A Holy Nation: Bible Study The Fifth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church Year Three - Pentecost Rev. Francine A. Brookins, Esq. and Rev. Jennifer S. Leath, Ph.D., Editors 1st Edition Introduction to a Holy Nation: Bible Study ........9 Contributors ....................................................................................................................10 An Holy, Loving, and “Democratic” Spirit: What Pentecost Reveals about God .............................11 Rev. M. JoDavid Sales, Ph.D. Pastor, Bethel AMEC (Marysville, CA) Go and Make Students: Holistic or Emaciated Evangelism .........................................................14 Rev. M. JoDavid Sales, Ph. D. Pastor, Bethel AMEC (Marysville, CA) Amazing Grace ...................................................17 Mrs. Mary Mayo Mayberry President, 5th Episcopal District Women’s Missionary Society Your Kingdom Come .........................................20 Rev. Mary S. Minor, D. Min. Pastor, Brookins-Kirkland Community AMEC (Los Angeles, CA) Come, Holy Spirit ..............................................22 Ms. Pamela Williams President, Missouri Conference Lay Organization Who Do We Say We Are? ..................................24 Rev. Mark Whitlock, Jr., M.Div., MSSE Pastor, Christ Our Redeemer AMEC (Irvine, CA) !2 Experiencing Spiritual Renewal: Take Off The Masks! ................................................................26 Rev. Mark Whitlock, Jr., M.Div., MSSE Pastor, Christ Our Redeemer AMEC (Irvine, CA) Pregnant With Praise ........................................28 Rev. Ann Champion Shaw Asst. Pastor, Bethel AMEC (San Francisco, CA) Turn The Light On .............................................30 Rev. Robert R. Shaw Pastor, Bethel AMEC (San Francisco, CA) Who Am I? .........................................................31 Rev. Jennifer S. Leath, Ph.D. Pastor, Campbell Chapel AMEC (Denver, CO) We Can’t Handle the Holy Ghost ......................34 Rev. Francine Brookins, J.D., M.Div. Pastor, Bethel AMEC (Fontana, CA) Get Out! .............................................................36 Rev. Francine Brookins, J.D., M.Div. Pastor, Bethel AME Church (Fontana, CA) Free to Love .......................................................38 Rev. Barry Settle, D.Min. Pastor, Allen Chapel AMEC (Riverside, CA) The Ministry of Restoration ..............................40 Rev. Barry Settle, D.Min. !3 Pastor, Allen Chapel AMEC (Riverside, CA) Commissioned To Seek Justice! ........................42 Rev. Sandra E.H. Smith Blair Associate Minister, St. Paul AMEC (Berkeley, CA) The Better Connection! .....................................44 Rev. Sandra E.H. Smith Blair Associate Minister, St. Paul AMEC (Berkeley, CA) Divine Justice, Hope and Marriage ..................46 Rev. Dr. Gloria Barrett Pastor, Hope Community AMEC (Tucson, AZ) Proper Priority of Possessions ..........................48 Rev. Dr. Gloria Barrett Pastor, Hope Community AMEC (Tucson, AZ) Welcoming the “Lost”........................................ 50 Rev. Dr. Margaret Redmond Pastor, Prince Chapel AMEC (Tucson, AZ) We Are the Salt of the Earth ..............................52 Rev. Dr. Margaret Redmond Pastor, Prince Chapel AMEC (Tucson, AZ) Unshakable and Unbreakable .........................54 Lic. Everett Fletch, RAYAC Coordinator, Midwest Annual Conference Consistent Praise ...............................................56 Rev. De Jeanne Taylor !4 Associate, Bethel AMEC (Fontana, CA) God Sees You .....................................................58 Rev. Patricia Freeman Associate, Bethel AMEC (Fontana, CA) Be Obedient to the Gift of God ..........................60 Rev. John H. Freeman, Jr. Associate, Bethel AMEC (Fontana, CA) A Clean Heart, Another Chance! .......................62 Rev. Karla J. Cooper, Ed.D. Pastor, Allen-St. John AMEC (Kansas City, MO) The Tired, Poor, Huddled Masses. .Yearning to Breathe Free ......................................................64 Rev. Karla J. Cooper, Ed.D. Pastor, Allen-St. John AMEC (Kansas City, MO) Put Up for Safekeeping ......................................66 Rev. Terry McCray Hill Pastor, Bethel AMEC (Portland, OR) When Tears Aren’t Necessary ...........................68 Rev. Terry McCray Hill Pastor, Bethel AMEC (Portland, OR) Unexpected Praise From Unexpected People ...70 Rev. Carey G. Anderson, D.Min. Pastor, First AMEC (Seattle, WA) We’re Not Done Yet ...........................................72 !5 Rev. Carey G. Anderson, D.Min. Pastor, First AMEC (Seattle, WA) The Mystery of Manifest Glory ..........................74 Rev. Dr. Brenda J. Hayes Pastor, Ebenezer AMEC (Kansas City, MO) Oil and Water .....................................................76 Rev. Dr. Brenda J. Hayes Pastor, Ebenezer AMEC (Kansas City, MO) The Eye of the Storm .........................................77 Rev. John D. Hill, D.Min. Pastor, Walker Chapel AMEC (Oceanside, CA) Hanging On By a Spider’s Thread .....................79 Rev. John D. Hill, D.Min. Pastor, Walker Chapel AMEC (Oceanside, CA) Home Court (Dis)Advantage .............................81 Rev. Jennifer S. Leath, Ph.D. Pastor, Campbell Chapel AMEC (Denver, CO) Straighten Up and Fly Right! ............................83 Rev. Jennifer S. Leath, Ph.D. Pastor, Campbell Chapel AMEC (Denver, CO) A Crisis In Leadership .......................................85 Rev. Damon Powell, Ph.D. Our Daily Discipline ..........................................87 Rev. Damon Powell, Ph.D. !6 Maintaining Unity .............................................89 The Rev. Francine A. Brookins, J.D., M.Div. Pastor, Bethel AMEC (Fontana, CA) Fear Not. God Is. ...............................................91 The Rev. Francine A. Brookins, J.D., M.Div. Pastor, Bethel AMEC (Fontana, CA) Be Wise ..............................................................93 Rev. Karen Anderson, M.Div. Pastor, Ward Chapel AMEC (Florissant, MO) Trusting Can Be So Very Hard To Do ...............95 Rev. Karen Anderson, M.Div. Pastor, Ward Chapel AMEC (Florissant, MO) The Living Water: Is it in you? ..........................97 Rev. Jarrol Taylor, Jr. Associate, Bethel AMEC (Fontana, CA) Seeking God’s Face ............................................99 Rev. Damon Powell, Ph.D. Love Will Reveal If Our Worship Is For Real ..101 Rev. Rachel Williams-Glenn, M.Div., LMFT Pastor, St. Paul AMEC (Independence, MO) Restoring Grace to Our Giving Honors Our Pentecost Beginning ........................................103 Rev. Rachel Williams-Glenn, M.Div., LMFT Pastor, St. Paul AMEC (Independence, MO) !7 Adjusting Our Spiritual Lens ...........................105 Rev. Carolyn Baskin-Bell, M.Div. Pastor, Second AMEC (Los Angeles, CA) Instruments of Inclusion .................................107 Rev. Carolyn Baskin-Bell, M.Div. Pastor, Second AMEC (Los Angeles, CA) Famous or Faithful ..........................................109 Rev. Mary S. Minor, D. Min. Pastor, Brookins-Kirkland Community AMEC (Los Angeles, CA) !8 Introduction to a Holy Nation: Bible Study Greetings to each of you in the holy name of Jesus! We have developed this Bible Study curriculum to undergird Bishop Clement W. Fugh’s vision for the work of the Fifth Episcopal District for this third year of the quadrennial. Most of our local churches have some sort of weekly Bible Study gathering. It is our hope that the lessons provided here will be used by each local church. For this third quadrennial year, we focus on the Season of Pentecost. This is a season of miracles, signs, and wonders. We will plant seeds of expectancy and reach out for lost souls. While the central scripture of the call to be a “Holy Nation” issued at the Watergate continues to be our primary scriptural focus for the quadrennial (Nehemiah 8:1-10; I Peter 2:1-10), the scriptural focus for the 2018-2019 Annual Conference Year, in particular, is John 20:19-22: 19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. and Act 2:1-21: 1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. 5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one