By Larry W. King
Volume III, Number I
January 29, 2010
Enable The Dream!
“In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous ‘descendant,’ heirs according to the covenant promises.” – Galatians 3:28-29 (The Message)
Nearly 47 years ago on August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King spoke the following historic words from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial: “I have a dream my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!” Dr. King finished that landmark speech with a climax resounding with both challenge and hope even today: “And when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and hamlet, from every state and city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children – black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics – will be able to join hands and to sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last, free at last; thank God Almighty, we are free at last’.”
Earlier this month I had the distinct honor and privilege to be part of the worship leadership team at a conference of American Baptist Churches (ABC) pastors, ministers and seminarians. In every service, worship music consisted of compositions from multiple cultures, sung in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Swahili. Each night as I looked out at the distinguished attendees in the audience, I saw White, Black, Hispanic and Asian Christians of all ages singing, swaying, clapping or lifting their hands and praising God together in joyous, exultant voices – on one accord, united in the Holy Spirit. I thank God – along with ABC and conference organizer, Brad Berglund - for affording me such an unforgettable opportunity. Without question, it was one of the most diverse, inspiring and enriching spiritual experiences of my life – absolutely awesome and ineffably beautiful.
As I beheld that rainbow of the faithful, I had an epiphany … surely this must be what worship will be like in heaven. Indeed, I thought (more than once), Dr. King must be looking down and smiling. His dream had come true!
Yet, the stark reality is, the overwhelming majority of conference participants (myself included) returned to churches which are largely a single culture with a one-cultural worship style. Why? Why is Sunday morning at 11:00am still the most segregated hour in America? Why aren’t we free at last? Does the bell of freedom no longer ring? Is the dream deferred?
A culturally homogenous church was an issue even in the apostle Paul’s day. He writes our text to admonish believers in Galatia – an ancient country located in parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria – to resist the false doctrine of Judaizers. The Judaizers were a band of divisive Christians of Jewish descent, who stirred up disunity among the followers of Jesus. They insisted that certain practices and rituals outlined by Hebrew law – circumcision among others - be observed by Gentile converts. The entire letter to the Galatians in general, and our text specifically is Saint Paul’s rebuke of the Judaizers. It is also his exhortation to build the Galatian church on the Godly principles of equality, diversity, inclusion and Christian love for all.
Regrettably, the church’s task remains much the same today as it was in the first century and in 1963. Today’s church must amend its ways to include all our brothers and sisters of all races, all colors, all ages, all genders and all abilities from all nations; joining them together in praise and worship to the Creator of all humankind. And our worship style must be transformed, reinvented and reconstructed, so that it mirrors the diversity of that soon-to-be rainbow assembly.
Let me be perfectly clear. There is absolutely nothing wrong with any church reflecting its cultural or ethnic heritage. Nor is there any misdeed in proudly infusing said heritage into its worship structure. Without a doubt, every church must make choices that serve the best interests of its members. Nevertheless, it behooves every Christian church to take steps to ensure those interests embrace diversity and multi-culturalism. The words of Christ are abundantly clear on this: “I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.” – John 10: 14-16 (RSV)
Doubtless, Jesus’ charge to continue his work – loving and caring for one flock - is not easy. Neither will it happen overnight. But we all must do our part – individually and collectively – to make it so. It requires commitment and work from each and every believer to move us from status quo to ecstatic equality. We must strive (as ABC has) to bring all God’s earthbound sheep together as one, to praise and worship the One loving Shepherd of all. What will YOU do to enable the dream?
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Larry W. King is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (Magna cum Laude) and heads the Denver-based music group, Kingdom Kru. He’s a founding Board member of Faith Community Baptist Church - Rev. Douglas and Rev. Katherine Farley, co-pastors - and is active in Prison Ministry.
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