A VERY MEMORABLE SABBATH AT BEREAN SDA CHURCH

April 30, 2016 is inextricably lodged in the memories of anyone who may have been blessed to witness events that took place at Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church, Atlanta. Sabbath worship was tied into the tenth annual “Spring Into Praise” Music Conference, a creation of Berean’s former Minister of Music, Elder Bruce Seawood. The day concluded with a lengthy “Finale Concert” at the church. The day started off an equally lengthy worship service that featured a guest pastor from (appropriately enough) “Music City USA,” the Senior Pastor of Nashville’s Riverside Chapel SDA Church, noteworthy expositor of the Word Furman F. Fordham II. Lengthy though they were, the interest inherent in these two events left one wishing that they had been even longer.

It may well be that Pastor Fordham was selected for this morning’s service based not only upon the theological heft of his content (the message), but also on the “musicality” of his oratorical style (the medium). Like the “dynamic” delivery of Berean’s own Pastor Austin Humphreys, Pastor Fordham’s sermonizing suffers when text alone is employed in any attempt do descriptive justice to it. So here, as usual, is a link to the ENTIRE SERVICE. The first 26 minutes of this video features music by the Greater Atlanta Adventist Academy Mass Choir, under the direction of Jarret Roseborough (another Oakwood University wunderkind, and also Music Director of this year’s “Spring Into Praise”). This precedes the service proper, which could technically be described as starting at time marker 37:45. At this point, the addition of a bass line to the “mood music” signals that something significant may be about to occur. Pastor Furman Fordham II’s very musical sermon commences at time marker 2:34:00. There are a few audio problems in the tape, but Berean is assiduously at work in order to mitigate the flaws in its antiquated broadcast system. Your forbearance in this matter is greatly appreciated.

ONE OF ASAPH’S DESCENDANT’S, JAHAZIEL (A MUSICIAN) GETS A WORD FROM ON HIGH, “THE LORD IS WITH US!”

Form and Substance. Content and Style. Message and Medium(Marshall McLuhan‘s enduring terminology). An affinity between these two complementary categories is a hallmark of great art. Tune and Lyrics constitutes a highly topical instance of the two essential ingredients that form a meaningful composition. As noted, the animated nature of pastor Furman Fordham II’s oratory is what distinguishes it from garden variety delivery styles. The “music” is a natural adjunct to the “lyrics,” and in the manner of Grand Opera, it ebbs and flows in whatever manner the libretto requires. It may be an unprecedented appellation to pin upon a man of the cloth, but Pastor Fordham is an artist. He therefore fit right in with the hundreds of other artists (of the “Gospel Music” breed) that populated Berean this Sabbath. His presentation style (like that of Pastor Humphreys, a student of Dr. King’s speeches) frequently employed the rhetorical device known Anaphora. It took a little research to unearth this esoteric term for the sequential use of identical introductions to different statements. In a summary of Pastor Danielle Pilgrim’s first Berean sermon, I noted that this kind of repetition gives “architectural unity” to the structure of a sermon. As a stop gap, and knowing of no alternate, I had used the phrase “repetitive device” to describe this technique. The sermon currently under scrutiny will require that another descriptive phrase be invented.

Pastor Fordham’s sermon also frequently featured a rhetorical device that I have heard before, although it is relatively rare compared to “Anaphora.” In this second device, a definitive statement is preceded by several statements that describe what a thing is NOT. This technique is on display, in an abbreviated form, in the Bible. Below is First Kings, 19:11-13:

“And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?”



Tension builds, and the cathartic release is purposefully delayed in these verses. Where was the Lord in all of this natural phenomena? He was NOT in the wind. He was NOT in the earthquake. He was NOT in the fire. “Alright, then. Just where in the world is He? I am now just dying to know! In a still, small voice, you say? Thanks! I don’t know whether I could have held out for this news much longer!” [These verses also feature the surprising juxtaposition of three preceding violent images, with a concluding image that is very peaceful] It seems impossible to me that another esoteric term does not exist, somewhere, that designates this “NOT, NOT, NOT, IS” rhetorical framework. Maybe it can be found in the discipline of logic, and not rhetoric. It sounds a little like a computer program (Boolean algebra, whatever that may be). God knows the term, should it exist. But whatever it may be called, Pastor Fordham very made effective use of it.

2 HOURS AND 34 MINUTES INTO THE VIDEO: A SERMON IS PREACHED, “THE FIRST GOSPEL CHOIR”

Anybody want to magnify the Lord with me? I got a feeling I’m not the only one who just wants to worship Him!

Anybody want to magnify the Lord with me? I don’t want to be selfish, and keep it by myself!

Anybody want to magnify the Lord with me? How bout’ we just extend an open invitation, does anybody want to bless Him, and thank Him, and praise Him, and adore Him, and worship Him, and just exalt His name forever!

The first of many Scriptural references was now provided, one from Psalm 34:3: “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name…”

These opening statements by Pastor Furman Fordham II provided the first of many instances of “Anaphora” (the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses or lines) in his Sabbath sermon. A alternative to “Anaphora” is “Epistrophe” (repetition of the same word or phrase at the end of successive clauses), a short instance of which was contained within the third repetition shown above. The epistophized word was “Him,” which has been rendered in bold type in the last bulleted statement above. Another instance of epistrophe, one featuring the word “God,” followed closely upon the heels of the initial offering.

Pastor Fordham’s invocation cited he “Song of Moses,” a reference both musical, and eschatological, as it is slated to be sung by those who have been “victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name.” (Revelation 15:2)

“We are not here to attempt to see someone be eloquent or erudite. We need a Word from the Lord.” Pastor Fordham thus humbly subordinated the “medium” to the “message.” Nevertheless, he managed to be very eloquent, and in addition, indisputably erudite.

The message was based on a incident from Second Chronicles, Chapter 20. “It was quite a while ago when it was so eloquently read by our two Elders…” Pastor Fordham seemed as bemused by the length of Sabbath worship at Berean as had Ted N.C. Wilson, when he spoke here. But the pastor was himself in no hurry. The climax of the citation comes in verse 14:

“Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation.”

Pastor Fordham began with Verse 1, interjecting some brief commentary in the course of his quotation. The word “multitude” in Verse 2 provoked a aside that referred to the “multitude” of troubles that beset us. The children of Moab and Ammon (cousins to the Hebrews, erudite Pastor Fordham later revealed) were coming to smite Jerusalem with a mighty host. The citizens of Judah gathered in the house of the Lord in order to solicit His intervention on their behalf. Petitions are best prefaced with praise, so the worshippers list many of God’s outstanding attributes. When Pastor Fordham reaches Verse 9, he takes advantage of its listing of the ills that God shields us from to insert some contemporary ills that plague the nation. Second Chronicles, Verse 9, with supplementary remarks by the speaker, reads as follows:

“If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine…” or crime in the inner city, or black on black issues, or cancers, or comas, or molestation, or alcoholism, or child abuse, or police brutality, or anything that comes upon them… “we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.”

Some audio difficulties with the video of Pastor Fordham’s reading of the Scripture (we lift out eyes unto the current capital campaign, from which cometh our help) can be overcome by following the narrative in your own Bible. The video straightens itself out at time marker 2:54:00. A critical passage from Verse 15 will be reproduced, should your Bible not be handy: “Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” The story is one of encountering a Problem, offering a Prayer to God, and His answering Promise (God not being the least bit slack, concerning this last provision). The “P” word business is am example of the use of Tautogram, another rhetorical device we can now add to our growing collection. More singing shows up in Verses 21 and 22, which are excerpted below:

“And when he [King Jehoshaphat] had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord… they went out before the army…And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.”

The enemy destroyed one other, and “none escaped” (Verse 24). The pastor made some analogies based on the mutual annihilation of evil influences in people’s lives, but the video is corrupted at this point. The pastor followed the reading by revealing that we Twenty-First Century citizens are no different than the Jerusalemites of Jehoshaphat’s era. A typical riff on this by the pastor is as follows: “They drove chariots. You drive, from what I saw in the parking lot, Benzes, and BMWs, and Lexi!”

We are not so very different from Jehoshaphat’s subjects. Their issues are our issues. Their response should be our response. Jehoshaphat recognizes the size of his problem, but he also recognizes his inadequacy to deal with the problem. The kingdom was well prepared for defense from a material and manpower standpoint. Second Chronicles, Chapter 17 describes this seemingly adequate provision. “He has over 1.1 million soldiers, just in Jerusalem,” the pastor revealed. Bur Jehoshaphat, rather counterintuitively, observed that he had “no power.” Pastor Fordham compared this to the differences between “faith” and “works.” Our works alone will not save us. The pastor noted that “this brother [the King] considered. from his perspective, his power as nothing.” A citation by Paul was inserted, from Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood…”

Time is of the essence. The barbarians are at the gate. The encouraging Word of the Lord comes to the people of Judah from an unexpected quarter. “The Bible says…” (this preface, sprinkled throughout the remainder of Pastor Fordham’s sermon, also happens to be a favorite of Berean pastor Austin Humphreys):

“that the Spirit of the Lord fell NOT upon Ted Wilson.”

upon Ted Wilson.” “It said the Spirit of the Lord fell NOT on Don Schneider.”

on Don Schneider.” “It said the Spirit of the Lord fell NOT upon Ron Smith (warning! Link is to a PDF)”

upon Ron Smith (warning! Link is to a PDF)” “The Spirit of the Lord did NOT fall upon the Conference President, or the Senior Pastor, or the Associate Pastor.”

(Who did it fall on, Pastor Fordham? Please, please tell us!)

“But there was a Levite. A tenor on the back row, who had been spending his time, like David, magnifying God in the heavens, seeing Him declare the glory of His name!” More “anaphora” (repetition) was tied to the word “tenor,” which served to underscore the humble nature of his calling. The hierarchy of church leadership was restated, again in descending order, until it hit rock bottom again (a case of playful exaggeration, so don’t take this ostensible insult to musicianship too seriously).

One of the praise leaders, in the midst of the prayer meeting, got the word of the Lord. “And The Bible says”that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel. We have not heard of him before, neither do we hear of him thereafter. He reveals that the forthcoming battle will be God’s. A few minutes of revelations of all that God can do is lost in the video. Sound is restored just as the pastor notes that “all of earth’s history, from beginning to end, is God revealing the glory of His love…” Pastor Fordham asserts “that battle” is not his. “It’s the Lord’s.” A list of hypothetical difficulties was given, with the appropriate response appended, “Just stand still!” The repetitions, falling at the end, and not the beginning, of the statements made this a case of rhetorical Epistrophe, A few Scriptural citations emphasized the power and protection of the Lord. They included Matthew 28:18: “…All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth,” and Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul…” We should not be worried, confused, or distressed. Why? The vehement answer spoken by the pastor is this: Because the battle is not yours! It is the Lord’s!”

Some relevance to the theme of the “Spring Into Praise” Conference was provided by Pastor Fordham. “He said we have to stand still, but He didn’t say we had to be quiet! How bout’ while we stand still, we strike up a note? Maybe we should sing something like “Victory Today is Mine.” The problem was still extant. More Epistrophe emphasized this. “The enemies are still coming towards them. Nothing has changed.”

“Cancer is still coming.”

“The crime is still coming.”

“The abuse, still coming.”

“The conflict is still coming.”

All they had was a Word. “But it was a Word from the Lord,” Pastor Fordham stated. “What more do you need, when you have a Word from the Lord?” Some more Anaphora came into play.

“What more do you need, when you have I’ll never leave you, nor forsake you?” (Deuteronomy 31:6 & 31:8, Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5, etc.)

“What more do you need, when you have Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning?” (Psalm 30:5)

“What more do you need, when you have all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose?” (Romans 8:28)

“What more do you need, when you have For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us?” (Romans 8:18)

“What more do you need, when you have these precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust?” (Second Peter 1:4)

“What more do you need, when you have I am the resurrection, and the life?” (John 11:15)

“What more do you need, when you have Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so , I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:1-3)

not , I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, ye may be also. (John 14:1-3) “What more do you need, when you have For the wages of sin is death; but the [free] gift of God (you ain’t got to earn it, you ain’t got to merit it; you couldn’t merit it if you had to…)“ (Romans 6:43)

“The battle is not yours!” [cue the music]

“Your job is not to defeat the enemy.”

“Your job is not to go hand to hand against the devil.”

“Your job is not to secure your salvation. Jesus has already dome that.

“I want you to know that the battle is not ours. It is the Lord’s! And He can fight his battles.”

A highly appropriate song now accompanied the appeal, “The Battle is Not Yours.” Pastor Furman Fordham II reclaims the pulpit at time marker 3:23:25, in order to extend an invitation, on behalf of our Savior Jesus, that you to allow God to fight your battles for you from now on.

SPRING INTO PRAISE 2016: THE FINALE CONCERT

Any words, particularly my words, cannot do justice to the world-class link below, one that is (like John Hancock’s signature at the end of the Declaration of Independence) too big to miss.

SPRING INTO PRAISE 2016: THE FINALE CONCERT

SPRING INTO PRAISE 2016: THE FINALE CONCERT

SPRING INTO PRAISE 2016: THE FINALE CONCERT