Resources for Martin Luther King Day and
Race Relations Sunday
In faithful witness to the love of Christ, the church is committed to confronting the ideology of racism and racial oppression, working to overcome racism with prayer, discernment and worship-based action. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Race Relations Sunday provide opportunities to celebrate the diversity of God's family. Use the worship resources provided below as you plan celebrations in your congregation.
Martin Luther King Day worship resources
The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program makes available worship resources for a number of holidays that have dimensions of peace and justice. These resources for Martin Luther King Day may also be used for worship services on themes of race relations.
Martin Luther King Day Liturgy
Order of worship drawn from the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other sources.
MLK Chronology
A chronology of important events in the life of Dr. King.
Excerpts from order of worship (January 10, 2007) honoring the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. and those youth and young adults who were part of the movement and who work for justice today.
Presbyterians and civil rights
Discover the legacy of Black Presbyterians
Learn about the contributions of Black Presbyterians as they worked to shape the consciousness of the Presbyterian denomination. Be challenged by their call to be a witness to God’s desire for a just and free society, open and inclusive to all. Listen to the successes and failures experienced by Black Presbyterians in their efforts to become full participants in the household of God.
The DVD, “Black Presbyterians: The Legacy Series,” features three fifteen-minute segments that tell the stories of Black Presbyterians active during the Civil Rights Movement. Watch a video clip and order this DVD.
Next Steps for MLK and Race Relations Day
“Stories from Our Past: Presbyterians and the Struggle for Civil Rights” is a paper that Fred Heuser gave at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church on January 14, 2007. Heuser’s paper, an assortment of stories about how Presbyterians were involved in this tumultuous struggle for justice, was written exclusively from archival material at the Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS). Heuser is an associate stated clerk and director of the historical society.
Resources for Race Relations Sunday
Race Relations Sunday Liturgy
by Margaret Aymr
Minute for Mission
A prayer and reflection resource that honors the ordination of racial ethnic women.
Reformadores de Justicia
This sermon by the Rev. Mauricio Chacón celebrates the legacy of Rosa Parks in relation to the Protestant reformers. In Spanish only.
Worship Resources on Cultural Diversity and Racism