By Dean Cerny
Special to The PREVIEW
Martin Luther King Jr’s. voice was silenced over 50 years ago. His legacy, however, remains a clear and profound voice for those of us who are still listening. This Sunday, Jan. 20, at 10:30 a.m., his words will come alive once again to address the age-old quest for peace upon this earth.
King’s ability to meld traditional Christian theology with social action will be on display as we “re-create” his sermon titled “Peace On Earth.” In this sermon, he addresses the hypocrisy of religious and governmental leadership that called for peace, but did little or nothing to deliver it during the height of the Vietnam war. Some of us remember these turbulent times and the necessity of the clarion call for peace that King offered unto a world ravaged by crimes against humanity.
King’s sermon, delivered on Christmas Eve 1967, expounds upon the three meanings for “love” that occur in the Christian testament and explains the difficult challenge they pose for us to accomplish peace even today. Also, in this sermon, King expands upon the dreams, as well as the frustrations of his “I have a Dream” speech delivered four years prior.
Nothing could be more Unitarian Universalist than a Baptist sermon written by King. In this sermon re-creation, we bring to life the words of a prophet that challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion and especially, the transforming and trying power of a selfless love. This MLK-infused service will be led by Pastor Dean Cerny.
The Religious Exploration program for 2- to 9-year-olds begins in January on Jan. 20 and 27. For more information, contact Anna Ramirez at afrancis_@hotmail.com.
Check out our calendar of events at pagosauu.org. All of these events take place at Unit B-15 of the Greenbriar Plaza. From North Pagosa Boulevard, turn onto Park Avenue, then turn into the Greenbriar Plaza, drive to the east side of the parking lot and look for the Unitarian Universalist sign, facing north.
If you would like to schedule a private meeting with Cerny, or for further information, call 731-7900.
