Not to Us, O Lord!

Non nobis Domine (not to us, O Lord). Taken from the first line of Psalm 115, this Latin slogan joined the grand pantheon of phrases that marked the Protestant Reformation. The Reformers understood that if God was going to restore His glory and majesty to the church once again it was going to be for His name and for His glory alone. They knew that the glory of God was in the Gospel of Christ and if God would visit His people He would do so for His name and His glory alone. Subsequently, they all with a singular voice wrote and preached, "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory" (Ps. 115:1). Today will be no different. The Reformation that we pray and labor for in the Church (and the African-American Church in particular) is a Reformation that will only come because God determines to glorify Himself through us and to us, not for our glory, but for His alone. So we, like the Magisterium Reformers, proclaim and pray, Non nobis Domine. It is my prayer that it will be the undercurrent and foundation of all we write, preach and pray.