Diane Kenney - "Running the Race with Assurance" (June 17, 1979)

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-	Duke University, chapel service of worship June 17, 1979.	0:04
	(organ prelude music)	0:16
	♪ This is the day the Lord hath made ♪	13:34
	♪ He calls the hours His own ♪	13:39
	♪ Let Heav'n rejoice, let earth be glad ♪	13:42
	♪ And praise surround the throne ♪	13:47
	(organ plays "Our God, Our Help in Ages Past")	13:56
	♪ O God, our help in ages past ♪	14:20
	♪ Our hope for years to come ♪	14:26
	♪ Our shelter from the stormy blast ♪	14:32
	♪ And our eternal home ♪	14:39
	♪ Under the shadow of Thy throne ♪	14:48
	♪ Thy saints have dwelt secure ♪	14:54
	♪ Sufficient is Thine arm alone ♪	15:01
	♪ And our defense is sure ♪	15:07
	♪ Before the hills in order stood ♪	15:15
	♪ Or earth received her frame ♪	15:23
	♪ From everlasting Thou art God ♪	15:30
	♪ To endless years the same ♪	15:37
	♪ A thousand ages in Thy sight ♪	15:45
	♪ Are like an evening gone ♪	15:52
	♪ Short as the watch that ends the night ♪	15:59
	♪ Before the rising sun ♪	16:06
	♪ Time, like an ever rolling stream ♪	16:14
	♪ Bears all its sons away ♪	16:21
	♪ They fly, forgotten, as a dream ♪	16:28
	♪ Dies at the opening day ♪	16:35
	♪ O God, our help in ages past ♪	16:44
	♪ Our hope for years to come ♪	16:50
	♪ Be Thou our guard while life shall last ♪	16:58
	♪ And our eternal home ♪	17:05
	♪ Amen ♪	17:15
-	If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves	17:41
	and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins	17:44
	God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins	17:50
	and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.	17:54
	Let us confess together.	17:59
	Almighty God, You love us but we have not loved You.	18:04
	You call, but we have not listened.	18:10
	We walk away from neighbors in need,	18:14
	wrapped up in our own concerns.	18:18
	We have gone along with evil, prejudice, warfare and greed.	18:21
	God our Father, help us to face up to ourselves so that	18:28
	as You move toward us in mercy, we may repent, turn to You,	18:35
	and receive forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Lord.	18:42
	Amen.	18:47
	Let your hearts be lifted by these words	19:21
	from the 103 rd Psalm.	19:23
	The Lord works vindication and justice	19:26
	for all who are oppressed.	19:28
	He made known His ways to Moses,	19:31
	His acts to the people of Israel.	19:33
	The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger,	19:36
	and abounding in steadfast love.	19:40
	He will not always chide nor will He keep His anger forever.	19:43
	He does not deal with us according to our sins,	19:47
	nor requite us according to our iniquities.	19:51
	For as the heavens are high above the earth,	19:54
	so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him.	19:57
	As far as the east is from the west, so far does He	20:02
	remove our transgressions from us.	20:06
	As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those	20:10
	who fear Him for He knows our frame and He remembers	20:15
	that we are dust.	20:19
	(organ music)	20:31
	♪ The Lord is a mighty God and a mighty ruler ♪	20:47
	♪ Ruler over all false idols ♪	20:58
	♪ Ruler over all false idols ♪	21:03
	♪ The Lord is a mighty God and a mighty ruler ♪	21:12
	♪ Ruler over all false idols ♪	21:22
	♪ Over all false idols ♪	21:26
	♪ The Lord is a mighty God and a mighty ruler ♪	21:32
	♪ Ruler over all false idols ♪	21:44
	♪ The Lord is a mighty God ♪	21:58
	♪ The Lord is a mighty God ♪	22:07
	♪ Over all false idols ♪	22:14
	♪ The Lord is a mighty God ♪	22:19
	♪ The Lord is a mighty God ♪	22:24
-	Let us pray.	22:46
	And now, oh Lord, let Your Word sink down into those hidden	22:52
	and disguised places thereto break up and to discomfort,	22:58
	but also to recreate and to give wholeness and peace	23:05
	because of Jesus Christ our Lord.	23:09
	Amen.	23:12
	The Scripture lesson is taken from the 11th chapter of the	23:18
	epistle of Hebrews.	23:21
	Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,	23:25
	the conviction of things not seen for by it,	23:29
	those of old received Divine approval.	23:32
	By faith we understand that the world was created by the	23:36
	Word of God so that what is seen was made out of things	23:40
	which do not appear.	23:44
-	By faith, Abel offered to God a more acceptable	23:46
	sacrifice than Cain.	23:50
-	By faith, Enoch was taken up so that	23:53
	he should not see death.	23:55
-	By faith, Noah, being warned by God concerning events	23:58
	as yet unseen, took heed and constructed an ark for the	24:03
	saving of his household.	24:09
-	By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out	24:12
	to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance,	24:16
	and he went out not knowing where he was to go.	24:19
-	By faith, he sojourned in the land of Promise as in	24:23
	a foreign land, living in tents for he looked forward	24:27
	to the city which has foundations	24:33
	whose builder and maker is God.	24:36
-	By faith, Sarah received power to conceive even when	24:39
	she was past the age.	24:44
-	And these all died in faith not having received what	24:46
	was promised, but having seen it and greeted it from afar,	24:51
	having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles	24:57
	on the earth.	25:01
-	By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac.	25:04
-	By faith, Isaac invoked future blessings	25:09
	on Jacob and Esau.	25:12
-	By faith, Jacob blessed each of the sons of Joseph.	25:14
-	By faith, Moses, when he was born was hid for three months	25:18
	by his parents.	25:23
-	By faith, when he was grown up he refused to be called	25:25
	the son of Pharoah's daughter.	25:28
-	By faith, he left Egypt.	25:30
-	By faith, he kept the Passover.	25:32
-	By faith, the people crossed the Red Sea	25:35
	as if on dry land.	25:37
-	By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down.	25:39
	By faith, Rahab the harlot did not perish.	25:42
-	And what more shall we say?	25:45
	Time would fail us to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson,	25:47
	Jephthah, of David, and Samuel, and the prophets who through	25:51
	faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice,	25:56
	received promises, stopped the mouths of lions,	25:59
	quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword,	26:03
	won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war,	26:08
	put foreign armies to flight.	26:14
-	Women received their dead by resurrection,	26:17
	some were tortured, others suffered mocking and scourging,	26:20
	even chains and imprisonment.	26:25
	They were stoned.	26:28
	They were sawn in two.	26:29
	They were killed with the sword.	26:31
	They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute,	26:33
	afflicted, ill-treated of whom the world was not worthy.	26:37
-	And all of these, though well-attested by their faith,	26:43
	did not receive what was promised since God had forseen	26:47
	something better for us that apart from us they should	26:53
	not be made perfect.	26:57
	Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud	26:59
	of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin	27:04
	which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance	27:10
	the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus,	27:15
	the pioneer and perfecter of our faith who for the joy	27:20
	that was set before him, endured the cross,	27:25
	despising the shame and is seated at the right hand	27:29
	of the throne of God.	27:33
-	Here ends the lesson for this morning.	27:37
	May the Lord bless to us this reading of His Word	27:39
	and to His name be glory and praise.	27:42
	Amen.	27:45
	(organ music drowns out liturgical singing)	27:49
-	Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for.	28:53
	"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud	28:58
	of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin	29:03
	which clings so closely and let us run with perseverance	29:09
	the race that is set before us."	29:15
	In the introduction to "Running for Health and Beauty,"	29:22
	and in case you have not see it, that's a very popular	29:29
	paperback which attempts to tell each of us how to integrate	29:32
	running into our individual lives no matter what your age,	29:37
	your physical condition, or your lifestyle, Kathryn Lance	29:43
	the author writes, "When I first began running I could only	29:49
	run four laps and that was on an indoor track where 24 laps	29:55
	equal a mile. Quite discouraging.	30:02
	So I decided that if I didn't show any improvement after	30:09
	three weeks, I would stop.	30:13
	What did I have to lose?	30:17
	So for the next three weeks I forced myself to go to the Y	30:21
	three times a week and miraculously at the end of that time	30:25
	I could actually run six laps without tiring,	30:33
	a quarter of a mile.	30:38
	I changed my running program and I aimed for a full mile.	30:41
	I would run until tired, then walk, then run again until	30:46
	I completed the 24 laps.	30:54
	Gradually, I was able to run more and more laps.	30:59
	Finally, two miles.	31:04
	Then, the women's mini-marathon in Central Park,	31:07
	a full six mile race.	31:11
	From total slob," says Ms. Lance, "to track star	31:15
	in approximately nine months."	31:21
	Running--that great American pastime around city parks,	31:26
	through the countryside, along suburban streets, across	31:34
	college campuses, around the track at the local Y,	31:40
	or on the high school field--people of all ages	31:46
	and both sexes, you see them jogging along.	31:51
	They are breathing hard, maintaining the pace,	31:57
	wearing the inevitable and expensive high-quality,	32:02
	multi-striped, brightly-colored jogging shoes.	32:07
	They run independently or with friends, or as members	32:13
	of running clubs.	32:18
	They are people in every possible condition,	32:20
	of every conceivable shape.	32:24
	They dress in a variety of sweatpants, torn cut-offs,	32:28
	brightly-labeled T-shirts, old tennis shorts, or leotards.	32:33
	They run with or without headbands, with their hair of	32:40
	whatever length and color flying in the breeze or hanging	32:45
	damply on their necks.	32:50
	They are people concentrating on enduring,	32:53
	learning to move at whatever pace is proper for them,	32:59
	hanging in for longer and longer distances.	33:05
	They are running the race for health, running for beauty,	33:10
	running with assurance.	33:15
	And if you happen to be one of those	33:20
	who is thoroughly addicted, even when the weather is too	33:22
	miserable, too hot, too cold, too humid, too wet,	33:27
	you can keep up the pace in your own living room	33:32
	in front of the	33:35
	quiz show or the evening news on a specially padded square	33:37
	of foam that absorbs the shock, supposedly keeps your	33:42
	downstairs neighbors, should you have them,	33:46
	from approaching insanity and sells for $12.95 or so	33:50
	at your local department store.	33:55
	Running, a great American pastime,	34:01
	running for personal satisfaction,	34:07
	to the cheers of those committed others,	34:11
	for endurance.	34:14
	Needless to say, I am not a runner.	34:19
	I do not jog, warm up with aerobic exercises,	34:23
	or even seek to achieve that sought-for second wind.	34:29
	Instead, along with walking, bike riding, roller skating,	34:36
	and procrastinating about all of the above,	34:42
	I read books on running.	34:46
	The biblical passage from Hebrews used this morning,	34:51
	ends with the phrase found in many "how-to-run" books.	34:55
	The phrase is "running with endurance."	35:00
	But the setting give us	35:01
	in the Hebrew passage is certainly different	35:06
	from the setting described in the running books.	35:10
	According to Hebrews, each of us whether athletic	35:15
	or sedentary, of whatever age, sex, temperament or physical	35:21
	condition, is commanded to run the race	35:26
	that is set before us. And we run it surrounded	35:30
	and cheered on by that great cloud of historical	35:36
	and legendary witnesses.	35:40
	As long as our choices are not destructive to others,	35:45
	we are as free to choose our running style	35:49
	as are the runners we see jogging throughout our cities.	35:53
	We are free to choose the course, we are free to run only	35:59
	the distance we can cover, we are free to choose	36:05
	a particular terrain.	36:09
	And if we read the stories referred	36:13
	to in the Hebrews passage, we know we will not	36:17
	be disqualified if we become temporarily discouraged,	36:19
	give up momentarily, walk a bit, or feel the kind of pain,	36:26
	emotional blisters, or cold muscles can cause in any race.	36:31
	But our race is of a different kind.	36:39
	If our knowledge of those who've gone before us gives us	36:44
	a perspective, we, along with Abraham, are running toward	36:48
	the city which has foundations, the city whose builder	36:53
	and maker is God.	36:58
	We must have a vision, the lesson tells us,	37:05
	although imperfectly seen of that city,	37:08
	if we are to run our race.	37:13
	As the task of Abraham and Moses was to move the people	37:18
	into the land of Promise,	37:22
	our task may be to move our people	37:24
	beyond the possibility of nuclear war, beyond the arms race,	37:29
	to move beyond the threat of world-wide destruction,	37:36
	to move beyond the use of weapons sales as a means of	37:40
	maintaining national and world economy,	37:45
	to move into an era	37:48
	of economic conversion, to move into the promised time	37:51
	of shalom, the time of peace.	37:56
	The media gives us the details daily.	38:02
	You know certainly as well as I that currently stored in	38:07
	the nuclear arsenals of the world there is explosive power	38:11
	equal to 1,500,000 Hiroshima bombs.	38:16
	We've all been told the USSR has the potential to	38:22
	destroy every major city in the U.S. about 20 times over	38:27
	and that the United States can do the same	38:32
	to the Soviet Union 50 times over.	38:36
	Yet despite all this destructive potential, weapons systems	38:41
	proliferate and become more complex.	38:48
	Although five countries in the world admit	38:54
	to having nuclear weapons,	38:58
	the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute	39:00
	estimates that as many as 35 countries will soon have	39:05
	the capability to build nuclear weapons and the size of	39:11
	the nuclear arsenal is only one item in a swirling	39:16
	confluence of factors which, when taken together,	39:21
	depict the constantly growing possibility of nuclear war.	39:24
	Those concerned tell us that never has the fate of the	39:33
	world hung in such perilous balance with nuclear holocaust	39:38
	being a real possibility.	39:43
	If these somber trends continue, the chances of nuclear	39:48
	hostilities will continue. Recently a group of scientists	39:52
	from Harvard and MIT concluded that under existing	39:58
	circumstances, nuclear war is likely by the 1990s.	40:01
	But faith is the assurance of things hoped for	40:10
	And the Biblical story tells us that peace God wills	40:17
	for each of us requires not only the cessation of war,	40:21
	but the opportunity for fulfillment and completeness.	40:27
	This kind of peace is not possible in a world held hostage	40:33
	by a costly arms race.	40:38
	Therefore, the pursuit of peace and the elimination of	40:43
	nuclear weapons should be a constant and continuous effort	40:46
	by all God's children. So, let us run the race	40:51
	for which we are entered.	40:56
	We may differ in our particular views on war and peace,	41:00
	but among us there should be unanimity on many values,	41:05
	which bear directly on the issues of nuclear arms	41:09
	reduction and disarmament.	41:12
	"What is it?" the Hebrews account, asks	41:17
	that will make possible	41:21
	our running with endurance this race that is set before us?	41:22
	Faith, comes the rhetorical response,	41:29
	and what is this faith?	41:32
	The assurance of things hoped for,	41:35
	the conviction of things not seen.	41:38
	Faith is substance.	41:43
	It is assurance.	41:46
	It is conviction.	41:48
	It is loyalty to unseen and unrealized values.	41:50
	It is venturesome action, obedience, trust.	41:56
	It is a confidence in God's power to do	42:03
	what is beyond reason, for faith enables us to be confident	42:06
	to God's commands, to be obedient at moments of crisis.	42:11
	To be faithful is to move valiantly forward toward those	42:18
	goals imperfectly seen and never fully attained.	42:23
	Along with Gideon, Barack, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel,	42:31
	the prophets, and all women and men who move forward	42:36
	throughout the centuries to conquer kingdoms,	42:40
	to enforce justice, to receive promises,	42:44
	to stop the mouths of lions	42:49
	and quench raging fire, to win strength	42:51
	out of weakness, our race, however we choose to run it	42:57
	is a race of action.	43:02
	For it is, as the Hebrew passage relates, action that	43:07
	characterized all witnesses in the past.	43:12
	They raced individually but with a sense	43:16
	of corporate responsibility.	43:19
	They worked individually knowing they were not	43:23
	working alone.	43:26
	They ran independently, aware of those who had gone before,	43:30
	dependent on those who would come after.	43:35
	For our race is a race of perseverance. It is not a short	43:41
	dash for any particular day, but a distance race,	43:47
	calling for endurance.	43:53
	It is a race we, although on many different paths, must run	43:55
	together with assurance.	44:00
	Now back to those popular running books, as we look for a	44:06
	few clues on preparing for and enduring our race.	44:10
	What else do we need to know about warming up,	44:17
	about learning to live with the kinks, the sore muscles,	44:21
	with too much sun?	44:25
	What do we need to know about running in the rain or over	44:28
	an uneven course?	44:33
	What about conditioning programs?	44:36
	How do we learn to stick with it?	44:39
	How do we build endurance?	44:42
	Kathryn Lance and all her colleagues are more than willing	44:48
	to provide the information we need.	44:51
	"The first thing to remember," she says, "is that all forms	44:55
	of exercise should fulfill two functions.	44:59
	The first, it should be vigorous enough to make you	45:03
	breathe hard and break out in a sweat.	45:08
	The second, it should make you feel good.	45:12
	You should enjoy it."	45:16
	But, enjoying such things are difficult for those of us	45:20
	without the inclination or the self-discipline.	45:24
	Again, the books offer advice.	45:29
	Again, I quote, this time from a woman with absolutely	45:31
	no self-discipline who maintains she would never be able	45:36
	to stick to her program if it wasn't for her friends.	45:40
	"I meet them on a fixed schedule," she says,	45:46
	"three times a week.	45:49
	In addition, I try to run one more time on my own,	45:52
	though sometimes I don't make it, but I always manage	45:57
	to meet my running friends.	46:02
	I guess it's because I know they're counting on me,	46:06
	plus I can't face what they would say if I missed one	46:10
	or two workouts."	46:14
	And then there's the good news for some of us.	46:18
	The good news is that, "You can wear," our running experts	46:22
	tell us, "just about anything you want	46:27
	for this endurance race."	46:30
	There are certain common sense rules of course.	46:33
	You want to be comfortable, but you can easily put together	46:37
	a running outfit from clothes you have right now in your	46:42
	drawers or closet.	46:45
	An outfit that will look good will be practical	46:48
	and won't cost you a cent.	46:52
	Are you ready?	46:56
	I'm not quite, but I'll meet you on the track anyway.	46:59
	There, surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,	47:05
	let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings	47:09
	so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race	47:15
	that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer	47:20
	and perfecter of our faith.	47:27
	Let us pray together.	47:33
	God of the exodus, we give thanks for our individual	47:38
	journeys with their pathways and wanderings.	47:45
	May we have the strength to run forward, the willingness	47:52
	to move on remembering those we leave behind.	47:58
	God of the sanctuary, we give thanks for our individual	48:06
	mountaintops, our resting places, for all thinking	48:11
	and feeling times before the journey begins again.	48:19
	May we have the courage to leave them when the time comes,	48:25
	remembering those who never find a safe place.	48:31
	God of plenty, we give thanks for sustenance, for sun	48:37
	and rain, food and drink, friends and family,	48:44
	dreams and visions.	48:48
	May we learn to live carefully, remembering those to whom	48:52
	much has not been given.	48:57
	God of faith, we give thanks for the ability to trust.	49:02
	May we learn to set out, leaving the destination to You,	49:09
	learn to arrive with expectation, learn to move forward	49:15
	with assurance, remembering all who have gone before us.	49:21
	God of life, we remember before You those known to each	49:28
	of us who have died in faith, not having received what	49:35
	was promised, but having seen it and greeted it from afar.	49:42
	God of love, teach us to risk.	49:51
	Keep us going.	49:56
	These things we pray in the name of the One who goes	50:00
	before us, Jesus our brother and Lord.	50:04
	Amen.	50:10
	(organ music drowns out singing)	50:20
-	Let us remain standing as we join our voices with	52:44
	the church of all times and places as we profess together	52:47
	our faith.	52:50
	Let us affirm what we believe.	52:51
	We believe in God who has created and is creating,	52:54
	who has come in the truly human Jesus to reconcile	52:59
	and to make new, who works in us and others by the Spirit.	53:04
	We trust God who calls us to be the church, to celebrate	53:10
	life and its fullness, to love and serve others, to seek	53:15
	justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus	53:21
	crucified and risen.	53:25
	Our judge and our hope in life, in death,	53:28
	in life beyond death, God is with us.	53:33
	We are not alone.	53:37
	Thanks be to God.	53:39
	Amen.	53:41
	Those who minister in this place do so under a Christian	53:55
	discipline and on their behalf, I welcome you to this	53:58
	service of worship, and I also say to you regardless of	54:01
	who you are, or where you're from, or what may be the	54:06
	nature of your need or concern, those who minister here	54:09
	stand ready to help you in any way they can.	54:12
	The Lord be with you.	54:20
	(audience answers)	54:23
	Let us pray.	54:25
	We are thankful, our Father, this morning on a special day	54:33
	of remembrance for fathers that we have learned from those	54:40
	who have gone before us, what it means to use the word,	54:45
	"father", and we are grateful that as we pray, we can turn	54:50
	away from those things that frighten us,	54:57
	that are unsatisfying to us.	55:00
	We can turn away from the things that we have made for	55:05
	ourselves and turning to You, use this familiar word,	55:07
	"Father", and we're grateful for those who have taught us	55:15
	that when we so turn, we'll be heard, and received,	55:21
	and given comfort, and our needs will be filled,	55:26
	and we will be restored to joy and life,	55:30
	and we're thankful for that.	55:33
	We're thankful also, our Father, that we can pull out of You	55:39
	the Father that you need to be to us.	55:46
	We're thankful that we can play the role of children	55:52
	and make a father of You, crying to You, pleading with You,	55:55
	pulling on You, asking again and again, demanding, needing,	56:02
	placing ourselves before You, and that You will be	56:08
	our Father when we do that, and we're thankful because	56:14
	of these things.	56:18
	We're thankful also for all that we have received from those	56:22
	who have gone before us, which we can remember and learn of	56:25
	again this day, that cloud of witnesses.	56:29
	We're glad for the fidelity, for the patience,	56:36
	for the suffering, for the wisdom of those who have preceded	56:40
	us and make us as well, worthy in this parental role of	56:44
	passing on to those who follow us those gifts which we have	56:49
	received and which have increased because of	56:54
	our use of them.	56:57
	So, allow us as well to be challenged on this day	57:01
	to be more than we thought would be possible for those	57:05
	who follow us.	57:08
	We're thankful too, our Father, that we can be in this	57:15
	place, that we can be here together and feel the presence	57:19
	of others, that we can be in the presence as well of the	57:21
	church wherever it is worshiping on this day.	57:24
	We're thankful for what that means.	57:27
	We're thankful that we can return to a place where we can	57:29
	hear Your Word, where we can be restored.	57:32
	We're thankful for those who minister in this place.	57:39
	We're thankful for this university of which it is a part.	57:43
	We're thankful for other like institutions represented	57:47
	by people who are here.	57:49
	We're thankful for those who have labored,	57:53
	who have sacrificed, who have given of their talents,	57:56
	their time and energy so that we can have institutions	58:00
	of this kind, and others throughout this country by which	58:04
	so much we have benefited.	58:09
	Fill our lives with thankfulness and allow us in turn	58:11
	to give to those who follow.	58:14
	Hear us also, our Father, as we intercede for those who	58:22
	are suffering and who are lonely, who are beaten down	58:25
	on this day, who are discouraged,	58:31
	for those who are fatherless and lonely,	58:37
	who feel forsaken and empty.	58:43
	Allow us now in this time of prayer to gather them up	58:47
	into our lives, these whom we know, even those who are	58:52
	suffering and are sick, who suffer separation	58:58
	and disappointment that we do not know,	59:04
	and especially those whom we have forgotten and neglected,	59:10
	those who are out of sight, those we have put away.	59:15
	Allow us now to gather them up and allow them to be again	59:20
	a part of our lives.	59:26
	Grant to us the uncomfortable joy of being vessels	59:33
	and channels of Your grace, and encouragement, and comfort	59:39
	to those who are distressed and to bring a word,	59:44
	however disruptive it may be, of comfort and hope to those	59:48
	who are alienated and discouraged and left alone.	59:54
	And for us also we pray, our Father, hear these petitions	1:00:01
	that we may be given new life on this day, that we can	1:00:10
	stop being those things which have destroyed or	1:00:16
	beginning to destroy us and that we can begin to become	1:00:20
	those things which have been promised to us more than we	1:00:25
	could have hoped for ourselves, more than we could have	1:00:29
	made of ourselves so that as individuals and as groups,	1:00:32
	and as a community we may grow in new ways toward	1:00:38
	that which is not seen, but only hoped for yet which is	1:00:44
	a matter for us of assurance and conviction.	1:00:48
	Allow us so to be shaken that we may recognize a strange	1:00:51
	thing happening to us and to those communities and groups	1:00:58
	of which we are a part that we have come now concerned	1:01:02
	about, things which last, concerned about things which	1:01:07
	make for life and growth not because we are the sources	1:01:12
	of these things, but because we have become, by Your grace,	1:01:17
	ministers of Your Word through Jesus Christ our Lord	1:01:22
	who taught us when we pray to say,	1:01:26
	Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name,	1:01:29
	Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth	1:01:35
	as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread,	1:01:39
	and forgive us our debts as we forgive those who trespass	1:01:44
	against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us	1:01:49
	from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, and the power,	1:01:54
	and the glory forever.	1:01:58
	Amen.	1:02:01
	(organ music playing "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men")	1:02:11
	♪ Let us now praise famous men ♪	1:03:33
	♪ And our fathers that begat us ♪	1:03:37
	♪ Such as did bear rule in their kingdoms ♪	1:03:46
	♪ Men renowned for their power ♪	1:03:53
	♪ Leaders of the people by their counsel ♪	1:04:03
	♪ And by their knowledge ♪	1:04:09
	♪ Such as found out musical tunes ♪	1:04:15
	♪ And recited verses in writing ♪	1:04:22
	♪ All these were honored in their generations ♪	1:04:29
	♪ And were the glory of their times ♪	1:04:38
	♪ And some there be, which have no memorial ♪	1:04:49
	♪ Who are perished, as though they had never been ♪	1:04:58
	♪ Their bodies are buried in peace ♪	1:05:09
	♪ But their name liveth for evermore ♪	1:05:21
	(organ music playing "Doxology")	1:05:51
	♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪	1:06:29
	♪ Praise Him all creatures here below ♪	1:06:34
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	1:06:40
	♪ Praise Him above ye Heavenly Host ♪	1:06:47
	♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪	1:06:53
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪	1:06:58
	♪ Amen ♪	1:07:19
	Thanks be to Thee, oh God, from whom these things have come.	1:07:32
	Receive now these small gifts because they are important	1:07:37
	to us as signs of our dedication to Your work and kingdom	1:07:41
	through Jesus Christ our Lord.	1:07:46
	Amen.	1:07:49
	(organ music drowns out singing)	1:07:54
-	The Lord bless you and keep you.	1:10:19
	The Lord be gracious to you.	1:10:22
	The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace	1:10:25
	now and forever.	1:10:28
	Amen.	1:10:30
	(acapella liturgical singing)	1:10:40
	(organ music postlude)	1:11:25

Item Info

Title:

Diane Kenney - "Running the Race with Assurance" (June 17, 1979)

Description:

Sermon start time: (Part 1) 28:58. Sermon end time: (Part 1) 47:30.
Using the Scriptural metaphor of running a race and the witnesses from Hebrews 11, the preacher calls the church to take action in faith, opposing nuclear weapons and the arms race. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: "For it is, as the Hebrews passage relates, action that characterized all witnessness in the past."

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r49c6sf7n

Date:

June 17, 1979

Speaker:

Kenney, Diane

Liturgical Calendar:

Ordinary Time

Biblical Book:

Hebrews

Chapter and Verse:

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 RR-1031
ref7271_ptp
uachapelsermaud
duke:320733
dcrau001911
ark:/87924/r49c6sf7n
eefe08ad-9c8c-44d4-bf5a-039f2ef4ea30

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings, 1954-2005

Related Resources:

See below

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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Diane Kenney - "Running the Race with Assurance" (June 17, 1979)

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Item Info

1. Diane Kenney - "Running the Race with Assurance" (June 17, 1979)

Duke University Archives

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Duke University Archives

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