4th Fridays Review
JUNE 23, 2006
Summertime is officially here and the 4th Fridays in June 23rd certainly did bring the HEAT!!
The Praise and Worship Leader of the night was Temeka Thompson, a pleasant and refreshing psalmist who always offers up a sweet fragrance of praise unto the Lord. Sis. Temeka brought down the house (or should I say lifted it up) with Glorious, then humbly set the tone for worship with a passionate rendition of Breathe On Me. Look for this songbirds debut CD to be released in October 2006.
Poet Wanda Scott offered up two pieces from her book of poetry entitled Lifetime of Relationships. In A Flaming Sword, Sis. Scott describes how Adam and Eve pointed fingers regarding the Fall but neither could defend their failure to consult God before taking action, hence, their dismissal from the Garden. But Sis. Scott concluded that the Cherubim holds a Flaming Sword to protect the Garden now. So how does God win in the end? Ask Jesus how! She stated that even when we mess up, God provides a way out. We just have to come to Him and accept His plan. Then in Just As They Are, Sis. Scott posed as one seeking God and asking, Where Are You? His answer is that He is everywhere, speaking and working through the Body of Christ in different ways and in different places. Sis. Scott reminded us that we dont have to go far to find folks to minister to. We can serve Gods people just as we are and just where we are.
I absolutely love Christian rappers such as The M.Y.T.H. (Magnify Yahweh Through Hip-Hop). He reminded me of the prophet Ezekiel as he cried aloud and spared not with his two cuts Jesus and Get Ready. In the second cut, he stated, When I speak, its rooted in the teachings of Jesus, so you cant refute it. He recruited me to spread the message about His return, I cant suppress it. And I absolutely loved the hook: Get ready, get readyChrist is coming back Repent or burnHes gonna returnWhen you hear the trump sound, the sky is gonna crack! The MYTH was quick to state that its not his own name hes trying to promote. He just wants to lift up the name of Jesus, making sure that folks dont get caught out there and die without Christ. Look for this Hip-Hop Prophets debut CD to drop sometime next month.
Singing sensation Shawn Everette is sure to catch the eye of the Contemporary Gospel music scene in the near future. His hip, infectious singing style and stage presence captivated us throughout his set. Lord, I Give Thanks opened up in a capella, showing off Bro. Shawns vocal range as he showered us in a polished and tight 3-part harmony, Lord, I give thanks for all of Your mercy, Lord, I give thanks, You carried me through. Then his silky, soulful tenor blended into the track as he poured out his heart in thanks to the Lord. The funky, bass-driven All Praise reminded us that we have to give God just that no matter what we are going through. Then everybody was truly feeling the power and substance of Answers, where Bro. Shawn assured us that no matter how perplexing our lives become, God has the answers to our questions. Look for his CD to drop soon, too. Its sure to be well worth it!
Bro. Phil Dawson provided us with hilarious comic relief during the open-mic session. After introducing himself in a concert/circus announcer style, he ripped through his routines on ghetto churches with go-go bands and over-zealous preachers who constantly interrupt the Scripture reading during a sermon. After making our sides hurt, he informed us that we can usually catch him selling communion wine and crackers after service.
Event facilitator Lisa Gilliam reminded us that the joy of the Lord is our strength in Joy Comes in the Morning. Then the Holy Spirit intervened in the midst of her signature track One, as she began to testify about how God is using her past to fulfill her destiny and purpose. She confessed that she is still being healed and redeemed even now during this process. As Lisa learns to yield more and more to God, she is amazed at the degree to which He is using her today. Then she moved from testimony to prayer, pleading with us that we need to forgive within all our relationships, whether they are friends, loved ones, co-workers, or our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is the only way we can begin to heal from some of our past hurts and anger we may still carry around today.
Songstress Jaqi Wright continued to worship in the presence of the Lord with You Are Awesome in This Place and You Deserve the Glory. Then she offered several tracks from her CD entitled Just Jaqi. In the funky mid-tempo track I Can, Jaqi reminds us that we are more than conquerors and mightier than lions. And with faith in Him, we can do what He has called us to do. In the R&B groove Blows My Mind, Jaqi expresses her wonder about how God has mercifully saved her from sin and death. The most thought-provoking song of the set was Green Grass, which focused on coveting. The song warns us that we destroy the joy of what God has blessed us with when we believe what others have is better. Now my favorite song of the set was No Matter What, where Sis. Jaqi reminded us that no matter what, God is worthy and deserves all the praise. Jaqis husband, Kirk Wright, joins her on background vocals. I was quite impressed with the production and vocal arrangements on this track. Jaqi and Kirks voices blended effortlessly as they flowed throughout the jazzy groove. The track easily made us bob our heads as we got our praise on!
Then MC Leesha Hall wrapped up the night with a heart-wrenching testimony about how she has endured turbulent storms but knew that it was all for Gods glory. She realized that she went through the storms for the healing of others who have endured similar situations.
As I said before, its officially summertime and this event was HOT! So dont forget to join us for the next one on July 28, 2006. It promises to be even hotter!!