Annual Martin Luther King Retreat: Worldwide Participation

“I would urge you to give priority to the search for God. Allow His spirit to permeate your being…. If you do not have a deep and patient faith in God, you will be powerless to face the delays, disappointments and vicissitudes that inevitably come.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was remembered in many ways during the national holiday that bears his name.  At the Western Diocese, we held our 18^th annual MLK Retreat sponsored by the In His Shoes Ministry, where the teachings of the civil-rights leader were studied and discussed.  This year was dedicated to the study of Rev. King’s prayer life and the prayers that “moved the mover.”

The three-day event was in a virtual environment with participants from throughout the world. Each day, participants downloaded unique messages prepared by retreat master, Fr. Vazken Movsesian, and sound clips from Rev. King’s sermons. According to Fr. Vazken, “Rev. King would be the first to mention that before anything else, and above all the titles and accolades he received in his lifetime, he was first and foremost a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As such, his entire message, with the power to liberate, is grounded on the firm tenants of love and peace, achieved by nonviolent means. By studying Rev. King’s life and works we gain the language and the tools to live out our Christian faith in a meaningful manner, in a world overwhelmed with conflict.”

The final day of the retreat brought together participants in a Zoom session led by Fr. Vazken. The entire retreat – with classes, mediations and some of the prayers of Rev. King – has been archived on the In His Shoes website, and is made available to everyone for private and communal spiritual growth.  

Throughout the years, our Primate, Abp. Hovnan has pointed to Dr. King in his speeches and writings, especially in expressing the unique gifts that we in the Armenian Church offer for the service of humanity. Abp. Hovnan welcomed this opportunity to once again acquaint the community with the life and work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Here in the United States, the third Monday in January is designated as the Martin Luther King Holiday. Accordingly, our In His Shoes ministry coordinates the Retreat to coincide with the holiday. Now in its 18^th year, the MLK Retreat began in 2004 in the Sequoia national forest at our Diocesan campsite in Dunlap, California. In the retreat invite, participants learned, “Every year since then we have made an effort to set aside time to contemplate and celebrate the life and teachings of Rev. King. Different venues and sites for this event have been used, from retreat sites on mountain tops, to the desert planes, from brunches with Gospel music and celebration, to outdoor drum circles, synchronizing our beat with the beat Rev. King put into place during the 1950s and 1960s. This year, 2021, with the COVID19 pandemic not letting up, for the first time in 18 years, we will attempt a VIRTUAL RETREAT. Thank you for signing up to be a part of this novel event and experiment.”

Comments from attendees:

• Listening to MLK was so inspiring to me.  Today I listened some more and will keep listening until it gets absorbed into my thinking and being. The silver lining of this pandemic is that I was able to attend …. -S.O.

• Thank you this year’s MLK Retreat. It was very moving and shaking! Because we were alone, we did listen fully and were more focused. Every day, every speech was really moving… -M.H.
• So professionally produced and always new insight. Amazing. I want it to reach to more people. After all the great efforts/success/gift of clarifying and tapping into and opening heart, let it not be under a bushel for only a few to receive… I especially related and embraced Rev. Dr. King’s “Three-dimensional prayer” … the awareness of how vulnerable we each are of our humanness and the importance of focus and continual discipline. Prayer is the most basic and important things -to love and appreciate our Creator, expressed through our life's actions. -S.M.
• I thought the sermon was fantastic! Wonderful choice! I printed it out and now have a copy in my journal. I'm trying to find a Russian translation to pass along to my Armenian friends and family who do not speak/read English. -M.G.
• I just concluded Day 2. These are very special and love starting out my morning with it. Thank you! -S.S.
• “Bomba!” So many great messages from today’s retreat. I love the energy exchange in the Black church. When something moves the audience, they say it and call out to the preacher that they are really feeling what he’s saying! I love it and wish I could do that in the Armenian church! Yell out “Ayo Der Hayr” when something speaks to me or moves me so much. The message I got today was that you don’t need much to be of service. You need love in your heart. It’s amazing how his words are timeless and can be applicable even to this present day…. Today I went for a walk and asked Jesus to stay in my heart and keep me humble. -M.R.

The success of the virtual retreat environment has encouraged us to format future events in a similar manner. The next such event will be the annual Reclaim Conference, the first weekend of March, 2021

The entire Martin Luther King Retreat is available to read and listen to in an archived form at http://inhisshoes.org/mlk-retreat-2021/