The ME and the WE
The ME and the WE
Sermon Starter
by Leonard Sweet

Luke 15:1-10

A few weeks ago, we marked the fiftieth anniversary (1963-2013) of Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have A Dream" speech. The power of that proclamation, the timely words of one man spoken at the one right moment before the enormous crowd gathered before the Lincoln Memorial, provided the "tipping point" for the civil rights movement and for decades of legal and social changes to come. The power of one man at one moment, the potency of that one speech, was a beacon of change and hope for the nation and the entire world.

But it almost didn't happen. King was determined to keep his remarks brief that day. Toward that end he had a carefully written out speech that was to go no more than ten minutes. At the end of nine minutes King was done with his script and the crowd was still waiting for . . . something.

Then from behind him came a stage-whispering voice. It was the magnificent, soul-stirring voice of the great gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. Like a kid tugging on a parent's coattails, Jackson leaned forward and urged Dr. King to "go on", to keep talking. "Tell them about your dream, Martin," her voice insisted. "Tell them about your dream".

So King did. He cut away from his text, went off-script and climbed into history as he spoke from his heart and soul. King's "dream" became the dream and desire of generations to come. Mahalia's one voice told Martin to "change his plan". Martin's one voice then told the people to "change the world". One speech changed the world. One person changed the world.

(from http://www.sermons.com)