Michael Jackson's overtly Christian memorial service: Jesus is Love

From The LA Times on Lionel Richie’s singing and preaching:

A classic sermon, Richie’s performance shortly after Mariah Carey’s made it clear that this would not be a tribute concert. Backed by a slowly rising choir, Richie’s strong vocals provided a sturdy, uplifting take on the song, one powerful enough for a Sunday morning, as well as a downtown Los Angeles basketball arena.

As The Times’ Ann Powers writes from inside the venue, ” ‘Jesus, he won’t let you down,’ sings Richie, gesticulating aggressively heavenward. The smooth star convincingly testifies, more like a Detroit preacher than the Jheri-curled gentleman behind ‘All Night Long.’ This is the mood here, church not club.”

“Church, not club.” I like that.

Pastor Lucious W. Smith from Friendship Baptist Church provided the invocation. The church is firmly entrenched in orthodox (small ‘o’) Christianity. I love one of the pastor’s quotes:

“God created the family before He created the Church” is something Pastor Smith constantly affirms. “Caring for your family should not supersede your love of the Lord. It does, however, demonstrate it.”

That’s good sense. I have known people who essentially abandoned their families to “do church.” Doing church is not the same thing as following Christ.

Why are you writing about this, Michael?
Good question. There are a lot of important things going on today.

The answer is that most of the people at the memorial service have never really heard the gospel. What little they know about being a follower of Christ comes from the mainstream media and mainstream culture, which is warped and biased.

Are unbelievers likely to become believers at the Staples Center memorial service? Probably not. But don’t discount the possibility of a lot of seeds being planted. Becoming a Christian is often like riding up an elevator. Someone on the first floor plants the seed. A Christian on the second floor waters the seed. A Christian on the third floor befriends those who see themselves as unloved. A Christian on the fourth floor shares the gospel, and so on.

Our job is to always be waiting at the elevator door to play our role in bringing others to Christ. Sometimes the seed is planted decades before the first sprout of believing on Christ - not believing in Christ - pushes its way out of the soil. Our job is also not to bend a broken reed or quench out the first spiritual sparks.

The process of sanctification begins after one becomes a Christian. All of our hearts are damaged - some more than others. I am certainly not advocating the toleration of sin, but I am saying that we need to be supportive of those who slip and fall. It’s easy to rationalize our own sins - I was born with a bad temper, I come from generations of alcoholics, my mother didn’t love as she should have. However, it is difficult for Christians to forgive besetting sins in others and lift them up when they fall.

I can write a whole book on the subject of Christians struggling against the world, the flesh, and the devil.

It is entirely possible that Michael Jackson did a far greater thing in his death than he did in his life. If you’re sitting around the water cooler tomorrow and someone brings up Michael’s memorial service, don’t pooh-pooh their feelings or insult what may or may not true about Jackson’s life, but use it as an opportunity to witness or begin a process of witnessing.

That person may be grieving and confused about what they heard at the service. You don’t have to get in their face.make them memorize the Four Spiritual Laws, and pass out horrid Jack Chick tracts. Talk to them about their grief, become their friend, and talk about God’s goodness as the Holy Spirit leads you.

We will be held accountable for every idle word, and that scares me, but we should all develop a habit of witnessing to others through both our lives and our words.

From The Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Michael Jackson’s public memorial started out more spiritual than spectacular Tuesday, opening with a church choir singing as his golden casket was laid in front of the stage and a shaft of light evoking a cross as Lionel Richie gave a gospel-infused performance.

Pastor Lucious W. Smith of the Friendship Baptist Church in Pasadena gave the invocation, followed by Mariah Carey singing the opening performance with a sweet rendition of the Jackson 5 ballad “I’ll Be There,” a duet with Trey Lorenz.

“We come together and we remember the time,” said Smith, riffing off one of Jackson’s lyrics. “As long as we remember him, he will always be there to comfort us.”

The service began with Smokey Robinson reading comments from Nelson Mandela, Diana Ross and other friends of the King of Pop. Following a long silent period inside the venue, piano music and a gospel choir kicked things off with a stained-glass motif in the background.

Here is a performance at Friendship Baptist Church by a visiting choir back in 2008. Absolutely beautiful.