Dr. Charles W. Ferguson

A friend on my Facebook timeline put out a status that gave the estimated amount of time to perfect a craft. According to general acceptance, it takes 10,000 hours to perfect a craft. Being the nerd I am, I discovered that 10,000 hours breaks down to 416.67 days. Ladies and gentleman, that time is roughly 1.14 years. It takes a little over a year of dedication to perfect a craft. Now I don’t know how true that statistic is, but I am sure that it is measurement that we can use for a unique lesson.

Many people are living in the world today thinking about new ways to succeed and prosper. People are looking for the balance between home and work. Yet, others are attempting to find peace and calm in the midst of the constant white noise of life. The truth is that humanity has strayed away from the necessity of crafting a life of stability and focus.

The main reason for the lack of focus on balance is the constant information suggesting that one element of life is greater than the other. I believe that God teaches us to be in relationship with the Spirit and learn the necessary tools that will inform and direct our life journey specifically to us. The deeper issue is that we have not taken the time to perfect this craft.

We invest in the structures of various areas of our lives, but we do not take the time work toward a true synergy of our lives. I wanted to share a couple of things that are currently helping my own journey to a greater incorporation of life, living, and faith.

1. Focus on the relationship with God. It is a necessity to make time with the Creator. Most people think that there is never enough time. The truth is that many people place their energy and time toward the things that are most pressing to them. This statement is not about judgment. It is to state that the reality of our existence. Preoccupation with the outside can alter the focus of energy on prayer, meditation, reading Scripture, etc.
2. Live out the principles generated in your connection with God. There is nothing worse than an educated fool. We can gather information, but refuse to use it effectively in our lives.
3. Spend intentional time with my core. You must take intentional time to be a human being. Date your spouse. Enter the imagination of your child. Write that poem. Play that game. Speak to a counselor. Sip and paint. Travel to new places.  Do not neglect you for the sake of proving you are sacrificial. Take care of you so your sacrifice does not become unintentional martyrdom.
4. Breath life into your dreams. No dream truly dies unless the dreamer buries it. (Wow, that was seriously profound!) The only person that can kill a dream is the person that possesses the dream. Yes, doubters, haters, and detractors can be accessories to the murder. However, you and I have been given a great gift of resurrection if we use it. No matter what you have in your heart to do, give it your best shot. It is never too late to do great things.
5. Eat at the table prepared for you. The psalmist writes that the Lord prepares a table for the writer in the presence of his enemies. We have take this aspect of the 23rd Psalm to state that God blesses in spite of our enemies. You missed the point. Many people have shouted of the preparation of the table and who is watching rather than the purpose of table. God gives you provision at the table for you to eat. Don’t preoccupy yourself with who is watching to the point that you forget to eat. You will go hungry.

Take a moment to think about your journey. We are not all going in the same direction in life. Our purposes may be very different. However, take the time today to consider your path. Find the most effective way to maximize the journey. Reap the rewards of a new process.

This thought is dedicated to every individual that contributes to my current existence as a Black Man in America. This idea is dedicated to the “common man”, “theologian”, and the “intellectual” for we need all in the progression, freedom, equity, and justice. 

When I was a teenager, my first job was doing janitorial services for $100 a week. In the 1998-99 school year as a busy young man, it was easy to stack $100 cash while being an honor student, young preacher, and athlete. I barely had time for much outside of that and a girlfriend at the time. Working that job and using my mind ultimately afforded me the opportunity to get a scholarship to college, pay for my books, and have some fun like any other teenager. What I did not know at the time was that I was preparing myself for an inner conflict.

W.E.B. DuBois wrote a piece many years ago entitled The Talented Tenth. The concept was inspired to motivate Black young people to pursue education and excel in various areas of life such as politics, medicine, law, etc. The hope was that these individuals would return to their communities and influence change in society that would ultimately benefit the greater whole. This idea was always pitted against the approach of Booker T. Washington. The initial leader of Tuskgee created a strategy that focused more on agriculture and infrastructure.

The two educators that offered very different approaches to the growth and liberation of African American people in the late 19th and early 20th century, never witnessed in a real sense the manifestation of their theories. As a matter of fact, I am of the opinion that the separation of these ideas are seeds that have manifested in the midst of our current struggle in 2018.

In my lifetime, I have witnessed the intellectual being pitted against the “common man”. It has always proven to be an unnecessary conflict that has blossomed into opportunity to dismiss one over the other. We have people who have been blessed to obtain higher education that never came back to the community to enhance it. Rather they felt it necessary to move beyond the past into a brighter day for their future family. The success of the intellectual has somehow become an opportunity to lord a false sense of superiority. Ultimately, the feelings of “being brand new” permeate the fractured relationship.

The “common man” is known for being a hard working individual. They have a sense of pride in enhancing the environment and performing honest work. They have built the infrastructure that all people including intellectuals enjoy. Yet, moment come when the common man sees the intellectual as a lazy, imaginative person with high ideas and no sense of reality. Unless you have put your hands to something, you have not contributed to the overall process.

With some truth being seen from different perspectives, I am of the mind that we have forgotten how to use the best of our resources, gifts, and skills to bring about positive change and transformation. It is easy to stand an identify obvious issues that are before us. Yet, I wonder if we are able to be accountable for how far we have drifted from the foundation of unity that brought about the Civil Rights Movement, Voting Rights Act, Black Wall Street in Oklahoma, and various other entities that have proven our might and creativity in the midst of systems not built for us to win.

As Black people are attempting to navigate the nation under the administration of Trump, we are witnessing the division of an oppressed people in a magnitude not seen since the plantation. We have individuals who have decided to adopt every supremacist form of religion, politics, economic, and social ideology possible in order to be found in the among those who appear to control the meter. In order not to feel the pressure, pain, or suffering of oppression, the resolve is to give up integrity, uniqueness, and character not be seen as a threat.

On the other side of the equation, people are daily in the struggle to demonstrate their humanity among other people. The protests have made people uncomfortable. The constant emphasis on equity has brought out the most bigoted of ideas to the forefront. Individuals have shown more sympathy for a piece of cloth than the people who continue to face systematic oppression. The agitator is cursed for bring brokenness to the forefront. The sellout is praise for being a lapdog.

We must finally be resolved to stop feeding into the need for separation among ourselves and recognize the truth of our condition. Nobody can truly be free until we are all free. No one person can achieve liberation on his/her own. We cannot accomplish movement without listening and understanding one another. We will not experience power moves until we are locked arm and arm focused on one mission and goal.

Now, I don’t claim to know everything. I definitely do not know all the answers. What I do know is that it takes 100% of the community to liberate 100% of the people. We cannot make it through unless we repent of our internal foolishness, our apathy toward liberation, our selfishness toward our own individual preservation, and our denial of our God given uniqueness.

My petition to you is simple. Find the greatness again. Do not allow the known evil and pretentiousness of the narcissistic prevail over our ability to thrive. Don’t give room to the enemy to continue forge separation in the name of the status quo. We shall overcome together. But we will die alone if we stay separated.

Daniel 3:13-18, ESV

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good.[c] But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.[d] 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

I have been a part of many discussions about the nature of the universal church. Many people find themselves at a significant crossroads regarding addressing their faith, progressive methodology, and framing an informed theology. Many people that I have encountered have become withdrawn from the church. They are not sick of Jesus. No, no, no. They have become tired of the non-profit organization. Truthfully, I understand the sentiment. Many of you that will read this may not admit it, but you have become disconnected from it as well.

What do you mean, preacher?

The church has become synonymous with many negative connotations. I am not going to dive to far into the those particular issues at the moment. Many of the problems have their own specific nuances. However, the organization known as the church has demonstrated many attributes that they happen to speak out against.

The church speaks to equality, yet we still have debates about women in ministry. The church talks about having more youth in the movement, but it despises methodology that reaches younger generations. The church speaks to God as Creator, but it neglects to promote innovation from the created. Therefore, many conventions, state and national organization, and other entities reflect the one attribute of Christ that should only be left with Christ–being the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The rebellion that many feel in their hearts is addressing a way to return back to a genuine authentic approach to experiencing the presence of God; developing strategies that empower the people of God; and reaching the least, last, maligned, and disenfranchised for the Kingdom of God.

When I was reading the scripture displayed above, I was looking at the text for a message in the future. However, God brought my attention to a unique concept that we don’t talk about. In the scripture, we see the imposition of a type of worship on the people. The people were forced according to the rule of law to worship an image of a leader who thought he was God.

Three men that were employed by the government that imposed this decree refused to sell out. They were ostracized for it. They were punished according to the anger and angst of the establishment. Yet, God showed up for them in the midst of man made exile and rejection. It was only after the horrible reaction that the establishment acknowledged the validity of the stance of those three Jewish brothers.

I grew up as a convention kid. It was the one time that I could hook up with my friends from around the state and talk about everything that didn’t have anything to do with Jesus. (Oh you thought we just talked about the Lord? LOL) Many of us developed friendships and associations that have lasted 20 or 30 years at this point.

We can remember times when we first caught on fire. Many of us began preaching in our teens. We were learning the challenges of navigating adolescence while committing our ways to the Lord. We are still here. We were told that we were the future. We were sold a bill of goods that our association and innovation would be important to the future of the various organizations and connections we made.

Now that we are at the point where many of us have done our due diligence to prepare and show ourselves approved (studied, preached, taught, gone to seminary, obtained degrees, gained experience, etc) the institutions that helped us don’t want our help unless it is at the cost of worshiping the idol of organization. Jesus did not die for that bull!

Many progressive thinkers across many different generations have offered many solutions to this ever growing problem, yet the answers have been ignored. The rejection of freshness has only bred more opportunities for fractures, splits, and new movements that might be incomplete. More options do not necessary mean better. Yet, we must begin to heed the thought that people will go out on their own willing to die for what is right than settle for the dying establishment worship at the feet of yesteryear.

Since I know that people will ask for suggestions or solutions, I offer four.

1. Find an organization that speaks to your growth, development, and creativity. Nobody should find themselves lying dormant in the same hamster wheel forever. Be with like minded individuals who want to see the Kingdom of God grow, people loved and enhanced, and where fellowship is not based on title and pretense.
2. Refuse to bow to the same old idol. If you know something is inherently wrong with the direction and purpose of an organization, make up in your mind to challenge the status quo with the foundation of the Church–the well exegeted Word of God. Bring the leadership back to the Word. Get people up off the law and do what is right according to God. The Scripture has unveiled more demonic and dysfunctional mess than any other tool. It is useful to keep the focus on Christ rather than our foolish and selfish ambitions.
3. Renounce and cast out the demon of intimidation. I should never have an issue with people who have varied gifts and skills. I should never feel so small that I can not learn from others. At the same time, I should never become so petty that I worry if someone takes my spot. The beauty of serving God is that many gifts have been given to the body (remember Ephesians 4). Diversification of gifts, talents, and personalities provide a fresh perspective to ministry and execution of the works of God.
4. Remember that you should not “rep your set”. That is not Kingdom. Ultimately, people could care less about your denominational affiliation if your Christ mindset is off center. You and I have an obligation to represent Christ in the most complete manner possible. We are responsible for making sure our walk and talk reflect Christ more than our way desired way of life (if it is outside of God’s plan).

When I decided to take the invitation of my United Methodist brothers and sisters to explore possible opportunity to minister, I said to myself simply that we will see what God will do. I was still pursuing opportunity in the Baptist denomination that groomed me. Yet my experience, training, prayers, academics, and living witness as a believer was not enough. What do you mean? The moment I heard someone say that I didn’t look like a pastor was the moment the Lord fully delivered me from demon of pretentiousness.

Who wants to be associated with anyone that will limit a person’s witness and ministry to clothes and vestments. My mission became crystal clear–go where God will send me. It is for this reason that I will never tell anyone wrestling with the same old nonsense to settle. God did not call you to settle for synthetic high of three days of decent whooping. God called you with a mandate to shift the culture and change lives through the transformative power of God. Anything less will make you a snitch for the idol or prostrate before the powerless image. Try something new. Be the church of the Living God.