News and Announcements

Rev. Ashia Karimah
Sunday, August 26, 2011
7:45 AM Worship Service

The Sarah Allen Missionary Society is collecting school supplies and uniforms for local DC public school children. THE NEED IS GREAT! Please help by donating backpacks filled with pencils, notebooks, paper, scissors, rulers, crayons, markers, folders, etc. White, yellow or dark green polo shirts and navy blue and khaki pants. You may drop your contributions off at the church office or bring them to church service. Ask your friends and neighbors to support this great cause.

The newest edition of the Metropolitan Spirit is available for download.

Table of Contents
Graduates, P.1
Sister’s, P. 2
Delegate’s, P. 5
Bates, P. 7
Smalls, P. 9
Lay, P. 11
Gilliam, P. 13
Scholarships, P. 15
Men’s, P.15
Youth, P. 16
Kenya, P. 18
Personalities, P. 19
History, P. 20

Publication of the Commission on Public Relations

SAVE THE DATE! TITHING WORKSHOP: SESSION TWO
“PLEASING GOD THROUGH HOW I HANDLE MY MONEY”

On Saturday, September 29, from 9am – 2pm, Metropolitan takes another giant step on its journey toward becoming a tithing congregation. As a follow-up to last spring’s highly-successful workshop, Rev. James Moody of Chicago’s Quinn Chapel AME Church returns to Metropolitan for Tithing Workshop: Session Two entitled, “Pleasing God Through How I Handle My Money.” Tentative topics to be covered include: (1)Giving (2) Offerings (3)Special gifts, (4)Budgeting and Introduction to Biblical Principles (5)Income (6)Expenses (7) Introduction to Biblical Principles of Debt and Savings. Watch for the upcoming flyer with information about workshop registration and other details.

Plan to worship at Metropolitan AME, Sunday, Sep 23, 10 am when Rev. Al Sharpton will be our guest minister. Please spread the word to your friends and associates.

Rev. Al Sharpton is the founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), a not-for-profit civil rights organization headquartered in Harlem, New York, with over fifty Chapters nationwide. As one of the nation’s most-renowned civil rights leaders, Rev. Sharpton has been praised by President Barack Obama as “the voice of the voiceless and a champion for the downtrodden,” and by former President George W. Bush who said that “Al cares just as much as I care about making sure every child learns to read, write, add and subtract.” Read more. . .

On Friday and Saturday, August 25 and 26, 2012, Macy’s will host the 7th annual Shop for a Cause to benefit charities nationwide. Since 2006, Shop for a Cause has raised more than $40 million for regional and local charities across the country. This is your opportunity to be part of the excitement.

Here’s how Metropolitan AME Church will benefit:
Macy’s has provided us with special shopping passes to sell for $5 each. We keep 100% of the proceeds to benefit Metropolitan AME Church and its community outreach ministries.

Here’s how you benefit:
When our guests Shop for a Cause on Friday and Saturday, August  25 and 26, 2010, they’ll receive 25%  savings on almost all of their purchases, including regular, sale, clearance merchandise, home and even save on most brands usually excluded*, and 10%* off electronics, watches, furniture mattresses, and floor covering*. Customers may enter to win a $500 gift card, no purchase necessary.  *Exclusions and restrictions apply. See savings pass for details.

Please see any member of Metropolitan’s Sisters of the Covenant to support our cause and enjoy savings!

Reverend Marie P. Braxton, Chair
Sister Constance Todd, Co-Chair
Sister Jocelyn Harris, Treasurer
Sister Verna Brogden, Secretary

Bishop William P. DeVeaux,  who was first elected bishop from Metropolitan A.M.E. Church in l996 and is now the newly named Bishop of the Second District, will worship with the  Metropolitan congregation on Sunday, August 5 at 10 am. The church will suspend its usual two services and have a single worship service on that day so the entire congregation can worship together and welcome the new bishop. 

Church School will meet at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 5.

“We are pleased that this son of Metropolitan is returning to join us to worship and be the Chief Celebrant at Holy Communion ,” said Rev. Ronald E. Braxton, senior pastor.  This will be one bishop’s first Communion in the district since his appointment at the General Conference in June.

William P. DeVeaux was born to Chaplain John and Della DeVeaux in Fort Huachuca, Arizona. The youngest of three children, he spent his elementary and high school years living on army posts in Maryland, Kansas, Colorado and in Germany. Upon graduation from high school, he entered Howard University. An active student, he was elected junior and senior class president and Basileus of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. While a student at Howard, he answered the call to the ordained ministry. Following in his father’s footsteps, he served in the United States Army as a chaplain. In the midst of enemy fire, he brought comfort and solace to troops in combat during the Viet Nam Conflict.

In addition to a bachelor’s degree from Howard University, he attained a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from Boston University as well as a Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy from Vanderbilt University. He has served on the faculties of Meharry Medical College, Princeton Theological Seminary and Howard University School of Divinity.  Read more. . .

The Love and Peace Unit of the Sarah Allen Missionary Society presents a 

YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT TALENT SHOWCASE

Featuring talents of youth (ages 4-20) and young adults (ages 21-39)

A Restoration Fundraiser for Metropolitan A.M.E. Church

The National Cathedral of African Methodism and a National Landmark

Saturday, August 4, 2012, 2:00 p.m.

Metropolitan A.M.E. Church

1518 M Street, NW   Washington, DC  20005

Free parking available at the PMI Garage, 1615 M Street, NW

DONATIONS:  Children (12 and under) $3 Patrons $6 Sponsors $10 Donors $15+

Please make checks payable to Metropolitan A.M.E. Church/Restoration on memo line

Download the Talent Show Flyer

To sign up to participate, contact Peggy Gatewood at 301.203.4642

For additional information, contact any member of The Love and Peace Unit

Celeste Garcia, Chair, Love and Peace

Donice Jeter, President, Sarah Allen Missionary Society

Rev. Dr. Ronald E Braxton, Senior Pastor
Metropolitan AME Church
Sunday, July 29, 2012
www.metropolitanamec.org
2 Kings 4:42-44

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:42-44, The Message Bible.       ⁴² One day a man arrived from Baal Shalishah. He brought the man of God twenty loaves of fresh-baked bread from the early harvest, along with a few apples from the orchard.  Elisha said, “Pass it around to the people to eat.”  ⁴³ His servant said, “For a hundred men? There’s not nearly enough!” Elisha said, “Just go ahead and do it. God says there’s plenty.” ⁴⁴ And sure enough, there was. He passed around what he had—they not only ate, but had leftovers.

Most of you know that I grew up in deep poverty.  My mother, my sister and I lived in public housing; and my mother always seemed to have had to stretch her meager earnings to make ends meet.  Seldom did the $15 child support check  –$7.50 for me and $7.50 for my sister — come on time.  Lately, the movie The Help has been showing on TV, and every time I surf across it, I cannot help but watch and reminisce about my early family life.

As an adult looking back over my childhood, I am amazed and astonished that I had no idea that we were poor.  What I remember is that my sister and I always had everything we needed for school.  What I remember is that we lived in a comfortable clean house.  What I remember is that there was always enough food on the table and, most of the times, there would be some left-overs.  Looking back now, I know that my mother suffered in deep, dire poverty.  But for her two children, with her God, she always had more than enough and, most of the times some left-overs.  This is a gateway for at least two sermon titles:  “More Than Enough/Thank God for the Left-overs.”

God’s Blessings are More Abundant than We Realize

In our text, the young heir of the prophet Elijah, Elisha, accepts his prophetic calling in an era and season of war, turmoil and much strife.  Israel was at war with Syria (this was in biblical times, but it sounds like today).  On a daily basis, Israel faced hunger, scarcity and fear.  It becomes the objective, purpose, goal and ministry of Elisha to admonish and encourage the people to trust, as Douglas King writes, “That God’s blessings are more abundant than we often realize.”  Brothers and sisters, most of the times, we don’t realize how much more we really have when God is in the picture.

1.        Sometimes the blessing of your stewardship is not for you: it is for someone who may be suffering more than you.

This man in the scripture (and we know nothing about him, except perhaps that he may have been a farmer) came to worship.  He brought with him the first fruit (the tithe).  It is his stewardship, and he offers it to the prophet.  Now, get this: Instead of the prophet using it, the prophet, equally in an act of stewardship, instructed the man to be a blessing to the more needy. Here is the first thought from the scripture: (1). Sometimes the greater blessing of your stewardship is not for you; rather, it is for others who may be hurting and suffering more than you.

Sometimes God calls on us to suffer a little, give more, and sacrifice a little deeper so that others needier might have.  Most of the time it amazes me how God can take our “little bit”, and when we attempt to be a blessing to others, it always counts and comes up more than we could imagine.  You know what I am talking about — you give your last dollars to a person on the street, and you find that what you gave has been multiplied.  When we are on the giving end, God multiplies what we have.

The Bible makes the point and illustrates it all the time.  Remember the woman who was so poor that that she only have enough flour and oil left to make her son a loaf of bread?  It was their last meal and she knew that, afterwards, the two of them would die.  Then along comes the prophet Elijah who tells her to feed him first.  Through her skepticism, she obeyed and fed the prophet first; she gave him all that she had.  After that, every time she went to the cupboard, she found that she had more than enough!

Remember the story of the little boy with his fish sandwich?  He made the sacrifice and took his little bit and put it in the hand of Jesus and it multiplied to be more than enough to feed a multitude, with some left over.  It kind of reminds me of our mothers and grandmothers who could take one chicken and cut it up into 16 parts!  Sometimes our stewardship serves to be a blessing to others who are in need.

2.        Never underestimate God’s abundance

Look at the man in the scripture again.  He is skeptical; he does not believe that what he is called upon to offer is sufficient to feed a hundred people.  All that he has is 20 loaves of barley and a few fresh ears of grain in his sack.  The Message Bible amplified what he had: “Twenty loaves of fresh-baked bread from the early harvest, along with a few apples from the orchard.”  It is as if he is embarrassed to offer so little to so many.  Elisha insists that he give it away.  In so doing, he learns the lesson of what Kristin Saldine calls, “God’s abundance in a time of scarcity.”  Last week, the lesson was “Never give up on God.” This leads us to the second and most pointed lesson of this week:   (2) Never underestimate God’s abundance.

We are living, they say, in a frail and weak economy.  For a whole lot of people, these are tight and tough times.  As bad as things might get, the church and the people of the church are called upon to witness and testify that we must never underestimate God’s abundance.  For those of us in need; for those of us under pressure; for those of us who experience crises of any kind, the same claim of God in the Old Testament is the claim of God for us today:   Never underestimate God’s abundance.  God will provide.  God will help.  God will make possible the impossible.  You may not have much, but with God and the little bit you might have, it is more than enough. But sometimes you gotta stop trying to figure out how God is going to bless you; you just have to step back and say, “God, do your thing in my life.”

And when God says he will open up the floodgates of heaven and pour us out a blessing that we won’t have room to store it, we must never forget that God told us – not to bring it all into the storehouse and store it — He wants us to bring it all the blessings into the storehouse and use it to do His work.

3.        Don’t forget to thank God for the leftovers

I like the way the prophet put it, “They will eat and have some left.”  The Message Bible puts it this way, “”God says there’s plenty. And sure enough, there was.  He passed around what he had—they not only ate, but had leftovers.”  Don’t forget to thank God for the leftovers.

Every time I read this text, I can’t help but wonder what the 100 had to say about the 20 loaves of bread and the few apples.  When the man saw it, it could not have looked like much.  When the 100 saw it, they too must have had their doubts.  I wonder, what did they do when they ate their fill and saw leftovers?  The story ends abruptly.  I wonder did anybody say, “Thank God for the leftovers.”

There’s a third possible title for this sermon:  “The theology of leftovers.”

When you don’t have all you think you need; when you are absolutely positive that you are going to come up short; when you are sure that something or somebody is going to have to wait until the check comes; you pray over it and when you are done, not only did everybody get what was due but you had some left over.

All you can do is thank God for the left-overs.  Left-overs mean that everybody was fed; everybody was satisfied. I hope somebody says, “Thank You God for what you are doing for me right now; thank you for the blessing right now; thank you for the food on my table; thank you that all the bills were paid; thank you that everyone was satisfied; thank you that I had more than enough – I had a little bit left over!