MLK Children's Message

Children’s Message
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Martin Luther King Jr. Day

So those of you who are in school must be pretty excited—you all have the day off tomorrow! I’m sure you all have plans—play dates, trips to the museum, visits to grandma and grandpa, but I think it is important for us to remember why we have the day off. We have the day off to remember and honor a very important man named Martin Luther King Jr. Now I am sure most of you know something about Dr. King, but I want to ask you a specific question about Dr. King—what did he do for a living? How many of you knew that Dr. King was a pastor?

Dr. King believed that as a pastor, God was calling him to speak out about things that he thought were not fair. Just like our Pastors give sermons, Dr. King gave sermons, and in one of the last sermons that he gave, Dr. King reminded his congregation of Jesus’ words to his disciples about greatness.

Dr. King said that Jesus gave us a new meaning for greatness—to be great, you must first be a servant. He said that it was good news because with this new meaning, everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.

Dr. King’s words from so long ago remind us of Jesus’ call to us—to serve one another. So as you all enjoy your day off tomorrow, think of Dr. King and what he stood for—he believed that it is our job to speak out when we see something that is unfair. He would want us to remember Jesus’ instructions to us to serve each other. Dr. King’s challenge to us, and my challenge to you all is to look for ways that you can help change things that seem unfair, ways that you can be great by serving someone else.

Dr. King ended his sermon about being great by being a servant with these words from a hymn. Let’s close our time together using these words as a prayer for how we might hope to live our lives:
If I can help somebody as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,
If I can show somebody he’s traveling wrong,
Then my living will not be in vain.*
Amen.
*written in 1945 by Alma Bazel Androzzo

(alternate prayer)
Let’s pray: Loving God
We thank you for your servant Dr. King
Help us to learn from his life
And serve you better. Amen.



(text from The Drum Major Instinct--Martin Luther King Jr.)
“. . . Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness.
And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. . . . You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant.”