The Power of a Prophet || Proper Identification
Sunday, February 9, 2020
Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol || Pastor
February is "Black History Month," a time to honor, name, and celebrate the significant contributions of African Americans in our country. The month was first chosen in 1926 as February includes the birthdays of Frederick Douglass on the 14th and Abraham Lincoln on the 12th. The origin of the month began when Carter G. Woodson noted, when earning a Ph.D. from Harvard, how underrepresented black people were in books and conversations that shaped our nation's history. The intentional remembering began with a week set apart to bring attention to African American history and continues now with a month-long focus. Throughout this month, we will highlight the lives of African Americans who have or are currently making a deep impact on our nation and its citizens while also examining the words of a biblical prophet and the teaching of Jesus.
Who is God? What is God like? We can respond to these questions with words. But our texts this week point to a different way to answer the question--by showing others who God is through how we live. In our text from Isaiah, God makes it clear that the role of worship isn't a relationship between one person and God--but rather an act that impacts everyone within a community--particularly the poor and the marginalized. Jesus then invites people to be light to a dark and broken world. Join us on Sunday as we examine these powerful texts before learning something about the life and legacy of Ida B. Wells and William Barber II.