Creighton Lacy - "Angels We Have Heard...?" (December 24, 1978)

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	(elegant organ music)	0:03
	♪ Beautiful savior ♪	0:13
	♪ King of creation ♪	0:19
	♪ Son of God and son of man ♪	0:26
	♪ Truly I love thee ♪	0:36
	♪ Truly I serve thee ♪	0:41
	♪ Light of my soul, my joy, my crown ♪	0:47
	♪ Fair are the meadows ♪	0:57
	♪ Fair are the woodlands, ♪	1:02
	♪ Robed in flowers of blooming spring ♪	1:08
	♪ Jesus is fairer ♪	1:19
	♪ Jesus is purer ♪	1:24
	♪ He makes our sorrowing spirit sing ♪	1:29
	♪ Beautiful savior ♪	1:39
	♪ Lord of the nations ♪	1:44
	♪ Son of God and son of man ♪	1:50
	♪ Glory and honor ♪	2:01
	♪ Praise, adoration ♪	2:06
	♪ Now and forevermore be thine ♪	2:11
	♪ Now and forevermore be thine ♪	2:19
	♪ Away in a manger ♪	2:53
	♪ No crib for his bed ♪	2:57
	♪ The little Lord Jesus ♪	3:02
	♪ Laid down his sweet head ♪	3:06
	♪ The stars in the bright sky ♪	3:11
	♪ Looked down where he lay ♪	3:15
	♪ The little Lord Jesus ♪ ♪	3:20
	♪ Asleep on the hay ♪	3:25
	♪ As lately we watched ♪ ♪	3:44
	♪ O'er our fields through the night♪	3:47
	♪ A star there was seen ♪	3:51
	♪ Of such glorious light ♪	3:54
	♪ All through the night ♪	3:59
	♪ Angels did sing ♪	4:02
	♪ In carols so sweet ♪	4:06
	♪ Of the birth of the king ♪	4:09
	♪ A king of such beauty ♪	4:15
	♪ Was ne'er before seen ♪	4:19
	♪ And Mary, his mother ♪	4:22
	♪ So like to a queen ♪	4:26
	♪ Blessed be the hour ♪	4:30
	♪ Welcome the morn ♪ ♪	4:34
	♪ For Christ our dear Savior ♪	4:37
	♪ On earth now is born ♪	4:40
	♪ His throne is a manger ♪	4:48
	♪ His court is a loft ♪	4:51
	♪ But troops of bright angels ♪	4:56
	♪ In lay, sweet and soft ♪	4:59
	♪ Him they proclaim ♪	5:05
	♪ Our Christ by name ♪ ♪	5:08
	♪ And earth, sky, and air ♪ ♪	5:12
	♪ Are now filled with his fame ♪ ♪	5:16
	♪ Then shepherds, be joyful ♪ ♪	5:23
	♪ Salute now your king ♪ ♪	5:26
	♪ O'er hills and o'er valleys ♪ ♪	5:30
	♪ Your song now shall ring ♪ ♪	5:33
	♪ Blest be the hour ♪ ♪	5:37
	♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪	5:41
	♪ Welcome the morn ♪ ♪	5:43
	♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪	5:45
	♪ For Christ our dear savior ♪ ♪	5:48
	♪ On earth now is born ♪ ♪	5:51
	♪ O Holy Night ♪ ♪	6:12
	♪ The stars are brightly shining ♪ ♪	6:14
	♪ It is the night of the dear savior's birth ♪ ♪	6:18
	♪ Long lay the world ♪ ♪	6:27
	♪ In sin and error pining ♪ ♪	6:30
	♪ Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth ♪ ♪	6:34
	♪ A thrill of hope ♪ ♪	6:40
	♪ The weary soul rejoices ♪ ♪	6:43
	♪ For yonder breaks ♪ ♪	6:46
	♪ A new and glorious morn ♪ ♪	6:49
	♪ Fall on your knees ♪ ♪	6:53
	♪ O hear the angel voices ♪ ♪	6:58
	♪ O night divine ♪ ♪	7:04
	♪ O night when Christ was born ♪ ♪	7:10
	♪ O night divine ♪ ♪	7:17
	♪ O night, o night divine ♪	7:22
	(choir singing)	7:50
	♪ I wonder as I wander out under the sky ♪	9:59
	♪ How Jesus my savior did come for to die ♪ ♪	10:07
	♪ For poor on'ry people like you and like I ♪ ♪	10:16
	♪ I wonder as I wander ♪ ♪	10:24
	♪ Out under the sky ♪ ♪	10:30
	♪ When Mary birthed Jesus, 'twas in a cow's stall ♪ ♪	10:36
	♪ With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all ♪ ♪	10:43
	♪ But high from God's heaven, a star's light did fall ♪ ♪	10:51
	♪ And the promise of ages ♪ ♪	10:58
	♪ It then did recall ♪ ♪	11:03
	♪ If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing ♪ ♪	11:09
	♪ A star in the sky or a bird on the wing ♪ ♪	11:16
	♪ Or all of God's angels in heaven to sing ♪ ♪	11:23
	♪ He surely could have it ♪ ♪	11:29
	♪ 'Cause he was the king ♪ ♪	11:35
	♪ I wonder as I wander out under the sky ♪ ♪	11:41
	♪ How Jesus my Savior did come for to die ♪ ♪	11:49
	♪ For poor on'ry people like you and like I ♪ ♪	11:57
	♪ I wonder as I wander ♪ ♪	12:05
	♪ Out under the sky ♪ ♪	12:11
	♪ Silent night ♪ ♪	12:39
	♪ Holy night ♪ ♪	12:44
	♪ God on high ♪ ♪	12:48
	♪ Draweth nigh ♪ ♪	12:52
	♪ See the holy mother and child ♪ ♪	12:57
	♪ Mary and her Jesus mild ♪ ♪	13:05
	♪ Rest in heavenly peace ♪ ♪	13:13
	♪ Rest in heavenly peace ♪ ♪	13:21
	♪ Silent night ♪ ♪	13:34
	♪ Holy night ♪ ♪	13:38
	♪ Wondrous star ♪ ♪	13:42
	♪ From afar ♪ ♪	13:46
	♪ Guide the wise men as they bring ♪ ♪	13:50
	♪ Gifts of homage to our king ♪ ♪	13:58
	♪ Jesus Christ our lord ♪ ♪	14:05
	♪ Jesus Christ our lord ♪ ♪	14:14
	♪ Silent night ♪ ♪	14:25
	♪ Silent night ♪ ♪
	♪ Holy night ♪ ♪	14:29
	♪ Holy night ♪ ♪
	♪ Holy night ♪ ♪	14:33
	♪ With the angel hosts we sing ♪ ♪	14:40
	♪ Hallelujahs for our king ♪ ♪	14:46
	♪ Christ our Savior is born♪ ♪	14:54
	♪ Savior is born ♪ ♪
	♪ Jesus our savior is born ♪ ♪	15:04
	♪ Gloria in excelsis Deo ♪ ♪	15:20
	♪ Gloria ♪ ♪	15:29
	♪ In excelsis Deo ♪ ♪	15:31
	♪ Gloria ♪ ♪	15:33
	♪ In excelsis Deo ♪ ♪	15:35
	♪ Gloria ♪ ♪	15:36
	♪ Gloria ♪ ♪
	♪ Gloria, Gloria, Gloria ♪ ♪	15:49
	♪ In excelsis Deo ♪	15:53
	(choir singing)	16:17
-	Let us continue our worship	17:38
	as we join in the prayer of preparation	17:39
	found in your bulletin.	17:43
	Let us pray.	17:48
	As you came in the stillness of night, great God,	17:50
	enter our lives.	17:55
	Overcome darkness with the light of Christ's presence	17:57
	so that we may clearly see the way to walk,	18:01
	the truth to speak,	18:05
	and the life to life for Him, our Lord Jesus Christ.	18:07
	Amen.	18:12
	(organ music "O come let us adore Him")	18:15
	(congregation and choir singing)	20:31
	In this holy season,	22:08
	when we celebrate the birth of our Lord,	22:10
	we are keenly aware of our sin.	22:14
	The darkness in us deepens	22:18
	and we wait again for the light of His birth.	22:21
	To prepare for Christ's rebirth in our hearts,	22:26
	let us now make our corporate confession.	22:31
	Let us pray.	22:35
	Almighty God, who sent a star	22:38
	to guide us to the holy child Jesus,	22:41
	we confess that we have not followed the light of Your word.	22:45
	We have not searched for signs on Your love	22:50
	in the world,	22:52
	or trusted good news to be good.	22:54
	We have failed to praise Your son's birth,	22:58
	and refused His peace on earth.	23:01
	We have expected little,	23:04
	and hoped for less.	23:06
	Forgive our doubt	23:09
	and renew in us all fine desires,	23:11
	so we may watch and wait,	23:14
	and once more hear the glad story of our savior,	23:17
	Jesus Christ the Lord.	23:22
	Amen.	23:25
	Amen.	23:44
	Beloved in Christ,	23:46
	God has come to us in Christ,	23:49
	with the good news that our sins are forgiven,	23:53
	and we can live as forgiven people of God,	23:57
	and for this we give thanks.	24:01
	Let us give thanks for God is good,	24:04
	and God's love is everlasting.	24:08
	Thanks be to God, whose love has created us.	24:11
	Thanks be to God, whose mercy forgives us.	24:16
	Thanks be to God, whose advent offers us hope.	24:21
	Amen.	24:26
	Greetings on this Christmas Eve.	24:28
	We appreciate that the Durham Boys Choir	24:32
	under Bill Graham's direction is helping us	24:34
	in our worship this Sunday,	24:38
	and we give special thanks to the parents	24:40
	who have made possible their singing with us today.	24:44
	You are invited to join for what has become	24:48
	an important and glorious tradition in Duke Chapel:	24:51
	the Christmas Eve service of Carols and Lessons.	24:55
	And those of you who would like to sing in the choir	24:59
	are requested to come here tonight at 9:30.	25:02
	Dr. Lacey, we appreciate your finding time	25:08
	in all the paper grading and end-of-semester work	25:10
	to prepare a sermon for us,	25:13
	and those of us who have had the privilege	25:16
	of hearing you preach in the past	25:18
	have anticipated this day for a long time,	25:21
	and we eagerly await you word.	25:24
	Let us pray.	25:28
	O God, grant that we may hear Your word	25:31
	with a desire to receive what is promised.	25:36
	Engrave it not only in our minds,	25:40
	but in our hearts,	25:43
	and transform us by Your spirit	25:45
	that we may be obedient to Your word.	25:49
	We pray in the spirit of Christ, Amen.	25:53
	Our Old Testament lesson is found in the seventh chapter	25:58
	of Second Samuel.	26:02
	"Now therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David,	26:06
	"Thus says the Lord of host, I took you from the pasture,	26:12
	"from following the sheep, that you should be a prince	26:16
	"over my people, Israel.	26:19
	"And I have been with you where ever you went,	26:22
	"and have cut of all your enemies from before you.	26:26
	"And I will make for you a great name,	26:29
	"like the name of the great ones of the earth	26:33
	"And I will appoint a place for my people, Israel,	26:36
	"and I will plant them that they may dwell	26:39
	"in their own place, and be disturbed no more.	26:42
	"And violent people shall afflict them no more, as formerly.	26:48
	"From the time that I appointed judges	26:52
	"over my people, Israel, and I will give you rest	26:55
	"from all your enemies, moreover the Lord declares to you	26:59
	"that the Lord will make you a house.	27:03
	"When you days are fulfilled	27:07
	"and you lie down with your fathers,	27:09
	"I will raise up your son after you,	27:11
	"who shall come forth from your body,	27:15
	"and I will establish his kingdom.	27:18
	"He shall build a house for my name,	27:20
	"and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.	27:24
	"I will be his father, and he shall be my son.	27:28
	"When he commits inequity I will chasten him	27:33
	"with the rod of men, with the stripes of the son of men,	27:36
	"but I will not take my steadfast love from him	27:41
	"as I took it from Saul,	27:44
	"whom I put away before you,	27:46
	"and your house and your kingdom shall be made sure	27:48
	"forever before me.	27:52
	"Your throne shall be established forever."	27:55
	Here ends the Old Testament lesson.	27:59
	The epistle lesson in found in the 16th chapter of Romans.	28:02
	"Now to him who is able to strengthen you	28:09
	"according to my gospel,	28:13
	"and the preaching of Jesus Christ,	28:15
	"according to the revelation of the mystery	28:17
	"which was kept secret for long ages,	28:19
	"but is now disclosed through the prophetic writings	28:22
	"is made known to all nations,	28:26
	"according to the command of the eternal God,	28:28
	"to bring about obedience to the faith	28:32
	"to the only wise God be glory forevermore	28:35
	"through Jesus Christ, Amen."	28:39
	Here ends the reading of the epistle lesson.	28:42
	(organ music)	28:56
	(choir singing)	29:33
	Will the congregation rise	33:24
	for the reading of the Gospel lesson.	33:25
	Hear the reading from the first chapter	33:33
	of Saint Luke.	33:36
	"In the sixth month the angel Gabriel	33:38
	"was sent from God to a city of Galilee	33:41
	"named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man	33:43
	"whose name was Joseph of the house of David.	33:46
	"And the virgin's name was Mary.	33:50
	"And he came to her and said,	33:53
	"Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you.	33:56
	"But she was greatly troubled at the saying,	34:00
	"and considered in her mind	34:03
	"what sort of greeting this might be.	34:05
	"And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary,	34:08
	"for you have found favor with God.	34:12
	"And behold, you will conceive in your womb	34:15
	"and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.	34:19
	"He will be great and will be called	34:24
	"the son of the most high.	34:27
	"And the Lord God will give to him the throne	34:30
	"of his father David, and he shall reign	34:33
	"over the house of Jacob forever,	34:36
	"and of his kingdom there will be no end.	34:39
	"Then said Mary to the angel, How can this be,	34:44
	"since I have no husband?	34:47
	"And the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit	34:50
	"will come upon you, and the power of the most high	34:54
	"will overshadow you.	34:59
	"Therefore the child to be born will be called holy,	35:01
	"the Son of God.	35:06
	"And behold your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age	35:09
	"has also conceived a son,	35:13
	"and this is the sixth month with her,	35:16
	"who was called barren,	35:19
	"for with God nothing will be impossible.	35:21
	"And Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.	35:26
	"Let it be to me according to your word.	35:32
	"And the angel departed from her."	35:36
	All praise and glory be unto God, Amen.	35:40
	(organ playing)	35:46
	♪ Gloria in excelsis Deo ♪	36:00
	♪ Gloria in excelsis Deo ♪	36:14
-	On this date, 19 hundred and 78 years ago,	36:52
	give or take a few years for calendar changes	36:57
	and historical discrepancies,	37:00
	and a few months for seasonal adjustments,	37:02
	there were shepherds abiding in the field	37:05
	keeping watch over their flock by night,	37:08
	and lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,	37:12
	and the glory of the Lord shown 'round about them,	37:15
	and they were sore afraid.	37:19
	Most of us are too sophisticated to believe in angels.	37:23
	Where medieval pundits debated how many angels	37:27
	could dance on the head of a pin,	37:30
	we count the number of atoms in a molecule,	37:32
	or analyze the gases surrounding the planet Venus.	37:35
	Most of us are familiar with Charlie's Angels.	37:40
	Not familiar enough, some of you might say.	37:43
	But we have learned that the old-fashioned	37:46
	term of endearment is not only sexist,	37:49
	but of dubious accuracy.	37:51
	The biblical angels, when personally identified,	37:54
	are all male, and they do not necessarily	37:57
	have beautiful voices and gentle tones.	38:00
	Despite the choirs sweetly singing o'er the plains in	38:04
	in our next hymn,	38:07
	in individual confrontation, those messengers	38:09
	can be pretty blunt.	38:12
	The command to get up and get going	38:14
	is seldom dulcet and soothing,	38:17
	whether it comes from an alarm clock,	38:20
	or a preacher,	38:23
	or a roommate,	38:25
	or a wife,	38:27
	or some other kind of angel.	38:28
	Now I must confess, as no surprise to some of you,	38:31
	that I do not hold direct dialogue with many angels.	38:35
	In this season, when all sorts of angelic figures	38:39
	smile benignly from the top of Christmas trees,	38:43
	or peek or peer or sometimes leer from greeting cards,	38:46
	I decided to turn to scriptures to find out	38:52
	what they were saying.	38:54
	Aided by the helpful interpretations	38:56
	of a beloved teacher, homiletician, and friend,	38:59
	the late Halford Luccock.	39:03
	Let me share a few of my discoveries with you.	39:05
	In the first place, the angel	39:09
	is frequently a bearer of good tidings of great joy	39:10
	in the midst of fear, bewilderment, anxiety.	39:14
	To Mary in our morning lesson, announcing	39:20
	that she would bear a son	39:23
	who should be called Emmanuel, God with us.	39:24
	To Joseph, wondering whether he	39:30
	should divorce his young wife.	39:31
	To Zachariah, learning that the son of his old age	39:35
	would be prophet of the most high.	39:38
	To Jesus Himself, according to the Luken narrative,	39:42
	strengthening his will in the garden of Gethsemane.	39:45
	To Mary Magdalene, weeping at the tomb.	39:49
	To Saint Paul in storm and shipwreck on the way to Rome.	39:53
	To all these and many more, the voice of angels came.	39:58
	"Fear not, be not afraid.	40:02
	"The things which are happening	40:05
	"may be strange and frightening,	40:07
	"may even contain sorrow and suffering,	40:09
	"but in all of them, God has a purpose.	40:12
	"He has chosen you to serve His will.	40:16
	"Get up and do it."	40:20
	Sometimes that summons to action is implicit	40:23
	rather than explicit,	40:26
	but those who listen attentively get the drift,	40:27
	and move.	40:30
	When the shepherds were given a sign to look for in town,	40:32
	the strange sign of a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes	40:35
	lying in a manger,	40:39
	it did not take any unusual imagination,	40:41
	though a great deal of faith,	40:44
	to respond, "Let us now go up to Bethlehem,	40:46
	"and see this thing which the Lord has made known to us."	40:49
	Similarly, at the other end of Jesus' life,	40:55
	after his ascension, two angels appeared to the disciples	40:57
	and said, "Ye men of Galillee, why stand ye	41:01
	"looking up into Heaven?	41:04
	"This Jesus shall come in like manner	41:06
	"as ye beheld His going into Heaven."	41:08
	They issued no direct order,	41:12
	but the implications were clear.	41:14
	Jesus' last word had been a promised and a challenge.	41:17
	"You shall receive power.	41:22
	"You shall be my witnesses,	41:24
	"both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Sumeria,	41:26
	"and unto the uttermost part of the earth."	41:29
	The angels were prodding gently.	41:32
	It is important to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus	41:36
	as much as possible.	41:39
	Indeed, we all need to look up to Heaven	41:41
	more often than we do.	41:43
	But beyond that love and reverence	41:46
	is a duty to express our faith in concern for others.	41:48
	Why stand looking up into Heaven	41:53
	when there is work to do?	41:55
	Somewhat surprisingly, angel messengers	41:59
	sometimes tell us to stand still, to pause,	42:02
	even to go backwards or retreat.	42:06
	In the early Genesis story of Abraham's concubine Haygar,	42:09
	who wanted to run away from Sarah's mistreatment,	42:12
	the messenger said, in effect, "Return to your work.	42:16
	"Obey your mistress."	42:20
	"God has a purpose for you life, and for your son."	42:23
	Ezekiel was told by an angel,	42:29
	"to go shut thyself within thy house."	42:31
	To listen, to wait for further revelation from the Lord.	42:34
	All of us at one time or another	42:40
	need that admonition to slow down,	42:42
	to take it easy,	42:45
	to let time pronounce its benediction.	42:47
	The Nativity story in Matthew's Gospel ends	42:52
	with the flight of the holy family.	42:55
	"When the wise men had departed, behold,	42:57
	"an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph	43:00
	"in a dream and said, Rise, take the child	43:02
	"and his mother and flee to Egypt,	43:05
	"and remain there 'til I tell you."	43:08
	What a formidable undertaking that must have been	43:12
	for a Galilean carpenter.	43:14
	The scriptures give no hint.	43:16
	Certainly more difficult in ever way	43:18
	than the journey form Nazareth to Bethlehem.	43:20
	Yet Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night	43:24
	and departed to Egypt.	43:28
	Most often, however, the angel voices	43:33
	urge men and women forward, to a new adventure.	43:35
	It took two messengers to convince Lot	43:40
	to "arise, take they wife and two daughters,	43:43
	"and escape from Sodom.	43:46
	"Look not behind, escape thither.	43:49
	"Hast thee."	43:51
	And when his wife,	43:54
	resentful of leaving her home and friends, looked back,	43:55
	well we all know what happened.	43:59
	Or Elijah in first Kings was told to "Arise and eat."	44:02
	Note how practical these angels are,	44:07
	not at all ethereal in their concerns.	44:09
	"Go forth and stand upon the mount before Jehovah.	44:12
	"Go, return on they way to the wilderness of Damascus	44:15
	"and anoint the kings of Israel."	44:19
	In other words, get your instructions from God	44:22
	and then obey, go forth.	44:26
	Even the most faithful Bible readers	44:31
	often forget that it was an angel of the Lord	44:33
	who spoke to Moses in a burning bush, and gave orders.	44:35
	Moses was extremely reluctant as we all know,	44:40
	but the messenger had an answer for all his reservations.	44:43
	"Certainly, I will be with thee."	44:47
	With a repertoire of miracles up his sleeve.	44:51
	"When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt,	44:54
	"ye shall serve God on this mountain.	44:57
	"Go and gather the elders of Israel together."	45:00
	Into the physical, political, and personal perils	45:04
	of Egypt, go.	45:08
	In the book of Judges an angel's voice came	45:13
	to Gideon, the warrior, saying,	45:15
	"Go in this thy might,	45:17
	"and his strength was the promised presence of God,	45:20
	"and save Israel.	45:23
	"Have not I sent thee?	45:25
	"Arise, get thee down into the camp,	45:28
	"for I have delivered it into thy hands."	45:30
	If God sends us, he will use us.	45:34
	And in sometimes unfathomable ways,	45:38
	the victory will be his.	45:41
	And ours.	45:44
	In a very different New Testament setting	45:47
	an angel appeared to the apostle Phillip	45:49
	and told him to arise and go to the south,	45:51
	to a desert road.	45:54
	Not a very promising mission field.	45:56
	Yet there he encountered the Ethiopian eunuch,	45:58
	and there, beginning with the scripture lesson	46:01
	from Isaiah, Phillip taught the foreign court official	46:03
	the good news of Jesus Christ,	46:07
	and then baptized him.	46:09
	Arise and go, even if the announced destination	46:12
	is a desert road,	46:16
	for obedience often brings unexpected results.	46:18
	But how seldom can it truly be said of us as of Phillip,	46:23
	"he arose and went?"	46:27
	Some of us who enjoy travel and adventure	46:33
	are eager to get up and go,	46:35
	but we don't want any responsibilities	46:37
	when we get there.	46:39
	We want to be witnesses of what is going on	46:41
	in the spectator sense.	46:44
	But we are very reluctant to be outspoken witnesses	46:46
	for what is going on in God's world.	46:50
	Yet the angels demand more than just looking.	46:54
	When John and Peter were in prison	46:59
	the angel who liberated them did not say,	47:01
	"Go home and rest, you've had a rough day, boys.	47:03
	"Relax."	47:06
	Instead, the world of the Lord commanded them.	47:08
	"Go ye, and stand and speak in the temple to the people,	47:11
	"all the words of this life."	47:15
	Life with a capital "L" in the revised standard version.	47:18
	But that is exactly what they had been doing,	47:23
	what they had been in prison for.	47:25
	Why risk persecution again where the audience	47:27
	was obviously hostile?	47:29
	At least they could flee to another town	47:32
	before deliberately provoking the authorities.	47:34
	But no.	47:37
	When they heard this, they entered into the temple	47:39
	about daybreak and talked.	47:42
	They responded to the word of the angel	47:45
	with eagerness, obedience, and faith.	47:48
	On a university campus, even during a vacation period,	47:54
	we should remember the angel who spoke	47:58
	to the prophet Zachariah,	47:59
	not the father of John the Baptist this time	48:01
	but the minor star of the	48:04
	next-to-the-last book in the Old testament.	48:05
	To him it was said by two angels,	48:09
	"Run, speak to this young man."	48:11
	In an age of hot rods and Hondas,	48:16
	of jet flights to the Holy Land for Christmas	48:18
	and space shuttles or rockets to Venus,	48:20
	we Christians truly need to run	48:24
	if we are going to speak to the young men and women	48:26
	of this generation.	48:29
	Those of you who are familiar with the religious life staff	48:32
	of this university,	48:35
	know how ceaselessly and faithfully they run	48:37
	from one dormitory to committee to crises after another	48:40
	to demonstrate that Jesus Christ is here.	48:45
	Yes, even here, on this campus.	48:50
	It is not just going or speaking that is important,	48:55
	but the word of the Lord that we are called to proclaim.	48:58
	You remember the story of Balaam,	49:02
	whose donkey balked on a narrow mountain road?	49:04
	It was some time before the exasperated Balaam realized	49:08
	that his companion was not just being an ass,	49:11
	or a stubborn mule,	49:14
	but there really was an angel blocking the way.	49:16
	An angel whom Balaam could not see.	49:19
	When he finally understood he offered to turn back,	49:23
	but the angel had other instructions.	49:26
	"Go with the man, but only the word that I shall speak	49:29
	"unto thee, shalt thou speak."	49:33
	In other words, don't retreat from life,	49:37
	from difficult situations,	49:39
	put yourself in the midst of needy men and women	49:41
	in your own community or far away,	49:44
	and speak God's word to them.	49:48
	But first, we must prepare ourselves	49:53
	to respond to angelic orders.	49:56
	That's the purpose of advent,	49:59
	so that when the miracle does come,	50:02
	like Mary and Joseph,	50:05
	like Elizabeth and Zachariah,	50:07
	we can accept and believe and rejoice.	50:09
	In one of the marvelous but difficult visions of Ezekiel,	50:16
	an angel said, "Son of man, stand upon your feet,	50:19
	"and I will speak with you."	50:23
	First move is to get up and listen,	50:25
	not to rush off without a message.	50:27
	"I send you to the people of Israel,	50:31
	"to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me.	50:33
	"The people also are impudent and stubborn.	50:36
	"I send you to them.	50:40
	"And be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words."	50:43
	In other words, don't shrink from dialogue or heckling,	50:48
	or tirades of opposition.	50:51
	Don't be dismayed by criticism or rejection.	50:53
	"You shall speak my words to them."	50:58
	"My words," notice, not your own,	51:02
	or what you've picked up from the latest best seller,	51:05
	be it pornographic or theological.	51:08
	"All my words that I shall speak to you,	51:12
	"receive in your heart, and hear with your ears.	51:15
	"And go, get you to the exiles, to your people,	51:19
	"and say to them, Thus says the Lord."	51:22
	That was quite a long speech for an angel	51:29
	but how full of meaning.	51:31
	Listen,	51:34
	in our own hearts as well as with our ears.	51:35
	Absorb,	51:39
	Ponder,	51:41
	Take the words of life into our own being	51:45
	before we presume to share them with others.	51:47
	Stand up,	51:52
	have courage,	51:53
	don't shilly-shally.	51:55
	Obey.	51:58
	That's a nasty word in the modern vocabulary of freedom.	52:00
	Be not rebellious.	52:03
	But if the 70's are less defiant and revolutionary	52:06
	toward authority than the 60's,	52:09
	the so-called "me decade" can be just as disobedient	52:12
	in its self-centered apathy towards human needs	52:16
	or angel voices.	52:21
	"Go," says the messenger.	52:24
	Don't expect people to come to you,	52:27
	they're too busy or preoccupied or cynical.	52:28
	Go, cross the frontiers,	52:33
	an ocean or a railroad track,	52:36
	the barriers of language or race or class.	52:39
	Be missionaries at home or abroad.	52:43
	If you listen to angels,	52:47
	you must be willing to be sent.	52:49
	Finally, speak.	52:54
	Tell people the good news of what God has done	52:56
	on this very day.	52:59
	Go tell it on the mountains,	53:01
	over the hills and everywhere,	53:03
	that Jesus Christ is born.	53:06
	Tell them what Christ has meant in your life	53:09
	and what he can mean in theirs.	53:13
	Tell them that love	53:16
	and service	53:18
	and sacrifice	53:20
	and reconciliation are the in-words now.	53:22
	It's not easy to obey the instructions of angels.	53:29
	It's not even easy to hear them	53:33
	amid the tumult and the shouting	53:35
	of our modern world.	53:37
	Riots in Tehran, terrorist bombs in Jerusalem,	53:39
	Rhodesian raids into Mozambique,	53:43
	or pistol shots in San Francisco.	53:45
	It is not easy to pay attention	53:49
	when we don't even believe in those phony characters	53:51
	in bed sheets, with wings of wire and gauze.	53:54
	Yet the voice of angels is often the voice of God.	53:59
	In fact, they are one and the same in the Bible	54:04
	where the two terms are often used interchangeably.	54:06
	Paul told the Thessalonians, "The Lord Himself	54:10
	"shall descend from Heaven with a shout,	54:14
	"with the voice of the archangel,	54:16
	"and the trumpet of God."	54:18
	Obviously I have talked about angels this morning	54:22
	because we are a wee bit more receptive	54:26
	at this time of year.	54:28
	We sing about them in almost every Christmas hymn.	54:30
	We hang them on our trees.	54:34
	We read of their activities,	54:36
	especially their glad tidings of great joy	54:38
	in the Nativity story.	54:40
	But do we listen to them?	54:44
	Surely if ever we need to hear their message, it is now,	54:47
	in the midst of a distraught age.	54:51
	Above the lies and prejudice,	54:55
	the four-letter words that no longer carry shock value,	54:57
	the accusations and bitterness,	55:02
	the greed and corruption at so many levels of society,	55:05
	the endless inanity often worse than insanity	55:10
	in our entertainment and our lifestyles.	55:15
	Somewhere this advent season and all through the year,	55:18
	angels are saying, "Fear not.	55:22
	"I bring glad tidings.	55:26
	"I am with you.	55:29
	"Arise, go."	55:32
	Arise, go.	55:37
	To the hospital to call on a friend.	55:40
	To a tutoring session that may seem hopeless.	55:43
	To a dormitory room where stark loneliness	55:47
	has blotted out the star of hope.	55:50
	Parenthetically, while I was writing this sermon this week,	55:54
	a resident advisor came by to tell me	55:58
	of a single dormitory on this campus	56:00
	that had recently included an attempted suicide	56:03
	an admission to Myer Ward, an unwanted pregnancy,	56:06
	and an alcoholic dropout.	56:09
	Arise, go.	56:12
	To help a Durham senior citizen to read.	56:15
	To serve in the Peace Corps in famine-stricken Mali,	56:19
	or embattled Korea.	56:23
	To a community center in Appalachia.	56:25
	Or to this chapel, for a renewal of vision and dedication.	56:29
	Get up and speak.	56:37
	Perhaps the old traditional ever-new assurance	56:40
	"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy."	56:43
	Or an note of sympathy to someone in sorrow.	56:49
	A sincere apology for a harsh word,	56:53
	or even more cruel, neglect.	56:56
	A letter to your congressman.	57:00
	A daily prayer for yourself, your church,	57:03
	your nation, your world.	57:08
	An unexpected compliment.	57:12
	A word of encouragement.	57:15
	A direct, spontaneous confession, "I love you."	57:17
	Or in just a minute, a joyous, exuberant,	57:23
	off-key celebration of Gloria in excelsis Deo.	57:25
	The summons of angels may be very monotonous,	57:34
	so Dr. Luccock reminds us is the honk or a horn	57:38
	or the clang of a fire bell.	57:41
	An irate hearer complained to Samuel Barnett,	57:44
	cannon of Bristol Cathedral,	57:46
	"I come to church to be comforted,	57:50
	"and you sound like a fire alarm."	57:52
	But the world is on fire,	57:55
	and we are being told by the angels of God	57:58
	to get up and speak,	58:02
	to go out and do something about it.	58:04
	Monotonous?	58:07
	Yes.	58:10
	But the life you will if you listen to angel voices	58:12
	is anything but monotonous.	58:15
	Ask the men and women down through the ages	58:18
	who have heard the Lord's messengers	58:21
	tell them to get up and go.	58:24
	And they've got up and gone.	58:26
	Have you heard any angels this Christmas season?	58:30
	Have you really heard them?	58:35
	Are you prepared to listen for them,	58:40
	and to them,	58:44
	in the year ahead?	58:46
	Let us pray.	58:50
	O God who speaks to us in many ways with many voices,	58:55
	help us to tune out the noisy commercialism	58:59
	of this holiday season,	59:02
	and on this holy day,	59:04
	to tune in to the jubilant announcement	59:07
	that indeed, You have come in to this dark world.	59:09
	That You want us to get up and carry the good news	59:14
	to all people.	59:17
	That You expect us to show and tell,	59:20
	by our lives,	59:23
	that Jesus Christ is born.	59:25
	Amen.	59:31
	(organ playing "Angels we Have Heard on High")	59:40
	♪ Angels we have heard on high ♪ ♪	1:00:24
	♪ Sweetly singing o'er the plains ♪	1:00:28
	♪ And the mountains in reply ♪	1:00:33
	♪ Echoing their joyous strains ♪	1:00:38
	♪ Gloria in excelsis Deo ♪	1:00:43
	♪ Gloria in excelsis Deo ♪	1:00:59
	♪ Shepherds, why this jubilee? ♪	1:01:16
	♪ Why your joyous strains prolong? ♪	1:01:21
	♪ What the gladsome tidings be ♪	1:01:26
	♪ Which inspire your heavenly song? ♪	1:01:31
	♪ Gloria, in excelsis Deo ♪ ♪	1:01:36
	♪ Gloria, in excelsis Deo ♪	1:01:51
	♪ Come to Bethlehem and see ♪	1:02:09
	♪ Him whose birth the angels sing, ♪	1:02:14
	♪ Come, adore on bended knee, ♪	1:02:19
	♪ Christ the Lord, the newborn King. ♪ ♪	1:02:25
	♪ Gloria, in excelsis Deo ♪	1:02:30
	♪ Gloria, in excelsis Deo ♪	1:02:44
	♪ See Him in a manger laid, ♪	1:03:04
	♪ Whom the choirs of angels praise ♪	1:03:08
	♪ Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, ♪	1:03:13
	♪ While our hearts in love we raise. ♪	1:03:18
	♪ Gloria, in excelsis Deo ♪	1:03:23
	♪ Gloria, in excelsis Deo ♪	1:03:38
-	Let us affirm what we believe.	1:04:00
	We believe in God, who has created and is creating,	1:04:04
	who has come in the truly human Jesus,	1:04:09
	to reconcile and make new.	1:04:13
	Who works in us and others by the Spirit.	1:04:16
	We trust God, who calls us to be the church,	1:04:20
	to celebrate life and its fullness,	1:04:25
	to love and serve others,	1:04:28
	to seek justice and resist evil,	1:04:31
	to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,	1:04:34
	our judge and our hope.	1:04:39
	In life, in death, in life beyond death,	1:04:42
	God is with us.	1:04:46
	We are not alone.	1:04:49
	Thanks be to god.	1:04:51
	Congregation be seated please.	1:04:54
	The Lord be with you.	1:05:02
	(congregation responds)	1:05:04
	Let us pray.	1:05:06
	Teach us, Lord our God,	1:05:11
	how to wait faithfully	1:05:15
	and actively for the time of Your coming.	1:05:18
	As we recall the glad tidings of the angels	1:05:23
	and the celebration of the first Christmas,	1:05:26
	remind us that tidings of great joy	1:05:30
	are ours as well,	1:05:33
	and that these tidings call us	1:05:37
	to respond.	1:05:40
	Prepare us to receive the Christ when He comes to us,	1:05:44
	as the one who is hungry, cold, lonely.	1:05:48
	As the one who is without hope.	1:05:56
	The one facing an uncertain future.	1:05:59
	The one who lives in the sharp presence of death.	1:06:04
	We pray, O God, for those who are in pain,	1:06:11
	that there will be healing.	1:06:15
	For those who are broken,	1:06:18
	that there will be wholeness.	1:06:22
	For those who are angry,	1:06:25
	that they will find Your peace.	1:06:29
	Those who are oppressed or at war,	1:06:32
	will find Your justice.	1:06:37
	And we pray that where there is alienation,	1:06:41
	there will be reconciliation and forgiveness through You.	1:06:45
	And O God of love, be with us	1:06:52
	so that we know that Your strength is beneath us,	1:06:57
	go with us so that we know we have Your love	1:07:02
	within us.	1:07:06
	Be for us in our goodness,	1:07:09
	and against us in our evil.	1:07:13
	Keep us from all things shallow and unholy.	1:07:18
	Protect us from all times and places that destroy	1:07:24
	and deceive.	1:07:29
	And give us grace, O God, to show the justice and mercy	1:07:32
	to all people that we would ask for ourselves.	1:07:39
	We pray in the spirit of the one who taught us to pray:	1:07:46
	Our Father who art in heaven,	1:07:51
	Hallowed be thy name.	1:07:55
	Thy kingdom come.	1:07:58
	Thy will be done	1:08:00
	on earth as it is in heaven.	1:08:02
	Give us this day our daily bread,	1:08:05
	and forgive us our trespasses,	1:08:08
	as we forgive those who trespass against us,	1:08:11
	and lead us not into temptation,	1:08:15
	but deliver us from evil.	1:08:18
	For thine is the kingdom,	1:08:20
	and the power, and the glory, forever.	1:08:22
	Amen.	1:08:26
	(organ music)	1:08:34
	(choir singing)	1:10:44
-	We give you thanks, O God,	1:15:49
	for the love and wonder and awe of the shepherds	1:15:51
	and angels and pilgrims of old.	1:15:55
	May we come to adore the Christ, whose birth we celebrate,	1:15:59
	and with our gifts and our love,	1:16:05
	worship Him as our Lord and Savior.	1:16:09
	Amen.	1:16:14
	(organ playing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing)	1:16:17
	♪ Hark! the herald angels sing,♪ ♪	1:16:39
	♪ "Glory to the new-born King! ♪	1:16:44
	♪ Peace on earth, and mercy mild, ♪	1:16:50
	♪ God and sinners reconciled." ♪	1:16:54
	♪ Joyful, all ye nations rise, ♪	1:17:00
	♪ Join the triumph of the skies; ♪	1:17:05
	♪ With th' angelic host proclaim, ♪ ♪	1:17:11
	♪ "Christ is born in Bethlehem!" ♪ ♪	1:17:16
	♪ Hark! the herald angels sing, ♪	1:17:21
	♪ "Glory to the newborn King!" ♪	1:17:27
	♪ Christ, by highest Heav'n adored; ♪	1:17:35
	♪ Christ the everlasting Lord; ♪ ♪	1:17:40
	♪ Late in time, behold Him come, ♪	1:17:46
	♪ Offspring of a virgin's womb. ♪	1:17:51
	♪ Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; ♪	1:17:56
	♪ Hail th' incarnate Deity, ♪	1:18:02
	♪ Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, ♪	1:18:07
	♪ Jesus our Emmanuel. ♪	1:18:12
	♪ Hark! the herald angels sing, ♪ ♪	1:18:17
	♪ "Glory to the newborn King!" ♪	1:18:23
	♪ Hail the heav'nly Prince of Peace! ♪ ♪	1:18:31
	♪ Hail the Sun of Righteousness! ♪ ♪	1:18:36
	♪ Light and life to all He brings, ♪	1:18:42
	♪ Ris'n with healing in His wings. ♪	1:18:47
	♪ Mild He lays His glory by, ♪	1:18:53
	♪ Born that man no more may die; ♪	1:18:58
	♪ Born to raise the sons of earth, ♪	1:19:03
	♪ Born to give them second birth. ♪	1:19:09
	♪ Hark! the herald angels sing, ♪	1:19:14
	♪ "Glory to the newborn King!" ♪	1:19:20
	♪ Amen ♪	1:19:29
	Beloved go forth, and listen for the angel voices.	1:19:39
	Go forth with assurance that God's love with sustain you	1:19:46
	as you respond to this call.	1:19:52
	The grace and peace of God is yours this day.	1:19:56
	Amen.	1:20:02
	(organ music)	1:20:05
	(congregation clapping)	1:25:54
	(distant chatter)	1:25:59

Item Info

Title:

Creighton Lacy - "Angels We Have Heard...?" (December 24, 1978)

Description:

Sermon start time: (Part 1) 36:52. Sermon end time: (Part 1) 59:32.
Christmas sermon about the role of angels in the nativity story and throughout scriptures. An angel is a bearer of good tidings in the midst of fear and someone whose message summons us to action: those who listen attentively, get it and move. As we hear this same message today, we must first absorb the message in our own hearts, into our own lives, and then move, go to difficult places, go to the needy men and women, in your own community or far away, and speak God’s word to them. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: "an irate hearer complained, 'I come to church to be comforted and you sound like a fire alarm', but the world is on fire, and we are being told by the angels of God to get up and speak, to go out and do something about it.”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r43r0q80v

Date:

December 24, 1978

Speaker:

Lacy, Creighton

Liturgical Calendar:

Advent

Biblical Book:

Chapter and Verse:

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 RR-0995
ref7199_awh
uachapelsermaud
duke:321259
dcrau001875
ark:/87924/r43r0q80v
135716b2-aa9a-407f-9fea-01e6b1eeb4ac

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings, 1954-2005

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Language:

English

Location:

United States
North Carolina
Durham (N.C.)

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Provenance:

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

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Creighton Lacy - "Angels We Have Heard...?" (December 24, 1978)

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1. Creighton Lacy - "Angels We Have Heard...?" (December 24, 1978)

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