Jan 16, 2023

Martin Luther King, Jr.

It was in a seminary preaching class that I came to a deeper appreciation of Martin Luther King. Jr. (1929-1968). Our class was studying great sermons from American history and listened to MLK’s “I Have a Dream” Speech on August 28, 1963, as the culminating moment in The March on Washington. The image of a dream did not feature prominently in Martin’s initial draft of his message. He arrived at the Willard Hotel the evening before the march, still uncertain of what to say. His entourage offered various perspectives of what should be included. King brought the debate to a close by announcing, “I am now going upstairs to my room to counsel with my Lord.”

The crowd was larger than expected the following day on the National Mall, perhaps 250,000 or more in attendance. Martin began his speech by likening the promises guaranteed in the US Constitution as a Promissory Note pledged to blacks which had been returned with the notation, “insufficient funds.” When he paused in his speech, Mahalia Jackson who had just previous sung a gospel song requested by Martin, whispered behind him, “Tell ’em about the dream, Martin. Tell ’em about the dream.” Clarence Jones, a reporter for the Washington Post, who was present with Martin the previous night at the Willard Hotel, watched Martin move his prepared remarks to one side and grasp the lectern firmly with both hands. Clarence said quietly to the person seated next to him, “These people don’t know it, but they’re about ready to go to church.” Martin left his prepared remarks to speak from the heart. His repetition of “I have a Dream” began to quicken and his words were filled with metaphors from the Old Testament prophets. He closed by citing a line from “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” and coupled it with the gospel song “Free at Last.” Although I have listened and watched the speech countless times, it never fails to move me and evoke admiration for this anointed leader.

Martin’s prayer that follows here is taken from an audio recording of worship from his father’s congregation, Ebenezer Baptist Church, dating back to 1953:

O thou Eternal God, out of whose absolute power and infinite intelligence the whole universe has come into being, we humbly confess that we have not loved thee with our hearts, souls, and minds, and we have not loved our neighbor as Christ loved us. We have all too often lived by our selfish impulses rather than by the life of sacrificial love as revealed by Christ. We give in order to receive, we love our friends and hate our enemies, we go the first mile but dare not travel the second, we forgive but dare not to forget. And so, as we look within ourselves, we are confronted with the appalling fact that the history of our lives is the history of an eternal revolt against thee. But thou, O God, have mercy upon us. Forgive us for what we could have been but failed to be. Give us the intelligence to know thy will. Give us the courage to do thy will. Give us the devotion to love thy will. In the name and Spirit of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Rev. Dr. Peter James served 42 years as the senior of Vienna Presbyterian Church in Vienna, VA — 21 years in the 20th century and 21 years in the 21st century. He retired in 2021 and now serves as Pastor-in-Residence at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Even as a pastor, prayer came slowly to Pete. Read Pete’s story.