Let's Flourish Together--pastor's note

Let’s Flourish Together

As the Black Church at Yale, we care about each other’s well-being—specifically, our spiritual, physical, financial, relational, and vocational well-being.

Several scriptures that have stood out to me in recent years are:

Psalms 92:12-15 (NKJV) 12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, 15 To declare that the LORD is upright; [He is] my rock, and [there is] no unrighteousness in Him.

Proverbs 11:28 (NKJV)

He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like foliage.

Psalms 128:1-6 (NKJV) 1 A Song of Ascents. Blessed [is] every one who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways. 2 When you eat the labor of your hands, You [shall be] happy, and [it shall be] well with you. 3 Your wife [shall be] like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table. 4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the LORD. 5 The LORD bless you out of Zion, And may you see the good of Jerusalem All the days of your life. 6 Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace [be] upon Israel!

Isaiah 58:6-14 (NKJV) 6 "[Is] this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7 [Is it] not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I [am.]’ "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 [If] you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall [be] as the noonday. 11 The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 12 Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. 13 "If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, [From] doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy [day] of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking [your own] words, 14 Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken."

Matthew 6:31-34 (NKJV) 31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day [is] its own trouble.

As a member of this body of Christ—a sojourner with you—I am committed to journeying with you, to see you live the fullness of what God has for you.

What does commitment look like? Great question. On my end I commit to lifting up before you the essentials of our faith, to be a disciple with you in the Kingdom of our God, and to teach, coach, and shepherd you in the righteous stewardship of all that God gives you.

Remember Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Well, what are “all these things”? We have to read around the verse. Earlier in verse 31 Jesus says, "Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

We live for God. When He provides for us, how do we steward it? Together, we can learn and do it.

So that’s my commitment: 1) to lift up before you the essentials of our faith; 2) to be a disciple with you in the Kingdom of our God and; 3) teach, coach, and shepherd you in the righteous stewardship of all that God gives you.

-to elevate truth

-to follow Christ together

-to help be, with the Holy Spirit, your (spiritual) guide to life

That’s my commitment.

What’s your commitment? Let me know. I cannot tell you your commitment :) You have to make that declaration, you have to tell me. What I will say is that I won’t ask of you more than what Jesus Christ asks of all of us:

Mark 12:29-31 (NKJV) 29 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments [is:] ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 ‘And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This [is] the first commandment. 31 "And the second, like [it, is] this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these."