Saturday, June 22, 2013

I Got Bread


I attended Bread for the World's National Gathering a few weeks ago and had a fantastic time. One of the performances was by a spoken word artists and this is something he performed. It really hit home and made me even more excited for my time in Boston.


I Got Bread:

I got a dollar in my pocket
And a million ideas in my head
Thanking the Lord I got bread
Thanking the Lord I got bread
I’m thanking the Lord I got bread
And I’m steady on the grind cuz the ants don’t rest
Eyes pierce struggle in a trance focused
Steady on the grind cuz the ants don’t rest
Throwing up my hands cuz I am so blessed

Yea, it’s like everyday I wake up
Everybody around me is trying to get their cake up
Everybody trying to survive and stay alive
People be like ‘where is the God in a 9 to 5?’
What you gon’ do?
In the hood they be shooting
Drugs a problem too –
in the ‘burbs they be shooting up.
And we battling upstream
And I be looking crazy when I begin to sing
Tell them ‘bout the joy
Enough with all the sorrow
Tears falling tonight
but you can smile tomorrow
I ain’t telling stories but I pray you catch the moral
On my shoulders you can lean and my ears you can borrow
Where the hope at? Put it in the air
We getting too comfortable with the hunger in the air
Yea we gotta respond with something
And it’s about time that I come with the triumphant

I got a dollar in my pocket
And a million ideas in my head
Thanking the Lord I got bread
Thanking the Lord I got bread
Thanking the Lord I got bread
And I’m steady on the grind cuz the ants don’t rest
Eyes pierce struggle in a trance focused
Steady on the grind cuz the ants don’t rest
Throwing up my hands cuz I am so blessed

Eyes straight, head tilted down
Looking at an angle
Staring at their phones,
but I’m lookin up towards the angels
Pleading ‘Lord please will you show me the way
I can show the people you so they can get through the day?’
I ain’t selling miracles no money making schemes
But necessity, I hear it though, for tummy aches and screams
People looking for love in jewelry and salaries
Hustlers move weight like Jared moved calories
Dudes mugging, no Folgers involved
People trying to survive only see the smoke and the fog
Go from doing all right to where hope is dissolved
And they’re something like August ‘cause they’re close to a fall.
Yea aww man how I wish I could take away their pangs
Now I’m feeling childish:
I gotta ask my Daddy
(I don’t possess His type of splendor)
I’m all grown up now I know when I should surrender

I got a dollar in my pocket
And a million ideas in my head
Thanking the Lord, I give bread
Thanking the Lord, I give bread
I’m thanking the Lord, I give bread
And I’m steady on the grind cuz the ants don’t rest
Eyes pierce struggle in a trance focused
Steady on the grind cuz the ants don’t rest
Throwing up my hands cuz I am so blessed


© 2013 Rodney “J Prophet” Reynolds for Peace and Power Media

Thursday, June 20, 2013

YAV Boston

Welcome!

For those who don't know, I will soon be moving to Boston!
The Presbyterian Church (USA) Mission Agency created an outreach called the Young Adult Volunteer program. The program is for 18-30 year old young adults who want to serve God as well as a community. YAVs (Young Adult Volunteers) can serve in domestic or international communities- locations vary from Boston and Miami to Kenya and the Philippines.

Each location has a focused mission that tries to fill a hole in the community. For example, if a city has a large homeless population than the YAVs in that locale try to serve that population. Missions vary as much as the locations themselves. There are a few locations that focus on urban ministry and homeless populations whereas the mission in Montana is to serve a small town with a significant Native American roots.

Boston's mission is to reach out to those in food desserts, neighborhoods that have poor or no access to healthy produce and affordable grocery stores, and help them find and even grow healthy food. Some of the Boston YAVs will work with churches and schools to educate kids on healthy food choices while others will plant community gardens or work with an organizations that give recently released prisoners 2 meals a day.

Here is the link to the Boston program description:YAV Boston

I will be in Boston before I know it! Orientation is in Stony Point, NY (1 hour north of NYC) from August 19-25. On August 26 I will travel to Boston from orientation. I will be there until July 2014.

I can't wait for this new adventure! I will keep updating this blog from time to time; once a week minimum is my goal.

Eat Local. Think Global... Justice.