”It is imperative that all Stewards and Trustees are on board and pushing this effort,” said Rev. Ronald E. Braxton. “Tithing will make the difference in this church and every officer must come to believe and then see that.” he said.

Further details on the workshop will be forthcoming shortly from the Tithing Committee. A continental breakfast will precede the workshop.

DATE: 

TIME:  9:00am – Noon

COST: $15.00 per person

PLACE: MELODY TAVERN, 3650 S. Glebe Road Suite #170; Arlington (Crystal City), VA 22202.  www.melodytavern.com  (Located above Harris Teeter in the Eclipse Condo Complex at the intersection of Route 1 & S. Glebe Road)

***  FREE UNDERGROUND PARKING next to Harris Teeter

HONOR YOUR LOVED ONES WITH AN AD IN OUR FATHER’S DAY SOUVENIR BOOK:

FATHER, BROTHER, SONS, GRANDFATHER, GODFATHER, FATHER FIGURE, ETC

SOUVENIR AD PROGRAM BOOKLET:

FULL PAGE AD:  $100.00 (Includes 2 Tickets to Breakfast);
HALF PAGE AD: $50.00 (Includes 1 Ticket to Breakfast)
PATRON AD: $25.00

DEADLINE FOR SOUVENIR ADS:  FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 2012

Purchase a breakfast ticket or ad online!

On the second Sunday in April 1952, the Rev. George Dewey Robinson, a Sumter, SC native who was then the pastor of Metropolitan A.M.E. Church, organized the South Carolina Club. In 1968, Rev. Robinson left Metropolitan when he was consecrated the 85th Bishop of the A.M.E. Church. The South Carolina Club of Metropolitan now commemorates its Annual Day on the 3rd Sunday in May.

From April 1952 forward, the Club has been a vital part of the life and mission of this church. A dedicated and committed organization, the members generally have spiritual and community roots that are deeply embedded in African Methodism.

The South Carolina Club is one of the oldest, continuously active entities in Metropolitan. Though the Club’s past reflects a legacy of untiring and faithful service, members do not rest on the merits of the Club’s history, but rather strive to always build upon that which was done by founding Club members. Though originally organized as a means of Christian fellowship among persons with ties to the state of South Carolina, the membership has enhanced its vision and focus in providing service not only to the church, but also in the community.

The Club has always been very involved in various projects and activities to assist in kingdom building at Metropolitan A.M.E. Church. Club members work cheerfully and untiringly to get a job done, for they are not timid about rolling up sleeves and being about the work! The membership, a spirited group that enjoys fun and fellowship with each other, remains loyal to serving the church and humankind.

James F. Robinson, President

The Metropolitan A.M.E. Church Scholarship Committee Is Hosting Its 20th Annual Scholarship Luncheon

The luncheon commemorating the 29th Anniversary of the Payne-Tanner Memorial Scholarship Endowment will honor the 2012 Scholarship Award Recipients. Musical entertainment will be provided by “Just in Time” and three talented student musicians.

Date: Saturday, June 9, 2012

Time: 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Location: Washington Navy Yard
Catering and Conference Center, Bldg. 211
6th and M Streets, SE
Washington, DC

Allen University Concert Choir of South Carolina
1st Time on Their Tour Schedule in More than 10 Years! Washington, DC.
Come, Relax and Enjoy Talented Voices and Great Music Selections

Concert Location: Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church

1518 M Street, N.W. Washington, D.C.

Voices Not to Be Missed!

Peter Felder II, Choir Director

Spirituals, Classical, African American Composers,

Original Composed Works and Much More!

Presented By: Global Ministry, ‘Connecting People in Global Communities’

Scripture: Acts 8:26-40 (The Message Bible). The Ethiopian Eunuch 26-28Later God’s angel spoke to Philip: “At noon today I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza.” He got up and went. He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the road. The eunuch had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was returning to Ethiopia, where he was minister in charge of all the finances of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He was riding in a chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah. 29-30The Spirit told Philip, “Climb into the chariot.” Running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” 31-33He answered, “How can I without some help?” and invited Philip into the chariot with him. The passage he was reading was this: As a sheep led to slaughter, and quiet as a lamb being sheared, He was silent, saying nothing. He was mocked and put down, never got a fair trial. But who now can count his kin since he’s been taken from the earth? 34-35The eunuch said, “Tell me, who is the prophet talking about: himself or some other?” Philip grabbed his chance. Using this passage as his text, he preached Jesus to him. 36-39As they continued down the road, they came to a stream of water. The eunuch said, “Here’s water. Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the chariot to stop. They both went down to the water, and Philip baptized him on the spot. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of God suddenly took Philip off, and that was the last the eunuch saw of him. But he didn’t mind. He had what he’d come for and went on down the road as happy as he could be. 40Philip showed up in Azotus and continued north, preaching the Message in all the villages along that route until he arrived at Caesarea.

Every day, our worship experience, faith practice, and our daily living are cloaked in religious affirmations. We attend bible study, church, and church school because we believe. And we affirm what we believe. Every pastor hopes that what you believe and affirm in church, you live and practice “out there.”

In our daily living, we have so many Affirmations: “I believe in God; I believe the bible is the word of God; I believe Jesus is the son of God; I believe in the power of the prayers of the righteous; I believe that if I give a 10th of all my earnings back to God, God will open up windows of heaven and I won’t have room enough to receive it; I believe that if I love God, and love my brothers and sisters as I love myself, I will be pleased with my life; I believe that if I love those who hate on me and say derogatory things about me, God will bless me.” I can go on and on and on with these affirmations.

We are pleased with ourselves when we consciously know that we have fully practiced and lived up to our affirmations. We puff out our chests and say: Wow! I really got it right today! I spoke to that old demon on my job today! It hurt me to speak to him, but I did it anyhow. When the day is over, we kind of pat ourselves on the back when we live up to our affirmations.

But when we come up a little short in living up to our affirmations, because someone ticked us off and the (male, or female) “Sapphire” came out in us, we face God with a little guilt at the end of that day. We feel bad because we didn’t quite measure up to our affirmations.

But one of the marvelous things about life is that it is never static. When your living becomes static, you are either dead, just about dead, or would be better off dead. Every day, good, bad or indifferent, there ought to be something going on in your life. There ought to be something that causes a smile, a grin, a tear; there ought to be something that puts a spark in that day; something that ensures that each day is never static.

I want to suggest this morning that as your life is not static, neither ought the practice of your affirmations be static.

Every now and then God calls on us to test Him and see if we are willing to push beyond the comfortable boundaries of our every day affirmations. He said: Moses, go and push beyond your affirmations and go stand before Pharaoh. David, go push beyond your affirmations and stand in front of the Goliath. Daniel, it might mean having to sleep in the den with lions, it might mean denying Nebuchadnezzar, go push beyond your boundaries and let them see you praying to God. Mary Magdalene, go push beyond your boundaries and use that expensive vial of perfume and with your hair anoint the feet of the Master.

Let me suggest that, after all this work we put into restoring this church building, all the money we had to come up with during the worst of economic times could be seen as a call of God for us to TEST God. Maybe it was a test of our faith to push beyond our affirmations; maybe God was asking: Do you really believe? Will you step beyond the comfort of your affirmation that, “With God, all things are possible?” I know you SAY it, but do you really BELIEVE it?

So you affirm that if God is with you, all things are possible. But you know Brothers and Sisters, I have come to realize that talk is really cheap. You might tell your wife, your significant other, “Baby I love you; Honey, Baby Doll, Sugar Dumpling – all that sweet talk – but if you don’t bring your money home to your family, you are in an abusive relationship and your talk is cheap. I’m trying to help somebody here this morning. You might say all kinds of sweet words, but you don’t help rear your children. You run the streets day and night, and nowadays, it’s the females running the streets as much as it is the males.

Talk is cheap. And sometimes, affirmations are cheap too.

Sometimes, we affirm that we will go through something, but as soon as something happens, we start complaining against God.

Here in the scripture text, we encounter the evangelist Philip, one of the seven Greek-speaking Jewish Christians appointed as one of the 12 disciples. Philip received a divine invitation to get up and go past Gaza. The Message Bible says: “…The Angel of God spoke to Phillip and said: ‘At noon today, I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza.’” Philip is not intimidated. He was already pushing his boundaries as a Jew ministering to Samarians. Philip got up and went to Gaza.

There are three blessings in store for you when you make the effort to push beyond your affirmations:

1. You will never know what blessings God has stored up for your life until you push beyond the boundaries of your affirmations. You don’t know WHAT God has in store for you. On the road to Gaza, Philip encounters a well-to-do African brother, the minister in charge of all the finances of Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians. This African brother was some-body. He was the cabinet Secretary-Treasurer of all of Ethiopia. He handled the budget. You had to go to him to get anything. As Barbara Brown Taylor writes: “He was wealthy enough to ride in his own chariot…educated enough to read Greek…devout enough to study the prophet Isaiah…and humble enough to ask for help when he couldn’t understand what he was reading.”

We can see that Philip was truly blessed by this experience, and God was able to use him in a more significant ministry, no longer working with the poor and sick and needy or waiting on tables. God began to use Philip to preach all over. What if he had denied God/said no to God/said “I can’t” to God?

Unless you are willing to step out in new directions with God, willing to push beyond the boundaries of your affirmations, willing to trust God more to walk with a deeper faith to give more of your time, talent, and financial resources, you will never know what God really has stored up for just you!

Likewise, the Ethiopian pushes beyond his status, his wealth, his education and asks a stranger for help, and light comes his way.

God has blessings waiting for you. You can’t get my blessings, and I can’t get your blessings. Mine are mine, all mine.

But all God asks of me is for me to step out, beyond what I mumble everyday in my affirmations and put Him to the test. As the psalmist says: “Be not dismayed…whatever comes your way…God will take care of you.”

2. If you push beyond your Sunday morning worship, church School lessons, bible study affirmations, and surrender and serve, God will lift your life to heights you cannot imagine.

As you push beyond the boundaries of your affirmations, expect some stony roads, expect some wilderness experiences, expect some desolate times; but be a witness out there, and watch God lift you up! Serve God out there and watch God pour blessings on your life. Tell folk about your faith, tell folk about your church, tell folk how good God has been in your life. Get up and get on the road, invite someone to get in your chariot on Sunday morning.

God will turn your desert, stony places, your rough roads into a highway of exaltation. Jesus had to suffer, but on the wilderness path, God exalted him. Rosa Parks found herself in jail, but God turned her wilderness into a pathway of exaltation. If you push beyond, if you serve and witness, God will lift your life.

The wealthy African, who has everything, pushes beyond material wealth, credentials, titles, and God blessed him even more. “Why can’t I be baptized,” he cries. And Philip takes him down to the water, and baptizes him on the spot!

3. When you push beyond all of the “stuff” in your life — even some of your affirmations — and take God and God’s word to heart, you will never find your life coming up short.

Everything you give to God, God will give it back to you. You will never come up short. Every time you will recover more than you gave. You will get back from God not just what you gave God but he will give it to you pressed down and shaken together, running over! Just try God, push beyond what you say, and put it into practice. Watch God do for you what you never imagined could happen.

As the song goes: Great is thy faithfulness…morning by morning…new mercies I see…all…- not just part of it – …all that I need his hand has provided.

How many people in here this morning, can witness that you’ve had moments in your life when you didn’t know how you were going to make it? And then an hour before all seemed lost, God stepped in? And you know that He did it for YOU, and you KNOW you could not have done for yourself? A prayer answered. A mountain moved out of your way. A door opened, a path made straight. And I’m not just talking about money, but health issues, and you KNOW it was God. You’d been praying and crying, didn’t know where to turn, and when you almost gave up, the sun came out. You got a check in the mail you weren’t expecting; a blessing came. A kidney came! And you know it was nobody but God? You tell me I can’t preach? You’re a lie. You tell me I can’t witness? That’s a lie? I can’t testify? I can’t go out and live for Him? I can’t give Him everything? That is a lie from hell. I will preach, witness, testify — not just in here — but everywhere I go until the day God calls me home and says: “Enough.”

This won’t be the physical transformation of a decaying building into a beautiful edifice. God has already helped us achieve that enormous feat.

This will be transformation of our members – old, new and future — and our church. This transformation will be the glorious change God will work in our lives and our church when we become a tithing congregation.

Tithing is Transforming!  Transformation begins Sunday, May 6.