Lead the Change

Middle Church is a center for social action and ongoing interfaith dialogue for the purpose of justice and reconciliation. We are committed to enact the values of radical love and inclusion in our congregation, community, and world, believe racial/ethnic, gender/sexual orientation and economic justice are inextricably linked in our culture and around the globe.

Learn to lead the change at The Middle Project’s (middleproject.org) 2012 national conference: Igniting Social Justice Through Worship and the Arts in New York City April 21 – April 24, 2012. To be a part of our worship celebration watch our live streaming every Sunday at 11:15 am (EST) at middlechurch.org. The words spoken by laity at Middle Collegiate Church are excerpted from an interview Dr. King gave in 1963 at Western Michigan University.

Dream Again - Pastor Andre Butler

              Pastor Andre Butler is Senior Pastor of Word of Faith In’tl Christian Center founded by Bishop Keith A. Butler in Southfield, MI, and is the former pastor of Faith Christian Center in Smyrna,GA.

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

 

Luke 6

                                                   Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

 1 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. 2 Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

 3 Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” 5 Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

 6 On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there.

 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

 10 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

The Twelve Apostles

 12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Blessings and Woes

 17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

 20 Looking at his disciples, he said:

   “Blessed are you who are poor, 

   for yours is the kingdom of God. 

21 Blessed are you who hunger now, 

   for you will be satisfied. 

Blessed are you who weep now, 

   for you will laugh. 

22 Blessed are you when people hate you, 

   when they exclude you and insult you 

   and reject your name as evil, 

      because of the Son of Man.

   23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

   24 “But woe to you who are rich, 

   for you have already received your comfort. 

25 Woe to you who are well fed now, 

   for you will go hungry. 

Woe to you who laugh now, 

   for you will mourn and weep. 

26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, 

   for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Love for Enemies

    27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

   32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others

    37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

 39 He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.

   41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit

    43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

The Wise and Foolish Builders

    46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

Forbidden - Pastor Andre Butler

                     Pastor Andre Butler

Pastor Andre Butler is Senior Pastor of Word of Faith In’tl Christian Center founded by Bishop Keith A. Butler in Southfield, MI, and is the former pastor of Faith Christian Center in Smyrna, GA.

Forbidden

The Baptism Of Jesus

                    The Baptism Of Jesus
By Dr. James R. Miller


It happened in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
Mark 1:9
One meaning of Christ's baptism was that it was His consecration to His public ministry. For thirty years He had dwelt in the quiet home at Nazareth, doing no miracle, wearing no halo, manifesting no divine glory. But He had been sent into this world on a definite mission, and now the time had come for Him to enter upon the work of that mission.

So, obeying the heavenly bidding, He left His home and came to the Jordan to be baptized, and thus consecrated to the ministry of redemption. He knew what was involved in His work. From the edge of the Jordan He saw through to the end. The shadow of the cross fell on the green banks and on the flowing river, fell also across the gentle and holy soul of Jesus as He stood there. He knew what that baptism meant, to what it introduced Him, what its end would be. Yet, knowing all, He voluntarily came to be baptized, thus accepting the mission of redemption.

It was a solemn hour to Jesus when He stood before John waiting for the ordinance that would set Him apart to His work. It was a literal laying of Himself on the altar, not for service only, but for death. It is always a solemn hour when any one stands before God and men to make a public confession of Christ and to enter His service. The act is nothing less than the consecration of a human soul to a service for life or for death.

On the seal of an old missionary society an ox stands between an altar and a plough, and below is the motto, “Ready for either” - ready for service or for sacrifice. This should be the heart legend in every public confession; it should be a solemn devotement to Christ - an entire surrender to Him for obedience, duty, sacrifice; a consecration of the whole life to Christ and His service. Such consecration all have made who have publicly given themselves to Christ.