Jarrett asked, “Is there any hope for the church being the hope of the world?” How do you honestly feel about this question? How much hope do you see the church offering the world right now?
Think about Jesus’ servant-oriented version of power. Who is someone in your life that uses their power to serve and love others?
What about you? How will you use your power this week to humbly love and serve others?
Throughout this series, we will highlight historical figures whose faith admirably informed their political engagement. This week, as we take a look back at how we got here, we remember a time when many Americans were legally excluded from freedom, liberty and justice. Sojourner Truth felt called by God to shift the nation’s consciousness.
Isabella Baumfree was born a slave in rural New York. She met God alone on walks through the woods where she experienced His refuge, and also His strength, which she said moved her to walk to freedom in 1826.
Still, she wrestled with whether or not she ought to return to the slave owners and it was a vision from Jesus in which she felt “baptized in the Holy Spirit” that emboldened her to resist her former master.
She began speaking and teaching – a rare and dangerous move for a black woman at that time. First, she spoke about how she understood the Bible from her vantage point as a woman and former slave. But her faith soon led her to critically engage with social issues of injustice as well. She became a vocal abolitionist. In 1843, she felt God call her to become an itinerant preacher and speaker of truth and she changed her name.
In her famous speech “Ain’t I a Woman,” Sojourner boldly addressed gender and racial inequality. She never learned to read or write but her words shifted the minds and hearts of many.
When the Civil War began, Sojourner advocated for the inclusion of black people in the Union army and brought them supplies and food. She joined the fight for women’s suffrage, but maintained her distance from white women leaders who prioritized women’s voting rights over those of black people.
Sojourner understood the necessity of intersectionality in justice work for she saw the dignity of and divinity of all creation. In her dictated autobiography, she shares that God revealed himself to her, showing her, ‘in the twinkling of an eye, that he was all over… and that there was no place where God was not.”
Following the war, she was honored by the White House and given a role in the Freedman’s Bureau where she worked to support freed slaves and protect their freedom. She would go on to lobby against segregation and launch a petition to secure land for former slaves.
Her intimate relationship with God and her courage to live out His calling even in the face of great danger led her to make a substantial contribution towards the formation of a just society. Biographer Nell Painter cites her faith as the foundational ingredient in all that she achieved:
The force that brought her from the soul murder of slavery into the authority of public advocacy was the power of the Holy Spirit. Her ability to call upon a supernatural power gave her a resource claimed by millions of black women and by disempowered people the world over. Without doubt, it was Truth’s religious faith that transformed her from Isabella, domestic servant, into Sojourner Truth, a hero for three centuries at least.”
– Nell Painter, Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol
May we honor her legacy by following the heart of God as He continues to pull our story forward into greater justice, freedom and liberty for all.
God, you are the ultimate power and authority
We ask forgiveness for the times when the church has sought power for itself in order to fulfill its own agenda.
We ask forgiveness for the times when we have sought power for ourselves or wielded our power in unhelpful, unfaithful, or even hurtful ways.
Jesus, we thank you that you are the example of what supernatural power looks like. Help us to practice that kind of power this week. Power to love. Power to forgive. Power to serve.
All glory and honor and power to you. Amen
Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 20:25-28 is one of his most explicit statements on the role and purpose of power. This teaching is not only wise, but in truly Jesus-fashion, it is also incredibly counterintuitive. Jesus says…
“…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave…”
When I think about those in our world who are “powerful”, I’m often tempted to think of those with a certain amount of STATUS. They are those in high offices. Those with lots of connections. Those who are well thought of (or who have so much power that they don’t care how they’re thought of).
When I think about the powerful, I often think about those with plenty of CONTROL. Control over money, land, resources, even people. Those in power have a tight grip over valuable assets.
And when I think about those in power, I see a great deal of SELF-SERVICE. I think of the business leader looking to cut corners in order to pocket a few more dollars for himself. The politician whose voting record shows that she’s really representing her own interest, rather than that of the people. The leader who, at the end of the day, is really only looking out for number one.
When I think of power, this is what I often think of…
STATUS
CONTROL
SELF-SERVICE
This is the type of power that so many people and institutions, including the church, have gotten caught up in pursuing throughout history. While this type of power may be very present in our world, it is ultimately just superficial power. It is merely an illusion. According to Jesus, true power looks very, very different.
According to Jesus, true power doesn’t come from STATUS, but from a commitment to SERVICE. Supernatural power doesn’t come from CONTROL, but from the posture of SURRENDER to the one who ultimately has all the control. And Jesus’ power didn’t come from SELF-SERVICE, it came from his willingness to SACRIFICE for the sake of others.
According to Jesus…
SERVICE > STATUS
SURRENDER > CONTROL
SACRIFICE > SELF-SERVICE
Jesus finishes his teaching by pointing out that he himself is the prime example of this kind of power, and we are to follow in his footsteps…
“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
This week, may you see to live a life of surrender, sacrifice, and service.
A quick message for those joining us in person this weekend:
Recently, the CDC shared new guidelines for wearing face masks in public and in indoor settings to promote safety in areas with substantial risks of transmission. Therefore, we are requiring that masks are worn while in the building on Sundays.
We are continuously reviewing the CDC guidelines and what our next steps will be – as your safety remains our priority.
