OUR People

This is a MESS! ...but yet it is so funny! Lolol. We have to do better as African Americans, people!

The Truth About Cardigans In The Summer

Okay saints! ...I'll admit, I wear cardigans all year around - & yes, that includes even in the summer! Every time I wear a cardigan, someone always has to ask me, "Aren't you hot?" ...it never fails! What most people fail to realize is that cardigans are made from many different materials! ....HELLO! Lol. They're aren't just wool cardigans, you have cotton, cashmere and knitted! Cotton is a light fabric. - meaning, it doesn't really add much more heat to you! ...this is the same with SOME cashmere cardigans. Also, cardigans are not just worn to keep you warm (like the wool ones) but they are used for fashion purposes as well. Guys could wear some nice dressy shorts with a cardigan... & ladies could add a cardigan with their sundress. Maybe I'll come back later on and write a detailed post about it...maybe.

I just wanted to just say SOMETHING about cardigans in the summer ...saints, it IS alright (if it's the right material).

Jonathan Nelson's "Expect The Great" Official Video

So you guys know I'm pressed, right! A video has been released for one of the hottest gospel songs out right now..."Expect The Great"... I love the energy that Purpose gives off in the video (well, most of them)! ...esp my sis Trish (back row, right side)! They all look nice; they have a polished and tailored look. I love it! ...& Jon's haircut and edge-up is on point saints! ...THAT'S what I'm talking about ...*clears throat* Earnest Pugh... (Look down a couple of posts to understand) But here it is! ...check it out and tell me what ya think!

Review: Walter Hawkins Musical Tribute

Okay so as you guys know (or at least I hope you knew) Walter Hawkins’ musical tribute was yesterday night. Honestly, it was alright. There were some parts I would watch again and then there are some parts… Lol.

The hosts were Bobby Jones, Marvin Winans, Sr., and BeBe Winans. Now the FIRST thing I saw was that Bobby Jones did not have on his user glitter and sequence…I was shocked! I mean he looked the same, just minus his glossy suits. And BeBe Winans looked very nice; he had a nice tailored look. Actually, the last couple of times I’ve saw BeBe, he’s been fashionable. I’m anxious to know who his stylist is. And Bishop Winans, he looked regular. I mean…Lol…I don’t mean it in a negative way, but there wasn’t anything different. I’ll say this, he looked presentable. Lol.
The choir sounded pretty good; they sounded JUST like they did on the Love Alive CDs. Lol. No, seriously! Melvin umm… (what’s last name)…Melvin Williams, from the Williams brother sung “I’m Going Away” – he was alright. I think at certain times during the song he forgot that he wasn’t Walter.

The camera kept scanning the audience and I saw different people I knew. The first person being my Bishop, Archbishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr. I was happy to see that my pastor was up front. Lol. And they showed Lady Peggy Moales… When I tell you she was DRESSED! I was like “Alriiiiiiiiight!” …she even had on a hat! And then they showed Sunny (Jamie Hawkins’ wife) and I think my heart skipped a beat every time they had the camera on her!
But anyway, Ledisi sung “Be Grateful.” Now, let me just say this… I don’t see what the big thing is about Ledisi’s performance. I mean she has a voice but she’s not all what people make her to be. But I will say this, as far as her attire…she kept it simple but she looked nice.
Then Kathy Taylor-Brown came up and sung… I LOVE her! She sings like it’s nobody’s business! And I love her stage presence… It’s said that big people know how to sing and Kathy sure did prove that! However, there was a HORRID soprano in the mic! I was hoping they would turn Kathy’s mic up a little.

I don’t really want to comment on everyone’s performance (Lol. I did that on Twitter last night) so let me skip to Karen Clark-Sheard. The first thing about Karen that I noticed was her hair looked! You know, normally when we see Karen we see puffy, curly, hair or we see weave galore …but not last night. Not only did her hair look nice, but SHE looked nice and she SUNG! She gave us the old vintage Karen…like the Karen BEFORE she released her first CD!

And Vanessa Bell-Armstrong came to sing and she looked GOOD! …she looked like somebody’s first lady! Now, they gave her the wrong song, but she looked GOOD!

Now let me skip all the way to the end when Bishop Morton was singing. *pause* I was HIGHLY upset with Bishop Morton. Kurt Carr had to feed him the words to “Thank You” …like ARE YOU SERIOUS SIR!?! You don’t know the words to that song? Not only are you leading it (#1) but you’ve been invited to this legends musical tribute and you don’t even know his song! I was so upset and disappointed with Bishop Morton! Smh.

I’m sure they’ll re-air the tribute… Make sure to check GMC (Gospel Music Channel)

Monday Message: A Christian's Speed Limit

Because my father was away preaching, my mother allowed my younger brother, Caleb, to drive us to church. Once we got on the highway, periodically my mother would have to remind my brother to watch his speed; he was exceeding the speed limit. As Caleb slowed down cars zoomed past us.

Immediately I remembered when I was a novice driver and my parents would tell me to slow down, so many cars would fly past me. I would always be puzzled because it was as if no one else had any regard for the speed limit. Sometimes I would feel out of place by doing the speed limit, it was as if I was the wrong one when in fact it was the other drivers who were wrong. Until I became a more experience driver, I was embarrassed to follow the speed limit. I felt out of place when other drivers would zoom by me and then stare at me through the window.

As we got off the highway, my brother began to slow down. As we approached the light, there was a police car to the right of us catching the many cars ahead of us that sped by. Although they drove past us, we ended up being in front of them. The good thing about this police car was that he was not hidden. However those who drive can agree with me and say that sometimes police cars are hidden. After seeing many cars get pulled over, my brother understood why my mother kept stressing that he follow the speed limit. He realized he should not follow the speed of the other drivers because he never knew when a police car would be hiding to catch a speeding car.

This story relates to us as Christians. There are many Christians who are new to the faith (baby Christians) who see mature Christians who have no regard for what the Word of God says. There are many Christians who go against what the Lord says…and these are Christians who have walked with the Lord for a while. Not only are the baby Christians looking at the older Christians puzzled but there are mature Christians looking at other mature Christians puzzled as well. We are living in a society of Christians who have totally ignored what the Word says. They give in to the world…there is a difference between struggling and giving in. Many people don’t slip and fall into sin but they sprint into sin, they sin knowingly…premeditated.

I can speak for myself. There was a time I would look at certain people and see how God used them but then I would know what they do behind closed doors…and that puzzled me. I never understood it. I would always ask the Lord, "Why can't I do that and still be used?" Let me tell you something friends, God can use you and not dwell within you. The Bible says in Numbers 22:28 that the Lord used a donkey to speak to Balaam. God is not limited to what or who He uses to speak. In Exodus 3, He used a burning bush.

I want to tell you, don’t look at those around you who are not following God’s Word and get discouraged. Right is still right and wrong is still wrong. Just like Caleb had to slow down because he never knew when a police car would be waiting for him to speed by, we Christians must live a life that is pleasing at all times for we never know when it’ll be our time. Matthew 24:44 says, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” You never when Jesus will call you to meet Him. Just as the drivers who sped by us ended up last, the same thing applies for us Christians. Matthew 19:30 tell us, “But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.”

Whenever you look at a speed limit sign let this be a reminder to you, do what is right and not what is popular because the popular thing may not always be the right thing.

Earnest Pugh's New Music Video: "The Great I Am"

Gospel artist, Earnest Pugh, has a new video out for his newest single, "The Great I Am" ...*blank stare*... Uhh it's not the greatest quality. I would definitely expect more from him for this next video especially after his success with his first single, "Rain On Us." "Rain On Us" had a music video and I must say, it was much better than this one. I don't think the quality alone concerns me, but the concept does as well...it doesn't seem to make sense... *kanye shrug* And then it's very obvious he lip-sync...very obvious! I know many artists (if not all) lip sync during their video, however normally they sing along with the track to give the feel that they're actually singing. (You guys get what I'm trying to say here) On top of that, his shape-up wasn't even defined - this is something I'm a stickler for. His edge up should be ON POINT! *sigh* And I think it's VERY tacky to have the extra's in the video to wear a t-shirt with the song titles on it... Maybe it's just me. I just think this could have been better ...but I'll let you guys determine what you think. Take a look...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfRoBSri1PY

Sneek Peak: Bishop Walter Hawkins Musical

Don't forget the musical for Bishop Walter Hawkins will be aired on GMC (Gospel Music Channel) Sunday, 25 at 8pm. However, someone recorded some of the songs rendered that night and uploaded it on youtube. Here are some of them below! Enjoy!

Bishop Walter Hawkins Funeral

For those who missed the funeral of the gospel legend, Bishop Walter Hawkins, you missed something! ...well sorta. Now, of course the whole three and half hours (yes! It was REALLY that long...if not longer) wasn't captivating but most of it was.

Let me start off by saying this, my heart went out to those choir members! Lol. I'm laughing but I'm so serious! Those saints stood up for AT LEAST an hour and a half! ...no lie! But one thing about the choir that puzzled me was this: they asked all attendees to wear cream. But when I tell you I saw brown, tan, yellow in that choir! ...I'm like what is going on!? ...ya'll should have on the proper colors ESPECIALLY since you're in the choir! HELLO! (lol) But I mean... *kanye shrug* The choir did do their good singing though. I'll say this, one of my favorite selections the choir did was when they were accompanied by Melonie Daniels & Robin Hodge-Williams! Whew! ....they KILLEDT! Many people don't know who Robin Hodge-Williams is, so everyone was trying to figure out, "Who is that lady killing up there with Melonie?"But I was so happy when they finally let the choir sit down...it was really long over due!

Alright so let me back track a little... They had a few clergy give remarks. Among those were: Bishop Kenneth Ulmer, Bishop Carlton Pearson (yes! Carlton Pearson), Rev. Jeese Jackson, and some lady who spoke entirely TOO long (prob wasn't that long, but I was waiting for Moales)! I've been searching for pictures from the funeral but I only came up with one of them...it's the one I have shown. Jeese Jackson is giving his remarks.

Speaking of this picture, why was the casket on the side of the stage!? ...am I the only one who had a problem with that?! I was confused thee WHOLE service as to why Walter Hawkins' body was not at the center of the stage...after all it IS his funeral. Smh. But then again, I don't know if the altar was big enough, etc.

Now let's go to the eulogy! ...that Bishop Moales! *hits floor* I thoroughly enjoyed him! California was CLEARLY not ready for that man of God! Bishop had to even push the saints for a praise! ...he tried to do the war cry and they did NOT budge. Lol. He said "I have to come back to that." ...& he did. Lol. But when he tried to, they STILL was not getting with the man! Not to mention it took two previous praise breaks before the saints really went in (& they really didn't even go in, honestly)! They really needed some East Coast saints in that theatre cause we would have went all the way in and shut it DOWN! But anyway, back to Bishop Moales... Of course as he always does, he sung a few hymns accompanied by his powerful tongues before he gave the Word. BTW Bishop Moales & Judith McAllister are the only two people I know that has some serious tongues! ...serious tongues! But Bishop did his good preaching and then he had Jamie (Hawkins son) come up and Bishop anointed him with oil saying that Jamie was his father's successor! Now, normally you don't have to many funerals where a Bishop calls out and anoints the successor... I think that part got us all, that part right there. MmmHm Bishop poured on him and everything. It was really a powerful moment in the service. Now, after Bishop Moales took his seat, I logged off so I don't know what happened after that...

Overall, I would say I enjoyed the funeral. The west coast saints were a little too...ummm...dry for me, but it was overall pretty good.

Jonathan Nelson featuring Kiki Sheard "There Shall Be A Performance"

People I'm in GREAT expectation & anticipation for Jonathan Nelson's new album (Better Days)! - he has to be on of my favorite gospel artists...seriously! His first CD (Everything You Are: Live In Baltimore) really didn't do anything for me but that last project (Right Now Praise) ...lemme tell you, that did it for me! ...not to mention he is a WONDERFUL songwriter as well!

I have a clip below of one of the songs that will be on the new project titled "There Shall Be A Performance" featuring Kierra Kiki Sheard... This was recorded in Charlotte, North Carolina during the AIM Convention (2010). I've heard ALOT of talk about this song that night so I just had to see what all the talk was about. Well, let me say - I LOVE the song....& Kiki did her good singing too! Watch and let me know what you guys think!

*UPDATED* Bishop Hawkins' Musical & Funeral

Hey guys!

I have some updated information I want to share with you all. Bishop Walter Hawkins' funeral will be airing today live on www.ktvu.com The funeral is at 11am (PST) and 2pm (EST) so make sure you tune in according to your time zone. Bishop Kenneth H. Moales, Sr will be doing the euglogy so make sure you tune in for sure. What a time it's going be. (Ya'll DO know I love me some Bishop Moales, right)

Also, Bishop Hawkins' musical was last night. However, GMC (Gospel Music Channel) is going to air the musical this Sunday, July 25, 2010 at 8pm (EST) following the new Walter Hawkins Faith & Fame at 6pm (EST).

If you all are unable to tune in for either one of these special events, follow me on twitter...I'll be tweeting updates.

Monday Message: Lessons From A Straw

My family has a tradition of going out to eat after church on Sundays. And this one particular Sunday we went to Macaroni Grill. Of course, when you go to a restaurant, one of the first things the waiter/waitress does is take your drink order. As I was drinking my soda I sat there starring at my straw and I realized you can learn a lot from a straw.

The first lesson we can learn from the straw is to not let anyone take away from us. A straw does one thing, subtracts from whatever it is in. When we use a straw we are taking away from the substance inside the cup. We need to watch who we allow in our lives…we need to watch our company. We should be making sure that those around us don’t subtract but add to us. Proverbs 17:17 tells us that a friend is always loyal. There are three types of friends: there are friends that always take, take and take and never give; there are friends that share a weakness and feed off of each other’s weaknesses; and then, there are friends that equally give and put into the friendship. Our friendship(s) should be mutually beneficial…a two way street. There should be a constant impartation from one friend to the other.

Another thing we can learn from the straw is to not bend or bow, but to stand firm in our belief. Something I noticed about the straw is that it easily bends. A straw can be bent more than one time, easily, without effort. As Christians, we should be the opposite. We should stand firm in what we believe. 1 Peter 5:9 instructs us to stand firm in our faith. This is tied into faith…we need to increase our faith. If God says that He is going to do something, we should not bend. Hebrews 11:6 says, “It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.” And this also means we should not bow down to the things of the world.

The final lesson we can learn from the straw is not to always depend and/or be with someone. The straw can not function unless it is inside of the cup. The straw can not even stand up on its own unless it’s in the cup. Without the cup, without anything to drink the straw is useless….it can not do anything on its own. In this instance we should NOT be like the straw. We should not feel the need to be around someone in order to function, we should not be so pressed that we need the confirmation from a man (or woman). Instead, we should be leaning and trusting in Jesus. The Bible says in 2 Peter 1:3, that as “we grow in our knowledge of God, through his divine power he gives us everything we need for life and godliness.” If we are going to depend on anyone it should be the Lord. If we should long to be with anyone, it should be Jesus. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.”

Hopefully when you look at a straw from now on when you, I hope this lesson will come back to your mind…you can truly learn lessons from a straw!

Musical & Funeral For Bishop Walter Hawkins

Sooooooo for those who haven't heard about the passing of the gospel legend, Walter Hawkins, you're LATE! ...& you should be ashamed! Bishop Hawkins passed Sunday, July 11 at his home in California after battling cancer. Of course the gospel industry (and the entire world, really) has lost an icon who's music has influenced us all.

His musical and funeral will be held at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland [California]. And although both events are free, you must have a ticket to attend. Tickets were made available Friday afternoon at the Paramount Theatre and they were all gone in an hour and a half later! (I'm not surprised AT ALL) The musical celebration is scheduled for Tuesday, July20 at 7pm (PST) and the funeral is scheduled for Wednesday, July 21 at 11am (PST). They're asking everyone who is attending the funeral to wear cream. The musical will be streaming live from the church's website (www.lovecenter.org) ...I haven't heard anything about the funeral being streamed live though - which I can understand. The musical celebration is going to look like the Stellar's with all those gospel artist under one roof paying tribute to Walter Hawkins - I think its great! Those who are confirmed to sing are artist such as: Yolanda Adams, Mary Mary, Donnie McClurkin, Ledisi, Karen Clark Sheard, Daryl Coley, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Byron Cage, Melvin & Doug Williams of The Williams Brothers, guitarist Jonathan DuBose Jr., D.J. Rogers, Ted Winn, and The Love Center Choir. Also, special appearances will be made by Bishop Hawkins' fomer wife Lady Tramaine (Ummm WHY do they call her lady? ...but anyway) and his sister Lynette. Now let me just say this: Lynette is slept on and underrated - this lady SINGS for days people!

Bishop Kenneth H. Moales, Sr will be doing the eulogy - and for anyone who knows me, you know I LOVE me some Bishop Moales so I know that's going to be a great service! I got word that Bishop Moales preached their Sunday service and that he was WONDERFUL (which he always is)...

Just continue to keep his family in prayer, I can only imagine how hard this is for them...

My Introduction

Let me preface this by saying: My name is not Vocal Church Boy ..Lol. That's not the name my parents gave me. My name is Joshua. I got the name Vocal Church Boy from actually two of my friends... One of them lives in England and the other lives here in DC (by the way I'm from the DMV - DC, Maryland, & Virginia) area. But anyway, let's continue with this blog "introduction" - shall we?...

I've been told I should do a blog. I thought about it...and thought about it...AND thought about - ...& here it is. I've been contemplating doing one for a few months and I decided to just go 'head and give it a shot. I'm new to this so cut me a little slack; I'll catch on quick enough.

Now, why should I do a blog? I am a very opinionated person; you will never have to wonder what I'm thinking, because I will say it. Lol. Now... that can be both good & bad. On top of me being out spoken, I do believe I have something to say. There are quite a few people who are constantly talking but are never saying anything; that's not my testimony (so churchy). I feel as though this blog will give folks an opportunity to take a look into my mental process.

Now! I am a firm believer in stating your opinions (at the right time, of course) and I want my readers to be able to come here and speak their mind freely. HOWEVER, do not disrespect me or any other readers! Amen? Amen! (I'm so churchy ...smh) I will blog about EVERYthing...literally! From music, to fashion, to politics and things pertaining to "church"! ...& I just MAY do a few sport blogs. Let me just say this: I'm not your sports type of guy; I just found out New York had a basketball team a month ago. Sooooo with that said, we'll see about the sports thingy. Lol.

Now! (Wow, I'm saying that alot) I love to laugh! ...I LOVE to laugh! So there WILL be laughter occurring on this here page - & by all means, please do contribute to the laughter as well. Now people you can't wear your feelings on your sleeve when reading the blog because I will talk about EVERY thing & EVERY one, mmk?

Well, that's good for a start - won't you say? I hope you like what I have to offer. Take a look around the page & get familiar...

Until then...