Over 100 years before the historic I Have a Dream speech of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., African Americans were preaching Dream messages. Reverend Absalom Jones’ Thanksgiving Sermon, is a tremendous example.
Rev. Jones chose as his text, Exodus 3:7-8. Jones starts by briefly highlighting God’s sustaining care and healing comfort for Israel. He then relates the historical Exodus narrative to current African American life on the basis of God’s unchanging nature.
“The history of the world shows us, that the deliverance of the children of Israel from their bondage, is not the only instance, in which it has pleased God to appear in behalf of oppressed and distressed nations, as the deliverer of the innocent, and of those who call upon his name. He is as unchangeable in his nature and character, as he is in his wisdom and power. The great and blessed event, which we have this day met to celebrate, is a striking proof, that the God of heaven and earth is the same, yesterday, and to-day, and for ever.[2]”
He Has Seen: Paying Attention to the Earthly Story of Suffering
In classic sustaining style, Rev. Jones next shows that God has been watching every event of their earthly story. “He has seen the affliction of our countrymen, with an eye of pity.”[3] To emphasize how important it is to pay attention to the earthly story, Jones presents an outline of African American history hauntingly similar to ours in Beyond the Suffering: capture, middle passage, auction block sale, enslavement, separation from family, work from sunup to sundown, deprivation of food, clothing, and shelter, torture of the body, and withholding of religion from the soul.
Jones prefaces each point with the repeated phrase concerning God, “He has seen.” Thirteen times. Can you hear it? Feel it? Imagine it? Place yourself in the congregation.
“He has seen.” “Oh, yeah!” “He has seen.” “Preach it!” “He has seen.” “Come on!” “He has seen.” “Glory!” “He has seen.” “Yes, he has!” “He has seen.” Clapping. “He has seen.” Standing. “He has seen.” Swaying. “He has seen.” Hands raised. “He has seen.” Shouting. “He has seen.” “Amen!” “He has seen.” Tears streaming. “He has seen.” Kneeling.
He has not only seen; he has also heard. Jones preaches, “Inhuman wretches! though You have been deaf to their cries and shrieks, they have been heard in Heaven. The ears of Jehovah have been constantly open to them. He has heard the prayers that have ascended from the hearts of his people; and he has, as in the case of his ancient and chosen people the Jews, come down to deliver our suffering countrymen from the hands of the oppressors.”[4] The suffering Jews and the suffering African Americans are one people of God.
Four times Pastor Jones repeats the phrase, “He came down.” Healing hope. God sustains and he saves. He climbs in the casket and he rolls the stone away leaving an empty tomb. He sees, and he comes down.
What worship response is appropriate? Celebrate the empty tomb! “O! let us give thanks unto the Lord: let us call upon his name, and make known his deeds among the people. Let us sing psalms unto him and talk of all his wondrous works.[5]
What ministry response is appropriate? Work to extend justice and freedom. “Let us unite, with our thanksgiving, prayer to Almighty God, for the completion of his begun goodness to our brethren in Africa.”[6] True to the African American soul care and spiritual direction tradition, sustaining, healing, reconciling, and guiding are societal as well as individual. Liberation starts with spiritual freedom from sin through Christ. It continues with personal freedom from slavery. However, it is never finished until there is universal freedom from the slavery of sin and the sin of slavery.
[1]Excerpted from, Kellemen, Beyond the Suffering, Baker Books, 2007.
[2] Warner, p. 540.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid., p. 541.
[5] Ibid., p. 542.
[6] Ibid.
Rev. Jones chose as his text, Exodus 3:7-8. Jones starts by briefly highlighting God’s sustaining care and healing comfort for Israel. He then relates the historical Exodus narrative to current African American life on the basis of God’s unchanging nature.
“The history of the world shows us, that the deliverance of the children of Israel from their bondage, is not the only instance, in which it has pleased God to appear in behalf of oppressed and distressed nations, as the deliverer of the innocent, and of those who call upon his name. He is as unchangeable in his nature and character, as he is in his wisdom and power. The great and blessed event, which we have this day met to celebrate, is a striking proof, that the God of heaven and earth is the same, yesterday, and to-day, and for ever.[2]”
He Has Seen: Paying Attention to the Earthly Story of Suffering
In classic sustaining style, Rev. Jones next shows that God has been watching every event of their earthly story. “He has seen the affliction of our countrymen, with an eye of pity.”[3] To emphasize how important it is to pay attention to the earthly story, Jones presents an outline of African American history hauntingly similar to ours in Beyond the Suffering: capture, middle passage, auction block sale, enslavement, separation from family, work from sunup to sundown, deprivation of food, clothing, and shelter, torture of the body, and withholding of religion from the soul.
Jones prefaces each point with the repeated phrase concerning God, “He has seen.” Thirteen times. Can you hear it? Feel it? Imagine it? Place yourself in the congregation.
“He has seen.” “Oh, yeah!” “He has seen.” “Preach it!” “He has seen.” “Come on!” “He has seen.” “Glory!” “He has seen.” “Yes, he has!” “He has seen.” Clapping. “He has seen.” Standing. “He has seen.” Swaying. “He has seen.” Hands raised. “He has seen.” Shouting. “He has seen.” “Amen!” “He has seen.” Tears streaming. “He has seen.” Kneeling.
He has not only seen; he has also heard. Jones preaches, “Inhuman wretches! though You have been deaf to their cries and shrieks, they have been heard in Heaven. The ears of Jehovah have been constantly open to them. He has heard the prayers that have ascended from the hearts of his people; and he has, as in the case of his ancient and chosen people the Jews, come down to deliver our suffering countrymen from the hands of the oppressors.”[4] The suffering Jews and the suffering African Americans are one people of God.
Four times Pastor Jones repeats the phrase, “He came down.” Healing hope. God sustains and he saves. He climbs in the casket and he rolls the stone away leaving an empty tomb. He sees, and he comes down.
What worship response is appropriate? Celebrate the empty tomb! “O! let us give thanks unto the Lord: let us call upon his name, and make known his deeds among the people. Let us sing psalms unto him and talk of all his wondrous works.[5]
What ministry response is appropriate? Work to extend justice and freedom. “Let us unite, with our thanksgiving, prayer to Almighty God, for the completion of his begun goodness to our brethren in Africa.”[6] True to the African American soul care and spiritual direction tradition, sustaining, healing, reconciling, and guiding are societal as well as individual. Liberation starts with spiritual freedom from sin through Christ. It continues with personal freedom from slavery. However, it is never finished until there is universal freedom from the slavery of sin and the sin of slavery.
[1]Excerpted from, Kellemen, Beyond the Suffering, Baker Books, 2007.
[2] Warner, p. 540.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid., p. 541.
[5] Ibid., p. 542.
[6] Ibid.
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