Baccalaureate - 2011

please silence all electronic devices archers please be aware that we have seats behind the faculty and the graduates and in the VIP section I'm pleased to welcome you to our annual baccalaureate service in our one hundred and twenty seventh commencement exercise of our 144th school year Morehouse College was founded in the Silver Bluff Springfield Baptist Church in the city of Augusta Georgia in 1867 our history can be traced back to 1787 when old Springfield Church was founded as the oldest independent black church of any denomination according to the United States interior department the baccalaureate sermon is the occasion for our seniors to recognize spirituality as a fundamental Enterprise in the liberal arts education and that religion and faith play integral roles in adding meaning and depth to the human experience what you are the world is and without your transportation your transformation there can be no transformation of the world the many of you have been baptized some of you dedicated others of you christened but let me tell you what happened during one such occasion after the christening of his baby brother in church Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the family car his father asked him three times what was wrong finally the boy replied that preacher that preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home and I wanted to stay with you guys now that we've broken the ice as is our custom I will now introduce some very special people we'd like to have our trustees of Morehouse College to please stand and now do we have any trusty wives present I see some and the first lady of our College dr. Cheryl Gaffney Franklin and now with representatives of our over 15,000 alumni please rise and now the parents and guardians of the class of 2011 and now the mighty class of 2:01 one we're very happy to welcome today our guest preacher dr. Frederick Douglas Haynes the third we'll be more formally introduced later in our program attorney Avon Gloucester wife of our seventh president would you please rise three days ago marked the centennial anniversary of the birth of dr. hugh morrus Kloster May the 11th he would have been 100 years old dr. and mrs. samuel de bois cook would you please stand and be recognized dr. wily a Purdue and I'm told that we have in the audience the 57th twice elected mayor of Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell are you here we also have five generations of Spellman graduates from one family that dates back to 1888 this is this is miss Dedra why Yarborough class of 77 great-great-granddaughter and miss mero Ruth Yarborough class of 49 the great-granddaughter of father Frank Quarles the founder of friendship church who invited Morehouse to Atlanta and to have its first home in the friendship church thank you so very much this is the 80th anniversary of dr. glossners graduation from Morehouse and also TM elexander longtime secretary of the board on the back of your program you'll find that a college e list of those who have passed in the past year one member from this class mr. Paul Brendan Martin class of 2011 won't you bow your heads in a moment of silence in remembrance of these Morehouse men and a man of Morehouse let everyone say Amen and now I'm pleased to bring to the pulpit the very Reverend Robert see right who will lead us in our opening prayer the e vocation reven Wright good afternoon brothers and sisters Psalm 139 suggests to us that there is no place that God is not and so no invocation is necessary but rather as Dean Carter has said an Evoque ation and so listen with your heart then since God is already here there is no need to invite God here God is here God is here God is here and so our prayer now is that God would give us such an awareness of God's mercies that right now we might know that we are here the hopes the dreams and the answered prayers of abolitionists and slaves alike because God is here love is here and so we give thanks for all of God's immeasurable love to us for our creation our preservation for all the blessings of this life so give thanks now brothers and sisters for God's love God's immeasurable indescribable love and because God is here brothers and sisters let us respond to God's presence by offering ourselves to God the only true worship by showing forth God's praise not only with our lips but in our lives because God is here let us pledge to give up ourselves to God's service to God's agenda above our agendas let us pledge now to bless God by walking out of this place into this world in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives since God is here dignity must abound respect for every human being since God is here there are no strangers in this place only brothers and sisters since God is here our prayer is spirit of the Living God fall afresh on us spirit of the Living God fall afresh on us meld us mold us fill us use us spirit of the Living God fall afresh on us we ask this in the name of the one they call Jesus the Christ and all God's children said amen members of the graduating class parents and friends of the members of the graduating class I am the chairman of the board of trustees of whorls college and in that capacity I offer you a sincere welcome here today at noon time on may 17 1954 the Supreme Court of the United States rendered this famous decision in the case of Brown versus Board of Education all of you know about the decision it was supposed to end segregation in the public schools I do not remember why I was there but around 2 o'clock that afternoon I found myself in the recreation room which at that time was located in the basement of sale Hall however I remember very well that another student came in and told everyone about the decision which had just been rented about two hours earlier the student also predicted that because of the brown decision who else was going to have to close her doors along with other historically black colleges in America while some historically by colleges have closed their doors you graduates are a testament to the fact that Morehouse is alive and well I bring up the subject today because there are a lot of people in this country who still believe that since America is supposed to be fully integrated there is no place for historically black colleges in fact as I stand here today I know for a fact that a study is being conducted at the Harvard Graduate School of Education on the question of whether or not HBCUs continue to be a viable and relevant group some believe that HBCUs are no longer necessary to serve post-secondary needs of black students who prior to desegregation were severely limited in their higher education options some scholars have asserted that HBCUs willfully lacked the resources necessary to serve their students effectively it is also alleged that HBCU graduates suffer a wage penalty because the Alumni have a lower average salary than their black peers at comparable white institutions I know the study is going on because I am from Boston and I am in tuned to what's going on across the river I cannot argue the fact that Morehouse suffers from insufficient funds however I can say as has been said many times before never had the school done so much with so little I mentioned all of this today because you graduates you newly inducted men and Morehouse will have the continued responsibility of proving to the world that we are still viable and will continue to be viable as long as they are the world in which to exist to those who doubt that you will continue the tradition of Morehouse I would ask that you say to those persons that in 2008 Newsweek magazine named Morehouse the hardest men's college in the nation that in the September October issue of Washington Monthly it was reported that Morehouse topped the list of best liberal arts colleges in America and that the Wall Street Journal recognized Morehouse to be one of the top feeder schools in the nation in sending students to top-tier professional and graduate school programs I ask you does this sound like Morehouse is still viable if so I ask that when you leave this place tomorrow you continue to answer the naysayers by your words and deeds that you continue to prove to the world that the house is the place for young african-american males good evening would you please bow your heads Oh Lord you have searched me and known me you know my sitting down and my rising up you understand my thought afar off you comprehend my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all of my waves for there is not a word on my tongue but behold Oh Lord you know it all together you have hedged me you have hedged me behind and before and laid your hand upon me such knowledge is too wonderful for me it is high I cannot attain it where can I go from your spirit or where can I flee from your presence if I ascend into heaven you are there if I make my bed in hell behold you are there if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea even there your hand shall lead me and your right hand shall hold me if I say surely the darkness shall fall on me even the night shall light about me indeed the darkness shall not hide from you but the night signs as the day the darkness and the night are both alike to you for you formed my inward parts you covered me and my mother's wound I will praise you farm fearfully and wonderfully made marvelous are your works and that my soul knows very well my frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed and in your book they all were written the days fashioned for me when I said there were none of them how precious also are your thoughts to me O God how great is the sum of them if I should count them there would be more in number than insane when I awake I am still with you amen welcome to Morehouse College international headquarters of blackmail excellence April 9 1968 was the first time I laid eyes on Morehouse College campus as a young sophomore in high school on the south side of Chicago and my father instructed me to sit before the television with him and watched the funeral services of a young Morehouse man dr. Martin Luther King jr. I watched that ceremony was struck by the presence of its president our president our beloved president Benjamin Elijah Mays who delivered a stirring a eulogy that day the trustees who gathered many of these alums and trustees who you see today were ushered on that day young men I looked at the faculty the students of Morehouse College and there in the mix were heads of state the candidate for president of the United States senators and congressmen movie stars and I Satna pondered and asked what manner of college is this that produces such a graduate that turns the world upside down but the faculty struck me on that day and I want to acknowledge the women and men who for the past few years have labored in classrooms and laboratories in town and abroad working with your sons and so I'd like the Faculty of Morehouse College if you expand and allow us to celebrate your the director of our Woodruff library whom you should know is Miss Loretta param Loretta and the executive director that connects small house with the small School of Medicine Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University is our new and dynamic director dr. sherry Turner there are a few other special guests who join us on this historic occasion a voice that you will hear thundering tomorrow commencement speaker attorney Charles Ogletree a dear friend of Morehouse College as he assisted President Obama in the White House mr. Williams Rondo and his family will you all stand and be recognized brother-in-law of our own Mortimer Lawrence also my lovely wife dr. Cheryl's lovely mother is here and I'd like my lovely mother-in-law the either stop the appeal stand and my brother-in-law dr. Willie Goff be a surgeon from Southern California some of you have heard the a man's that interrupts comments and ceremonies and perhaps you wonder because you've heard his voice interrupting President Clinton and affirming President Bush offering his commentary throughout President Obama and the great preachers and dr. Freddie Haynes it was a great honor to you today that the happy preachers here and so I introduced our extraordinary 2011 baccalaureate preacher the Reverend dr. Frederick Douglas Haynes the third pious senior pastor of friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas Texas he has served that congregation since 1983 it sounds like a few parishioners are here today he's a native of San Francisco California is the author of the books healing a broken village and soil fitness a daily devotional on March 1st 2009 dr. Haynes took to the airwaves when he launched Freddie Haynes unscripted dinner to educate ment radio for community empowerment a two-hour weekly radio broadcast a servant leader dr. Haynes is vice president of the african-american pastors coalition executive secretary of the evangelism board of the National Baptist Convention and a member of the honorary committee of the Martin Luther King jr. memorial project foundation he is the founder and CEO of fdh ministries incorporated and chairman of the board of f/w empowerment the Community Development Corporation of the Church a member of Alpha Phi Alpha he was inducted into the Martin Luther King jr. Board of preachers here at Morehouse he was invited by President Bill Clinton to participate in a national dialogue about issues impacting the african-american community dr. Hanes has also been a speaker at the National Urban League convention but the hands are in a Bachelor of Arts degree in religion and English from Bishop's College a master's degree in divinity from southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctorate in ministry from the Graduate theological foundation I am pleased to present now my friend extraordinary preacher and public theologian the Reverend dr. Frederick Douglas Haynes the third to deliver the 2011 baccalaureate message thank you so much I consider this a tremendous honor to stand and share with this class with class the class of 2011 of Morehouse College let me for just a moment tip my hat symbolically and salute not only to this phenomenal class but to the wonderful leadership that characterizes Morehouse College I cannot help but say that this day I am surrounded by so many who comprise my own personal heroes Hall of Fame I begin with the president of our school the one and only dr. Robert Franklin who is an amazing man a phenomenal scholar and a gift to our time as a matter of fact of the second book that was attributed to me in a real sense was a reflection of my reflections on his book crisis in the village and so I appreciate so much the laudable leadership of dr. Robert Franklin I must also say that I am so pleased to be in the presence of the Dean of the chapel here at Morehouse he is a legend in our time and so for that we are grateful for the legacy for the ministry of Dean Carter who was a blessing to our time was also say that again I am surrounded by so many I appreciatively admire including my pastor who licensed and ordained me a proud Morehouse man the incomparable prophet without peer dr. Amos C Brown the pastor third Baptist Church in San Francisco and because dr. Brown has meant so much to me in my ministry because God has used him to bless me I thought it would be important that we begin at our church every year to donate to Morehouse College in the name of dr. Amos C Brown every single year $7,500 and so I bring today a cheque for $7,500 every year we will give this in the name dr. amos C Brown my pastor there he is right there dr. Amos Brown now the good news about that is even if the sermon does not go well I've already paid my way here so I am indeed honored to share and again that will be something we will do every year we will budget that with the gold next year of making it a $10,000 gift every single year in honor of got famous see Brian today we will be unveiling the portrait again of one of my homolytically heroes dr. W Franklin Richardson and we look forward to that sacred and meaningful moment dr. Otis Moss jr. is one of my homiletically Rose an amazing genius of a gospel preacher and again it's a blessing to be in his presence my uncle is a Morehouse man Douglas Haynes and he's down here on the front row just in case you have something bad to say about me he's got my back so I am indeed glad to have him and see him I want to for just a few moments share with you from some inspiration found in the book of Ephesians chapter 3 and there in that 20th verse we find this wonderful doxology it declares now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think according to the power at work within us for just a few moments with your prayers I want to put a tag on this text and simply talk about a rose out of concrete a rose out of concrete in this magical moment energized with expectation and high on hope we cannot help but be sobered by the raw realities that face this class with class in a real sense those raw realities are can't circumstances that are trying to overwhelmingly overrule what it is you want to do you want to do in a real sense is that dream that you have in your heart that dream which is a preferred picture of what the world will look like because of the signature that you are gifted to right on this time and on our future and yet there are can't circumstances determined to overrule our desires and our dreams to be sure you want to have a dream the late great dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays would often quote Harriet do ultra menthe no vision and you perish no ideal and you are lost your heart must ever cherish some hope at any cost some hope some dream to cling to some service that is high some melodies to sing to some rainbow in the sky you ought to have a dream you want to be so obsessed with your openness that you are never incarcerated by your isthmus you ought to have a dream you want to believe that tomorrow can be better than today a dream that orders your steps and your stops you ought to have a dream but let us be aware of the sad reality the raw reality that there are can't circumstances determine diabolically to overrule the want to of your highest hopes and your noblest dreams watch it as you move across the stage on tomorrow greeted by a world especially awaiting african-american men with statistics that in a real sense say that your want to will be overwhelmingly over rude by life telling you what you care to do you're not filling me I'll make it plain do you not recognize that sadly even though the unemployment rate hovers around 9% in this nation sadly it's 17% in the african-american community and don't go to any major metropolitan city for the unemployment rate for african-american men in too many instances is hovering above 50% they are are can't circumstances that are trying to overwhelmingly overrule what it is you dream of doing can't circumstances that manifest itself not only in an employment rate with the sad reality of an undercurrent of racism that continues to hit and hurt those of us who aspire to go a higher even if you are the President of the United States of America you are not exempt from the law other racism in this country yes recognized Barack Obama has done everything right look at what Barack Obama has done after all going to Columbia then he went to Harvard University he not only went to Harvard but Shechem s he edits the Harvard Law Review a Barack Obama married a soul sister from the southside of Chicago like Barack Obama has handled his business but even as president of the United States recognize that much of the nonsense that he has been attacked by has been fueled by an undercurrent of racism that still exists in these yet to be United States of America there are cadet circumstances that are determined to overwhelmingly overrule whatever it is you dream of doing in a real sense my brothers and sisters recognize that is the case Morehouse men there will be some can't circumstances let me see if I can make this plain I read recently about a plane class that occurred somewhere in the northern woods the plane was piloted by the father of a family it was a private plane it crashed somewhere in the northern woods and when the rescue team found the remains of those who had perished in the crash they were upset disappointed when they discovered that a young boy who was on that plane it was his dream to fly after all it was his first flight but when they discovered his body and the coroner issued his report they discovered that he did not die from the impact of the crash but rather he died watch this from starvation starvation that blew my mind and their mind as well why because they discovered a not too far from his body freeze-dried food as well as bottled water watch it he died not from the impact of the crash telling him what he could not do but he died in a real sense because he did not know what he had going for him if only he had known what he had going for him and he would have survived that terrible crash well tomorrow you're going to march across the stage there are can't circumstances determined that the plane of your dreams class I came by to remind you of what you have going for you because if you know what you have going order you can handle what come at you in a real sense that reminds me of this powerful passage in Ephesians chapter 3 tradition has ascribed this authorship to the gospel Globetrotter and trailblazing theologian from Tarsus the articulate African Apostle Paul Paul writes this my brothers and sisters according to theologians and tradition he writes this matchless missive from prison watch it this is not written from while he is sequestered on sabbatical in some Villa in Cairo Egypt chillin no Paul writes this marvelous missive this theological treatment he writes it from a prison prison in Rome he has been unjustly incarcerated surely Paul identifies with michelle alexander's the new Jim Crow the new Jim Crow is an indictment on the criminal justice system in this nation that is downright criminal and surely unjust because of how it is warehousing the hopes of African American men in particular yes Paul finds himself victimized by this criminal injustice system he's in Rome but the book lets us know that some how to do a remix on the late great Martin Luther King jr. Paul is able to transform that dungeon of shame into the headquarters of theological reflection and liberation Paul writes many matchless misses from his prison cell there in Rome I love that he does not allow where he is - poison who he is because who's he is greater than where he is he identifies with the wisdom of Howard Thurman who declared that what happens to you came to beat you unless you allow it to get in you I like that I'm gonna do that one more time what happens to you take the beat you unless you allow it to get inside of you check it as Paul writes the Ephesian Christians I love this because you do recognize the first three chapters they are doctrinal Paul theological II is unpacking what God has done for people of faith through the luck through the life legacy sacrifice and love of Jesus Christ but now as he comes to the end of chapter 3 and you already know the chapters 4 5 and 6 are more practical applications of the theological reflection that Paul has shared in a chapters 1 2 & 3 but before he can make the it says almost as if Paulus said in the first three chapters that has been your education but now you're about to move into practical application of your education but before you can make that Paul says we must pause for a period of Baccalaureate please don't you love that that's what Paul does he pauses for a period of Baccalaureate plays chapter 1 2 3 that's education chapter 4 5 6 that's Paul speaking a practical application but now at the end of chapter 3 he says we've got to take a praise break we've got to have a baccalaureate service and what Paul does Paul says now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all can ask or think according to the power that's at work within you that that's a baccalaureate plays I love that in a real sense check it because it comes out of a prison cell that my brother's is what I call a rolls out of concrete a rolls quick I'm feeling that right there a rolls out of Pond Creek well those of you with some hip-hop since you already know where I'm going because this is not original with me this comes from the matchless mind of that creative genius Tupac Shakur Tupac Shakur what a poem entitled a rise out of concrete I love that a world out of concrete it came from Tupac as he was making his way through the heart of the hood in East Oakland and came across watch this a rose that did not blossom watch this in a garden but in a real sense it was blossoming out of a sidewalk out of a slab of concrete this roll should not have been a this rose was blossoming where it should not have been it was an impossible situation but the Rose stood there declaring unborn to blossom anyhow because what God put in me is greater than the concrete slab was above me that's a rolls out of concrete and so that's with today and say to every more hosta as you move across the stage tomorrow there are some concrete circumstances trying to tell you what you can't do but if the God above J is with Enya you can handle any concrete that comes aksha arose out of concrete now under him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or thing what does that mean I'm talking too fast cuz you just missed a shout right all simply says now to him now untie him Emma I'm talking fastest you not yet shouting yet now under him I'm gonna stop right there now unto Him I guess you doubted you knew who he was I'm talking about him I'm speaking of him him well I'm in Morehouse so I might as well show off my education him call of Bart's holy other breaking in perpendicularly from above him Paul Tillich's ultimate reality him James Cole's God of the oppressed him Dwight Hopkins Dowd who theologically shakes shoes that fit our cultural feet him origins unmoved mover him the philosophers uncaused cause well that didn't get you let me go Bible him Yahweh him Shadia Jehovah Jireh jehova nissi go old school now under him a hard fixer here mine regulator him golden Bella here he and shelter in the time was scorned here Hey who is able love this because the text says him is able you didn't get that now under him who is able and he is able that's why some of y'all are getting out of school today because he is who is able he is able to do to do I knew I was coming to the house and so I did my homework and etymologically I unpacked the word do in the language of the Greek New Testament it's a marvelous word it also speaks up to create a it's the same word used in the Septuagint the Greek translation of the Old Testament when it spoke of in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and the earth was without form understand out of nothing God created something in Paul is simply reminding the Ephesian Christians when you are down to nothing if you check God's resume on God's and resume is an amazing ability to bring something out of nothing and that's why you never let anybody write you off because of what you don't have because I serve a God who specializes in taking under him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly we can ask for thank God above you is it work around you creating circumstances for you that will blow the minds of those who are hating on you I like that right there because you do recognize there will be those who come at you and hate on you because of your success I guess I got a quote TI's since I'm in Atlanta TI's says my community I'm serving though they hope I don't succeed hear me speaking so intrigued is he snitching no indeed when you hated on for doing good just recognize there is a God who is able to do who is able to do I'm not coming through like I need to I need a witness Joseph Joseph talk to us Joseph had a great dream and Joseph was dissed by his own brothers not others but his own brothers and the Bible said he was sold into slavery but you know the story the man blew up became balla and shot-caller of all of Egypt and the Bible lets us know when his brothers thought he was going to pay him back at the end of the book of Genesis Joseph reminds them you meant it for evil Joseph said you meant it for evil kamma but God I'm still talking fast if you didn't shout you meant it for evil Calma Calma means pause catch your breath there's more to come don't ever put a period I know never lets someone put a period in your life where God has put a comma in your life because period says it's over karma means Paul's catch your breath because there's more to come Paul who Joseph says you meant it for evil kamma but I'm still talking fast now now now now you do know the word but is an adversity of conjunction I had always know what a conjunction was I'm not as smart as my pastor dr. Brown so one Saturday morning back in the day I'm watching cartoons you don't know about this cartoon and the cartoons say it conjunction junction what's your oh you saw the same cartoon huh the function of a conjunction connects what's before with what's after if it is an adversative conjunction like but however yet and how be it it means whatever is on the backside of the conjunction is about to overrule what's on the front side of the conjunction and so somebody can testify I was sick but God healed me I was down but God raised me I didn't have any money but God supplied all of my needs Joseph says you meant it for evil but God that's all you need you won't make your brother's if you take those two words with you but God I don't care what comes at you I dare you to say but God but God can make a way out of no way but God can raise you up when others bring you down but God here it is but God meant stop right there I love that meant the word meant in the original hebrew is gonna mess you up we get our word weave from we we we keep looking at me we were we if you're in the audience please don't look to see who has one okay just just keep looking my way weave you meant it for evil but God weaved it for good a we but we what's what's up with the weave a weave is when you go to the beauty shop and you get hooked up with more than what you would have had had you not gone to the duty shop that that's a that's a wheel that that's a wheel but we've and I asked one of my members who owns a beauty shop tell me about the weed because I did not believe that that Beyonce had a weave and she was saying no she has a weave it's just a good one it's a real good one and so I wasn't feeling that because I'm thinking when Beyonce is swing and that's all Beyonce but she said no that's not Beyonce's if she bought it it's hers but but but but Beyonce has some extra stuff going on because Beyonce watch it she went to the right person and the right person took what she had in her hands applied it to Beyonce situation and now when you see Beyonce saying oh you better say Beyonce work that we've because Beyonce now has something extra based on what she went through come here let me grab you because I dare say I serve a God who can weave grace and peace and strength and power into your situation and before you know it you work in that weave and so all I'm trying to say is we serve a God who is unbelievable and now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all you can ask or think whatever else I'm saying you leave God won't you leave room for God to surprise you you never know what God's may do go ahead and dream big dream God's size dreams recognize thing that you need to give God room to fill in the blanks because when God fills in the blanks of God will take your places you never thought you would go God will open up doors for you you never expect it to go I'm standing here as a living witness as a testimony that God can open up doors and make a way for you I will never forget as long as I live the Year 1970 yay my pastor dr. Amos C Brown my uncle Douglass they were pushing for me to go to Morehouse College I was on my way I was coming to Morehouse College on my way here but then I received a form letter telling me that there was no room for me on campus and the letter said here are a list of Realtors you check one of the Realtors and they'll hook you up with an apartment I said cool in the gang I'm 17 years old I had my own apartment while going to Morehouse well my mother saw the letter and my mother said ah no you ain't staying in no apartment at 17 years old but check this out my heart is broken my dream has been dashed I can't come to the house end up going to Bishop College two weeks later I'm speaking in the oratorical contest dr. Richardson's Richardson for the National Baptist Convention dr. Hugh Gloucester is there and dr. Gloucester says Frederick why aren't you in class I said doc I'm sorry but she didn't have any room for me dr. Gloucester said why do you say that I told him about the letter dr. Gloucester said that was a form letter that was not meant for you your roommate has been wondering why you're not in school I see he dr. Gloucester then said well what he then said we'll go back to Dallas get your bags and come on as to I said doc I'm already there I get back to Bishop I'm elected president of the freshman class in Vienna I end up staying what the dream of going to Morehouse was never going to have materialized but here I am today baccalaureate preacher at Morehouse College because now under him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you can ask or think God will bless you where your dreams will come true if not in your time they will come true in God's time now to him I'm done can I give you one mo I promise you I'm done now under him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think here it is I'm done according to the power at work within you you didn't shout the power is at work in you you're missing this the the power is at work in you don't you love that because Paul is in prison and you would think that Caesar has the power no Caesar is in position Paul has the power just because you don't have position it doesn't mean you don't have the power I guess I'm not coming through you do know Eisenhower that position but Adam Clayton Powell jr. has the power you do know LBJ had position but Martin Luther King jr. has the power you still not getting this Pharaoh head position but Moses had the power so head position but David has the power Pilate has the position but jesus said nobody takes my life I'll lay it down if I lay it down I'm gonna take it back up again I I've got the power all said the power is it work within you so my brother's please bear in mind that if things go wrong and they will go wrong can't circumstances we'll try and block you and they will try to hinder your hopes but recognize the power isn't work within you I close with this that power that said work within you it's best expressed in a in a story told by Laurie Beth Jones she tells the story of a young man who fell asleep one night apart and going to sleep watch this he has a matchless marvelous aesthetically glorious dream the dream finds him running through this field of immaculately cut green grass bordered by dazzling daisies lovely are lilies and resplendent roses he's running through this field and all of a sudden the dream is interrupted by a bear the bear is chasing him and the bear is about to catch him and as soon as the bear is about to catch him a little bit the young man looks up and says mr. bear are you going to eat me the bear stops in midair and says I don't know this is your dream to buy more house above us I close with that this is your dream go out and make this world a better place this is your dream my eyes have not seen it ears have not heard of nor has enter in the hearts of Mina the good things God has in store for you this is your dream no weapon formed against you shall prosper this is no dreamer and because it's your dream we shall overcome and when we overcome a let us say we are roses out of concrete I now invite president Franklin chairman Davis to escort dr. Richardson to the canvas and I'm going to ask the members of dr. Richardson's family from the audience once you come to the platform you may come down please rise w Franklin Richardson a learnin ministry built on your Virginia Union Yale and United theological education prophetic preacher for forty two years to three Baptist congregations in New York Virginia and Florida minty and editor of the sermons of renowned Morehouse alumnus trustee and legendary preacher sandy Frederick ray chairman of the board of the National Action Network chairman of the board of the Congress of national black churches chairman of the board of American legacy magazine chairman of the board of Virginia Union University you serve on boards related to the National Urban League pepsi-cola Harvard NBC Universal Comcast constituency for Africa you were general secretary for twelve years of the National Baptist Convention USA Inc member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches of Christ a leader of the movement to give Morehouse College and the state of Georgia the only statue of Martin Luther King jr. that we have mister president you may unveil the canvas and let the trumpet sound we have a younger W Franklin Richardson isn't that what you'd look like when your wife married you now let us join arms for the singing of dear old Morehouse you may be seated we are now ready for the benediction but before dr. handy comes to deliver it I should emphasize that because the processional will begin moving from the king Chapel promptly at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow morning with or without you parents guardians relatives and friends will need to be parked and in your seats no later than 7:25 a.m. this will allow you to avoid a traffic bottleneck and to view the processional on the wide screen from your seat on the century campus we also ask that you please sit only in the sections with signage that matches the color of your ticket if you do not have a ticket you may sit in any of the other sections designated as open seating there will be ushered on hand to assist you and now for our final prayer please remain seated for the recessional faculty will form the corridor on the plaza let us receive the benediction god of grace mercy and love as we leave this place we continue to be grateful for this great gathering this celebration of excellence and achievement thank you O God for your presence with us and in us that enables us to live the kind of life that brings virtue to humankind nurturing to all of creation and bends the universe toward justice thank you for these roses out of concrete that rise above all obstacles points of pressure blossoming in the garden of brilliance undying belief and blessedness and now may our Lord Jesus Christ and God who loves us and has given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace keep your hearts and establish you and every good word and word now unto God who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think according to the power that worketh in us bless us and keep us henceforth now and forevermore amen

Channel: Morehouse College

Views: 36,060

Rating: 4.7272725 out of 5

Keywords: whole, Morehouse, CrownFo001

Id: UqPLiEsoEQI

Length: 87min 11sec (5231 seconds)

Published: Sun May 15 2011