“VISION and VOICES of the Dream” a to Honor Martin Luther King, Jr., at First Baptist Church of Bedford

January 23, 2015

By Rev. Scott Arnold, Pastor of Bedford’s First Baptist Church
Dateline: January 11, 2015

The Choir at First Baptist Church's community observance in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Courtesy photo
The Choir at First Baptist Church’s community observance in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Courtesy photo

A beautiful spectrum of faces and voices spoke sacred words of Scripture, sang soulful songs of praise, pondered poignant speech and poetry, drew focus and silence in prayer and chimed in sweet fellowship on the afternoon of January 11 at Bedford’s First Baptist Church, 155 Concord Road.

“Martin Luther King Jr. had not only a dream, he had a vision that came from God.”  Hearing this sentiment from Pastor Scott Arnold, the congregation and community participants from Bedford and the Boston area responded with a resounding “Amen”.

Lively gospel music, led by Dr. Geoffrey Hicks of Tremont Temple in Boston, encouraged a soulful and celebratory spirit.  People of many races and colors clapped their hands and gathered together in praise and peace. Joan Mickel, the organist of First Baptist Church brought her Detroit vibe and Geoffrey Hicks brought his St. Louis and Roxbury/Boston soul.  Ozell Johnson read the entire “I Have a Dream” speech, and there was reverential silence.  This was a celebration of a dream partly fulfilled, but still very much alive in work to be done.

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Dr. King’s speech reminded those gathered that we must guard against the abuse of power, and protect the rights of all people.   In the sermon, Dr. Hicks gave a moving challenge for people to continue in hope and love, that Dr. King’s vision is as fresh as ever because Dr. King was a servant of the Gospel of God’s grace and truth in Jesus Christ.  In the reading of Maya Angelo’s poem, “”Reverend Martin Luther King”, two poets read in tandem; Margaret Henderson, a retired nurse, and Thomas Arnold, a recent Social Work graduate.

“The great soul flew from the Creator, Bearing manna of hope for his country, starving severely from an absence of compassion.  Martin Luther King, the Great Spirit, came from the Creator, proffering a sparkling fountain of fair play to his country, parched and deformed by hate.”

– Maya Angelou

Then, Margaret Henderson offered her own poetry about how Martin Luther King Jr. did not arrive to his vision here on earth, but did arrive upon his entrance in heaven.

The Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration service at First Baptist Church in Bedford is an annual event that has been ongoing for over 40 years.  It is held the second Sunday afternoon of each January, a week before the national holiday.  The vision of Dr. King is considered a vital part of the fellowship at First Baptist. For several generations the makeup of the congregation has been multiracial and diverse.  “We continue to pursue racial appreciation, reconciliation and concerns of justice as evidence of our Christian faith in how the gospel of Jesus Christ is transformative for all people”, explains Pastor Scott Arnold.

As the Martin Luther King Jr. service came to a conclusion, the people joined together in singing “Soon and Very Soon” and “Amen”.  Hands that clapped in individual joy then joined in a collective prayer for moving further in the vision of respecting and fulfilling the call of human dignity that is vital to faith, hope and love.  A feast of conversation and food followed in the church’s new “Connections” hall.

About Dr. Geoffrey Dana Hicks, Guest Preacher and Musician

The guest preacher/musician was Dr. Geoffrey Dana Hicks, a renowned Gospel and Jazz musician.  He spoke about the impact and legacy of Dr. King for himself as an African American.

In February of 2002, the Geoffrey Hicks Quartet entertained hundreds of guests at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, to celebrate Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s seventieth birthday, in an evening celebration which also featured cellist, Yo Yo Ma.  Dr. Hicks is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music (BM in composition, ‘76), the University of Massachusetts (Lowell), (MM in conducting, ‘83), and Andover Newton Theological School (M. Div., ‘88), and most recently, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (Doctorate in Ministry, ’09).   Dr. Hicks was born in St. Louis, Missouri, where his father at the time was the first African-American journalist to write for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.   Dr. Hicks has performed jazz in Berlin, Germany, (where he also grew up, when his father became an American Diplomat), Monrovia, Liberia; Rhodes, Greece; Rome, Todi; Paris; Mazamet; St. Moritz; Madrid, Barcelona; Toronto; Puebla, Mexico, Atlanta, New Orleans,  St. Louis, Los Angeles, San Francisco,  Washington  D. C., and New York City.  Dr. Hicks has also performed as a singer/pianist at most major Boston Hotels, including the Westin Hotel, the Ritz-Carlton, Le Meridien, the Copley Plaza, the Charles Hotel (in Cambridge), and many others.   Dr. Hicks has also conducted several Choirs; including the New England Conservatory Youth Chorale, the Rosie’s Place Jazz Choir, the Nativity Prep Boy’s Choir of Roxbury, and many more.  Familiar with such performance facilities as Boston’s Jordan Hall, Symphony Hall, the Hatch Shell, the Tsai Performance Center, Carnegie Hall, and the White House, Mr. Hicks has performed before congressmen, presidents, and several international dignitaries.

Last summer Geoffrey gave a great outdoor concert at First Baptist of Bedford, “Jazz and BBQ”, a similar event is being planned this summer.  This past December, he organized and conducted a televised Handel’s “Messiah” at Tremont Temple Baptist Church in Boston.

Geoffrey is available at  [email protected].

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