Move Beyond the Suffering

In honor of Martin Luther King Day, Senior Pastor Steve Buchelt and the congregation of Cornerstone Community Church of Hobart, IN, are hosting a special service on Sunday, January 16, 2011, from 10:15 AM to 11:45 AM. They have invited me to speak on Celebrating the Heroes of Black Church History. The message from Hebrews 12:1-3 and from Church History will equip people to learn how God uses suffering to move His people to a place of healing hope.

Through an engaging PowerPoint presentation, stirring historical narratives, moving personal applications, and cross-cultural ministry implications, Christians of all races will be empowered by the heroes of Black Church History to minister God’s encouragement to one another. 

The presentation is based upon the book Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction. To learn more about the book and read a sample chapter, click here. 

Invite your friends for to this special service of reconciliation on the eve of Martin Luther King Day. Cornerstone Community Church is located at 7983 Grand Boulevard in Hobart, Indiana, on the northeast corner of US 30 and Grand Boulevard, just east of I-65. Learn more about the church here. 

Tags: Beyond the Suffering, Heroes of Black Church History, MLK Day

The Forty-Day Journey of Promise

Day Fourteen: Identifying with a Suffering Savior

Note: Welcome to The Journey, our forty-day blog series from MLK Day through the end of Black History Month. We’re learning life lessons from the legacy of African American Christianity. The series is based upon material from my book Beyond the Suffering. To learn more about Beyond the Suffering, including downloading a free chapter, click here.

The Sin of Slavery and the Slavery to Sin

In the midst of suffering through the ordeal of the sin of slavery, how did God save enslaved people from the slavery of sin?

African Americans often initially resisted Christian conversion because of the apparent contradiction between slave owners’ professed beliefs and their brutal treatment of their slaves. Daniel Alexander Payne explains the inner battle that resulted from such hypocrisy. Born to free parents in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1811, during his ordination in 1839, he describes the testing of faith caused by Christian duplicity.

“The slaves are sensible of the oppression exercised by their masters; and they see these masters on the Lord’s day worshiping in His holy Sanctuary. They hear their masters professing Christianity; they see their masters preaching the Gospel; they hear these masters praying in their families, and they know that oppression and slavery are inconsistent with the Christian religion; therefore they scoff at religion itself—mock their masters, and distrust both the goodness and justice of God. Yes, I have known them even to question His existence.”

Spiritual Reconciliation

If spiritually famished African Americans were going to convert to Christianity, then they had to convert on the basis of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection as revealed in the Bible, not on the basis of Christianity revealed in the lifestyles of the Christians they knew. Ironically, to find redemption in Christ, African Americans had to redeem Christianity as they saw it practiced.

Howard Thurman put it this way.

“By some amazing but vastly creative spiritual insight the slave undertook the redemption of a religion that the master had profaned in his midst.”

Christ’s suffering for humanity’s sin was the key that unlocked their hearts and enlightened their eyes. “Jesus quickly became the ardent personification of the slaves’ own suffering.” Their suffering at the hands of Christians caused them to identify with a suffering Savior who suffered at the hands of religious leaders.

Salvation from Sin, Not from Suffering

At the same time, African American Christians clearly recognized and constantly emphasized the difference between Christ’s sinlessness and their personal need for forgiveness from sin. The recurring theme of the conversion narratives was salvation from sin, not from suffering. Yes, Christ shared with them the experience of unjust suffering. But more importantly, they shared in Christ’s suffering for their sins.

Pastor James W. C. Pennington, reflecting on his conversion, seamlessly expresses his understanding of suffering and of sin. Without minimizing for a moment the evils of slavery, he maximizes for all eternity the horrors of his own enslavement to sin and Satan.

“I was a lost sinner and a slave to Satan; and soon I saw that I must make another escape from another tyrant. I did not by any means forget my fellow-bondmen, of whom I had been sorrowing so deeply, and travailing in spirit so earnestly; but I now saw that while man had been injuring me, I had been offending God; and that unless I ceased to offend him, I could not expect to have his sympathy in my wrongs; and moreover, that I could not be instrumental in eliciting his powerful aid in behalf of those for whom I mourned so deeply.”

Their focus offers an indispensable caution for all soul physicians. While we are called to sustain and heal people in their suffering, if we neglect to address their sinning, if we fail to offer reconciling, then we may enable people to become more self-sufficient sinners. Such one-sided ministry attempts to empower people to live this life more successfully while giving them little incentive to turn to Christ’s resurrection power for eternal life later and abundant life now. We should shudder at the thought.

Join the Conversation (Post a Comment for a Chance to Receive a Copy of Beyond the Suffering)

1. Hypocritical Christians were a common threat to African American acceptance of Christianity. Of what hypocritical behaviors, attitudes, and styles of relating do Christians in our day need to repent?

2. African American converts understood that they needed Jesus because they were sinners, not simply because they were sufferers. As we present the Gospel today, do we present Jesus primarily as the healer of our hurts, or as the Savior of our sins?

Daniel Alexander Payne

Tags: Beyond the Suffering, Black History Month, Daniel Alexander Payne, Howard Thurman, James Pennington, The Journey

A term found often throughout these pages is ‘Soul Physician’ – one who, from the depth of their own terrible yet wondrous experiences, helps others to reach out of their own particular pit toward the healing Lord. These slave Soul Physicians were lay-people whom our Lord had touched; a concept which today’s world desperately needs. Beyond the Suffering will not only heal and prepare us to face life, it will equip us to be Soul Physicians. Many materials in this book encourage the reader towards victory. The questions which summarize each chapter are thought- and action-provoking.

The history is well-researched; ideas are amply, tellingly illustrated. No punches are pulled. The authors tell about slavery exactly as it was, and about Christ and His ministry exactly like it is. Beyond the Suffering is not a book for those who like their American comfort and traditional misbeliefs. Be prepared to have growing pains and spiritual toothaches as you read. This book is a must for all Christians. It will make an excellent preparation for our youth as they head into a dangerous future.
– Donna Eggett, www.christianbookpreviews.com

*View the Original Christian Book Preview Post Here.  

*Order Beyond the Suffering Here. 

Christian Book Previews Review of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American

*Note: For The Journey: Day Twenty-Six see my earlier post today.

Well, I wanted to start a conversation. And I have!

Someone sent me a private message sharing the opinion that:

1.) Racism is a thing of the past.

2.) The election of Barack Obama proves racism no longer exists in America.

3.) Writing about any one race promotes a “victim mentality.”

4.) We should only read about good people of all races.

I love when people respond to my posts because it inspires me to think deeply and passionately. It does indeed create an ongoing conversation.

Here, in no particular order, are a couple of my thoughts in response to this email.

1.) Victim Mentality? No. Victor Mentality!

I have never written about a victim mentality in my writings on Heroes of Black Church History. In fact, the entire series comes from my book with the title Beyond the Suffering. I would think that Beyond might communicate the Victor Mentality! Writing about the heroes of a given culture is designed to encourage people of all cultures.

2.) Valuing Diversity throughout Eternity

I hope we all understand something. Even if racism were wiped from the face of the earth, the Bible still commands us to value diversity throughout eternity. We will celebrate unity in diversity in heaven for all eternity according to Rev. 7:9-10. The end of racism would not be the end of diversity. It would be the beginning of unity in diversity. There’s a world of difference.

3.) Racism Has Yet to Be Defeated

I would love to believe that one election implies the end of all racism, prejudice, and bias in America. I fear that would be a naïve conclusion.

Practically, we have no way of knowing what motivated the 49% of people who did not vote for an African American President. But more importantly, theologically, we know that we are totally depraved people. Sin will not be eradicated until our glorification in heaven. So, sadly, the hideous sin of prejudice and racism will never totally be eliminated until all sin is eliminated.

4.) Walking the Talk

I always find it interesting when someone says, “Let’s just read about good people of all races and not focus on just one race!”

Here’s the thing. I like to follow-up with the question, “So tell me the most recent book you read, especially the most recent American church history book, that talked about anyone other than dead white guys…”

Or, I’ll ask, “So tell me some great heroes of the faith who are from a culture different from yours…”

Of course, 99% of people can’t provide an answer. In theory, we say we want to read about all people of all cultures. In reality, most general studies books on American church history are only about the dead white guys. And most of us read only about people who are like us.

Now, I’m not against the dead white guys. One day I will be one of them! I wrote my Ph.D. dissertation on one of them: Martin Luther.

I just happen to be of the conviction that fair and balanced history is still not being written. That’s why I also write on Heroes of Black Church History. And why I also write on Heroines of Church History. As I said earlier, writing about the heroes of a given culture is designed to encourage people of all cultures.

Let the Conversation Continue

And what do you think?