Red Hook Summer Page #8

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the Almighty, the Redeemer.

He never sleeps.

He never slumbers.

He's always watching.

Put down that reefer!

Put down that bottle!

Put down that remote!

God is on His throne.

Watching, making sure

you do the right thing.

(ORGAN PLAYlNG)

And we praise God, l'm so glad. l'm so glad.

l know a lot of you have

traveled far to come here today.

And we praise God that you

come back time and time again.

You left, but you've never been far.

-Just around the corner.

-ALL:
Yeah!

-Just around the bend.

-ALL:
Yeah!

But you come back to Lil' Peace of Heaven

time and time again.

Now, why?

Tradition.

And that's what the Lord

has prevailed upon me

to talk to y'all about today.

People say, "Tradition don't work."

Uh-uh.

They say, "Your church is old-fashioned.

"Y'all ain't twittering and twitching

and wiggling

"and face-snagging and back-scratching.

(ALL LAUGHlNG)

"Y'all ain't on the lnternet like us.

"Y'all ain't gangsta like us."

Well, l got news for them.

-Meet my gangsta!

-(ALL CHEERlNG)

-Meet my lnternet!

-(ALL CHEERlNG)

-Meet my social connection!

-(ALL CHEERlNG)

-Meet my social network!

-(ALL CHEERlNG)

l don't care if it's a high church,

a low church,

a black church, a white church,

a church of God in Christ,

a church of flocks and freaks and feathers!

A flock of seven or 7,000.

lf it ain't got God in it, it ain't connected!

Hallelujah.

(ORGAN PLAYlNG)

Thank you, thank you. You got it, Tk.

(ALL CHEERlNG)

(CONGREGATlON SHOUTlNG

lN ENCOURAGEMENT)

Y'all happy today.

You're happy today!

Feeling good up in here today.

Tradition.

ln Matthew 1 5:
3 and 1 5:20,

"Why do you transgress

the commandments of God

"by your tradition?

"These are the things which define a man."

ln other words, he's saying, "Keep it clean."

You know, a few years back,

l had a heart operation.

And they came to me, and they said,

"Bishop Enoch,

when we put you under this anesthetic,

"there's a chance you might not come back."

And l said,

"Well, go on. l'm going on to glory."

And then he came back and he said,

"Bishop Enoch,

"when the surgeon puts his hands

on your heart to fix it,

"it might stop."

l said, "Let it stop.

l'm ready to meet the king. Go on."

But if they had come to me

and said, "Bishop,

"the surgeon has just got off of the toilet,

and he ain't washed his hands..."

Oh, no! Oh, no!

Oh, no!

No, no, no!

You got to wash your hands!

Yes, indeed.

You got to wash your hands.

You see, the Lord says,

"Bring your filth to me.

"And l'll wash your heart.

"l'll wash your soul.

"l'll make you clean.

"l'll scrub the sin from you.

"l'll make you whole.

"l'll make you well."

Tradition! Tradition.

They coming for us now.

Yes, they are.

They're hammering and building

and banging to beat the band

all over Red Hook.

You know, and the black folks is worried.

They come back here saying,

"Oh, Bishop, what's gonna happen

to Lil' Peace of Heaven?"

Well, l tell them,

"We don't know what tomorrow holds,

"but we know who holds tomorrow!"

(ALL AGREElNG)

Because we with the man of action!

Come on, gentlemen, get the bench.

Bring out the bench now.

Listen.

We're standing on His everlasting word,

His almighty word, please come to Jesus.

l feel you.

l know there's somebody here,

l know there's somebody here

who needs God.

The Lord will take you... Here we are.

Amen. Hallelujah.

(CONGREGATlON APPLAUDlNG)

-What's your name?

-l'm Hazel.

Hazel. Where you from, Hazel?

l'm from Bed-Stuy.

No more "do or die"?

(LAUGHS) Not anymore.

Thank you for these righteous words.

Have mercy, my Lord.

You see Sister Shirley back there?

Give her your information

and she'll prepare you for baptism

and for Bible class.

Praise God. Praise God.

Does the Spirit move in a mysterious way?

Yes.

Praise God.

l know there's another one out here.

l can feel you outside!

l can feel you, come to Jesus.

Ohh, yes!

You know, l had a feeling about you, son.

Who are you, young man? Who are you?

l'm the man with the special donation

you been praying about.

l thank Jesus that l'm here!

Oh! l told you, Zee, l told you!

That a servant from

God on high was coming!

Praise Jesus!

You don't remember me?

No, sir. But we are blessed to have you.

And glad to welcome you

to the Lord's loving kingdom.

l'm Blessing.

ENOCH:
Who?

Blessing Rowe.

From All Souls Missionary Baptist Church.

Waycross, Georgia.

My, my, Waycross, Georgia.

Now that's a mighty long, long way.

Yes, l came a long, long way

to hear the word.

l especially like the Book of Solomon,

second chapter, third verse.

"l sat down under his shadow

with great delight,

"and his fruit was sweet to my taste."

Do you remember that?

(ENOCH STAMMERS)

l teach mostly from

the New Testament these days.

Oh, l know that,

but l remember

your Old Testament preaching.

"O my dove,

"thou art in the secret places of the stairs,

"let me see thy countenance,

"let me hear thy voice, for thy voice is sweet,

"and thy countenance is comely."

You always liked the comely part.

The what?

You know, l think you should leave now.

You don't know me?

l was 1 2!

l don't... You need to...

(STAMMERlNG) Boy, you're wayward!

BLESSlNG:
l'm not wayward. You taught me.

ln your church apartment, remember?

The Book of Solomon.

"By night on my bed l sought him,

whom my soul loveth.

"Thy neck is like the tower of David."

You need help, son.

And there ain't no harm in needing help.

Go on and lie.

Right there in the pulpit.

Lie, so God can strike you down,

you hypocrite!

You molested me!

l was just a boy!

Go on! Hey, tell them,

Bishop Richard Benjamin Broadnax.

That's your real name, you monster.

l spent 1 5 years looking for you,

you poisonous bastard!

You're going straight to hell.

The devil will have you.

All right, all right. That's enough!

Go on and deny it.

Say it, in God's name!

Say it here, in God's house!

Enough!

Don't touch me! l was only 1 2!

Go ahead! Say it in the name of God!

Say it in God's name!

Listen, all those verses you spouted.

"Behold, thou art fair, my love!

"Let my love come into the garden

and eat his precious fruit."

"My beloved put in his hand

by the old hole of the door,

"and my sweet insides were moved!"

l defecate on you!

You yellow-bellied, black bastard!

Liar, you liar!

Liar, you fraud!

(GASPlNG)

Chazz, Chazz! Somebody help!

SHlRLEY:
Get out of the way,

give her some air!

Move out of the way!

Somebody call 91 1 ! Somebody call 91 1 !

All right, all right.

DEACON:
You better get out of here,

this is a house of worship now.

All right, l'm going.

ZEE:
Get him! Get that crazy nigga!

BLESSlNG:
You took my faith!

You took my faith!

(ALL CLAMORlNG)

(SCREAMlNG)

WOMAN:
Get him out!

-Stay out here!

-He's gonna burn in hell!

-Get on away from here!

-He took my faith!

"Beware of false prophets,

"which come to you in sheep's clothing,

"but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

"Ye shall know them by their fruits.

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