Say on Karsten!

Reach out!

2012-01-31T04:50:00.000-08:00

Recently I've been thinking about my childhood. As a kid growing up, one of the Sunday School and Vacation Bible School songs that we would sing was "Reach out!" I loved to sing as a child and even still as an adult. The words to this song are simple and true. "Reach out and touch someone. Then you'll understand what love is."

In our world today, there seems to be an absence of sincere and genuine love for humanity. Perhaps many of us have heard or said. "Me and my three, you can't be. or Me and my four, no more." The reality is, that as we work on our relationship with God, reaching up to him in the vertical sense, it is only appropriate that our relationship with our fellow pilgrims on this journey of life would extend on the horizontal.

As we reach up to God, he would only have that we reach out to others in love, compassion and concern. Jesus tells us in John 15:12 says "This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you." Beloved we are compelled to reach out to others. On this last day of the first month of 2012, let's strive to not only reach up to God, but to reach out to others in a spirit of love, compassion and concern. "Reach out and touch someone. Then you'll understand what love is." Got Love?

Peace,
Karsten

Touch the hem of HIS garment!

2012-01-25T08:59:00.000-08:00

I think that one of my favorite miracles of Jesus is when the woman with the issue of blood was healed. I bet you were thinking that my absolute favorite miracle was the water changing to wine at the wedding in Cana. Believe me, that miracle is number two on the list. The story of the woman with the issue of blood is brief and can be found in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. My favorite account is Mark's version. I love the King James version of this story.

Mark's account says that there woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years. She spent all that she had on doctors and physicians trying to find a cure but did not get better but grew worse. One day Jesus was passing through town with a crowd of people around him as he was in route to Jairus' house, whose daughter had died. The woman, knowing who Jesus was, as sickly as she was, said to herself "If I could but touch the hem of his garment, I'll be made whole." She pressed her way through the crowd and touch Jesus' coattail. At that moment, she was healed. Jesus felt that power had gone out of him and asked his disciples "who touched me?" They said "look at all these people! You ask who touched you?" Jesus told them that power had left him. The newly healed woman came forward and he told her daughter your faith has made you whole.

Some people say that this woman possibly had a non-stop hemorrhage, or some other type of internal bleeding. I can relate to this woman. As a type 2 diabetic, I too have my own issue of blood. Whenever I fall under extreme stress, anxiety or worry my blood sugar levels spike exponentially. I've even been hospitalized. But I have the same faith of the woman that was healed by Jesus and I know that my faith, at times which is inexplicable will make and has made me whole. I know that if you think really hard, you can think of at least three people that you know who are sick whether the infirmity is minor or terminal. Release them to the healing power of Jesus. There is a balm in Gilead, to heal the broken soul. Today, I claim my divine health as well that wonder working power of Jesus to quicken within us and heal us spirit, soul and body from all physical and mental infirmities. By HIS stripes, we are healed.

Peace,
Karsten

Where dreamers become achievers!

2012-01-16T10:36:00.000-08:00

Welcome to North Carolina A&T State University: Where dreamers become achievers. During my senior year of high school, when I applied to NC A&T State University, this was the slogan of A&T it could be found on highway billboard signs, university brochures and anything A&T. That simple slogan made me want to apply to A&T and become a part of the Aggie family, because I always considered myself a bit of a dreamer, even at that age.

Happy MLK Day! Whether you are off work, in the office, attending some MLK commemoration event, I want to place before you two words, in which I hope that you will ponder. The words are "then" and "now." Think about how your life is different now, as opposed to back "then." I think that for most black people, it is easier for us to look back and wonder how we got over. Many times not born into families of prestige and privilege, but born with the hope of a better life. As a son of segregation, meaning that there is only one generation that separated me from that period of turbulence, change protest and unrest. I am so thankful for those who fought the battles for our generation, those who marched, those who stood up for justice that we may sit in the comfort of a fair and equal world.

Think about your life, the then and the now. How have you grown? Has your circle of friends changed to include others that do not resemble you ethnically? Have you participated or worked for the advancement of a cause greater than yourself? Have you had the courage to stand up for social justice for all in the midst of opposition and possibly personal loss? As Michael Jackson would encourage us to do, look in the mirror, ask that person to make a change so that you can make the world a better place. Change starts with us. The dream lives through us. Think about the then and the now of your life. The elders had a song that went like this. "When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all that he's done for me. My soul cries out Hallelujah! Thank God for saving me." God has saved you for this time, and this moment. As the old Aggie slogan would remind us, go back to that place in your life where dreamers become achievers.

Peace,
Karsten

12 Drummers and the Credo...

2012-01-05T06:36:00.000-08:00

I bet if someone wished you a Merry Christmas today, you would probably do a double take. So allow me. Merry Christmas! You might be thinking…Seriously you’re almost two weeks late. Today is the twelfth and final day in the season of Christmas. Tomorrow is the feast of the Epiphany and as the older saints may say, Old Christmas. "On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, twelve drummers drumming." In “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” the twelve drummers represent the twelve doctrines or articles of the Apostles' Creed.

The Apostles' Creed is a statement of Christian faith which is used widely in many liturgical denominations. In some African Methodist Episcopal Churches, it is read as an affirmation of faith right before the scripture lessons for the day are read. In the Episcopal Church, it is used in the daily offices of prayer and meditation and is very commonly recited at funerals. The twelve articles of the Apostles' Creed are:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and it seated at the right hand of the Father
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.

The Apostles' Creed sums up our belief in a beautiful way. Whether your denomination includes it in worship, or not, take time to embrace it. On a side bar, saying “I believe in the holy Catholic Church” does not affirm your loyalty to Catholicism, the Pope or the Blessed Virgin in any way. The Word catholic means universal. The Church is an entity that is comprised of saints both living and deceased which transcend time and space. If you believe in a racially diverse and unified holy church, you’re catholic. Merry Christmas! In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Peace and Christmastide Blessings,

Karsten

The Faithful Eleven

2012-01-04T09:03:00.000-08:00

The faithful eleven, that sounds like it would be the name of a pledging fraternity line. "On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, eleven pipers piping." We're approaching the final stretch of the season of Christmas. In the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," the eleven pipers represent the eleven faithful disciples of Jesus. These guys were his crew, his posse, his homies. The eleven faithful were Simon, Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James bar Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas bar James. This list does not include Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus over to the Roman authorities. Interestingly enough these fellows all have churches named after them in various denominations.

More importantly, the eleven faithful disciples and Judas responded to Jesus' call to follow me. Some were fishermen, tax collectors and doctors. These guys walked first hand with Jesus. They heard his teachings, they witnessed his miracles both before and after the resurrection. They dropped what they were doing to be followers of Christ. That is what Jesus is calling us to be, faithful followers who will reach out to others in concern and compassion. I'm not going to dismiss Judas Iscariot too quickly, because without Judas, there would not have been a betrayal. Often times those that betray us, often catapult us into God's will. Faithful is HE who calls us. As he his faithful, let us also be faithful to his word and will at work in us, as was demonstrated by the faithful eleven. Semper fe.

Peace and Christmastide Blessings,

Karsten

Ten leaping lords...

2012-01-03T09:30:00.000-08:00

“On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ten lords a leaping.” The ten leaping lords represent the Ten Commandments. Going back to my childhood, outside of the Lord’s Prayer, this was the biggest thing that I had to memorize and try to understand about God. In Judaism, the Ten Commandments provides God’s universal and timeless standard of right and wrong. The first four commandments speak on humanity’s relationship with God and the remaining six commandments focus on mankind’s relationship with each other.

The Ten Commandments serve as a blueprint and model for our relationship with God and our fellow brothers and sisters on this pilgrimage called life. In some places they can be found in the halls of courthouses and other governmental buildings. In some denominations the “Summary and Decalogue” are read or chanted as a part of the worship followed by confession and communion. Take time to google the story of the Ten Commandments, and their place in all the Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). If you’ve forgotten them, here’s a quick refresher.

I: You shall not have any other gods before me.

II: You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything on heaven or earth.

III: You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.

IV: You shall observe the Sabbath and keep it holy.

V: Honor your father and mother.

VI: You shall not murder.

VII: You shall not commit adultery.

VIII: You shall not steal.

IX: You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

X: You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, house, land, servant or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Peace and Christmastide Blessings,

Karsten

What's in a name?

2012-01-02T05:33:00.001-08:00

I’m gonna take a venture away from the 12 Days of Christmas. No worries, I’ll pick up on the 10^th day tomorrow. You know there’s something about a name. We all have one. Some of us like our names and others of us don’t. Some of us have roman numerals after our names, or maybe even a string of letters which represent academic and professional accomplishments. Take away the Mister, Miss, Doctor, Reverend, and any other prefix and there you are, God’s child, whom he has called by name.

Yesterday was New Year’s Day, but in the life of the Church, we celebrated The Holy Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The angel Gabriel visited the Virgin Mary and Joseph on separate occasions and told them that they are to name the child that Mary would soon be carrying Jesus. When Gabriel told Mary that she would name him Jesus, he told her that he (Jesus) will be great and called the Son of the Most High. Philppians 2:10-11 reads “So that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The name Jesus means salvation, God saves. In Greek, Christ means anointed and messiah. There is power in the name of Jesus! Colossians 3:17 tells us “Whatsoever you do in, word r deed, do it all in the name of Jesus.” Some of us may have the day off today. As you sit and contemplate the new week, think on the goodness of Jesus and the power in his wonderful and matchless name. O Lord, our God, How excellent is your name in all the earth!

Peace,

Karsten