A Voice for the Voiceless: African American Women of Faith
Part 5: Octavia Rogers Albert: This World Is Our Dressing Room
Part 5: Octavia Rogers Albert: This World Is Our Dressing Room
Note: Taken from Sacred Friendships: Celebrating the Legacy of Women Heroes of the Faith. For more information on this book, please visit: http://bit.ly/YmaM1
Note: For part one of this blog mini-series, please visit: http://bit.ly/T7Zas and for part two, please visit: http://bit.ly/14aWH6 and for part three please visit: http://bit.ly/wJs58 and for part four please visit: http://bit.ly/3iD5VS
This World Is Our Dressing Room
Octavia Albert was adept at using Scripture, hymns, spirituals, and Christian literature to minister healing soul care and guiding spiritual direction.
Aunt Charlotte shares how they sang the spiritual My God Delivered Daniel and then says that “it seemed the more trials I had the more I could pray.”
Octavia responds, “Aunt Charlotte, you remind me of Pilgrim’s Progress.” In the ensuing conversation, she compares Charlotte to John Bunyan (the author of Pilgrim’s Progress) who, like Charlotte, remained faithful to God even when persecuted for his faith.
Charlotte, identifying with Bunyan, notes, “But that’s the time a true child of God prays, when he gets in trouble.”
Octavia also skillfully uses imagery in her biblical counseling ministry. After discussing living for this life or living for eternity, she summarizes her practical theology.
“This world is our dressing-room, and if we are not dressed up and prepared to meet God when we die we can never enter the promised land; for there is no preparation beyond the grave. The Bible tells us, ‘Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.’”
Stirring Up Faith
Her ministry certainly wasn’t all talk. More than anything, Octavia loved to draw out, stir up, and honor Aunt Charlotte’s faith.
Discussing the evils of slavery and the goodness of God, Charlotte displays her own astute theology. “You see, my child, God will take care of his people. He will hear us when we cry.”
Octavia then fans Charlotte’s faith into flames. “Aunt Charlotte, it really makes me feel happy to hear you express your faith in the goodness of God.”
Entering the Rest of God
Octavia ministered to many ex-enslaved Christians. In talking to Aunt Lorendo about her husband’s (Uncle John Goodwin) health, Lorendo notes that John would never be physically well due to the cruel treatment he endured.
Expressing her faith and hope, Lorendo says to Octavia, “I trust we both will rest by and by.”
Octavia replies, “Yes, Aunt Lorendo, the Bible promises that there is ‘rest for the people of God.’ And it affords us joy to know that although we have trials and tribulations here we who prove faithful till death shall enter that ‘rest prepared for the people of God.’”
The Rest of the Story
For the rest of the story, please return to this blog for part six . . .
Note: Readers can enjoy the empowering narratives of over two-dozen African American women (and scores of African American men) narrated in Kellemen and Edwards, Beyond the Suffering. For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/XvsTu
Note: For part one of this blog mini-series, please visit: http://bit.ly/T7Zas and for part two, please visit: http://bit.ly/14aWH6 and for part three please visit: http://bit.ly/wJs58 and for part four please visit: http://bit.ly/3iD5VS
This World Is Our Dressing Room
Octavia Albert was adept at using Scripture, hymns, spirituals, and Christian literature to minister healing soul care and guiding spiritual direction.
Aunt Charlotte shares how they sang the spiritual My God Delivered Daniel and then says that “it seemed the more trials I had the more I could pray.”
Octavia responds, “Aunt Charlotte, you remind me of Pilgrim’s Progress.” In the ensuing conversation, she compares Charlotte to John Bunyan (the author of Pilgrim’s Progress) who, like Charlotte, remained faithful to God even when persecuted for his faith.
Charlotte, identifying with Bunyan, notes, “But that’s the time a true child of God prays, when he gets in trouble.”
Octavia also skillfully uses imagery in her biblical counseling ministry. After discussing living for this life or living for eternity, she summarizes her practical theology.
“This world is our dressing-room, and if we are not dressed up and prepared to meet God when we die we can never enter the promised land; for there is no preparation beyond the grave. The Bible tells us, ‘Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.’”
Stirring Up Faith
Her ministry certainly wasn’t all talk. More than anything, Octavia loved to draw out, stir up, and honor Aunt Charlotte’s faith.
Discussing the evils of slavery and the goodness of God, Charlotte displays her own astute theology. “You see, my child, God will take care of his people. He will hear us when we cry.”
Octavia then fans Charlotte’s faith into flames. “Aunt Charlotte, it really makes me feel happy to hear you express your faith in the goodness of God.”
Entering the Rest of God
Octavia ministered to many ex-enslaved Christians. In talking to Aunt Lorendo about her husband’s (Uncle John Goodwin) health, Lorendo notes that John would never be physically well due to the cruel treatment he endured.
Expressing her faith and hope, Lorendo says to Octavia, “I trust we both will rest by and by.”
Octavia replies, “Yes, Aunt Lorendo, the Bible promises that there is ‘rest for the people of God.’ And it affords us joy to know that although we have trials and tribulations here we who prove faithful till death shall enter that ‘rest prepared for the people of God.’”
The Rest of the Story
For the rest of the story, please return to this blog for part six . . .
Note: Readers can enjoy the empowering narratives of over two-dozen African American women (and scores of African American men) narrated in Kellemen and Edwards, Beyond the Suffering. For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/XvsTu
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