King Sermon - Part 1

In 1965, as a part of the Festival of Grace, celebrating the 1964 completion and consecration of Grace Cathedral, Bishop James Pike invited Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to visit and preach at Grace Cathedral. Dr. King accepted and the date was set; March 28th, the fourth Sunday of Lent. Crowds already surged around the Cathedral by early morning, and by 10 a.m. the building was packed. Grace Cathedral had never before seen so many people, most of them African-American. Crowds filled the front stairs, plaza, Cathedral House, and parking lot. Approximately 5,000 people were present.

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[mdbwell]

Dr. King had just completed the Selma-to-Montgomery March on March 25, where he gave his rousing speech, "Our God Is Marching On!" So, of course, he was exhausted! But because he was friends with Bishop Pike, he felt obligated to join in the celebration of the Grace Cathedral. In addition, King routinely traveled across the country to raise money for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to continue its ongoing civil rights campaigns in the South. Furthermore, King was trying to rais

[MsTruNorth]

What does that explain?

[MsTruNorth]

I would think so also. It is amazing, perhaps, that this is one of the few times that the drain on him showed publicly in film footage we still have. Only someone called of God could bear the load he carried. God bless him, his family and all who worked with him. And you too. :)

[nick4uuk]

I have always imagined that his great concerns are bound to interfere with his sleep, especially with the many many set backs.

[Raymond Fisher]

@MsTruNorth he was at a cathedral.

[MsTruNorth]

Dr. King seems to be absolutely exhausted here. Does anyone know the background to this sermon and what was going on at the time that might explain his lack of energy? He was always being run here and fro but always spoke with energy. This time he seems half asleep. What's going on? And the guy behind him, either a security guard or someone ready to catch him or help him if he needs assistance? Something's different here.

[Bryant Moss]

I love the way he taught and preached the Gospel.