Recently I had the privilege of returning to my old college, Luther King House, for a Northern College Governors meeting. I always enjoy going back because the place has so many happy memories of three years full time residential ministerial training and a further part-time Internship year.
I made a number of very good friends there from all denominations, including Pam Pettit. Pam was training for the Methodist ministry and was a gifted preacher and musician. In our first year of training, the Northern Federation for Training in Ministry was inaugurated, bringing together Northern Baptist College, Hartley Victoria Methodist College, Northern College and the Unitarian College. The Anglican Northern Ordination Course was also part of the Federation on a part-time basis.
When the Northern College and the Unitarian College buildings were sold, the students joined their Baptist and Methodist colleagues at the Northern Baptist College site on Brighton Grove, Rusholme. It was deemed appropriate that the new site be renamed and so the building became Luther King House, in honour of the famous Baptist preacher and Civil Rights leader. A special service was held for the renaming with a young and controversial firebrand called Paul Boateng (now Lord Boateng) as guest preacher.
Pam Pettit was commissioned to write a hymn for the occasion. She also composed the tune “Luther King House” to accompany her lyrics. Sadly, the hymnals which subsequently published Pam`s hymn, declined to use her tune, substituting Repton or any other tune that fits as near as possible the 86.88.6 meter of the lyrics. I can`t read the words without hearing Pam`s tune but most of you will be familiar with Repton, so why not sing it yourself today and make it your prayer for peace and justice in God`s world!
“I have a dream”, a man once said,
“Where all is perfect peace;
Where men and women, black and white,
Stand hand in hand, and all unite
In freedom and in love.”
But in this world of bitter strife
The dream can often fade;
Reality seems dark as night,
We catch but glimpses of the light
Christ sheds on humankind.
Fierce persecution, war, and hate
Are raging everywhere; Through struggle and through sacrifice
God calls us now to pay the price
Of standing for the right.
So dream your dreams and sing your songs,
But never be content:
For thoughts and words don’t ease the pain:
Unless there’s action, all is vain;
Faith proves itself in deeds.
Lord, grant us vision, make us strong, And help us do your will;
Nor let us rest until we see
Your love throughout humanity
Uniting us in peace.
Pamela J. Pettit 1954 – 2005
Alan Kennedy