Harold E. Layton - "In the Middle of Things" (January 27, 1985)

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	(energetic organ music)	0:03
	(up-tempo organ music)	0:35
	(dramatic organ music)	1:42
	(up-tempo organ music)	3:07
	(organ music ends)	4:24
	(coughs)	4:30
	(up-tempo organ music)	4:53
	(up-tempo organ music)	6:26
	(up-tempo organ music)	7:43
	(organ music ends)	9:12
	(up-tempo organ music)	9:26
	(up-tempo organ music)	11:37
	(up-tempo organ music)	13:20
	(organ music ends)	13:31
	(coughs)	14:16
	Grace and peace to you	14:36
	in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.	14:37
	We welcome you to this hour of worship	14:40
	at Duke University Chapel, and hope that each of you	14:42
	can be with us again in the very near future.	14:45
	Our preacher this morning is Mr. Harold Layton,	14:49
	Ph.D. candidate in the department of mathematics.	14:52
	Harold was selected as this year's student preacher	14:56
	by the Worship Committee of Duke Campus Ministry.	14:59
	This is a tradition which goes back	15:02
	for a number of years here at Duke and our campus ministry	15:04
	and we are proud to affirm that tradition again today.	15:08
	We extend a very warm welcome to Harold and to his family.	15:12
	The chapel choir, to whom we are eternally grateful	15:17
	for the their celestial sounds, will be making	15:21
	a very special contribution to our service of worship today.	15:24
	1985 marks the 300th anniversary	15:28
	of the birth of Johann Sebastian Bach,	15:31
	thus we will be celebrating throughout this year	15:35
	his great musical contributions to the church.	15:38
	In a slightly different order of worship this morning,	15:42
	the choir will open the service with a singing	15:45
	of Cantata #65, for the season of Epiphany,	15:48
	"Sie werden aus Saba," much as Bach's own choir	15:52
	would've done during this time of year in Leipzig.	15:56
	We look forward to a year-long celebration	16:01
	led by our choir of the music of J.S. Bach.	16:04
	We are deeply saddened to announce this morning	16:09
	the death of Mrs. Ruby Willimon, the mother	16:12
	of Dr. William Willimon, minister to the university.	16:15
	Funeral services were held yesterday	16:19
	in Greenville, South Carolina.	16:21
	I'd ask your prayers for the entire Willimon family	16:24
	in their time of loss.	16:27
	And now let us lift our hearts to God	16:31
	as we worship together.	16:34
	Please stand.	16:44
	Let us pray.	16:53
	Almighty God, whose son, our savior Jesus Christ	16:57
	is the light of the world,	17:02
	grant that we thy people, illumined by thy word	17:04
	and sacraments, may answer readily the call of Christ.	17:08
	Set us free from the bondage of our sins	17:14
	and give us, we beseech thee, the liberty	17:17
	of that abundant life, which thou hast made manifest to us.	17:21
	Through Jesus Christ, our lord, who liveth and reigneth	17:27
	with thee and the holy spirit, one God forever and ever.	17:31
	Amen.	17:37
	(joyful organ music)	17:39
	(choir singing)	17:48
	(organ music ends)	18:37
	(coughs)	18:45
	(energetic organ and orchestra music)	19:08
	(choir singing)	19:49
	(choir singing)	20:35
	(choir singing)	22:22
	(choir singing)	23:42
	(choir member sings solo)	24:35
	(choir member sings solo)	26:16
	(whimsical orchestra music)	27:01
	(choir member sings solo)	27:30
	(choir member sings solo)	29:59
	(up-tempo orchestra music)	31:52
	(choir member sings solo)	32:39
	(choir member sings solo)	34:19
	(choir sings)	35:43
	(music ends)	37:13
	Let us pray together the prayer for illumination.	37:27
	Open our hearts and minds, oh God,	37:32
	by the power of your holy spirit,	37:35
	so that as the word is read and proclaimed,	37:38
	we might hear with joy what you say to us this day.	37:41
	Amen.	37:45
	The first lesson is taken from Deuteronomy,	37:47
	chapter 18, verses 15 through 20.	37:50
	The lord your god will raise up for you a prophet like me	37:54
	from among you, from your brethren.	37:57
	Him you shall heed.	38:00
	Just as you desired of the lord your God,	38:02
	at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said	38:04
	let me not hear again the voice of the lord my God	38:07
	or see this great fire anymore, lest I die,	38:11
	and the lord said to me, they have rightly said	38:16
	all that they have spoken.	38:19
	I will raise up for them a prophet like you	38:21
	from among their brethren, and I will put my words	38:23
	in his mouth, and he shall speak to them	38:25
	all that I command him.	38:29
	And whoever will not give heed to my words	38:30
	which he shall speak in my name,	38:33
	I myself will require it of him.	38:35
	But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name	38:38
	which I have not commanded him to speak,	38:41
	or who speaks in the name of other gods,	38:43
	that same prophet shall die.	38:46
	This ends the reading of the first lesson.	38:48
	(contemplative organ music)	38:52
	♪ The statutes of the lord are just ♪	39:02
	♪ And rejoice the lord ♪	39:07
	♪ The lord, the lord is perfect ♪	39:15
	♪ It renews the soul ♪	39:18
	♪ The rule of the lord is sure ♪	39:22
	♪ It makes wise the simple ♪	39:25
	♪ The statutes of the lord are just ♪	39:30
	♪ And rejoice the heart ♪	39:34
	♪ The commandment of the lord shines clear ♪	39:38
	♪ It is right (murmurs) ♪	39:42
	♪ The statutes of the lord are just ♪	39:46
	♪ And rejoice the lord ♪	39:51
	♪ The fear of the lord is calling, enduring forever ♪	39:59
	♪ The decrees of the lord are true ♪	40:06
	♪ and all of them righteous ♪	40:10
	♪ They are more precious than gold ♪	40:15
	♪ More than abundant pure gold ♪	40:19
	♪ The way of the lord is sweeter than honey ♪	40:23
	♪ Than honey fresh from the comb ♪	40:28
	♪ The statutes of the lord are just ♪	40:33
	♪ And rejoice the lord ♪	40:38
	♪ My friend, your servant is guided ♪	40:46
	♪ In keeping them, there is great reward ♪	40:49
	♪ Who can know what my offense is? ♪	40:54
	♪ Wash me from my secret wrongdoing ♪	40:58
	♪ Halt, keep your servant from foolish pride ♪	41:04
	♪ Let it not rule over me ♪	41:09
	♪ Then shall I be whole ♪	41:13
	♪ and innocent of all my transgressions ♪	41:16
	♪ The statutes of the lord are just ♪	41:22
	♪ And rejoice the lord ♪	41:27
	♪ Let the words of my mouth, the thoughts of my heart ♪	41:35
	♪ Find favor before you oh lord, ♪	41:41
	♪ my redeemer and rock ♪	41:45
	♪ The statutes of the lord are just ♪	41:50
	♪ And rejoice the lord ♪	41:55
	The second lesson is taken from the first letter	42:14
	to the Corinthians, chapter eight, verses one through 13.	42:16
	Now concerning food offered to idols,	42:23
	we know that all of us possess knowledge.	42:26
	Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.	42:30
	If anyone imagines that he knows something,	42:34
	he does not yet know as he ought to know.	42:37
	But if one loves God, one is known by him.	42:40
	Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols,	42:44
	we know that an idol has no real existence,	42:48
	and that there is no God but one,	42:51
	for although there may be so-called gods in heaven	42:55
	or on Earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords,	42:59
	yet for us, there is one God, the father,	43:03
	from whom all things are, from whom all things	43:06
	and for whom we exist, and one Lord Jesus Christ	43:10
	through whom all things and through whom we exist.	43:14
	However, not all possess this knowledge,	43:19
	but some through being hitherto accustomed to idols	43:22
	eat food that's really offered to an idol	43:25
	and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.	43:28
	Food will not commend us to God.	43:32
	We are no worse off if we do not eat	43:34
	and no better off if we do.	43:36
	Only take care lest this liberty of yours	43:38
	somehow become a stumbling block to the weak,	43:41
	for if anyone sees you, a man of knowledge,	43:44
	at table in an idol's temple, might he not be encouraged	43:47
	if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols.	43:51
	And so by your knowledge, this weak man is destroyed.	43:55
	The brother for whom Christ died.	43:59
	Thus sinning against your brethren and wounding	44:01
	their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.	44:03
	Therefore, if food is the cause of my brother's falling,	44:07
	I will never eat meat.	44:11
	But I cause my brother to fall.	44:13
	This ends the reading of the second lesson.	44:16
	The gospel is taken from Mark, chapter one,	44:20
	verses 21 through 28.	44:23
	And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath	44:27
	he entered the synagogue and taught.	44:30
	And they were astonished at his teaching,	44:33
	for he taught them as one who had authority,	44:36
	and not as the scribes, and immediately	44:38
	there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit	44:41
	and he cried out, what have you to do with us,	44:44
	Jesus of Nazareth?	44:46
	Have you come to destroy us?	44:48
	I know who you are, the holy one of God.	44:50
	But Jesus rebuked him, saying	44:54
	be silent and come out of him.	44:56
	And the unclean spirit, convulsing him	44:59
	and crying with a loud voice, came out of him	45:01
	and they were all amazed so that they questioned	45:05
	among themselves, saying	45:07
	with authority he commands even the unclean spirits	45:10
	and they obey him.	45:13
	And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout	45:15
	all the surrounding region of Galilee.	45:17
	This ends the reading of the gospel.	45:20
	This morning, as I survey my life	45:43
	I find that I am	45:49
	in the middle of things.	45:53
	Neither young nor old.	45:57
	Neither idealist nor cynic.	46:01
	Neither liberal nor conservative.	46:06
	Pragmatist in politics, moderate in theology.	46:11
	And presuming to preach with neither the bold confidence	46:17
	of youthful enthusiasm nor the sure confidence	46:23
	of seasoned experience.	46:28
	In the midst of my life journey,	46:32
	in the transition from student to professional,	46:35
	in the dialectic of faith and skepticism,	46:41
	I find myself.	46:46
	My friends, you too surely know	46:51
	how you stand in the middle of things.	46:56
	Between birth and death.	47:00

-	Whom to leave the family jewels	0:03
	and then, there are the issues of personal morals,	0:08
	what to do with our sexual impulses,	0:12
	how do we feel about alcohol,	0:16
	whether we should be truthful for the forms of the IRS.	0:19
	I speak of the personal and the universal.	0:29
	Life is not clear-cut for any of us.	0:33
	The proper paths are rarely marked.	0:37
	And in the midst of ambiguity,	0:41
	uncertainty, and equivocation,	0:44
	we know confusion, anxiety,	0:48
	and irresolution.	0:53
	Surely, we find ourselves	0:55
	in the middle of things.	0:59
	Moses found himself in the middle of things.	1:04
	Between a stiff-necked people	1:09
	and the demanding God of the rigid and ancient law,	1:12
	between the Egypt of the pharaohs	1:17
	and the fierce tribes of Canaan.	1:19
	In his youth, Moses the Hebrew	1:23
	was raised in the royal Egyptian household.	1:26
	In his last days, Moses beheld, nearly,	1:30
	the Land of Promise.	1:35
	And in the Old Testament lesson,	1:38
	we learn that Moses is not the be-all and end-all prophet.	1:40
	Rather, he is an heir to Abraham's vision	1:45
	and a precursor of the Christ that is to be.	1:50
	Jesus also stands in the middle of things.	1:56
	Not merely man, not only God.	2:01
	But man and God, He mediates to us our redemption.	2:06
	He came to earth between creation and consummation,	2:13
	between the fall and the judgment.	2:17
	He was born in the midst of shepherd's adoration	2:21
	and politician's intrigue.	2:24
	In His ministry, He was ever a center of controversy.	2:28
	In His death, He was suspended between heaven and earth.	2:33
	And in His resurrection,	2:39
	He lives as our friend and our God.	2:41
	We Christians find ourselves in the middle of things.	2:50
	Our epistle lesson reminds us that we are poised	2:56
	between liberty and responsibility.	2:59
	Between our weaker sisters and brothers	3:03
	and our stronger sisters and brothers.	3:05
	We debate among ourselves	3:10
	whether to accept homosexuals in the church,	3:13
	whether to unite with other denominations,	3:16
	how to distribute aid to revolution-prone	3:20
	third world countries.	3:23
	We encounter moral issues unimagined	3:27
	by the church of Paul's time.	3:30
	Care for the environment,	3:34
	the allocation of limited resources,	3:37
	the use of sophisticated technology to prolong life,	3:40
	human fertilization in a test tube, surrogate motherhood,	3:45
	to name just a few.	3:50
	Surely God's people	3:54
	are in the middle of things.	3:57
	Above all this fray, however,	4:05
	I now hold up a shining truth.	4:08
	In the middle of things,	4:14
	where we are,	4:18
	God comes to us.	4:21
	The power and presence of God	4:26
	comes to us, to sustain us in our times of doubt	4:30
	and uncertainty, to affirm us	4:35
	in difficult decisions faithfully executed.	4:39
	To comfort us, not condemn us	4:43
	when we make a mess of things.	4:47
	To forgive us when we sin.	4:50
	To accept us when we fail.	4:54
	To strengthen us, that we may effectively serve God and man.	4:58
	God comes to us as our friend in Jesus Christ	5:06
	and stands with us,	5:12
	no matter our trivialness, our humanness,	5:15
	our imperfection, He stands with us	5:19
	that we may have courage for our feet,	5:24
	peace for our minds,	5:28
	and rest for our souls.	5:30
	I could support this affirmation of faith	5:38
	with Bible stories,	5:43
	the lives of saints	5:46
	or the experiences of friends.	5:49
	But I really believe it only because	5:54
	I have known it in my own life.	5:57
	In the summer of 1983,	6:03
	I was really in the middle of things.	6:06
	Never had I known such gloom,	6:11
	uncertainty and confusion.	6:15
	My carefully-laid plans for the future were but ashes.	6:20
	No, I was not to be married.	6:25
	No, I was not to be the beneficiary of the excitement	6:31
	and prestige that would be generated	6:37
	by having a medical doctor for my wife.	6:41
	In the aftermath of the dissolved engagement,	6:47
	some of my most cherished youthful illusions	6:50
	and misconceptions surrendered	6:54
	to the verities of life.	6:58
	Sunday School platitudes shattered like glass.	7:02
	Family maxims crumbled under the stress of weighty reality.	7:08
	Was there any new wisdom to replace the old?	7:16
	And while I was in the midst of this emotional	7:22
	and intellectual ferment, my social life	7:26
	was an utter disaster.	7:30
	No one, it seemed, would go out with me.	7:34
	(audience laughs)	7:39
	No one would invite me.	7:40
	And no wonder.	7:46
	Gloom is contagious.	7:49
	I recall lying in bed	7:56
	in my un-air-conditioned apartment,	8:00
	dimly conscious of the deepening darkness of sunset,	8:04
	very conscious of the heavy, humid air	8:10
	of the North Carolina summer.	8:15
	I recall brooding in misery	8:19
	as the minutes slipped away.	8:24
	Not thinking about anything in particular,	8:29
	I was just hurting all over	8:34
	and brooding in misery	8:38
	as the minutes slipped away.	8:43
	Then the remarkable happened.	8:52
	Something I'd not known in years	8:55
	and never in God-forsaken Durham.	8:59
	An exquisitely glowing and cooling warmth	9:04
	spread from my inside out.	9:09
	Just for an instant, I believe,	9:13
	God let me feel His presence in that room with me	9:18
	and He let me feel His love for me.	9:24
	I felt, no, I knew,	9:29
	that all would be all right,	9:33
	that all manner of thing would be well.	9:36
	The circumstances had not changed.	9:43
	I still had no social life.	9:47
	I was still confused.	9:50
	And it was still steamy in Durham.	9:54
	But the way I felt about things and the way	9:59
	I thought about things had changed.	10:04
	For no matter what happened,	10:10
	God loved me and He would be with me.	10:13
	It is a natural human failing	10:22
	to try to make of God	10:24
	either a master magician or else an oracle.	10:26
	So often we would command God	10:33
	to heal the sick or save the lost.	10:37
	We would gladly hear from heaven the very will of God	10:42
	in very plain English.	10:46
	Yet even though I believe in the power of God to heal	10:50
	and even though I do not deny for a second	10:56
	that God may speak in very plain English,	10:59
	I still can't escape suspecting	11:05
	that in our unguarded moments,	11:08
	we would really like to sequester for ourselves	11:11
	the miraculous powers and communications of God	11:15
	and use Him to satisfy our whims	11:20
	and to obtain the sense of personal importance	11:26
	and glory that might come.	11:30
	But God won't do our bidding.	11:36
	He won't fit into our neat little boxes.	11:38
	He won't obey our commands	11:42
	and He'll speak when He's ready	11:45
	to whomever He wishes to speak,	11:49
	in whatever language He wishes to speak in.	11:51
	God does not permit us to take heaven by storm.	11:56
	What is it then that God does?	12:04
	He comes to us	12:08
	in our weakness, in our vulnerability,	12:11
	in our humanness.	12:15
	He comes to us in the expected, in the unexpected,	12:17
	in the good and in the evil,	12:23
	in the resplendent sunset,	12:26
	in the rainy day,	12:30
	in the joy of life,	12:33
	in the agony of death,	12:35
	God comes to us.	12:39
	On that muggy summer evening,	12:47
	God didn't tell me what to do.	12:50
	He didn't work that perfect miracle that I thought	12:53
	would set things just, oh,	12:57
	just so right.	13:01
	Nevertheless, God came to me.	13:06
	My renewed confidence in God's presence in my life	13:14
	has contributed to a period of great personal growth.	13:18
	I seem to have known more vitality and more variety	13:23
	in the working of God	13:28
	than I could have ever before imagined.	13:30
	And when things get difficult, as they often do,	13:35
	my spirits are lifted and my faith is reinvigorated	13:40
	by the memory of that sultry summer evening.	13:46
	I believe that God's powerful presence enables us	13:53
	to disentangle our knotted lives,	13:59
	to take on the difficult issues,	14:02
	to work out our salvation.	14:06
	I believe that His presence,	14:11
	His love, His comfort,	14:14
	His friendship, allow us to participate fully	14:18
	in life's dialectic.	14:24
	Sometimes painful, sometimes exciting,	14:27
	sometimes thought-provoking dialectic,	14:33
	which works for our growth toward maturity.	14:38
	And because God is present when we face difficult decisions,	14:45
	because God stands beside us	14:52
	when we confront life's challenges,	14:55
	because God is with us	15:00
	in the middle of things,	15:05
	we become different people,	15:09
	stronger people,	15:14
	wiser people,	15:18
	enriched people.	15:23
	And so it is	15:30
	that I hold up another shining truth.	15:32
	Ultimately, when sanctified	15:37
	by the presence of God,	15:41
	being in the middle of things	15:46
	becomes a good thing.	15:51
	(organ music)	16:08
	♪ How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord ♪	16:37
	♪ Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word ♪	16:44
	♪ What more can He say than to you He has said ♪	16:51
	♪ To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled ♪	16:59
	♪ Fear not, I am with you, O be not dismayed ♪	17:09
	♪ For I am your God, and will still give you aid ♪	17:16
	♪ I'll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand ♪	17:24
	♪ Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand ♪	17:32
	♪ When through the deep waters I call you to go ♪	17:42
	♪ The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow ♪	17:50
	♪ For I will be with you, your troubles to bless ♪	17:58
	♪ And sanctify to you your deepest distress ♪	18:06
	♪ When through fiery trials your pathway shall lie ♪	18:16
	♪ My grace, all-sufficient, shall be your supply ♪	18:24
	♪ The flame shall not hurt you; I only design ♪	18:32
	♪ Your dross to consume and your gold to refine ♪	18:40
	♪ The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose ♪	18:51
	♪ I will not, I will not desert to His foes ♪	18:59
	♪ That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake ♪	19:07
	♪ I'll never, no never, no never forsake ♪	19:15
-	The Lord be with you.	19:29
-	And also with you.	19:31
-	Let us pray.	19:33
	Eternal God, Creator of all that was	19:45
	and is and is to come,	19:50
	Thou hast called the world	19:56
	and the creatures which inhabit it into being	19:57
	and hath pronounced it good.	20:01
	We acknowledge this same goodness as we approach Thee,	20:05
	not in fear and trembling as though before a terrible judge,	20:09
	but as a child to its parent,	20:13
	knowing Thy infinite love and care for us,	20:16
	accepting Thy call to be as one family with our sisters	20:19
	and brothers throughout the world,	20:24
	we offer now these prayers for others.	20:27
	Let us pray for all those who suffer loss or bereavement.	20:32
	May Thy presence among them	20:38
	be as though a healing ointment,	20:40
	that their souls may be nourished	20:42
	and their spirits renewed.	20:45
	Show them anew the sources of strength and serenity.	20:48
	Let us pray for those in trouble or affliction.	20:54
	Look with pity upon them, O God,	20:58
	and comfort them with a sense of Thy goodness.	21:00
	Let us pray for all who are poor, needy and neglected.	21:04
	Heal those who are broken in body or spirit	21:11
	that their sorrow may be turned into joy.	21:15
	Let us pray for those who have dedicated themselves	21:19
	to the service of high and worthy causes.	21:23
	May their labors bear fruits of compassion	21:27
	and bear witness to the power of Thy love.	21:31
	Let us pray for those who receive little recognition,	21:35
	yet commit themselves to attending	21:39
	to the everyday task of our world.	21:42
	May their hearts be full and their joy complete	21:45
	as they live lives of service.	21:49
	Let us pray for ourselves	21:53
	that young and old, we may constantly be made new people	21:56
	by God's grace.	22:00
	That we might recognize Thy sanctifying presence	22:02
	more clearly, even as we stand in the middle of things.	22:05
	That Thou mayest keep us together	22:11
	as parent and child, as sister and brother,	22:13
	as one people the world around.	22:17
	This we ask in the name of Christ, amen.	22:22
	And now let us offer our gifts and ourselves to God.	22:30
	(organ music)	22:39
	(organ music)	28:05
	♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪	28:22
	♪ Praise Him, all creatures here below ♪	28:28
	♪ Alleluia ♪	28:33
	♪ Alleluia ♪	28:36
	♪ Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host ♪	28:41
	♪ Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost ♪	28:46
	♪ Alleluia ♪	28:52
	♪ Alleluia ♪	28:55
	♪ Alleluia ♪	28:58
	♪ Alleluia ♪	29:01
	♪ Alleluia ♪	29:04
	♪ Amen ♪	29:12
-	Eternal God, from Sheba to Thee,	29:23
	men came forth telling Thy praise,	29:26
	offering gifts most rare.	29:29
	So today we offer unto Thee these gifts of our time	29:31
	and talents, dedicating them to the work	29:36
	of Thy kingdom, as we offer	29:39
	the costliest gift of all, our hearts.	29:41
	This we pray in the name of Jesus Christ,	29:46
	who taught us to pray with confidence,	29:49
-	Our Father, who art in heaven,	29:52
	hallowed be Thy name,	29:55
	Thy kingdom come,	29:57
	Thy will be done,	29:58
	on earth as it is in heaven.	30:00
	Give us this day our daily bread.	30:03
	And forgive us our trespasses,	30:05
	as we forgive those who trespass against us.	30:08
	And lead us not into temptation,	30:11
	but deliver us from evil.	30:14
	For Thine is the kingdom,	30:16
	and the power, and the glory,	30:18
	forever and ever, amen.	30:20
	(organ music)	30:25
	♪ Be still my soul ♪	31:21
	♪ The Lord is on thy side ♪	31:25
	♪ Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain ♪	31:31
	♪ Leave to thy God to order and provide ♪	31:40
	♪ In every change He faithful will remain ♪	31:50
	♪ Be still my soul ♪	31:59
	♪ Thy best, thy heavenly friend ♪	32:03
	♪ Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end ♪	32:09
	♪ Be still, my soul ♪	32:20
	♪ Thy God doth undertake ♪	32:23
	♪ To guide the future ♪	32:29
	♪ As He has the past ♪	32:33
	♪ Thy hope, thy confidence ♪	32:38
	♪ Let nothing shake ♪	32:44
	♪ All now mysterious ♪	32:49
	♪ Shall be bright at last ♪	32:53
	♪ Be still, my soul ♪	32:59
	♪ The waves and winds still know ♪	33:02
	♪ His voice who ruled them ♪	33:09
	♪ While He dwelt below ♪	33:13
	♪ Be still, my soul ♪	33:20
	♪ The hour is hastening on ♪	33:24
	♪ When we shall be ♪	33:30
	♪ Forever with the Lord ♪	33:33
	♪ When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone ♪	33:40
	♪ Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored ♪	33:50
	♪ Be still, my soul ♪	34:00
	♪ When change and tears are past ♪	34:03
	♪ All safe and blessed ♪	34:10
	♪ When we shall meet at last ♪	34:14
-	A reminder for all those interested in joining	34:25
	a graduate and professional students' fellowship group.	34:28
	There will be a reception held in the chapel basement	34:31
	immediately following service,	34:34
	and many thanks to friends of chapel	34:35
	for sponsoring this event.	34:37
	And now go in peace to love	34:40
	and serve God and your neighbor	34:42
	in all that you do	34:45
	and may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,	34:46
	the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit	34:49
	be with you all now and forever.	34:53
	♪ Amen ♪	34:58
	♪ Amen ♪	35:02
	(organ music)	35:21

Item Info

Title:

Harold E. Layton - "In the Middle of Things" (January 27, 1985)

Description:

Sermon start time: (Part 1): 45:43. Sermon end time: (Part 2) 15:56.
Throughout life we constantly find ourselves in the middle of things, unable to see clearly how to press forward. Yet, it is in those times that God comes to us, and God's presence sanctifies those times of uncertainty and ambiguity, making them a blessing. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: “In the middle of things, where we are, God comes to us.”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4057d68z

Date:

January 27, 1985

Speaker:

Layton, Harold E.

Biblical Book:

Chapter and Verse:

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 CS-0248
ref8017_7ny
uachapelsermaud
duke:321101
dcrau001236
ark:/87924/r4057d68z
520c07b3-c2af-417d-8c90-b43811567628

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings, 1954-2005

Language:

English

Location:

United States
North Carolina
Durham (N.C.)

Format:

Provenance:

The Duke University Chapel Recordings were transferred to the Duke University Archives beginning in 1970.

Rights:

Limited Re-Use

CC BY-NC 4.0

Rights Note:

This recording may contain 3rd party materials, such as music or readings that are therefore not covered by the Creative Commons license indicated here. For more information see https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/research/citations-and-permissions.

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Harold E. Layton - "In the Middle of Things" (January 27, 1985)

Transcript

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Duke University Archives

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