A new chance! (An Easter prayer)
A new chance!
An Easter prayer
Here is a prayer for this year’s Easter Sunday and Easter Season. Feel free to share it.
Lord of life and power, Who has trampled on death through the death of Your Son, we thank You for His Passion, burial, and resurrection which have given all things a new chance at life. May we not take this chance for granted by confession without action. May we use it to the fullest in word and deed for the sake of Your glory, the well-being of all people, and the healing of creation which You made good. We ask all this through Jesus Christ, our risen Savior, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit as one God, both now and forever. Amen.
It is finished! (A Good Friday prayer)
It is finished!
A Good Friday prayer
Here is a Good Friday prayer that I wrote for this year’s Holy Week. Feel free to share it.
Gracious Father, Who knows the tears of grief through the Passion of Your Son, we cling with sorrow and gratitude to the hope He gave with His final breath.
It is finished! The power and sin and death are forever broken!
It is finished! The old order of darkness has passed away!
It is finished! The light of grace and love now fill our world!
It is finished! There is healing, life, and joy, and all is forever changed!
We hold fast to this hope as we remember the cross of Your Son this day, and may it carry us tomorrow as we remember the silence of His grave
The image featured in this post is by Elena Mozhvilo of unsplash.com and is free for public use.
Was ist Schwarzamerikanische Theologie?
Am 26. März hielt ich einen Vortrag (auf Deutsch) über schwarzamerikanische Theologie. Diese Vorlesung war für Studierende des CAS Interkulturelle Theologie und Migration der Universität Basel.
Um diese Präsentation zu lesen, klicken Sie auf die Schaltfläche unten.
To read this presentation in English, click on the button below.
The Slave Bible and Slave Catechism
The Slave Bible and Slave Catechism
Lift Every Voice (HSG)
Spring Semester 2022
During the second session of a lecture series that I am currently giving at the University of St. Gallen, students learned about the details of American slavery. They were intrigued upon hearing about how slave owners altered Christianity and created special Bibles and Catechisms to control enslaved Africans.
Slave Bible
Video and Article
Slave Catechism
Episcopal Church
Charleston, South Carolina
Control of the slave was exercised through religion whether encouraged as a type of escape from the trouble of the world or used as a form of indoctrination. The all-slave Church gave birth to the spirituals with their apparent emphasis on a promised land in the hereafter. The spirituals, however, may not have been so “otherworldly” as, at first blush, they sounded. They were susceptible of double meanings, and undoubtedly many slaves interpreted the language of the spirituals in a manner unsuspected to White listeners. In slave-attended Churches with White pastors, a special catechism, of which the following is an example, was prepared for the darker brother.
This particular catechism from the Episcopal Church is mentioned by Frederick Douglass who knew it by heart. His writings about it can be found in “The Black American: A Documentary Series” by Leslie H. Fishel, Jr. and Benjamin Quarles.
- Who keeps the snakes and all bad things from hurting you? God does.
- Who gave you a master and a mistress? God gave them to me.
- Who says that you must obey them? God says that I must.
- What book tells you these things? The Bible.
- How does God do all his work? He always does it right.
- Does God love to work? Yes, God is always at work.
- Do the angels work? Yes, they do what God tells them.
- Do they love to work? Yes, they love to please God.
- What does God say about your work? They that will not work shall not eat.
- Did Adam and Eve have to work? Yes, they had to keep the garden.
- Was it hard to keep that garden? No, it was very easy.
- What makes the crops so hard to grow now? Sin makes it.
- What makes you lazy? My wicked heart.
- How do you know your heart is wicked? I feel it every day.
- Who teaches you so many wicked things? The Devil.
- Must you let the Devil teach you? No, I must not.
A Prayer For Ukraine
A Prayer
For Ukraine
Here is a prayer that I wrote for the troubles in Ukraine. Feel free to share it.
Almighty, Eternal, and Merciful God, Who holds all things in Your gracious hands, in this moment You hold the people of Ukraine as they face the brokenness of the world. In this moment of restlessness, give them rest through Your constant presence and love, and grant their leaders wisdom and courage as they protect the people and land that they serve. Also, as You have done with many who have harmed Your Church on earth, open the eyes of those who are bringing harm to Ukraine. Take away all visions of power through a righteous vision of peace; Your peace which passes all understanding and does not fade when trouble comes. We ask all this through Jesus Christ Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and Holy Spirit as one God, both now and forever. Amen.
The image featured in this post is by Elena Mozhvilo of unsplash.com and is free for public use.
Upcoming Lecture Series - University of St. Gallen
Lift Every Voice
The Story of Black Americans
Spring Semester 2022
This spring I will be giving a series of lectures at the University of St. Gallen. These lectures will focus on Black American history of culture, and attendees will get unique perspective of the Black American community.
For more details go here: LIFT EVERY VOICE – THE STORY OF BLACK AMERICANS
Kids In The Sun
Kids In The Sun
This poetic script about the meaning of hope, joy, peace, and love. It is featured on the band Noumuso’s album “Freequency Of Da Sun“.
(TWO CHILDREN ARE WALKING ALONG AND TALKING ABOUT THE MEANING OF HOPE, JOY, PEACE, AND LOVE. THEY SEE AN ADULT, AND THEN ASK THEM FOR ANSWERS.)
CHILD 1: LET’S ASK MR./MS. (LAST NAME).
CHILD 2: MR./MS. (LAST NAME), WHAT IS HOPE ?
ADULT: WHEN THINGS ARE GOING BAD AND YOU ARE WONDERING, “ARE THINGS GOING TO GET BETTER?”, HOPE IS THIS LITTLE VOICE, THAT COMES UP ON THE INSIDE AND SAYS, “ITS GOING TO BE BETTER, ITS GOING TO BE OK!”
CHILD 1: MR./MS. (LAST NAME) WHAT IS PEACE?
ADULT: PEACE IS A GIFT, LIKE GIVING A PRESENT TO SOMEONE , AND THAT GIFT IS THAT I WILL TREAT YOU THE WAY THAT I WANT TO BE TREATED SO THINGS CAN BE GOOD FOR YOU. PEACE IS A GIFT.
CHILD 2: MR./MS. (LAST NAME) WHAT IS LOVE?
ADULT: LOVE IS A DECISION. IT’S NOT A FEELING, IT’S A DECISION. AND IT’S A
DECISION TO GIVE PEACE TO SOMEONE. LOVE IS WHEN YOU DECIDE TO SAY, “I’M GOING TO TREAT YOU THE WAY I WANT TO BE TREATED, SO THAT THINGS CAN BE GOOD FOR YOU.” SO LOVE IS THE DECISION TO GIVE THAT GIFT CALLED PEACE.
CHILD 1: MR./MS. (LAST NAME), WHAT IS JOY?
ADULT: JOY IS THE DECISION TO LISTEN TO THAT VOICE CALLED HOPE. SO WHEN HOPE SAYS: ITS GOING TO BE OK, JOY IS SAYING: ALRIGHT, IT IS GOING TO BE OK. JOY IS LISTENING TO THE VOICE OF HOPE………SO WHAT DO YOU THINK JOY IS?
CHILD 1 AND CHILD 2: LOVE, PEACE, HOPE AND PLAYING IN THE SUN!
(ADULT AND CHILDREN SAY THE CLOSING LINES IN A RAP STYLE TO THE MUSIC. THEY WILL REPEAT THEM THREE OR FOUR TIMES)
ADULT: LET THE KIDS BE KIDS, KIDS IN THE SUN!
CHILD 1 AND CHILD 2: WE LAUGH, WE PLAY, WE DANCE, WE RUN!
This poem is © Scotty J. Williams
But Some Doubted....A Monopoly on Truth?
Fear and Trembling
A Monopoly on Truth?
In January of 2022 the University of Fribourg released a docuseries titled, Furcht und Zittern: Wer hat Angst vor Evangelikalen? For the fourth episode I spoke with Dr. Oliver Dürr about Evangelicalism and truth.
Can I Preach in German? JA!
Can I preach in German? JA!
Jesus und Unsere Probleme (Jesus and Our Problems)
Matthäus 5, 1-12 (Matthew 5:1-12)
St. Ulrich Kirche, Wittenbach
January 29, 2017
Though I mainly preach in English, I am occasionally asked to do so in German. Here is a sermon that I gave “auf Deutsch” at the Kirche St. Ulrich of Wittenbach.
Why are Christians of Color leaving White Churches?
Why are Christians of Color leaving White Churches?
Doubters/Believers Alliance
August 1, 2021
A significant number of People of Color in White congregations/denominations, in the Unite State and Europe, have begun to leave. Why are they leaving and where they they going? On August 1, 2021 I was invited to speak on this issue at the Doubters/Believers Alliance of Minneapolis, MN.