Advertising, BLM, CRT, and the Formation of Repetition | KALEO PHX

MAY 16, 2021

I never would have thought 5 years ago that I would be a pastor and the topics in my sermon would be these. The work that we're doing at Kaleo Phoenix, I truly believe, is a move of the Spirit and I'm blessed to be a part of it. I spoke at Kaleo Phx on Sunday, May 16, 2021 and this is a recording from that gathering. Below is a transcript of my message/notes.

EASTERTIDE

Over the last 50 days we’ve been following the movements of the resurrected Jesus. We’ve reflected in joy remembering how we were buried with Christ in death and raised to new life. We’ve reflected on how we are to live as disciples of the risen Jesus Christ. We are his resurrected people.

In joy together...we...together are witnesses of Jesus in the world.

The love we have for one another is what allows the world to know that we belong to Jesus. The way in which we look after and care for one another is proof that the Spirit of God lives in us. We, together, are invited to belong to God’s new world that has been unveiled in the embodiment of Jesus Christ.

Now we conclude this journey of Eastertide in 1 John 5:9-13 (NLT).

1 JOHN 5:9-13 (NLT)

9 Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son.

10 All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son.

11 And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.

13 I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.

WHAT IS JOHN SAYING?

It’s interesting to me that throughout the passages in 1st John we’ve gone over together, The writer/elder repeats themselves over and over and over again. Our faith in the work of Jesus is a result of hearing the testimony. And hearing the testimony is an invitation to participate in the story.

Throughout the rest of our time together, I would invite you to ask yourself:

What testimony am I listening to?

What testimony do I embody?

What testimony am I participating in?

When you keep showing up and you keep hearing the testimony embodied in the community you participate in. THAT is eternal life…

For the ways in which Jesus lived...live forever.

The ways in which Jesus moved...live forever.

The ways in which Jesus loved...live forever.

When we participate in His life...we also...live forever.

Willie James Jennings is an African-American theologian, known for his contributions on liberation theologies, cultural identities, and theological anthropology. He is currently an associate professor of systematic theology and Africana studies at Yale University and penned these words in his commentary on our passage today:

“Our God joins the condition of the creature. Like human testimony, the divine testimony may be compared or contrasted. Like human testimony, the divine testimony may be judged true or false. Like human testimony, the divine testimony may be accepted or rejected. In all cases, God does not hold back. God does not refuse to speak to use. God will simply say again and again, “My testimony is greater.”

Over...and over...and over...and over...and over...and over...and over...and over...and over...and over...and over...and over again…God says my testimony is greater.

He says remember my testimony. Remember Jesus.

THE IMPORTANCE OF REPETITION

“Thomas Smith, in his book Successful Advertising, makes the following reflection on effective frequency:

The 1st time people look at ad, they don’t see it.
The 2nd time, they don’t notice it.
The 3rd time, they are aware that it is there.
The 4th time, they have a fleeting sense that they’ve seen it before.
The 5th time, they actually read the ad.
The 6th time, they “thumb their nose at it.”
- (which simply means they don’t like or care about it).
The 7th time, they get a little irritated with it.
The 8th time, they think, “Here’s that confounded ad again.”
The 9th time, they wonder if they’re missing out on something.
The 10th time, they ask their friends or neighbors if they’ve tried it.
The 11th time, they wonder how the company is paying for all these ads.
The 12th time, they start to think that it must be a good product.
The 13th time, they start to feel the product has value.
The 14th time, they start to feel like they’ve wanted a product like this for a long time.
The 15th time, they start to yearn for it because they can’t afford to buy it.
The 16th time, they accept the fact that they will buy it sometime in the future.
The 17th time, they make a commitment to buy the product.
The 18th time, they curse their poverty because they can’t buy this terrific product.
The 19th time, they count their money very carefully.
The 20th time prospects see the ad, they buy what it is offering.

Now consider this: Mr. Smith penned this witty insight back in 1885 — (136 years ago! ) At that time advertising was still in its infancy, but savvy marketers like Smith quickly figured out that ‘more frequency = more effective.’”

I can’t say confidently that Mr. Smith consulted with the writer of 1st John, but if we are going to embody a new way of community, a new way of existing together as the family of God…We MUST continue to testify of these things. We MUST continue to talk about the rhythms and ways of Jesus.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

Because, I would imagine that The first time someone hears Black Lives Matter...

...they don’t see it.

The 2nd time, they don’t notice it.
The 3rd time, they are aware that it is there.
The 4th time, they have a fleeting sense that they’ve heard it before.
The 5th time, they actually hear it.
The 6th time, they don’t like or care about it.
The 7th time, they get a little irritated with it.
The 8th time, they think, “Here’s that annoying person again...saying the same thing over and over.”
The 9th time, they wonder if it really does mean something.
The 10th time, they ask their friends or neighbors if they believe it.
The 11th time, they wonder how the so many people.
The 12th time, they start to think that it must be good and true.
The 13th time, they start to feel maybe Black people have value.
The 14th time, they start to feel like...maybe they can’t explain it...but they’ve wanted Black Lives to matter for a long time.
The 15th time, they maybe start to yearn for diversity and inclusion...but also consider the cost of what it means to obtain it.
The 16th time, they accept the fact that they will do something about it sometime in the future.
The 17th time, they make a commitment to participate in the work required.
The 18th time, they curse the state of the world and the systems of White Supremacy because it makes it so difficult to see justice and equality.
The 19th time, they count the cost very carefully.
The 20th time…
- They take their hands out of their pockets.
- They move from where they are to where they know they should be.
- They get their hands dirty.
- They engage.
- They participate.
- They show up.
- Although they may get it wrong from time to time.
- Although they may not see eye to eye all the time.
- They show up. They love. They protect. They believe.

THAT is the testimony of Jesus.

THAT is the life that will live forever….

THAT love... is eternal.

My intention is not to present some type of formula for diversity and inclusion but simply to present a figurative example that I hope helps us remember that in repetition…we are formed together.

The same is true for Indigenous people.

Native...people.

Pacific Islander...people.

Asian….people.

Multiracial...people.

Latina/Latino...people.

The same is true for women and all of us who exist in the margins.

Once again, I would invite you to ask yourself:

What testimony am I listening to?

What testimony do I embody?

What testimony am I participating in?

HUMANNESS

In the book Dare to Lead by Brene Brown, she inserts a letter by Colonel DeDe Halfhill who is currently the director of innovation, analysis, and leadership development for Air Force Global Strike Command, which comprises 33,000 officers and enlisted and civilian airmen. Colonel DeDe Halfhill pens these words:

She says, “The words we use really matter. But words like loneliness, empathy, compassion, are not words often discussed in our leadership training, nor are they included in our leadership literature. The Air Force’s most current manual on leadership….was written in 2011.

In the document, it explains that our Air Force’s current core values are an evolution of seven leadership traits identified in the Air Force’s very first manual on leadership…. which was written in 1948.

And in this 1948 manuscript, one of the seven traits was humanness.

My first reaction (she writes) was “Huh? What is humanness?” Intrigued and curious, I set out to find the 1948 document. Interestingly, it took me a few hours to find the 1948 manual because it was not located in any of the leadership files. It was actually buried in the historical documents of the Air Force Chaplain Corps. As I was reading the document, I was struck by how much emotion I was feeling from the words on the page. So I started to pay more attention. The pages were full of words and phrases like: to belong, a sense of belonging, feeling, fear, compassion, confidence, kindness, friendliness, and mercy.”

What I noticed from reading this and interactions I’ve had recently with friends and family is that we desire so deeply to be seen and to be known.

To be loved...and to be believed.

To be heard...and to be understood.

And when we stop loving...believing...hearing...understanding...we stop seeing the humanness in diversity.

The invitation in 1 John is that we would see and know each other the way that Jesus sees and knows us. Even if we have to be the first ones to do it. For a witness is not a witness because he or she’s first, second, third, or fourth, or fifth…

She’s a witness because she does...because she lives. Because she TESTIFIES. A witness is not a witness because it’s easy...a witness is a witness because they testify...in word...in body...and in deed.

PROPHETIC IMAGINATION

In his book, The Prophetic Imagination, Walter Brugeman writes:

“While the prophets are in a way future-tellers, they are concerned with the future as it impinges upon the present...The task of prophetic ministry is to nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture around us.”

Would you in this moment with me move into this practice together?

Prophetically imagine with Jesus a new social reality:

(BAND COMES UP)

SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath and listen to what Jesus is speaking to your heart today.

With your eyes still closed, I would invite you to imagine a world where oppression doesn’t exist.

Not because we shy away from topics like Critical Race Theory. Not because racism hasn’t existed before...but because we have been fully restored in the love of Jesus.

Imagine that!

We are all equal.
We all have dignity.
We are all cared for.
We are all worth something.

What would it look like for you to be fully loved by Jesus? Fully restored...and from that place of restoration, from that place of OVERFLOW, extend love, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, compassion, friendliness, belonging to those around you.

How would you...with Jesus...foster a place of belonging with those around you?

Kendall preached a message this morning at Neighborhood Ministries, he pointed out that the only role of a son or daughter is to be loved...and from THAT place...we love.

(FINAL WORSHIP SONG)

“The Son brought to us eternal life. This is his testimony, and it is also the testimony of God. The Son overcame death from within the space and time that death claimed as its own, our space and our time. All who believe in the Son have the testimony of God at work in their lives. Indeed, our testimonies to Jesus Christ participate in this living testimony of God in his Son. This joining of testimonies is a gift brought to us by the incarnate life of God. This joining of testimonies also creates a powerful reality of inclusion. Our witness joined to the witness of the Son, becomes a word of eternal life. Even the writing of the elder’s humble letter participates in that witness, just as our words and deeds may show forth the life of the Son.” - WILLIE JAMES JENNINGS