Congregation Unitarian Universalist
Rev. Martin Luther King
Where do we go from here to honor Dr. King's work?
Opening Words: Some of us here still remember when Dr. King spoke before this congregation many years ago. Bob Pope even has photographs of that event. He was kind enough to speak to us last year about his memories of Dr. King and his work. Dr. King advocated and also supported non-violence as the way to peace and justice in our communities. Jesus, Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr were all murdered. Why? They all had the same message of peace and forgiveness. Was this the reason they were murdered? Did the world not want to hear such a message?
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Lighting the Chalice:
Prayer: ( followed by a moment of silent meditation)
* Hymn: Spirit of Life (adapted)
Joys and Concerns: (We throw a small stone into this bowl filled with water, to symbolize our thoughts, which move in circular rings eternally, like concentric waves.)
We invite you to share your joys and concerns since our last meeting
Story for All Ages: Children leave for RE at the end of the story The Parting of the Waters" from A Bucketful of Dreams by Chris Buice, published by the UUA's Skinner House
First Reading: Luke 6:27-36
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." * Hymn: # 318 (STLT) Homily: by Lay Minister Donner Lohnes
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was not a man to be silenced. On April 4th 1967 he gave a speech that today is his least well known, yet most controversial.
“I come to this magnificent house of worship tonight,” he said, “because my conscience leaves me no other choice.”
The speech was denunciation of the war in Vietnam. "Silence in the face of the horrors of that war," said Dr. King, amounted to a “betrayal.” He believed in Peace and non-violence. "Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies - or else? The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation."
This was one of the earliest criticisms of Vietnam by such an important American. The New York Times headlined an editorial, "Dr. King’s Error."
The N.A.A.C.P. complained about Dr. King leaving his area of expertise, civil rights, to raise his voice against the evils of the war. But his word ring true today more than ever, "It is not enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it."
That war would go on for another eight years, ultimately taking the lives of 58,000 Americans and almost two million Vietnamese. Would those numbers have been different if we sacrificed more for peace than for war?
Dr. King’s birthday brought that Vietnam speech to my mind. It is important that we honor this great man with a national holiday, but it is disturbing that there is so much more attention to the holiday than to the absolutely crucial lesson of nonviolence that he spent much of his life trying to teach us when he said "Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him."
In an observation that is as valid today as it was 40 years ago he said, “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.” The war in Iraq is this generation's Vietnam. It will cost us and our children well over a trillion dollars before it ends and probably more than two trillion. More than 3,000 Amercan women and men have been killed and the death toll for Iraqis is almost 100,000.
Dr. King held the unfashionable view that we had an obligation to help those who are in trouble, and to speak out against unfair treatment and social injustice. “Our lives begin to end,” he said, “the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Dr. King would be almost 80 now. What would he think of our current situation. “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.”
Dr. King 's protests ended at the age of 39 by a bullet in Memphis. His dream still lives, but only if we heed his words, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Hymn: # 146 (STLT) Theme :Remembrance, Reflection and Renewal: What was important about the Life of Martin Luther King and Where do we go from here?
Forty years after his last and most radical address to the Souther Christian Leadershop Conference, the question on which Martin Luther King Jr. centered his talk "Where do we go from here?" Continues to haunt anyone troubled by the progress of racial justice in this country. An so we raise it again today.
What do you see as the connections between Race and Class?
How can we become an Anti-Racist Ally?
How does racism and other difficult oppressions challenge the opportunities to engage with our children in this work?
How can we "unpack" white privilege, encourage the silent voices to move into action, develop a culture of transformation. What can we do to build bridges?
Are you passionate, concerned, ardent, intrigued, excited, fervent enthusiastic, curious, engrossed or just mildly interested in anti-racism and anti-oppression work? Or do you only think about it this weekend?
Finally what happened to the promises that should have been delivered by the power of the market place and the ballot box? *Closing circle of hands: (Holding hands or link arms as you read the closing words together)
Extinguish Chalice:
*Hymn:
Final Words and Music:
Have we moved enough ?
Hymn:
# 169 (STLT) 
We Shall Overcome (click on title to listen to music)
We shall Overcome, We shall Overcome,We shall Overcome!
Oh, Deep in my heart I do believe we shall over come some day!
We'll walk hand in hand, We'll walk hand in hand,We'll walk hand in hand!
Oh, Deep in my heart I do believe We'll walk hand in hand some day!
We shall live in peace, We shall live in peace, We shall live in peace,
Oh, Deep in my heart I do believe,We shall live in peace some day!
We come to this time and this place
To rediscover the wondrous gift of free religious community;
To renew our faith in the holiness, goodness, and beauty of life;
To reaffirm the way of the open mind and full heart;
To rekindle the flame of memory and hope; and
To reclaim the vision of earth made fair, with all her people one
In the quietness of this place and in the Spirit of this Community in which we share and find strength let us pray. Prayer cannot bring water to parched land, not stop a roaring flood, nor mend a broken bridge, nor rebuild a ruined city, but prayer can water an arid soul, change the tide toward righteousness, mend a broken heart and rebuild a weaken will. Let us pray.
Spirit of Life, come unto us,
Sing in our hearts all the stirrings of compassion.
Blow in the wind, rise in the sea;
Move in our hands, giving life the shape of justice.
Roots hold us close; wings set us free;
Spirit of Life, come to us, come to us
Jesus said, "I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
We Would Be One (click on title to listen to music)
We would be one as now we join in singing our hymn of love, to pledge ourselves anew
To that high cause of greater understanding Of who we are, and what in us is true
We would be one in living for each other To show to all a new community.
We would be one in building for tomorrow a nobler world that we have know today.
We would be one in search for that meaning which binds our hearts and points us on our way.
As one, we pledge ourselves to greater service, With love and justice, strive to make us free.
My original plan for this second reading was to give you a few of my favorite quotations from Dr King, so we could discuss them later in our service discussion . Conditions change, again our country is being told that we must escalate the war with Iraq and send more troops. Fresh memories of Vietnam and the enormous numbers of troops we sent there have inspired me to place some of his quotes in context. He said "History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people." The people spoke very clearly in our last election and our leaders will not listen. Are we ready to recognize as Dr. King has said, "An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law."
Soon the Day Will Arrive (click on title to listen to music)
Soon the day will arrive when we will be together, and no longer will we live in fear.
And the children will smile without wondering whether on that day thunderclouds will appear.
Wait and see, wait and see what a world there can be if we share, if we care, you and me.
Some have dreamed, some have died to make a bright tomorrow, and our vision remains in our hearts.
Now the torch must be passed with new hope, not in sorrow, and a promise to make a new start.
Wait and see, wait and see what a world there can be if we share, if we care, you and me.
Considering our Identites, Do we have multiple identities? Do we honor the Multiple identities we carry?
Go now in Peace
Go now in Peace, Go now in Peace,
*Stand as you are willing or able
May the Love of God surround you
Everywhere, everywhere, You may go