Growing up under the leadership of Bishop Wilson and later Brother Young I have found myself leaning heavily on the principles taught to me throughout the years, since our move to Pennsylvania. After the first couple of months living here, I realized how they had sacrificed so much to make sure I did not become infected with the negativity church politics bring. Talk about a reality check when I realized that there was so much going on out there that I cared to know nothing about and was extremely disappointed once I did find out. I have to thank both my Bishop and Pastor for their selfless giving to make sure we weren't blind but only protected. And so, now, here I am married almost 3000 miles away from anything that is familiar or comforting and I have to do it alone. I don't have the comfort of stepping inside the doors of my church and knowing that I can count on a smile from Sis. Sargent, a hug from Nona or an encouraging word from Sis. Bertram. I am standing in the middle of a battle field with the daunting task of protecting my family and making sure we stay in "for the long haul". Recently, my sister sent me a message preached by Brother Young entitled "Noah's Ark". Now, before you smile and say that you've heard a message similar I have to say that you may need to pause a moment and read what I am about to write.
In Brother Young's message, he opened up a new point of view on the ark and the significance of how long it took to build it and why it was built with certain elements and the particular process of gathering the animals God called "clean". After 120 years, God finally gave Noah and his family the nod to step aboard but not before giving him the enormous task of building this ark by hand. Noah himself built the ark...it wasn't some miracle that made the planks stack atop each other and fit neatly. It was the hand of a man who was guided by the instruction of God. From the structure of the ark to the pitch it was covered with, the ark created a miniature world that would sail the deep holding the future in its bowels. Imagine how many crops Noah had to farm throughout the 120 years to prepare the proper amount of food, imagine how he had to raise his children to love their God with all their hearts so that, in the end, when God called, each of his children would understand the importance of obeying His voice and imagine how laborious the process of gathering animals was to the specifications God gave Noah. But, in the end, each of his three sons married a woman who understood and wanted to be a part of the sacrifices that needed to be made in order to step aboard that ark.
Oh, that the ark we build for our family would be secure and built just how God has specified so my family can be saved. And on an even grander scale, don't let me scoff at the ark that the man of God has built by his hand, but let me step aboard with my family ready to sail.
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And Noah and his kin must have thought "surely, there's more that will be spared from this flood than just these who have responded" (no one but the family). But it was. The enormity of God's judgement should never turn off our judgement of what is true.
Another time, Bishop talked about the stink in the ark. You start looking at the animals and realizing how much this ark stinks. He compared that to us in the church, not realizing that the ark is our salvation. Instead, becoming focused on one or two things and how bad they are, and how flawed they are. I love his reply: It's either the stink or the storm! You pick.
I just love my Bishop and Pastor!! I had tears in my eyes by the end of the cd. it was hard to have a prayer meeting with Cylas jumping all over but God did touch me!
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