Bushes on Fire
Reading old sermons from Rev. Sullivan has become one of my favorite treats here in the office. There are so many things that I have learned from him even though I never had the privilege to meet him. He was truly a great man of God and so many of his writings still ring as true today as they did in October of 1973. He speaks to the soul of humanity and what we need to do as the human race in order to improve life for everyone. Not just Americans, not just Black Americans, but a global society. His words transcend the generations and I hope they speak to you as much as they speak to me. Here is an excerpt from the sermon Bushes on Fire about the story of Moses and how there is a great purpose for each of us as individuals and for people as a community.
We must learn to care about our own. We must learn to help one
another and work together. They don’t worry about us because we are so far apart!!! So
stop strutting around like peacocks talking about I, I, I – talk about we, we, we, and God,
God, God.
There are five things we need.
1. We need to remember our heritage. The recognition of where we came from.
You are not a no-body! You are somebody!
2. We need to be thankful to God as a people. We need to be thankful this
Thanksgiving. God has brought us from a mighty long way. Moses
continually prayed and thanked God, so must we. God has been good to us.
My mind goes back to those Jim-Crow days. My mind goes back to those bus
days. My mind goes back to those Scottsboro days. My mind goes back to
those school segregation days and those job discrimination days. But we have
forgotten about those days, and we have forgotten how God has blessed us.
3. We need to get our feet on the ground and help one another. We have become
too uppity, as a people, and too snooty, and we don’t care about anyone but
ourselves. We need to get out of this middle class bag. And always remember
this, we rise together and we fall together. So every time you take a step on
the ladder, try to reach back to help someone else. Because if you don’t’ help
yourself, no one else will. And remember this, none of us rises so high that we
can’t fall. Stop tip-toeing around and come down to earth.
4. We need to take care of our own problems. In our communities there is all
kinds of mess: alcohol, dope, crime. Nobody is going to clean up your mess
for you, but you. We have to help ourselves – become our own politicians.
Not Democrats or Republicans – become both and speak out.
5. We need to listen to what God wants us to do and follow God’s plans for us!
Because Moses was so concerned about helping his brother who was
enslaved, he got into trouble and had to leave Egypt. And for 40 years he lived
in another land.
As far as Moses was concerned, his life in Egypt was over. But God had other
plans for Moses. This brings me to God’s plans! Our plans are not God’s plans. You do
not know right now what God’s plans are for you. I have found myself doing many things
that I personally did not want to do. But God wanted me to do them and I could not help
myself.
For the full sermon click here Bushes on Fire.
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Hope Sullivan Masters