IBC Blog

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eLetter

A Reflection on Black History Month

In recent weeks at IBC, we’ve been discussing the importance of wrestling with our own personal past—our life story—to better understand our present and God’s intentions for our future. This is a vitally important part of our ongoing spiritual growth and development. God has made us who we are through the formative experiences and relationships of our lives: though our heritage, our heroes, our high points, and our hard times.

eLetter
Nets and Steps
When I first came to Jesus at the Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles, it was easy to respond and drop my “nets”. When I arrived, I heard the Gospel and responded to Christ’s invitation and began to follow.
eLetter
True Confessions of an IBC Staff Member
True confessions of an IBC staff member: I love my husband, but I haven’t always liked him.
eLetter
I Could Never Be a Missionary
The family poses awkwardly in front of the hut they now call a home. The dad sports his cargo shorts, safari hat, long socks, and button-down shirt. Mom shows off her handmade modest dress as she holds her two-year-old with one hand and carries her two-month-old in her baby wrap. The older children manage to painfully smile, hoping for the moment to be released to go back to play with their friends.
eLetter
Learning From the Past
As a child growing up in Jamaica, we did not have the equivalent of Black History Month. However, we did have many occasions to remember significant events and people in the island's history. These occasions were primarily celebratory opportunities to remember the past: We celebrated the good, the bad, and the triumphs.
Hope & Healing
Sacrificial Love
During this month of February where we focus our attention on those we love, I have often asked myself what sacrificial love should really look like. Having experienced loss, trauma, and abuse, sacrificial love for me tends to cross over into what looks more like codependency than the love Christ offers us. This often leaves me asking how I am to love myself while I’m loving others.
eLetter
A Legacy of Faith
This year as I process Black History Month, I am drawn to the memories of women in my family and the legacy of faith that they built in my life. As a black female pastor in a mostly white church, I have struggled with believing that I am qualified for the position I hold. That perhaps some would only see me as a diversity hire or a check box. When I begin to believe those lies, God reminds me that I come from a long line of black women of faith.