Dear Friends in Christ,
Let us pray the Collect for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr:
Almighty God, who by the hand of Moses thy servant didst lead thy people out of slavery, and didst make them free at last: Grant that thy Church, following the example of thy prophet Martin Luther King, may resist oppression in the name of thy love, and may strive to secure for all thy children the blessed liberty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and forever. Amen. (The Episcopal Church Calendar)
Rev. Dr. King had, and continues to have, great influence on my life. My parents worked for the recognition of the Federal holiday in the state of New Hampshire (the last to do so). His personal journey from young pastor, in his first call, to boycott leader in Montgomery, Alabama, to leader of a national Civil Rights movement which required personal courage and the deepest faith in God to succeed, is seldom equalled. In my seminary years, I was inspired by Rev. Dr. King and his aides, many of them seminarians and newly minted pastors who responded to his work, the Biblically-based justice for all people. His message on reconciliation and the beloved community stands the test of time:
“The end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the Beloved Community. It is this type of spirit and this type of love that can transform opponents into friends.” (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr)
Rev. Dr. King’s story includes the Episcopal Diocese of California: Bishop of California James Pike was an early supporter of Rev. Dr. King, in the 1950’s inviting him to speak on Bishop Pike’s radio show ‘the Protestant Hour’, and preaching at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. Bishop Pike invited Rev. Dr. King to speak at Grace Cathedral shortly following the Selma to Montgomery march. Bishop Pike understood that the message of God’s love and the Beloved Community applied to us in San Francisco as well as the South whence Dr King came.
The Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the State of California wrote a pastoral letter to the Church, which is included below in this bulletin. You can also click here to read it from The Diocese of California’s website. I thank the bishops for their prayerful response for this weekend and upcoming weeks.
Let us continue to pray for peace, that we listen to our better angels, that we continue to be the worshipful, beloved Christian community at St Francis’ Episcopal Church.
In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Father Eric