50
The Woman I AM
The setting was the Gibson Amphitheatre located in Universal City and the place was standing room only. It was the final evening of the Sanctity of Sisterhood’s autumn conference titled The Woman I Am and, as requested, the attendees had dressed in white. The tableau created was majestic, almost heavenly in its appearance, over six-thousand women singing and dancing before the Lord.
The guest moderator for the conference, a former first lady in Los Angeles and current talk show host, walked across the stage and grabbed the microphone. Her double-breasted white suit with big bold buttons and an oversized collar made quite the statement as she stood before the women and lifted her hands to the sky. “Praise Him, sisters,” Carla Chapman extolled as she walked back and forth. “He made you the woman that you are, and you are made in the image of the great I AM.” Her declaration caused another uproar in the crowd, one that D & C, Darius Crenshaw and Company, quickly punctuated with riffs on the keyboards, strings, and drums. Realizing that this was a time of worship, not words, Carla gave an almost imperceptible nod to Darius, who broke out in a song taken from Psalm 8.
“Oh Lord . . . how excellent is Your name above all the earth; who has set Thy glory above the heavens. When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained. What is man, that Thou art mindful of him, and the son of man, that Thou visits him? For Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor . . . O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!”
Reactions varied throughout the arena. Some cried, some laughed, some simply raised their hands in adoration. Others sat in their seats and rocked. This was a personal moment between attendee and God, a time to reflect on what He had done, and why they should be thankful. Darius’s baritone flitted among the praise, the instruments in one accord with the anointing. When the song ended, Carla waited until most had taken their seat and then again attempted to move forward in the service.
“Yes, His name is excellent,” she began, her voice naturally authoritative. “And since we are created in His image, so are we! As we discovered in this conference’s sessions, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’ve been, what you’ve done or who has judged you. Your membership in the kingdom has deemed you excellent and whole before the almighty God. Oh, yes, sisters. Some of you don’t believe it. But I stand here as a witness that He can take your feet out of the miry clay and set it upon a solid rock. What do I mean, you’re asking? What is miry clay? That’s just a fancy King James saying for dirt, y’all. Doing the dirty. Watching the dirty.” Various reactions from laughter to applause to shaking heads accompanied her statement. Still, others had looks that showed the listener seemed less than appreciative of what was being said. “I appreciate the applause, but not all of y’all are happy. Oh, I see the frowns and raised brows. And I know why. It’s because y’all think I’m talking about you.” She paused, looking over the crowded space. “Well, news flash, baby. I’m talking about me! I was the sinner, a wretch undone. Hey! A promiscuous teenager who became an unwed mother, an adulterer when I thought I was way past that kind of sin. Yes, I may be pointing one finger out, but there are three that are pointing back at me, and—hallelujah!—I’m so thankful to know that I am not what I’ve done. I am all that I AM!”
This statement brought out a praise party that lasted several minutes.
When the audience calmed down once more, she continued. “We have a special treat for you as we bring this conference to a close, and we want you to tell all of your sisters who couldn’t make it about the next major conference that will take place next August. Mark your calendars because you won’t want to miss it. We’re going to leave land behind, and our husbands”—Carla paused amid the snickers—“and set sail on one of the seven seas. That’s right, saints. Our next conference will happen aboard a cruise ship and will feature some of the most powerful women of God in the country along with some of our finest praise and worshippers, including who we’ve been blessed to have in our midst this weekend—Darius Crenshaw and Company!” Darius smiled and bowed to the crowd to acknowledge their applause. When it subsided, Carla continued. “Once again I’d like to thank this year’s cohost, Mrs. Vivian Montgomery, who pulled herself away from that fine husband long enough to talk to us about who we are in God.” Vivian smiled and waved. “I’d also like to thank Tai Brook who, while she couldn’t be with us in person, contributed in spirit and in monies by funding yesterday’s luncheon. Y’all, show Mrs. Tai Brook some love so that she’ll see it on the DVD! Oh, and we can’t forget her daughter, Princess Petersen. How about that workshop: Jesus Is My Boo; Let Him Be Your Boo Too. And Mamma Max!” Again, a nice round of applause was offered up by the attendees.
After thanking the other ladies who’d assisted with the conference, Carla motioned to the side of the stage. Out walked Hope and seven other women, also all dressed in white. “To close out this miniconference, I’m pleased to once again introduce Hope Taylor, back by popular demand, y’all, doing an encore of the praise dance to “In the Land of I Am.” Let’s put our hands together for Hope Taylor and the Women Who Worship!”
Hope walked up to where Carla stood waiting as the other seven dancers spread across the stage. The sound of a Ricky Byars original masterpiece filled the room. The crowd was on their feet as the words delivered above African-inspired music filled the women’s hearts and heads, reminding them of all that God is and because of being made in His image, of all that they were as well.
The conference ended and the conference speakers and cohosts prepared to go their separate ways. Vivian and Hope walked the short distance to their cars. “That was wonderful, Vivian. Thanks for asking me to participate. I’d never thought about it, but I loved speaking to and encouraging the women. It felt good.”
“They loved you, too,” Vivian replied. “Your topic, ‘I Am Hope,’ was perfect! Your story gives them faith to believe that their dreams can come true, too. It was also good that you included the challenges that have come with marriage, especially to someone as desirable as your husband. It’s good for women to see that we may live in big houses but we don’t live on big pedestals. We have problems, challenges and issues the same as them. Your story showed them that. The DVD from your session is selling very well.”
“I’m thankful for that.”
“We’re thankful for you. And I’m delighted that everything has worked out with your and Cy’s situation. It takes a big woman to do what you’ve done; to not only embrace a former lover of your husband, but to help her get better.”
“It’s not me, Lady Viv,” Hope said sincerely. “It’s the God in me. He is the reason why I am who I am.”