Saturday, March 19, 2016

A Message to the White Protestant Church in Our Troubled Times

A Message to the White Protestant Church in our Troubled Times

2 Cor. 5:16 NRSV
“From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view, even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer that way.”

2 Cor. 5:16 The Message
“Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look.  We looked at the Mwssiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know.  We certainly don’t look at him that way any more.”

Phil. 3:4b NRSV
“If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more:”

Phil. 3:4b The Message
“ we can list what many might think are impressive credentials.”

The White Protestant Church in Alabama has failed God.  We evaluate people by what they have and how they look.  You have to be born straight, out of a white, thin, rich belly from a white male, as a white male to count.  We no longer see our Christ as a poor, brown, unattractive, Jewish, Palestinian, peasant as the embodiment of God’s rule among us, as the spokesperson and demonstration of the Queendom/Kingdom of God. It is no longer our desire to follow him in the ethic of the Sermon of the Mount.  We have become satisfied to make him an idol on the pedestal of a non-ethical creed and to try to use him in a magical way to manipulate God to satisfy our human desire for possessions, place and power while abusing the creation.  We have no desire to preach good news to the poor on our doorstep, liberate the oppressed immigrants, free the poor black mass incarcerated prisoners or cancel suffocating student debt and to build a compassionate and just society.

 We are satisfied to think our eternal salvation is accomplished by holding some illogical, irrational opinion about Jesus and the Bible but never knowing Jesus and following Him or  ever reading what the Bible says about social justice and living it.

The White Protestant Church in Alabama can list for itself what many would consider impressive credentials while it exist in a morally corrupt, racists, ignorant, poverty ridden, oppressive, punishment oriented, war seeking, society that shows no resemblance to the word and work of Jesus.  The White Protestant Church in Alabama is the political power base that elects politicians who work to keep this morally corrupt society in place.

Therefore, it is time for us to reengage the words and work of Jesus and the Apostles and the Prophets and to know that highfaluting ideas and opinions about Jesus and the Bible do not provide any safety, security or salvation. We must come to a faith that works by love, striving for communities that embody the reign of God Jesus modeled, seeing every human being as a precious child of God and seeing all creation as a holy place to use, enjoy and preserve, not a place to abuse.

We need a Moral Revival built on the solid rock of Jesus’ words worked into our lives.  A Moral Revival that restores our brokenness and through compassion leads us to establishe justice for all and heal the creation.

R. Lawton Higgs, Sr.

3/9/16

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Eulogy for the Rev. Dr. Dorothy Carolyn Spradley Pitts


Eulogy for the Rev. Dr. Dorothy Carolyn Spradley Pitts
Preached October 5, 2013, First United Methodist Church, Birmingham, AL.

Text Genesis 33:10  “For truly to see your face is to see the face of God.”
“Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming”: Number 216, United Methodist Hymnal

We are here today to worship God, the God whose face is reconciliation, forgiveness and life for all.  The God whose face Jacob saw in the face of Esau.  This face of God was and is, not a reconciliation and forgiveness that accepts a painful unjust oppressive status quo;  but one that wrestles against evil for the glory of God.  The reconciling, forgiving face of God that Jacob saw was the reconciliation and forgiveness that opens up the covenant promises of God and always holds open the covenant promises of God so that the Children of Abraham will out number the sands of the sea and every human creature is in that number as an instrument of the good will of God for all creation.  This is the face of God we seek and worship today and every day. For God was in Christ reconciling the world to him/herself, not counting our trespasses against us but giving us a ministry of reconciliation. 

This reconciliation and ministry of reconciliation that is the face of God was the focus of the life and ministry of the Reverend Doctor Dorothy Carolyn Spradley Pitts.

Miester Eckhart, the great 12th Century Dominican mystic, said, “
What good did it do for Mary to give birth to Jesus at the beginning of the First Century if we don’t give birth to Jesus in our century?”

 Carolyn Pitts gave birth to Jesus in many, many, many ways.  I would like for us to celebrate her life of giving birth to Jesus with the images of; 1st Mary the mother of Jesus, 2nd Mary of Bethany, 3rd Mary of Magdala and 4th as the mother of her own children.

1st Mary the mother of Jesus: 
The Magnificate. Luke 1:51-53, “God has shown the strength of his arm; God has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts, God has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; God has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.”

When you give birth to Jesus you do more than touch people’s lives. You, through the Holy Spirit, create and sustain institutions that continue to work for biblical restorative justice, institutions that work for racial, gender, social and economic justice, institutions that change oppressive, unjust systems.

The 1960’s were difficult and tumultuous times in Birmingham and Alabama.  Greater Birmingham Ministries was created during those times as an agency of the church to provide direct service to the poor and needy, the least of these; and to also work for systems change, to work for biblical restorative justice for the victims of Jim Crow segregation.  There arose a conflict in the church over this systems change work.  By and large the white affluent church of the suburbs only wanted to do direct service to the poor, not work for system change with the poor to end their poverty.  This resulted in a split in The Greater Birmingham Ministries and the system change aspect of the work was under threat.  Carolyn Pitts, Louise Branscomb and others worked to sustain Greater Birmingham Ministries system change work.  The Rev. Dr. Carolyn Pitts served as the interim executive director until the agency could be stabilized and GBM continues today as a strong direct service and system change agency.

In addition to her role in giving birth to Greater Birmingham Ministries she also had a significant role in giving birth to the divine feminine in the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church.  Carolyn was one of the first 3 or 4 women to be ordained elder in the conference.  She had many joys and sorrows in her early years as a female ordained elder in the United Methodist Church in North Alabama.

While Carolyn served with us at Church of the Reconciler she was a great resource as we strived for the full inclusion of women and the poor in the life of the church, not just membership, but in leadership and power sharing.  She shared this story of her struggle that she experienced at one appointment.  She was scheduled to preach a community Thanksgiving service at another church of another denomination in the community.  When she arrived at the church for the service they had put chains around the pulpit area to chain her out of the pulpit.  She preached in front of the chains and continued to break the chains that kept women out of the pulpit!  There are now over 50 ordained women in the North Alabama Conference.

Carolyn also played a significant role in giving birth to the Firehouse Shelter for homeless men in downtown Birmingham. When she served on the staff at First United Methodist Church she was a leader with the Downtown Cooperative Ministries who responded to the growing homeless population and their need for emergency shelter by working to establish this ministry of the church.

Carolyn gave birth to Jesus, “as a flower bright in the cold of winter night.”  (Lo, How a Rose v1.)

2nd Mary of Bethany
We also want to celebrate Carolyn’s ministry with the image of Mary of Bethany, the Mary who chose the better part not to be taken away from her; the Mary who sat at the feet of Jesus as disciple and scholar. Carolyn started her theological studies at Princeton, finished her Master of Divinity at Vanderbilt University and completed her Doctor of Ministry at Drew Theological Seminary. The focus of her Doctoral Project was forgiveness and reconciliation.  Carolyn Pitts, was a true disciple of Jesus.

Carolyn gave birth to Jesus, “a rose er bloming from tender stem has sprung of Jesse’s linage coming as those of old have sung.”  (Lo, How a Rose)

3rd Mary of Magdala
We also celebrate Carolyn’s ministry with the image of Mary of Magdala, the first preacher of the resurrection. Carolyn was a preacher of the resurrection of Jesus. She served as a Spiritual Director in the Birmingham Emmaus Community where she helped many people, even her own son , see the resurrected Jesus in the breaking of the bread of life.

When she served with us at the Reconciler we experienced the reality of shattered lives and deep brokenness of the city streets.  In the midst of that reality Carolyn used her artistic gifts to preach the resurrection of Jesus who heals our brokenness and strife.  One morning when Carolyn and I came to work at the store front on 18th Street we discovered that one of the large plate glass windows had been shattered.  In our worship at Reconciler we used a round table where there is no head or foot at the table of the Lord to symbolize our commitment to radical hospitality and inclusiveness.  To communicate this truth that the resurrected Jesus heals all our brokenness in a lasting way Carolyn took a large piece if the broken glass and had it cut in a circle with beveled edges the size of our round communion table and then with great artistic gift, she glued pieces of the shattered glass underneath the solid round glass table top.  She did this so that by her art on the table, we would be reminded each time we celebrated communion that the resurrected Jesus heals all our brokenness.

Carolyn gave birth to Jesus, “A flower to show God’s love born to us a Savior, when half spent was the night.”  (Lo, How a Rose”)

4th As the Mother of her own children
Finally, but certainly not last, we celebrate Carolyn Spradley Pitts life as mother of her own children: Ann, Caty, Burt, and Pete.  What a joy it was last Thursday afternoon to hear them share the awesome memories of their mother.

Sister Mary Dominick talking about the musical Carolyn wrote for the youth group at Trinity United Methodist Church, “Seek, Matthew Seek.”  A musical presented not only at Trinity in Homewood, but also at the annual session of the North Alabama Conference.  How much joy she experienced learning and singing the songs that composed the musical.

They talked about how great an artist Caty is and how Carolyn supported her artistic gifts.  Carolyn let Caty paint murals all over the house.  They particularly remembered the one in Bright hippie colors on the garage wall with the bold letters “LUV” and another mural painted on the stairwell wall.

Burt talked about all of them piling into the old Rambler station wagon and going to the Bethlehem House in Titusville with their mother when she would teach piano lessons to the African American children there in the face of significant opposition.  Burt also recalled how he and Pete would play basketball with the young Black men learning appreciation and respect for difference and diversity.
Pete talked about how his mother would wake up at 3 AM on Sunday and help him deliver his paper route.  Burdened down on his bike with a heavy load of Sunday papers, she would show up in the little truck and say, “throw the papers and the bike in the truck and I will help deliver the route.”

Bert and Pete talked about their mother going to a rock concert with them, how she rolled up the tickets and put them in her ears to deal with the loud noise as she enjoyed the concert.

They shared how the whole family packed up and spent a month with Rosa and Bob Caufield in Bolivia while Dr. Marshal Pitts taught the medical people there to perform five life saving surgeries.

They shared many, many more stories of global concern, hospitality and mission!

So today in our grief and need we do not have to be afraid of the future, for God’s Covenant Promises are sure.  Just as Jacob saw the reconciling, forgiving, healing face of God in Esau’s face, so also we saw it in The Reverend Dorothy Carolyn Spradley’s Pitts face and we will always see it in the face of Jesus!

Carolyn gave birth to Jesus, “O Flower, whose fragrance, tender with sweetness fills the air, dispel in glorious splendor the darkness everywhere.”


Jesus, “True man yet very God, from sin and death now save us, and share our every load.”  (Lo, How a Rose)

God’s Covenant Promises never fail!!


R. Lawton Higgs, Sr.  12/21/13






Friday, December 27, 2013

Breakthrough: A Eulogy for Glenn Hand-Truitt

Eulogy for Glenn Hand-Truitt
Preached at Covenant United Church of Christ   November 16, 2013

Title:  Breakthrough
Texts: Revelation 21:1-4 and Micah 6:8

Glenn Hand-Truitt was an awesome nonviolent spiritual warrior who struggled against the abuses of the violent spirituality of a fear based patriarchal, oppressive, hate filled religion he referred to as the old red rooster, better known as Jim Crow; and that ain’t no Thanksgiving turkey!

In his struggle, the Creation Spirituality of the wisdom tradition of the prophets and Jesus, as interpreted by Teilhard De Chardin and Matthew Fox gave him his breakthrough.  This tradition of Creation Spirituality holds that there are two books of God, creation and revelation, science and religion.

This tradition holds that all creation began in the goodness of God, with the original blessing of God and that God is in all things, and that all things are in God;  and that the “omega point” of all creation is in the New Heaven and New Earth, with the complete fulfillment of all the loving purposes of God.

Glenn was very clear when J. R., Kevin and I met with him to plan his funeral service, that he wanted us to declare this breakthrough so that all of us would know the love and hope of God who is in all things, the God who is everywhere present; so that today and everyday we would be strengthened to do justice, love compassion and walk humbly with God.  Glenn wanted J.R., Kevin and I to do this, to share his breakthrough, with the two biblical texts we have already shared and with the folk song, “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain As She Comes”, the Lord’s Prayer with the Creation Spirituality definition of Heaven and with the affirmation that it is not God that leads us into temptation, but that it is God who leads us away from temptation.

Glenn was a very dear spiritual friend and teacher for me.  We would share lunch together frequently.  I will miss those table talks very much.  I had rather be doing that than doing his funeral today!  At one of those lunches, Glenn asked me about the sources of my spiritual nurture; if I had any spiritual friends?  “O yes,” I said. I started naming them, John Wesley, Martin Luther King, Jr., Howard Thurman, William Stringfellow.  I made the comment that they are all dead. I spend my time with them through their writings and my spiritual imagination.

Glenn looked at me and said, “Lawton, I think you ought to have at least one spiritual friend that is alive!”  He said, “I think it would be a good thing for you to get to know Matthew Fox as a spiritual friend.”  Matthew Fox is a prolific writer and a great theologian.  Now I have read all of Matthew Fox’s writings.

Glenn worked very hard with a group of people to bring Matthew Fox to Church of the Reconciler and Birmingham Southern College.  Matthew Fox got the opportunity to meet Fred Shuttlesworth and to be blessed by him.    Glenn and I went to Los Angeles and studied under Matthew Fox and participated in the production of a Cosmic Mass. Glenn and I produced a Cosmic Communion for Birmingham at Church of the Reconciler.

When I began reading Matthew Fox with Glenn’s guidance, I did not know original blessing as a starting point for theology or the terms via positiva, via negativa, via creativa, via transformativa.  Glenn led us in a study of Matthew Fox’s book Original Blessing at our Wednesday night program at Church of the Reconciler.  I had never heard of the term cosmology, the study of the universe. The only thing I could connect to the term at the time was cosmetology, the study of fixing hair.  I had never heard of panentheism, the creation spiritualty’s way of speaking that all things are in God and God is in all things, that God is not an old white man in the sky.  The only thing I could connect with the term when I first heard it was the heresy, pantheism, that all things are God.  Thank you Glenn for this gift!  For now creation spirituality is a deep part of my spirituality, of my thinking and talking about God. And I hope it is a part of your spirituality as well.

In closing I want to share what Glenn wanted us to know about his breakthrough with the folk song, as revised by him, “She’ll be Coming ‘Round the Mountain as She Comes”, and how he wanted us to pray the Lord’s Prayer.

She’ll be coming ‘round the mountain as she comes.
She’ll be driving 6 white horses as she comes.
We’ll all go out to meet her as she comes.
We’ll calm the old red rooster as she comes.
We’ll have plenty good eating as she comes.
We’ll all sing hallelujah as she comes.

1)   She’ll be coming ‘round the mountain as she comes.
She – divine wisdom is feminine in the Hebrew and Greek scriptures; God is Mother and Father, male and female.
‘Round the mountain- there are no mountains of fear, guilt, shame, hatred, or pain that can block the wisdom and love of God from coming into our lives.
As she comes, not when she comes- the wisdom and love of God are always and every present and eternally coming and breaking through into our lives.

2)   She’ll be driving 6 white horses, or 6 black horses, or 6 red horses, or any combination of the above as she comes.
There is no deficiency in the power of wisdom and love to fulfill the purpose of God.  The “omega point” of God will come!

3)   We’ll all go out to meet her as she comes.
All are included, every human creature and all creation will meet the wisdom and love of God and be fulfilled in her power as she comes.

4)   We’ll calm the old red rooster as she comes.
The means of the wisdom and love of God are to overcome evil with good, nonviolent spiritual work; to transform, not kill and destroy.

5)   We’ll all have plenty good eating as she comes.
At the banquet table of God we all are fed until we are satisfied. The abundance of the universe and its purpose is unlimited.

6)   We’ll all sing hallelujah as she comes.
Our goodness and worthfulness is an original blessing rooted in the creative goodness of God.  Everybody is somebody; there are no second-class human beings.

Can I get a hallelujah?

The creative intention of God for our life and all creation will be fulfilled by the power of the creative wisdom and love of God.  Hope unlimited!

Can I get a hallelujah?

The One who created us through free grace will by the same free grace present us faultless before the throne of God.  Jesus stood up for us!  Jesus was raised from the dead for us.  We will be raised from death by him!

Can I get a Hallelujah?


And when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, Our Mother/Father in Heaven.  What do we mean by Heaven?  One of the greatest breakthroughs of human spirituality is that we do not live in a split-level universe because heaven is in all things and all things are in heaven.  So Glenn wants us to pray the Lords Prayer this way today; our Father/Mother who is everywhere present.  And this God of love chose not to lead us into temptation, but does lead us away from temptation!

Glenn, I hope I have been faithful to the breakthrough you received from this divine wisdom and love of God.

May all of us today be filled with grace, hope and peace as we shout hallelujah, as she comes! As divine wisdom and love fills our lives!


R. Lawton Higgs, Sr.  12/26/13



Wednesday, November 20, 2013

The Bishop’s of the United Methodist Church have decided that they are righteous in themselves and decided to have contempt for others. (Luke 18: 9`14)

The Bishop’s of the United Methodist Church have decided that they are righteous in themselves and decided to have contempt for others. (Luke 18: 9`14)

It is amazing and ironical that they chose a bishop from Germany and a bishop from Alabama to express their contempt for others.  It was in Germany in the 1930’s that Christians there did not resist Hitler sending all the gay and lesbian people he could find to the gas chambers.  And Alabama is the capital of the Confederacy and the home of Jim Crow, where we still have a 1901 constitution in place that institutionalized and legalized Jim Crow.  White male Methodists constructed and keep in place the Alabama 1901 Constitution.  They had to reject John Wesley’s stance against slavery and keep Jesus in the grave, so that the bishops of the white Methodist Episcopal Church South could keep their slaves under Jim Crow and keep our white churches segregated.

What is more amazing and ironical is that the contempt of others is being expressed by two female bishops who can only be bishops in the church by overcoming the fundamentalist literal reading of the Bible.  The Bible has a lot more to say about the uncleanness of women and the prohibition of women to be in leadership of the church than it has to say about gay and lesbian people.

We United Methodist are certainly a confused, hypocritical and backslid people when it comes to the great commandment (Matthew 22: 36-40) and the great commission (Matthew 28: 18-20). 

Joe and Bobby are at home justified.

RLH   11/19/13