Black church celebrates collective dream … and its fulfillment
Those who attended the annual Martin Luther King holiday observance at St. John Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday were reminded once again that the movement led by King and other civil rights leaders started in the black church.
In fact, like King, many of those legendary leaders were and are ministers themselves.
“It has been the black church that has been our shelter,” Oklahoma City Ward 7 Councilman Skip Kelly, said to the large crowd gathered.
Everyone knows the influence the black church has, he said, just look at one of the biggest controversies of President-elect Barack Obama’s candidiacy — his membership at Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ and several sermons preached by its then-pastor Jeremiah Wright.
The holiday observance was filled with allusions to the black faith community’s sense of hope, an expectancy born of faith in God for a brighter day. These ideas have their roots or foundation in the biblical Israelites’ quest for freedom from slavery and oppression. God did indeed bring them out — parted the Red Sea and lead them to the Promised Land, pastors have told many a congregation year after year.
Sunday was no different.
“We thank you Lord because we believe he’s (Obama) the realization of Dr. Kings dream,” the Rev. Bobby Best, senior pastor of Greater Cleaves CME Church, said.
The choir sang several songs, including “Blessed” — a uptempo song that proclaims “We’re blessed in the city! We’re blessed in the field! We’re blessed when we come and when we go!…”
People clapped and swayed to the music as they sang another verse of the song’: “Late in the midnight hour, God’s going to turn it around! He’s going to work in our favor!”
Meanwhile listening to the speakers, I was transported back to my visit to Atlanta in 2004.
I’d gone there with a group of women from my church to attend a religious conference. We used our visit to take time to see some of the places we’d always heard about — one of them being Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King’s father, Martin Sr., had been a longtime pastor.
Seeing the place where King received his spiritual nourishment, so to speak, I was surprised to see how small the church was.
The church had recently opened a new larger facility across the street, but it was in the smaller Ebenezer where young Martin Jr. had experienced the love, faith and vitality that moves through black churches all over the country.
It occurred to me on Sunday that the power of the church, fueled by God, could not and can not be contained in four walls. It had to and has to propel people to march, to educate themselves, to fight against injustice in all its many forms.
Doesn’t matter how big or small the church is, it is what the people of God do with their faith and the divine power given them.
Former State Sen. Angela Monson said it best. She reminded the audience that Obama has challenged people to serve their communities today when many of them have the day off for the King holiday.
And the spirit of service should not just be one day only, particular for church congregations, Monson said.
“We are His hands. We are His feet so we have to step up to the plate. If we want the change to come, we must be the change that we seek,” she said.
Yes, she said it’s “our time.
“We must accept our calling and do what needs to be done. Say ‘I’m here Lord. Use me’.”
Meanwhile, the words to the song that traditionally ends the annual King holiday observance, seemed especially appropriate, given the hour.
The lyrics to the Rev. Charles Tindley’s song were rich with meaning, as people gathered not just to celebrate King’s life, but Tuesday’s historic inauguration of America’s first black president.
King and those who marched with him sang the song as they trekked for the sake of the civil rights cause:
We shall overcome
We shall overcome some day
Deep in my heart
I do believe
We shall overcome
some day.
I had the feeling on Sunday that, yes, deep in their hearts, many in the crowd, did believe.
They were united with King in that sense.
