Good Morning! Welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church! Last week we celebrated our 197th birthday as part of this community and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). This week we look at some of our values as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and highlight our commitment to be an Anti-Racist/Pro- Reconciling church. We hope all feel challenged and inspired to grow as a loving person and community. Thank you for being here and God’s blessings be with you!
Prelude - “There Shall be Showers of Blessing” [by J. McGranahan] - Sarah Park
Welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church
We are a community seeking to have open minds, open hearts, and open arms.
DOC VALUES from our General Church
- We practice unity and inclusion at the Lord’s Table
- We study scripture for ourselves
- We are a movement for Christian Unity to help bring about wholeness – healing and justice – in the world.
- TODAY, we are lifting up one of the ways we seek to bring about that wholeness. One of the ways we can have Open Minds, Open Hearts, and Open Arms: by seeking to be an Anti-Racist and Pro-Reconciling Church
- Here at the beginning of Black History Month, we will be reflective about any stereotypes, prejudice, or racist ideas that we might still carry with us.
- Later we will be sharing a DRAMA compiled and written by Rick Painley about Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
“We are Disciples of Christ, a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. As part of the one body of Christ we welcome all to the Lord’s Table as God has welcomed us.”
Scripture Reading - Galatians 3:26-28 - Rev. Chad Delaney
26for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
Welcoming Song - “Sister, Let me Be Your Servant” #490, v.2
We are pilgrims on a journey, fellow trav'lers on the road.
We are here to help each other, walk the mile and bear the load.
*Call to Worship - Allie Owen
One: May we dream of a world made new,
All: Where together we shout for justice and as one we fight against hatred.
One: May we dream of a world made new,
All: Where together we seek God’s righteousness and as one we sing God’s praise.
One: May we dream of a world made new,
All: Where together we climb God’s mountain, and as one we enter the promised land.
One: May we dream of a world made new,
All: Where together we proclaim the good news of God’s kingdom, And, as one, we enjoy its peace, abundance, and love. Let us worship the Lord!
~ written by Christine Sine
*Opening Hymn - “Into My Heart” #304 (2x)
Into my heart, into my heart, come into my heart, Lord Jesus;
come in today, come in to stay, come into my heart, Lord Jesus.
Invitation to Generosity
Invitation - Allie Owen
Offertory
Music: “Under His Wings I am Safely Abiding” [by I. D. Sankey] - Sarah Park
*Response- “Make Me a Blessing”
[Refrain]
Make me a blessing, Make me a blessing.
Out of my life may Jesus shine;
Make me a blessing, O Savior, I pray.
Make me a blessing to someone today.
Offering Prayer - Allie Owen
Children’s Moment - Rev. Chad Delaney
Jesus loves the little children, All the children of the world.
Every color, every race, all are covered by his grace.
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
Special Music
“Communion with Jesus” [by Colin Curtis] -Jan Green
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer - Rev. Chad Delaney
The Reconciliation Commission of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) wrote in 2001 - “The Pro-reconciliation/Anti-Racism Initiative was founded upon the need to make visible God’s beloved community. It invites the church to listen to the once silenced voices of its racial/ethnic communities, learn from their wisdom and gain insight from their leadership. It calls the church to discernment and prayer, study of the scriptures and reflection, dialogue and table fellowship. The true goal is to transform, strengthen and deepen the church’s spirituality, resulting in a community that understands its mission to be about bringing justice and salvation to the world.”
As we come to prayer today, we come to answer the call of our denomination seeking to live up to our values and commitments we’ve made as part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to be Pro-Reconciling/Anti-Racist church. We long for authentic Christian unity and that all would be welcome at the Table. Reconciliation and Anti-Racism is one of our deepest priorities going forward as a whole church. In that spirit…let’s pray…
Loving and Gracious God, you have created people from every race, tribe,
tongue and ethnicity--but more than that you have created us as human beings. Together to inhabit this beautiful creation. Together to be good stewards. Together to live in a community marked by love, peace, justice, respect, and mutual support.
Yet we confess that we draw lines between peoples. We raise barriers. We have some prejudice within us. We confess that in the pursuit of our own dreams and desires, we have not always been civil, not always humane, not always right. We carry with us both anti-racist ideas and racist ideas. Some we inherited from the generations behind us. Some we have come to on our own. We have worked hard to change and grow to see all people as your children. Help us to be that change we want to see.
By the power of your Holy Spirit help us to be a pro-reconciling church who seeks to be in right relationship with you and our community. To see all people as your children and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
In our church here, there is pain, grief, and sorrow we bring. There is gratitude, excitement, and joy. We give it all to you in silent prayer….
Living God, unite us together as one body to pray the prayer Jesus taught us to pray…
Communion
Meditation - Brian Hurd
Communion Hymn - “Let us Break Bread Together” #424, v.1
Let us break bread together on our knees; (on our knees)
let us break bread together on our knees. (on our knees)
[Refrain]
When I fall on my knees, with my face to the rising sun, O Lord, have mercy on me. (on me)
Prayer - Katie Baird
Words of Institution Katie Baird
Music: “On a Hill Far Away” [by G. Bennard] - Sarah Park
Scripture - Amos 5:14-15, 24
14 Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said.
15 Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate;
24 But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Presentation on Dr. King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail
Rick Painley (Narrator & Author)
Rev. Chad Delaney
Brian Hurd
Steve Hurd
Allison Bozeka
Narrator: PHOTO 1 100 years after The Emancipation Proclamation, 8 years after the decision of Brown vs. Board of Education, 6 years after the Montgomery bus boycott, America remained a tainted democracy, a democracy for white people. Leaders of the black community were thwarted on multiple fronts by the political tactics of “wait” and ‘be patient”. This policy of “Moderation” meant the triumph of cunning politics and compromise over justice. Here was the central lie of American exceptionalism. America was willing to flirt with that righteous language in inaugural speeches as John F. Kennedy did when he proclaimed that “We shall pay any price…bear any burden…to assure the survival and success of liberty.” But that didn’t apply to the black community. So, in early 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. turned his campaign of direct action toward one of the most segregated cities in the United States: Birmingham, Alabama.
PHOTO 2 Dr. King collaborated for months with the other black clergy of Birmingham. They met with city and county political and business leaders. These preliminary negotiations and their efforts to integrate proved short-lived. One business owner took down a sign that said “Whites Only”, he found a bill for $9,000 for elevator inspections and repairs. Another business owner allowed people of color to use the restrooms in his store, he suddenly was cited $100,000 for fire code violations. This was a city and state government of segregationists who were not willing to give up their power. Privileged groups seldom give up their privilege voluntarily.
As Dr. King, his fellow pastors and members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference solidified plans for direct action, a group of 8 white clergy (a Catholic, 2 Episcopalians, 2 Methodists, a rabbi, a Presbyterian and a Baptist) decided to weigh in. They published a letter in the newspaper in January called “An Appeal for Law and Order and Common Sense” and followed it in April with an essay entitled “A Call for Unity” following the arrest of Dr. King. It is this second article to which MLK responded with “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”.
We have reduced the number of white ministers to 3 for the purpose of our presentation. With humility and hesitancy, Pastor Chad will read the part of Dr. King. We tried our best to bring forth King’s point of view and cannot do justice to King’s oration and voice. His dynamic words, however, need to be heard as they are still relevant and challenging for the church and world today. Of course, it will be best for you to go back and read the whole of Dr. King’s letter yourself or even listen to his audio recording.
Although, historically, there was no dialogue between these preachers and Dr. King, we have taken some creative license to present the salient arguments of both parties and included a narrator to give some context to the larger picture of what was happening at the time. Let’s begin.
White pastor 1: I have taken the liberty of making copies of a rough draft. Since this is Good Friday, we need to get it out today.
White pastor 2: If they would only practice some patience. Why can’t they wait? Why now?
White pastor 3: Exactly! There’s a new administration in Birmingham. Let the policies work through the courts.
White pastor 1: We know that the hopes of these people are slow in being realized, but these demonstrations are just untimely.
Dr. King: PHOTO 3 For Years now, I have heard the word “Wait!” It rings in the ears of every black person with piercing familiarity. This “Wait!” has almost always meant “Never”. Freedom is never voluntarily given up by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. When you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers, drown your brothers and sisters, when you seen hate-filled police officers beat black citizens unrecognizable who were peacefully protesting, when you see 20 million black brothers and sisters smothered from the airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you find yourself stammering, your tongue twisted as you try to explain to your 6 year-old daughter that the public amusement park she has just seen advertised on TV is closed to black children; when you have to sleep in your car because the motel will not permit people of color to lodge there; then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait.
Narrator: And there was pressure from the Kennedy administration to wait for a more convenient season. President Kennedy may have portrayed the image of an idealistic liberal, but behind the scenes he was a cool pragmatist. The only alternative was a direct action campaign. Dr. King knew that without direct action, people of color would be in the same place 300 years from now. His good friend, Rabbi Heschel, remarked, “If the Israelites had waited and not taken action for their freedom, I’d still be making pyramids in Egypt.”
White pastor 2: Besides, this is a local matter. There are people demonstrating who don’t belong.
White pastor 1: Dr. King is an outsider and an extremist!
White pastor 3: We need to sit down to negotiations. Agitators are not helping the situation.
Dr. King: PHOTO 4 I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned with what’s happening in Birmingham. I am in Birmingham because injustice exists here. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Gentlemen, we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Did not the apostle Paul leave his village in Tarsus to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world? So, too, am I compelled to carry the Gospel of Freedom beyond my own hometown.
Dr. King: (long pause to collect thoughts) Initially I was disappointed with the title of extremist. But, was not Abraham Lincoln an extremist when he said “This nation cannot survive half-slave and half-free?” Was not Thomas Jefferson an extremist when he penned “We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL men are created equal”? Was not Jesus an extremist for love when he suggested: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you…”
Narrator: Dr. King wondered about the extremists that those white pastors forgot to mention. The vicious ones he witnessed carrying out violence on peaceful protestors. He saw demonstrators beaten with lead pipes PHOTO 5, bombs detonated outside homes and churches PHOTO 6 , dogs unleashed on unarmed men PHOTO 7 and demonstrators sprayed with fire hoses PHOTO 8; the water coming from those hoses with so much pressure it can strip the bark from trees.
Dr. King: The question, my fellow ministers, is not whether or not we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be? Will we be extremists for hate or for love?
White pastor 3: Why not negotiate? If the proper channels are not used there will be violence.
White pastor 2: Protests are disruptive. The decisions of the courts must be peacefully obeyed.
White pastor 1: We must observe the principles of law and order.
Dr. King: Our protests are not a repudiation of negotiations, but their midwife. Nonviolent direct action allows us to confront evil without becoming evil. The tension is the catalyst for creative problem solving. Our goal is not victory, but justice and reconciliation.
Narrator: PHOTO 9The preparations for nonviolent direct action was extensive. One of the steps was called self-purification. Demonstrators could only participate in the planned protests if they could accept the blows of racists without retaliating and if they could endure the ordeal of jail. In fact, participants needed to sign a pledge card of nonviolence. PHOTO 10
Dr. King: (Pause to look at Pledge Card) We have the highest regard for the law. But, there are 2 types of laws: just and unjust. We have decided to break the unjust laws of the segregated South, but we do so openly, lovingly and with a willingness to accept the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over these injustices. Is this not the highest respect for the law?
Narrator: Dr. King went on to ask these ministers about Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and about acts of defiance lauded in our history books like the Boston Tea Party. He reminded them that the early Christians faced lions rather than submit to the unjust laws of the Roman Empire.
White pastor 1: Let’s close by strongly urging the black community to remain calm…
White pastor 2: …and peaceful…
White pastor 3: …and wait patiently.
Dr. King: I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the greatest stumbling block for the black community is not the Klu Klux Klanner but the white moderate who is more devoted to order than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice. These ‘leaders’ who have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained glass windows. I have found myself asking, “What kind of people worship here? Who is their God?” PHOTO 11 - stained glass
Prayer
A prayer by Rev. Eliza Buchakjian-Tweedy based on Dr. King’s “Our God is Marching On” speech
God of Righteousness, grant us your life-giving presence.
Guide us in this time and remain with us as we step out into the world,
that we may face injustice with courage and love.
May we come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself,
a society that can live with its conscience.
The timing may feel off; the end of the road might be out of sight,
yet we trust in your holy presence.
How long? Not long, because no lie can live forever.
How long? Not long, because we still reap what we sow.
How long? Not long, because the arm of the moral universe is long,
but it bends toward justice.
How long? Not long, because you are our God,
and all may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. Amen.
*Closing Hymn - “Lord, I Want to Be a Christian” #589, vs. 1-3
1 Lord, I want to be a Christian in-a my heart, in-a my heart;
Lord, I want to be a Christian in-a my heart.
In-a my heart, (in-a my heart,) in my heart, (in-a my heart,)
Lord, I want to be a Christian in-a my heart, (in-a my heart).
2 Lord, I want to be more loving in-a my heart, in-a my heart;
Lord, I want to be more loving in-a my heart.
In-a my heart, (in-a my heart,) in my heart, (in-a my heart,)
Lord, I want to be more loving in-a my heart, (in-a my heart).
3 Lord, I want to be like Jesus in-a my heart, in-a my heart;
Lord, I want to be like Jesus in-a my heart.
In-a my heart, (in-a my heart,) in my heart, (in-a my heart,)
Lord, I want to be like Jesus in-a my heart, (in-a my heart).
Benediction - Rev. Chad Delaney
Prayer from Howard Thurman:
Open unto us— light for our darkness.
Open unto us — courage for our fear.
Open unto us — hope for our despair.
Open unto us — peace for our turmoil.
Open unto us — joy for our sorrow.
Open unto us — strength for our weakness.
Open unto us — wisdom for our confusion.
Open unto us — forgiveness for our sins.
Open unto us — love for our hates.
Open unto us — thy Self for ourself.
Lord, Lord, open unto me!
Postlude - “Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus” [by W. J. Kirkpatrick] - Sarah Park