Richard J. Crowder - "On Making the Best of a Raw Deal" (August 5, 1979)

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-	Duke University Chapel, Service of Worship,	0:06
	August 5, 1979.	0:08
	(classical organ music)	0:11
-	Our help is in the name of the Lord	7:08
	who made heaven and earth.	7:10
	Oh come let us worship and bow down.	7:13
	Let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.	7:16
	For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture	7:21
	and the sheep of his hand.	7:26
	Let us pray.	7:30
	Almighty God, we have come to this place	7:36
	for many different reasons.	7:40
	Some of us have come because it is our custom to come	7:43
	and we wouldn't feel right if we stayed away.	7:47
	Some of us came reluctantly because it is a strange church	7:52
	for us and we didn't know what to expect.	7:57
	Some of us have come sleepily	8:03
	for we were out late last night.	8:05
	Some of us have come because our families	8:10
	insisted that we be present.	8:13
	And some of us have come despite our family's opposition.	8:15
	Some of us have come to hear the organ.	8:21
	Some of us have come to hear the preacher.	8:25
	Some of us have come to see and experience the art	8:29
	and craftsmanship of this building.	8:32
	Some of us have come rejoicing, with thankful hearts	8:36
	for blessings received.	8:39
	And others of us have come with heavy and broken hearts	8:43
	for we are hurt and in pain.	8:47
	Some come before you carrying an agonizing burden of sin.	8:52
	Whatever the reason and whatever the motivation,	8:58
	oh Lord, we are here.	9:03
	Take hold of us in this hour of worship.	9:08
	Stretch our hearts.	9:11
	Open our minds.	9:14
	Strengthen our wills so that when we leave this place	9:16
	we may different from when we came in.	9:21
	Even cleansed and forgiven, encouraged and uplifted,	9:27
	transformed and motivated.	9:32
	In the name of Jesus the Christ, our Lord and Savior, amen.	9:37
	("Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee" on organ)	9:45
	♪ Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee ♪	10:23
	♪ God of glory, Lord of love ♪	10:27
	♪ Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee ♪	10:31
	♪ Opening to the sun above ♪	10:36
	♪ Melt the clouds of sin and sadness ♪	10:41
	♪ Drive the dark of doubt away ♪	10:46
	♪ Giver of immortal gladness ♪	10:50
	♪ Fill us with the light of day ♪	10:55
	♪ All Thy works with joy surround Thee ♪	11:03
	♪ Earth and heaven reflect Thy rays ♪	11:08
	♪ Stars and angels sing around Thee, ♪	11:12
	♪ Center of unbroken praise ♪	11:17
	♪ Field and forest, vale and mountain ♪	11:22
	♪ Flowery meadow, flashing sea ♪	11:26
	♪ Singing bird and flowing fountain ♪	11:31
	♪ Call us to rejoice in Thee. ♪	11:35
	♪ Thou art giving and forgiving ♪	11:43
	♪ Ever blessing, ever blessed ♪	11:47
	♪ Wellspring of the joy of living ♪	11:52
	♪ Ocean depth of happy rest ♪	11:57
	♪ Thou our Father, Christ our Brother ♪	12:02
	♪ All who live in love are Thine ♪	12:07
	♪ Teach us how to love each other ♪	12:11
	♪ Lift us to the joy divine ♪	12:16
	♪ Mortals, join the happy chorus ♪	12:24
	♪ Which the morning stars began ♪	12:28
	♪ Father love is reigning o'er us ♪	12:33
	♪ Brother love binds man to man ♪	12:38
	♪ Ever singing, march we onward ♪	12:42
	♪ Victors in the midst of strife ♪	12:47
	♪ Joyful music leads us sunward ♪	12:52
	♪ In the triumph song of life ♪	12:56
	♪ Amen ♪	13:04
-	Let us humbly confess our sins, both corporately	13:25
	and individually unto God Almighty.	13:29
	Almighty God, most holy and most righteous,	13:36
	we acknowledge our unworthiness.	13:41
	Sometimes our faith grows thinner than paper.	13:44
	Sometimes our prayers grow weaker than thread.	13:49
	Sometimes our hearts grow harder than rock.	13:54
	Sometimes our words grow hotter than fire.	13:59
	Sometimes our hope grows darker than night.	14:04
	Sometimes our egos grow greater than space.	14:09
	Sometimes our compassion grows colder than ice.	14:15
	Oh Lord, we acknowledge our unworthiness	14:21
	and we ask your forgiveness.	14:25
	Renew in us again the grace and strength of your Holy Spirit	14:28
	through Jesus Christ, your son and our Savior, amen.	14:36
	Hear now the words of assurance of forgiveness and pardon	15:20
	from the book of the Acts of the Apostles.	15:25
	We bring you the good news, that what God promised	15:28
	to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us,	15:32
	their children by raising Jesus.	15:36
	Let it be known to you, therefore brothers and sisters,	15:39
	that through this man, forgiveness of sins is proclaimed	15:43
	to you and by him everyone who believes is freed	15:48
	from everything from which you could not be freed	15:53
	by the law of Moses, amen.	15:58
	I greet you this morning in the name of our Lord and Savior	16:05
	Jesus Christ and on behalf of the Minister to the University	16:08
	and the entire chapel staff and ministry,	16:12
	I welcome each of you to Duke Chapel.	16:17
	Some of you are a part of this congregation	16:20
	on a regular basis, some of you are here with us	16:23
	for the first time, and others of you are returning to	16:26
	the chapel after many years or many months or many weeks.	16:30
	Whoever you are, we are glad that you are here	16:36
	and we are thankful for this opportunity	16:39
	to worship together.	16:41
	I would like to call your attention to the announcement	16:43
	in the bulletin concerning our first Sunday of the month	16:46
	communion service which will be held today,	16:50
	immediately following this 11:00 service.	16:53
	The communion service will be held in the Memorial Chapel	16:57
	which is down to my right, your left,	17:01
	off from the south transept and everyone is invited	17:04
	to participate in this celebration of the Eucharist.	17:08
	I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome	17:14
	as leaders of our worship here in the chapel,	17:17
	the Reverend Doctor Richard Crowder,	17:20
	our preacher for this morning and the celebrant	17:23
	for the service of the Lord's Supper and his daughter,	17:26
	Ashley, who is presiding with me for today's service.	17:30
	As you may read in your bulletin, Dr. Crowder is a graduate	17:35
	of Trinity College and the Divinity School here at Duke	17:38
	and is now serving as senior minister at	17:42
	First United Methodist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.	17:45
	Ashley is also a graduate of Trinity College	17:50
	and she is a classmate of mine at the Divinity School.	17:53
	I know Ashley as a compassionate, sensitive, intelligent	17:58
	and good-natured human being.	18:02
	And I think this is indeed a most favorable testimony	18:06
	to the environment of love and concern	18:10
	in which she was raised.	18:13
	And therefore I am grateful for this opportunity	18:15
	to welcome you, Dr. Crowder, and you, Ashley,	18:17
	as leaders of our worship this morning.	18:20
-	Let us pray, prepare our hearts, oh Lord,	18:39
	to accept your word.	18:44
	Silence in us any voice that but your own.	18:47
	That hearing we may also obey your will,	18:52
	through Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.	18:55
	Our scripture lesson this morning come from the Second	19:02
	Corinthians, the 12th chapter, verses nine through 10.	19:06
	My grace is sufficient for you for my power	19:24
	is made perfect in weakness.	19:27
	I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses	19:30
	that the power of Christ may rest upon me.	19:34
	For the sake of Christ then, I am content with weaknesses,	19:39
	insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities.	19:44
	For when I am weak then I am strong.	19:51
	Our Gospel lesson this morning comes from	20:00
	the book of Matthew, chapter 15, verses 21 through 28.	20:01
	And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to	20:19
	the district of Tyre and Sidon.	20:22
	And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out	20:25
	and cried, have mercy on me, oh Lord, Son of David,	20:29
	my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.	20:33
	But he did not answer her a word.	20:37
	And his disciples came and begged him saying,	20:41
	send her away for she is crying after us.	20:44
	He answered, I was sent only to the lost sheep	20:50
	of the house of Israel.	20:54
	But she came and knelt before him saying, Lord, help me.	20:56
	And he answered, it is not fair to take the children's bread	21:02
	and throw it to the dogs.	21:06
	She said, yes Lord, even the dogs eat the crumbs	21:10
	that fall from the master's table.	21:14
	Then Jesus answered her, oh woman, great is your faith.	21:18
	Be it done for you as you desire.	21:22
	And her daughter was healed instantly.	21:28
	May God add his blessings upon the reading	21:34
	of this holy word.	21:36
	♪ Glory be to the Father ♪	21:53
	♪ And to the Son and Holy Ghost ♪	21:59
	♪ As it was in the beginning ♪	22:06
	♪ Shall be now and ever more ♪	22:13
	♪ As it was in the beginning ♪	22:20
	♪ World without end, amen ♪	22:28
-	There is something truly miraculous about the human spirit	22:59
	that enables every person	23:04
	to not give up the fight	23:08
	when facing any kind of struggle.	23:10
	Regardless of the circumstances that may take place	23:14
	in his or her life, no matter how bad things get	23:17
	in that life or how dark the skies or how helpless	23:21
	the situation or how hopeless the outcome or the outlook,	23:26
	there is something in every human spirit that enables one	23:31
	to keep fighting or to hang in there, to continue the	23:35
	struggle long after all the odds have been cast against you.	23:40
	The entire Christian faith	23:46
	holds together	23:50
	by something we call hope.	23:51
	But thank God Christianity is not the only religion	23:54
	that has a monopoly on this thing we call hope.	23:58
	God has created us all,	24:03
	he has created us in his own image	24:08
	and in Psalm 139 the Psalmist states that	24:11
	we are wonderfully made.	24:15
	God is the sustainer, we have just said that.	24:19
	God is the Savior of all mankind.	24:23
	And he has built into every human being, that is,	24:28
	if that person accepts what God has given,	24:33
	he has built into every human being	24:36
	an ingredient known as hope.	24:41
	The Apostle Paul had much the same spirit in him.	24:46
	Paul had anything but an easy life.	24:49
	But through it all, he was able to survive because of having	24:53
	been given by God that intangible we refer to as hope.	24:57
	It was Paul who nearly had everything bad happen to him.	25:03
	Not too many good things at all	25:08
	after he became a professing Christian.	25:10
	He experienced shipwreck.	25:14
	He experienced imprisonment.	25:15
	He experienced thorn in the flesh.	25:16
	He experienced desertion.	25:19
	He experienced death because of his beliefs.	25:21
	You name it and Paul experienced it.	25:24
	But through it all he derived victory out of his defeat,	25:27
	dividends out of his difficulties	25:32
	and triumph out of his trouble simply because of	25:35
	a deeply ingrained ingredient in his makeup known as hope.	25:39
	It was he who wrote to the church at Corinth	25:45
	those beautiful words of personal testimony.	25:49
	Therefore, he said, I take pleasure in infirmities.	25:52
	I take pleasure in reproaches, in necessities,	25:58
	in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake.	26:01
	For when I am weak	26:05
	then am I strong.	26:07
	Paul was able to make it through all his struggles	26:10
	because of a God-given component known as hope.	26:13
	I think the most meaningful to me, scriptural reference,	26:19
	of someone who persisted, someone who demonstrated hope	26:24
	was the Canaanite woman who had lived almost since	26:29
	her child's birth with the fact that her child	26:33
	was mentally deranged.	26:36
	And she had gone to every place under the sun	26:39
	to try to seek healing for her daughter.	26:43
	And somewhat as a last resort, she went to Jesus.	26:47
	She heard about the miracle he had performed.	26:52
	And she went to him and before she even got in his presence	26:55
	she had what we would call three strikes against her.	27:00
	But she did not give up.	27:05
	She persisted because she believed	27:07
	that Jesus could heal her daughter.	27:10
	And the disciples were the first	27:13
	to throw a strike against her.	27:16
	The disciples said, Lord, don't you recognize	27:18
	that this is a foreigner?	27:20
	This is not one of us.	27:22
	Don't waste your time with this person	27:23
	who is different from us.	27:25
	And at first it looked as though Jesus agreed with	27:27
	what they said because he said to this woman who had sought	27:29
	help for her daughter, I am sent but unto the lost sheep	27:34
	of the house of Israel.	27:38
	The average one of us in a similar situation	27:40
	would have given up immediately.	27:44
	We would have lowered our heads, our egos would have been	27:47
	deflated, and we would have crawled away hurt.	27:51
	But not this woman.	27:55
	She had a sole purpose in mind and that was	27:59
	the healing of her daughter.	28:01
	Something bigger here was at stake than her ego,	28:04
	something bigger here was at stake than her pride.	28:08
	True, Lord, she said, but even the dogs eat the crumbs	28:12
	that fall from the master's table.	28:16
	Please Lord, give me a crumb.	28:18
	Something in her would not let her give up.	28:22
	Jesus was impressed.	28:27
	Because of your faith, which is paraphrased because of	28:30
	your hope,	28:33
	your daughter is healed from this moment on.	28:36
	Now because of our being wonderfully made	28:43
	we humans even have a stop-gap for death.	28:45
	We have all kinds of books that are being written now	28:49
	about death and dying, Kübler-Ross and all the rest.	28:51
	But sometimes one thinks of death, in fact,	28:55
	if we were honest, the majority of us think of death as	28:59
	possibly the worst thing that can happen to any one of us.	29:02
	But it isn't the worst.	29:06
	God seems to provide best and foremost at those times in our	29:07
	lives when things are at their worst, physically speaking,	29:12
	and usually we think of things being at their worst	29:16
	when we are dying.	29:18
	In fact, I can testify from almost 25 years in the ministry	29:20
	that the most peaceful, at ease, serene, calm persons	29:25
	I have ever known have been those persons who were	29:30
	staring death in the face, who actually walked through	29:34
	the valley of the shadow of death but feared no evil.	29:39
	Why?	29:44
	Because they knew, they were positive,	29:46
	It was written all over their faces if they were conscious	29:49
	that God was close and that he had never been closer	29:54
	in all of their lives.	29:58
	I've never seen in any other realm of life	30:00
	such evidence of the divine presence in human life,	30:04
	such proof of eternal triumph,	30:08
	of victory, of hope,	30:11
	as on the face of a dying person.	30:15
	Our entire faith is built on hope.	30:19
	It is ingrained in every single person, young and old.	30:23
	I think my favorite story of this being displayed	30:27
	in a younger person is of the Little League baseball player	30:31
	in Charlotte who was playing at what we know there	30:36
	as the Methodist Home Park.	30:39
	It adjoins the Methodist Home for the Aged,	30:41
	very similar to the one here in Durham	30:44
	for the Eastern Conference.	30:45
	And this little boy was out in center field	30:48
	and every afternoon when these Little League ball games	30:50
	were going on, the elderly from the Methodist Home	30:53
	would be taking, especially in the summertime,	30:57
	their strolls.	30:59
	And there was a walkway in center field	31:00
	that ran parallel with the back of center field.	31:03
	And every afternoon some elderly gentlemen and women	31:07
	would walk back there and they would observe	31:11
	the ballgame going on.	31:13
	And one particular afternoon	31:15
	an old gentleman came	31:18
	by the side of center field	31:20
	and there was the little boy with	31:22
	bubble gum filling every inch of his mouth and a cap that	31:24
	was much bigger than his head and there he was playing	31:27
	center field just daring somebody to hit a ball to him.	31:30
	And so the old gentleman from the Methodist Home	31:35
	struck up a conversation with the young fella.	31:37
	And he said, son, what's the score?	31:40
	17 to nothing, said the little boy.	31:43
	Well, whose side is ahead?	31:46
	They are, said the boy.	31:49
	Well, that looks pretty bad for you, doesn't it?	31:52
	Oh no sir, said the boy, it ain't so bad.	31:56
	You see, we ain't been up to bat yet.	31:58
	That's hope.	32:03
	I repeat, there is something about the human spirit	32:05
	that will not let him give up no matter how low he gets	32:08
	and no matter how bad things get in her life.	32:12
	Or how many strikes he has against him.	32:16
	Or how raw a deal life has given him.	32:19
	The Christian never throws in the towel.	32:24
	He is given by Almighty God, the patience, the fortitude,	32:28
	the perseverance to endure the worst imaginable in human	32:31
	life and he can still survive spiritually	32:34
	through the worst.	32:39
	And Christians are not the only ones.	32:41
	We do not have a monopoly on this thing we call hope.	32:44
	All mankind is kin to each other in that we can endure	32:47
	almost anything that goes against us.	32:51
	I think of the many popular songs that, some of them written	32:55
	by Christians but most of them not written by Christians,	32:59
	and still they display hope.	33:02
	I think of Rogers and Hammerstein who wrote	33:04
	so many Broadway musicals.	33:06
	I think of South Pacific.	33:09
	Do you remember one of the songs in that particular musical	33:11
	that stuck in our minds every time we heard it,	33:14
	I'm stuck like a dope with a thing called hope	33:18
	and I can't get it out of my mind.	33:21
	Or take the theme song of Carousel,	33:25
	when you walk through a storm, hold your head up high	33:28
	and don't be afraid of the storm.	33:31
	Why?	33:33
	Because you never walk alone.	33:34
	Or take Man of La Mancha, you know that without my	33:37
	even referring to the theme song, "The Impossible Dream".	33:39
	But just listen to some of these words that we have sung	33:44
	and have heard sung.	33:47
	To dream the impossible dream.	33:49
	To fight the unbeatable foe.	33:51
	To bear with unbearable sorrow.	33:54
	To run where the brave dare not go.	33:57
	To right the unrightable wrong.	34:00
	To love pure and chaste from afar.	34:01
	To try when your arms are too weary	34:04
	to reach the unreachable star.	34:06
	How about the song, the theme song from	34:10
	The Poseidon Adventure?	34:12
	There's got to be a morning after.	34:14
	And the musical that is now breaking	34:20
	all records on Broadway, Annie.	34:22
	The story of little orphan Annie, her struggles	34:24
	and her dreams and her hopes in tomorrow.	34:27
	In fact, the theme song of Annie is, "Tomorrow",	34:30
	which could be synonymous with the word hope.	34:34
	Listen, the sun will come out tomorrow.	34:38
	Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun.	34:42
	Just thinking about tomorrow clears away the cobwebs	34:46
	and the sorrow till there's none.	34:48
	When I'm stuck with a day that's gray and lonely	34:51
	I just stick out my chin and say, oh, the sun will come out	34:53
	tomorrow, come what may.	34:57
	Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow,	34:58
	for you're only a day away.	35:01
	There's always hope.	35:06
	Especially is this true in sports.	35:09
	I don't know whether you pay to much close attention	35:12
	to Billy Packer, Bones McKinney, and Jim Thacker	35:15
	when they announce the Duke and Carolina and Virginia	35:18
	and all the rest ACC games.	35:21
	But one thing that has always been one of my pet peeves	35:23
	is to be before my television screen	35:26
	and the game to be real close,	35:30
	maybe eight or 10 points difference,	35:33
	with about four minutes to go and then these	35:35
	three gentlemen, none of whom graduated from Duke,	35:39
	these three gentlemen, one of them will say invariably in	35:43
	every broadcast with about two, four or five minutes to go,	35:45
	now fans, hold on out there, the game is not over yet.	35:49
	And what they mean is that there's still hope	35:54
	for the team that is behind.	35:58
	They more or less insult our intelligence,	36:01
	we know the game is not over.	36:05
	It's four, five or six minutes to go,	36:07
	but still they say as though they are saying something	36:09
	that has never been said before, the game is not over yet.	36:11
	What is behind that particular statement	36:16
	is that there is always hope.	36:18
	My most memorable sports event was when I was playing on	36:21
	the basketball team here at Duke back in '48 through '52.	36:26
	We had an All-American on our team, the only All-American	36:30
	whose jersey has been retired, Dick Groat.	36:32
	It's down in the indoor stadium	36:35
	in a plaque at this particular time.	36:37
	The only Duke All-American who made All-American	36:40
	in both basketball and baseball.	36:43
	The most memorable comeback, the greatest display	36:47
	of sports hope was over in Raleigh.	36:52
	Duke was playing the University of Tulane	36:57
	in the old Dixie Classic.	37:00
	Duke was behind 29 points at the half.	37:03
	Tulane was leading Duke 29 points at the half.	37:08
	Most of the fans had already gone.	37:12
	It was an afternoon game and they'd gone to eat an early	37:14
	dinner in order to come back for the two night games.	37:16
	And the place was just like a skeleton place,	37:21
	nobody was left.	37:24
	Down in the locker room, our coach told us that we could win	37:26
	and some doubted but there was one, Dick Groat,	37:30
	who did not doubt him.	37:35
	And he, with the rest of the teammates came out	37:38
	in the second half and at the end of the game	37:41
	Duke won by the score of 74 to 72.	37:45
	Don't ask me how, 29 points behind,	37:50
	20 minutes to go and still the underdog won.	37:52
	There was no way for Duke to win	37:58
	but we did.	38:01
	Perhaps the greatest comeback in ACC history was the game	38:04
	between Duke and North Carolina back in the middle '70s.	38:07
	It hurts me, a Duke graduate, to tell about it.	38:12
	Duke was ahead by eight points with 17 seconds to go.	38:16
	There was absolutely no way under the sun	38:21
	for Duke to lose	38:25
	but we did.	38:27
	And the Carolina fans will never allow us to forget it	38:29
	until our dying day.	38:32
	No way to get good out of evil.	38:36
	No way to be victorious over a slow, gnawing, painful,	38:39
	irritating disease.	38:43
	No way to get any sense out of a 19-year-old boy	38:45
	killed in a senseless automobile accident,	38:48
	his friend paralyzed.	38:50
	A drunk driver walking away from the accident unhurt.	38:52
	No way, but I have seen evidence over and over	38:58
	and over again of the victory of the triumph of the peace	39:02
	of the assurance of the growth	39:06
	that can come out of tragedy.	39:09
	Hope, stick-to-itiveness and unwillingness to give up	39:13
	even after you've received a raw deal.	39:17
	Even when the cards have been stacked neatly against you.	39:23
	The human spirit is indeed remarkable.	39:28
	My most moving personal experience of observing hope	39:32
	in another individual was seen in my friend, John Morris,	39:37
	and how he was able to overcome his setbacks and his pain	39:42
	and his struggles.	39:47
	You probably have never heard of John Morris.	39:49
	John, he is a Duke graduate.	39:51
	He came to Duke on a football scholarship	39:54
	but he happened to end up at Duke on a football scholarship	39:57
	at the same time one from Wilmington by the name of	40:01
	Sonny Jurgensen who later went on	40:04
	and played for the Washington Redskins came.	40:06
	So Sonny, all the three years that he played varsity ball	40:09
	was the number one quarterback	40:12
	and very seldom ever went out of the game.	40:14
	And John Morris warmed the bench.	40:16
	And after graduation, John Morris	40:19
	coached high school football.	40:22
	He was over in Roxboro, not too far from here.	40:25
	He produced state champions.	40:27
	He went from there to Reedsville and then he went	40:30
	from Reedsville to High Point where I knew him	40:33
	and where he was a member of the church I served.	40:36
	He was the head coach of High Point Andrews.	40:38
	He was on his way, this particular year,	40:42
	to a state championship,	40:44
	when all of a sudden something happened.	40:46
	He had to have one of his legs removed from the knee down.	40:51
	Some months later, the other leg had to be removed	40:56
	from the knee down.	41:00
	The weeks in the rehabilitation hospital in Winston,	41:02
	the learning to use a wheelchair and then crutches	41:06
	and then learning how to walk on artificial limbs	41:10
	and then the walker and then the cane	41:16
	and then nothing.	41:21
	If you were to see him this morning in this church,	41:23
	if you were to observe him walking, you would not know	41:28
	that both of his legs have been amputated	41:30
	from the knee down.	41:32
	I was his minister during all of this time in his life.	41:35
	I visited him, I took him to have his	41:40
	artificial limbs fitted.	41:42
	I spent hours and days with this man.	41:46
	I have yet to hear the first complaint.	41:51
	I have yet to hear him say, why me, Lord?	41:56
	Why not somebody else?	41:59
	Handicapped is not a word in his vocabulary.	42:01
	He is and always will be an inspiration,	42:05
	a prime example of the victory one can enjoy	42:09
	if he sticks in there, if he never gives up hope.	42:12
	Bob Layer is a Methodist preacher in our	42:18
	Western North Carolina Conference.	42:21
	On June the 22nd, 1975, The Charlotte Observer	42:23
	carried a sad story that Bob Layer's 12-year-old son	42:25
	had committed suicide.	42:29
	Can you imagine anything worse than a boy, 12 years old,	42:31
	committing suicide?	42:35
	Think what it would do to you as a father or as a mother.	42:36
	And my initial reaction was that this probably	42:41
	is the worst thing that can happen to any parent.	42:44
	The greatest strain on anybody's faith.	42:48
	I actually hurt with Bob Layer and his wife.	42:51
	I waited a couple of weeks to write and the reply I received	42:56
	was not a letter, just a bulletin of the memorial service	43:01
	including a tribute of a father about his son	43:05
	and the words on the front of that particular bulletin	43:08
	are right here.	43:13
	And I know from having read these words on this bulletin	43:16
	with the picture of a little boy on the back	43:21
	and the tribute to the son there by the father,	43:23
	I know exactly how Bob Layer and his wife made it through.	43:27
	Because they, like you and I, have within us	43:33
	a God=given	43:37
	intangible called hope.	43:39
	And these words depict how they made it.	43:42
	I believe in the sun when it is not shining.	43:48
	I believe in God when he is silent.	43:53
	Hope in a hopeless situation, victory over the worst defeat.	43:57
	Paul, when I am weak then am I strong.	44:04
	Hope is an essential part of our being.	44:10
	Take it away in life, we'll run off the track	44:14
	every single time.	44:16
	Take it away and despair will crowd	44:18
	into your life immediately.	44:20
	As long as hope holds out, any person can weather the	44:23
	roughest storm, and make the most out of the rawest deal.	44:26
	Nothing can shake him or her.	44:30
	How do I know?	44:33
	Because we all are stuck like a dope with a thing	44:36
	called hope and we can't get it out of our minds.	44:41
	How do I know?	44:44
	Because even when the score is 17 and nothing against you	44:45
	you don't throw in the towel, you don't give up,	44:49
	you don't quit, it isn't so bad	44:52
	because you haven't been up to bat yet.	44:55
	How do I know?	44:57
	Because when you walk through a storm, you can	44:59
	hold your head up high for you'll never walk alone.	45:02
	How do I know?	45:08
	Because there's got to be a morning after.	45:10
	Please believe me.	45:15
	Whoever you are, those listening over the radio.	45:17
	Wherever you are, whatever your circumstances,	45:21
	listen to me, those of you who are in the nursing homes,	45:24
	those of you who are in the hospitals,	45:28
	those of you who've come to Duke Hospital not knowing	45:31
	whether you're gonna be here next week or not.	45:33
	Those struggling with the intangible,	45:37
	those suffering with cancer, with heart ailments,	45:39
	with the gnawing uncertainty concerning	45:44
	how long life will last for you.	45:47
	Listen, God has not	45:49
	and God does not promise clear skies	45:52
	and easy sledding through this life.	45:56
	He does promise that he will never leave us,	45:59
	that he will always be by our side.	46:05
	Please hear me out.	46:09
	Better things than we can ever imagine are ahead.	46:11
	Underneath all of life are the everlasting arms of God,	46:16
	undergirding and holding us steady.	46:21
	God actually, through Christ, has promised an eternal	46:24
	tomorrow to those of us who persevere, who remain faithful,	46:28
	who hold on to that indomitable spirit	46:34
	called hope.	46:38
	In the words of Annie,	46:41
	the sun will come out tomorrow.	46:44
	Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun.	46:47
	Just thinking about tomorrow clears away the cobwebs	46:51
	and the sorrow till there's none.	46:53
	When I'm stuck with a day that's gray and lonely	46:55
	I just stick out my chin and grin and say,	46:57
	oh, the sun will come out tomorrow so you've got to	46:59
	hang on till tomorrow come what may.	47:03
	Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow,	47:06
	you're only a day away.	47:10
	Let us pray.	47:15
	Help us, oh God, to believe in love even when we do not	47:18
	feel it, to believe in the sun when it is not shining,	47:21
	and to believe in you when you are silent,	47:26
	in Jesus' name.	47:31
	Amen.	47:34
	("A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" on organ)	47:40
	♪ A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing ♪	48:32
	♪ Our helper he amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing ♪	48:45
	♪ For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe ♪	48:59
	♪ His craft and power are great and armed with cruel hate ♪	49:10
	♪ On earth is not his equal ♪	49:21
	♪ Did we in our own strength confide ♪	49:30
	♪ Our striving would be losing ♪	49:36
	♪ Were not the right man on our side ♪	49:43
	♪ The man of God's own choosing ♪	49:49
	♪ Dost ask who that may be? ♪	49:57
	♪ Christ Jesus, it is he, Lord Sabaoth, his name ♪	50:02
	♪ From age to age the same and he must win the battle. ♪	50:14
	♪ And though this world, with devils filled ♪	50:28
	♪ Should threaten to undo us ♪	50:34
	♪ We will not fear, for God hath willed ♪	50:42
	♪ His truth to triumph through us ♪	50:48
	♪ The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him ♪	50:55
	♪ His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure ♪	51:07
	♪ One little word shall fell him ♪	51:19
	♪ That word above all earthly powers ♪	51:28
	♪ No thanks to them, abideth ♪	51:34
	♪ The Spirit and the gifts are ours ♪	51:42
	♪ Thru him who with us sideth ♪	51:47
	♪ Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also ♪	51:55
	♪ The body they may kill; God's truth abideth still ♪	52:07
	♪ His kingdom is forever ♪	52:20
	♪ Amen ♪	52:30
-	Let us affirm what we believe.	52:42
	We believe in God, who has created and is creating,	52:46
	who has come in the truly human Jesus	52:52
	to reconcile and make new.	52:55
	Who works in us and others by the Spirit.	52:59
	We trust God who calls us to be the church,	53:04
	to celebrate life and its fullness,	53:08
	to love and to serve others,	53:12
	to seek justice and resist evil.	53:15
	To proclaim Jesus crucified and risen,	53:19
	our judge and our hope.	53:23
	In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us.	53:27
	We are not alone.	53:34
	Thanks be to God.	53:37
-	The Lord be with you.	53:47
-	And also with you.	53:49
-	Let us pray.	53:51
	God of grace and love, who is our creator and our sustainer,	53:54
	we are here to worship you for the wholeness	54:05
	you give to our lives.	54:09
	We come to praise you for there is no power, no knowledge,	54:12
	that is greater than you.	54:19
	Without your continuing care our lives would hold	54:23
	no real meaning or purpose.	54:27
	Forgive us, God, for forgetting that we need you	54:31
	and for overlooking our intimate relationship	54:35
	with our fellow human beings.	54:41
	To often we allow are own needs to stand before	54:44
	those of our neighbors.	54:48
	Our time schedules, our trivial worries, our materialistic	54:50
	strivings, put a barrier between ourselves and you.	54:55
	We ask for your guidance as we better learn how to reach out	55:01
	to each other and to open our hearts to you.	55:06
	Our prayer is also made for those of us in pain,	55:12
	for those persons who find little meaning in their lives,	55:17
	for those who are lonely or homeless.	55:22
	Help us, God, to give of ourselves, to give of our talents,	55:27
	and especially of our faith.	55:36
	We make our prayer in the name of Jesus Christ	55:41
	who is our Savior and who taught us to pray together.	55:45
	Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.	55:50
	Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth	55:57
	as it is in heaven.	56:01
	Give us this day our daily bread.	56:04
	And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those	56:07
	who trespass against us.	56:11
	And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil	56:14
	for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory	56:20
	forever, amen.	56:26
	(classical organ music)	56:37
	♪ All creatures of our God and King ♪	1:02:06
	♪ Lift up your voice and with us sing ♪	1:02:11
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪	1:02:17
	♪ Thou burning sun with golden beam ♪	1:02:24
	♪ Thou silver moon with softer gleam ♪	1:02:29
	♪ O praise him, O praise him ♪	1:02:35
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪	1:02:41
	♪ Amen ♪	1:02:54
-	Bless, oh Lord, what we give that it may be	1:03:07
	wisely invested in your kingdom work.	1:03:10
	Bless also that larger portion that we retain for ourselves,	1:03:13
	our families, our investments and our businesses.	1:03:19
	May we be good and faithful stewards, oh God,	1:03:23
	handling all our money thankfully and honestly	1:03:27
	and treating everything we have received as a divine gift	1:03:31
	and a sacred trust, through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.	1:03:36
	("O God, Our Help In Ages Past" on organ)	1:03:46
	♪ O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come ♪	1:04:08
	♪ Our shelter from the stormy blast and our eternal home ♪	1:04:20
	♪ Under the shadow of thy throne still may we dwell secure ♪	1:04:34
	♪ Sufficient is thine arm alone, and our defense is sure ♪	1:04:45
	♪ Before the hills in order stood ♪	1:04:59
	♪ Or earth received her frame ♪	1:05:05
	♪ From everlasting, thou art God, to endless years the same ♪	1:05:12
	♪ A thousand ages, in thy sight, are like an evening gone ♪	1:05:25
	♪ Short as the watch that ends the night ♪	1:05:37
	♪ Before the rising sun. ♪	1:05:44
	♪ Time, like an ever rolling stream, ♪	1:05:51
	♪ Bears all who breathe away ♪	1:05:57
	♪ They fly forgotten, as a dream dies at the opening day ♪	1:06:04
	♪ O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come ♪	1:06:18
	♪ Be thou our guide while life shall last ♪	1:06:31
	♪ And our eternal home ♪	1:06:37
	♪ Amen ♪	1:06:46
-	Go forth into the world in peace.	1:06:56
	Be of good courage.	1:06:59
	Hold fast to that which is good.	1:07:01
	Render no one evil for evil.	1:07:04
	Strengthen the fainthearted.	1:07:07
	Support the weak.	1:07:09
	Help the afflicted.	1:07:11
	Honor all persons.	1:07:13
	Love and serve the Lord, rejoicing always	1:07:15
	in the power of the Holy Spirit.	1:07:18
	And the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,	1:07:21
	and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all	1:07:26
	both now and forevermore, amen.	1:07:30
	(classical organ music)	1:07:36
	(people chatting)	1:10:11

Item Info

Title:

Richard J. Crowder - "On Making the Best of a Raw Deal" (August 5, 1979)

Description:

Sermon start time: 22:59. Sermon end time: 47:35.
God ingrained in Christians hope, and we can persevere through anything. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: The Christian never throws in the towel. He is given by Almighty God the patience, the fortitude, the perseverance to endure the worst imaginable in human, life and he can still survive spiritually through the worst.

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4mw28w29

Date:

August 5, 1979

Speaker:

Crowder, Richard J.

Biblical Book:

Chapter and Verse:

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 RR-1038
235356dc9fa2d7e0adf0ffac85e9075b
uachapelsermaud
duke:320858
dcrau001918
ark:/87924/r4mw28w29
6467a93c-ecef-4464-941c-39d0d6cb3288

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings, 1954-2005

Related Resources:

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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:

Rights Note:

Duke has not determined the copyright status of this item. Regardless of its status, we have made a good faith determination that online access through the Duke Digital Repository is an acceptable fair use and otherwise permitted under U.S. copyright law. For more information, see our page on copyright and citations: https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/research/citations-and-permissions.

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Richard J. Crowder - "On Making the Best of a Raw Deal" (August 5, 1979)

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1. Richard J. Crowder - "On Making the Best of a Raw Deal" (August 5, 1979)

Duke University Archives

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Richard J. Crowder - "On Making the Best of a Raw Deal" (August 5, 1979)

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Duke University Archives

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