MLK Day service at JBC (Evergreen)

[Haruo]

This Monday evening was the 11th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Worship Celebration, "Gathering in the Spirit of the Dream", and was put together by the Evergreen Asian Caucus and held at Seattle's Japanese Baptist Church.

The call to worship was Psalm 150, proclaimed verse by verse successively in Japanese, Falam, Matu, Spanish, Mandarin and Tagalog. (The English was projected on a screen but not spoken.)

After an invocation by Rev. Christopher Boyer of Good Shepherd Baptist (Euro Caucus) in Lynnwood, the opening hymn was Lift Every Voice and Sing, followed by a welcome from JBC's new senior pastor, Rev. Jennifer Ikoma-Motzko. Then the JBC choir sang a wonderful woven version of Precious Lord, Take My Hand, after which a reading from the Hebrew Scriptures (Micah 4:1-5, 6-8) by Deacon Priscilla Bell-Lowe from the Black Caucus.

Then the Words of Justice responsive reading, drawn from MLK's "A Testament of Hope", and a Prayer for Racial Justice by Rev. Wim Mauldin of Wedgwood Community Church (Euro Caucus).

A substantial video entitled American Voices on Freedom, made by youth of JBC and consisting mainly of interviews with their elders, followed, and then the offering, during which the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Baptist Church Voices of Praise sang "Just Want to Praise You".

Next was a congregational hymn, "I Have a Dream", set to Finlandia. The text is independent of the King speech, but obviously influenced/inspired by it. I've never heard this hymn before, and it was really really good. I have been thus far unable to find any information on it.

Rev. J. Manny Santiago (Hispanic Caucus) of University Baptist (Euro Caucus) gave greetings in Spanish and then a Prayer for Peace and Non-Violence in English. Then Ned Allyn Parker, one of the pastors at Seattle First Baptist Church, gave a wonderful retelling of the parable of the Prodigal Son. Dr. Patton (Evergreen Executive Minister) introduced the speaker, childhood King-family friend Rev. Dr. Albert Paul Brinson, whose sermon was preceded by the Voices of Praise in "God Made Me".

After Dr. Brinson's remarks, Rev. Aaron Williams gave the Call to Commitment, the congregation sang "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" and then Rev. Williams gave a Prayer of Commitment, followed by the responsive Words of Commitment, then the Benediction by Rev. Mindi Welton-Mitchell, pastor of Burien Community Church (Euro Caucus). Then we repaired to the gymnasium for food and fellowshippin'.

Mrs. H. and I had guests, who arrived late, Daniel and Daniela Muñoz. Daniel(o) is an Esperanto-speaker from Chile who is now working for Amazon. He arrived during the video, and his wife finally got there just as Manny was speaking in Spanish, which warmed her heart. Both JBC and Evergreen made a very good impression on this young couple, who are not regular church-goers, and since they live within walking distance of both JBC and Seattle First Baptist, it's likely they will soon attend one or the other. They are both also interested in improving their Japanese, so they will probably start going to JBC's Saturday-morning Japanese Language Club.

The service was, in my opinion (and having attended more than half of the 11 such to date) very successful.