I WAS A CUPBEARER
I WAS A CUPBEARER
Nehemiah 1: 1-11
Cory United Methodist Church
Cleveland, Ohio
National BMCR
March 21, 2007
Sermon by Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton
To the Executive Director of National Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR) Bishop Melvin Talbert, National Chairperson Ms. Cheryl Walker, officers, members and friends of BMCR; to my Ebony and Episcopal Colleagues particularly the leader of the Ohio East Area Bishop John Hopkins; to the Senior Pastor of Cory United Methodist Church the Rev. Henry Curtis III, clergy and laity of East Ohio Conference whom I was privileged to serve, good evening. Hallelujah is in order. So is “thank you Jesus, He’s a rock in a weary land and I still have joy.” For when I look back over the first 8 years of my episcopacy in East Ohio, I have to say like John Newton “through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come, ‘tis grace hath brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home.”
Tonight, I want to talk about a man named Nehemiah; a cupbearer, an advocate and a man of faith. Some remarkable things happen when a crisis redirects the course of his life. His story will shed light on the servant role of BMCR, my sojourn as an Ebony Bishop and the power of prayer. The sermon has strong connections to the historic charge aptly stated by Bishop Talbert in his call letter for the national meeting dated September 2006. Talbert wrote, “The mission of BMCR is to raise up prophetic and spiritual leaders who will be advocates for the unique needs of black people in The United Methodist Church, and in the society in which we live.”
In chapter 1, verse 11, Nehemiah identified himself declaring “I was a cupbearer.” Anyone carrying that title had the status of “slave.” In the lore of American slavery, a cupbearer is a house slave versus a field slave. Nehemiah served in the court and palace of King Artaxerxes, a Persian potentate. Located in Susa, modern Iran, Nehemiah, was a long way from home-home being the Holy City. Whenever the king ate or drank anything, Nehemiah had the responsibility of preparing something “mouthwatering good.” And, it had to be safe for consumption. Allowing the king to consume anything that might upset his stomach or cause food poisoning earned severe penalties. And if the king discerned any hint of disloyalty or intrigue; Nehemiah would have found himself in big trouble. Why, you ask? A footnote in the Bible revealed that the King’s father lost his life due to poisoning. An angry servant laced his drink. Poisoning folk has not ceased in the 21st century. For example, a Russian diplomat named Alexander Litvitnenko was poisoned with a cup of tea laced with radioactive Polonium-210. He was gone like a thief in the night. On one segment of Forensic Files, a preacher encountered drastic health problems and nearly lost his life. The preacher’s wife kept telling him that she loved him. By faith, he believed her. Yet, she fed him rat poison at home and in the hospital.
To help you see the complexity of Nehemiah more clearly, be reminded that he had another status besides slave. Nehemiah was a Jew. A number of world conquerors, the Egyptians, the Babylonians and now the Persians forced them into slavery. Constantly, natives of Susa, the king, the culture and the religion reminded Nehemiah of his status as a minority in a majority context. Regardless of his vaunted position of cupbearer for Artaxerxes and the accoutrements thereto, Nehemiah was still a Jew and a slave.
Leaving you with the impression that Nehemiah faced unbridled hostility from the king and his court would be inaccurate. By all accounts, both of them got along well. It can be inferred that the king and the cupbearer ate and drank at table. And Nehemiah provided a listening ear for the king wrestling with issues ranging from kingdom building to wife and family. Consequently, a trusting relationship developed between the king and the cupbearer. Though the concerns of Nehemiah always took a backseat, Nehemiah had access to the king and therefore a position of influence. Consequently, he faced a lot of tough questions regarding his position. What kind of power did he possess? How should he use it? If he had an opportunity to say a good word about his own people would he do it? Should he identify with his own people or the dominant culture? Where could a servant, a cupbearer make his mark in a society where he is the minority. Ask servants like Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Mary McCloud Bethune, Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks or Bishop Leontine Kelley how it’s done.
In recent days, I have thought about my election as a bishop. Aspects of my journey paralleled some of the experiences of Nehemiah. For example, I was assigned to the Ohio East Area. Information from the conference profile indicated the need for a servant leader to be a Good Shepherd, to ably carry on the work of the conference and the late Bishop Boulton, my colleague and friend. Folk expected this bishop to use the power of his office to grow the church, strengthen financial stewardship, support Africa University, be decisive and deliver on a host of other demands. Living up to the demands of the conference profile and the expectations of a bishop laid out in the 1996 Book of Discipline was a daunting task. It consumed me.
At the same time, I came as a minority among the majority. I served and continue to serve in a predominantly Anglo-American context as an African-American. Addressing the needs, priorities, plans and goals of the majority dominated my time and attention. Not much time was left to give to my people and my family. At times, my inner spirit was haunted by this predicament. In his book Jesus and Disinherited, the late great Howard Thurman spoke of this servant dilemma from the standpoint of the majority churches. Thurman posed a question to majority churches gnawing at his consciousness in 1949. What does the gospel (you preach) have to say to the man (woman) who lives with his back against the wall? It seemed to be an issue that was ignored. Then and now, a variation of Thurman’s question has discomforted me. What does an Ebony Bishop who serves in a majority church have to say to ethnic churches that live with their backs against the wall in the UMC-some of whom don’t posses the means, the money or the person power to be deemed viable? More importantly, what will he/she do about it? That query can’t be dismissed easily by any ethnic bishop.
My experience confronted me with this reality. Unless a servant of God who happens to be an ethnic leader is nudged from the outside, pressed down from the inside or compelled by his/her vision, the needs of ethnic communities will be unknown, unmet, unacknowledged, unappreciated, unaccomplished and unfulfilled. Hence, we have come face to face with the haunting challenge raised by the mission of BMCR. Namely, what does a minority person do to address the unique needs of his/her people when he or she holds a position of influence in majority culture or church?
God and the National BMCR provided a catalyst for this bishop. When I ran for the episcopacy in 1996, it became clear that the servant role would grow even heavier. Those who supported my election expected that this bishop would not forget their concerns or issues. If called upon, they expected me to continue my involvement with their cause. Ten years later, I’m still leading studies in Schools of Christian Mission. Ten years later, I’m still involved with National BMCR. Quite frankly, I have not forgotten the day or the night Dr. Carolyn Johnson, a card carrying member of BMCR escorted me to the stage for questioning before the Jurisdictional Conference. As she walked with me; so BMCR expected me to walk with the organization in the pursuit of its mission if I were to be elected. Furthermore, BMCR unknowingly influenced my servant leadership role after my election. It’s called SBC21.
Like most pastors, I came into ministry with the notion that God called me to serve my people. A bishop disabused me of that thought in 1979. He made sure that I accepted the appointment to an Anglo church named Broadway in Rockford, Illinois. Three and a half years of service later, I was appointed to the conference staff. Six plus years on the District followed. Then, my election came in 1996. Foolishly, I concluded that work in the black church was done. Little did I know that BMCR had lobbied for legislation titled Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century? As a delegate to General Conference, I voted for it. And it passed.
Two months later, I was elected. All bishops are assigned responsibilities in the general church. Somebody on the Council of Bishops decided that Bishop Weaver and I would be assigned to this new work. En route to the hotel, Dr. Walter Kimbrough and I rode in together on the shuttle. I asked him a favor, “Please don’t nominate me for chairperson,” I pleaded. When the floor was open for nominations Walter Kimbrough raised his hand and said, “Mr. Chairperson, I nominate Bishop Keaton as the chairperson for Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century.” I was elected. Now, I’m in my tenth year leading this initiative. God gave me greater responsibility for the black church that I ever envisioned. Look at God. The Black Church has stayed on my agenda come what may. Be careful what you ask for; you just might get it but not always in the form expected. “To serve the present age my calling to fulfill, O may it all my powers engage to do the Master’s will!!
I AM AN ADVOCATE
A crisis changed the rank and serial number of Nehemiah. At one moment, he was a cupbearer. In the next, he became an advocate for his people. What happened? His brother Hanani, who lived in Jerusalem, brought him some bad news. Hanani described a Jerusalem that may have looked like Hiroshima after the bomb hit or the Twin Towers after the planes struck on 9/11, or New Orleans after Katrina battered it August 29, 2005. When that reality stormed upon his consciousness, Nehemiah sat down and wept, fasted and prayed for days over the plight of his people.
Not long ago, I experienced a reaction that graphically reminded me of Nehemiah’s response to bad news. I shared the news concerning the death of Jennifer Kelly with the editor of the Michigan Christian Advocate during a meeting. Jennifer was the daughter of Sandra Lackore, our denominational treasurer. In a split second, she lost it. Tears poured out of her eyes like the waters of like Niagara Falls. Weeping and lamenting aloud, she said, “I know those girls.” I’ve known them since they were babies. Which one was it? Sandra and I were young mothers together.” Then, she stood up, made her way to the hallway and continued grief stricken for well nigh ten minutes. Her reaction was so immediate; it shook me up.
After days of mourning, fasting and praying, Nehemiah came to himself. Like Isaiah who answered to the call to ministry in the year King Uzziah died, Nehemiah heard a Macedonian to help his people. So he answered the call in three great movements. In the first movement, Nehemiah informed the Artaxerxes that things had changed. Serving as the King’s cupbearer needed to be put on hold. God had called him to go home and help his people. Nehemiah’s focus on his people was pro-Jewish not anti-Persian. To pursue his mission of building the wall and the gates of Jerusalem, Nehemiah desired the King’s blessing. Concerned about the loss of a good cupbearer, Artaxerxes wanted to know how long his cupbearer would be gone and when would he return. My imagination offered this reply: “How long: not long, but long enough to rebuild the city and repair the gates in the land where my fathers died. How long: not long; but long enough to address the needs of my people, especially women and children. How long: not long, but long enough to challenge my people about their religious apostasy, declares Nehemiah. While the King pondered the question, his trusted cupbearer laid on another request. He asked for material resources from the king’s storehouse to rebuild Jerusalem and letters of protection en route to Zion. In less than 30 minutes, the former cupbearer was on his way. James 4:2 is right, “We have not because we ask not.” Don’t tell me what God can’t do through an advocate with a compelling vision.
In the second movement, Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, surveyed the damaged to the city by night and called his people together. They had to build the wall. If they built it, people would come i.e., return to the city. Nehemiah dispelled the doubt and cynicism of the people by sharing the following: 1. that he had prayed it and knew the King of kings 2. that he was compelled and called by God just like Moses. 3. that he knew the King of Persia. He had been his cupbearer. Plus he had sought and received the king’s permission to rebuild the wall. So the people began work on the wall. Nothing deterred them. Neither displeasure nor derision; neither fear nor failure; neither slander nor death threats.
Nothing deterred them. So compelled were the people of God by this foreign countryman in their midst that they built the wall and repaired gates of the city in a record time of 52 days. It was a miracle. It was a miracle like the people of Montgomery, Alabama saw in 1958-59 when King asked the entire black community not to ride the bus. For over a year, they did just that-exhibiting a faith that would not shrink though pressed by every foe-a faith that won’t tremble on the brink of any earthly woe.”
In the third movement, Nehemiah’s servant role took another turn. His people appointed him as their governor while they were building the wall. Governing the people proved more difficult than building the wall or getting elected a bishop. After the magnificent miracle of building the wall, Nehemiah spent the next 11 years, 10 months and 8 days governing the people before Artaxerxes recalled him to Susa. Back with the king, the governor of Jerusalem resumed his cup bearing role. It didn’t last long. Trouble broke out in Jerusalem. Nehemiah asked permission to return and Artaxerxes granted the request. I have imagined the conversation had between the king and the cupbearer before he left for Jerusalem. King to Nehemiah: I always saw you as a cupbearer. I never knew that you had the capacity to govern or advocate for your people. Organizing your people, building the wall, making life safer for everyone is an incredible achievement. Nehemiah to the King: Thank you King. My people never limited me to the task of serving food and drink. They saw my potential and integrity as two-fold, namely: to serve you in a cross-cultural context and to serve my own people as a leader and governor. Most importantly, God called. And I responded, “Here I am, send me.”
Nehemiah’s conversion as an advocate for his people is repeated in the creation of Black Methodists for Church Renewal. A historical crisis led to the formation of Black Methodists for Church Renewal. Before and after the United Methodist Church was born in 1968, Negro Methodists tried to have their hopes, their wishes and dreams recognized and considered as viable possibilities for the new denomination. They failed. Negro Annual Conferences in the Central Jurisdiction were swept up into majority conferences with little hope for realization of their potential or inclusion. And weeping began anew. I wasn’t there but I read about it.
When Richard Allen and company were forced from their knees at St. George’s Church in Philadelphia; Negroes wept. Tears ran down burnished cheeks in 1844 and 1939 when the church split over slavery and it came together to create the Central Jurisdiction in 1939. Like Nehemiah, Negroes wept in 1968 when they had no assurance of inclusion at a common table. Bent but not broken, 259 registered delegates came together for the National Conference of Negro Methodists February 6-9, 1968 in Cincinnati, Ohio. According to The Rev. James Lawson, “that” Cincinnati meeting caused mass hysteria in our church. We were denounced roundly. Some (Negro Methodists advised other Negro Methodists not to attend. We were accused of dividing the Methodist Church.” Ms. Thelma Barnes, second Executive Director of National BMCR noted this spirit in a major decision of the conference. “We entered the conference as Negro Methodists, and emerged at the end…as Black Methodists…” At a time when the church united, a new kind of advocacy emerged suggesting a different reality.
It is ironic how movements in society impact or parallel movements in society. Christmas Day 2007, the godfather of soul makes his transition from this world. Television commentators recount the life of a former shoe shine boy and cotton picker who rose to fame, fortune, trouble, servant leadership and salvation. Jet Magazine points out how James Brown addressed the changing needs of the black community in 1968. He said, “In 1968, we didn’t want to be black…Negro, high yellow and most any color not black was preferred.” So Brown created a song to the community acceptance their sun kissed countenance singing “Say it Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud.” And black folk ate it up like chicken and dumplings, chitlins and black eyed-peas, cake and ice cream.
To come into a full understanding of Black Methodist for Church Renewal; one must understand what has been achieved through the advocacy of BMCR through the help of God. Over its 40 year life span, the lobbying efforts of Black Methodists for Church Renewal have resulted in the apportioned Black College Fund, the General Commission on Religion and Race, the Black Staff Forum, the Missional Priority Ethnic Minority Local Church of EMLC, the Black Community Developers and the current denominational Initiative called Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century. The same can be said for the election of black bishops, general secretaries and staff. Nehemiah and BMCR bears witness to the following: advocacy matters.
Before we move to the last point, I have to tell you a story that renewed my advocacy for my people. You heard that Nelson Mandela and his wife paid the Council of Bishops a surprise visit in Maputo, Mozambique. Mandela’s advocacy for his people and humankind has been recognized as second to none around the world. Deciding that I wanted to shake his hand, I positioned myself at table about ten feet where he would be sitting. In came a rather frail looking Nelson Mandela on a cane, led by his Mozambiquan wife. They walked down my row to the table. We ate dinner. We had the program. Then, they turned to leave. We were asked to remain in place while the couple left the room. As we stood and applauded continually, Nelson and his wife came down the same row used for their entry. Mandela paused and shook the hands of four bishops before departing. I was number three. I shook the hands of an advocate who had been raised in the Methodist Church. I shook the hands of an advocate who shook the world by positions taken. I shook the hands of an advocate who endured 27 years of imprisonment for his people. I shook the hands of an advocate who embodied prophetic spirit of Micah 6:8. “And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.”
I AM A MAN OF FAITH
Now that you know about some of the accomplishments of Nehemiah and BMCR, one thing is lacking. I must mention the foundation of these achievements. To do less means missing the mark. Notice Nehemiah’s first response to his non-Jewish conquerors directly responsible for the horrible circumstances of the Jewish people. Following days of weeping, fasting and praying; there is no rush to judgment. No vitriolic call for revenge spills from his lips. None of his prayers demand that God rain down fire and brimstone upon his enemies. Instead, the one whose name means “the Lord comforts” engages in behavior associated with Lent. Nehemiah acknowledges and confesses his sin and the sins of the people of God. Hear the word in Nehemiah 1: 6-7: …let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Both I and my family have sinned. We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statues, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses.” Here, Nehemiah reminds BMCR and the whole church that the great work of renewal starts with him. But it doesn’t end there.
Long before Nehemiah travels to Zion to rebuild the city and Holy Place constructed by King Solomon; Solomon prays a confessional prayer like Nehemiah. And God promises to be with Solomon and his people if they remain true to the covenant. Listen to God’s word of confession and renewal in II Chronicles 7:14. “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Hence, the capacity to foment renewal is directly related to our keeping covenant with God.
In their stride toward freedom and successful quests for liberation, our enslaved foremothers and forefathers never forget the biblical legacy of Solomon or Nehemiah. That heritage appears in an Old Negro Spiritual. “It’s me, it’s me O Lord, standing in the need of prayer. (Repeat) Not my father, not my mother, but it’s me O Lord, standing in the need of prayer. On and on it goes in wider circles: not my brother, not my sister; not the preacher, not the deacon; not just the UMC but its BMCR O Lord, standing in the need of prayer.” Am I right about it?
Just in case you think the bishop is unfairly scrutinizing BMCR with jaundiced eye, let it be known that Dr. Gil Caldwell, one of the pioneers of Black Methodist f or Church Renewal strikes the same note in the book Our Time Under God is NOW. In his chapter BMCR: and its Reasons, he writes: “Merger without renewal would not reflect the biblical faith…and the God-directed distinctiveness that the church claims…Black Methodists for Church Renewal…did not consent to merger without renewal. It is our understanding that God is constantly making all things new. …We know that we cannot expect our denomination to be renewed if we, as Black United Methodists are not renewed ourselves.” Let me repeat, Nehemiah, King Solomon, our enslaved ancestors and Gil Caldwell remind us that the great work of renewal starts with us. Again, it doesn’t end there.
Beyond self, Tony Dungy of the Super Bowl winning Colts utters a biblical maxim that can serve as a directive for BMCR and the whole church. What Tony Dungy says about Lovie Smith and himself at the trophy ceremony is simple and profound. “I’m proud to be the first African-American coach to win this…but again, more than anything, Lovie Smith and I are not only African-American but also Christian coaches, showing you can win doing it the Lord’s way. Hold on to that last thought, “You can win doing it the Lord’s way.” That’s true. However, scripture is very clear. Whether its God or the Son of God, doing it God’s way always means “redemptive suffering.” Tiptoeing through the tulips is out of the question. Our Lord puts it best in a reply to the mother of James and John. She desires for her sons to sit on the left and right of Christ in the kingdom. To the Mom and her sons, our Lord replies, you don’t know what you’re asking. However, I do have one question: “Are ye able to drink the cup that I am going to drink?
When Nehemiah goes up to Jerusalem to do God’s will, he drinks from the bitter cup associated with his call to ministry. Similar to our Lord going up to Jerusalem, Nehemiah faces some of the same trials and tribulations of Holy Week. For example, he secures letters of protection from Artaxerxes to guarantee safe passage to Jerusalem. At the entrance of the city, two non-Jewish leaders express displeasure that he “had come to the city to seek the welfare of the children of God.” Whatever reform Nehemiah pursues will not happen without a fight. However, there is a problem. Nehemiah must contend for the faith “not by might, not by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” A God that won’t let you hit back is a God that wants his people engaged in redemptive suffering.”
Nehemiah suffers. To deliver his people, Nehemiah endures ridicule, lies about his Jerusalem mission. His protagonists threaten to tell Artaxerxes that he wants to overthrow the government. Not only that, his antagonists use deceit and/or trickonometry to derail his mission. But, he escapes the snare. Last and not least, war, rumors of war and death threats come his way. To no avail, Nehemiah keeps walking through the valley of the shadow of death fearing no evil. Nehemiah and his people prepare to defend themselves while they watch and pray.
When the whole story is told, Nehemiah’s cup of suffering comes from his own people as well. After twelve long years of outstanding leadership-of striving to do what God said-of showing them the way- the people of God functioned as if they knew not God, as if God had not delivered them. Even worse, they stopped cooperating with him as their leader and grew too comfortable with the way things were. All of the chairpersons of National BMCR, laity, D.S.’s, General Secretaries and Bishops have been there in the process of leading. Instead of lashing out at their unfaithfulness, Nehemiah keeps his eye on the prize and turns to God in prayer. “Remember Me,” he asks of the Lord. “Remember Me even as my own stop responding to my leadership. Spare me O God. By assuming too much responsibility for the success of his quest to renew the people of God, Nehemiah forgot what “our 16th Century Reformers knew well—semper reformanda (always needing to be reformed), are the reformers.”
In the final analysis, Nehemiah finds himself in a kind of Gethsemane leading his people. The cup will not pass from him; so he suffers greatly doing God’s will. What saves Nehemiah-what keeps him from going off the deep end is the power of prayer. Somehow, Nehemiah manages to “take his burdens to the Lord and leave them there.” A preacher I once appointed in this conference offered this advice about God talk: “Little prayer, little power, much prayer; much power.” BMCR we can win battle of church renewal. But it won’t happen unless we do it God’s way. And how will BMCR know how to renew the church unless she asks, and that continually, what God would have her do? To renew the church, Jesus Christ wants BMCR to answer this question: “Are ye able to drink the cup that I am going to drink?
I hold in my hand the cup from a Communion Set given me by The Black Clergy of East Ohio Conference. In the midst of major responsibilities for East Ohio Conference; they believed and said that I did not forget my roots, their struggles and our common ministry. They felt respected and valued. During Black Clergy retreats, SBC21 events, ordination struggles, tough and tenuous appointments assigned them; and we worshiped together, laughed together, cried and argued together. We supported one another. We faced the untimely the deaths of Len Nichols and John Berry III together. I met Len on Wednesday; he was gone by the weekend. I met John Berry III a little later. Then, he was gone. Although I was not responsible for their untimely deaths; it still tore me apart. How can I return and not think of them?”
So, I brought the cup back to say thank you to the Black Clergy of East Ohio Conference. I brought the cup back to thank you for holding me up during our trying times. I brought the cup back as a living memorial to all of East Ohio who enabled me to keep my joy. “For the joy of the Lord is my strength.” Thank you for all that has been and will be. Finally, I bought the cup back in a different context than my friend Nehemiah. He made the claim “I was a cupbearer.” But I make the claim; “I am a cupbearer.” Jesus made it so on the night he sat at table breaking the bread and lifting the cup admonishing his disciples to “Do this in remembrance of me.”
“Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up Lord! Come and quench this thirsting of my soul. Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more—Fill me cup, fill it up and make me whole.” Amen.