The North Carolina Church Experience

The North Carolina Church Experience.  

One of two things, as a stranger in a new land, I did immediately diligently search for a church, in NC, in 2001.

The first church encountered was Cary Alliance Church, best church ever;  in the search and quest for Hispanic churches, I encountered and met with Primera Asemblea’s Pastor [now of Knightdale but at first in Raleigh].  That quest intersected with Caratini’s church then at the old movie theater of Raleigh, we always ate Chinese together after services.  

The encounter continued with Elevation Baptist, and the quest continued, because Elevation lead to continuous networking with Christian Singles and Crossroads, etc.  That eventually also intersected the path of Pastor Dunn and then to things like Hephzibah and so on and so forth.  I tried the neighborhood churches when I made it to Wendell.  That included Wendell Baptist, the all white elderly church then, not now.  

The next noted change was 2012; that included the need to flee from Hephzibah due to being stalked.  That flight lead to Casa and Raleigh Road Baptist Church; and, revisiting Caratini and finding Primera Asemblea in Knighdale not Raleigh.  2012, divorce, caused a return to Cary Alliance, an encounter throughout with DORCAS, and that lead to Colonial where my children love and grow currently in Ministry.  I tried to stay at Hephzibah, but I was followed everywhere after services, and kept needing to call Wendell PD.

Raleigh Road is where my ex-wife meet her first (of many) significant others.  That caused me to immediately stop my routine.  Routine, what is that you say?  I was saved in an all Black church of the Tarrying Tradition.  Healing from Heaven Temple holding a rival at an old sanctified church in Queens.  There, I intersected with Brother Acey Pettyway and Mary.  One ride home, lead to a life long change.  The meals, awesome meals, served at the Hands of Mary, transported at times by Dexter, they never asked for a Penny.

The routine after over ten years at Universal, and throughout, is an inclination and dedication to my heritage.  People do not understand.  They do not understand the glory of worshiping in my native tongue and singing praises in Spanish as in Juan 3:16 of the Bronx.  I would run the streets with my dad to the Hispanic worship services after taking custody of him.  That was the routine.  He only spoke Spanish.  He loved the praise and worship songs, although active Christian living was not his thing.  It was a Saul and David thing, singing calmed the demon possessed being.  

I am Puerto Rican by birth.  I am A US Citizen by birth.  I am of mixed heritage.  My kids have Black in them, in part from their mom, in part from me [Puerto Ricans are mutes by definition], we have a little of everything.  Blonde Hair, blue eyes to pitck black African and Tiano indian.

I prefer the Hispanic church.  The greatest love experienced was in Cary Alliance, a white church.  Hephzibah for my children was a member on the outside fringes of a club, not a church, while they feel welcomed at times at Colonial and Casa, they love Colonial. I prefer to worship and praise in Spanish, but my children do not speak Spanish.  

I love me a good Gospel service, as in black Gospel experience, that was the first 10 years of Salvation. You are one of us, they used to say to me, Rallo.  Next, a good praise and worship service in Spanish, that is near to my soul.  The nearest and dearest in the worship from those that slobber, they can hardly speak, but, in their disabled condition, they praise and worship God, and read his word daily.  

This is my varied experience.  This is my heritage.  So, when I ask you to reach out to the disabled and elderly, it is with the heart and belief in God, through His experiences He allowed me to have.  

34Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.

35And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.

36A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and an howling of the principal of the flock, shall be heard: for the LORD hath spoiled their pasture.

37And the peaceable habitations are cut down because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

38He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion: for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.

Jerimiah 25: 34 She Said, the prophet.  

The disabled are the heart of God, and the invited shall be removed and they shall dine at His table, he said.  

In North Carolina, and many places else where, the churches have nothing to do with the Elderly and Disabled.  They are “outside” of the sanctuaries and no place is found in the churches for them.

The days of old, the old testament, included the prophets the Lord would send to Warn them.  Warn them of the Slaughter.  How can a Cripple Puerto Rican be a prophet, or, his articulation in line with the will of God?  He is not a Southern Baptist, you say.  Away with that person that attended NY Theological Seminary and Liberty University.  He is a pagan and Sinner, you say, You Said, You "Hate" me. 

They say, the modern day Sadducee and Pharisees, the modern day is the Seventh Day Adventist, the Jehovah Witnesses, the Southern Baptist, the Pentecostal, and the evangelicals. It was glorious, the brethren received us, we were across the street from the funeral home.  They circled us, they prayed with us, the Glory of God was show, I was back in the city on business, I was there to bury my dad, but embraced we were by the brethren.  They did not ask for a denominational dialogue. I clearly stated, I am of God, and they immediately embraced, in a Universal Tradition, the request for prayer in the tough time.  I wanted to stay, they, Iglesia Emanuel, were worshiping in my native tongue, Glorious.  

The routine was always there to embrace the separatist philosophies and theologies of the Modern Day church.  The Modern Day church, in the US, has an inherent belief that separate but equal is equal.  That we must maintain that separation at all cost.  Keep the disabled and elderly at home.  There is no place at the church for them.  

The prophet came in days of old to warn the Shepherds.  Warning, the ones whom will sit at the table as the same ones you will not allow and make sure they attend services in your sanctuaries.  Woe is you, I say.  

1 Peter 4:14, …13But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory. 14If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spiritof glory and of God rests on you. 15Indeed, none of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or wrongdoer, or even as a meddler.… .  

I was told I was hated by the Shepherd for what I said, may Christ be glorified.  If by saying the right thing I am told I am wrong, and I am threatened with physical violence, then so let it be.  God is good.  God judge between me and you. "I would discipline you", he said, what does that mean, physical violence?

The routine is not that I seek a church home.  No, it is dealing with the church realities of divided churches,  I am better and blessed moreso than you, you say, but God lifts up and makes a base, and that occurs when you do not do the will of the Almighty.  You call me a “church hopper” bu the challenge is, are you doing His will really?   

What was your experience in Elementary School

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4^th, 5^th, and 6^th Grades  

The most notable was my art sculpture.  

We were in Art classes, and what ended up happening is I made a cardboard project;

“It was a Good Project”, as someone would say.  

I was proud, again, but it was not with cooperation.

Cooperation, as in working together with other students.  I was scared of those able bodied white kids.  That is the new norm.

I remember the bus rides in the little yellow van, that was really not handicapped accessible.  I remember the fast rides, and the hitting of my head on the top of the van when we hit a bump.  Bang.  I remember driving and reporting to the driver another driver was in a car with a gun, and the police pulled that car over.  

I remember looking from the other side of the gates;  the kids were playing, my school mates. They had activities outside, but not so for us.  We had adaptive games and things of that sort.  But, when it came to activities outside, on or near school grounds, in community parks, those activities did not follow up. So, I felt left out.  

Jr. High School, I think, or Elementary

I tell this story to my kinds.  I had a girlfriend in elementary school.  My first girlfriend was a red head with blue or hazel eyes, I do not remember.  It was in Jr. High school or 5^th or 6^th grade wherein I had another girlfriend.  

She was Elizabeth.  She looked like as if she was of Jewish heritage.  Dark black hair and black eyes, she was white too.  

What ended up was either someone was making fun of me for “going out with her” so to speak, and, made fun of my disability.  What happened was I held on to a desk, and swung my first like a sledge hammer like Thor, and bang, he went down.  Never again did I have a problem.  

I lost the support of COH, committee on the handicapped after UCP.  That did not help in the upper grades.  I fashioned and fancied surgeries and going to the hospital.  With each surgery, I hoped to walk and be like everyone else.  However, I was the Indian guinea pig at Mary Immaculate Hospital, in Queens NY.  I was presented in rooms of over 60 people, doctors, whom deliberated on what they would do to the science project.  It was human experimentation for them, and for me it was each opportunity to become whole.  But, each surgery to “fix” one thing caused massive problems else where.  That unfortunately reality I learned later on in life.  Once I learned, I became allergic to doctors and the medical profession.  No more surgeries for me after 18 years of age.  I now for for my annual physical every three years.  

I barely knew how to write because I missed some many classes due to surgeries and medical complications.  A complication like in 1977 going back to PR and catching an infection because we were out in a river out there, and doing things and being in places we were not supposed to be, because, mom and Jorge were on vacation, and the cripple kid was an anchor and hinderence to their meeting people and in the finest of Puerto Rican traditions drinking home made moon shine and other fancied Puerto Rican traditions. Mom used the machete to cut the children head.  So, I faced retention, but someone stopped the special ed student from being left back.  So, I learned to write in college.  

Hence, when I was recently criticized by the pastoral “crew” for my writing, immediately were the memories of that low in my life.  I strived for being whole with surgeries but the sacrifice was learning what an adverb and adjective was, etc.  That was my reflection recently when the assistant pastor of Hepzibah said, just look at the way you write.  Whom, Black Klansman seems to be your favorite, I do not have David Duke as my friend on FB like you do [figure/literal?].

Goosh  I did not have the resources to complete projects.  PS 213, plays, etc.  The Tinman I was, but no one was in the audience for me.  I am glad I did not pee on myself while on stage.  There were good times, and there were bad, but the most important thing is my kids have more than I did.

My dad was not in the audience.  They get the supplies they need and everything for school.  God is good.  No drivers ed for me in those days.  

Be Quiet, Buttercup, You Stink

The Glory, again, A dedication to the Living Epistle.

Thanks to the Late and Great Bishop Landon E. Penn for setting up the standard.

The glory was the church bus and the church trips.  

The church bus and the trips were for the impoverished members of the church whom could not drive.

They could not drive to Swan Lake for Memorial and/or Labor day.  A wonderful day with Christ in the Mountains.  

What a fellow ship, What a joy divine.  

Yes, the bus burned oil and seemed like the bat mobile fighting chasing villains. But we were happy and one in Christ.  

Then, you had the church vans being used on the regular to bring all to church.  Nothing sat idle or unused; as a matter of fact, they were over used and often in a serious state of disrepair, but, the glory was self evident, as the praises rang and were televised, both the youth and old alike.  God was being worshiped.  

So, if I reflex on such, and share my testimony, am I wrong to ask for it to be done in the here and now?  Hum?  I remember and have seen the glory. And, you sir, oh high ranking official, have the means to demonstrate and show the same love I saw in the past, but instead, you called me into your confines, to scream and holler at me, “BE QUIET” over and over was proclaimed by you, and, with red eyes busting [with yellow], you made me feel threatened.

Over 25 years of being a Christian, and, not once, ever, did I have a pastor call me into his confines, to be told “I hate you”.  I despise you.  Why, Because I imparted what I saw to you.  Why, because I expressed my hurt for what I was seeing.  Let God judge between me and you sir.  

Again, the living Epistle, the Bishop Landon E. Penn, DD; he had droves of people whom hated him and sought to “take him down”.  But the response was the biblical one, “Shaking the dust off his feet”.  It never troubled him, he kept on in the works of God.  So, I have an example, a saw the proper responses; and, then I experienced and witnessed “your response sir”, and buttercup, you stink, that is what I tell my children when they fart or do not brush their teeth.  Something “stinks” buttercup.  

A testimony and example helps to direct you in times of adversity.  Just follow Christ as he did I will.  He showed me what to do.  So, is it wrong to ask that Christ “be lifted up for all the world to see”?  He said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men onto men”.  

Lastly, and then I was asked, do you want to meet again?  Hum?  Something wrong here, you smell buttercup.  

Who gets the Credit?

Whose Jewels are These?

Every church/most everywhere, are comprised of members.  

Members with different gifts and talents.

Members with different levels of commitment and dedication to God.

Can a church, in all its exclusivity take full credit, partial credit, any credit for the acts of its members?

When a church fails to act, can it turn to the acts of its members to show it did not fail to act?

Mary Lou, Moma Lou, greeted and loved on thousands.  Her love and compassion go and went beyond Hephzibah Baptist Church.  When the “Church Greeter”, with his label and pin, did not greet me, Mary Lou did.  So, in such a circumstance, can the church take credit for the jewels in her crown.  She went and performed beyond administrations.  There was Pastor Bill, there was Mary Lou.  There was Pastor Aaron, there was Mary Lou.  

Partial credit is when you provided something to Mary Lou, food so that she could cook, programs so she could hand them out; but the true credit is that of Mary Lou [her crown with jewels].

So too, if a church member uses his or her van to get an elderly person to church, then, it is a church credit and/or member credit.  In the context of when the church vans sit idle, not moving, in the same spot for weeks because, the vision of the need to “bring them” through the highways and byways, is not shared by the church, as evidenced in the dormant vans.

So, I take a person to eat breakfast, and then attend service, is that a member credit or church credit; in the context of the church not having a Sunday morning breakfast program for the homeless.  

You hold the door for me, you say, but cannot afford to place a button on the door so I can get in myself.  Hum?

Have vans but none have a $300 hitch attachment to enable bringing motorized wheelchairs, but you say, they drive here and we park the cars for them; answer, the ones missing are those whom can no longer drive, sir.  

The question again is can a church take full or partial credit for the actions of members.  Lastly, a person with a substance abuse issue is not helped, but is referred to another church, whom gets the jewel, the church that received the person briefly and then sent them away, or the church that provided help with the addiction.  Hum?  Who gets the credit?

¿De quién son estas joyas?

Cada iglesia / la mayoría de todas partes, está compuesta de miembros.

Miembros con diferentes dones y talentos.

Miembros con diferentes niveles de compromiso y dedicación a Dios.

¿Puede una iglesia, en toda su exclusividad, tomar crédito completo, crédito parcial, algún crédito por los actos de sus miembros?

Cuando una iglesia no actúa, ¿puede recurrir a los actos de sus miembros para demostrar que no dejó de actuar?

Mary Lou, Moma Lou, saludó y amó a miles de personas. Su amor y compasión van y van más allá de la Iglesia Bautista de Hephzibah. Cuando el "Greeter de la Iglesia", con su etiqueta y pin, no me saludó, Mary Lou lo hizo. Entonces, en tal circunstancia, ¿puede la iglesia tomar crédito por las joyas en su corona? Ella fue y actuó más allá de las administraciones. Estaba el pastor Bill, estaba Mary Lou. Allí estaba el pastor Aaron, allí estaba Mary Lou.

El crédito parcial es cuando le proporcionó algo a Mary Lou, comida para que ella pudiera cocinar, programas para que pudiera repartirlos; pero el verdadero crédito es el de Mary Lou [su corona con joyas].

Así también, si un miembro de la iglesia usa su camioneta para llevar a una persona anciana a la iglesia, entonces, es un crédito de la iglesia y / o un crédito de miembro. En el contexto de cuando las camionetas de la iglesia permanecen inactivas, sin moverse, en el mismo lugar durante semanas porque, la visión de la necesidad de "llevarlas" a través de carreteras y caminos, no es compartida por la iglesia, como se evidencia en el estado latente. furgonetas

Entonces, llevo a una persona a desayunar y luego asisto al servicio, es un crédito de miembro o crédito de la iglesia; en el contexto de la iglesia no tener un programa de desayuno de domingo por la mañana para las personas sin hogar.

Usted me sostiene la puerta, dice, pero no puede permitirse el lujo de colocar un botón en la puerta para que yo pueda entrar. ¿Tararear?

Tenga camionetas, pero ninguna tiene un accesorio de enganche de $ 300 para permitir el ingreso de sillas de ruedas motorizadas, pero usted dice que conducen aquí y nosotros les estacionamos los autos; Responda, los que faltan son los que ya no pueden conducir, señor.

La pregunta de nuevo es si una iglesia puede tomar crédito total o parcial por las acciones de los miembros. Por último, una persona con un problema de abuso de sustancias no recibe ayuda, sino que se la remite a otra iglesia, a la que obtiene la joya, a la iglesia que recibió a la persona brevemente y luego la envió, oa la iglesia que brindó ayuda con la adicción. ¿Tararear? ¿Quién obtiene el crédito?