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Bishop Norris challenges future leaders during memorable Preaching with Power message
His scriptural focus was Micah 6: 6-8. He began by tracing the expectations that people have of each other from the earliest stages of life, but emphasized that regardless of expectations that humans demand, the expectations from God are what really matters. To do justice. Norris was the Thursday evening preacher at this year's 23rd edition of Preaching with Power at Hickman Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church in West Philadelphia. The audience featured a wide variety of parishioners, visiting clergy, guests and seminarians. The seminary's Urban Theological Institute scholars, especially nine graduates-to-be, comprised the part of the audience Norris was particularly concerned to address in his remarks. Norris is serving as the 116th Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and oversees the First District, which includes eastern Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Bermuda. "Through life we face an avalanche of expectations," he preached at one point. "Through all the eras of life we experience a new litany of life's expectations." In the religious experience the expectations happen in many church settings including early on in Sunday School. Those much further along on life's journey included the graduates-to-be who have in the past faced expectations in terms of "reading and writing papers. Soon for you who are graduating those expectations will fade into memory, but your litany of expectations is not ending…" He urged the students in the congregation to "stand tall in the challenge" and maintain a new vision in the face of inevitable spiritual doubt from time to time. A challenge will be "to give hope to the people you serve, and if you can do that God will unfold needed blessings to you." If the future leaders can also "live by the Spirit, God will never leave you," Norris urged. "Do the right thing! Let the Word of God lead you and shape you to do the right thing. Some won't appreciate you. You'll have your struggles in life and be in deep waters, but they will not overflow you. Be of good cheer. Lift up the name of Jesus! Do justice!"
The Bishop extolled his listeners to love mercy as leaders. "Some people you will encounter are just hard. They live by the letter of the law. Some are just mean - bishops, elders, pastors. Sprinkle mercy in all you undertake so that it follows you all the days of your life. Treat folks right!" Finally he emphasized the need to walk humbly. "Don't get full
of yourself. When the rain comes, walk with Him. When the hills are
hard to climb, walk with God. He'll be with you. He won't leave you
when the bottom falls out. Don't get excited because you have a degree.
Don't lose sight of what God requires. That way when your life is over,
God will see you as a servant whose work is well done." In the reception following his message, Bishop Norris explained that he develops his sermons with a great deal of prayer and intense study of commentaries. While he frequently prepares a manuscript, he frequently begins to preach outside what he has written. "The Holy Spirit has a great deal to do with my preaching and almost always lifts me out of the manuscript," he explained. He urged his listeners at the teaching reception not to preach too much about their personal lives and difficulties in their messages. "People are looking up to you to be an example. You can't be too negative." As a Bishop, Norris said he is asked to preach for many different kinds of occasions and before a wide variety of audiences. "It is much harder to be a preacher who gives sermons to the same congregation all year long. You have to work harder at being creative when you preach to the same people all of the time."
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