“Lofty Expectations…and the Excellence that Creates Them”

(I meant to write this last week following Justin Verlander’s near-3rd no-hitter, but the busy weekend got away from me in a hurry…)

Last Friday, Detroit Tigers fans were treated to a gem, as Justin Verlander, undisputed team ace and best pitcher in the game, thrilled us once again, as we witnessed him coming within two outs of a third no-hitter, a feat that would have put him in the company of the likes of Hall-of-Famers Sandy Koufax and Nolan Ryan. Coming off of a 24-5 MVP season, the first for a starting pitcher since 1986, Verlander has picked up right where he left off in 2011, putting together another dominating season, which is a blessing because not only has lacking run support necessitated every bit of his dominance so far in 2012, but his stellar track record has led to skyrocketing expectations from him and fans, both now and beyond.

Expectations of Justin Verlander to pitch at the highest level, game in and game out, were none higher than after the 7th inning of the Tigers 6-0 victory last Friday. For most pitchers seriously bidding for a no-hitter, as the innings dwindle down, anxiety builds, as the common question becomes, “Will he do it?” but when Verlander makes such a bid and gets past the 7th, fans’ confidence grows, with the prevailing sentiment being, “He’s gonna do this! Again!” I was therefore as shocked as anyone else when he did not close the deal and gave up a hit after 8 1/3 innings. Although a one-hitter is also a spectacular effort that was much-needed at the time, we all expected him to complete the no-hitter and thus were happy with the win, but disappointed about the 9th inning. Verlander has been so good, so dominant for a long enough time that we all believe he has the potential to throw a no-hitter every time he takes the mound; there’s certainly no other pitcher in the game or whom we have such an expectation. It’s definitely not fair for us to have this expectation, but that’s what happens when you’ve been so excellent for so long.

Everything I do in ministry is to help people in any stage of life realize the God-given potential within them. I know what it’s like to flounder through life with a multiplicity of gifts and no idea on how to use them, or, worse yet, to live in perpetual doubt, fear, and stagnation because of not knowing who one is in God. Seeing people progress toward their full potential in life makes me happy. What happens, though, when you’ve realized the excellence you’ve been pursuing, when you’re living to your full potential, when you’re solidly on your way toward destiny and truly living the life you’ve imagined? We focus so much of our preaching and evangelistic energies on getting people to realize the plan God has for their lives, but what do we do after we’ve gotten them to that point? When you’ve reached a certain place in your life where you’re living victoriously, how does our ministry change? When the person you’ve been praying for fervently for years finally experiences that breakthrough, do you keep praying for them? Is there any ministry left for them?

When you’ve been living at a high level for an extended period of time, your expectations, as well as those of the people around you and the men and/or women of God in charge of your soul, should elevate. When you’ve been saved for twenty years and the smoking, drinking, cussing, and fornicating you used to do is well in your past, you should no longer refer to your abstinence from these things as a major accomplishment, for you should be well beyond the basics of holy living. God requires more of you. My prayer for you is that you don’t buckle under the pressure of the lofty expectations and be encouraged that the reason expectations of you have risen in the first place because your performance has also risen and excellence has been recognized.

Peace and Love,
Pastor Cylar
05-27-2012

“The Endorsement Heard ‘Round the World”

The church in up in arms right now, and truthfully, it shouldn’t be, as such a reaction indicates very clearly that we have not been paying attention.

Wednesday morning, President Barack Obama announced in an exclusive interview that, after some time of reflection, discussions with his family, and an evolving opinion on the matter, he is now supporting gay marriage. Of course, this announcement is a significant moment in history because President Obama is the first sitting president to publicly endorse this right, and has done so in such a definitive manner that there will most likely never again be a democratic presidential nominee that will not echo this endorsement. What the President has done is, by all accounts, a gutsy political move he did not have to make and a bold statement against the abuse of states’ rights, in the wake of Tuesday’s North Carolina landslide vote that, on the surface, affirmed that marriage is between one man and one woman, but in reality, gave the state government the right to deny vital benefits to households and even children who are not the product of a union between one married man and one married woman.

What is more significant, however, is the effect this announcement will have, and, in many respects, is already becoming evident in the electorate for November. On one hand, the President’s endorsement will help secure the LGBT vote and garner substantial financial support from that community. On the other hand, his announcement has caused a significant rift in the black church that could negatively affect his standing in the black electorate moving forward, as blacks have been regarded by many to be the most homophobic race. (I actually think the term, “homophobic” is grossly abused most of the time, but I don’t have enough space here to get into that.) Some of the top figures of the black church have even come out and lambasted the President in the media, claiming they feel betrayed and that he needs to reconcile himself with them before November. It is this reaction I am most disappointed with, especially since many of the President’s staunchest critics on this issue have skeletons in their own closet, with undercover homosexual relationships, children created outside of the marital bedroom, financial improprieties, and other moral failures of which much of the public is well aware. They should be the last to make any comments.

If you look back to my thoughts following President Obama’s repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” I think you’ll see I have a rather balanced opinion on this issue. The Bible I’ve read my entire life accounts God condemning the lifestyle of homosexuality; it has never been acceptable to God, and I hold the same opinion. I also know the Bible teaches us to advocate for the human rights of all people and to never endanger or disenfranchise others from the ability to operate within those rights. We talk about wanting to uphold the “traditional” definition of marriage, but in all reality, affirming such a definition, in biblical terms, means that as many people as you have had sex with in your lifetime is the number of people to whom you’ve been married. In biblical times, the only marriage ceremony was that of intercourse, and, as is still the case in many places, the marriage was neither official nor legal until that act of consummation took place. Furthermore, divorce, and thus remarriage, was not allowed. Clearly, those laws are not in practice today, given that divorce is commonplace and municipalities do not recognize two random people who have sex with each other as a married couple, eligible for the full benefits thereof. We therefore have to be very careful what traditions we care to uphold and what the benefits of doing so entail.

Even more importantly, we must consider, firstly, the role of a president, governor, prime minister, or any other elected official in the everyday practice of holy living, and secondly, which issues are most germane to one’s electability and his/her ability to run a nation. My brother in law said it best a few days ago; the President is elected governmental leader of the country, not the Senior Pastor. We don’t elect officials to tell us how to live holy; we already have an instruction manual on that wise—the Bible. We look to our leaders to guide us in the right direction regarding economic policy, education, foreign affairs, and other matters directly affecting our daily lives. One’s stance on same-sex marriage, or abortion, for that matter, has absolutely no effect on whether or not I can eat, clothe myself and my family, work, pay bills, live in a safe neighborhood, or perform any everyday function. How people choose to live their lives is between them and God; we will all have to answer for the lifestyles we lead. In the past, politicians have successfully used these and other “wedge issues” to divide people and distract them from the real issues at hand, and if the black church continues to beat its chest about this issue, rather than taking it to God in prayer, these politicians will succeed yet again.

I will never condone the practice of homosexuality because I believe what the Bible says, but by the same token, I will also not infringe upon others’ human rights because I also know what the Bible says about that. God was and still is the same God before and after this announcement, and I will continue to live my life as such.

Peace and Love,
Pastor Cylar
05-13-2012

**Internet Exclusive** Maintaining Momentum

To all who attended our District Conference and to those who prayed from afar, thank you so much. I appreciate your presence and enthusiasm throughout and look to see more of it moving forward. This week has laid the foundation of unity and excellence, but what we do from this point will determine our trajectory in God. It is so easy to either rest on the laurels of success and get lax in the spirit, or allow the enemy to dupe us into doubting the breakthrough that took place last week, but as long as we stay strong, remain encouraged, and continue actively practicing on a regular basis the unity we claim we’re walking in, we can truly usher in the spirit of restoration to this conference and beyond.

For your spiritual edification, links to the District Conference sermons and workshops are included below (also can be found on our conference website here). Please share this material with friends and with those not in attendance so we can continue the momentum we have built here. The best is yet to come for us. We can and will continue going higher, in Jesus’ name! This is just the beginning!

Thursday, May 3, 2012
Opening Worship: Rev. Larry Bell – “Greater Works Shall You Do” Audio

Friday, May 4, 2012
Workshop: Presiding Elder Marcus A. Cylar – “Why We Do What We Do” Audio | Notes
Youth Night Worship: Sis. Kabrielle Baker – “Are You Ready for War?” Audio

Saturday, May 5, 2012
Morning Glory Worship: Evangelist Chariece Cylar – “Worship in the Midst of a War Ship” Audio

Peace and Love,
Pastor Cylar
05-11-2012

“Demand Accountability”

So, apparently, all the “experts” knew something we didn’t. 88 percent (22 of 25) of the National Hockey League commentators and writers polled concerning the Stanley Cup Playoffs predicted the Nashville Predators would win the best-of-seven series against the Detroit Red Wings. I thought they were crazy, Detroit sportscasters and writers thought they were crazy, but Nashville went out and showed us just how wrong we were and how on target the “experts” were. Losing in terrible five-game fashion, it is the first time since the 2005-06 season that the Wings have lost in the first round of the playoffs.

Because the Wings have been to the playoffs 21 consecutive seasons, an extraordinary feat of consistency and sustained excellence, especially in this era of salary caps and free agency, we in this area have grown to expect a lot of our team, adopting a New York Yankees-type mantra of “championship or bust.” On the flip side of that, we also tend to give our Wings a free pass when they don’t do as well as we believe they should have. We are highly critical of the other teams in this area, especially the Tigers, but we are not so with the Red Wings, and a caller into a 97.1 The Ticket made just that point last week.

While that caller made such an astute point last week, it is acceptable to give a team the benefit of the doubt every once in a while, especially if, in that those two decades of excellence, they’ve won four titles and were on the brink of winning another one. The Red Wings’ superlative record has earned them the benefit of the doubt, at least to the point where we should not be too upset over their lackluster performance in this year’s playoffs. We as fans do need to hold their feet to the fire, though, and demand that they have a productive offseason, making some significant changes to a roster that, almost overnight, has grown a bit old and stale. And if they don’t make these changes, and/or if they suffer a similar ending to the 2012-13 season, we should be very upset and demand accountability from the players, the coaching staff, and the general manager, all on whom we’ve lavished high praise in the past.

To offer the understatement of a lifetime, life is not easy. Maintaining a lifestyle of holiness, drawing people closer to Christ with our lives, and striving to reach the destiny God has ordained for us, all in the face of tremendous attack from the enemy, is difficult, so we must always be careful to fully embrace the concept of continuous improvement in our lives and demand it in the lives of those around us. No matter how good we think we’ve been, Satan is always right around the corner to attack us in our areas of weakness, so we can’t afford to think too highly of ourselves. It matters not how consistent we’ve been over however many years; one moment of weakness can cause us to lose everything for which we’ve worked so hard. The Red Wings have shown us that regardless of our track record, none of us is above reproach, so let us hold fast to our diligence, continue to hold our feet to the fire, and demand accountability.

Peace and Love,
Pastor Cylar
04-22-2012

“Out of Context, Off Message”

Sybrina Fulton, mother of tragically slain teenager Trayvon Martin, said in an interview on Thursday, one day following the long-overdue arrest of her son’s killer, George Zimmerman, that she believed the shooting of her son the night of February 26, 2012 was an accident. Of course, this statement was taken way out of context and blown up in the media over the following hours as a characterization of the shooting as an accident, rather than a cold-blooded crime, and an affirmation that Zimmerman need not stand trial for this shooting. Of course, the family lawyer helped Ms. Fulton clean up the statement to clarify that in no way did she believe Zimmerman shot her son on accident, but that the fact that their paths even crossed in the first place was indeed accidental.

Clearly, Ms. Fulton, as I’m sure is also the case for Trayvon’s father, is mentally and emotionally exhausted after doing so many live television interviews, which surely neither is used to, and needs a break from the cameras. It is my prayer, which I imagine is echoed by many others, that the family gets this much-needed break from the cameras for a while and is allowed to grieve in peace, as this case works itself out in the legal system (to which it should have gone in the first place).
Last week, Democratic political strategist, Hilary Rosen, when criticizing the fact that Republican Presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, leans heavily on his wife for perspective on the effects on economic policies on women, said that stay-at-home-mom Ann Romney had “never worked a day in her life,” after which a firestorm quickly erupted that reflected poorly on President Obama, even though Rosen has nothing to do with him, his campaign, his staff, or his overall political strategy in any way, shape, or form. Republicans have spent the past quarter alienating themselves from women by touting sexist, 1950s-like policies that demean and disenfranchise them, and therefore needed the shot in the arm that Rosen’s comments provided, as they head for a tough general election.

What the backlash from Rosen’s statements illustrates is that you can mean well, but if you choose your words poorly, the true meaning of what you’re saying and the context thereof will be ignored completely. What Rosen was trying to say was not that staying at home and raising children should not be considered “work”, but that never having the burden and responsibility of going out into the workforce and toiling to earn, coupled with the fact that she is married to very wealthy man, whose financial success has shielded her and her family from having to make the tough budgetary decisions that mothers typically have to deal with of stretching a paycheck to cover food, clothing, medicine, and bills, and because she hasn’t had to make those tough decisions, perhaps she’s not as qualified as a gainfully employed mother pulling in a modest income to give economic policy advice. I tend to agree with that assessment, and if I were undecided going into this election, it would be a point of legitimate concern for me. That legitimacy, however, has been lost on much of the general public, eager to ignore context and sensationalize anything in the name of political banter.

In this digital, instant-information age, we are ever reminded it is not only important that we say what we mean and mean what we say, but that we take a moment to breathe and process our thoughts before speaking, lest our words be misconstrued and good intentions, nullified.

Peace and Love,
Pastor Cylar
04-15-2012