As I Remember
I was hired that day as a musician for the Pastor's Choir. I also watched and gave heed as he spoke that day.
I wondered to myself, who is this old blind man talking about faith? He said by faith, he was able to drive to the store and back home.
He couldn't have too much faith, he couldn't see...
He spoke in a pastoral cadence which was much a more deliberate and slower cadence, wanting everyone to hear his words clearly. He certainly had great command of the English language, as his word choices demonstrated. His gravelly voice caused me to focus more on the things he was saying. He was not faking his way through as one trying to impress the crowd. He actually knew what he was saying and he knew how to say it.
He was dressed in dark colors. His clothes were heavily starched and pressed. He wore a white shirt and colorful tie. His black wing tip shoes were shined to perfection. He wore a diamond studded tie clamp. In his presence you could smell his spicy cologne. My first impression was not that be had a lot of money, but that he was serious about being a gospel preacher. He wanted his words to touch the hearts of the people. He wanted his life to count for God. The evil days
(Days of ill health) of old age was upon him and one of the only pleasures he enjoyed was preaching.
As time went on I became a member of the Emmanuel Temple church. I traveled extensively as a musician for the Pastor's Choir. I began sitting in his bible classes and found out as I suspected he was an avid reader who read everything. His library was full of books he read. There were at least 500 books of which he could quote verbatim from any of them.
His mantra seems to me at that time, was in the form of a question, what do you really know?
He searched diligently to find answers to all of his questions and the questions others posed.
Always reaching to learn something new, his quest for life was to speak as one with a learned tongue. Was he perfect? He was perfect at being who he was. He couldn't be everything to everyone. He was just a man trying to take in all the he could. Most people are looking for a pie in the sky and they never grow into the fullness of what God desires for them.
As time moved on I discovered many things about him, some I liked and some I disfavored. At the same time through his entire serious disposition, of which I eventually broke through like breaking through an ice door, I discovered a gentle man who share some of the beliefs that I had and I his. We had some common ground. He did not believe in some of the things people attributed to him, or that he had as a young pastor. You learn over time those things that are traditional and those things that are truth.
For many years I sat under his ministry and tutelage. I learned so many things that as a minister I was never exposed to under others. In his bible classes he taught homiletics, apologetics, bible study methods and church history. He wanted to make sure the people would be well rounded.
One day he decided to make me an assistant to one of his churches. It was not an assignment I cared for. I was happy just being who I was and where I was.
The people received me causally, some warmly and some not at all. I was sent in his stead. The Spirit of God moved and every Sunday someone was getting saved. The people who received me coldly said, that ain't just your preaching that getting these people saved. What would you do if no one invited anyone? I knew it was people responding to the word of God in faith. Come to find out later these same people had a takeover agenda.
One Wednesday night Bishop sent me there to teach. One of these persons came and told me you can't teach tonight because all things are null and void because Bishop Taliefero died today and we are going to have a special meeting and you are not invited. You have to leave now or we will have the men physically remove you. I was not afraid but angry.
I had nothing to do but to turn around and walk away.
At the funeral we were given select slices of his life was and times.
I will always remember who he was whether in front of people of behind closed doors. He had a zest for learning new things and his always wanting to know the power of God demonstrated in his life.
He was the pastor of my young adult life.
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