Shiloh Baptist Church

Commemoration & Celebration of 31 Years of Pastoral Service

As we enter into this time of celebrating our Pastor’s 31 Pastoral Anniversary at Shiloh, I sat down to write a Tribute to Our Pastor. I noted that the scripture reference use on our website for this purpose is Jeremiah 3:15 ESV. I had been thinking on scriptures that referenced “rejoicing,” since to me because of our reason for celebration, “Rejoice in the Lord Always, and again say rejoice,” Philippians 4:4-8 KJV, seemed fitting to me.

But I began to wonder what God meant when He said, “And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding’’ (Jeremiah 3:15 ESV), the scripture adapted for our celebration, and stepping a little bit away from my original intent I began to have a few questions for Jeremiah. Who was he? Why had God spoken these words? Whom was He speaking to?

Here’s what I found. Jeremiah was born about 650 BC in a village close to Jerusalem (Jeremiah 1:1). His father was Hilkiah, a priest (Jeremiah 1:1) Jeremiah’s name means “Jehovah has appointed.” He was very young when called by God to be a prophet (Jeremiah 1:1-20). The prophet Jeremiah prophesied to the Jews in Jerusalem and Judah continually against the folly of idolatry and he pleaded with the people the word of God, about 50 years before Jerusalem would fall and be destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

“…In his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.”

Psalm 30:5B KJV

 Our Tears Are For Our Tears. Tears are what happens when our heart melts. Yesterday my daughter came home with Mason, our new grandbaby. Born in the midst of Covid 19 Pandemic, he is now nine months old. With the Covid shutdown still in progress, and for the second go-round, we had not seen them up close and personal for five months. Although lately our attention has been focused on the baby, it was so great to see our daughter too. She likes to remind us that she is our baby too, and she is.

During Covid 19 Pandemic, and with all that has happened we have been forced to hold back our emotions. With all the devastation, loss of life, and the pain of endurance there has been no time for weeping, crying, nor tears. We have just had to suck it up; hold our breath. Grin and bear it. Anything else makes it look like we have no faith. God forbid!

Somehow, we have been hoodwinked into believing that crying is for sissies or someone who acts like your baby-sister; or cowards; or for wimps, someone without a spine; or someone of little, or no faith. I knew my daughter and the baby were coming home. We had planned and longed for it for several months, since the last time we saw them. Thank God for “What’s App,” which allows us to be there when we are here.

John Robert Lewis, an African-American, civil rights leader and Democratic Statesman from Georgia passed away on July 17, 2020, in the midst of The Covid 19 Pandemic. He was 80 years old and died from Stage 4 Pancreatic cancer. John was a sharecropper’s son and was called to preach at an early age. They say he used to preach to the chickens and baptize them. He suffered many blows to his body in his fight for freedom and equality in racist Alabama.

Just like Pastor Emeritus, the Late Reverend Morgan M. Days, John Robert Lewis was from my hometown, Troy, Alabama. I did not know John Lewis personally but watching his home-going celebration in Troy was a source of great pride and sadness for me, knowing that this one who got into good trouble was now gone. He had a great presence, and like so many, I have been inspired by him. As an activist, John Lewis led demonstrations against racially segregated restrooms, hotels, restaurants, public parks, and swimming pools, and he rose up against many other indignities. At nearly every turn he was beaten, spat upon, and burned with cigarettes. He was tormented by white mobs and suffered many body blows at the hands of white law enforcement. It looked like he was losing the fight, but when it was all said and done, he called it good trouble.