The Nigga Church: An Introduction

First things first.... Happy New Year! A month late and a dollar short... yadda, yadda, blah, blah, blah. I know. I have been dealing with a number of vexing issues regarding family, friends, work, life, and love. As I stated in my previous post, withdrawing is my way of compensating. So instead of venting and whining about every little thing in my life that hasn't turned out quite the way I planned it, I simply decided to limit my communication with the outside world. I am emerging from my cocoon... slowly, deliberately, albeit surely. I won't call this particular emergence a cathartic phase. Truthfully, the last several weeks have been incredibly overwhelming and at this point I think the best thing to do alleviate some of my anxiety is to write.

Even as I type this post, I feel myself becoming a little less frustrated and slightly less lethargic. Yes, I experienced the enormity of this past week and yes, I am absolutely thrilled that we have a president in ofice who has a little swagger, looks like me, and seems to have absolved himself from that youthful awkwardness that plagued him during impromptu press conferences and the debates during the primary. I digress though.

For the past 6 weeks I have been reading several books that discuss the American Black and the Black Church. Many of you might remember me mentioning that I was writing a post, The Nigga Church, in which I explore the relationships of American Blacks to their most revered institution, The Black Church. I had put the finishing touches on the post and was going to publish it around the end of December, but relented. I recognized that some of the language might offend some of you... especially you gullible folks whom I consider friends. So instead of starting out 2009 by alienating many of you I hold near and dear to my heart, I decided to revise the post. As a matter of fact, The Nigga Church will contain many of the same ideas I wanted to discuss in the peppery first draft, but I am tempering my language for that "reaching more flies with sugar/honey than vinegar" effect. In addition, I'll be discussing my own path to spiritual enligtenment and how it does not include the contamination of the Black Church. The Nigga Church, the post, will be developed over a series of smaller blog entries.

Finally, I think it's fair to assume that I'm going to piss a number of you off anyway, no matter how diplomatic or ecumenical my ideas seem to be. They are my ideas and before you get your panties, boxers, G-Strings (or clothing for those of you who always go commando), remember that. Don't come on my blog quoting pages of scripture that you don't have the theological expertise to interpret. As a matter of fact, I would hope that the lot of you who call yourselves believers would be smart enough to realize that an eternal, omnipotent, omniscient being - who happens to be the creator and sustainer of everything that exists (if you believe that) wouldn't be limited to some 66+ books of subjective inspiration used as a foundational basis for your faith system.

Welcome to 2009.