Soul Food Revolution

Anyone need any neckties? I have a billion of them hanging in my closet. Ok…maybe not a billion but at one point I did have at least 150! Yes, I said it, 150! But you can’t blame me! Really you can’t! All my life I knew I would be a minister. I had it all planned. Start with youth ministry then go in to preaching…….when I was ‘old.’ So I had to start buying ties young! After all I would be wearing them the rest of my life. Then I get to preaching school, aka seminary. Wow was I glad I had all of those ties! We had to wear one everyday! Yes everyday. Which many of you may wear one to work, you know you professional types. But sitting in a classroom? Really? Evidently ties and dress shirts make for a better preacher. It’s been proven, so ‘they’ say, that the way you dress helps you write better outlines and understand the Bible much better. After all ties and dress pants do give a man more wisdom….I kid of course. So over the years I ended up with, yes, 150 neckties! I am giving them away. All but one and that’s only because I have a wedding ceremony to perform in May and they are forcing me to wear a tie. So let me know where to send them and they are yours!

About the time I started preaching school my family and I were attending a church in East Lubbock, Texas. Good people. Good memories. They offered me a part time position as Youth Minister and of course I accepted. Now, East Lubbock is mostly comprised of the Black American culture. I really enjoyed this culture and learned a lot of life lessons living and working with this culture of people. One thing I learned about was ‘gators.’ For those of you that have no idea what I’m talking about let me expound. Look down at your feet. Now back at your screen. Now down at your feet. Now back at your screen. Now down at your feet. Now jump in your car, head to the nearest suit shop and ask for the shiniest, orange or blue alligator skinned dress shoes they have in stock…….THOSE are gators. What I learned next in this culture is that to be a really on fire preachin in your face running all over the sanctuary type of amenin preacher you HAD to have a pair of these gators! The only problem was I didn’t see too many white preachers wearing these gators. But man oh man did I want to be a scripture spittin amen gettin runnin around screamin and yellin preacher. So I shopped for gators. And I bought neckties. And I tried on suits. Nice suits. Cufflinks. Fancy stuff. Funny thing was, none of that made me a better preacher. I was the same preacher in boxers and a tshirt as I was in suits, gators and cufflinks. Honestly? I was worse in suits, gators and cufflinks. Why? Because those things gave me a false sense of pride, security and hope. It wasn’t real. It wasn’t me.

The confession I have for you today is: I allowed the show to fool me. Religion has told us that everything has to look just right. Pastors feel this false need to put a persona out that people won’t question. I don’t want people preaching to me in the first place, much less when they’re wearing a suit and tie. Talk to me over lunch or at the bar. Don’t walk in with pride and haughtiness! If you’re a church going person I ask of you one thing: be real. You don’t need dresses and hats and Sunday go to church wearin clothes. Just be real. God loves you just the same on Friday in your shorts as He does on Sunday in the pew. So just be real. If you’re a pastor I give you the same challenge: Our society is quickly growing impatient with religion. Don’t add to the problem. Be real. And throw away the suits, gators and ties. Go to a store and buy some t-shirts and jeans. Don’t be surprise if you reach more people this way.

Oh, I really am giving away my ties, so let me know:)

Cheers,

Mitch