardly ever heard by a member of our community unless it is follow by, “It’s your sin that God hates.” To prove my point….I just received a text message from my colleague who organized the event. He has been out and proud before pepper was black. This morning this proud gay man, who sometimes gives us woman, is still hurt and angered by the comments that came from people that he works in community with. Once this article is done I have to call him and help him begin the process of repairing himself. I know he is not the only one. It feels like Haiti. So many lives damaged and not a clue as to where to begin.

I feel as though I’m babbling because I still am wounded as well. I suppose I should just close out with this……God is in love with you and your sexual orientation cannot destroy that love. God accepts you and your sexual orientation will not change that. You were created in God’s image and you carry the breath of God in you. Allow the love of this awesome God to consume you. Make good choices in your journey. Every chance you get take the time to tell someone else that God loves them too! Finally, stay buckled up because every now and then you will get a good damn dose of what some people really think. It’s just a part of the journey.

Until next week…ROTFL with WJC!

Please contact me at realopentalkforlife@yahoo.com for further discussion.

Miki Howard talks about Gays and The Church

By Clay Cane

On Monday, legendary R&B singer Miki Howard appeared on BET's The Monique Show. Howard sang (she still has that voice!) and discussed her autobiography, Always Had Shoes. During the interview Howard chatted about coming up in the gospel church.

Then, the "Love Under New Managment" hit maker brought up the gay community as it relates to the church -- and bringing up the late Rev. James Cleveland who was closeted but known to be gay, which is the story for many in the black church. Howard said, "One good thing that I really wanted to talk about in the book is the gay aspect of church that we don't talk about in our community. I grew up in the James Cleveland church and it was really gay." Howard continued, "We didn’t know that people thought that was bad. We didn’t know that outsiders thought that was bad."

Mo'Nique, who has been consistently supportive of the gay community added, "I applaud you for addressing because most times we run from it because, like you said, 'For all our gay brothers and sisters watching please know that you are always welcomed baby. We love you -- the no judgment zone!'"

Big kudos to Miki Howard for bringing up the other side of the black church. These insecure power bottoms who laughingly fail at being hetero are extremely self-destructive to the black community, especially when they are getting their colon reconstructed at gospel conventions but have magic potions for "conversion." These "preachers" are claiming to be historians and psychotherapists on sexuality and gender when they have no training or education (some haven't even graduated from high school!). It's refreshing to see someone like Miki Howard, born and raised in the church, explain a different side. I will have to purchase her autobiography!

Real Open Talk For Life with WJC

Eyes Wide Open
By: Rev. W. Jeffrey Campbell, Houston, TX

Yesterday, January 23, 2010, I was winding up my time at the 2010 National African American MSM Leadership Conference on HIV/AIDS and other Health Disparities in Atlanta, GA. As usual, it had been an awesome experience to be with my same and both gender loving brothers and our heterosexual allies dialoguing about this disease that continues to ravage our African American community and more specifically the men of our African American same-gender loving community.

On Thursday Rev. Edwin Sanders of Nashville, TN offered a prayer during our lunch plenary session. Prior to praying Rev. Sanders gave specific instructions on what he wanted willing participants to do during the prayer. These were his instructions:

1. Do not bow your head, instead, keep it up.
2. Do not close your eyes, instead, keep them open.
3. If you feel led, during the prayer look around the room and observe the other men in the room.

As Rev. Sanders began to pray I listened to him eloquently address God as he celebrated life and as he petitioned God for necessary blessings. As his booming voice filled the air I began to look at my brothers with my eyes wide open. I gazed first at the brothers at my table and then across the room as the many others who had made the journey to Atlanta for this conference. With my eyes wide open I saw black same/both gender loving me as young as 18 and as old as 65. I saw men of all heights, weights and skin tones. There were bald brothers, brothers with locks and everything in between. In that room were individuals with GEDs, high school diplomas, college degrees and some who have Ph.D or MD behind their names.

With my eyes wide open I continued to explore the great similarities and differences of God’s creation, the Black same/both gender loving brother. The more I looked around the more I discovered. From the east coast to the west coast; men from north of the Mason Dixon Line and others who spoke with a southern drawl. There were men who are single and others who are in partnered relationships. These men came from varying belief backgrounds in regards to God and Jesus Christ. Some brothers live with HIV. Others are in the AIDS stages of the virus while still others live with an HIV negative status.

I kept on looking! Students, teachers, mentors and mentees! Suits, jeans, African garb, dress shoes and sneakers! In this room were brothers living out loud while others only experience the comfort of being out when they are away from their home city.

As Rev. Sanders drew his conversation with God to a close I whispered my own prayer to God. I asked God to bless every brother in the room and to allow my brothers to experience God like never before. I then thanked God for giving me the opportunity to see and experience what some have never seen and even more what some think does not exist I saw strong, wise, healthy African American same and both gender loving men and I felt blessed.

The next time you have an opportunity to experience our brothers whether it be in a small gathering or a large gathering, enter the room with your eyes wide open filled with love and compassion and not hatred or judgment. I hope that you will see what I saw and give thanks.

Until next week…ROTFL with WJC!

Please contact me at realopentalkforlife@yahoo.com for further discussion.

Real Open Talk For Life with WJC

God: A Priority and Not an Option
By: Rev. W. Jeffrey Campbell, Houston, TX

I shared with readers on last week how I spent New Year’s Eve in church and the first 12 hours of 2010 with my some of my best and close friend crew. We sat at a round table eating a hearty breakfast and talked about the goals that we had achieved in 2009 and the goals that we have set for ourselves for 2010. It was a gay, gay, gay time as we shared our thankful moments, talked about the future and of course came for each other in the early morning hours as only friends can do.

As 2009 was coming to a close, I realized that I had spent most of the year in a spiritual daze. Yes, I had utilized my spiritual gifts of preaching, teaching, exhortation and administration to bless others. But, I knew that I had been walking around in a fog for most of the year and had not really focused on my own personal spiritual growth. (Anybody feeling me?)

I had decided that I would open up the New Year with a 40-day Daniel Fast in hopes of coming out of the fog. The Daniel Fast is a fast where you eat only fresh fruit and vegetables. You cannot consume any sugar, salt, caffeine, white flour, desserts or fried foods. That’s right, all the GOOD stuff.

In his book, “Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough”, Elmer Towns writes that the Daniel Fast focuses on health and physical healing. I will tell you now that although I am closely following the dietary guidelines of the Daniel Fast, I am praying about and meditating on a plethora of subject matters for my personal life and ministry while I also intercede for others. As a matter of fact, I had to pray about what I was going to pray about during my fast. My answer came as I was reflecting upon a posting that I had read while attending Facebook Church…yes, Facebook Church! If you are an avid Facebooker you know that you really can run across some postings that can be quite beneficial to one’s spiritual growth.

The posting that opened my eyes said this, “Never make anyone a priority that makes you an option.” Wow! I read that posting back in October. In that moment it spoke to a potential dating situation that I was in that was showing signs of failure before it even got off the ground. However, as the year came to a close and I was in prayer about what I needed to do in order to come out of the 2009 fog, I realized that the root of my issue was that I had allowed God to become an option in my life as opposed to a priority. I had been active in ministry all year. I had been in church on Sundays and during the week. I had prayed for others. I had preached sermons and taught lessons but, I again I say I had not taken the time to do anything to enhance MY OWN personal relationship with God.

As I gathered with my friends in the early hours of 2010 I didn’t have a list of things that I wanted to accomplish in this New Year. When it was my turn to share I simply said, it is my intention to make God a priority in my life and not an option. I knew then and know in this moment of writing that that goal included the fast that I would embark upon on January 5th as well as focused prayer and personal worship times. I knew that making God priority meant more times of study of not only the Bible but other forms of literature that support spiritual growth. And, I knew that it meant spending some alone time with God so that we can really reconnect.

I am thankful to say that I am on Day 11 of my period of fasting a praying and I have already experienced God’s movement in my life. It has not come without challenge however, I am much stronger to face and overcome the challenge because I am intentionally making God a priority and not an option.

As you do self-inventory I encourage you to ask yourself the question, “Is God a priority or an option in my life?” It is so easy to get caught up in taking care of the spiritual needs of others but, if you are not dually doing the work of pouring into yourself, you run the risk of winding up in the same fog that I have been living in for the past year or so. What you may be led to do may not look like what I am doing. That’s perfectly okay. My desire and I certainly believe that God’s desire is that you be closer to God today than you were on yesterday. Join me on this wonderful quest. You will be glad that you did!

Until next week…ROTFL with WJC!

Please contact me at realopentalkforlife@yahoo.com for further discussion.