Attention, Graduates Old and New- A Commencement Speech for the Ages by Pastor D.K. Snell

Snell on “The Components of Being Called” 

From left to right (or bottom to top). Jadon, Gianna, and Debleaire Snell. as depicted on the website of the church that Debleaire pastors in Huntsville, Alabama.

A COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS, A SERMON, A SEND-OFF

The May 28 Sabbath worship service at Berean Seventh-day Adventist church, Atlanta, was dedicated to the graduates of the Greater Atlanta Adventist Academy (GAAA for short). Here, as usual, is a link to the ENTIRE SERVICE. The sermon begins at time marker 1:17:57, and concludes, after a brief song, with an altar call at time marker 2:17:00. Pastor Debleaire Snell‘s remarks to the Class of 2016 were based on the experiences of Abraham as he transitioned from Ur to Canaan. God had called the patriarch. God has a call for all of us. It is important that we respond to this call, be we newly matriculated, or just seeking renewed purpose and a better direction in our lives.

Pastor Snell received his “calling” as a freshman at Oakwood University, an institution where many are called to ministry, and all are seemingly called to serve God in some manner. The Oakwood website currently displays the statement “God First,” a very streamlined motto. I think it used to be “Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve.” Oakwood President Leslie Pollard visited Berean back on 10/24/2015, at which time he noted that “excellence is the norm, and not the exception at Oakwood.” He also said that “Oakwood is a launching pad, and you can get to anyplace from Oakwood.” This last statement may have been a conscious tie-in to a Huntsville, Alabama neighbor of Oakwood, the Marshall Space Flight Center. The 1950 arrival of Wemher von Braun and his posse in Huntsville was the result of the existence of Army ordinance institutions in the area that were founded in 1941, at the beginning of WW II. These facilities came to be known, collectively, as the Redstone Arsenal. One of the early functions of one of these establishments was the production of chemical weapons.

This mysterious image from Google Earth is of a location just south of Lexington, Ky. There sure  are a lot of roads leading to just one spot. It is associated with the Bluegrass Army Depot, a chemical weapons facility.

Pastor Debleaire Snell is currently leader of a church that is (like Oakwood, and like the arsenal) located in Huntsville. It is the First Seventh-day Adventist Church, and students from the university, looking for an alternative to Carlton P. Byrd, can wander across town and listen to Pastor Snell. By a strange coincidence, he was previously pastor for four years at Lima Drive SDA Church in Lexington, Kentucky. The historic link between these two regions is chemical weapons. Just outside Lexington lies the Bluegrass Army Depot, founded, like Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, in 1941.

Products fashioned in Huntsville wound up in Lexington, just like Pastor Snell did. But the pastor is now safely back in the environs of his first collegiate alma mater. His Masters Degree in Divinity was obtained from Andrews University, a credential that he has in common with last Sabbath’s sermonizer, Berean Associate Pastor Danielle Pilgrim. Pastor Snell has come in for both praise and censure as a result of his decision to hold worship services on Sundays, in addition to Sabbaths. This precipitated another denominational brushfire when it was first announced [my opinion, which counts for nothing, is that services should be offered every day, “lesser lights” that could rotate around the Sabbath, which is appointed by God to constitute the center of the worship galaxy].

“FOR MANY ARE CALLED, BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN”

The preceding verse, Matthew 22:14, has little to do with this Sabbath’s sermon, except in regard to the several instances where the speaker admonished his listeners not to be allow themselves to be deflected from the course that God has planned out for everyone, our “calling.” There are many instances in Scripture of God calling ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Moses is one example. Gideon is another. After a few false starts, Samuel enthusiastically responded to his call. But the call that started it all was the one God issued to Abram. The first stages of his foray into Canaan served as an allegory for the “commencement” of life’s vocational journey by the graduates of GAAA, and, by extension, to any graduate, anytime, anywhere. The theme of Pastor Snell’s sermon was universal, and should prove to be recyclable until the Second Advent.

“God Calls Abraham,” a mid-17th century print by Wenceslas Hollar, like a comic book from the 1600’s. This image is recycled from a previous post. I like it!

In his opening lines, Pastor Debleaire Snell assumed the demeanor of an educator addressing his students: “You’ve got my permission, and my cooperation, for lifting up the name of Jesus.” After a few more instructions, he proclaimed, “Let the name of the Lord be praised today!”

Obligatory praise and thanks to his gracious hosts was offered, starting at the apex of the pyramid with GAAA Principal Johnny Holiday, descending the flanks to include the dedicated staff, and coming to rest at the base of the edifice, the “illustrious Class of 2016.” Somewhere in this last group, the pastor predicted, there may lurk the person who would cure cancer, or become a great evangelist, or possibly a great writer. A reference to the Janus-like nature of graduation was provided: “The journey is not over. It is just beginning!” [A prior sermonizer at Berean referred to the inscription over the entry of the National Archive building, “The Past is Prologue,” and interpreted it as meaning “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet!”]

Some general autobiographical notes were provided. The speaker remarked that he had now been married 12 years, 6 months, 26 days…etc. He even cited the number of seconds. He met his wife at Oakwood, the former Gianna E. Norman. South Atlantic Conference President William L. Winston was thanked. Winston was in attendance, as was the conference Vice-President of Education (and Berean Associate Pastor) James Lamb.

South Atlantic Conference Vice President for Education Dr, James Lamb, emphasizes his appreciation for all those who have contributed financially to the effort that it took to matriculate the GAAA Class of 2016.

Scripture was read, the parts of Genesis 11 and 12 that were germane to the “commencement” of Abram’s transition from Ur to Canaan. 11:31 escribes the removal of Abram’s father, Terah, from Ur to the land of Haran. Genesis 12:1-3 describes the “calling” of Abram. Abram eventually gets his name changed in Genesis 17:5.

Pastor Snell noted the decisions that were confronting the graduating class: “What will be your major? What will be your career field?” He warned the graduates that it was not what they would “do,” but what they would “be” that was important. “You got to be called,” he revealed. He who soon was destined be rechristened Abraham was called by God (Paul’s famous statements concerning the faith of Abraham, found in Hebrews 11:8, had been read to the congregation prior to the sermon). “Without evidence, without seeing,” he departed to go unto the land of Canaan. Pastor Snell revealed the title of his presentation, “The Components of Being Called.”

“Class of 2016, the one thing I want you to walk away with today is that your life matters.” We are all fashioned in such a manner, that when we align our wills with God’s will, we are fulfilling the “purpose of existence.” All of our moral compass is a product of our sense of self-worth. We were urged to be worthy. The speaker gave the college-bound some good advice: “Don’t buy spirits, because His Spirit lives in you.” Another word of caution was provided: “It is more important to be sealed than tattooed. You have been created in the very image of God.” The body is a temple that ought not be desecrated.

The commentary on “self-worth” was continued. “The truth is, that in the free market, something is worth whatever somebody is willing to pay for it.” We have all been assessed by others in material and societal terms, in terms of possessions and lineage. But this value, however high it might be, is nevertheless a fixed one. These temporal, terrestrial assessments fail to reflect a higher truth, for we all have an outstanding debt that we cannot pay. Pastor Snell stated it clearly. “Because my worth was established at the Cross, I’ve got value. I’m a son of the most high God!”

A Pearl of great price, Cousin Minne. The hat was probably pretty cheap, though. The dangling price tag is what is relevant to our sermon at this point.

An illustrative anecdote was provided, from the days of the speaker’s errant youth. Pastor Snell recalled the time before bar codes were ubiquitous. A dishonest person who removed a price tag from an inexpensive item, and then transferred  it to a more expensive item, could realize a substantial savings. The pastor admitted that he had done this a time or two. Once, at a flea market, he implemented this technique to try to drop the price on an object that he particularly coveted. When he placed it before the person to whom he would have pay, the seller remarked that the price was incorrect. The pastor asked him how he could know this for sure. The seller replied the following: “Because I made it with my own two hands. I know what it is worth!” Pastor Snell explained his parable. “You God’s workmanship,” he revealed. “He knows your value!”

The residency of Abraham and his father in Haran, an intermediary step on the journey to Canaan, was subjected to scrutiny by the speaker. It introduced the topic of the first of three described “components” that attend the proper  determination of one’s calling.

#1: YOU CAN’T SETTLE FOR “JUST GOOD ENOUGH”

The relocation of Abraham’s people to Canaan was originally the responsibility of his father, the patriarch Terah. But “daddy” has been stopped partway there. God calls his son to go further. “The goal of parents is to see the next generation to get a little further in life than they have.” Sometimes, the forward momentum of a life is stalled by the process of having to work in order to support and advance the chances of the offspring. Students owe it to their parents that they exert themselves in order to take these further steps. A kind of genealogy of forward momentum was provided by Pastor Snell. High School graduates beget college graduates. College graduates beget Masters candidates. Masters candidates beget Doctors, etcetera. God is able to easily orchestrate these generational advances. We should aim to build upon the foundations laid by our progenitors, and (the speaker admitted that he was a Trekkie) “Boldly go where no one has gone before.” He spoke encouraging words to the graduates, and to the rest of the overflow crowd: “You are going to prosper where others have failed, because you have an anointing. You are called!”

“Space: the final frontier.
These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilisations; to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

In Haran, everyone is nice and friendly [here is a link to “Pleasant Valley Sunday” as rendered by the Monkees, but as written by Gerry Goffin and Carol King]. They manage to catch some of the breeze that blows in from Canaan. Pastor Snell stated that Abraham’s entourage no doubt considered it “good enough.” Some of the qualities of Haran were described in the imagined words of the sojourners:

• “We were on our way to Canaan, BUT: We are already getting out mail in Haran!”
• “We were on our way to Canaan, BUT: There is a nice YMCA in Haran!”
• “We were on our way to Canaan, BUT: We are now a part of the Haran Chamber of Commerce!”

The pastor drew a lesson from the presumed attitude of complacency that beset the stalled travelers. He warned the future collegians that they had to be careful about making any dangerous digressions from their intended trajectories. They should not flirt with the notion of taking a semester off, expecting to pick up where they left off at some future date. They should be careful about accepting any job which would demand attention that would be more appropriately directed toward schoolwork. And, perhaps most significantly, they should not prematurely plunge into a permanent relationship with the opposite sex. The concept was generalized for the non-students in attendance, as the pastor similarly warned folk not to consider “taking a break” from church attendance. The warnings were summed up by this statement from Pastor Snell: “Be careful where you take your breaks.”

“The devil will deceive you into believing that you will be OK where you are presently comfortable,” the pastor remarked. Another illustrative anecdote was provide at this point, but not an autobiographical one. It concerned the storage and transport of live codfish (and reminded me of another ancient anecdote about the storage of sea creatures, which will be painfully recalled at the appropriate time).

A  engraving of Cod processors at work in Canada in 1738. Cod was like money in the bank in an era when fish was the only high grade protein Catholics could consume during Lent. Tofu was not available in 1738.

Live codfish used to be shipped from Alaska, in containers of water. The passage to the lower 48 is a long one. The fish just relaxed during the voyage, oblivious to their future as part of a plate of fish and chips. When they, at long last, reached their intended destinations, they were terribly flabby, and totally out of shape. Their normally firm muscle tone was lost, due to inactivity. But some genius got the idea of putting a catfish in the shipping containers with them. Codfish and catfish do not get along very well. The activity that was the result of the animosity between the species, and their enforced proximity, ensured that the cod got plenty of exercise during the course of their journey south. They all now arrived in fit condition, their flesh firm and toothsome. The catfish proved to be the perfect irritant for the normally placid cod. Pastor Snell extracted a lesson for the graduates, as well as for the laymen, from this story. Lethargy and self-satisfaction can lead to paralysis, so we all, on occasion,  stand in need of a “catfish” to spur us into action. The pastor provided a litany of these occasions:

• “Sometimes our teachers can act like catfish in our lives.”
• “Sometimes our parents can act like catfish in our lives.”
• “Sometimes our future roommates can act like catfish in our lives.”
• “Sometimes the people in our church can act like catfish in our lives.”
• “Sometimes the people at work can act like catfish in our lives.”
• “Sometimes our kids can act like catfish in our lives.”
• “You might be married to a catfish!”

This last citation proved to be highly amusing (and no doubt, extremely accurate as well) to the married listeners in attendance. The lessons from the anecdote were summed up, as the pastor proclaimed, “You need an irritant to keep you motivated.” The second of the three “components” attending the disclosure of your calling is was now unveiled.

The reason for this image will soon be apparent to you!

#2: YOU CAN’T RUN FROM RESISTANCE

What the crew that attended Abraham found so intimidating about going forward to possess the land of Canaan was the fact that you had to FIGHT for it. “You have to fight to get in, and you have to fight to stay in,” Pastor Snell revealed. “If you want to live a called life, you have to be prepared to face some resistance.” When we are in the process of trying to determine God’s will, we will sometimes choose the easy path [Here is a LINK to Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken,” which they made our class memorize in the eighth grade]. The pastor prepared the soil for the introduction of yet another illustrative anecdote with the following declaration: “It may not be the most comfortable place to be, but the BEST place to be is in the will of God.”

Pastor Snell spoke idiomatically for a moment, which served to underscore the homespun wisdom (a la Will Rogers) of his remark: “I ain’t never seen a plane turn around in midflight due to turbulence!” On a recent flight the pastor took, the flight attendant announced that they would soon be experiencing some turbulence. The pastor asked the attendant about how they could possibly know about the impending turbulence. The attendant replied that the only way to know was by finding out from planes ahead of them, ones that had already been through the turbulence. The lead plane would then advise the following planes to either go OVER it, or AROUND it, or THROUGH it. The preacher applied the concept of this anecdote to the Cross: “God has sent His Son to go through the turbulence.” It may not be the easiest thing in the world to do, but if Jesus could endure His measure of turbulence, then we, too, can safely make our way beyond whatever pockets of turbulence we may encounter in the course of our lives.

The shortcomings and inadequacies of Abraham were briefly alluded to, and would soon be revisited. This mention of his failures paved the way for a statement, by the pastor, of what constituted Abraham’s greatest strength (and what I will safely assume to represent “component” number three, one that must be present during the process of discovering your calling). It was what Paul revealed in Hebrews concerning the character of Abraham. It was a manifestation of his unquestioning “faith."

Arthur Schopenhauer brought the importance of the will (universal and individual, although he considered the latter an aspect of the former) to the front burner of the stove of Western philosophy, for better or worse.

#3: ABRAHAM’S GREATEST TRAIT WAS THAT HE WAS WILLING

“We often make excuses for ourselves based on the idea that we do not possess adequate financial resources to seek advancement, or we blame our lack of progress on inadequate support by our families” (an extreme paraphrase of Pastor Snell’s remarks). “But the big problem is that we are just not WILLING!” God does not call you based of your sufficiency, or your strength. He rather identifies our weaknesses, and uses these to further His purposes. First Corinthians 1:26+  was referenced:

“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (NIV)

The pastor stated the reason for this by quoting verse 29 from the KJV: “That no flesh should glory in his presence” [There exists several other verses in the Bible that express the same sentiment]. “Those that we would call [based on societal criteria, several superficial instances of which were provided by the speaker] are not the ones that God would choose to call.” More idiomatic language from Pastor Snell: “God don’t care about any of that junk! He is just looking for someone He can use!” Several Bible heroes who overcame handicaps in order excel were noted, a subject that had been briefly touched upon in the introduction to this section of the sermon. The homicide by Moses is familiar to all. So is the infidelity, and fatal consequences that resulted from this infidelity, of David. Rahab [the subject of an whole sermon by at Berean by guest speaker Pastor Edward Woods III, and stored at his LINK] is invariably subtitled “the harlot,” yet she advanced the Hebrew’s cause at Jericho. and was also an ancestor of Jesus.

Illusionist David Copperfield has made more profit off of “magic” than any other person, according to Forbes. Charles Dickens furnished a name for the band “Uriah Heep” as well, not to mention “Scrooge McDuck.”

Pastor Snell greatly amused his imperfect audience by noting that “Rahab had turned more tricks than David Copperfield.” There was talk of some of the excesses perpetrated by the Zealots, whose enthusiasm provoked the Romans to bring the hammer down on Jerusalem in 70 AD. And last, but not least, Paul, nee Saul, was included in the pantheon of reformed stinkers by the pastor [the oratorical style and anecdotal illustrations of Pastor Snell are very similar to those of Berean Associate Pastor Austin Humphreys, another Oakwood alumnus. In the time-honored manner, the Hammond organ now began to assist the speaker to emphasize some key points]. The pastor vehemently stated the following: “God uses ordinary people. Where God will have you in the end, does not resemble where you are now!” Another anecdote was now related, in order to enhance another important point. It was not about seafood {I am sandbagging my own overly familiar seafood anecdote for later use], but was back on autobiographical turf.

“I struggle cooking grits,” Pastor Snell revealed. “I always overestimate it, because it seems like it will not be enough.” But grits, when they are finished cooking, don’t look anything like they did when they started out. “One day,” he stated, addressing the graduates, “you are going to wind up looking nothing like you do today!”

Pastor Snell quoted Ellen G. White concerning Abraham, a passage that resides on page 126 of “Patriarchs and Prophets.” Here is a LINK to that page.

“In order that God might qualify him for his great work as the keeper of the sacred oracles, Abraham must be separated from the associations of his early life. The influence of kindred and friends would interfere with the training which the Lord purposed to give His servant.”

An 1892 edition of Ellen G. White’s “Patriarchs and Prophets.” Pastor Snell’s reference to this book was like an Adventist “watermark” distinguishing  the sermon.

The pastor observed that Abraham’s advanced concepts concerning God and faith were not shared by the idolatrous denizens of his native land. Pastor Snell spoke wisdom to the youths (as well as geriatric cases like myself) when he made this observation: “God’s calling on your life will not always be obvious to those around you. But when you get a calling, you don’t have to explain it to those around you.” Rather than further your advancement toward your goals, your contemporaries are rather more likely to attempt to retard these goals. This concept would be restated a bit later in the sermon [The following two paragraphs represent a digression from the narrative thread of the pastor’s sermon, but the first (Danielle Pilgrim’s) is great. The second (mine) is hackneyed, trite, and extremely shopworn].

In the course of her May 21 speech (last week’s, the one that YouTube removed, presumably due to a copyrighted song that was played during the service) to the graduates od GAAA’s sister school, BCJA (Berean Christian Junior Academy) Pastor Danielle Pilgrim provided her own anecdote about not allowing oneself to be unequally yoked to old associates, and surrounded by bad influences. Her story, which was road tested at a previous Wednesday night prayer meeting (aka the “War Room”) employed Facebook as a metaphor for our proper relationship with God. She had ventured to honor a “friend request’ that she had received (as a pastor, she wryly noted, she had no option but to accept). The computer revealed that the persons “friend limit” had been reached. Pastor Pilgrim explained that, in order for there to be room enough for her to be friends will the person who made the request, the latter would have to “unfriend” someone else. She then drew an analogy to the process of letting God into our lives. In order to make room for God, it will often be necessary or you to “unfriend” some others {This summary will hopefully get replicated, should Sony Corporation ever choose to stop holding the 5/21/2016 Berean Sabbath service video hostage, and should this release also reflect God’s will].

An enigmatic “friend request” to myself. I will, of course, accept it. This image is recycled from the post about Pastor Pilgrim’s “road test” of her Facebook metaphor.

Here is my ancient anecdote about the bad influences of peers and compatriots upon one who seeks a more spacious life. Half a dozen sermons I have heard have incorporated it: If you are crabbing, and have managed to accumulate a bucketful of live crabs, you would be surprised to discover that it is not necessary to place a lid upon the bucket. Should any crab prove intrepid enough to seek to escape the bucket by climbing up its sides, it will never reach the top of the container. Before the enterprising crab ever gets close to freedom, the rest of the crabs will grab hold of it with their claws, and drag it back down to the bottom of the bucket! This may or may not be true, but it makes a great story. It is so great, no one can resist using, despite the fact that it has suffered from irredeemable overexposure.

The independent actions required by individuals seeking their calling was related to the self-sufficiency and power of God. The pastor noted that God did not require consultants in order to make His plans [this statement could serve as a summary for the last chapter of the Book of Job]. “When God calls,” Pastor Snell advised, “don’t run around to your associate to see what their opinion is. There are too many opinions! What we need to do is ‘be still,’ and know the will of God” [here is a LINK to a summary of a short Wednesday night sermon Pastor Russell delivered about six months ago on determining whether a proposed course of action truly reflects the will of God; hint- it has to feel right].

The subject of forsaking “old playgrounds, and old playmates” (a phrase from the 12-step universe, which I have thankfully never heard spoken at Berean) continued as the focus of this part of the sermon. A final anecdote was provided. Like Pastor Pilgrim’s Facebook analogy, it was relatively modern in its particulars, “high-tech” even.

The results of a brief internet research project concerning the “bucket of crabs” story reveals that every person on the planet has already heard it. I vow to never mention the subject again. Unclean! Unclean!

The pastor owned an iPhone. He had been scrupulously deleting older messages, in order to make room in the phone’s memory for new ones. Despite this, however, the memory got filled, and new messages could not be accepted [this story has several points in common with Pastor Pilgrim’s “Facebook” story]. The technician that assisted the pastor with his dilemma revealed that, even though his old messages may have been deleted, they were not yet destroyed. They were just buried a little deeper in the phone’s memory. In order to rectify this situation, a drastic purge of the memory was required, what the tech designated as a “hard reset.” This tale set the stage for the speakers next remark: “Some of us need to do a hard reset, to get rid of all the ideologies, all of the opinions that are clogging you.” He then said something that would have been well served by the jaded crab anecdote. “You will learn the hard way that most people will not endorse a vision that puts you higher than where they are.
”
Pastor Snell recalled some personal situations where he felt more than justified in acting contrary to the opinions of others, specifically citing “church committee” business meetings. “When I get a word from God, I do not seek approval. I just say, ‘this is where God has me!'” Some examples of groups who might present some opposition were provided, including people you go to school with, relatives, etc. He noted that many would even be discouraged from answering an appeal, fearful of what others may think were they to do so. This kind of misplaced concern could even serve to dampen the intensity level of one’s praise. “Who cares what those around us think. Just say ‘this is where God has me!'” A few additional assertions of this nature, with the assistance of bursts fron the organ, served to highlight the importance of serving the perfect will of God, as opposed to the highly imperfect will of man. The high energy level of the sermon was temporarily curtailed with the statement, “Let the church say hallelujah!”




Pastor Snell sought to assure the new graduates that God had a plan for them all laid out. He quoted from Jeremiah 1:4: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…” He told the youth that the purposes of their lives have been ordained. “I want you to know, you have significance, You have value. Value to God.” We have been created in the image of God. “Boys,” the speaker stated, “need someone to pat them on the back.” A man, in contrast, will proclaim, “I don’t mind if I stand alone.”

Final instructions to the troops were issued. They should all learn to just sit still, and wait on the Lord. If need be, they may need to undergo a “hard reset,” one that will purge them of improper expectations. In a secret place, we should make the inquiry, “Lord, what would you have me to do?” We should be prepared to act upon the answer wherever, whatever, whenever. The pastor made a prediction. “You will not find fulfillment outside of your calling.” Money, yes, perhaps, Fulfillment? No! The pastor revealed that a song was about to be sung, and requested that we should meditate upon the words contained in it. An appeal would follow the song, but the final injunctions of the sermon were delivered just before the start of the song.

“A calling is not just for pastors. It is for everyone who has been created by God.”

Dr. Lamb’s closing speech at the Sunday GAAA Graduation Ceremony was 8 words long: “Keep your hand in God’s hand. Thank you!” Here is the EVENT.

The song? It begins at time marker 2:11:37 on the linked video. Here is a duplicate LINK to the video, one that shall save much scrolling around. The song was “Pass Me Not,” aka “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior,” aka “Do Not Pass Me By.” The lyrics are by passionate and prolific Fanny Crosby. Here is the chorus:

Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

The reference to “calling” made this song an appropriate selection.

Here is a LINK to a uniquely pepped-up rendition by the Bowie State University Gospel Choir in Bowie, Maryland.

Here is a LINK to an inoffensive (way too inoffensive!) version by the Joslin Grove Choral Society (I think).

Douglas Miller in the very early eighties. He sounds a little like Barry White. Everyone wore crazy glasses like these back then, even Former Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church Pastor Dr. Harold Lovell Cleveland!

Here is a very special LINK to a site that features five “African American” versions of the song. Example #1 is by Decatur Georgia’s own Pastor Dewy Smith. It serves to highlight the deficiencies of the “inoffensive version” (I can critique them; I just can’t sing them). Example #2 is from a dramatic “Lifetime Channel” biopic, starring the actual subject of the bio. It is “The Fantasia Barrino Story,” and is a scene that could easily be titled “The Return of the Prodigal.” It is a Hollywood version of Gospel, but not too compromised thereby. Example #3 is from 1982, and is super-funky! It is by Minister Douglas Miller. Fanny Crosby might have had some trouble discerning her creation beneath the embellishments of this production. The example is attended a long print biography of Miller. This SUBLINK is of historical interest, It features the same arrangement, directed by the Minister, 29 years later. What is missing is the lead vocals. They are sorely missed. Example #4 is a performance by the Bowie, Maryland crew that also populates the first link in this series. Example #5 is by MC Hammer. Here is a cowardly endorsement of version #5 by the author. It is a citation of First Corinthians 9:22, and serves as a mild rebuke to the hyper-exclusionary crowd:

“To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some,”

A look into the future, should the Lord delay his return. It is Andy Stanley’s Buckhead Church. Change the day of worship to Saturday, insert 28 Beliefs, and behold- Adventism for the 22nd Century, the USA edition.

The following is a 5/30/2106 addenda to this post.

The Christian content of Pastor Snell’s remarks is solid, and ecumenical by nature. This is what makes the presentation so “portable.” A brief citation of Ellen G. White’s book “Patriarchs and Prophets” is the only clue that it is by a preacher who represents the Adventist denomination. A Monday morning assignment served to remind me of what others have referred to as the “theological consistency” of Adventism. In an attempt to answer a question concerning a few lines of another Ellen White book, “The Great Controversy,” I inadvertently fashioned (reproduced, would be a more accurate term, as it represents no novel thought) a few sentences that  not only capture the essence of the book, but also exhibit an edifying explanation of why there is evil in this world, and why a loving God would allow it. Adventists consider this to be a temporary state of affairs. God is giving men and angels, who are endowed with freewill, a chance to witness the regrettable (but not irreparable) consequences of allowing Satan to have temporary dominion over the earth. In Eternity, the question will never arise, “What if?” There will exist an indelible record of what can go wrong when we stray fron the path that God has so clearly marked for us through His Word, and by His Spirit, Christ has acted as trailblazer upon this path. This doctrine  is one of a handful that serves to distinguish the Adventist denomination from most others, and is described in “Fundamental Belief #8” of the 28 Fundamental Beliefs.

Here is a link that is worth exploring. It places all of the cards on the table, face up!   28 Fundamental Beliefs

Many (but perhaps not most) are aware of some of the salient features of the faith (worship on the Sabbath, modesty of dress, healthy lifestyle and diet, abstaining from alcohol and tobacco, and even meat if you are committed enough), but these are outward manifestations of the attempts to be good commandment keepers. Explanations of the church to those who are unfamiliar with it should begin not with a superficial description of the effects, but rather of causes. Christians of every  stripe are already familiar with 99% of the Adventist viewpoint, as it is primarily the same as their own. One assumes that they already accept the fact that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. The “great controversy” theme is distinctive, and serves as a good entry point for those who are searching for answers as to why the world is in such a mess. Eschatological (end times) issues are also a focus of the faith, but it is no longer unique in placing heavy emphasis upon this issue. The Adventists way of approaching Biblical prophecy, however, is not sensationalist (as are many of the competing approaches), but rather scholarly, and balanced, and Scriptural. If it comes across as “alarmist,” this is only because the Bible itself is “alarmist.”

Adventist South Atlantic Conference President William Winston delivered a sermon at Berean SDA Church that admonished Adventists to try to let go of their narrow obsessions long enough to talk about Jesus to others. This is the core value, one that Adventism claims no monopoly upon. Elder Winston was hoping to create new Christians. My current appeal is to those who, as was I, are already Christians, but feel as if something may be missing from their walk with the Lord. That’s how I felt. Whatever may have been missing, I was blessed enough to discover that the Seventh-day Adventists kept an abundant supply of in stock, and it was free to whomever might require it.

Elder William Winston is a Christan. To quote Keats, “That’s all I know, and all I need to know.”

Many of the particulars of the denomination are attractive enough in themselves. Want to live a long and healthy life? Then become an Adventist! Want to “walk the walk,” and not merely “talk the talk?’ Then Adventism may be right up your alley! Want to “fellowship” (industry parlance for “make friends with”) people who love God, but are not very big fans of this fallen world? Adventism consists of a plurality of this type of person, although levels of commitment vary widely. These are all wonderful aspirations. But what attracted me, personally, was the potential to find answers to the “big questions,” which few seem able or willing to provide. Many (including a few Adventists) don’t even seem to care about these “big questions.” Health is good. Charitable work is good. Friendship is good. But illumination is great, and especially welcome by one who has been stumbling around in the dark for the longest time, breaking his toes on the furniture. Here is the segment of the homework assignment that inspired me to “Adventize” this post, and engage in a little “amateur” (everything I do is “amateur”) evangelism:

Satan is not particularly kind to those that he exercises dominion over. It is rejection of God that results in subservience to the Devil. Ellen White makes a statement with profound theological consequences. It might be restated as follows: “Difficulties in life, be they experienced at either the national or individual level, are not the result of active punishment by God for our transgressions. They represent, rather, the removal by God of the protection from evil that He consistently provides to those (be they nations or individuals) that are not living in His will. Without God’s protection, we are open to the adversary. Difficulty is not caused by God, but by ourselves when we reject God, and by Satan, who stands ever ready (until the return of Christ) to fill the power vacuum that results when God absents Himself from our life. This seems to be the essence of the “great controversy” theme, which serves to answer criticism (and there is plenty of it) that questions the purity of God, and His motives, and His methods. Needless to say, this principle assuredly applies to our own time. We collectively, and individually, must exert ourselves to render honor and obedience to He who, alone, can (in the words of “Come, O You Faithful”) “save us all from Satan’s power…”