Post by christopher on Jan 21, 2008 16:28:07 GMT -8
I posted this on the TNP forum a couple of years ago. I thought it would fit the day. (don't know what the deal is with the font size...sorry).
I didn’t need to change too many words of the famous speech to reflect my own sentiments. I hope nobody finds this disrespectful of the late Martin Luther King Jr. In fact, if you can remember hearing the speech, maybe you can imagine his voice in your mind as you read.
I Have A Dream
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the Word of God.
I have a dream that one day this Church will rise up and live out the true meaning of our Lord’s commandment: “…that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
I have a dream that one day in the general assembly and church of the living God, the sons of Calvinists and the sons of Arminians will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the Western Church, a Church sweltering with the heat of denominationalism, sweltering with the heat of division, will be transformed into an oasis of edifying love and unity of the Spirit.
I have a dream that our little children will one day fellowship in a church where they will not be judged by their theology but by their submission to Christ and the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down at the local congregation, with its exclusionary statement of faith, with its people having lips unconsciously dripping with the schismatic words of contention, one day right there at that little church, little Baptist boys and Presbyterian girls will be able to join hands with little Pentecostal boys and Mennonite girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it manifested in the church of God.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to my prayer closet with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords in the body of Christ into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.
With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up and preach the gospel together, knowing that we will be free from the sin of pride one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! "
And if the body of Christ is to be a light to the world this must become true. So let the Bride of Christ prepare herself for the marriage supper of the Lamb! Let the heavenly Jerusalem be adorned with precious jewels! Let the lamb who was slain receive the reward of His suffering!
Let there be one Body!
Let there be one Spirit!
But not only that; Let there be one Lord!
Let there be one baptism!
Let there be “one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
And when this happens, When we endeavor “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” from every pulpit and every assembly, we will be able to speed up that day when “we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” and all of God's children will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old spiritual....
"Free at last! free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
I didn’t need to change too many words of the famous speech to reflect my own sentiments. I hope nobody finds this disrespectful of the late Martin Luther King Jr. In fact, if you can remember hearing the speech, maybe you can imagine his voice in your mind as you read.
I Have A Dream
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the Word of God.
I have a dream that one day this Church will rise up and live out the true meaning of our Lord’s commandment: “…that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
I have a dream that one day in the general assembly and church of the living God, the sons of Calvinists and the sons of Arminians will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the Western Church, a Church sweltering with the heat of denominationalism, sweltering with the heat of division, will be transformed into an oasis of edifying love and unity of the Spirit.
I have a dream that our little children will one day fellowship in a church where they will not be judged by their theology but by their submission to Christ and the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down at the local congregation, with its exclusionary statement of faith, with its people having lips unconsciously dripping with the schismatic words of contention, one day right there at that little church, little Baptist boys and Presbyterian girls will be able to join hands with little Pentecostal boys and Mennonite girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it manifested in the church of God.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to my prayer closet with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords in the body of Christ into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.
With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up and preach the gospel together, knowing that we will be free from the sin of pride one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! "
And if the body of Christ is to be a light to the world this must become true. So let the Bride of Christ prepare herself for the marriage supper of the Lamb! Let the heavenly Jerusalem be adorned with precious jewels! Let the lamb who was slain receive the reward of His suffering!
Let there be one Body!
Let there be one Spirit!
But not only that; Let there be one Lord!
Let there be one baptism!
Let there be “one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
And when this happens, When we endeavor “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” from every pulpit and every assembly, we will be able to speed up that day when “we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” and all of God's children will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old spiritual....
"Free at last! free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
