Tim Duncan at Aunt Kizzy's

Me and Yvette wanted to celebrate yesterday and we decided to go to this sol food place called Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch. It has been frequented by tons of black celebrities and they have left pictures on the walls. We went on an off night (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday). So we didn't expect to see a celebrity but right there in the corner grubbin down on some chicken and collard greens or something was you guessed it NBA All Star and MVP San Antonio's own .Tim Duncan. He is playing the Lakers this week and I don't know if collard greens and rice and gravy is going to help him against Kobe and the gang.

Oh yeah forget what I said about the Soul Food kitchen. Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch tops them in quality and celebrity appearances. Although Kanye did visit the Soul Food kitchen.

Worship and the black soul

The next important value to the Vineyard is contemporary worship in the freedom of the Holy Spirit. I think this really starts getting prickly on both the black and non black sides. Black culture is a culture of expression that goes all the way back to the soil of Africa. One of the things that is repulsive about the Vineyard to many African americans is the worship. One of the reasons is because African Americans relate to God differently than white americans. The appeal of Vineyard worship is intimacy and that smacks against the appeal of most African American worship which is celebration. I think the black soul wants to have the freedom to express not only intimate love to a friend but honor to a King much like the tribes in Africa gave honor to a warrior after returning to battle.

That being said I also believe that the black soul is in need of learning what it means to be intimate with God and to hear from him and to be in connection with the tender side. There is a sensationalism and a hype around God and there is a false expectation for a miracle from the King every day of the week instead of the loving reality of walking with a friend through the mundane details of life.

I think with artists such as Martha Munizzi and Israel Houghton the way is being paved for a new style of music that takes the good from both styles and perspectives

The real jeremiah wright and black theology

When will the world learn that a spade is a spade is a spade? This whole Jeremiah Wright thing has been taken out of context in the name of worshipping the idol of America and patriotism. God is not for one nation and when one nation is responsible for bloodshed and crimes against humanity then that one nation will get what is coming to it. The whole 9/11 tragedy was the harvest of seeds of greed and exploitation planted on foreign soil. Innocent people were attacked and we pray for the families who are still experiencing the sadness and loss. Why Because America's chickens have come home to roost.

This is what black people and other oppressed ethnicities have been feeling for years. This is a great country but it is not greater than the justice of God. Jeremiah Wright did an interview with Bill Moyers. Unless you are just wrapped up in America so much that you can't distinguish oppression and hatred from baseball and apple pie then your eyes will be opened to the truth. Check it out here

Clear and accurate biblical teaching

Well when it comes to this aspect of the genetic code I would have to say that there is a great need in the African American community for clear and accurate biblical teaching. I grew up in the pentecostal church and I have seen it all :) Doomsday prophets predicting that Reagan, Bush, and now Oprah are the antichrist. They skipped Bill Clinton...I wonder why? I have seen people claiming that Jesus was rich and had an entourage larger than Lil Wayne's. It is just out of hand! I think this younger generation is in need of clear accurate biblical teaching. I don't think that means bland and dry teaching. When you speak to black people you gotta come with expression and passion but with that passion we are in desperate need of the truth.

Fuller cost

We are planning to attend Fuller Theological Seminary in the fall and we are going in on a wing and a prayer. It cost so much money and they do not give scholarships to first year students. There is some other money but compared to what Fuller costs it doesn't really make a dent. At least not with our financial situation. If anybody knows of any money for school that's out there let me know.

The Vineyard Genetic Code and black culture

I have taken the task of actually thinking about the Vineyard Genetic Code and how that can be or whether it can be contextualized for the African American worship experience and culture. In order to do that I think it is important to really get a handle on the Vineyard's particular genetic code.

-clear, accurate, biblical teaching

-contemporary worship in the freedom of the Holy Spirit

-the gifts of the Holy Spirit in operation

-an active small group ministry

-ministry to the poor, widows, orphans, and those who are broken

-physical healing with emphasis on signs and wonders as seen in the book of Acts

-a commitment to missions-church planting at home and world missions abroad

-unity within the whole body of Christ; a relationship with other local churches

-evangelistic outreach

-equipping the saints in areas such as discipleship, ministry, serving, giving, finances, family, etc.

These are very biblical values. So biblical that you cannot even imagine why they would not fit any culture. I think one thing to digest is that although these words on the page seem very clear they are meant to be lived out and practiced and once they are practiced the tendency is to make the practice the value and the meaning of it gets muddled up. So one of things we have to make clear is the meaning of these different values. That's a hard thing to do and I don't know if I would be qualified for it.

A baby boy, gender, and personhood

I am happy to announce that in august a testosterone filled Mayo will be arriving to us. That's right we are having a boy. We are still figuring out the names. It's kind of hard because we were really sure the baby was a girl. I am feeling a little more weight now that we know the gender. Partly because now the fact that we are having a baby seems more real. I think this has to do with gender defining alot of our personhood. You don't really know how to address the baby until you find out the gender. Calling the baby "it" seems wrong and now that we say "he" it makes it more definite that this is a real person coming into the world. Another reason I feel the weight is because now that I know he is a boy I feel more responsible for his development and growth in being a man. Well I guess this gives me a good motivation to get back into sports and physical stuff :)

Black people in the Vineyard church

Will black people ever truly fit in the Vineyard church context? In my opinion this is a very tough issue. Black people are kind of not hard to miss anywhere by virtue of our physical appearance. That was one of the advantages of using us as slaves-easier to catch the runaway. If a black person put on different clothes and talked differently there was still the hair, the lips and nose, the skin tone that made us stand out like George Bush in a Ludacris video.

Physical appearance aside is there something in the DNA of the Vineyard movement that totally does not fit the black culture? Can the black culture with it's appreciation of wearing the best gear (clothes) and being emotionally expressive (particularly pentecostal church culture) fit and gel with the Vineyard? These are just some of the issues that need to be unpacked. Share your thoughts with me

Seize the Day and can't we all just get along!

We have been preparing for a conference called Seize the Day! It is focused on already existing or those who desire to become multiethnic multicultural churches and ministries. Also in line with that is our preaching series at Vineyard Xtreme called "Can't we all just get along?" This is a huge issue considering our current presidential election. My question is how come this topic didn't become "hot" any sooner? An even better question is How come the church is not tackling this issue in a more intentional way with the gospel?

A mad mad month

It's been a hectic season for the Mayos and their madness. Filing taxes. Going on vacation. Applying for Fuller Seminary. Yes I said applying for seminary! I am applying for special student status at Fuller. That means somebody who does not have a bachelors (like myself) can go to seminary provided they have substantial ministry and work experience. So getting that done as well as being away in Philly for vacation has been a wild ride! I will blog more regularly now that things have calmed down.

A little yeast and sixty pounds of dough

We have moved on to the next parable Jesus introduces which is the parable of the yeast. It was very interesting that in my boy Jason's bible it says that the yeast was mixed into sixty pounds of dough. That is alot of dough. You could make alot of tortillas or some kind of cake! Sock it to me! Chocolate! Pound cake anyone? Whatever kind of cake it is for more than just a nuclear family of four. This is for the relatives. Ya mama'n'em. The neighbors. Ya cousin earl with the lazy eye and green suit circa 1972. This is all about abundance and that is what the kingdom is about abundance. That being said I will leave you with this thought:


The kingdom of God is a hidden force in the world that will in time affect everything. Everything. Everything. Say it again "Everything."

Size doesn't matter

Matthew 13:31,32

The size of the kingdom doesn't matter. It is not about the big grandiose whiz-bang- flash things, It starts of small. I think this flies in the face of our American super size culture. We are always waiting for the next BIG THING! The next BIG THING actually has a small beginning. I think we are impatient with small beginnings. The kingdom of God isn't necessarily about big crusades or mass evangelism or huge powerpoint projector screens. It is about the small and subtle. It is a smile. An embrace. A good tip to your server at a restaurant. That is the seed of the kingdom and soon it will grow into a tree where the birds of the air nest in its branches (Daniel 4:19-22)

Eternal Sunshine in my Spotless mind

I just got a chance to see Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind and I think it is wonderful. Jim Carrey did an awesome job and he finally got my respect as a dramatic actor. Kate Winslet did great as well. You could never guess that wasn't her real accent.

The movie really made me think about all the past relationships I've had and my marriage to Yvette. I think it is truly better to go ahead and experience love with all of it's hurts and joys than to be a blank slate. I think this is the heart of God when he made humanity. He foresaw the pain that he would endure in creating us with the capacity to choose him or something else in the place of him. Seeing all the sin he chose to love. I am awestruck by the reality of that kind of love.

The title is from an Alexander Pope poem. Here is the stanza and it is beautiful:

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;
Labour and rest, that equal periods keep;
"Obedient slumbers that can wake and weep;"
Desires compos'd, affections ever ev'n,
Tears that delight, and sighs that waft to Heav'n.
Grace shines around her with serenest beams,
And whisp'ring angels prompt her golden dreams.
For her th' unfading rose of Eden blooms,
And wings of seraphs shed divine perfumes,
For her the Spouse prepares the bridal ring,
For her white virgins hymeneals sing,
To sounds of heav'nly harps she dies away,
And melts in visions of eternal day.

The Story of my Stuff Pt 2

Well here is an inventory of the things I purchased in Ethiopia:

1. A jebena (ethiopian coffeepot)
2. two coffee mugs with the story of Solomon and Sheba painted on them
3. bag of unroasted coffee beans (for Mimi an ethiopian lady in our church)
4. bag of roasted coffee
5. white scarf with ethiopian flag colors on the edges

This was pretty good. I say I did ok in managing my consumerism. It can creep up on you.

Soul food is the gospel!

Last night me and Yvette went out to the Soul Food Kitchen in Inglewood. Short ribs, catfish, greens, red beans and rice were all on deck. That was some real deal soul food although there are some better places around LA. Just ask the chowhound. It's funny because it got us to start talking about how good here Mom's neckbones were and led me to strange yet true discovery: Neckbones are gross. Who wants to eat the neck of an animal? We realized too that there isn't much meat on a neckbone but it is considered a delicacy. Soul food is an amazing example of redemption. Taking what was discarded and turning it into treasure. That's what the gospel is. A despised, rejected man from an obscure town in an oppressed nationkilled as a criminal who rose from the dead as King and Savior of the world. This makes me want to eat catfish and red beans and rice before every communion!

growing a beard...

they say having a beard is a symbol of wisdom. Many biblical figures wore beards. John Wimber wore a beard. Santa Claus. Gandalf. I don't know. It makes my chin itch. Maybe I will try to keep it if I can manage it.

trying to make money blogging

I have been online for 2 hours trying to figure out paypal and google adsense. You guessed it: I'm trying to make some money blogging. Two things about that come to mind:

1. I need to post more frequently (6-12x's a day)

2. I need to create multiple blogs for multiple streams of income.

3. I need some better technology to post fast and efficiently

Can I do it? It's possible. Just ask the Problogger

The world of the 1st century church

It is amazing to me how similar in worldview and cultural terrain Ethiopia is to the mediterranean world of the 1st century:

1. Word of mouth advertising is used for good purposes or bad. This means that word of mouth can help to plant a church as well as persecute a church.

2. Persecution is very real as many of our Ethiopian friends have experienced being beaten or thrown in jail

3. Agriculture is the main business of the day. The words of the Bible come alive as pictures of threshing wheat, harvesting, oxen plowing etc. are lived out before your very eyes

4. Belief in the supernatural is prevalent. People will turn to witchcraft in a heartbeat to cure their problems. This creates opportunities for power encounters with God.

5. Family bonds are strong. When the head of a family comes to Christ the whole family comes to Christ.

You can see why the gospel spread rapidly in the 1st century and also why it is on the move in countries south of the equator. The question is how can we see more churches planted and the gospel spread rapidly in the Northern Hemisphere? Are there opportunities in our culture which we haven't tapped into?

Derrick and his verbal paintings

My friend Derrick is coming out with his poetry book Verbal Paintings. He is a very creative guy who loves God. His book signing will be in April at Awakenings coffeehouse (more info to come) He has been a faithful supporter of our church's coffeehouse Awakenings so I have to give him his props. Check out his webpage Derrick Engoy

Afromatics

I have just taken up a fascinating study of a new subject: Afromatics. In the realm of Afromatics meeting someone at 4:00pm means that you will meet them 2 hours later at 6:00pm. It means that a 90$ room becomes a 120$ room because you are a foreigner.

It also means that 7 churches plus 1 more equals 20 because the gospel is spreading like wildfire in africa. Right now at this very moment there are 20 vineyard churches in Ethiopia and it happened in a matter of 1 year. That is some amazing growth. I'm just praying that God gives us the strength and the resources to keep up with the Afromatics.