PHILADELPHIA (March 2001)-- Most Christians today aren't bold. They are only partially filled with the Holy Spirit and "have lost what it means to let go and let God," Pastor Thomas Gayle Snowden told a rapt congregation during this year's Preaching with Power experience at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.

"They make excuses," Snowden said. Their view of God is thereby "truncated" into a "celestial, transcendant entity" almost like a Santa Claus with whom many believers are "never satisfied."

Snowden contrasted this style of faith with the attitudes of Peter and John in the Book of Acts, who despite being defined in the fourth chapter as "uneducated, common men" became bold as they stood by the high priests of the day, so bold that the priests "recognized that they had been with Jesus." And the priests were caught completely off guard by such boldness.

"If you truly let God's spirit come to you, you will be saying melt me, break me down," Snowden said passionately. "Renew me with a right spirit. Fill me. Lead me in the way of everlasting life. When you are enveloped in this way you will want to be bold in everything. You will want to make the world become enveloped in the spirit. You will be bold of assurance and without equivocation." Such an attitude diminishes individual will and lets the will of God take over.

Snowden said the priestly powers of the day contemplated Peter and John and tried to "shut 'em up." But Peter and John were "compelled by a mighty imperative."

History has abounded with similar martyrs to the Christian faith Snowden said, and he concluded his message with moving interpretations of the lives of Polycarp, the Reformer Martin Luther, who said "Here I stand, I can do no other," and Dr. Martin Luther King.

Snowden opened his fiery message by telling the congregation he is "lucky to be anywhere today." He recently received a double heart and kidney transplant. He is the Preacher in Residence at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. A United Methodist pastor, he was introduced by Urban Theological Institute Director Randolph Jones as "the first African full Professor" to serve at Montgomery County Community College, where he taught philosophy and psychology for 26 years.

The same day another preacher, Dr. Will Herzfeld, challenged the UTI to contemplate carefully the next steps in the 21-year-old effort's development. The UTI, a continuing education program of LTSP encourages African American church leaders to expand their credentials, studying evenings and weekends while they continue to hold regular jobs.

"You have survived the call and claim of God, seen and experienced God and lived 20-odd years. I would have walked (from Chicago) to bless this moment even if I had not been invited," said Herzfeld, who oversees partnerships between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and 70 other church bodies worldwide. "You have deserted comfortable tradition for the discomfort of change, but now there is a lot at stake. You must be eternally vigilant." Herzfeld said knowledge of the blood of Jesus "gives courage to enter dangerous and holy places." His sermon was delivered at Tabernacle Lutheran Church in West Philadelphia.

Herzfeld, who supervises the work of some 300 overseas missionaries as Associate Executive Director of the Division for Global Mission of the ELCA, drew upon Old Testament. "Don't you think Abraham longed for the comfort of tradition and the certainty that could come with selling out?" he asked. "You bet he did." But Abraham decided to obey God. While the Abrahamic family sought to build great nations across many lines, those nations of faith today have regretfully "lost the ability to communicate with each other and treat each other respectfully," Herzfeld said.

He suggested that the UTI may still be in only its first stage of development and may have its greatest challenges ahead with an opportunity for both an ecumenical and interreligious role that could become part of a mission of the church to "liberate" many others across denominational and religious lines.

Six preachers took part in this year's 19th annual Preaching with Power event, a partnership between the Seminary and congregations in the Philadelphia community. Each year the program seeks to bring the best in African American preaching across many traditions to Philadelphia.

On Monday evening, March 12, Pastor Charles Booth preached at Grace Baptist Church in Philadelphia, where the Rev. G. Daniel Jones is Pastor. The next evening Bishop J. Delano Ellis, II preached at Christian Tabernacle Friendly Community Church of God in Christ, where Bishop Reuben Timothy Jones is Pastor. Snowden and Herzfeld were the Wednesday preachers. The Rev. Rosa Key is Tabernacle Lutheran Church's pastor. Thursday evening's preacher was the Rev. Dr. Grainger Browning at St. Matthew's AME Church, where the Rev. Ellis I. Washington is Pastor. On Friday evening, Bishop Barbara Amos preached at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, where the Rev. Dr. Ernest C. Morris is Pastor.