Article Title: Dr Martin Luther King’s Last Sermon: The Drum Major Instinct – An Ode …
Shared by: Craig Lock
Category (key words): Martin Luther King Jnr, The Drum Major Instinct, Love, Power of Love, Quotations on Love, Hope, Dreams, Peace, Inspirational Quotes, Inspiration, Empowerment ,Words of empowerment and inspiration (enough there now, craig)
Web sites: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4 https://www.createspace.com/3779691/ and http://www.creativekiwis.com/amazon.html
The submitter’s blogs (with extracts from his various writings: articles, books and new manuscripts) are at www.drmartinlutherking.wordpress and http://craigsblogs.wordpress.com
Other Articles by the submitter are available at: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/user/15565 and http://www.ideamarketers.com/library/profile.cfm?writerid=981
(Personal growth, self help, writing, internet marketing, ‘spiritual writings’ (how ‘airey-fairey’), words of inspiration and money management (how boring now, craig!).
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These writings (as with all my writing) may be freely published, electronically or in print (with acknowledgment to the source, thanks). Enjoy
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Martin Luther King’s Drum Major Instinct Sermon
Posted by revmlee
From http://echoesofthemyth.com/2012/01/16/mlks-drum-major-instinct/
In my morning devotions today, I decided to read a sermon of Dr. Martin Luther King’s along with my Daily Office reading. (A few months ago, I bought a collection of Rev. King’s sermons and writings to read periodically.) I stumbled upon a sermon called, “The Drum Major Instinct”. It’s one of his more well-known sermons especially because excerpts of it were read at his funeral – you’ll see why in just a moment. I was really impacted by his words, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to reflect, remember, and learn from this man whose life is commemorated today.
Preaching from Mark 10:35-45, Rev. King points out the tragedy of John and James’ request for greatness. He calls it the drum major instinct – the universal human desire that all of us have to be out front, to lead the parade, a desire to be first. Even from birth, we are just little bundles of ego. We love to hear people praise us, talk about us, and reinforce our worth. We want to be superior, and we will use people or obliterate people to feel that way. Left unchecked, Rev. King noted that this instinct can become very dangerous. He observed the drum major instinct at work in social circles where people jockey for standing by living outside their means. He saw it at work in criminals who want to be known; in advertisers who want you to buy their product; among nations who war against each other in a battle for supremacy; and among races that want to feel superior simply based on the color of skin.
He even saw the drum major instinct at work in the church. I love how he responded to this instinct when manifested in the church:
And the church is the one place where a doctor ought to forget that he’s a doctor. The church is the one place where a Ph.D. ought to forget that he’s a Ph.D. The church is the one place that a schoolteacher ought to forget the degree she has behind her name. The church is the one place where the lawyer ought to forget that he’s a lawyer. And any church that violates the ‘whosoever will, let him come’ doctrine is a dead, cold church, and nothing but a little social club with a thin veneer of religiosity.
The truly startling thing about Rev. King’s sermon was how he described Jesus’ response to James and John’s request, and its application to us. He noted that Jesus didn’t call out their selfishness or deny them. Instead, Jesus redefined greatness. True greatness comes not by favouritism, but by fitness. What follows is one of his most quoted excerpts (but this time in its proper context!)
And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important – wonderful. If you want to be recognized – wonderful. If you want to be great – wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s your new definition of greatness. And this morning, the thing that I like about it…by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great. Because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of relativity to serve…You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. And you can be that servant.
Rev. King goes on to describe the impact of Jesus as a humble servant on the whole of humanity. The way down is actually the way up. The key impact this sermon had on me was that Rev. King inspires me not to seek passive humility, but rather actively pursue the things of the heart of God now by serving. And in so doing, to pursue greatness in the kingdom by being the servant of all. I’ll close with his closing to the sermon. I think it’s a fitting and prophetic voice on this Martin Luther King Day 2012.
I’d like somebody to mention [at my funeral], that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. I’d like for somebody to say that day, that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day, that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day, that I did try to feed the hungry. And I want you to be able to say that day, that I did try, in my life, to clothe those who were naked. I want you to say, on that day, that I did try, in my life, to visit those who were in prison. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity. Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I was a drum major for peace; I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter.
God, guard us from the ‘me-first’, empty glorying, YouTube celeb status-seeking, rockstar worshiping, first in line, VIP desiring drum major instinct. Raise up drum majors who take the Gospel and its implications seriously, but not ourselves too seriously. Give us a holy ambition that seeks greatness in the kingdom by serving the socks off people!!!
Happy Martin Luther King Day, friends…
From http://echoesofthemyth.com/2012/01/16/mlks-drum-major-instinct/
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To end off..
“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
– Dr Martin Luther King, Jr
Let YOUR spirit shine through embracing the light of love.
Be a spark that lights the flame of HOPE in others
Many small steps by many people will eventually reach their destination… their destiny.
Shared by craig (“incorrigible encourager and people-builder”)
“Be the very best person you can be with “loads of” FUN. Become the person you are CAPABLE of being … and ALL the person God, Our Creator intended and CALLED us to become.”
“When the world is filled with love, people’s hearts are overflowing with hope.”
– “little old” me
“Let us build bridges rather than barriers, openness rather than walls. Rather than borders, let us look at distant horizons together in a spirit of acceptance, helpfulness, co-operation, peace, kindness and especially love.
In his life mission Craig hopes to encourage, motivate and inspire people to be their best through realising their full potentials and live their very best lives. Craig believes in the great potential of every human being in the journey of life and loves to encourage people to share their individual (and guiding) spirits, so that they become all that they are CAPABLE of being.
Craig’s new book ‘I’ll Do It My Way’: My Story, My Life, My Dream is now available at https://www.createspace.com/3779691
The various books that Craig “felt inspired to write” are available at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4 and http://www.creativekiwis.com/amazon.html
The submitter’s blogs (with extracts from his various writings: articles, books and new manuscripts) are at www.drmartinlutherking.wordpress and http://craigsblogs.wordpress.com
“Uplifting, encouraging and empowering people through the power of words and thought energy. Change YOUR world and you help change THE world… for the better.”
THESE THOUGHTS MAY BE FREELY PUBLISHED (electronically, or in print)
“Faith is the pillar of strength that allows man to achieve the impossible, reach the unattainable and solve the unfathomable.”
“Faith is the light that guides us through the darkness.”
– Emmett Fox
PPS
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking;
so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously
give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.”
– Marianne Williamson
I love these words from Marianne Williamson as used by Nelson Mandela in his inaugeration speech as State President at South Africa’s first Democratic Election in 1994. I have admired and respected ‘Madiba’ for many years – for his “immense generosity of spirit”, graciousness and the nobility of his unique spirit of reconciliation”. And I have added a few lines of my own…
“Deep within us there is a flame that burns, and that flame is the spark of God. In some it burns brightly, in others it is barely distinguishable; but always it burns…and with love and acceptance the flame gets higher and brighter. We can help others to kindle this flame by seeing the good in them, even if they don’t see it themselves.”
– anon
“Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.”
– Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Instead of the limits of borders (of countries and of our minds) let us and our leaders expand our sense of possibility… and together let’s look at building bridges to distant horizons, far and great. Lord, help us all lift our eyes a little higher.”
– craig
WHO IS "THE REAL, THE TRUE, THE LIVING" JESUS? 