The African American Lectionary

Worship Resources

(photo by Scott Ableman)

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.’S BIRTHDAY (BELOVED COMMUNITY DAY)

MUSIC & WORSHIP RESOURCES

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Charles Cotton, Young Adult Lectionary Team Liturgist

Worship Planning Notes

Today’s scripture in Matthew 5:43-45 gives us a new way to live: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” Essentially, love your enemies and pray for those who hurt you. This by far is one of the most difficult instructions of the Bible. But if we are to move forward and embrace Dr. King’s legacy of love and Jesus’ re-articulation of love, we must first love our enemies and pray for them and those who persecute us.

We must live as citizens of the Kingdom. Kingdom living requires us to reflect Christ in all that we do. Kingdom living requires us to forgive, love, and show mercy as Christ did. Dr. King modeled Kingdom living. There is strength in loving your enemies. Loving your enemies builds inner strength and resilience and is rewarded by God. It was not easy for Dr. King to march to Selma, be placed in jail, be talked about from the White House to the jailhouse but endure for the sake of being Christlike. Each one of us has the love DNA of Christ. It is up to us to utilize it for his glory and honor.

The Black Church must face the issue of same-sex marriage with loving, practical solutions. It must face the issue of HIV/AIDS with loving, practical solutions. It must face the issue of gender equality with loving, practical solutions. It must face the issue of teen violence with loving, practical solutions. This is the only way that we will live differently when we depart our communities of faith on King Day 2013.

What then can we do to remember Dr. King and live as children of the King? For this Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday allow me to suggest these ideas:

Ask your congregants to invite persons who have opposite views than themselves to the Martin Luther King Jr. worship service at your church. During the worship service provide the space for prayers of forgiveness and reconciliation. Assign ministers and trained counselors to be at the altar for further prayer and guidance after the moment of prayer. At the conclusion of the service, have worshipers write down the name of their worst enemy. Collect all the responses as worshipers leave and place them in a garbage bag. This will symbolize forgiveness in word and deed.
Ensure that all selections, scriptures, prayers, and sermons are centered on the theme. See suggestions below.
After your day of worship and celebration, go out into your city. Find a homeless shelter, HIV/Aids Clinic, Food Bank, city mission, or Habitat for Humanity Project and participate in a day of service. Consider asking other congregations that are of different denominations to participate with you. This will infuse unity and community beyond the four walls of your church and denomination.
Ask painters (visual artists), poets, singers, musicians, dancers, and actors to create a piece that embodies them loving and praying for persons who have opposite views than themselves. Encourage them to be creative within the sacred space of your church. There should be minimum guidelines for this suggestion. Allow the creativity that is within each individual to be reflected in his or her work. All participants, except painters, should keep their presentations between 3–5 minutes. Arts presentations should also be presented as a post celebration to your MLK Worship Service. Consider using your fellowship hall, community center, or family life center for this idea, as well as other frequently trafficked areas of your church.

1. The Call to Worship

Faith and Community

Leader:	This day we celebrate our faith, heritage, culture, and community.
Congregation:	Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad.
Leader:	This day, we remember the faith that sustained Martin, the heritage that emboldened Malcolm, the culture that was enriched by Sojourner, and the community which inspired Obama.
Congregation:	Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad.
Leader:	So we remember our past, we stand in the present, and we envision our bright future.
Congregation:	Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad.
Unison:	We have come too far to turn back now.

2. Hymns and Congregational Songs
(a) Nothing Between. By Charles A. Tindley. Arr. by Don Peterman

(b) More about Jesus. By Eliza E. Hewitt. Tune, (SWEENEY, LM), by John R. Sweeney

(d) This Is My Father’s World. By Maltbie D. Babcock. Tune, (TERRA BEATA, SMD), by Franklin Sheppard

3. Spirituals or Traditional Songs
(a) Walk Together, Children. Spiritual

(b) The Lord Is Blessing Me Right Now. Traditional

(d) He’s So Freely Passing Out Blessings. By Damian Price

4. Worship through Dance
(a) A Change Is Gonna Come. By Sam Cooke

(b) Others. By Meleasa Houghton

5. Anthems
(a) He Shall Feed His Flock. By James Cleveland

(b) Day and Night Praise. By Margaret Pleasant Douroux

6. Modern Songs
(a) Awesome. By Charles Jenkins

(b) After This. By Eric Davis and James Hairston

7. Offertory Song or Instrumental
(a) Give. By Donald Lawrence

(b) Release My Praise. By Eric Reed

(d) My Jesus, I Love Thee. By William R. Featherston

8. Song or Instrumental for the Period of Prayer
(a) I Am Thine. By Fanny J. Crosby

(b) Take It to the Lord in Prayer. By Nolan Williams Jr.

(d) I Need You to Survive. By Hezekiah Walker

9. Sermonic Selection
(a) Step Aside. By Ronnie Garrett

(b) God Is Able. By Oscar Williams

(d) Yes, God Is Real. By Kenneth Morris

10. Invitational Song or Instrumental
(a) Give Me a Clean Heart. By Margaret P. Douroux

(b) Lord I Want to Be a Christian. Negro Spiritual

(d) We Offer Christ. By Joel Britton

11. Benediction Song or Instrumental
(a) No More Drama. By Samuel Harris and Terry Lewis

(b) Love. By Kirk Franklin

(d) Love Train. By Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff

Cites and Additional Information for Music and Materials Listed

1. The Call to Worship – Faith and Community. By Charles B. Cotton, Jr.

2. Hymns and Congregational Songs
(a) Nothing Between. By Charles A. Tindley. Arr. by Don Peterman
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. Chicago, IL: GIA Publications, 2001. #397

African Methodist Episcopal Church. African Methodist Episcopal Church Bicentennial Hymnal. Nashville, TN: African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1981 #451

National Baptist Publishing Board. The New National Baptist Hymnal. Nashville, TN:

Total Praise. Chicago, IL/Nashville, TN: GIA Publications, Inc./Sunday School Publishing Board, 2011. #394

Church of God in Christ. Yes, Lord! Church of God in Christ Hymnal. Memphis, TN: Church of God in Christ Pub. Board in association with the Benson Co., 1982. #292

(b) More about Jesus. By Eliza E. Hewitt. Tune, (SWEENEY, LM), by John R. Sweeney
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #565

African Methodist Episcopal Church Bicentennial Hymnal. #210

The New National Baptist Hymnal. #278

Total Praise. #549

Yes, Lord! Church of God in Christ Hymnal. #361

African American Heritage Hymnal. #420

African Methodist Episcopal Church Bicentennial Hymnal. #427

The New National Baptist Hymnal. #216

Total Praise. #427

Yes, Lord! Church of God in Christ Hymnal. #280

(d) This Is My Father’s World. By Maltbie D. Babcock. Tune, (TERRA BEATA, SMD), by Franklin Sheppard
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #149

African Methodist Episcopal Church Bicentennial Hymnal. #47

The New National Baptist Hymnal. #34

Total Praise. #140

Yes, Lord! Church of God in Christ Hymnal. #49

3. Spirituals or Traditional Songs
(a) Walk Together, Children
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #541

Total Praise. #536

(b) The Lord Is Blessing Me Right Now. Traditional
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #501

Total Praise. #506

African American Heritage Hymnal. #370

Total Praise. #387

(d) He’s So Freely Passing Out Blessings. By Damian Price
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #372

4. Worship through Dance
(a) A Change Is Gonna Come. By Sam Cooke
Location:

Ledet, Joshua. A Change Is Gonna Come. Los Angeles, CA: 19 Recordings, 2012.

(b) Others. By Meleasa Houghton
Location:

Houghton, Israel. Love God, Love People. Mobile, AL: Integrity, 2010.

Winston, Bill. Bill Winston Presents Living Word “Released.” Chicago, IL: Source Media, 2012.

5. Anthems
(a) He Shall Feed His Flock. By James Cleveland
Location:

Cleveland, James and the Southern California Community Choir. It’s a New Day. Newark, NJ: Savoy, 2007.

(b) Day and Night Praise. By Margaret Pleasant Douroux
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #115

6. Modern Songs
(a) Awesome. By Charles Jenkins
Location:

Jenkins, Charles & Fellowship Chicago. The Best of Both Worlds. Inspired People Music, 2012.

(b) After This. By Eric Davis and James Hairston
Location:

Hairston, James & Youthful Praise: After This. Nashville, TN: Light Records, 2012.

Hello Fear. New York, NY: Verity Gospel, 2011.

7. Offertory Song or Instrumental
(a) Give. By Donald Lawrence
Location:

Winston, Bill. Bill Winston Presents Living Word “Released.” Chicago, IL: Source Media, 2012.

(b) Release My Praise. By Eric Reed
Location:

The Park Ministries. One Thing I Desire. New York, NY: Koch, 2006.

(d) My Jesus, I Love Thee. By William R. Featherston
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #574

African Methodist Episcopal Church Bicentennial Hymnal. #457

The New National Baptist Hymnal. #39

Total Praise. #578

Yes, Lord! Church of God in Christ Hymnal. #335

8. Song or Instrumental for the Period of Prayer
(a) I Am Thine. By Fanny J. Crosby
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #387

African Methodist Episcopal Church Bicentennial Hymnal. #283

The New National Baptist Hymnal. #329

Total Praise. #397

Yes, Lord! Church of God in Christ Hymnal. #380

(b) Take It to the Lord in Prayer. By Nolan Williams Jr.
Location:

inSpiration. Washington, DC: NEWorks Productions, 2008.

African American Heritage Hymnal. #458

Total Praise. #452

Yes, Lord! Church of God in Christ Hymnal. #340

(d) I Need You to Survive. By Hezekiah Walker
Location:

Total Praise. #333

9. Sermonic Selection
(a) Step Aside. By Ronnie Garrett
Location:

Perry, Tyler. Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls. New York, NY: Atlantic, 2007.

(b) God Is Able. By Oscar Williams
Location:

Leavett, Joe & St. Stephen Temple Choir. God Is Able. Middleburg, FL: Emtro, 2009.

Donnie McClurkin. Nashville, TN: Warner, 1996.

(d) Yes, God is Real. By Kenneth Morris
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #162

African Methodist Episcopal Church Bicentennial Hymnal. #361

The New National Baptist Hymnal. #249

Total Praise. #158

Yes, Lord! Church of God in Christ Hymnal. #128

10. Invitational Song or Instrumental
(a) Give Me a Clean Heart. By Margaret P. Douroux
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #461

The New National Baptist Hymnal. #349

Total Praise. #467

(b) Lord I Want to Be a Christian. Negro Spiritual
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #463

African Methodist Episcopal Church Bicentennial Hymnal. #282

The New National Baptist Hymnal. #490

Total Praise. #466

Yes, Lord! Church of God in Christ Hymnal. #277

African American Heritage Hymnal. #396

African Methodist Episcopal Church Bicentennial Hymnal. #251

The New National Baptist Hymnal. #227

Total Praise. #402

Yes, Lord! Church of God in Christ Hymnal. #319

(d) We Offer Christ. By Joel Britton
Location:

African American Heritage Hymnal. #355

Total Praise. #350

11. Benediction Song or Instrumental
(a) No More Drama. By Samuel Harris and Terry Lewis
Location:

Ledet, Joshua. No More Drama. Los Angeles, CA: 19 Recordings, 2012.

(b) Love. By Kirk Franklin
Location:

God’s Property From Kirk Franklin’s Nu Nation. Inglewood, CA: Sony Legacy, 1997.

Total Praise. #576

(d) Love Train. By Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff
Location:

The O’Jays. The Ultimate O’Jays. New York, NY: Sony, 2001.