Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration, Living The Dream…
Somebody's Calling My Name
History of the Holiday …
The Act creating the holiday was passed after more than sixteen years of effort by countless friends and supporters of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Support for the legislation came from all walks of life — from members of Congress, the White House, business and labor, from civil rights and religious groups — and, most important, from those individuals who have worked continuously to make his dream a reality.
Congress set aside the third Monday of January as the official Federal Holiday, Martin Luther King, Jr's actual birthday is January 15th. According to the Act, "the holiday should serve as a time for Americans to reflect on the principles of racial equality and nonviolent social change espoused by Dr. King.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission has adopted "Living The Dream" as the official theme for celebrating this country's newest national holiday. The theme expresses the message and inspiration Dr. King generated among Americans in his dream and what that dream awakened in America.
History of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality)
Listen to "Hush! Hush! Somebody's Calling My Name"
It is one of the great, glorious spirituals of all time. The spiritual usually begins with the soft, acappella voice of a deep baritone or a smooth bourbon-voiced contralto. "Hush! Hush!" is almost whispered. By the time the chorus joins the soloist, the listener feels as though we each are being called – at least by the soul of the music, if not the soul of Somebody.
"Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Christ." So begins the Collect for the coming Third Sunday after the Epiphany. The "Call" from God to the hearts of hearers and doers is one of the major themes of the Epiphany season. So dominant is "the call" from God to God's kids in this season of the year that Epiphany might well be termed "the season of vocation."
Vocation is universal.
It is God's gift for each of us.
It comes unbidden.
In unexpected ways and forms.
It urges us to go deeper.
To become clearer.
To turn in new directions.
To move from "being" to "becoming".
From solitary to solidarity
From others to Other.
An occupation may never change us.
Vocation is always changing us.
Calvary Episocopal Church
Memphis, Tennessee
THE CHRONICLE
January 21, 2001, The Third Sunday After the Epiphany
Volume 46, No.3