This weekend the nation celebrated the 81st birthday of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King gave his life fighting for the rights of others. He had a dream that one day we, the peoples of the world, would live in peace and harmony.

He had a dream that one day we would be judge by the content of our character and not by the color of our skin. While we have made some of his dreams come true, we still have a way to go before his dream is fully realized.

Our President, Barack Obama, encouraged us to make Jan. 18 a day on and not a day off – a day to give back through service in our community. Every day should be a day on, not just for service but for taking action to break down the walls of continued racism, the rise of discrimination and segregation, low wages, disparity in health care, false imprisonment, the death penalty, ethnic cleansing, gangs and war.

How will you spend this day?

As we remember the life and work of Dr. King, let us pray not only for the safety and rescue of the families in Haiti but also for the rebuilding of the community. So how will you spend this day? Let us take time to thank God for one of His servants who champion the cause of Christ.

Rev. Glencie Rhedrick

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Our Gracious and Merciful God,

We come this day thanking You for giving us Dr. King. We thank You for equipping him with Your power and strength to speak justice to injustice. We thank You for giving him the courage to stand against an institution warped with hatred and bitterness. We thank You for giving him a deep well of love and a forgiving spirit toward those who despised him because of the color of his skin. We thank You for the legacy he has left for us to continue.

So Lord we ask right now that you equip us to speak boldly against any injustice against humanity. We ask, oh Lord, that you awake in us the spirit of compassion to persevere, to eradicate hunger, poverty, homelessness and violence in our community and the world.

Help us to see that when one suffers, we all suffer. Help us to be more about You and less about ourselves. Help us to remember that we are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and free the oppressed.

Our Heavenly Father, we ask that you continue to give Your sustaining power to the families in Haiti. We thank You for the witness of Your miracle-working power as the world witnessed an 18-day-old baby who survived days without food and water. We thank You for the survival of those who may have been given up for dead amid the rubble and devastation. We ask, oh Lord, that pathways be cleared in order that food, water, medical care and supplies will reach many who are in great need.

It is in the name of You, our Father in Heaven, that we pray. It is in the name of our Lord and Savior that we pray. Amen, Amen and Amen.

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