King’s sermons tend to be a bit longer than most sermons these days. So, I would edit the sermon to fit the traditional one-hour worship format. I would condense one of his sermons to 15-20 minutes. Then I would divide it into three to five minute segments and have a few people in the congregation stand in the pews and read the sermon during the service. It was a nice way to honor a great preacher and observe a national holiday.
I am not in fulltime pastoral ministry any longer, but I thought this year I would share one of King’s sermons in case anyone is looking for something to listen to on Monday. This sermon is entitled “The Drum Major Instinct” and was preached at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta on February 4, 1968, just a couple of months before his assassination.
Like all sermons from the 60’s, it is dated. Yet the central themes are relevant to what our nation is facing today. His scripture text is the gospel story of James and John asking to sit at either side of Jesus when he rules in his kingdom. Jesus’ response tells us what it means to lead, what it means to be first, and what it means to be great. These are appropriate themes for this momentous day.
I have included here a link to both the transcript and an audio version of King’s message. The audio is 38 minutes. That is not too long to listen to the whole thing. If it seems too much, you can just listen to a sample in order to hear the cadence of King’s voice before turning to the transcript.
It is not necessary to read every word of the transcript to get the gist of what he is saying. There are portions that are relevant to the 1960’s but not to the 2020’s. You may notice an occasional typo. For example, Jesus is quoted as saying: “But so shall it not be among you, but whosoever will be great among you shall be your servant, and whosoever of you will be the cheapest shall be servant of all.” Jesus obviously did not talk about being the “cheapest” but the “greatest!”
Much of his message holds up surprisingly well after 57 years. Of special interest is a section near the end that seems to be a premonition of his imminent death. He says, “And I think about my own funeral, and I don’t think of it in a morbid sense. And every now and then I ask myself, what is it that I would want said when I leave the word to you this morning?” Then he shares what he wants to be said – and not said – about him after his death.
This sermon “The Drum Major Instinct” is appropriate to read as we celebrate this day dedicated to King’s memory. His words are also important to ponder as we inaugurate a president on the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Here is the link:
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