John W. Vannorsdall - "None Shall Make Them Afraid" (January 29, 1978)
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- | Duke University Chapel, service of worship, | 0:03 |
January 29th, 1978. | 0:06 | |
(organ music) | 0:10 | |
(organ music) | 3:03 | |
♪ Lord of all the nations ♪ | 10:54 | |
♪ Son of God ♪ | 11:01 | |
♪ And Son of Man ♪ | 11:06 | |
♪ Glory and honor ♪ | 11:15 | |
♪ Praise, adoration ♪ | 11:22 | |
♪ Now and forever more be thine ♪ | 11:28 | |
♪ Now and forever ♪ | 11:39 | |
♪ And forever more be thine ♪ | 11:43 | |
(organ music) | 12:05 | |
(organ music drowns out singing) | 12:44 | |
- | May be seated. | 16:45 |
I greet you in the name and in the Spirit of our Lord | 16:54 | |
and Savior, Jesus Christ. | 16:58 | |
The peace of the Lord be with you. | 17:01 | |
It is the Lord God who made us. | 17:05 | |
It is the Lord God who loves us. | 17:09 | |
It is the Lord God who forgives us. | 17:13 | |
And so with that personal, simple awareness, | 17:17 | |
let us pray to God | 17:22 | |
as we confess our sin. | 17:24 | |
Let us pray. | 17:27 | |
Oh loving and merciful God, we acknowledge our unworthiness. | 17:30 | |
Together we turn our voices to you. | 17:36 | |
Together in one spirit we pray. | 17:39 | |
Forgive us Lord for we are often selfish. | 17:43 | |
Forgive us Lord for we are often vain. | 17:47 | |
Forgive us Lord for we are often weak. | 17:51 | |
Forgive us Lord for we are often opinionated. | 17:55 | |
Forgive us Lord for we are often haughty. | 17:59 | |
Forgive us Lord for we are often insensitive. | 18:04 | |
Forgive us Lord for we are often cowardly. | 18:08 | |
Forgive us Lord for we are often trite. | 18:13 | |
Forgive us Lord for we acknowledge our unworthiness. | 18:17 | |
Give us courage now to confess these and all our sins | 18:22 | |
through Jesus Christ our Lord. | 18:27 | |
Let us continue with our own private, personal words | 18:30 | |
of confession as we pray. | 18:33 | |
My friends in Christ, let me tell you | 19:00 | |
God is strength in our struggles, | 19:04 | |
life in our deaths, | 19:07 | |
the way in our confusion, | 19:10 | |
light in our darkness. | 19:13 | |
God is our life. | 19:17 | |
In this assurance, | 19:21 | |
let us rejoice and lift up our heads | 19:24 | |
and live in the name of Christ our Lord. | 19:27 | |
Amen. | 19:32 | |
I received a word this morning that I think all | 19:39 | |
of you would want to know as we share | 19:42 | |
a word of uneasiness. | 19:46 | |
Dean Griffith called me this morning to say | 19:49 | |
that David Schwimmer, | 19:51 | |
whom some of you will know I'm sure, | 19:55 | |
a sophomore who has been very active in Project WILD, | 19:58 | |
was on leave of absence this semester | 20:03 | |
and has been in a kayak expedition off the coast of Mexico. | 20:07 | |
Three nights ago, the kayaks were lost. | 20:12 | |
They have now been found. | 20:16 | |
Three persons were in those kayaks. | 20:20 | |
The bodies of two of them have been found. | 20:25 | |
All three of the life preservers, | 20:28 | |
which they were wearing, have been found. | 20:30 | |
David it is hoped, | 20:33 | |
and we pray | 20:36 | |
is still alive. | 20:38 | |
His life jacket was found washed up on the beach, unzipped. | 20:40 | |
And it is hoped, and we will be in prayer that he is alive | 20:44 | |
and is somewhere in the mountains on the coast of Mexico. | 20:50 | |
Those of you who are his friends I'm sure will want | 20:55 | |
to hear this word, and all of us will want to remember him | 20:58 | |
and his family with our prayers. | 21:02 | |
We welcome you to this service of worship today. | 21:06 | |
And we're particularly pleased to have a number | 21:10 | |
of people here who are attending a conference | 21:12 | |
on ministry and higher education | 21:15 | |
as they conclude their three day conference with us | 21:18 | |
with this service of worship and with lunch today. | 21:21 | |
I call your attention to the organ concert this afternoon | 21:25 | |
which will be played by Ms. Jane Lynch, | 21:29 | |
the Associate Chapel Organist. | 21:32 | |
The program for that concert is on the bulletin | 21:34 | |
and on the back of the bulletin this morning. | 21:38 | |
You will be interested in reading it, | 21:41 | |
and we invite you to come | 21:42 | |
and share in that concert this afternoon. | 21:44 | |
The Theologian and Residence Program for this week | 21:47 | |
is also included in the bulletin. | 21:50 | |
We have concluded one week of that program, | 21:52 | |
and I must say it has been one of the most stimulating | 21:54 | |
and rewarding experiences I've had since I've been here. | 21:57 | |
I invite you to join us Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, | 22:01 | |
Thursday evenings, any or all of those that you can | 22:04 | |
as Professor Richard Rubenstein will be with us | 22:08 | |
and will speak to us. | 22:11 | |
I invite you particularly to come on Tuesday evening | 22:12 | |
when the Durham Boys Choir beginning at 7:30 will give | 22:17 | |
a concert that is based upon the poetry | 22:20 | |
of many of the children who died during the Holocaust, | 22:24 | |
I Never saw Another Butterfly. | 22:28 | |
That's at 7:30, and it will be in Page Auditorium. | 22:31 | |
At 8 o'clock, Professor Rubenstein will show some slides | 22:34 | |
and will give a lecture. | 22:38 | |
I'm convinced that this will be one of the real highlights | 22:39 | |
of this program, and one in which all of us | 22:43 | |
of the Judeo-Christian tradition will want to share. | 22:46 | |
The anthems for today were written by | 22:52 | |
one of our own former choir members, | 22:56 | |
the Duke's alumnus, Charles Boudreau. | 22:59 | |
Charles is with us this morning, and we are pleased | 23:02 | |
that his experience in the choir has continued | 23:05 | |
to inspire him, and he has shared his talents with us | 23:08 | |
with the writing of these two anthems. | 23:12 | |
It is our privilege today | 23:14 | |
to have the Reverend John Vannorsdall, | 23:18 | |
Chaplain at Yale University as our preacher. | 23:19 | |
Pastor, | 23:24 | |
priest, | 23:25 | |
prophet, | 23:27 | |
well known preacher who has | 23:28 | |
on two occasions served as the preacher | 23:31 | |
for the Lutheran series, Of the Protestant Hour. | 23:33 | |
A warm and gracious person, whom I'm sure you will want | 23:37 | |
to meet and talk with following the service. | 23:40 | |
John, we welcome you to Duke, | 23:43 | |
and we look forward to the Word, | 23:45 | |
which you shall bring to us shortly. | 23:46 | |
- | Let us pray. | 23:55 |
Oh God, as we read your Word, | 23:57 | |
may your Spirit speak to us truly. | 24:00 | |
May we hear your Word clearly. | 24:03 | |
May we follow your Word obediently. | 24:05 | |
Through these readings, draw us close to you we pray. | 24:08 | |
Through Jesus Christ, amen. | 24:12 | |
The Old Testament lesson is from the 2nd chapter | 24:16 | |
of Zephaniah, verse three and the 3rd chapter of Zephaniah, | 24:19 | |
verses 11 through 13. | 24:24 | |
Seek the Lord all ye humble of the land who do his commands. | 24:27 | |
Seek righteousness, seek humility, | 24:31 | |
perhaps you may be hidden on the day | 24:34 | |
of the wrath of the Lord. | 24:37 | |
On that day, you shall not be put to shame | 24:39 | |
because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me. | 24:42 | |
For then I will remove from your midst, | 24:45 | |
your proudly exultant ones. | 24:48 | |
And you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain. | 24:50 | |
For I will leave in the midst | 24:55 | |
of you a people, humble and lowly. | 24:56 | |
They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord. | 24:59 | |
Those who are left in Israel. | 25:02 | |
They shall do no wrong and utter no lies. | 25:04 | |
Nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. | 25:07 | |
For they shall pasture and lie down | 25:11 | |
and none shall make them afraid. | 25:14 | |
The Epistle lesson is found down in I Corinthians 1:26-31. | 25:18 | |
For consider your call brethren. | 25:26 | |
Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards. | 25:28 | |
Not many were powerful. | 25:32 | |
Not many were of noble birth. | 25:34 | |
But God chose what is foolish | 25:36 | |
in the world to shame the wise. | 25:38 | |
God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. | 25:40 | |
God chose what is low and despised in the world, | 25:44 | |
even things that are not, to bring to nothing things | 25:47 | |
that are so that no human being might boast | 25:50 | |
in the presence of God. | 25:54 | |
He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, | 25:56 | |
whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness | 25:59 | |
and sanctification, and redemption. | 26:02 | |
Therefore, as it is written, | 26:06 | |
let him who boasts boast of the Lord. | 26:08 | |
(organ music) | 26:21 | |
(choir vocalizes along with organ music) | 27:00 | |
♪ How shall I sing that majesty ♪ | 28:09 | |
♪ Which angels do admire ♪ | 28:17 | |
♪ Let dust in dust and silence lie ♪ | 28:26 | |
♪ Sing, sing, ye heavenly choir ♪ | 28:34 | |
♪ Thy brightness unto them appears ♪ | 28:44 | |
♪ Whilst I thy footsteps trace ♪ | 28:51 | |
♪ A sound of God comes to my ears ♪ | 29:01 | |
♪ But they behold thy face ♪ | 29:09 | |
♪ How great a being, Lord, is thine ♪ | 29:19 | |
♪ Which doth all beings keep ♪ | 29:27 | |
♪ Thy knowledge is the only line ♪ | 29:36 | |
♪ To sound so vast a deep ♪ | 29:44 | |
♪ Thou art a sea without a shore ♪ | 29:54 | |
♪ A sun without a sphere ♪ | 30:02 | |
♪ Thy time is now and evermore ♪ | 30:10 | |
♪ Thy place is everywhere ♪ | 30:20 | |
♪ How great a being, Lord, is thine ♪ | 30:30 | |
♪ Which doth all beings keep ♪ | 30:38 | |
♪ Thy knowledge is the only line ♪ | 30:48 | |
♪ To sound so vast a deep ♪ | 30:55 | |
♪ Thou art a sea without a shore ♪ | 31:05 | |
♪ A sun without a sphere ♪ | 31:12 | |
♪ Thy time is now and evermore ♪ | 31:20 | |
♪ Thy place is everywhere ♪ | 31:30 | |
- | Will the congregation stand for the reading of the Gospel? | 31:58 |
Hear the reading from the 5th chapter of Matthew, | 32:07 | |
verses one through 12. | 32:10 | |
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, | 32:14 | |
and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. | 32:16 | |
And he opened his mouth and taught them saying, | 32:20 | |
blessed are the poor in spirit | 32:24 | |
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. | 32:26 | |
Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. | 32:28 | |
Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. | 32:32 | |
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness | 32:36 | |
for they shall be satisfied. | 32:39 | |
Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. | 32:41 | |
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. | 32:45 | |
Blessed are the peacemakers | 32:49 | |
for they shall be called sons of God. | 32:50 | |
Blessed are those who are persecuted | 32:53 | |
for righteousness' sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. | 32:55 | |
Blessed are you when men revile you | 32:59 | |
and persecute you and utter all kinds | 33:02 | |
of evil against you falsely on my account. | 33:04 | |
Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven, | 33:08 | |
for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you. | 33:12 | |
Here ends the reading of the Holy Scripture. | 33:16 | |
Praise be to God. | 33:20 | |
(organ music) | 33:22 | |
(organ music drowns out singing) | 33:33 | |
- | May the words of my mouth and the mediation of our hearts | 34:31 |
be acceptable in thy sight, oh Lord our strength | 34:37 | |
and our Redeemer, | 34:43 | |
amen. | 34:45 | |
I had dinner with your chaplains last night, | 34:52 | |
a warm and pleasant experience | 34:55 | |
but was intrigued by the question | 34:59 | |
which arrived before the breadsticks. | 35:02 | |
Rumor has it they said | 35:08 | |
that the new Chaplain at Yale likes to skinny dip | 35:11 | |
in the cold Atlantic. | 35:16 | |
Would I like to confirm or deny the rumor? | 35:20 | |
Rumor denied. | 35:27 | |
Not that I am without sporting instincts. | 35:30 | |
For example, the Durham's son in announcing the title | 35:36 | |
of this sermon said that it was from the Old Testament. | 35:40 | |
That's to miss the whole fun of it. | 35:45 | |
It's from the book of Zephaniah, | 35:49 | |
a prophet so minor that he never makes the charts. | 35:52 | |
I haven't preached on Zephaniah in 30 years. | 35:58 | |
So that's the playfulness of the middle-aged, | 36:05 | |
an outward bound experience | 36:11 | |
to be had far from home, | 36:14 | |
followed by a warm shower, | 36:17 | |
not the cold Atlantic. | 36:21 | |
Zephaniah. | 36:25 | |
Like most of the prophets, | 36:30 | |
he has two major themes. | 36:33 | |
On the one hand, the judgment of God | 36:37 | |
upon a faithless people. | 36:41 | |
Fire and darkness, the gates of the city unhinged. | 36:45 | |
The people scattered. The walls leveled. | 36:51 | |
Because of their sins. | 36:56 | |
Zephaniah is very heavy on judgment. | 37:00 | |
And almost the whole of the three short chapters | 37:05 | |
is a warning. | 37:09 | |
There is for an example this image of Jerusalem. | 37:11 | |
This is the exultant city he writes | 37:19 | |
that dwelt secure | 37:24 | |
that said to herself I am and there is none else. | 37:26 | |
What a desolation she hath become, | 37:31 | |
a lair for wild beasts. | 37:36 | |
Everyone who passes by now hisses | 37:39 | |
and shakes his fist. | 37:43 | |
A hiss and a shake of the fist | 37:47 | |
for the exultant city. | 37:50 | |
On the other hand, | 37:57 | |
Zephaniah allows us a brief glimpse | 37:59 | |
of the mercy of God, the other theme of all the prophets. | 38:03 | |
Of walls rebuilt, of gates put back upon their hinges, | 38:08 | |
a remaining people gathered. | 38:13 | |
It's in a, it's a few verses | 38:19 | |
announcing the compassion and grace of God. | 38:23 | |
Of what salvation means. | 38:27 | |
It's to these verses that I draw your attention. | 38:32 | |
Hear them again. | 38:36 | |
For I will leave in the midst of you, | 38:38 | |
a people humble and lowly. | 38:42 | |
They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord. | 38:46 | |
Those who are left in Israel. | 38:50 | |
They shall do no wrong and utter no lies. | 38:53 | |
Nor shall there be any deceit found in their mouths. | 38:58 | |
For they shall pasture and lie down | 39:04 | |
and none shall make them afraid. | 39:08 | |
The remaining ones, the saved, what are they like? | 39:15 | |
They shall do no wrong. They shall not lie. | 39:20 | |
There shall be no deceit found in their mouths. | 39:23 | |
It may seem a little dull, | 39:26 | |
but it's not unexpected. | 39:29 | |
A short list of moral sins | 39:32 | |
which no longer are practiced among the saved. | 39:36 | |
It's part of what it means to be saved. | 39:41 | |
They shall do no wrong. | 39:45 | |
They shall not abuse the earth. | 39:48 | |
They will take only what they need and what can be restored. | 39:51 | |
They will rejoice in the air as a gift of God. | 39:56 | |
Leave it pure for their children. | 40:00 | |
They will not poison the ground, the sea, the streams. | 40:03 | |
And what they have will be justly shared. | 40:08 | |
They will not use five times their fair share | 40:12 | |
of the Earth's resources as you do | 40:16 | |
and I. | 40:20 | |
They shall do no wrong. | 40:22 | |
It means to do our loving well. | 40:28 | |
To be saved and do no wrong. | 40:33 | |
To know how to love without demeaning without abuse. | 40:35 | |
It means love which frees the loved one | 40:42 | |
to come toward us or to move away | 40:44 | |
as may best enhanced their future growth in grace. | 40:48 | |
That's part of it. The saved, | 40:53 | |
the saved will do no wrong. | 40:58 | |
And they shall tell no lies. | 41:02 | |
Even our compliments to one another shall bear the marks | 41:06 | |
of felt conviction, and compliments will not used | 41:10 | |
to manipulate and gain the favor of another. | 41:13 | |
Among the saved, the truth shall be told | 41:19 | |
with such obvious love | 41:23 | |
that the hearer is warmed | 41:27 | |
and comforted as well as guided. | 41:31 | |
It will be a new day when a letter | 41:36 | |
of recommendation can be trusted. | 41:39 | |
When a resume provides some close reflection of the person | 41:43 | |
and what he's actually done. | 41:48 | |
The saved, they shall tell no lies. | 41:50 | |
And there shall not be found in their mouths | 41:56 | |
a deceitful tongue. | 42:01 | |
The clothing sales person will not say | 42:04 | |
that everything you put on flatters | 42:08 | |
your obviously perfect shape. | 42:11 | |
There will be no hidden clauses, no mental reservations, | 42:15 | |
no things which were forgotten to be mentioned | 42:20 | |
among those who remain. | 42:24 | |
There shall be no deceit, no wrong, no lies, and no deceit. | 42:25 | |
And there are times when I long | 42:32 | |
to be saved from these things. | 42:34 | |
To lead a life which would be so different | 42:38 | |
from the one I now share with you. | 42:42 | |
So shadowed by wrong, | 42:45 | |
by lies, and by deceit. | 42:49 | |
But of all the promises which Zephaniah makes | 42:56 | |
in these few verses of grace, | 43:00 | |
the one that really makes a difference to me is the last, | 43:05 | |
the 4th, which is different from the first | 43:09 | |
of the three, first three. | 43:13 | |
And none | 43:18 | |
shall make them afraid. | 43:21 | |
Somehow that's different. | 43:24 | |
It meets me at a deeper desire and longing. | 43:27 | |
That I shall not be made afraid. | 43:33 | |
I had, what was for me, | 43:41 | |
a strange experience this past Thursday. | 43:42 | |
I became very sick with the flu. | 43:45 | |
I couldn't bring my mind to focus. | 43:52 | |
I laid down on the couch. The hours passed. I became weaker. | 43:56 | |
The wind blew the shutter loose. | 44:01 | |
And the house is so close to the street, | 44:04 | |
a passerby stopped, rapped on the window. | 44:06 | |
I managed to get off the couch, | 44:10 | |
lean against the window casement, and he shouted | 44:11 | |
through the window. | 44:14 | |
Your shutter is loose and coming off. | 44:15 | |
I nodded that I understood, but it was perfectly clear | 44:19 | |
I could do nothing about it. The doorbell rang. | 44:23 | |
I opened it by holding on to the bookcase. | 44:28 | |
Found that it was street person begging money. | 44:33 | |
And I was totally confused with a feeling of helplessness. | 44:37 | |
I has no advice to give, no counsel, hardly the strength | 44:41 | |
to say that I was sick, and he'd probably better leave. | 44:45 | |
I alternately shivered and was too worn. | 44:50 | |
And I realized that I was afraid, | 44:54 | |
not of the rap on the window, not of the banging shutter, | 45:00 | |
the doorbell, the street person. | 45:03 | |
I was afraid because I was helpless. | 45:06 | |
I could not prepare for coming here. | 45:10 | |
Could not meet Friday's commitments. | 45:13 | |
Could not take care of my family, my job. | 45:16 | |
I was helpless. | 45:20 | |
Accustomed to being competent, strength to making decisions, | 45:22 | |
to doing what others have found it difficult to do. | 45:27 | |
My wife returned about 10 in the evening. | 45:33 | |
And I told her something I had not spoken | 45:37 | |
in all the decades of our marriage. | 45:40 | |
I told her that I was afraid, | 45:43 | |
and she said quietly | 45:47 | |
I am often afraid, | 45:51 | |
but it must be hard for you. | 45:54 | |
And it was. | 45:59 | |
But hardest of all | 46:02 | |
was the realization that my trust in myself | 46:05 | |
was very high, | 46:11 | |
but my trust in God was very low. | 46:14 | |
For in the valley of helplessness, when it finally came | 46:21 | |
on a Thursday late afternoon, | 46:25 | |
I found no rod and staff | 46:29 | |
or table set. | 46:33 | |
And therefore, I was afraid. | 46:37 | |
And so I say this to myself as well as to you, | 46:44 | |
that one meaning of salvation | 46:50 | |
is that God so undergird so be present, | 46:55 | |
so make his table visible in shadowed valley that none | 47:01 | |
may make us afraid. | 47:07 | |
A coincidence perhaps. | 47:11 | |
But it occurs to me that when God announced himself | 47:15 | |
at Bethlehem, the angels said to the shepherds | 47:19 | |
be not afraid. | 47:26 | |
And when that life of Jesus was over, | 47:29 | |
death and resurrection, and the Lord appeared | 47:32 | |
to his disciples in the upper room. | 47:35 | |
He said be not afraid. | 47:38 | |
Be not afraid of God himself. | 47:46 | |
I think it means that in part. | 47:50 | |
That the almighty God who by power | 47:54 | |
of judgment shook the exultant city | 47:56 | |
until the passerby hissed and shook the fist. | 47:59 | |
That when almighty God came to Bethlehem, | 48:05 | |
he came as a child. | 48:08 | |
That we not be afraid of God himself. | 48:11 | |
I know that the power of God can level cities, | 48:17 | |
the exultant city. | 48:21 | |
He is the Holy One before whom I took off my shoes | 48:24 | |
in awe, fascination, and dread. | 48:28 | |
But too many see only the thunder, see only a God | 48:31 | |
who tyrannizes their living, who orders them about, | 48:34 | |
and punishes like a super parent against whom they rebel | 48:38 | |
and to whom they will not turn for fear of the loss | 48:43 | |
of their own selfhood. | 48:47 | |
But the wholeness of God in the Biblical images | 48:51 | |
includes a suffering servant, a child, a crucifixion. | 48:54 | |
The vulnerability of God who says be not afraid | 49:00 | |
even of me especially be not afraid of God. | 49:04 | |
The God who uses his power to become helpless | 49:11 | |
that in our helplessness we may welcome his presence | 49:15 | |
and not be afraid. Salvation means | 49:19 | |
that by God's grace | 49:24 | |
none shall make us afraid of God himself. | 49:27 | |
And salvation means that we are not | 49:35 | |
to be afraid of other people. | 49:37 | |
And most of us are afraid of others. | 49:42 | |
We fear their judgment of us, | 49:48 | |
their measurement of whether we are intelligent, | 49:53 | |
competent, appropriately dressed, worthy of their attention. | 49:55 | |
We are measured by grades, by tenure and promotion reviews. | 50:00 | |
We are rated by MasterCharge. | 50:04 | |
Three weeks ago, I moved | 50:07 | |
into the traditional chaplain's house. | 50:09 | |
So I called the telephone company. | 50:12 | |
Please install three black desk, dial telephones | 50:14 | |
at 66 Wall Street. | 50:20 | |
Mr. Vannorsdall, if you will hold for just a minute, | 50:24 | |
we'll tell you what service we can provide at that address. | 50:28 | |
I knew what was happening. | 50:34 | |
My code was punched on a keyboard and on a television screen | 50:37 | |
came my use of the telephone | 50:41 | |
and my record of payment of bills. | 50:44 | |
She came back on the phone. | 50:48 | |
Well, Mr. Vannorsdall, we are prepared to offer you | 50:49 | |
our total phone service. | 50:51 | |
Push buttons, phones that light up that forward calls | 50:56 | |
that let you key in often used numbers for speed dialing | 51:00 | |
that warn you when other calls are coming in | 51:04 | |
that let you hold one call and call a third party | 51:06 | |
to join the conversation. How do you like that? | 51:09 | |
I rate very high with the telephone company. | 51:15 | |
(congregation laughs) | 51:18 | |
Unfortunately, who cares? | 51:20 | |
(congregation laughs) | 51:23 | |
But to be saved | 51:29 | |
means to give the God of Jesus Christ | 51:33 | |
the sole right to judge our ultimate worth. | 51:38 | |
Knowing with confidence that the judgment will always | 51:44 | |
be touched with mercy, given with compassion, | 51:49 | |
and that you will never be written off as a nobody. | 51:54 | |
When in our secret hearts we allow the judgements | 52:01 | |
of others to be the ultimate measure of our worth, | 52:05 | |
we live in fear. | 52:07 | |
Our peers and colleagues are often without mercy. | 52:09 | |
I have no clear place from which to stand | 52:14 | |
in determining our worth apart for what we may do for them. | 52:17 | |
And their judgment is clouded | 52:21 | |
like Sartre's no exit. | 52:24 | |
Hell is sometimes other people | 52:28 | |
if other people are allowed to become our God, | 52:29 | |
which means to be the determiner | 52:32 | |
of our worth. | 52:35 | |
They becomes our gods determining the standards | 52:39 | |
in by which worth is measured. | 52:44 | |
That is dangerous for them and for us that they be given | 52:47 | |
this place of gods over us and makes us afraid | 52:52 | |
and warps our relationships with them. | 52:58 | |
It comes to very simple things sometimes. | 53:05 | |
Yale has many fine qualities, | 53:07 | |
but it would never win a prize as a friendly campus. | 53:12 | |
People don't look at one another when they pass | 53:17 | |
on the sidewalk. | 53:20 | |
Well, they really do, but they choose just the right moment | 53:22 | |
to look away, to look at the sky, to tug at a glove, | 53:28 | |
to lower their heads and see if their shoes are laced. | 53:31 | |
So to whatever extent I feel strong in the Lord, | 53:38 | |
I take risks and by saying hello to people on the sidewalk. | 53:43 | |
And usually, it's fine. About | 53:51 | |
every other person will smile and say wow, hi. | 53:54 | |
The other day | 54:00 | |
I said hello to five people in a row | 54:03 | |
who looked at me and didn't change a muscle in their face. | 54:07 | |
I decided that something was obviously wrong. | 54:13 | |
My scarf wasn't thrown properly over my shoulder. | 54:16 | |
I changed the angle of my hat. | 54:20 | |
But nothing helped. | 54:23 | |
And a little ditty struck me. | 54:26 | |
Jesus loves me this I know. | 54:31 | |
For the Bible tells me so. | 54:33 | |
Campus chaplains to him belong. | 54:36 | |
They are weak, but he is strong. | 54:39 | |
(congregation laughs) | 54:42 | |
It's strange, but I think you understand. | 54:49 | |
Unless you have another place to stand, | 54:53 | |
if you say hello to another person five times | 54:57 | |
and get no response, you are judged by that lack of | 55:01 | |
response to be of no worth. | 55:07 | |
No person, no matter how strong they may be in their sense | 55:10 | |
of self-worth, anyone can be reduced | 55:15 | |
by five times in a row. | 55:19 | |
To be saved is to hear our Lord say | 55:23 | |
none shall make you afraid. | 55:27 | |
There's a corollary and a caution, and I leave them | 55:30 | |
to your imagination for completion. | 55:33 | |
The corollary is that Christians who are serious | 55:36 | |
about their social responsibility, | 55:41 | |
about standing against all in our society | 55:44 | |
which warps and makes small should take seriously | 55:47 | |
whether it is logical to hold onto society's coattails | 55:53 | |
for guidance and for affirmation | 55:59 | |
while announcing that coattails should be abolished. | 56:04 | |
We'll need a standing place larger | 56:09 | |
than our particular culture, larger than the affirmation | 56:11 | |
of those part of our culture if we're going | 56:15 | |
to be truly prophetic. | 56:18 | |
You can only be a critic of the present if you belong | 56:20 | |
in part to a future which is so true and coming | 56:24 | |
that none can make you afraid. | 56:28 | |
And that's what it means to be saved. | 56:30 | |
And only if you have some degree of salvation in that sense, | 56:33 | |
another place to stand, is it likely that you will have much | 56:36 | |
to address to the culture of which you're apart. | 56:41 | |
And which without that place of standing becomes your god | 56:46 | |
and against which you are not likely to be a prophet. | 56:50 | |
And the caution comes out of the experience of my sense | 56:55 | |
of helplessness this week. | 57:00 | |
I am so convinced that our freedom, even our freedom | 57:03 | |
to fully love, to serve, depends upon our capacity | 57:06 | |
to receive the love and affirmation of God. | 57:10 | |
To stand in that place, to identify ourselves | 57:14 | |
in that context, to hear God say none shall make you afraid, | 57:17 | |
and to know it. | 57:21 | |
And in that sense be saved. | 57:24 | |
The caution is that to know this with our heads | 57:27 | |
is not the same as being able to live out of that salvation. | 57:32 | |
That growth and grace is never complete and always tested, | 57:37 | |
even from middle-aged preachers who prefer | 57:43 | |
not to skinny dip in the Atlantic. | 57:46 | |
But God is faithful. | 57:50 | |
And what is ultimately true shall come to pass. | 57:53 | |
That for those who trust in the grace of God to them | 57:58 | |
shall this promise be fulfilled. | 58:02 | |
That none shall make them afraid. | 58:07 | |
May the peace of God be with you always. | 58:13 | |
Amen. | 58:17 | |
(organ music) | 58:29 | |
♪ Have faith in God, my heart ♪ | 58:50 | |
♪ Trust and be unafraid ♪ | 58:55 | |
♪ God will fulfill in every part ♪ | 59:00 | |
♪ Each promise he has made ♪ | 59:06 | |
♪ Have faith in God, my mind ♪ | 59:13 | |
♪ Although my light burns low ♪ | 59:18 | |
♪ God's mercy holds a wiser plan ♪ | 59:24 | |
♪ Than I canst fully know ♪ | 59:29 | |
♪ Have faith in God, my soul ♪ | 59:37 | |
♪ His cross forever stands ♪ | 59:42 | |
♪ And neither life nor death can pluck ♪ | 59:48 | |
♪ His children from his hands ♪ | 59:54 | |
♪ Lord Jesus, make me whole ♪ | 1:00:01 | |
♪ Grant me no resting place ♪ | 1:00:06 | |
♪ Until I rest, heart, mind, and soul ♪ | 1:00:12 | |
♪ The captive of thy grace ♪ | 1:00:18 | |
♪ Amen ♪ | 1:00:25 | |
- | Together, let us affirm what we believe. | 1:00:35 |
We believe in God who has created and is creating, | 1:00:39 | |
who has come in the truly human Jesus, | 1:00:44 | |
to reconcile and make new, | 1:00:47 | |
who works in us and others by the Spirit. | 1:00:50 | |
We trust God who calls us to be the Church | 1:00:54 | |
to celebrate life in its fullness, | 1:00:59 | |
to love and serve others, | 1:01:02 | |
to seek justice and resist evil, | 1:01:04 | |
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, | 1:01:08 | |
our Judge and our Hope. | 1:01:12 | |
In life, in death, in life beyond death, | 1:01:14 | |
God is with us. | 1:01:19 | |
We are not alone. | 1:01:21 | |
Thanks be to God. | 1:01:23 | |
The Lord be with you. | 1:01:26 | |
- | And with your spirit. | 1:01:28 |
- | Let us pray. | 1:01:29 |
Oh God, God of plenty, | 1:01:38 | |
plenty of goodness, | 1:01:42 | |
plenty of grace, plenty of intimacy, plenty of power, | 1:01:43 | |
plenty of love, plenty of welcome, | 1:01:48 | |
we give thanks for this day, for this university, | 1:01:53 | |
for this place of worship, for this experience | 1:01:59 | |
of being together in these moments. | 1:02:04 | |
Hear us oh loving God as we pray | 1:02:08 | |
these words of intercession. | 1:02:10 | |
We as a community as friends and colleagues | 1:02:15 | |
and fellow students remember and pray for David Schwimmer. | 1:02:19 | |
May he be preserved in soul and body. | 1:02:24 | |
May he be safe and whole. | 1:02:28 | |
Save him from every danger and threat to his life | 1:02:32 | |
we pray. | 1:02:37 | |
We pray oh God for those who are poor in spirit, | 1:02:40 | |
in life, in hope. | 1:02:44 | |
May they know the kingdom of God in their midst even now. | 1:02:47 | |
For those who mourn for themselves, for others, | 1:02:52 | |
for their future. | 1:02:56 | |
May they truly be comforted. | 1:02:58 | |
For those who are meek, who are tamed, who are disciplined, | 1:03:02 | |
may they surely inherit the meaning of this earth. | 1:03:08 | |
For those who hunger and thirst and strive | 1:03:13 | |
to do the right and just, | 1:03:17 | |
may they be satisfied. | 1:03:20 | |
For those who are pure in heart, for those who are merciful, | 1:03:24 | |
may they know your presence. | 1:03:31 | |
For those who seek to bring peace for their hearts, | 1:03:34 | |
for themselves, for others, | 1:03:38 | |
for all your children, | 1:03:41 | |
speak and may they know | 1:03:45 | |
that they are surely the children of God. | 1:03:47 | |
We pray for those who suffer and face the unknown. | 1:03:52 | |
Those who endure pain and walk through the valley | 1:03:56 | |
of the shadow, those, oh God, | 1:03:58 | |
in this place and in other places | 1:04:02 | |
who care for the sick and the worn | 1:04:04 | |
and the weary, give your comfort and your strength we pray. | 1:04:07 | |
And now come oh God of plenty to each of us. | 1:04:13 | |
Give us plenty of light upon our way, | 1:04:18 | |
plenty of hope in our hearts, | 1:04:21 | |
and plenty of love in our lives. | 1:04:24 | |
For this day and the days to come we pray | 1:04:29 | |
through Jesus Christ our Lord who taught us to pray | 1:04:33 | |
as we pray together. | 1:04:36 | |
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. | 1:04:38 | |
Thy Kingdom come. | 1:04:44 | |
Thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. | 1:04:46 | |
Give us this day our daily bread. | 1:04:50 | |
And forgive us our trespasses, | 1:04:53 | |
as we forgive those who trespass against us. | 1:04:56 | |
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. | 1:05:00 | |
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, | 1:05:05 | |
and the glory, forever, amen. | 1:05:08 | |
(organ music) | 1:05:15 | |
♪ Praise the Lord in ye heavens, adore him ♪ | 1:07:04 | |
♪ Praise him, angels, in the height ♪ | 1:07:08 | |
♪ Sun and moon, rejoice before him ♪ | 1:07:12 | |
♪ Praise him, all ye stars of light ♪ | 1:07:16 | |
♪ Praise the Lord for he hath spoken ♪ | 1:07:20 | |
♪ Worlds his mighty voice obeyed ♪ | 1:07:25 | |
♪ Laws which never shall be broken ♪ | 1:07:29 | |
♪ For their guidance hath he made ♪ | 1:07:33 | |
♪ Praise the Lord in (muffled singing) and gladness ♪ | 1:07:42 | |
♪ Hands (muffled singing) ♪ | 1:07:48 | |
♪ In his great (muffled singing) living knowledge ♪ | 1:07:53 | |
♪ Let your spirit be a swayed ♪ | 1:08:00 | |
♪ Praise the Lord who was and willing ♪ | 1:08:07 | |
♪ Praise our Lord, the Great I Am ♪ | 1:08:13 | |
♪ God gave (muffled singing) ♪ | 1:08:20 | |
♪ All creation ♪ | 1:08:23 | |
♪ God who bore us was made light ♪ | 1:08:26 | |
♪ Praise the Lord ♪ | 1:08:52 | |
♪ For he is glorious ♪ | 1:08:53 | |
♪ Never shall his promise fail ♪ | 1:08:57 | |
♪ God hath made his saints victorious ♪ | 1:09:02 | |
♪ Sin and death shall not prevail ♪ | 1:09:08 | |
♪ Praise the God of our salvation ♪ | 1:09:14 | |
♪ Hosts on high his power proclaim ♪ | 1:09:19 | |
♪ Heaven and earth and all creation ♪ | 1:09:25 | |
♪ Laud and magnify his name ♪ | 1:09:30 | |
♪ Amen ♪ | 1:09:37 | |
(organ music) | 1:09:54 | |
♪ Praise God, from whom all blessings flow ♪ | 1:10:22 | |
♪ Praise Him, all creatures here below ♪ | 1:10:28 | |
♪ Alleluia ♪ | 1:10:33 | |
♪ Alleluia ♪ | 1:10:36 | |
♪ Praise him above ye heavenly hosts ♪ | 1:10:40 | |
♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪ | 1:10:45 | |
♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪ | 1:10:51 | |
♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪ | 1:10:56 | |
♪ Alleluia ♪ | 1:11:02 | |
♪ Amen ♪ | 1:11:10 | |
- | Oh God, we give to you this day | 1:11:22 |
because we have known | 1:11:27 | |
and know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, | 1:11:28 | |
who though he was rich yet for our sakes became poor. | 1:11:31 | |
So that we might have life and have it abundantly. | 1:11:37 | |
Oh God, we give thanks to you for every good | 1:11:42 | |
and enriching gift you have offered to us, | 1:11:44 | |
life, friends, acceptance, | 1:11:47 | |
hope, and promise. | 1:11:52 | |
Oh God, we commit now ourselves and our lives | 1:11:56 | |
to you this day. | 1:11:58 | |
Use us as only you can. | 1:12:01 | |
Use us as only you desire. | 1:12:04 | |
Make of us | 1:12:08 | |
who we should be | 1:12:11 | |
through Jesus Christ our Lord, | 1:12:14 | |
amen. | 1:12:17 | |
(organ music) | 1:12:23 | |
(organ music drowns out singing) | 1:13:03 |
Item Info
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