by Clarence E. Stowers | May 13, 2008 | Other Stuff
What up Blog Family…
I received these questions from T. Williams – very good questions I might add…
Good afternoon Pastor,
Here are just a few:
Q. What is your favorite place to vacation and why?
A. Currently, my favorite place to vacation is Aruba. We (Shauntai) love the Caribbean and have visited a good many islands, but none
compare to Aruba & for numerous good reasons. The weather in Aruba
is almost always perfect… sunny & not too hot year round. Aruba
is arid (cacti grow here) so it hardly ever rains & there is much
less humidity than other islands. Definitely no hurricanes. Island
breezes keep the temperature in the 80s. Arubans couldn’t be nicer or
more respectful wherever you go. They take a great deal of pride in
their homeland. All Arubans learn to speak 4 languages in school.
English is a must! There is virtually no unemployment…everyone works.
You do not see the signs of poverty that you sometimes encounter on
other islands. We have no fear wherever we walk in Aruba, day or night.
The govt is very strict on crime. The beaches are exquisite! Palm
Beach (where most hotels are located) has gorgeous, clean white sand and
the water is clear, warm, bright blue & extremely calm. You can
rent a foam raft & actually float on the water as you would in a
pool. If you’re looking to body surf, this isn’t the island for you. No
one disturbs you trying to sell tee-shirts & trinkets while you
sunbathe. Most hotels & time shares face the sunset, which are just
magnificent.
Q. Name one important lesson that you learned from both your mom and dad that has been crucial to succeeding in life?
A. Nothing happens in life until you wake up from dreaming, stop complaining, and decide to work hard for what you want.
Q. What do you love most about being a father?
A. That I am continuing the legacy of the Stowers family: Work hard…remain faithful…own a business…DESPISE DUMB DEBT…marry better than yourself…continue the name w/o shame.
Q. If you had an opportunity to ask God one question, what would it be?
A. Why slavery and racism – especially for African-Americans?
Thanks T.,
by Clarence E. Stowers | May 5, 2008 | Bible Journey
I’m in the process of going back
through the Bible viewing it through the eyes of a leader. Here are my
thoughts from the first seven chapters of Matthew (come join me on this journey):
- Leaders make mistakes. God can redeem leaders. (1:6)
- It’s all about obedience. Joseph "did what the angel of the Lord
had commanded him." When was the last time you heard from God and did
what he told you to do? (1:24)
- I may have positional power, but God is always more powerful. (3:11)
- The way I live my life is dictated by the amount of time I spend in the Word of God. It is my sustenance. (4:4)
- Time is running out. I need to embrace the urgency. (4:17)
- Part of my responsibility is to look for the ministry potential in others. (4:19-20)
- My leadership should produce peace. (5:9)
- My actions will speak louder than my words. (5:16)
- God doesn’t like it when there’s division and anger between leaders. (5:22)
- I need to follow through with my commitments. (5:37)
- People will persecute me. I need to pray for them. That’s difficult for me. (5:44)
- God wants me to be me. He wants us to be real–not fake. (6:5)
- There are some actions people don’t see, but God still does. (6:18)
- What I do with my money will impact my heart. Interesting that God
didn’t say it the other way around. Makes me think disciplines with
time and money impact the condition of my heart. (6:21)
- As a leader, I need to prepare for tomorrow, but I shouldn’t worry about tomorrow. (6:34)
- If I’m a good leader, my ministry will bear good fruit. The measure of my success is not the input but the outcome. (7:17)
- The win isn’t for people to hear the message–the win is life application. (7:24)
by Clarence E. Stowers | Apr 30, 2008 | Politics
Does Dr. Wright hurt or help Barack Obama?
Ok, yall pulled me into this political/religious hot potato. I’ve thought long and hard about this and eventually knew I would have to deal with this situation. So, here we go…
Telisha, to answer your question, Dr. Wright does hurt Obama and it’s unfortunate. Is it fair? Nah. The media, the Clinton camp, and the republicans have been playing the "politics by association" card when it comes to this issue. Clearly, if you’re a rational, critically thinking person and have listened to Dr. Wright’s ENTIRE sermons and put into context the sound bites that have been played continuously, you will determine that what Dr. Wright says and believes is not and does not have to be synonymous with Obama’s views.
However, the problem is simply that everyone does not think critically and scrutinize the information they’re being fed and who’s serving them this media meal. No some, if not many people in this country, are sheep; content to formulate an opinion of a candidate based on a 10-20 second sound bite of "the man, standing next to the man."
I get what Dr. Wright was saying, and for the most part, he was speaking the truth. I understand what he said and where in his psyche his comments originated. But when it comes to this politics game, more often than not, whatever is said by a candidate or a perceived surrogate, is taken at face value by most, and true understanding gets lost in translation.
The problem that you have is that those that take issue with Dr. Wright’s statements – a certain percentage of our Caucasian brothers and sisters simply lack the ability to understand where Dr. Wright is coming from and the impetus for his comments. Culturally, they’re simply not in a position to "get it." And probably won’t ever "get it." In their world, African-Americans exist on TV and possibly at work. That’s it. With such limited exposure, they’re not and have not been intimately exposed to our culture, our norms, values, struggles and the unique variables at play when it comes to being black in America. So there’s gonna be a disconnect. And Obama’s adversaries have played on this disconnect to a tee.
Personally, I have no problem with Dr. Wright defending himself and his life’s work. That’s not my issue. The problem I have is HIS TIMING. I refuse to believe that Dr. Wright is in some way clueless to the fact that Obama, and to a greater extent, African-Americans have a GOLDEN, LEGITIMATE, AND REALISTIC chance to put an African-American face to the most powerful office in the world. Dr. Wright HAS to recognize this. So why is he making his "last stand" now? He HAS to know the political implications of his deeds and words. Furthermore, what really gets me is that if Dr. Wright, in all his years of knowing Obama, CARED about the man, he would stand down and table his retribution for a later date.
Finally, whenever the electorate needs a distraction, the "powers in control" "Wag the Dog." Wag the Dog is film starring Robert De Niro, about a Washington DC spin doctor who distracts the electorate from a U.S. presidential sex scandal by by hiring a Hollywood producer (played by Dustin Hoffman), to construct a fake war with Albania – GET THE DVD.
The media needs this created controversy as a diversion.
1. DIVERSION TACTIC: We’re in a RECESSION – gas prices were "quietly" raised 12 times in a row; foreclosures are @ an all time high; food prices are through the roof; utilities prices have and are going up; college tuition’s rising & they’ve reduced grants & loans; houses are more difficult to purchase; nationally, housing prices have declined 12%; credit card companies are struggling & forcing those w/good credit to pay for those who defaulted. How do you get people’s mind off the REAL ISSUES – DIVERT THEIR ATTENTION.
2. DIVERSION TACTIC: Keep people paying attention to the campaign equals more ad revenues. Without question Barack’s candidacy was so taken as joke by the pundits that they did not feel the masses would take to him at all. So now with the very large amount of especially college educated whites voting for him in high numbers this has scared the crap out of the political establishment. Furthermore, I find it funny that someone can take a speech made several years ago and make it an issue today.
There you go…care to comment…
by Clarence E. Stowers | Apr 29, 2008 | Other Stuff
I’m
about ready to roll out an FAQ page for the blog. But, before I do
that, I’m curious to know your questions about my blog, the Bible, quagmires, conundrums, oxymorons, my ministry or
my life. For this purpose, assume nothing is off-limits. Of course, I’m
not guaranteeing I’m actually going to respond. That’s the risk you
take.
It’s your turn. What are your questions? C’mon, let me have it…
Blog Family,
I received these questions from "Kitten"
Hey Pastor!
I sent a few questions the other day, but not sure if they went through. So here’s a few more.
Q. If you has one wish what would it be?
A. That God would make me as wise as Solomon
Q. What is your favorite book in the bible? Why?
A. This is a hard one because I glean from so many books. The creative/poetic side of me almost picked Song of Solomon because words have a way of framing reality – Solomon & his wife do a great job expressing their love for each other. The practical side of me almost chose Proverbs since it’s filled with tidbits that are applicable and transferrable. I almost chose Acts because it chronicles the establishment of the church and the movement of the Holy Spirt.
I chose Nehemiah because it’s VISIONARY AND STRATEGIC. Nehemiah receives word the Walls of Jerusalem are down and he gets a burden to rebuild them. BURDEN PRECEDES VISION. He devises a strategy to return to Jerusalem. Furthermore, he faces opposition, dissension, and enemies, but he perserveres, rallies the people, and rebuilds the wall – CLASSIC BOOK ON VISION AND STRATEGY!!!
Q. What is 3 things that you would like your children’s children’s children to know about you?
A. I remained faithful to God and my calling…pastor of the Greatest Church in the Universe
I remained faithful to my wife…She makes me better
I remained faithful to my mission – developing and empowering others to lead effectively…
Q. What is one word to describe each the following?:
Pastor of Mars Hill, teacher of many, husband to your queen, father of three, a black man, and Clarence Stowers Jr
A. Pastor of Mars Hill: Innovative
Teacher of many: Empowering
Husband to my queen: Fulfillment
Father to three black men: Legacy
Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.: Out-the-box (does this qualify as one word or three)
Thanks Keisha "Kitten" for your questions – you made me think!!!