Short Bio: Celestine Booze, Potter’s House, Niagara Falls
Celestine Booze is a native of Niagara Falls, New York, and currently serves as the Co-Pastor of the Potter’s House Christian Community Church, in Niagara Falls, NY
She serves as the International Overseer of the World Missions Ministries International Fellowship of Churches, which presently includes 10 countries in the organization. Within the local church she provides pastoral oversight Ministers and person in training for the fivefold ministry. She is the founder of the Potter’s House school of Prophets.
Educationally, she holds a Master of Divinity from Tabernacle Bible Seminary. She also received advanced leadership training at Beulah Heights University of Atlanta Georgia.
Professionally, Celestine served the Niagara Falls Police Department for 20 years assigned to patrol division and the detective bureau. She retired after 20 years of service and holds the distinction of being the first female promoted to the rank of detective in the history of the Niagara Falls Police Department.
Evangelist Booze is a well sought after speaker and her ministry has taken her throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, numerous African countries of Togo, Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria and the Caribbean conducting Pastoral and Leadership training Conferences, Crusades, Revivals, Workshops, and Prayer Breakfasts.
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MOMENT:
Raise your hand if you've ever felt awkward as an adolescent or teenager. My hand is up. I felt very, very, awkward during my adolescence and teenage years, and I especially felt even more awkward in junior high and High school. I was really, really thin, ( oh for the good ole days) tall for my age and completely lacking in the area of self confidence. I was always the tallest girl in my classroom, in fact I was taller than most of the boys too. I would constantly hear you are so tall. Someone once joked and said to me that, when I walked into my kindergarten classroom that the teacher said to me the teacher’s lounge is down the hall… I was tall.
In an effort and futile attempt minimize my stature and try to blend in with my classmates, I would walk slightly slumped over and droop my shoulders. I definitely did not want to be short, I just want to be shorter. My mother was constantly telling me over and over again “ hold your head up, pull your shoulders back, stand up straight, don’t slump”. Mom didn’t know about my internal struggle and the way I felt about myself, she didn’t know how I saw myself and I didn’t tell her either. In hindsight, perhaps my Mom did know what I was going through and wanted me to embrace the fact that I was tall. Did I mention that I was shy? Yes that can be added to the mixture. I didn’t want attention and I certainly didn’t want to draw attention to myself. However, that did not stop my teachers from giving me the lead roles in plays, or making me walk up on the gym stage and read during the school assemblies.
It was the same at church, I was always selected to read a poem in the Sunday school Easter program or play a role in the Sunday school Christmas play. But suddenly, something happened to this tall, shoulder slumping, self confident lacking, skinny me. I can’t tell you why it happened and I’m not even sure when it happened but something happened that changed something on the inside of me. I decided that if my teachers at school and my Sunday school teachers were going to continue to place me in positions that would require me to take center stage in front of what I considered large audiences, then I was going to make the most of my moment. What is a moment? It is a very brief period of time, a short time an instant, a little while, and since I was being placed up front, I decided that I would give it my very best. After all, it made no sense to be in a up front position and add to my discomfort by regretting having not given it my very best. So that’s exactly what I did. Whenever I was tasked with rendering recitation, poem or scripture reading, I would take the time to memorize and commit my assignment to memory. I stop making notes on the palm of my hand, using cheat sheets and 3x5 cards. I stood proudly, with my head held high and my shoulder pulled back and I would project my voice loudly. I pronounced and enunciated every word articulately, confidently and clearly. I made the most of my moment.
My memory of those years reminded me of the woman in Luke chapter 7. This woman who is identified as a “woman of the city '' is a sinner who learned that Jesus was having dinner at the house of a Pharisee. This was a major social event and the town was buzzing. Jesus, at the house of a Pharisee was noteworthy! This was a gathering strictly for men only and the women were not extended an invitation. During this time in biblical history and in this region in particular, the climate was hot and arid so typically meals were eaten outside. Since Jesus was in attendance his presence would draw crowds from all across the city after all Jesus was considered a celebrity and people were interested in what he had to say. Let me put this in 2020 vernacular and make it relevant and applicable to the times we now live in. It’s like when your husband invites the guys over to watch a football game and even though there are many women who enjoy a good game of football- the fellows would prefer if they could just have this as a guy thing. Anyway, imagine the men are gathering together lying around enjoying the fellowship and the food. The crowd has gathered outside of the Pharisee home. The atmosphere is electrifying and suddenly, there is an interruption in the festivities. A woman shows up! This “woman of the city” takes it upon herself to make a bold move. She decides to make the best of her moment and enters the house of the Pharisee. Not only did this “woman of the city” enter the Pharisee home as an uninvited guest, she was bodacious enough to approach the guest of honor, Jesus himself. Imagine the gasps in the crowd, the stares and glares of the onlookers the chatter that must have taken place.
One thing I can say about this woman she knows enough not to show up at a dinner party without a gift, no she does not show up empty handed she brought a gift of ointment wrapped in an alabaster box. It wasn’t enough to interrupt the festivities and to approach the guest of honor now she touches Jesus. She stood at his feet behind him and began to cry and wash his feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair, kissed and anointed his feet. Can you imagine the inner turmoil she had to overcome to make this move, Can you imagine what it took to summon this tremendous level of courage to take a risk to do what she did. But she did it! It would appear that she paid little or no attention to the voices, ignored the crowd and embraced her moment.
We all will have situations and circumstances that bring up a place of making tough decisions. I believe sometimes you have to just decide that the risk is worth taking. So…disregard the crowd, tune out the voices of discouragement hold your head up, pull your shoulders back, stand tall and make the most of your moment.
Co-Pastor Celestine Booze
Potter’s House Christian Community Church
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