Daily Walking, Working, and Winning by God's Word by Rev. Dr. Alvin C. Hathaway Sr.

Wednesday, November 30th begins the Advent Season. The Community Churches of Upton will worship at Enon Baptist Church beginning today from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. Enon Baptist Church is located on the corner of Schroeder and Edmondson Avenue.

I have the honor of preaching the initial sermon of Advent. The text is above. The title is "The Danger of Darkness."

I invite you to share in this worship experience. After the service, lunch is served.

The unemployment situation is America and within local communities is causing stress and turmoil. It is stated that over 45 million people are receiving food assistance from the federal government. The President has submitted legislation to Congress with the intent to create jobs - but to no avail. As the holiday season is approaching the cries of those who are unemployed and underemployed are unheard.

In God's divine plan, there is still work to do in building His Kingdom. There is work to do. I'm convinced that you can find fulfillment in working in Kingdom Building. You can find a sense of contentment and achieve measurable results in building up the spiritual and physical lives of others.

Versus sitting home, or hanging out, join a local church with the goal of finding work to do in building God's Kingdom. I believe you will receive a pay day of immense proportions.

Yesterday, I visited the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. The park across from the Inner Harbor is full of tents. This is the place where Occupy Baltimore is located. The contrast with the glitzy buildings is striking. I was reminded of the Poor People's campaign and the vision to create a "tent city" in Washington. D.C. The tent encampment is symbolic of the conditions created by public policy and unchecked capitalistic goals. I applaud those who are willing to brave the elements and municipal scorn to make such a profound statement. The statement is that we must address the needs of the people whose faces are at the bottom of the well. We hold in high esteem the celebrities and the successful. We hold in distain the marginalized and poor.

God employs us to recognize that He was many people within the city. The City is the melting pot of human conditions. It is also the flash point for measuring the caring and concern of a civic community. How do we treat the poor and marginalized? How do we distribute the resources of our municipal government? Is there a place at the table for everyone?

On January 14, 2012, people of conscience need to March in a public way from a central location to the "tent" encampment of Occupy Baltimore. Their message needs to be expanded and people of good will need to join the struggle.

The quality time that families spend together is precious; particularly, when it's your extended family. I long for the day when we are just family. No distinctive labels: in-laws, cousins, etc. Just family! Sister Sledge once sang, "We are Family." I truly love each member of my family, their differences that make each of them unique, their sense of unity that keeps us connected, and their love that strengthens us every single day. There is an internal joy when you meet and greet members of your family. It communicates to you that in God's grand design; he wants us to understand that we are bonded together in a mosaic of mutuality. May God continue to bless the members of my family: my biological family, my extended family, my spiritual family, my church family, my collegial family, my political family, my clergy family, my business family, my facebook family, and my family of friends. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

In partnership with the National Bible Association, an interfaith collection of people of faith will meet on the 27th floor of the World Trade Center to pray and read scripture for the City of Baltimore, State of Maryland, the USA and the world.

Baltimore began a day of prayer last year in front of City Hall as a part of the celebration of National Bible Week. This year's event will be held in center city Baltimore at the World Trade Center on Tuesday, November 22, 2011 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. The public is invited.

From the 27th floor of the World Trade Center on Pratt Street, you can see a panoramic view of Baltimore City. Furthermore, on display are artifacts from the New York World Trade Center that was destroyed on 911. On Pratt Street in front of the World Trade Center are listed the names of the people from Maryland, who were killed in the attack on 911.

The people of faith who will assemble on Tuesday for one hour believe that prayer changes things and encourages people to read their Bibles regularly.

In life there may be an unwillingness to forgive when people take positions and are unwillingness to yield. One may feel a sense of hurt and abandonment in those moments when weakness begs for forgiveness.

It is God's divine grace to forgive; to pardon one from the consequences of their sin.

That's good news! God is able and willing to throw your sins into the sea of forgetfulness.

God can raise up those who are actively engaged in Kingdom Building. When the plumb line is in good hands' God's work of building the "beloved community" commences. The building of community and character requires the straight line of discipline and devotion to God's way and will. The measure is not of man, but it is of God. When we line up to God's word, we eject tabernacles in our homes and communities that can withstand the winds of the evil one.

It is good news to know the plumb line is in good hands.

The work of your hands is practical. The work of your heart is possible. A careful balance must be maintained between the practical and the possible. We should not devise schemes in our heart and ponder over them without executing those schemes. We should not overly invest in the pettiness of busy work that our hands may do. Continuous and monotonous activity gains little.

We have to learn how to do good deeds right now. To operate in the nowness of God and work while it is day.

It is a joyous day when the possibilities of our heart are combined with the practically of our hands.

Last Wednesday and Thursday people gathered on Founder's Day of Morgan State University to honor the 400+ students who staged sit-ins at lunch counters in Baltimore I offer sincere congratulations to Professor Larry Gibson and Dr. Wilson, President of MSU, for given long over-due recognition to these pioneers in Civil Rights.

We have to work diligently to ensure that development projects within Baltimore City incorporate the living history of its residents of all races.

The economy and joblessness are a serious problem throughout America. It appears that employers have cut back and laid-off workers to curtail the costs of doing business. The question on the minds of policy makers and governments is what we can do to stimulate business growth. They reason that by growing the economy you create jobs.

I take a bottom-up approach. Energy must be expended at the local level to engage in enterprises, and business ventures that put people to work performing services and producing goods that people need.

We can no longer wait for public policy, governments or businesses to create the massive numbers of job needed to put people back to work. We need to unleash the entrepreneurial energy and talents of people at the local level and back their efforts to engage in their own enterprises.

Each of us should long to climb the high mountain that reaches up to God. Dr. Howard Thurman called it, "the timberline." The timberline is the point where the trees on the top of the mountain touch the sky.

While life has peaks and valleys, we should strive to live life at its highest points and to experience God when we are at our best.

High mountain living allows us to breathe fresh air, to see vast terrain, and to witness flocks of birds fly by. High mountain living places into perspective the shallow aspects of life. High mountain living eliminates people with low aim and low expectations. When we develop the habits of high mountain living, we are empowered by the challenge "to look to the hills from whence cometh our strength.” “Our strength comes from the Lord."

Our days are few, and are between spent doing good, then in disputing over matters of minor importance. It seems that pettiness enters into our lives so easily. Titus informs us to avoid foolish controversies. This is good advice as each of us continues our journey to the destination God in store for us.

For me, I chose to deal with the real questions of life. Do I believe in God and Jesus Christ? Am I walking in the flesh or in the spirit? Am I demonstrating love for all of God's creation?

Anything less than higher thinking, is not really worth my time.

Over the ages, the powerful interests of America have gotten their way with the poor and those in need. Much like splitting wooden logs, they need to be careful because splitting logs can be dangerous business. The splinters cause by the splitting of wood can be dangerous to the logger. Likewise, the economic climate created by unchecked greed is causing a backlash from all segments of our society. The powerful 1% is being called to task for their growing balance sheets, their disproportional tax rate, and their egregious bonus checks. At the same time, the misery index is rapidly rising and the cries of the innocent people are being heard in streets and cities across America. We are finding every day that the splinters are endangering the loggers.

Here's a picture of the $2 million 20.5 carat diamond engagement ring given to Kim Kardashian by Kris Humphries.

The 72-day marriage of Kim Kardashian to Kris Humphries raises some interesting cultural questions about the meaning of love and being in love.

A Washington Post article offers the following quote:

Where is love in all of these calculations? “Love as distinct from ‘being in love’ is not merely a feeling,” C.S. Lewis argued. “It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by (in Christian marriages) the grace which both persons ask, and receive, from God.”

In the divine providence of God, he feeds us through our ability to secure nourishment or the ability of others to provide nourishment to us. In a physical sense, we need the nutrients and vitamins food provides. In a spiritual sense, we need the vitality and sustainability that God's word provides.

God is available to us throughout life's journey to feed us until we want no more. If we avail ourselves to Him, he will sit at your table and dine with you.