Last Sunday’s service, on February 23, was a service to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Interspersed with powerful African American Spirituals presented by the choir and soloists Kyle Louviere, Jerilyn Turner Crenshaw, and Ben Zabinski , were equally powerful messages delivered by members of the congregation and the Rev. Dr. Nancy H. Soukup.
The New Testament reading, from Colossians, urged us: “Above all, clothe yourselves with love which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Members of our Church School provided readings from a host of African American leaders: Harriet Tubman, Wilma Rudolph, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Audre Lorde, Alice Walker, Dr. Mae Jemison, engineer and former NASA astronaut, the Hon. Shirley Chisholm, James Baldwin, and the Hon. John Lewis. Coming from the mouths of our church youth, these words of hope, persistence, inclusion, resistance, comfort, challenge, and inspiration were all the more powerful. Rev. Soukup’s message, entitled “An Invitation to Trust in Our God,” provided passages from many of the Rev. King’s sermons and speeches. The strength of his vision, his faith, his understanding, his hope for the future even amidst great adversity and injustice were present among the worshipers in the congregation last Sunday. It was a moving service and we are grateful for all who shared their talents with us.
