The Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III electrified Howard University’s Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel Sunday, Oct. 20, as a motivating close to the historically Black institution’s weeklong centennial homecoming celebration, in a service that was filled with encouraging words and a call to service.
Before the sermon, the Rev. Dr. Bernard Richardson offered a prayer for congregants.
“Come and do your work in us,” he prayed. “Come, Lord, introduce us to our true selves.”
As the university marked its 100th celebration, Haynes reflected on homecomings
“To have the privilege to have been asked to speak at a homecoming every year has been healing to me,” said Haynes, who explained he did not have much time for homecoming traditions while he was in undergrad at Bishop College in Marshall, Texas. “Ain’t no homecoming like a Howard homecoming… The parties are lit.”
Despite not having much time for fun in college, Haynes has been preaching at Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas since 1983, having grown a congregation from 100 to more than 13,000 members.
Pulling from the Bible’s Luke 4, Haynes preached about the time when Jesus had a personal “homecoming.” Titling the sermon, “Handling the Head Winds During Homecoming,” Haynes, a popular author and theologian, mixed Scripture, and politics with the words of Paul Laurence Dunbar, jokes and music lyrics to help congregants connect with the message.
“The O’Jays talked about ‘Back Stabbers,’” Haynes said, referencing the 1972 song, before quoting lyrics from the famous tune. “‘They smile in your face and all of the time they want to take your place.’”
The pastor said Jesus knew a thing or two about back stabbers.
According to Luke, when Jesus went to his home of Nazareth to spread God’s love and news, he was mocked.
“16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day, he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it was written: 18 ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,’” the scripture says.
However, what happens to Jesus next, according to Luke, is anything but a warm welcome.
“28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way,” according to Luke 4: 28-30.
Haynes explained if Jesus was disrespected in his hometown, then humans can suffer the same fate, and continue spreading love and serving others.
Despite opposition, the pastor explained that Jesus was able to walk away safely and continue his ministry and work. He encouraged humans to be inspired by Jesus’ actions, even when the “negative headwinds will try to block us.”
“God’s love is not limited to a people,” Haynes declared. “We survived to serve.”